Many municipalities, armed with research showing the immense benefits of early education, are struggling to ensure children have the opportunity to attend quality preschools (Barnett, 2012; Magnuson, Ruhm, & Waldfogel, 2007). Birmingham, the largest city in Alabama, is no exception. In developing a profile of Birmingham's efforts to provide early…

Young children, their caregivers, and families should take advantage of opportunities to relish stories together. In this article, the authors describe one child's earliest experiences with story that have informed their work with preschool children and their families. Carol's (the second author's) daughter Sloane is privileged in all the ways…

Books in the home provide a pivotal connection point for caregivers and children for developing important social and emotional skills, as well the most critical life skills that children will acquire--literacy and a love of learning. However, access to books in many communities is limited and many households have no books at all. But what if…

Community-based volunteer programs to support children's book reading have existed in Japan for the past 70 years or so. Recently, because of the national emphasis on providing child-rearing support for families with young children, more programs are being offered to encourage parent-child shared book reading starting when children are very young.…

Literacy programs often target preschool children who are from minority groups, are from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and are second language learners, as they are deemed to be at risk for academic difficulties. The family literacy program described in this article is unique in that it focuses on families who have an additional risk…

One hundred percent literacy is a relatively modern goal. According to The Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago (n.d.), writing was invented in 3200 BC. However, it was not until the Industrial Revolution, in the 19th century, that large numbers of ordinary people began to read and write. Today, most people believe that becoming a…

Family members of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) often face social, emotional, and behavioral challenges in the home. Difficulty communicating with family members, forming relationships with friends, and responding appropriately to others can cause significant challenges in the home (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental…

Childhood learning is full of easy-to-remember directions. Recall such advice as "Stop, look, and listen" before one crosses the street and "Stop, drop, and roll" if one's clothes catch on fire. These sayings are clear and concise with specific instruction about what to do in a critical situation. As a teacher educator who has been in the field…

In Denmark, the welfare system has evened out the gaps between rich and poor. Schools and child care settings all over the country have an equal level of resources provided by the state, and are financed through taxes. Schools and child care settings in areas with families of lower socioeconomic status (SES) get extra money and resources. All…

Although learning mathematics certainly depends upon accurate understanding of the facts of multiplication, it requires much more. This study examines the relationship between a meaningful understanding of arithmetic operations and the mastery of basic facts. The study began with a joke about a mistaken mathematical fact. The children appreciated…

Parent-educator partnerships are an important element of effective early childhood, K-12, and special education programs (Dunst, Trivette, & Snyder, 2000; Tabors, 2008). While early childhood and other classrooms in the United States are increasingly diverse, the teachers in those classrooms are unlikely to be of the same linguistic or cultural…

Authentic assessment "refers to the systematic collection of information about the naturally occurring behaviors of young children and families in their daily routines" (Neisworth & Bagnato, 2004, p. 204). In formative assessments, the assessment information informs instruction. Formative assessments are given periodically and should be used to…

The daily trips outside can be challenging, and living in Manhattan makes them even more complex. It seems there is no such thing as a simple stroll, or a quick trip outside; and the winter weather makes such excursions that much more complex. Yet, it is always worth it. In the author's nine years of teaching, she has discovered that a "quick trip…

"If we teach today as we taught yesterday, then we rob our children of tomorrow" (Dewey, 1916). Dewey's words are still relevant today as educators across the world consider how to best connect the print-based literacies of the past to the technologically based literacies of the present. Dewey's advice of re-envisioning how to best teach children…

The consequence of narratives becoming stagnant or controlled is that they become a Master Narrative. The Master Narrative is an "ideological script that is being imposed by the people in authority on everybody else: The Master Fiction... history" (Moyers, 1990, para. 4). Master Narratives use myths and ideologies to sustain a sanitized version of…