This report examines the importance and efficacy of oral language, literacy, mathematics, and science preschool curricula and how these curricula can be improved through alignment with research on early childhood development and learning. Detailed, research-driven recommendations are presented for what preschool-aged children should be learning in…

Cross-curricularity, literacy and critical literacy are currently promoted as components of a curriculum appropriate for the twenty-first century. The first two, in particular, are prescribed elements of classroom experience in Northern Ireland, which is the immediate context of this article, but also more widely in the UK. Teachers are…

Liberating and channelling the energy and enthusiasm of young children as they explore their world motivates teachers to reflect on their science-teaching practices. This was the claim the authors made at the start of an early-years science project funded by the Astra-Zeneca Science Teaching Trust. Their aims were to develop case studies of…

Scientific learning in the early years quite correctly focuses on the development of skills. However, at this stage of learning, science should also be about developing motivational attitudes to encourage children to explore the world around them and convince them that science is an exciting subject. Practical experiential play activities do this…

This article discusses how a brief project-based unit promoted the learning of children in a first-grade classroom. The children attended a public elementary school located in a southeastern university town in the United States. Approximately 94% of the students in the school were from economically disadvantaged families. No children in this…

Congress has required that the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) produce an annual report to policymakers about the progress of education in the United States. "The Condition of Education 2016" presents 43 key indicators on important topics and trends in U.S. education. These indicators focus on population characteristics,…

Looking-time studies examined whether 11-month-old infants can individuate two pairs of objects using only shape information. In order to test individuation, the object pairs were presented sequentially. Infants were familiarized either with the sequential pairs, disk-triangle/disk-triangle (XY/XY), whose shapes differed within but not across…

My husband, who is a scientist, often brings home different scientific journals and magazines to read, and my 4-year-old son, Nicholas J. Hu, likes to flip through them. A recent issue of Chemical and Engineering News (September, 2003) caught his interest more than usual because there were stories of different elements. Nicholas has been able to…

The current study consisted of 2 parts, with the same 4 normally developing 4-yr-old children employed across both parts. The primary aim of Part 1 was to replicate previous research on exemplar training and its impact upon the emergence of repertoires of derived symmetry or mutually entailed relations. In this part of the study, the children were…

Early childhood educators carefully reflect on the messages conveyed about family diversity in the materials they select to use. Picture books depicting gay and lesbian families can enhance the curriculum and make an important contribution to young children's development. Families comprised of same-sex parents or those who have gay and lesbian…

Albeit science is clear in its support for early childhood, the developmental outcomes for young children, globally, are poor. It is hypothesized that evidence-based policies may be a potential mediator of the application of science to improve the lives and well-being of young children. However, the question arises--at what stage of policy…

This article begins with a section entitled, "Involving Parents in Science Discovery" written by Carol Seefeldt. This section discusses staff workshop for exploring discovery science. Here, the author provides the staff workshop instructions. This is followed by a section entitled, "Exploring Science with Young Children" written by Peter Rillero.…

The New Zealand early childhood curriculum, "Te Whariki", views learning as occurring through reciprocal and responsive relationships with people, places and things. Relationships and communication are central to young children's learning. Communication, or dialogue, is in fact likely to be young children's principal learning mechanism…

What are the most effective methods for teaching writing across grade levels and student populations? What kind of training do teachers need to put research-validated methods into practice? This unique volume combines the latest writing research with clear-cut recommendations for designing high-quality professional development efforts. Prominent…

"Research on Schools, Neighborhoods, and Communities: Toward Civic Responsibility" focuses on research and theoretical developments related to the role of geography in education, human development, and health. William F. Tate IV, the Edward Mallinckrodt Distinguished University Professor in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in…