In the Fall of 2018, the author embarked on her dissertation research, focusing on the critical issue of enhancing early childhood programs through the lens of early literacy development facilitated by play. At that time, many districts' early childhood curricula were heavily skewed towards academics, such as English/Language Arts (ELA) and Math,…

In this paper, we draw on critical theorisations to examine kindergarten teachers' approaches to sexuality education. A qualitative study was carried out using semi-structured interviews with ten teachers and classroom observations in four classrooms in Quebec, Canada. Data analysis revealed that the teachers in the study agreed that sexuality…

Computational thinking (CT) is an important twenty-first century skill that begins developing early. Recent interest in incorporating early CT experiences in early childhood education (i.e., preschool) has increased. In fact, the early years mark an important time during which initial competencies are acquired, interest and motivation begins to…

With the rise of nature-based early childhood education (NBECE) and emphasis on the importance of risky play, it is prudent to investigate a different approach to fire safety, through experimenting with fire and following necessary safety precautions within NBECE and other settings. This study explored fire as a loose part, safety considerations,…

Drawing upon Ahmed's (2006) analysis of how institutional documents become nonperforming, this article argues that teacher education must create opportunities for emerging educators to grapple with the pedagogical consequences of understanding the fourth edition of "Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs" (2022)…

This phenomenological study investigated the lived experiences of how primary teachers (K-2) perceive and manage accountability pressures. Accountability pressures are the consequences of high-stakes and standardized testing. This can be overtly represented by inappropriately aligned standards or a fast-paced curriculum design to match tested…

This systematic literature review has examined the various functions assumed by preschool educators in promoting developmentally appropriate practice, the differing beliefs held by preschool teachers concerning it, and the factors that influence the beliefs and perceptions of preschool teachers about it. To carry out this review, a comprehensive…

The Finnish education system has garnered significant international interest due to its consistently high rankings for decades. However, the same level of interest has not been extended to the country's early childhood education system. In Finland, early childhood education and care are regarded as the cornerstones of the Finnish education system,…

Purposeful play has many educational benefits that support the whole child. As academic rigor continues to rise, the need for developmentally appropriate practices that support both academic and social emotional learning increases. The purpose of this quantitative study was to understand principals' perceptions of the incorporation of purposeful…

Play occupies a critical role in the kindergarten classroom, and the expansion of formal play-based learning programmes have brought connections between play and learning to the forefront. With respect to social and emotional learning (SEL), child-directed play has been viewed as critical, while teacher direction has been framed as a potential…

In an age when play is often seen as frivolous or unproductive, this book explains the importance of play in early childhood education. Each chapter focuses on a specific type of play, includes suggestions for putting theory into practice, and offers recommendations for language and information educators can use to help parents understand that…

Transitional kindergarten (TK) is rapidly expanding to become a universal program in California. This data snapshot highlights the inconsistent awareness that parents currently have about TK, including how they describe it, who it is for, and how they receive information about TK. The variation in parents' experiences aligns with previous findings…

The authors begin this article with an account of the crises in education in the US today. Curriculum theory is applied to the ideas in the 4th edition of NAEYC's 'developmentally appropriate practices,' and the relationship between the ideas in this edition to current issues is discussed. The authors also present a brief description of democratic…

Despite evidence that play supports learning and development across a range of domains in early childhood, play time has been decreasing for many young children in recent years. Early care and education (ECE) teachers are in a unique position to promote developmentally appropriate play as a way to help young children learn, and ECE teachers'…

Purpose: This paper aims to introduce a novel AI learning progression for upper-elementary students and aligns assessment items across levels of each construct to gather evidence of understanding. It also validates this quantitative measure by examining these items as two subscales for psychometric properties using the Rasch model.…