In October 2015, the Kansas State Board of Education announced a new vision for education in Kansas--the Kansans CAN vision. "Kansas leads the world in the success of each student" became the branded theme for Kansas education. The Kansans CAN vision for education calls for a more child-focused system providing support and resources for…

This article offers a critical interpretation of the current trends in instructional models for English language learners in California. We review key instructional models and analyze them from traditional (teacher-centered), progressive (student-centered), and critical orientations (society- and power-centered). These instructional models share…

In China, the "2001 Kindergarten Education Guidelines (Trial)", or "New Outline", delineates what constitutes high-quality, developmentally appropriate practices in all early childhood education curriculum domains, including mathematics. The "New Outline" is known for advocating a child-centered, play-based approach…

Students need to be prepared for the 21st century by developing the literacy skills necessary for participating in the age of synthesis--an age that requires a progressive set of skills and knowledge. The authors identified nine educational innovations that are perceived to be effective for preparing students for the 21st century age of synthesis…

The purpose of this lesson is to engage young students in thinking about the complexity of socio-historical symbols in the present day. After careful preparation, the authors decided to teach about the decision by the state legislature in July 2015 to remove the Confederate flag from the South Carolina statehouse grounds. Presenting the…

Sociocultural perspectives on learning highlight varied conceptions of what it means to know and do mathematics, and in turn what it means to be mathematically competent. This work presents a dynamic conceptualization of competence--what counts as competent mathematical activity is negotiated and constructed within learning environments, and…

Problem statement: After the implementation of new curricula in 2005, portfolios have become commonplace in teacher training programs in Turkey. Even though the use of portfolios is quite popular, the studies have shown that portfolios are mostly used to assess student learning outcomes, while the effectiveness of the educators and teacher…

The English Language Learner student population is on the rise in the United States. There are more students than ever entering school with a language other than English as their primary language. There is an inconsistency in the delivery service (pull-out or push-in) as well as a variety of pedagogical practices used to instruct students in…

School readiness occurs within a broad context that includes the four components of community, educational environment, family and the individual child. These four components function as interdependent systems of support that have multidirectional influences. Early childhood experiences, from birth through age 8, are necessary for school success…

In this article, I (a) illustrate how the K-2 CCSSM reflect the major findings from research studies carried out over the last 30 years on early mathematical abilities that indicate these standards are developmentally appropriate for young children, and (b) offer insights into some types of instructional strategies (e.g., student-centered…

Child Friendly School (CFS) is a democratic environment based on children's rights, where all students are accepted, teaching-learning processes are organized according to children's interest needs, health, safety and protective measures are taken for children and gender-based discrimination is not provided. Preschool education institutions, which…

Learner-centeredness is a consistent theme in the field of education. Yet, the perspectives of young learners are still barely considered. Lightbown and Spada (2013) have pointed out that even though young children have not developed cognitive maturity and the metalinguistic awareness of adolescents or adults, they learn a language without any…

The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of a Choice-Based art curriculum with students in an ESL (English as a Second Language) kindergarten classroom. Of specific interest to the researcher there was a strong correlation between students using visual aids and communication skills to set their own art making goals. Through action…

Teacher research yields a plethora of insights about creating a meaningful curriculum for children. In this article, we describe the experience of preschool children who participated in Kindergarten Club, a space that afforded them opportunities to shift roles from being preschoolers to being kindergarteners. Kindergarten Club became a catalyst…

Students used a compass trail to show how they could perform service to their school. When students performed service learning, they completed a real task that was needed for a grateful audience conjoined with academic content in the lesson. Students worked on the school grounds and used content from their regular curriculum while looking for…