The author seeks to expand the notion of the "play cycle," first introduced in 1998, to include the "functional cycle," with its "perceptual cue," touted by Jakob von Uexküll. He also discusses Simon Nicholson's theory of "loose parts" and James J. Gibson's notion of "affordances." He outlines the…

Many early childhood educators use the evidenced-based practice of interactive shared book reading (ISBR) to promote the development of important communication and literacy skills. ISBR for preschoolers has been shown to build both vocabulary and conceptual knowledge, which in turn contributes to later language and reading comprehension…

In this article, we describe the purpose and the process of video-cued ethnography. Using examples primarily from the Children Crossing Borders study, we outline six basic elements of video-cued ethnography including site selection, participant-observation, filming, editing, focus group interviews, and comparative analysis. We detail some of the…

Assessment can be challenging for professionals in the early childhood setting, given the variety of ways that young children show what they know. Early childhood professionals who work with children with exceptionalities take into consideration individual needs when planning for assessments. Authentic assessment provides a more complete picture…

This article describes the use of video-cued multivocal ethnography (VCE) in the Civic Action and Young Children Study conducted with preschool children in South Texas. We detail how and why we continue to use the VCE method as a process of collective reflection and analysis with participating communities. We also explore how VCE helps us enact…

In 1982 I began using classroom videos as cues for ethnographic interviews. My colleagues and I asked practitioners in three countries to respond to videos shot in their own and each other's preschools. The video cues worked to produce conversations that we used in our 1989 book "Preschool in Three Cultures" to present perspectives on…

This article demonstrates how the original Preschool in Three Cultures method can be extended and modified. Modifications to the method include using videos not only as interviewing cues but also as data for microanalysis; conducting multiple return interviews with the same informants; re-editing videos to draw more explicit attention to key…

Many teachers struggle with implementing self-help eating goals for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). No group programs exist to target this important problem. We used findings from applied behavior analysis research and adapted single-subject interventions into a group-based eating program. In describing the program using two…

Four early childhood educators, along with a university researcher, describe their efforts to implement an antiracist, antibias curriculum in a daycare and preschool setting. Even very young children can learn important lessons about race, diversity, and equity, they argue, and teachers should not shy away from addressing these issues at staff…

Much has been written on challenging behavior in young children, and teachers know that that teaching new skills, particularly appropriate ways to communicate, is important when reducing challenging behavior. Strategies that focus on what occurs before the behavior happens are known as "antecedent strategies." Strategies that focus on…

Students who are slow to respond to traditional instruction and intervention require intensified intervention. Visual Activity Schedules (VAS) are an evidence-based type of visual support that provide sequential organization of the steps for an activity or skill. VAS can be aligned with individual student needs, including behavioral support. VAS…

Teachers of young children can plan proactively so that they avoid some of the serious problem behaviors in the classroom. The strategies presented in this article are part of a problem solving approach to challenging behavior based on the principles of positive behavioral support. Although these methods presented here have research-based…

When "Preschool in Three Cultures" was published in 1989, it attracted great attention, as a result of the insights into the three cultures explored as well as the methodology that anchored the research. What made the book so intriguing to many scholars, regardless of their geographical areas of interest, however, was the unique…

The Baudhuin Preschool of Nova Southeastern University (Florida) provides a four-tiered program for children with autism and related disorders. Each tier represents a continuum of services, strategies, and environments from most restrictive to inclusion. Each child's program combines systematic instructional techniques based on principles of…

This final report details the activities of the Charlotte Circle Outreach, a program designed to provide technical assistance and training to early intervention programs offering services to infants and young children with substantial disabilities, ages birth through two years. This mission was accomplished through cooperative planning with…