High-quality preschool programs are heralded as an effective policy tool to promote the development and life-long wellbeing of children from low-income families. Yet evaluations of recent preschool programs produce puzzling findings, including negative impacts, and divergent, weaker results than were shown in demonstration programs implemented in…

Little is known about how the expansion of state pre-kindergarten (pre-k) programs affects low-income children with disabilities in Head Start. Using almost 30 years of administrative data of all Head Start programs and a differences-in-differences design, this study tests the possibility that, as state pre-k differentially draws relatively more…

Previous research has highlighted the need to improve teacher education programs with the intent of preparing infant-toddler professionals as working with infants-toddlers and families requires a unique skill set. The following mixed methods research study supported these assertions by examining the early childhood education (ECE) undergraduate…

Music education for the preschool age group and piano teaching in this context is generally of great interest and in demand. In Turkey, music teacher candidates take piano lessons during their undergraduate education, two of which are compulsory and six are elective. In this process, however, a course on how to teach the piano is not included in…

Policymakers, child care providers, and parents face tradeoffs in determining how much to spend on child care, including how many hours to purchase, and the features of programs that might influence quality. Given these tradeoffs, it is useful to understand what constitutes quality, the cost of care features associated with quality, the effects of…

This manuscript describes a major revision and update of the First Step to Success Early Intervention Program, now called First Step Next. The original First Step Program was published in 1997 and the revised, updated version was published in 2015 (Walker et al.). First Step Next is a collaborative, Tier II school- and family-supported early…

This book provides significant information regarding the policies and provisions for early childhood teacher education programs in universities in fourteen different countries. Early childhood education and care (ECEC) is expanding rapidly across the globe with unprecedented numbers of children attending EC centres, requiring the investment in…

There is considerable concern regarding our nation's literacy skills. Research has repeatedly shown that the literacy trajectory is well established very early in the school career. Early childhood educators (ECEs) have the ability to influence a child's literacy skills provided they have the required knowledge and tools. Professional development…

The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) conducted a needs assessment to understand and describe early childhood services for preschool-age children with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) in the state of Connecticut. In collaboration with the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE), NIEER developed survey…

This study examined parents' perspectives on children's learning in Pre-K, their expectations for Pre-K, and how to prepare their child(ren) for kindergarten. Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 22 ethnically diverse parents from 8 schools in New York City. This paper presents a thematic analysis of these interviews. Findings…

Patty Smith Hill (1868-1946) was a leader in the kindergarten movement and an advocate of the value of free play in the education of young children. She was a founding member of the International Kindergarten Union, which eventually became the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI). She also served as ACEI President in 1909. She…

Purpose: Recently, a confluence of factors has focused elementary school leaders on early education. One factor is that nearly 60 percent of all public elementary schools in the U.S. today have a Pre-K program in the building. Yet, prior research reveals that leaders are often not prepared to effectively lead early education programs. This study…

Inclusive education is considered to be an approach that consists of serving only the children with special educational needs in educational settings. However, a perspective that supports diversity among all children and requires respect for differences is increasingly implemented today on an international basis. Inclusive education is for all…

Instructional coaching is becoming common in early childhood programs to provide individualized, job-embedded professional development. Yet relatively few studies have tried to "unpack" the coaching process and delineate the specific features of coaching that contribute to teacher change. In this article, we describe an evidence-based…

This systematic review will focus on curriculum based social and emotional learning (SEL) interventions delivered in preschool or primary/elementary schools aimed at improving social and emotional skills among pupils. It will include any universal programme, delivered on a whole-class or school basis. The interventions' primary goal must be to…