In order for the model of a STEAM education to be successful, it must be embedded into a school that not only acknowledges the rigor in the arts, but also encourages creativity and innovation. Although claims for a causal link between art and student academic achievement have provided no evidence, further investigation is needed to determine what…

The Reggio-inspired approach often leads a teacher down unexpected paths, as many class explorations originate from students' observations of problems or phenomena. Students then work collaboratively with the teacher; the teacher consistently observes and questions the students to discover what the students are thinking and why. The teacher…

In 2015, AMS Board members suggested that the board create a program that would meet the need for more AMS-credentialed leaders, to assist with succession planning for both AMS and Montessori schools. An advisory committee was created to oversee the program and ensure that its mission was upheld. What came out of this work was AMS's Emerging…

Promoting cooperative social behavior is a major task of preschool teachers. Children are taught to be nice, be fair, and share. This mandate, however, runs up against the fact that young children are naturally egotistical and unable to appreciate the perspective of others. This leaves teachers with questions about how strongly they should push…

This reflection on practice provides a foundation for understanding the impact of Hurricane Harvey on teachers and children across the Texas Gulf Coast. It also documents the emergence of a professional development initiative born when early childhood teacher educators in the community outreach arm of a major university sought to provide immediate…

Across public and private settings, about 250 preschoolers are suspended or expelled each day, according to a Center for American Progress analysis of the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health (Malik, 2017). The U.S. Department of Education's Civil Rights Data Collection has exposed serious inequities in exclusionary discipline practices.…

High-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) programmes can strengthen the social, emotional and cognitive skills that are crucial for future learning and wellbeing. Teacher-child interactions are the most vital component of ECEC service quality in terms of children's social-emotional functioning. However, many children are not…

Children enjoy water play, and kindergarten children can learn about the water cycle. Teachers are already introducing elements of the water cycle when discussing weather and bodies of water. The water cycle also can be a springboard for teaching children about plants and animals and the importance of water for sustaining life and shaping our…

When "they" come to "us" in "our" place, what happens, for "them" and for "us"? This article investigates conceptions of Otherness through the story of an immigrant early childhood teacher, seen as the stranger, foreigner, who comes to "our" place, our early childhood setting. It provokes…

In this essay, I reflect on my lived experiences as a girl child growing up in my home country of Botswana, and also as a mother in a foreign country, Canada. I am experimenting with my personal essay and making connections with academic articles that will help me understand my behaviors, attitudes, and responses to challenging situations that…

This article address home visits and the professional development needs of teachers who perform visits. The author writes from a practitioner's point of view, focusing on training needs for providers. The author argues that training and preparation for conducting home visits is needed to equip professionals with the skills needed to execute this…

This Research-to-Policy Resource List compiles empirical research on American LGBT families' experiences with ECE and providers' experiences and preparation for working with LGBT families. The three reviews that begin the list summarize the research literature published through 2012. The remaining resources on the list include the research…

This Study Snapshot highlights key findings from a study that examined whether professional development incentives for the Oregon early childhood education (ECE) workforce members increased career lattice sign-up and increased education and training levels or workplace retention. This study used two randomized controlled trials in 2018 and 2019 to…

Communities serve as a vital resource for educators seeking ideas to advance their practice. Online professional development capitalizes on technological communication to facilitate such sharing.

The study commences with the introduction of the major Hungarian and international tendencies and the legal background of the inclusive education of children with special educational needs in Hungary, then it presents the strategies and tasks of kindergarten teachers in terms of the inclusive kindergarten education of intellectually disabled…