The problem addressed through this study was the inconsistent implementation of RTI2 in the mathematics classes for special education (SPED) upper elementary (i.e., Grades 3-5) students at a Southwestern, urban Tennessee school district (SUTSD). Students in SPED have low mathematics proficiency. Researchers have demonstrated that RTI2 is a process…

Mathematics in early years settings is often restricted to learning to count and identifying simple shapes. This is partly due to the narrow scope of many early years curricula and insufficient teacher training for exploring deeper mathematical concepts. We note that geometry is an area particularly neglected. In an innovative year-long project, a…

A critical aspect of Mathematics Teacher Leaders' (MTLs) multi-faceted work is facilitating collective disciplinary discussions relevant and accessible for teachers. While research has identified goals for teacher learning, how MTLs learn to support these goals in content-specific ways is still under investigation. In this study, we lift the…

Circle time is a common part of the day in many early childhood programs. This important routine can encompass instruction on curricular concepts, provide a space to introduce new topics, and build membership and community within inclusive classrooms. Lesson plans or strategies for circle time instruction are also a part of many early childhood…

The rapidly growing needs of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce have attracted educators and policymakers to reinforce STEM education from elementary to postsecondary education. Additionally, an increasing number of English language learners (ELLs) in the U.S. public education system draws educators' attention…

Peer assessment has been frequently used to improve students' academic writing skills. However, how to address students' unsatisfactory attitude during the peer assessment process remains a major challenge to further improve students' learning outcome and engagement. In our project, we implemented Interactive Peer Assessment, which comprised…

Stories are one critical aspect of literacy across the life span. For young children, stories invite engagement in shared thinking, and social and emotional connections with others in family homes and early childhood education settings. In this article, we share key findings from two studies that illustrate ways that story interactions are…

Climate change is an urgent global issue that requires concern and action among a climate literate citizenry. Early childhood climate change education (CCE) affords strong potential for developing this climate literate citizenry. Early childhood educators are critical for this endeavor, and their climate change perspectives, teaching practices,…

Due to COVID-19 lockdowns, Arkansas had to implement virtual instruction into a face-to-face education system for the first time in the 2020-2021 school year. This unique situation is the setting for this dissertation. It explores how adding virtual education to face-to-face education affected student engagement as measured by student attendance.…

The Moving Maths study was conducted to increase third grade pupils' physical activity and support their learning in Finland. Altogether 397 children (mean age 9.3 years) and 22 teachers took part in an intervention with two types of physically active maths lessons for five months. One group carried out lessons in which PA was integrated into…

This article presents examples of how early childhood educators (prek-2nd grade) might use their daily read alouds as a vehicle for increasing mathematical talk and mathematical connections for their students.

Smart learning environments provide students with opportunities to engage in self-regulated learning (SRL). However, little research has examined how teachers leverage these opportunities. We employed a multiple-case study methodology to examine the SRL supporting instructional practices of five third-grade teachers as they implemented a science…

Background: Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy is a crucial part of digital literacy that all individuals should possess in today's technologically advanced world. Despite the potential benefits that AI education offers, little research has been done on how to teach AI literacy to children. Objectives: This study aimed to fill that gap by…

Identifying effective professional development related to providing social-emotional support in early childhood classrooms is a critical need. We used a multiple probe across participants and behaviors design to examine the impact of external coaching support on classroom coaches' use of coaching strategies with teachers in childcare programs. As…

This study investigated the role of tools in supporting students to reason about even and odd numbers. Participants included Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2 students (ages 5-8) at two schools in the USA. Students took part in a cross-sectional early algebra intervention in which they were asked to generalize, represent, justify, and reason with…