Recognizing the valuable role nature plays in human development as well as humans' responsibility toward the earth is critically important when considering how to transform education for the betterment of the individual and society. In this article, the author views nature as a force or phenomenon of the metaphysical world. As such, she suggests…

The author of this article asks: What is readiness for kindergarten? How do we know when a child is ready? Unfortunately, as with many topics in education reform and improvement, policy makers ignore the complex questions about readiness and instead focus narrowly on select variables. The focus for kindergarten readiness is on select literacy and…

Over forty years ago, Howard Zinn identified the problem as not one of civil disobedience, but of civil "obedience". He confronted the problem of remaining obedient to laws and rules even "in the face of the face of poverty and starvation and stupidity, and war and cruelty." Framed in an early childhood context, this article explores the value of…

In a steady diet of shocking daily news stories, the author saw one item that was particularly shocking. A 5-year-old kindergarten child just "lost it" in her classroom, went a little berserk, threw violent fits, and had to be restrained with handcuffs. Such an incident seems to beg for analysis, and countless columnists offered their insights and…

Although a five-year-old entering kindergarten is probably excited about the new experience, there is often a degree of anxiety involved. As a kindergarten teacher whose goal is to create a classroom environment that fosters learning, encourages independence and is orderly, cheerful and welcoming, this author describes 11 simple things that she…

Kindergarten teachers could help educators and researchers by creating opportunities and experiences in classroom settings to offer literacy learning. Children, however, learn literacy when immersed in classroom environments that support natural literacy experiences throughout the day.

In this article I argue that both sociocultural theories and those that address academic literacies must be invoked to adequately understand language and literacy development in schools. Through exploring the histories, school lives, and viewpoints of two kindergarten students, I show how identity work negotiated in classroom interactions can…

Asian American parents' involvement practices challenge the traditional definition of parent involvement (participation in school activities). In this paper, I argue that research and practices focusing only on this narrow definition of parent involvement may not be culturally sensitive approaches to supporting the home-school connection. The…