Teaching children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) academic skills supports their future opportunities. For example, early number sense skills are predictive of future mathematical success for all children including children with ASD. Yet, research on foundational early childhood mathematics skills of children with ASD is limited. This study…

Early childhood researchers from across the U.S. came together to form the Early Learning Network (ELN) in 2016 with the mission to identify policies and practices that narrow opportunity gaps and help children maintain early learning success. Early Learning Network teams share what they have learned--and what it means for early childhood…

The article is devoted to the issue of future specialists of preschool education training to creative self-realization in professional activity. The authors of the article reveal the pedagogical diagnostics of readiness to creative self-realization in professional activity of higher educational institutions' students. The purpose of the study is…

The study explores children's emerging understanding of an important science concept in chemistry. Play-based learning activities were designed for children to experience and imagine the concept of 'small' as used in chemistry, moving from the visually experienced level of 'small' towards more imaginative understandings. Data were collected…

Early childhood education leaders are dedicated, resilient, and caring professionals. They are master multitaskers, seamlessly transitioning from comforting crying children to managing a plumbing problem; from writing a facilities report to meeting with a family to help them better understand their child's development. But they are often not able…

Though there is an expanding field of research on public prekindergarten, there is a relatively little comprehensive investigation into what public prekindergarten costs. We address some of the absences in the literature by analyzing public-sector expenditures for the city of Boston's public prekindergarten program, a particularly high-quality…

As children enter kindergarten, some are more academically prepared than others for a variety of reasons. One influence on kindergarten preparation is prior preschool experiences. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between children's mathematical literacy at kindergarten entry and preschool attendance, preschool type…

Swedish preschools are supposed to be non-confessional. At the same time, they are supposed to pass on a cultural heritage of a nation where the Lutheran Church has permeated society for centuries. Based on a study of traditions and religion in Swedish preschools, this article describes and discusses how preschools work with religion as an aspect…

Purpose/Objectives: Although meals offered through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) have been found to be of higher dietary quality than packed lunches, roughly 40% of students bring packed lunches for a variety of reasons, including cost. The purpose of this study was to explore costs, including time, of NSLP and packed lunches. Methods:…

Our essay examines the challenges and opportunities for the New York City Universal Pre-K program in Catholic Schools. We review the impact of the program before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. These Pre-K programs have brought much needed revenue for Catholic Schools and provide a pipeline for prospective Catholic K-12 school students.…

Research Findings: Given the variable nature of early childhood settings, practitioners and researchers need better guidance on what conditions influence observations conducted within early childhood settings (National Research Council, 2008). Using 230 observations from 23 three- and four-year-old children, we conducted a Generalizability study…

Though there is an expanding field of research on public prekindergarten, there is a relatively little comprehensive investigation into what public prekindergarten costs. We address some of the absences in the literature by analyzing public-sector expenditures for the city of Boston's public prekindergarten program, a particularly high-quality…

The aim of the paper is to briefly explain the relationship between "early and preschool-aged children's play" and social-emotional learning (SEL). Play, as the child's dominant activity, ensures his full and healthy development and SEL makes a significant contribution to it. As SEL is important for a children's healthy growth, it has…

Play, of varied type and form, provides opportunities for children to acquire a sense of competence and belonging when engaging in classroom life. The purpose of this study was to investigate ways that the inclusion of play as a curricular component eased academic stressors and supported motivation during the transition to kindergarten. In this…

High-quality professional development can lead to increased and sustained implementation of evidence-based practices. This study examined the effects of practice-based coaching (PBC) paired with scripted supports on teachers' use of shared book reading strategies. The primary dependent variable was percentage of strategies correctly implemented;…