A number of studies, both small scale and of nationally-representative student samples, have reported substantial associations between school entry math ability and later elementary school achievement. However, questions remain regarding the persistence of the association between early growth in math ability and later math achievement due to the…

Studies have examined the impact of parents' educational level on their child's emergent literacy skills and have found positive associations (Korat, 2009). However, a review of the literature indicates that previous studies have not investigated whether parents' oral and written language skills relate to their child's emergent oral and written…

We describe two empirical investigations of three- and four-year-old children's uses of technology, one conducted in family homes and the other in preschool settings, with the aim of comparing the ways in which children's learning with technology is supported in these different settings. The studies conceptualise learning within a sociocultural…

This research study investigated the at-home literacy behaviors and experiences of young children before and during their kindergarten year. Research has shown that the frequency and quality of at-home literacy experiences can either hinder or hamper children as their formal schooling begins (Fletcher, Cross, Tanney, Schneider, & Finch, 2008;…

Storytelling represents an aspect of children's general language competence. The characteristics of the home literacy environment, especially joint reading between parents and children, have a significant effect on children's storytelling. The purpose of this study was to explore the age differences in the storytelling of three- to six-year-old…

The Black-White achievement gap in children's reading and mathematics school performance from 4.5 years of age through fifth grade was examined in a sample of 314 lower income American youth followed from birth. Differences in family, child care, and schooling experiences largely explained Black-White differences in achievement, and instructional…

Halgunseth (2009) noted the two most influential environments in which young children develop are their homes and their early childhood programs (p. 56). The unique responsibility of an early childhood educator lies in bringing these two contexts together to create a foundation for a respectful and trusting partnership with a child's family. Thus,…

Many risk factors have been identified for children entering Kindergarten. Many at-risk children eventually get classified as having a Specific Learning disability. Some of these risk factors include having a primary home language other than English (Hosp & Reschly, 2004), having non-intact families (Pong, 1997), being of minority status…

Schemes that seek to ensure that children have access to technology at home have, so far, been aimed at children over the age of 8. However, there is likely to be an increasing policy interest in extending similar schemes to pre-school children given widespread commitment to the value of early intervention in children's education and family life.…

Differences between home and school environments are a topic of longstanding interest and often of concern. The "match" between home and school in terms of child-rearing beliefs and socialization practices can affect the ease with which children adapt to school and ultimately their success in meeting school expectations. With growing numbers of…

PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) was inaugurated in 2001 as a follow-up to International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement's 1991 Reading Literacy Study. Conducted every five years, PIRLS assesses the reading achievement of young students in their fourth year of schooling--an important transition…

Bullying in schools has been identified as a serious and complex worldwide problem associated with negative short- and long-term effects on children's psychosocial adjustment (Smith 1999; Ttofi and Farrington, "Aggressive Behav" 34(4):352-368, 2008). Entering kindergarten is a crucial developmental step in many children's lives mainly because it…

Using a sample of 263 mother-child dyads, we examined the extent to which maternal emotional and cognitive support during a joint problem-solving task when children were 3-years-old predicted children's academic skills 1 year later independent of each other, the quality of the home learning environment, and maternal emotional responsiveness. When…

Researchers have indicated that many children from Asian countries have the experience of learning English prior to school at home or at private institutes. The Taiwanese government promotes informal and play-based teaching of English in the home if the parents would like their young children to learn English prior to formal instruction. This…

This study examined school readiness at kindergarten entry for low-income children whose disability indicators were identified before age 3. Data were collected as part of the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Longitudinal Follow-Up study. Children who had suspected developmental delays and did not receive Part C services had lower…