Aim: This program evaluation examined the effects of occupational therapy (OT)-led fine motor centers (FMCs) on the fine motor skills of typically-developing preschool-aged children. Methods: This program evaluation was completed with 29 children from two preschool Great Start Readiness Program classrooms. The experimental group received OT-led…

Guiding hints and challenge can help scaffold learners to progress beyond what they would achieve independently. The interactive and adaptive capabilities of mobile devices allow educational applications (apps) to support learning through scaffolding designs. However, little research has tested the effects of scaffolding features in apps on young…

This paper presents findings from a research study, which sought to illuminate the perceived notions of inclusion of four to five year old children in pedagogical activities, in the early years classes of two schools in the North of England. It employed a qualitative methodology to gather extensive data with forty children over a six-week period…

Ohio's public schools provide special education services to children with disabilities as early as preschool. Every year, the Ohio Department of Education reports the number of preschool children who received state-funded special education services during the previous year. The 2019-2020 school year had an overall increase of 906 (4.03 percent)…

The neighborhood literature consistently documents associations between neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) and child development. Yet, this approach may miss important heterogeneity in neighborhood resources (e.g., libraries, doctors' offices) that have important implications for children. Moreover, the mechanisms that explain the relation…

The present study examined the role Culturally-Responsive Instruction (CRI) in fostering children's learning in rural Tanzania. Employing a multiple case study design, the study gathered information from 45 participants (6 pre-primary teachers and 39 parents) drawn from six schools in three districts using interviews, classroom observations, and…

This study was part of a larger three-year investigation of the effectiveness of a small-group, content-focused (science, social studies) preschool shared book reading vocabulary intervention implemented with Spanish-speaking emergent bilinguals enrolled in a one-way dual-language bilingual program. A subset of bilingual preschool teachers (N =…

Bilingual parents must often make difficult and complex choices about which languages to use with their children. While existing research has explored family language practices and attitudes within certain language communities, the experiences of African parents are conspicuously absent from the literature. This study explores factors influencing…

"Research Findings:" Promoting children's science knowledge by adequate measures such as guided or free play is a cardinal goal of preschool. However, there is considerable variability in preschool teachers' instructional quality in block play, which might be associated with children's domain-specific science skills but also their…

This article describes a project-based social studies activity that gave young children the autonomy to photograph what they wanted within the classroom environment while interacting with peers. Social studies learning in the early years has great potential to offer active, playful, and meaningful experiences for children and can prepare young…

The landscape of how to best prepare minoritized young children for the uncertainties of an inequitable American society demands a change in the way we view the connection between early childhood educators' lived experiences and their pedagogy. Using the theoretical frameworks of critical race theory, Black feminist thought, and intersectionality,…

Research on young English language learners has been gaining popularity in recent years, but to this day remains underdeveloped. The present study aimed to add to this body of research by exploring the effects of visual arts activities implemented via comprehension and compared to more commonly used flashcard activities implemented via…

The "big bad wolf" chased the squealing children around the playground as they looked for a place to hide. Because Mr. Lòpez and Ms. Kim had introduced the work of engineers and the engineering design process into their unit on The Three Little Pigs, they knew their preschool students would choose a structure that could withstand any…

The School Admissions Code ("the Code") requires school admission authorities to provide for the admission of all children in the September following their fourth birthday, and this is when children usually start school. A child does not reach compulsory school age, however, until the "prescribed day" following their fifth…

This study aimed to examine public and private preschool teachers' beliefs and practices regarding children aged three to six who are gifted in Riyadh, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as the differences between teachers' beliefs and practice. Presently, no agreement exists among researchers on the definition of "gifted children,"…