In general, talking with young children encourages development in many areas: (1) spoken language; (2) early literacy; (3) cognitive development; (4) social skills; and (5) emotional maturity. Speaking with children in increasingly complex and responsive ways does this even better. This article explores research findings about the effects of…

This paper reports a two-year longitudinal study of the effects of cooperative learning on science attainment, attitudes towards science, and social connectedness during transition from primary to high school. A previous project on cooperative learning in primary schools observed gains in science understanding and in social aspects of school life.…

"Joint productive activity" (JPA) is a research-based strategy for effective teaching and learning. JPA fosters social and cognitive development among young learners. In this article, the authors describe JPA, connect the research to practice, and discuss how they use JPA at their early childhood center.

The traditional kindergarten program often reflected a rich but generic approach with creative contexts for typical kindergartners organized around materials (manipulatives or dramatic play) or a developmental area (fine motor or language). The purpose of kindergarten reflected beliefs about how children learn, specialized training for…

This study compared the effectiveness of two curricular models of instruction to increase teacher repertoires for instructing students with autism. Specific focus was on the use of a Blended Model of Instruction in comparison to a Behavioral Model of Instruction in regard to increasing teacher knowledge, teacher self efficacy of use of…

This article presents an analysis of how students' dispositions toward learning shift and change over time through their engagement with particular classroom practices and identifies classroom practices that support the development of more productive dispositions. An analysis of 4 purposefully selected students from 2 different classrooms reveals…

This paper draws from continuing research into the growth of sociability and cooperation in young children. It began in the mid-1980s and has continued periodically in a range of early years educational settings across the 3-6 age range. The research has underpinned the development of an observational tool. This tool--the Social Play Continuum or…

The purpose of this case study was to find out the attitudes of parents towards mainstreaming children with special needs into 2 regular private elementary schools in Sidon-Lebanon. A total of 15 parents were interviewed out of 35 whose children have learning disabilities. Sampling was purposeful where the subjects were chosen to facilitate…

This article has two broad objectives: (a) It reviews the theoretical and practical literature on the use of games to facilitate social and emotional learning (SEL). (b) Based on this review, it argues that games are a powerful way of developing social and emotional learning in young people. In addition, we draw on our collective experience as…

At a brisk pace, research findings focused on children's play are finally reaching the light of day in popular media. No longer left sitting in archives of academic journals, the benefits of play to lifelong success have been touted in radio, television, magazines, and newspapers. It gives early childhood professionals a powerful, credible…

"Supporting Boys' Learning" will help teachers develop knowledge and strategies for teaching boys in ways that build on their strengths, respect their individual development levels, and adhere to principles of child development. There is a growing body of research that has raised concerns about boys' vulnerability in terms of social-emotional…

The quintessential characteristic of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is having difficulty with basic social interactions. Due to the pervasiveness of their social skills difficulties, it is necessary that supports for increasing social skills of children with ASD are included as part of the educational plan within schools. The purpose of this…

Over the course of the past decade, the state of Louisiana has developed several documents to articulate expectations for children's learning and development and provide guidance for early childhood educators. The experiences and skills that children develop during the early years are critically important to their success later in school. What…

A primary purpose of early childhood education and interventions is to promote children's acquisition of knowledge and skills linked to later social competence and academic success. In this report, special attention is given to summarizing what has been learned about early childhood classrooms as contexts for development and learning, the kinds of…

This brief synthesis provides a summary of intervention practices that are supported by empirical evidence for promoting adaptive social-emotional behavior of young children in group contexts (e.g., pre-K classrooms; child care settings). The focus of the synthesis is on toddlers and preschool children who are identified as having disabilities or…