This concise and accessible resource provides an overview of the fundamentals of teaching in early childhood settings (pre-K-2), with a focus on what high-quality practices look like. It details the features of developmentally appropriate, linguistically responsive, culturally relevant/sustaining teaching and how this approach can prepare our…

Social and emotional learning (SEL) has been defined in various ways. One of the most commonly cited models, that of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), defines SEL as "the process through which students and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand…

This Self-Study Guide has been developed to support Florida Voluntary Prekindergarten Providers (VPK) who are required to complete an improvement plan process (i.e., low-performing providers). The guide has sections that can be used during both the process of selecting target areas for an improvement plan and the process of implementing new or…

Every student must be given the opportunity to participate in physical education and develop the skills and knowledge competencies to become skillful movers for a lifetime. Students with disabilities have unique needs that must be addressed in the least restrictive environment. With the adoption of the "National Standards and Grade-level…

Fitness development in physical education is most often attained via implementation of fitness training principles into school based settings. It is seldom attained via adherence to developmentally appropriate principles. The program presented in this article provides the physical educator with a method and the tools to attain both. This program…

The recently published National Research Council (NRC) report "A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas" (NRC 2011) offers a thoughtful research-based agenda that helps guide teachers in making the shift to a doing-led agenda in K-12 science education. In the December 2011 editions of the NSTA…

The aim of this study was to examine how teachers in the Step by Step and traditional kindergartens assess their child-centred activities. 308 teachers participated in the study and a questionnaire was used. The results of the study showed that teachers in the Step by Step programme used a child-centred approach more in their work than teachers in…

Recent advances in neuroscience have engaged the interest of early childhood educators who believe that the more we know about the brain, the better able we will be to influence learning. This workshop facilitator's guide and set of two videotapes are designed to assist educators, students, caregivers, parents, and those providing services to…

Based on the view that art should be a vital component of young childrens experiences, this book examines the High/Scope approach to the visual arts for young children in early care and education settings and highlights an in-depth studio approach to developing art. The book is organized in two parts. Chapters in Part 1 present the High/Scope…

This article discusses the itinerant model and suggests ways that itinerant teachers might apply best practices in pre-academic instruction to their work within community settings, including: making environmental adaptations to maximize engagement; improving the social environment; and applying naturalistic strategies to embed specifically…

The purpose of this book is to illuminate issues and concerns about decisions that administrators and teachers must make regarding their preschool programs. To that end, the book provides insights on the theory, research, and practice of preschool education. Individual papers concern: (1) a comprehensive overview of preschool practices; (2) what…

Noticing relationships between similar things and developing rules for treating things the same or differently, based on characteristics like color, size, shape, and texture provides the basis of beginning mathematics learning. Based on the view that teachers and parents of young children should provide children with age-appropriate words,…

The New York State Education Department has adopted the national reading goal that all children will be able to read independently and well by the end of Grade 3. Building on previous English language arts documents of the Department, this document provides teachers with additional specificity regarding the early literacy skills that students…

Young children develop science knowledge as they observe and act on the world, asking questions, making predictions, testing those predictions, and reflecting on their experiences. This book offers guidance in integrating inquiry-based science into the early childhood curriculum, focusing on content and providing examples of the work of children…