Researchers conducted focus groups in three Minnesota Head Start programs that provide full-day services. The purpose of this descriptive study was to understand how these programs operated, the strengths and challenges of full-day Head Start programs, and how working parents and those on public assistance described these services. Findings…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how five middle school students examined humor and characterization used in adolescent literature according to Louise Rosenblatt's (1995) reader response transactional theory. The study was conducted with a focus group of five 6th-grade students, three girls and two boys, from a public…

This study compared literacy learning for kindergartners as 12 teachers read 10 popular alphabet books aloud, emphasizing meanings or phonemes, and used centers for independent practice with an alphabet book on audiotape or CD-ROM over a period of four weeks. Researchers taught half the teachers to read the books with an emphasis on phonemes…

There is an increasing need to address children's social development in the midst of academic initiatives for early childhood curricula. A study was conducted to make visible and support children's social interactions within inclusive preschool classrooms through documentation from the Reggio Emilia approach. Findings demonstrated that children's…

Western investigators assume that caregiver sensitivity takes similar forms and has similar outcomes in all cultures. However, cultural research suggests that sensitivity in the West has more to do with responsiveness to children's explicit expression of need, and that sensitivity in non-Western communities has more to do with anticipation of…

In an effort to document the responsibilities and professional activities of itinerant early childhood special education (ECSE) teachers, five teachers were asked to participate in an observational study in which they were observed and their behaviors coded. Observations occurred at three different times during the year, during three-week cycles.…

This research examines 480 current event-explanation units using the CAVE technique (Schulman, Castellon, & Seligman, 1989) to note the relationship between positive and negative explanatory style and achievement of prospective early childhood and upper elementary female teachers. This study found a significant positive relationship between…

What teachers believe and the practices in which they engage are often not consistent, as they face accountability demands and a return to more structured approaches. Data were collected from 34 kindergarten teachers on their beliefs about instructional practice and the forces that shape the education. Findings indicated that regardless of…

Seven-year-olds who had difficulty understanding 1st-grade work received one of two forms of small-group instruction. Half of the children were randomly assigned to receive four months of instruction in recognizing, comprehending, and reproducing both logical and arbitrary patterns (sequences) involving numbers, letters, shapes, colors,…

In order to address the federal "No Child Left Behind Act", the state of Oklahoma required that all public schools address the problem of bullying. Although numerous anti-bullying programs exist, few have been evaluated to determine their effectiveness. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of one such program, "Bullyproof," in a sample of…

Discusses the tendency of schools to follow up poor standardized test scores with test-taking instruction, and the limitations of these standardized tests for providing authentic assessment of academic abilities. Suggests four prescriptions for educators, administrators, parents and policy makers for improving the administration and use of…

Discusses trends in early childhood education rooted in much older traditions, such as the project approach and Reggio Emilia approach, as well as the history of Head Start, and other changes in early childhood programs and services. Considers the need for practitioners to understand the theoretical and ideological foundations of pedagogical…

Relates each of the eight conditions of learning in Brian Cambourne's theory of literacy to findings in brain research within a constructivist approach to early childhood education. Cites sample classroom dialogues demonstrating classroom elements that foster a brain-based, developmentally appropriate learning environment supporting Cambourne's…

Investigated the types, frequency, and utility of assessment techniques used by elementary school teachers. Found that paper and pencil tests were regularly used by third- and fourth-grade teachers, but rarely by teachers in lower grades. Other forms of assessment, such as observation, checklists and portfolios were used less frequently and…

Examined the underlying structure and factorial validity of the Children's Playfulness Scale in evaluating preschool children's behavior. Found that factor loadings, factor variances/covariances, and error variances/covariances are invariant across calibration and validation groups, indicating the good cross-generalizability of the scale. (JPB)