Few elementary students in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) are scoring at grade level or higher on the ACT Aspire reading assessment. This study examined data on students who enrolled in grade 3 in a CNMI public school from 2014/15 to 2018/19 to understand their grade 3 reading performance. The study used administrative…

Few elementary students on the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) are scoring at grade level or higher on the ACT Aspire reading assessment. To better understand factors associated with the reading proficiency of CNMI grade 3 students, stakeholders there asked the Regional Educational Laboratory Pacific to examine the demographic…

School readiness is often defined as being at an expected developmental level across domains such as social and emotional, language and literacy, math, and science (Office of Head Start, 2015; Washington State Department of Early Learning, 2012; Teaching Strategies, 2001). Suppose children start without the foundation and identity in early science…

Efforts to increase moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in school-aged children are associated with improved health, cognitive, and academic outcomes. However, questions remain about whether similar benefits are observed in early childhood. We hypothesized that motor competence, not MVPA, would be related to improved cognitive and…

Introduction: North Carolina (NC) has widespread Black-White/Hispanic racial disparities in exclusionary discipline (punishment removing children from normal learning environments), with disparities varying substantially by school district. Exclusionary discipline is an added risk factor for numerous negative academic and social outcomes. This…

If you think physics is only for older children, think again. Much of the playtime of young children is filled with exploring--and wondering about and informally investigating--the way objects, especially toys, move. How forces affect objects, including: change in position, motion, and shape are fundamental to the big ideas in physics. This…

This study follows four English language learners as they make their way across their first year of pre-kindergarten in an English-medium school in the United States. It investigates, first, how each student participated, and was positioned, in the classroom network of practice, and, second, what kinds of English growth each student experienced…

Recent economic analyses point to large returns for investing in quality early childhood education programs and programs provided for children in poverty most often show the greatest benefits for children. This article describes the role of an innovative coaching approach to educator professional development in one of the poorest states in the…

Since education is a dynamic process and open to contemporary changes, professionalism which is vitally important for the sustainability of teacher education, has gained importance. Recent studies have emphasised the relations between professionalism and quality of teacher education and sustainability. The aim of the current study was to interview…

Spatial thinking, an important component of cognition, supports academic achievement and daily activities (e.g., learning science and math; using maps). Better spatial skills are correlated with more spatial play and more parental attention to spatial concepts. Tested here was whether informing mothers about spatial thinking and ways to encourage…

Purpose: This study was carried out in 2013 and aims to define the professional self-efficacy of preschool teachers (PTSE); define preschool teachers' perception of preschool excellence (PTPPE); and investigate the relationship between the two. Design/methodology/approach: Scales for PTPSE and PTPPE were developed especially for this study.…

Since broadening the aesthetic experience for young children is an element of early childhood education, aesthetic education is important at this stage. By reading and analyzing related studies, this article aims to give preschool teachers a better understanding of the importance and purpose of aesthetic education in early childhood so young…

Producing high quality early childhood education environments has been of concern in recent years. Although research supports the positive effects of high quality early childhood education, there is minimal consensus on the best method of measuring the construct of quality (Cassidy, Hestenes, Hedge, & Mims, 2005). Several rating scales exist…

The ABC Quality program, South Carolina's Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), is a statewide system designed to improve the quality of early care and education services. Historically, two observation instruments are used for centers that elect to participate in the state's voluntary QRIS depending on the level of quality for which they…

Artful Living and Learning is an early childhood educational program based on research that shows an association between improved academic achievement and creativity through immersion in the fine arts in preschool classrooms. The Artful Living and Learning program improves the school readiness of all children -- particularly those who are under…