From a sociology of childhood and children's rights agenda, this review explores how children define 'play' and 'work' in the classroom, and the contextual influences on the development and reinforcement of these perceptions. Twelve studies were identified, analysed and reported using PRISMA guidelines. These studies strived to understand…

What can we learn from K-5 science teachers who have integrated science and creative dance for a five-year period? In this paper, the preliminary findings of the qualitative research conducted by a constructivist elementary charter school principal, a university dance professor, and an educational researcher is presented.This research highlights…

Home-visit parenting programmes have been linked to positive developmental outcomes among participating children, yet few studies have explored the mechanisms behind this impact. We observe 40 home visits across seven countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, using an observational tool to assess visit content, coaching strategy, and the…

Despite the documented role of physical activity (PA) in the overall health and links to academic achievement for young children, students' recess time has decreased nationally over the last several decades. Accordingly, teacher education programs largely overlook the importance of PA and related pedagogy, including oversight of recess by academic…

Game-based learning is getting popular in both K-12 schools and colleges. Research is needed to understand how engagement can influence learning and what specific factors of game-based learning that affect learners. In this study, we reviewed a total of 20 empirical studies from refereed journals that examined student engagement in game-based…

Nature trails can be used as a tool for young children to learn about inquiry-based science and math in an open and natural environment. A nature trail provides the opportunity for children to develop their gross motor skills by walking, hiking or playing on the trail and enhance social skills by doing outdoor activities with their friends. The…

The Building Bridges and Bonds (B3) evaluation, a federally funded study of Responsible Fatherhood programs, is testing a set of three innovative approaches to help fathers with low income improve their parenting and employment skills. One innovation, Just Beginning (JB), was added to the existing fatherhood services at three community-based…

Early care and education settings are essential partners in the battle against childhood obesity. We describe an Extension-facilitated early childhood obesity prevention intervention conducted in 25 rural early care and education settings. A total of 148 policy, systems, or environmental changes were achieved, reaching approximately 450 young…

This study sought to examine the experience of early childhood pre-service teachers participating in facilitated research analysis with discussion-case application. Specifically, we were interested in the impact on teachers' knowledge of and attitude towards the role and value of play in the classroom. This study describes the qualitative phase of…

The Early Start Denver Model is an evidence-based, comprehensive naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention. Randomized controlled studies indicate that long-term, high-intensity Early Start Denver Model in home-based settings can positively impact the clinical outcomes of young children with autism spectrum disorder. However, it is…

Mixed methods research (MMR) is useful for addressing complex and multidisciplinary urban problems. This article demonstrates an integrated MMR approach with a novel two-phase exploratory sequential design while studying play, play space, and children's (age 7-15 years) location preference for play in three residential areas in Dhaka. We used…

With renewed emphasis on civic education in K-12 schools, educators and politicians call for young people to engage in civic action. Worth considering are the kinds of ideas taken up, the performances deemed "critical" enough, and actions recognized in schools as civic engagement. Drawing from a case study of second graders in New York…

We conducted a meta-analysis of 22 video modeling intervention studies that included 49 preschool children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. Using the Nonoverlap of all pairs ("NAP"), an index of data overlap between phases in single-case research, we calculated effect size. Effect sizes for subgroups were also calculated. The…

The increasing accountability framework in Kindergarten education has put pressure on teachers to ensure that students reach certain literacy milestones before proceeding to the subsequent grade. One result of this shift is a tension between an emphasis on academic learning and the use of developmentally appropriate practices, such as play.…

Given concerns for a severely diminished childhood experience of nature, coupled with alarm for a rapidly diminishing global biodiversity, this article considers the potential for childhood nature experience to be an important part of biodiversity understanding. Findings from two studies are integrated and presented as windows into childhood…