Purpose: We examine the content, context, and management of literacy learning opportunities in a large, diverse sample in the US and whether these opportunities were differentiated by children's oral language and decoding skill levels. Method: A total of 1,404 children in 153 preschool-through-third-grade classrooms were observed for several…

The first year of teaching has and continues to be fraught with challenges for early educators in public school contexts across the United States. A persistent problem that has been documented across the globe is the ability of novice teachers to engage in developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) with their students. We examine this issue…

Owing to its recognition as a 21st-century skill, computational thinking (CT) is currently being introduced into school curricula around the world. However, in-service teachers are largely unprepared for this implementation, which, in turn, makes teacher educators (TEds) important stakeholders in preparing prospective teachers to integrate CT into…

The potential for integrated science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning really is all around us. The moments of intense drama children experience when they test out a new design are the engines that drive STEM practices; it's what keeps scientists, programmers, engineers, and mathematicians up at night, wanting to try "just…

Background/purpose: In terms of computational thinking core facets, algorithmic thinking is a key competency applicable not only in Computer Science but also in aspects of daily life. Considering the global phenomenon of gender stereotypes with regards to the academic and professional orientation in STEM fields, we focused on investigating the…

This article reports a qualitative study of the reasons mothers chose to enroll their children in a Spanish/English two-way immersion (TWI) Program in Central Texas. Some of the mothers' reasons varied, and others overlap. All mothers expressed the belief that the program would provide their children with more opportunities, cognitive benefits,…

Extensive research has shown that elementary students struggle to learn the basic principles of length measurement. However, where patterns of errors have been documented, the origins of students' difficulties have not been identified. This study investigated the hypothesis that written elementary mathematics curricula contribute to the…

Children's reading skill development is influenced by availability of reading materials, reading habits and opportunity to read. Save the Children's Literacy Boost data have replicated this finding across numerous developing contexts. Meanwhile international large-scale reading assessments do not capture detail on current home literacy. The…

"Knowing and doing measurement" is a fundamental competency in real life since measuring attributes of objects in appropriate units and using measuring tools assist students to quantify and understand the world. For this reason, the study of measurement has a special place in every mathematics curriculum. Among the domains of…

Although the Curriculum Principle in "Principles and Standards for School Mathematics" states, "A school mathematics curriculum is a strong determinant of what students have an opportunity to learn and what they do learn," this article seeks to help teachers enhance tasks found in commonly used textbooks to create additional opportunities for…

A fear of snakes developed into an opportunity to teach students about the process of science: formulating questions, collecting and analyzing data, and communicating findings to the public. By using snakes to help students "think like a scientist," the authors engaged students in a five-day unit on inquiry while providing information about snakes…

As a key concept in early mathematics curriculum, number sense is crucial for children's learning of other mathematics concepts. An earlier curriculum with a strong focus on number sense development presumably helps children perform better in mathematics later on. Chinese students outperformed their United States (U.S.) peers on number sense at…

In this study, we use the US nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort to examine inequalities in opportunities to learn mathematics. Specifically, we examine the characteristics of US students' elementary school math teachers and the instruction they provide. While our findings are consistent with previous…

This study analyzed coaching conversations and interviews of four coach/teacher partnerships for specific ways in which kindergarten and first-grade teachers, and coaches, conceptualized instructional scaffolding for guided reading. Interview transcripts were coded for coaches' and teachers' specific hypotheses/ ideas regarding instructional…

Preparing students to be global citizens is foremost among teachers' educational goals and is central to the teaching of social studies. High quality trade books with multicultural and international themes can promote cultural and global awareness, which in turn advocates for peace and social justice. Such literature allows teachers to select…