Children's picture books, both fiction and non-fiction, play a vital role in introducing the reader to the natural world. Here we examine the representation of turtles, terrapins and tortoises (Testudines) in 204 English language picture books and find a mean of 3.9 (SD 9.1) basic biological errors per book. Only 83 (40.7%) of the examined books…

The present study evaluated the effects of different types of teacher commands on response latency for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students. Two different types of commands were assessed: alpha commands and beta commands. Research on instructional time in schools shows that loss of instructional time during transition periods may result in…

Social science research has shown us for decades that young children notice racial differences at very young ages and learn societal rules about race throughout childhood. Margaret Hagerman reviews some of the research into children's understandings of race and shares her own observations from conversations with children across racial and class…

The author explores how counter-storytelling activities can offer preschool-age children opportunities to consider alternative perspectives and to develop critical and creative thinking skills.

Thousands of children are diagnosed with cancer each year and are unable to participate in normative developmental and cultural contexts such as school. Little is known about how children with cancer perceive attending school in alternative settings, such as the home and hospital, while receiving treatment. This study coded the drawings of 10…

This article explores how adult writers of children's literature are implicitly positioned as translators between "adult" and "child" culture. Adopting the lens of metaphor theory, it traces the conceptual correspondence between adult metaphors of childhood (e.g., the child-savage analogy) and the metaphor of the adult…

In the current climate of state-mandated education standards and assessment that prioritize math and language arts in U.S. schools, drawing, an accessible and/or pleasurable endeavor for a wide variety of children, is undervalued. Although research in art education over the past four decades has shown children's drawing and drawings to be rich…

Caregivers' mentalization has gained importance in recent years, but most studies only include parental figures. Given empirical evidence showing the importance of educators in the development of preschoolers, this paper aims to assess how the mentalization and stress levels of parents and educational staff are related to attachment, ToM and…

Children as young as pre-school are experiencing difficulties related to stress, anxiety and inattention which could be supported through the use of mindfulness. However, there is very little research on how to effectively deliver mindfulness approaches within Early Years (EYs) practice. A year-long action research project was conducted with an…

The incorporation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into Scots law offers an unprecedented opportunity to improve the realisation of the right to education for all children and young people living in Scotland. One feature of such a commitment ought to be clear and comprehensive policies on Human Rights Education…

Given the importance of writing for academic achievement, this study aimed to understand how early oral language contributes to later writing skills. The first objective was to determine if preschool language skills were associated with high school writing, and if so, whether they contributed directly or indirectly through school age language. The…

An effective transition to school occurs when children and families feel a sense of belonging in their new school community, and when this is also recognised by teachers and educators. While various definitions of effective transitions to school exist, this definition provides an especially useful starting point for improving practice. This…

This study investigated the effects of lying on belief ratings for autobiographical childhood events. Participants lied by trying to convince the experimenter that likely events had not happened and that unlikely events had happened. Participants consistently lied, consistently told the truth, and alternated lying and truth telling across two…

Learning to count is a significant achievement. Counting requires the learner to co-ordinate a number of key principles to make sense of the various contexts in which counting is used. Learning to count takes time to master. Children need a range of opportunities to hear the language associated with counting and engage in everyday activities to…

Deliberate practice is essential for acquiring a wide range of skills that have been central to humans' adaptive success, yet little is known about when and how children develop this capability. The current study examined 4- to 7-year-olds' (N = 120) ability to selectively practice a skill that would be useful in the near future, as well as their…