This Study Snapshot highlights key findings from a study that examines up-to-date information about evidence-based practices that are essential for early childhood educators and policymakers as they support preschool children's language and literacy development. The study used a process modeled after the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) methodology…

The "Effectiveness of Early Literacy Instruction: Summary of 20 Years of Research" study examined information about evidence-based practices that are essential for early childhood educators and policymakers as they support preschool children's language and literacy development. The study used a process modeled after the What Works…

Policymakers, child care providers, and parents face tradeoffs in determining how much to spend on child care, including how many hours to purchase, and the features of programs that might influence quality. Given these tradeoffs, it is useful to understand what constitutes quality, the cost of care features associated with quality, the effects of…

Over the past 8 years, U.S. kindergarten classrooms have been impacted by policies mandating or recommending the administration of a specific kindergarten entry assessment (KEA) in the initial months of school as well as the increasing reliance on digital technology in the form of mobile apps, touchscreen devices, and online data platforms. Using…

The rapid expansion of public-school preschool programs significantly challenges America's school administrators, teachers, and school professionals. The complex issues of preschool mental health needs, expulsion, and suspension are at the forefront. In the United States, schools are reporting rapidly increasing numbers of preschool programs,…

This study investigated the role of home learning environments and family socioeconomic status in children's learning in Tanzania. A total of 303 participants from the naturalized refugees, rural, and urban majority groups were recruited. Data were collected using parents' questionnaires, interviews, Bracken's Basic Concept Scale--Receptive, Early…

Although there is a growing body of literature which focuses on museums' role in supporting children's literacy, there is also a need for studies to show ways in which museums can support refugee families' literacy practices. In light of this gap, this qualitative study explores the role of a children's museum in the literacy practices of a recent…

This article draws on a long term ethnographic study which explored the way the home based practices experienced by children in a marginalised community in a large South African city, Port Elizabeth, prepared them for, and supported them in, schooling. The study was informed by the field known as 'New Literacy Studies' and which draws extensively…

The present investigation examined the benefits of pre-K through the end of kindergarten for children from low-income homes who lived in a large and diverse county (n = 2,581) as well as factors associated with a reduction in benefits during the kindergarten year. Results revealed that pre-K graduates outperformed non-attenders in the areas of…

The National Literacy Trust firmly believes in a place-based approach to tackling literacy issues in communities across the UK where low levels of literacy and social mobility are seriously impacting people's lives. In 2013, it launched its Hub model, delivering place-based interventions in areas of the UK with the highest levels of deprivation…

Research Connections conducted a comprehensive search of its collection for resources focused on the relationship between early childhood education and care and home visiting. This Key Topic Resource List includes an overview and listing of selected resources from the literature. Resources of various types, including, reports and papers, fact…

There are important responsibilities expected from primary school students. The most important of these are the learning of reading, writing and arithmetic. There is a "psychological readiness" aspect besides reading, writing and arithmetic in order to be ready for the school. In this study, among the first-grade students, those who were…

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not a child's chronological age at the onset of kindergarten influences foundational literacy skills and if there is an impact on long-term reading achievement. Research indicates that there are several factors that influence school readiness and the foundational literacy skills that must be…

The transition into kindergarten often serves as the basis for long-term disparities in educational attainment because initially small differences in early learning widen throughout the K-12 educational system. Given the long-standing disparities in their academic achievement related to being of low socioeconomic status and a racial/ethnic…

This paper evaluates and compares two randomized interventions in Tonga, one targeting the home environment of children up to age 5 and one targeting the school environment for first and second grade students. The first intervention supports communities to set up and run playgroups that aim to improve caregiver-child interaction at home and…