Early childhood classrooms provide an environment where children have many of their first social experiences, especially with others of diverse backgrounds. Studies of racial and ethnic concept development have primarily been experimental and highly prompted; little is known about racialized learning experiences during typical interactions in…

In an era of evolving literacy challenges, an Italian based project 'Leggere: Forte!' (Reading Strong) is promoting shared reading aloud to spark youth interest in reading and improve language skills. Now in its third year, the project team have analysed the impact of daily shared reading on 1829 children aged 3-10. The results show significant…

The article explored the impact of topic background knowledge (TBK) on children's language ability development and reading-related emotional factors. TBK refers to the foundational knowledge that children possess concerning a specific subject or topic. The content schemata theory suggests that a high level of TBK facilitates information processing…

Reading engagement influences students' literacy attainment. School library professionals provide resources, environments and guidance to promote reading for pleasure, but little is known about how this role is currently supported or challenged. Drawing on mixed methods survey responses from 971 school library professionals from 63 countries,…

There has been an increased emphasis in recent years on supporting young children with building 21st century literacy skills such as critical thinking and collaboration. Unfortunately, young children with or at risk for disabilities are unlikely to receive access to experiences that build 21st century literacies. Pre-coding activities, which…

This study examines the types of interactions and early literacy development that occur when non-verbal 4-year-old children on the autism spectrum engage with family members in read-alouds using authentic children's literature. Findings indicate the importance of quality children's literature for read-alouds. A key implication of the study is that…

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of the environmental education programme, which was based on shared book reading, on the awareness and attitudes of preschoolers towards the environment. In the research, an experimental design with pretest-posttest control group was used. In the research, story-based environmental education…

During early childhood, reading books with one's caregiver (shared book reading) is a valuable means of supporting learning. Yet, there are gaps in our understanding of the influence of shared book reading on young children's science learning. The current research bridges this gap by examining the pedagogical quality of science books in…

We explored how teacher and child talk-turns were related to children's subsequent comprehension responses during read-alouds. Data included three kindergarten teachers' interactive read-alouds (736 talk-turns across six video-recorded and transcribed sessions). Talk-turns were coded using a priori and emergent codes. Statistical discourse…

We examine a teacher's read-aloud activity with her preschool students in India. Three vignettes show how this "leading" activity helps young children take part in socio-dramatic play, fostering their cultural-historical development. Collaborating as teacher and researcher, we consider students' use of words, instances of object…

COVID-19 has changed the daily lives of families, impacted on work, social interactions, and mental health. Since spring 2020, parents have been working from home and children have been home from daycare and school. Parents are experiencing stress in an attempt to satisfy the demands of work, family, and COVID-19 concerns. Due to the fact that…

Emotional intelligence plays a crucial role in children's development. It has been shown in previous studies that emotional intelligence not only influences academic performance but also benefits children's social and interpersonal lives. This study proposes a new strategy that integrates dialogical reading with visible thinking routines to…

Numerous studies have revealed the benefits of parents' reading-related activities that support children's cognitive development. However, little is known about the reading-related achievement emotions that are essential for self-confidence and well-being as a reader. To advance research in this important area of achievement emotions, it is…

Access to books and a rich language environment at home are important for children's language development. In this study we explored self-reported reading practices in families in Norway (N = 1001) to gain insight into the reading habits parents have with their young children, and the factors that best explain book reading in Norwegian homes. By…

Although existing research describes how teacher candidates (TCs) have incorporated translanguaging pedagogies through practice-based assignments, little research closely examines how TCs engage in discursive shifts, or moment-to-moment linguistic decisions, in translanguaging pedagogies during literacy instruction in their field placement…