The importance of character education has been emphasized since ancient times across cultures and religions as a way to develop morals and values of the younger generations. In this article, the authors highlight several award-winning international children's trade books that reflect the core values recurring in literature and scriptures…

Programs have been developed to eliminate social boundaries among school children, and thereby promote cohesive classroom environments. One example of such a program is Mix It Up at Lunch Day, which is a simple call to action that asks students to take a new seat in the cafeteria. By taking a risk for one day, students can cross the lines of…

Literacy practices and sociocultural contexts have greatly defined and influenced each other. The role language plays in mobilizing both revolution and progress is well delineated in Congchao Hua's article comparing language learning curriculum in China over three decades, from the 1970s to the 2000s. The universality of the social and political…

There has been a growing interest in and research on the construction of teachers' professional identity and parameters of practice among researchers worldwide. This piece examines the nature of teachers' perceptions about their professionalism and practice. It also explores teacher isolation stemming from assumptions related to…

The ultimate goal of education is to provide individuals with the emotional and academic skills necessary for academic and workplace success, as well as to develop informed and responsible community members (Elias, Arnold, & Hussey, 2003). Recent years have seen an explosion of deep interest, debate, and even controversy regarding concepts related…

"If we teach today as we taught yesterday, then we rob our children of tomorrow" (Dewey, 1916). Dewey's words are still relevant today as educators across the world consider how to best connect the print-based literacies of the past to the technologically based literacies of the present. Dewey's advice of re-envisioning how to best teach children…

Throughout the United States, the "charter school" movement is being discussed and implemented in numerous venues and configurations, and researchers have considered the pros and cons of these schools. One example of an exemplary charter school is Lake Forest Elementary Charter School in New Orleans, Louisiana. This charter school (www.…

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) scholars and health professionals worldwide share a common concern about the decline in children's physical development and activity due to lack of access to good quality outdoor environments. Early childhood education and care facilities across the world have been affected by trends that are limiting…

Teachers in today's classrooms struggle every day to design instructional interventions that would build students' reading skills and strategies in order to ensure their comprehension of complex texts. Text complexity can be determined in both qualitative and quantitative ways. In this article, the authors describe various innovative…

This article explores using films to spark moral dilemma discussions and thereby promote critical thinking and character education for global citizenship in elementary classrooms. After clarifying some of the basic concepts associated with the fields of character education and global citizenship, and the interrelationship between the two, the…

This article presents and summarizes recent resources related to pretend play in the early childhood classroom. These include "Contemporary Perspectives on Play in Early Childhood Education" by Olivia N. Sarachoe and Bernard Spodek; "Dramatic Play: Bring It Back" by Tammy Benson; and "The Importance of Being Playful" by Elena Bodrova and Deborah…

Children around the world are being exposed to traumatic events at a troubling rate. In large, nationally representative studies of children in the United States, researchers have reported that 71% of children have been exposed to at least one potentially traumatic event in the past year, and almost 70% of children have experienced multiple…

This article addresses a question that is of key importance in preparing early childhood personnel, especially those in inclusive environments: "How do we teach in ways that we want our students to teach?" There is an emphasis on developing a "community of practice" where professionals can share their work-related concerns and…

Books in the home provide a pivotal connection point for caregivers and children for developing important social and emotional skills, as well the most critical life skills that children will acquire--literacy and a love of learning. However, access to books in many communities is limited and many households have no books at all. But what if…

Millions of children around the world are out of school due to conflict, poverty, lack of education systems and infrastructure, and other issues. Educating children living in difficult contexts is the best way to empower them with the knowledge and competencies to rise to their full potential despite the challenges they face. Dedicated and…