Spontaneity in the classroom provides myriad opportunities and possibilities for learning, building relationships, and collaboration. There is no limit to what can be learned and enjoyed. The teacher does not have to center her curriculum around holidays or a commercial curriculum. She does not have to rigidly follow the seasons, the calendar, or…

Every weekday morning, Director Steve White and 40 teachers welcome 206 children to the Early Learning and Literacy Resource Center (ELLRC) in Atlanta. Upstairs in the same building, Principal Karen Brown-Collier and 30 full-time teachers welcome 385 students to Dunbar Elementary School. These children and their parents are benefiting from an…

The "Beyond Crossroads" document (American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges, 2006) contains the Standard for Assessment of Student Learning. Its implementation standard requires that faculty use results from assessment to improve instruction. In doing this, each faculty member is expected to employ multiple assessment techniques.…

Since 2010, the Chinese government has adopted a series of services and policies to provide early childhood education for disadvantaged children. The rapid economic development and urbanisation process since the mid-1980s have led to great changes in social structure and demographics in China. This creates new challenges for the education of…

On any given day, early intervention (EI) providers must manage the individual needs of children with a range of disabilities in a variety of contexts and with varying caregiver/family priorities. Recommended and evidence-based practices as defined by Part C policy (Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act, 2004) and the Division…

Opportunity to learn reflects the quality of resources, school conditions, and curriculum necessary to enable students to achieve. It has long been recognized that such opportunities differ significantly for low-income students compared to their middle-income peers and contribute powerfully to education inequities across our country. This article…

Recent Australian government initiatives in the early childhood education and care sector are placing demands for an increase in the number of degree qualified early childhood teachers. Many universities are now offering courses with dual qualifications as a way to provide alternate career opportunities for pre-service teachers; however it cannot…

Collaboration is often described as a situation whereby two or more children work together towards a common goal. When viewed from a socio-cultural learning perspective, a broader understanding of collaboration is suggested. This article investigates the forms and pathways of children's collaboration and how the institutional demands influence…

Parents who move their families to the United States want their children to have full advantage of the educational opportunities available, and they often worry about language or cultural barriers. They need the support of early childhood educators to prepare their children for a good educational experience. Child care providers need to understand…

This Research-in-Brief is one in a series of publications highlighting the Institute for Women's Policy Research's (IWPR) most significant research contributions to policy issues affecting women across IWPR's twenty-five year history. Recognizing that education is the gateway to opportunity, the IWPR has been a significant source of research on…

Designed to stimulate the economy and employment, the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009" (ARRA), commonly referred to as the stimulus package or plan, is a crucial step in a massive effort to create and save 3 to 4 million jobs, jump-start the U.S. economy and begin the process of transforming the economy for the 21st…

In the United States, visits to informal learning environments [ILEs] such as zoos, have historically been considered to be important educational experiences that promote increased student achievement in content-area subjects. Recently, however, funds are more likely to be diverted away from field trip experiences, depriving less-privileged…

This paper examined attrition in primary schools in Nigeria with specific reference and focus on some policies and programmes of Nigeria's educational system with a view to highlighting its possible effect on the attainment of the Education for All (EFA) goals by 2015. It reviewed equal educational opportunity in relation to school environments…

An insufficient number of affordable places in Russia's preschool system is affecting the educational development of many young children and reducing the number of mothers who could be working in the economy.

How the young children of immigrants experience their early school years may in large part determine their academic future and negatively affect their emotional, social, and mental development. Children benefit from a positive, supportive learning environment where their contributions are valued; many from immigrant families, however, experience…