Purpose: The purpose of this article was to systematically review studies that explored associations between specific curricular models, as an essential component of physical education, and to assess how the student outcomes identified in the models aligned with the national standards. Methods: Using the PRISMA guidelines to identify, screen,…

Autistic children and adults who are non-verbal/minimally verbal or have an intellectual disability have often been excluded from Autism Spectrum Disorder research. Historical, practical and theoretical reasons for this exclusion continue to deter some researchers from work with this underserved population. We discuss why these reasons are neither…

Since 2002, university students from the United States have had the opportunity to enroll in practicum experiences in Denmark while studying abroad. The dilemmas raised by the American students in practicum in Denmark provide a unique window through which to view pedagogical practices from different cultural perspectives. The students are able to…

Research shows that teaching sign language to all young children has a wide range of benefits, from enhancing social-emotional and preliteracy skills to supporting positive parent-child relationships. With "Sing & Sign for Young Children," early childhood professionals will have a fun, easy, and highly effective way to teach and…

Play is a powerful influence on children's learning and parents can provide opportunities to learn specific content by scaffolding children's play. Parent-child synchrony (i.e., harmony, reciprocity and responsiveness in interactions) is a component of parent-child interactions that is not well characterized in studies of play. We tested whether…

In this article, the author synthesizes research from several disciplines to shed light on play's central role in healthy development. Gordon builds on research in attachment theory that correlates secure attachment in infancy with adult well-being to demonstrate how playfulness might be a lifelong outcome of secure attachment and a primary…

In this paper the authors report on a literacy development intervention in a state, primary farm school in Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN), South Africa. Volunteers, who named themselves the "Reading Grannies" were invited by the principal and teachers to model reading in English to learners and teachers who were non-primary speakers of English.…

Through an examination of the reflective comments of 42 pre-service Early Childhood Education Teachers (PS-ECETs), this study describes how an infancy course within an Early Childhood Education program used four different ways of organizing learning to unravel details of infant pedagogy, focusing on the role of the teacher. It is vital to theorize…

Advances in technology have seen a proliferation of touch-screen interfaces available to young children. These screens have changed the way in which young children engage with digital technology; with increased exposure and use, it raises debates about the suitability of integrating digital technology within early childhood settings. There are…

Child-Centered Group Play Therapy (CCGPT) has been shown to be an effective, developmentally appropriate, and efficient mental health treatment for young children. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore six play therapists' perceptions of conducting CCGPT in four elementary schools. Three overarching themes emerged from the data:…

Preschool process quality and activity setting are considered important aspects influencing child engagement. As such, it is important to understand how educational settings can promote engagement, particularly for children with disabilities and/or at risk. This observational study describes process quality and activity setting in inclusive…

This study investigates mothers' expectations of and experiences with parental involvement during the transition to primary school. The participants were 20 mothers of children attending 10 kindergartens in Hong Kong. Individual interviews were conducted 3 months before and 3 months after their children entered their primary schools. As they had…

A literature review establishes a working definition of recreational mathematics: a type of play which is enjoyable and requires mathematical thinking or skills to engage with. Typically, it is accessible to a wide range of people and can be effectively used to motivate engagement with and develop understanding of mathematical ideas or concepts.…

Debates on how best to educate young children have been raging over the last 100 years--more often fuelled by ideological preferences rather than empirical evidence. To some extent this is hardly surprising given the difficulty of examining pupil progress in a systematic and comparative way. However, the introduction of a new child-centred…

Creative school environments use creative approaches in their curriculum, content, and teaching and learning. Considering that creativity is fostered by all elements of educational processes such as teachers, classrooms, and school environments, the purpose of the current study was to explore perceptions of Turkish student teachers in an early…