The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) is preparing to undertake the work of reviewing the state early learning standards - Indiana's Early Learning Foundations (the "Foundations"). In anticipation of this work, staff at IDOE have requested support from the Region 8 Comprehensive Center in identifying approaches states have taken in…

Early childhood education (ECE) programs in the United States are experiencing paradigm shifts resulting from the standards-based movement. The notion that all children should be ready to learn when they enter school has resulted in ECE programs attempting to balance a standards-based curriculum with the child-centered approach to learning as part…

This article explores sleep among kindergarten infants and toddlers. Although the collective order of sleep in kindergarten makes it a relational issue, the search here is for relations that extend beyond human actors and beyond the idea of the pram as a sleep container used by a sleeping subject. Here, sleep is seen as entangled with bodies and…

Research shows an association between mother-infant shared reading and children's language and literacy development. Educators in early childhood education and care (ECEC) centres frequently interact with groups of similar-aged infants, yet infant-educator shared reading has received little attention. This naturalistic observational study…

The core aspect within process quality is quality of interactions between caregivers and children. This article investigates six interaction skills of caregivers in ECEC groups for toddlers in Norway using the Caregiver Interaction Profile (CIP) scales. The participants are 110 teachers and 58 assistants in 111 toddler groups. Results show that…

Teacher research has been promoted as a context-relevant approach to improving children's learning experiences in early childhood settings. In this article, we focus on social-emotional learning (SEL), a crucial domain of the early childhood curriculum, to illustrate the role of teacher research in changing early childhood teachers' everyday…

This study aims to investigate the language-learning environment and educational language practices in four toddler groups measured as high quality on the 'Listening and Talking' subscale in the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale -- Revised. The empirical data are taken from a larger fieldwork conducted in four child groups, and comprise 98…

This practical resource explains brain development from prenatal to age 8 with suggestions for activities educators and caregivers can use to foster children's cognitive growth. The authors begin with the basics of brain development, and the issues that affect it, and then provide information specific to infant, toddler, preschool, and…

Developing early reading skills is important for long-term academic success. Too often, however, young children do not have the foundations of literacy they need. One-third of Tennessee students read on grade level (Tennessee Department of Education, 2021), and in the state's capital city of Nashville, three out of four 3rd graders are not reading…

As public preschool is not widely available in the United States, the Biden-Harris administration proposed a comprehensive early childhood agenda to create a world-class voluntary universal preschool program for children and families that addresses racial and other inequities. This report outlines six key components for a preschool program that…

This report builds upon the original principles and philosophy of "Pre-Birth to 3" and "Building the Ambition." The new guidance retains the relevant content from the previous guidance which it replaces, extending and strengthening it in line with current research and evidence about how children develop and learn. This…

Infants and toddlers with disabilities (ages birth to 2 years) and their families receive services under IDEA Part C, and children and youth with disabilities (ages 3-21 years) receive special education and related services under IDEA Part B. IDEA mandates the provision of opportunities for parent involvement in early intervention (Part C),…

Over the last few decades, research has consistently shown that process quality in child care centers and family child care varies substantially, but is mostly at a mediocre level. Based on the NUBBEK sample (National Study on Education, Learning and Upbringing in Early Childhood), an expanded model of process quality tests the influence of…

Early Head Start provides a comprehensive array of services for low-income pregnant women and families with infants and toddlers. The Early Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (Baby FACES) 2018 provides a wealth of information about Early Head Start programs, center-based or home-based services, teachers and home visitors, and the…

Four rating scales for accessing aspects of early childhood education and care programs' quality were employed for the present study. The aim of the study was to examine scales' reliability by using them in one preschool and one infant/toddler classroom during the course of a week. Research results suggest that early childhood education and care…