Examined the nature of literacy-related, teacher-child talk in the daily routines of three child care centers. Found that adults talked about reading and writing to a modest degree, compared to total talk with children. Incidence of adults' literacy talk, aside from book talk, was primarily intermittent and spontaneous. Discourse features of…

This year-long qualitative study explored how a literature-based literacy curriculum supported literacy growth of ESL kindergartners in a full-day Portuguese-English bilingual program. Findings indicated that emphasizing phonics and construction of meaning from texts supported children's construction of literacy understandings. Limited oral…

Used qualitative methods to investigate ways children's books were shared in context of daily family life and how 12 young children responded to books. Found that multiple books were shared regularly on a daily basis, particularly at naptime and bedtime, to entertain, explain events, and extend enjoyment. Children's response categories included…

Examined middle school students' perceptions of the conditions that foster their meaningful engagement in classroom learning. Found that students described classroom environments in which students are mentally and physically active in instructional activities that are meaningful, varied, and interesting, and that involve group learning.…

This article details an investigation into the use of interactive whiteboards undertaken in five elementary schools in an English education authority. Evidence was collected by using a questionnaire containing closed and open questions, lesson observations, and structured interviews of teachers and headteachers. Potential benefits in the…

Sixteen 7-year-old children from an urban primary school were assessed for cognitive processing style by means of the Cognitive Assessment System (CAS), which indicated their positions on each of the two dimensions of Attention and Planning. Then they searched for information on a CD-ROM of text and nontext-based hypermedia. Instruction and…

An artfully designed, 3-D computer-generated video story was created to demonstrate the mixing of primary colors to obtain secondary colors. Two research questions were explored in this research: Do artfully designed 3-D computer-generated video stories enhance learning or are such entertaining works a distraction from learning? And, do children…

Multimedia as an educational technology tool is used throughout the educational system. In this article we present a research project where multimedia scenario was used to initiate a discussion about Internet use among students and teachers at a primary school. Multimedia scenario is the use of large screen multimedia to initiate and facilitate…

Is computer usage appropriate for young children? The manner in which the computer is used can benefit the child, have no effect whatsoever, or actually be detrimental to the child's academic and personal growth. Specific conditions can be instituted to assure that young children benefit from their exposure to or interaction with technology. How…

The classroom teacher's comfort and familiarity with computers and software influences student-computer use in the classroom. Teachers remain mired in repetitive introduction of basic software mechanics and rarely progress with students to advanced concepts or complex applications. An Online Assistant (OLA) was developed to accompany the…

This article presents a constructionist approach to introducing technology, in particular robotics, in the early childhood classroom. The authors demonstrate how this approach is well suited, since the four basic tenets of constructionism have a long-standing tradition in early childhood education: (a) learning by designing meaningful projects to…

Closing the digital divide requires much more than buying equipment, it requires increasing the knowledge and skills of teachers using the technology, and access to digital tools in the community. In such a larger system of change, technology can serve as a catalyst for increasing teacher and student learning. The Anaheim City School District…

Technology can facilitate a pedagogy-based on neo-Vygotskian sociocultural theory, and on developmentally appropriate instruction. This article reviews the basic principles of such a pedagogy, and then presents a detailed case study of one day's instruction in a preschool classroom, that is richly infused with a system employing digital…

Selection of appropriate software plays a vital role in facilitating children's desire to use computers. The discrepancy between girls' and boys' use of computers is enhanced by the scarcity of gender bias-free software programs. Analysis of the extant literature and rating of children's software indicates that gender bias is reflected in terms of…

Electronic Blocks are a new programming environment designed specifically for children between three and eight years of age. As such, the design of the Electronic Block environment is firmly based on principles of developmentally appropriate practices in early childhood education. Electronic Blocks are the physical embodiment of computer…