The adoption of the maker-centered method is gaining popularity in K-12 school curricula. However, a unified consensus on its effectiveness in enhancing K-12 students' learning outcomes remains elusive. Therefore, the purpose of this meta-analysis was to synthesize the findings on the overall effects of the maker-centered learning method on K-12…

There is rising concern in research and practice to improve early years mathematics education as initial mathematical mastery sets the foundation for future academic success. In response to these concerns, this study used observational data from 20 kindergarten classrooms to understand current pedagogies teachers use for mathematics. In…

Friedrich Froebel is well-known for the invention of kindergarten and the pioneering educational philosophy he developed in the 1800s, which respected children's self activity and women's capabilities for the role of teacher, while promoting play as the primary medium for learning. His radical ideas and principled approach to early childhood…

"Teacher as Curator" provides a roadmap for using creative strategies to engage both educators and students in the learning process. Focusing on key qualities of culturally and linguistically responsive arts learning, chapters specifically demonstrate how arts integration strategies and formative assessment can be a catalyst for change…

Early Childhood is the beginning of basic skills development, and one such skill is the language skill. During this time, appropriate stimulus is required to assist the optimal development of children's language skills, which includes the utilization of effective media learning in kindergarten. Field observation obtained by the researcher in…

Much research on educational innovations treats them as purposeful endeavours, initiated with a clear goal for improvement of practice and eventually evaluating the fidelity of their implementation as well as effectiveness. However, innovative practices in schools can have many sources and their implementation often takes a surprising and…

A science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) activity is any activity that integrates the use of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to solve a problem. Traditionally, STEM activities are highly engaging and may involve competition among student teams. Young children are natural engineers and often times spontaneously build…

Digital cameras are now commonplace in many classrooms and in the lives of many children in early childhood centres and primary schools. They are regularly used by adults and teachers for "saving special moments and documenting experiences." The use of previously expensive photographic and recording equipment has often remained in the…

Drawn from a larger mixed methods study, this case study provides an account of aspects of the music education programme that occurred with one teacher and a kindergarten class of children aged three and four years. Contrary to transmission approaches that are often used in Hong Kong, the case depicts how musical creativity was encouraged by the…

This article features Sweet play math, a "math by the month" activity that involves decorating and making sugar cubes. Teachers may want to substitute straws, paper squares, alphabet blocks, or such commercially made manipulatives as Unifix[R] cubes for the real sweets. Given no allergy concerns, teachers and students alike would enjoy some sweet…

The activity shared here is an animal role-playing lesson developed, field-tested, and refined for "Nature's Neighborhood", a newly designed children's education facility at the Toledo Zoo. The activity is targeted at students in kindergarten through second grade, but it can be adapted for use in grades three and four as well. Through…

This study aimed at investigating teachers' classroom practices, which either stimulate or inhibit the development of the creative environment of classrooms in Jordan, and determining the differences between practices according to educational level, experience level and type of teaching. The sample of the study consisted of 215 kindergarten…

From the earliest civilizations, humans have used drawings and pictures as a form of communication and to convey information--whether it was the seasons or location of good hunting grounds. In this month's column, simple alphabet picture books show students how pictures can be used to communicate information about a topic. In the first activity,…

The purpose of the study is to teach urban young children music concepts and English by composing creative music and songs with contrast elements. The subjects were seven urban young children aged from three to four in a Taiwan kindergarten. The duration was twenty-four weeks, with two sessions per week. The teaching contents included Hello Song,…

This article describes a curriculum developed by the author and the children in her public school kindergarten class. Teaching practices that foster children's intellectual--and overall human--development are documented. The goals and purposes of schooling are discussed as well as issues pertaining to the role of the teacher, structures that…