In playing with the concept of 'credibility', this article presents a critical examination of the discourse of evidence and the programming of upbringing in early intervention policy and practice. The truth claims of the evidence discourse in policy are explored through a single complex case study of an early intervention city in Northern Ireland.…

The notion of educating the "whole child" generally includes at least the abilities to (1) develop healthy personal relationships; (2) treat others with respect and dignity; (3) develop the cognitive capacity to solve problems and think creatively; (4) succeed in postsecondary education and the labor market; and (5) be a contributing…

Explicit prefix-root-suffix (PRS) vocabulary instruction presents a crucial foundation for more equitable academic success given today's wide ranges of learner needs in early childhood education settings. This article raises awareness of the benefits of explicit PRS vocabulary instruction from early grades on by sharing a selected number of…

A teacher's well-being has a powerful impact on their work with children, families, and colleagues, and can influence the overall quality of the program in which they are employed. With a specific focus on the unique factors related to the field of early childhood care and education, this book discusses the concept of well-being and how it applies…

In this paper, we present an argument for Practitioner Inquiry (PI). We briefly introduce PI, and we indicate how PI recasts the professional and political role of the Early Years Practitioner (practitioner). At the core of this article is the work of the early childhood pioneer, Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852). Froebel provided principles to…

There is increased focus on narrowing the research-to-practice gap in education for students with autism. Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based and widely implemented framework designed to improve outcomes for all students; however, relatively little attention has focused specifically on using the PBIS framework…

This study addresses the dearth of research on preparing pre-service early childhood educators to support young children's language development. Taking a design-based approach to an undergraduate course for early childhood majors, qualitative data analysis examined the seven participating pre-service teachers' knowledge of, perspectives on, and…

Health promotion strategies in early childhood are needed to address the global problem of physical inactivity. In Hong Kong, where the movement guidelines recommended by the World Health Organization for young children have been adopted by the health authorities, we implemented evidence-informed dissemination strategies targeting teachers and…

In response to calls for active STEM learning that builds students' agency and sense of belonging, teachers and leaders are being encouraged more and more to equitably implement integrated STEM instruction. This practical guidebook is designed to help educators create integrated STEM learning experiences that are inclusive for all students and…

Shared book reading is a common and effective way to support vocabulary knowledge. However, it is not the only pedagogy for supporting this learning goal. We propose a "toolbox" of activities that teachers can use to foster vocabulary acquisition in young children. We first discuss the science behind why these activities are effective…

The purpose of this article is to provide early childhood teachers with an approach to classroom-based toilet training for urination when less intensive toilet training methods are unsuccessful. The focus of this article is on urination, but improvements in on-toilet urination may be correlated with an increase in on-toilet defecation (Perez et…

The goal of the current study was to gain insight into what elements encompass business-as-usual (BAU) reading instruction and to what extent BAU reading instruction includes elements that have been found to positively impact reading competence. In addition, we examined whether and how these evidence-based elements are incorporated and how they…

The early care and education (ECE) field is still in the early stages of building the infrastructure it needs to attract, support, and sustain strong leadership (Austin, 2014; Goffin & Daga, 2017; Kirby et al., 2021; Pacchiano et al., 2016). This brief presents the findings from a review of research on ECE leadership development initiatives…

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Forum for Children's Well-Being hosted an implementation summit on June 13, 2024, titled "Implementing a New Vision for High-Quality Preschool Curriculum." This event brought together a diverse group of thought leaders, researchers, policymakers, leaders from nonprofit and…

Ethical care in early childhood education [ECE] involves practices and principles that guide educators in nurturing young children with respect, empathy, and moral responsibility. As a dynamic field, learning how to care for young children using context-specific approaches in real-life situations can be challenging for pre-service early childhood…