STEM learning in not merely a matter of training children for current jobs--the job market is likely to change radically before a current kindergartner graduates from college, as artificial intelligence, robotics, and other technologies evolve and new technologies emerge. STEM education is an integrated, cross-disciplinary approach to teaching…

The prevalence of autism is on the rise and this population of students is not academically thriving, thus leading to strained resources and more intervention services across the lifespan. The educational problem is that teachers report being ill-equipped to address the diverse academic needs of their students with autism. The purpose of this…

Purposeful play has many educational benefits that support the whole child. As academic rigor continues to rise, the need for developmentally appropriate practices that support both academic and social emotional learning increases. The purpose of this quantitative study was to understand principals' perceptions of the incorporation of purposeful…

In an age when play is often seen as frivolous or unproductive, this book explains the importance of play in early childhood education. Each chapter focuses on a specific type of play, includes suggestions for putting theory into practice, and offers recommendations for language and information educators can use to help parents understand that…

Around the world, on every continent, and in every country, children play. Though culturally contextualized, play is a global common childhood experience. There are cultural variations in children's play activities, and though play looks and sounds different across the world, there are also commonalities. Though scholars find it difficult to…

Despite evidence that play supports learning and development across a range of domains in early childhood, play time has been decreasing for many young children in recent years. Early care and education (ECE) teachers are in a unique position to promote developmentally appropriate play as a way to help young children learn, and ECE teachers'…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain understanding of how Midwestern kindergarten teachers use developmentally appropriate play-based practices to support the standards in their classrooms. Five participants were selected based on meeting the criteria of being a kindergarten teacher in a Midwestern school district who incorporates…

Caribbean nations have leaned on and undergirded their early childhood programmes with Developmentally Appropriate Practices promulgated by the NAEYC. For many years the guidance provided by DAP has been used in both the development of standards of practice for early childhood professionals as well as curriculum development. In recent years…

In early childhood education, the integration of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) are advocated as contemporary educational goals. However, integration of STEAM is not defined in the early childhood context. We claim to 'integrate' and 'devise integration pedagogies', but there is still no clear-cut message on what…

The study examined conceptualisation and implementation of play-based curriculum and pedagogy in early childhood education in preschools in Oromia Regional State. The study employed mixed research method with concurrent triangulation design. A researcher selected the samples of the study by using purposive, availability, stratified and simple…

According to Ruetzel & Cooter, "… writing and reading are mirror processes with reciprocal benefits" (2019, p. 316). When teachers provide opportunities for reading and writing practice every day, children flourish. What better place to infuse this practice than through children's play. As children play, they think critically, answer…

This study aim was to determine whether a structured age-appropriate playing programme with involvement of parents could promote healthy motor skills in preschool children. In this two group randomization pre-posttest quasi-experimental study, 160 children 3-5 years-old with their mothers were selected and equally allocated in two groups. For…

"Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum" emphasizes the how, what and why of curriculum development to help you create the most effective programs for young children ages 3 through 8. It's an all-in-one guide that brings together everything pre-service teachers need to implement an integrated, developmental approach to curriculum-based…

Play-based classroom learning environments have an immediate and long-term impact on children's optimal growth and development. With the continuing efforts of state and federal government agencies to fund early childhood programs with the intention of assuring that all children enter school ready to learn, enrollment into these programs continues…

California's public-school system recently introduced another grade level, Transitional Kindergarten, as an opportunity to offer universal access to early education for all 4-year-olds. Elementary school teachers and administrators must be well prepared to support and education these young children. This dissertation focuses on four key principles…