In this dissertation, I examine how two major social programs in Kentucky--state-funded preK and Family Resource and Youth Service Centers--impact children's outcomes across the state, including racial, ethnic, and economic equity through elementary school. In each chapter, I will analyze how early childhood opportunities relate to outcomes…

More than 5 million English learners attend U.S. public schools--and yet fewer than 3% of teachers are certified to work with them. Fill that gap in teacher education with this practical and comprehensive textbook, an evidence-based guide to providing English learners in Pre-K-Grade 6 with explicit, systematic instruction on language and literacy…

Early educational intervention effects typically fade in the years following treatment, and few studies have investigated why achievement impacts diminish over time. The current study tested the effects of a preschool mathematics intervention on two aspects of children's mathematical development. We tested for separate effects of the intervention…

The purpose of this article is to inform teachers about the ways technology can be integrated to add value to literacy instruction. Artistic technology-integrated literacy and disciplinary instruction in preK through grade 4 classrooms is described through the stories of five teachers who were identified as both strong teachers of literacy and…

Learning progressions (LPs)--descriptive continuums of how students develop and demonstrate more sophisticated understanding over time--have become an increasingly important tool in today's science classrooms. Here the author discusses some of the research behind learning progressions and presents The Science Inquiry Profile for PreK-4. This is a…

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study raised the concern that the United States (US) mathematics teachers place less emphasis on topics and teach a variety of content strands (Goldsmith, Mark & Kantrov, 2000; Kerachsky, 2008). The overall pattern in the US mathematics classrooms today is that primary and upper elementary…

This study examined why preschool, kindergarten, and 4th grade students had poor comprehension of a second language. The reasons for this were threefold: learning a second language is not essential to a child's life at these ages; they are not motivated to learn a second language on their own; and it was widely thought that learning a second…

Compared boys' and girls' use of interference competition during game play when resources were scarce or plentiful, among children from kindergarten or fourth grade. Found that fourth-grade girls used less interference competition when resources were plentiful, while their male peers and kindergartners of both sexes used interference competition…

Two studies were conducted to determine whether language as well as appearance cues would influence children's performance on a sex constancy task. In the first study, preschoolers and second graders participated in a sex constancy task in which different labels were used to refer to a picture of a boy or girl. The results showed that older…

Discussion of comprehension and attention processes of children viewing television programs highlights a study that was conducted to examine the potential impact of sound effects on children's visual orientation to television programs which varied in the rate of program pace. Results for four treatment groups of preschool children and fourth…

The purposes of this study were (1) to ascertain whether there were significant differences in reading achievement scores within first-grade children who have and who have not had preschool group experiences, and (2) to follow up these first-grade students through the fifth grade to determine if any significant differences were retained, or…

A follow-up study of children who began school at age 4 was conducted to examine the influence of three different preschool models (child-initiated, academically-directed, or a "combination" approach) on later school success. These children from an urban school district were studied again in Year 5 as they prepared to leave the primary…

Questionnaires examined perceptions of Victoria parents (178); principals (36); K,1,3,4 teachers (186) about children's orientation to kindergarten and K-1 and 3-4 transitions. Results cover initial adjustment to school, orientation programs, difficulty making transitions, reasons for difficulty, K-1 transition classes, shortened kindergarten days…

La Escuelita, a primary-level program of second language (Spanish) instruction set in an elementary school, was developed for preschool and elementary education students through the collaborative work of enthusiastic, creative teachers and a strong support group of school officials, interested students, and parents. (CB)

To facilitate career education by reducing sex-role stereotyping of occupations, a project developed multi-dimensional packages including toys and teaching modules for three grade levels: preschool (ages 3-4), second grade (ages 7-8), and fourth grade (ages 9-10). Public Action Coalition on Toys (PACT) produced the toys for the project. (Modules…