Agency and its role in the early literacy classroom has long been a topic for debate. While sociocultural accounts often portray the child as a cultural agent who negotiates their own participation in classroom culture and literacy learning, more recent framings draw attention from the individual subject, instead seeing agency as dispersed across…

The effective integration of educational technologies into early childhood education remains a significant challenge. An important element of this challenge is how practitioner beliefs about pedagogy relate to how digital technologies are used in the early years classroom. Focussing on early childhood practitioner beliefs in relation to pedagogy…

In this research article, Haeny Yoon and Tran Nguyen Templeton explore the challenges of listening to children in both classrooms and research that purports to center young children. Through two stories from their respective studies, Yoon and Templeton highlight the complexities of following children's leads given the competing agendas situating…

Public schools in America, because they are obsessed with petty regulations and sterile mediocrity, destroy the natural inquisitive and creative spirits of children. A genuinely humane education must teach aesthetic and moral values as well as subject matter. This educational philosophy demands that learning be centered around the child's…

"How can the children learn," parents ask, "when they are having so much fun? How can they learn when all they do is play?" Examines the work of educational theorists in answering such questions. (Author/RK)

Spending just a few hours in the classroom situation as a participant observer, one definitely recognizes "boredom" as one of the main features of this situation. In spite of the obvious relevance of boredom in the classroom situation there is almost no research on the topic of boredom at school. Boredom seems to be a taboo of sorts in…

"Highlights" magazine receives approximately 75,000 letters and contributions each year from young readers. Common concerns children write about include getting along with family members and friends, problems at school, and social and personal problems. Only a tiny percentage write of grave problems such as abuse, suicide, or drugs.…

Reprint of Corey's classic satire written in the first person of a student who is discussing his overview of his educational experiences in elementary school. From a seventh grader's perspective, the article speaks sensitively and clearly to the dynamics underpinning the dichotomy between a student operating within a rigid academic structure and…

Developing kindness and compassion for others is a critical part of young children's development. The ability to accept others--even if they are different--and feel compassion for them is an essential component of social competency which is just as important as any academic training. Teaching acceptance and compassion through play can be great…

This collection of 180 poems was assembled with classroom needs in mind. Intended to delight students every day, the collection's poems span the school year from September to summertime. Its introduction gives teachers before-, during-, and after-reading ideas. Sections in the collection include: Me and My World, Primary Concepts, Seasons and…

This study examined three instruments developed for studying anchored science learning environments. The evaluated instruments (Science/Space Task Interest Survey, Science/Space Attitude Survey, and Science/Space Activity Survey) were developed to be used to study any space-related school science environment in middle and upper grades. The…

Highlights considerations in designing high-quality, developmentally appropriate indoor play environments for all children. Suggestions for arranging classroom space focus on arrangement and accessibility of play areas. Tips for selecting and arranging play materials relate to ensuring diversity of play materials, increasing and maintaining…

Observational instruments were developed for measuring the visual attention and verbal reactions of children watching "The Electric Company." Using the instruments, ten primary school classrooms, representing a broad range of classroom structures, were observed five or six times. The measures of attention proved to be reliable, and…

Noting that when planning a program for 2-year-olds, it is important for the teacher to consider the developmental levels and interests of the children, this book offers teachers a practical guide for working with 2-year-olds in a child care setting. The 15 chapters focus on the following areas: (1) designing a flexible and responsive environment…