Socio-dramatic play is an everyday occurrence in early childhood education as children create narratives together in shared imagined worlds. The teacher's role in this type of play is less clear and this paper draws on a study using Lindqvist's "playworlds" approach to gain insight into how teachers participate in children's play. In…

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…

This paper presents the findings of a ten-week research project exploring the intricacies of a co-located intergenerational program in Southeast Queensland. The research involved an early learning centre, North Early Learning, operated by a large not-for-profit organisation, Queensland Child Learning, and an aged care residence, Aged Care Living…

The aim of this article is to contribute to the under-researched topic of racism in Finnish early childhood education and care (ECEC) by posing three questions: What kind of racism do ECEC teachers recognize in ECEC? How are teachers committed to opposing racism in their work? What kind of obstacles to committing to antiracism are recognized in…

In Early Childhood Education (ECE) stage there are different models of classroom organization and different teaching methodologies. The scientific literature highlights from no planning models to more organized styles. The relationship analysis between these two assumptions is a key. To investigate this starting point, it is proposed an…

The early care and education (ECE) workforce is experiencing concerning levels of stress and depression (Elharake et al., 2022; Jennings et al., 2020). The well-being of these workers affects staff turnover and their interactions with children (Kwon et al., 2020; Smith & Lawrence, 2019). Research has shown that racial concordance (or matching)…

Japanese early childhood teachers use the "mimamoru" approach, in which teachers let children develop their sense of right and wrong in a group-oriented environment where they are accountable to others. Cultural in nature, the "mimamoru" approach is based on teachers' beliefs that children are truly autonomous beings who can…

As part of a longitudinal study focused on mathematical play, we (Melissa, Amy, and Anita) are often faced with questions about what counts as play and what mathematics (and other learning) we see in play, and whose play is most likely to be seen or dismissed. Rather than discuss our findings from classroom videos of kindergarten children engaged…

This article aims to identify the correlation between early childhood teachers' ability to foster creativity through free play. A screening model is used in the study. The participants comprised 166 teachers of the foundation (early childhood) phase. The 'Teacher Roles in Free Play Scale' and the 'Creativity Fostering Teacher Index Scale'…

Decades of evidence demonstrates that a strong foundation in early childhood leads to healthier, more successful life outcomes. Developing socio-emotional skills and executive functions in this period of life improves academic outcomes, school readiness, and wellbeing, as well as work, health, wealth, and public safety outcomes. Thus, social and…

The construct of Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP) has become a hallmark for educational practice in the United States. From DAP's initial publication in 1986 to the most recent revision published in 2022, DAP serves as a reference point for teacher education to support effective teachers' development and practice. However, DAP is a…

In the US, recent efforts have focused on professionalizing the field of early childhood. One way to indicate professionalism is through the terms used to describe both the field and the workers. However, few have examined how practitioners or researchers describe early childhood professionals' work. Using multiple data sources and analytic…

This article presents a framework that considers how relationships, representation, and respect can be prioritized, presented, and nurtured in early learning environments to support and foster equity and inclusion. This simultaneously supports an enhanced sense of belonging and creates an environment where students feel valued and respected. As an…

Recent studies have shown that playing with coding toys enhances children's skills in STEM-subjects, especially problem-solving abilities. However, there is limited knowledge of early childhood education and care (ECEC) teachers' roles in facilitating children's problem-solving through coding-toy play activities and the high-quality pedagogical…

This classic text has been helping teachers better understand young children's behavior for over 6 decades. Now available in an updated seventh edition, this popular resource is designed to deepen pre- and inservice teachers' understanding of children (birth--age 8) as unique individuals within a developmental context. Observation notes recorded…