Parents and teachers want their children to be safe and to learn the skills they will need to live successful lives in a competitive society. In a diverse and rapidly changing world where people are only an e-mail's blink away from all those strangers everywhere, then it would be safest in the long run to teach young children to "enjoy diversity."…

"Dialogic Reading" is an interactive shared picture book reading practice designed to enhance young children's language and literacy skills. During the shared reading practice, the adult and the child switch roles so that the child learns to become the storyteller with the assistance of the adult, who functions as an active listener and…

This collection of essays addresses the enduring influence and importance of Fred Rogers' 40 years of work in children's television. The 14 essays explore his message of tolerance, courtesy, and self respect, and its influence on children and adults as a counterbalance to social pressures increasingly impinging on children today. The essays are:…

Objective: To explore parent perspectives regarding the early experiences of their children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). Methods: A phenomenological approach was used to explore the meaning of developmental experiences for children with DCD and their families. Parents of 13 children with DCD, aged 6-14, were recruited through…

In this classic essay, first published by the "Harvard Educational Review" in 1986, Vivian Gussin Paley details the beginnings of her career as a teacher and author. The article describes her methods of tape-recording and analyzing her students' daily engagement in the "three Fs: fantasy, fairness, and friendship." Her careful analysis provides…

This study examines the differences in self-reported fathering activities of men who were reported to be a residential biological father or father figure. Specifically, this study examines self-reported fathering activities which include physical play activities, social skills activities, cognitive activities, and caregiving activities across…

Equity in education relies on equal access to learning experiences and fair play during those experiences. Too often policy makers, voters and even some educators define equity only in terms of equal access. Equity is less about the same treatment for all and more about holding everyone to the same high standards and high expectations. All…

Objective: The purpose of the current study was to investigate the independent effects of different treatment elements on a number of secondary problems related to childhood and adolescent sexual abuse, as well as investigate a number of different moderators of treatment effectiveness. Method: Twenty-eight studies that provided treatment outcome…

The idea of a special type of education for young children emerged in the United States in the mid-nineteenth century, with the kindergarten movement. The kindergarten was created by Friedrich Froebel, the German educator whose ideas, although no longer popular, can be traced to contemporary early childhood education. Froebel explicitly rejected…

Intended for all who are responsible for children in the primary grades, this booklet notes the necessity of play for children's physical, social, and cognitive development, and the increasingly limited opportunities available to children for outdoor play. The booklet makes the case to teachers, administrators, and park and recreation planners to…

With increasing pressures being placed on early childhood teachers to provide academic programs, many are turning away from programs that foster pretend play. This study examined two contrasting approaches to teaching preschool children and considered their effects on children's linguistic and social abilities. One of the teaching approaches…

Based on Vygotsky's theory amongst others that play reflects different aspects of children's development and culture, this thesis explores in depth how aesthetic activities can influence children's play and the nature of the connections between play and culture, primarily in the aesthetic forms of drama and literature. The thesis also presents…

Many children with and without disabilities fail to develop the requisite social skills necessary to obtain a level of social competence that facilitates positive peer interactions and relationships. This study was designed to test a combination of training and generalization techniques to promote independent social interactions for children with…

This book presents sequentially ordered activities designed to foster young children's native creativity. The book is organized in three parts. Part 1: "Unleashing Your Creative Potential," introduces the types of activities found in the body of the book and provides teaching suggestions. Part 2: "Activities, Activities, Activities," gives a…

The paper shows that the study of mathematics can be organized as a complex learning enterprise integrating manipulative-exploratory play into a newer software tool environment--a dynamic geometry, a spreadsheet, and a relation grapher. The discussion reflects work done in a lab setting with preservice and inservice teachers enrolled in…