Queer theory is a new theory about gender. It is relevant to early childhood educators who wish to find new ways of understanding and challenging persistent gender stereotypes. The theory links gender stereotypes to the norms of heterosexuality. It is definitely "not" a theory about gay and lesbian identity. Queer theory is "queer" because it…

With the increased prevalence of smartphones, laptops, tablet computers, and other digital technologies, knowledge about and familiarity with the educational uses for these devices is important for early childhood teachers documenting children's learning. Teachers can use smartphones every day to take photos, record video and audio, and make…

Although state pre-K initiatives vary from state to state, they all share common characteristics in pursuing their goal of educating young children. Private providers have played a vital role of expanding access in states that have established rapid timelines for pre-K implementation or expansion, such as New Jersey (to comply with a court order)…

Informational texts include books as well as text in other formats such as magazines, newspapers, and online articles. The primary purpose of informational text is to provide information about the natural and social world. Literacy research cites many reasons why nonfiction/informational texts should be included in primary classrooms. The…

This article uses the developmental systems approach, an approach developed by M. Guralnick (2001), with an aim to assess and evaluate early childhood intervention (ECI) practices in Australia. The author explores the Australian national context of ECI and its complexities and conclude with recommendations to address (a) the possibility of a…

Early intervention services to young children with developmental delays in China have experienced significant growth since 1978, the beginning of the period of Reform and Opening. This article described the present situation of early intervention practices in mainland China, framed around the key components and guiding principles of…

The Republic of Ireland is an island situated in north-west Europe inhabited by 4.6 million people, with 2.8% between 0 and 4 years of age with a disability (Central Statistics Office, 2012). The Irish Government funds the Irish health services, which, in turn, directly and indirectly funds disability services. Education and Disability legislation…

Creating meaningful math experiences that reach children with diverse abilities, home languages, learning styles, and backgrounds is a daunting challenge for all teachers. Primary teachers often receive little professional support for achieving this complicated task in mathematics (NCTM 2000). This article explores how five different math…

Teacher talk is a powerful classroom tool. Studies document the importance of teacher language in children's development, in early literacy development, in children's perceptions of self and others, and in facilitating play. This article examines "teacher talk" and its elements--kinds of language, functions of language, promoting children's…

Children from very young ages internalize messages about power and privilege with regard to gender, race/ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, and language, which they perpetuate through their play and talk. While families are a critical piece in shaping children's values on such matters, classroom practices communicate and reinforce strong,…

Low pay, meager benefits, poor morale, and high turnover impact the daily experience of many early childhood educators in the United States. While public spending in early childhood education has substantially increased in recent years, it has mainly fueled expansion, not quality enhancement to help programs attract, compensate, and retain…

A shortage of male teachers at all levels of public education is not a new phenomenon. Gender disparities in teaching have been around for more than a century in the United States. While roughly 39 percent of all elementary and secondary public school teachers were men as early as 1869, only 29 percent of teachers were men by the turn of the…

Early childhood professionals know that good fathering has a profound impact on children. Research confirms that when fathers are involved in the lives of their children, positive outcomes can be expected; when fathers are not involved in their children's lives, more negative outcomes can be seen. Fathers can play an integral role as attachment…

Men matter to young children. Furthermore, people can see that men care about children. Men are, in fact, rare in early education and care settings. Nationally, men comprise 5 percent of the child care workforce and 2.2 percent of preschool and kindergarten teachers. A representative, diverse workforce that promotes professional opportunities…

It is important for children to develop knowledge of words' meanings from a young age because vocabulary development has an impact on their reading comprehension and academic success as they get older. Some children come to school knowing far fewer words than others. Hart and Risley studied young children's vocabulary development and found that…