Head Start provides access to high-quality, affordable early learning opportunities for children alongside wraparound supports for parents which can help families achieve economic security by helping to facilitate parents' attainment of college credentials. Head Start-college collaboration can also bring important benefits to colleges and…

"The Family Partnership Process: Engaging and Goal-Setting with Families" explores how strong partnerships can positively influence the goals families set in the Family Partnership Process. This guide recommends "Seven Steps for Setting and Reaching Goals with Families" and will help program staff: (1) learn about families and…

FruitZotic incorporated fruit stories (exotic-fruits-literacy), a "See, Smell, Hear, Touch and Taste" (sensory) segment and a question-prompted discussion. Three take-home components incorporating the exotic fruits were: Coloring Activity, Recipes, and Fact Sheets. Sensory based nutrition education can increase familiarity with exotic…

Amargosa Valley School in Nevada could be considered representative of almost any preK-8 school that serves a large proportion of socioeconomically disadvantaged students and is focused on turning around persistently low achievement. Like other schools supported by federal School Improvement Grants, Amargosa is beginning to implement a reform plan…

Superhero play has long been thought of as violent, aggressive, and disruptive. Some argue that aggressive play should not be allowed because it exposes children to inappropriate concepts and attitudes and sends the message that the use of aggression can achieve a desired goal. However, educators know that pretend play is an avenue for healthy…

Future early childhood educators need to know how to teach "all" young learners effectively--including children with diverse cultural, linguistic, and economic backgrounds and children with special needs. This core textbook equips early childhood educators with the knowledge they'll need to succeed in the classroom and ensure the best…

Language and, specifically, vocabulary development plays a critical role in early literacy development. This article describes Exceptional Coaching for Early Language and Literacy (ExCELL), which is a research-based, effective preschool program that focuses on developing Head Start enrollees' language and preliteracy skills. The ExCELL program…

This article reviews the findings from our research in Head Start classrooms and their potential theoretical importance. Practical suggestions are offered to administrators and teachers as to ways to promote friendships in classroom settings. Some approaches are likely to work better for boys and others for girls. Understanding how children select…

This article describes a music and movement intervention for children in preschool classrooms. The intervention, consisting of sequenced music and movement activities, has been studied as a curriculum conducted by outside interventionists (Yazejian & Peisner-Feinberg, 2009/this issue) with results providing some support for the beneficial effects…

As more and more dual language learners enter the school system, now is the ideal time for this second edition of the bestselling textbook--essential for preparing speech language pathologists (SLPs) and educators to work with young children who are bilingual or learning a second language. This comprehensive, student-friendly text takes the…

Written expressly for preschool teachers, this engaging book explains the "whats," "whys," and "how-tos" of implementing best practices for instruction in the preschool classroom. The authors show how to target key areas of language and literacy development across the entire school day, including whole-group and small-group activities, center…

Research Findings: This article is based on the premise that the field of early childhood education needs to begin to study the details of teacher-child interaction if it is to understand fully what aspects of classrooms foster development and to create effective professional development interventions. To this end, we report analyses of four Head…

Current research increasingly highlights the role of early literacy in young children's development--and informs practices and policies that promote success among diverse learners. This handbook presents cutting-edge knowledge on all aspects of literacy learning in the early years. Volume 2 provides additional perspectives on important topics…

Gaps in academic achievement between students from various racial and ethnic groups and from low-income families are a cause for national concern. The advent of high stakes testing and the increased awareness of high dropout rates have rekindled the search for ways to help all children succeed in school. Many strategies to address lagging…

This paper examines the interactions between teachers and children based on a micro-ethnographic study of an early childhood classroom in which the teacher attempts to scaffold children's learning. The attempts at scaffolding are subverted by children as they resist the teacher's endeavors to modify their play. Teacher's attempts at scaffolding,…