Early Childhood Research & Practice (ECRP), a peer-reviewed, Internet-only journal sponsored by the Early Childhood and Parenting Collaborative (ECAP), covers topics related to the development, care, and education of children from birth to approximately age 8. The journal emphasizes articles reporting on practice-related research and on issues related to practice, parent participation, and policy. Also included are articles and essays that present opinions and reflections. Following a memoriam for leading early childhood care and education researcher Susan Kontos, the bulk of the journal issue compiles the following five articles on research and practice: (1) "Creating the Conditions for Success with Early Learning Standards: Results from a National Study of State-Level Standards for Children's Learning Prior to Kindergarten" (Catherine Scott-Little, Sharon Lynn Kagan, and Victoria Stebbins Frelow); (2) "Supporting Vulnerable Learners in the Primary Grades: Strategies To Prevent Early School Failure" (Melissa Stormont, Linda Espinosa, Nancy Knipping, and Rebecca McCathren); (3) "The Role of Child Development and Social Interaction in the Selection of Children's Literature To Promote Literacy Acquisition" (C. Denise Johnson); (4) "Discriminant Validity of A Community-Level Measure of Children's Readiness for School" (David A. Murphey); and (5) "Reaching Out to Fathers: An Examination of Staff Efforts That Lead to Greater Father Involvement in Early Childhood Programs" (Stephen Green). The issue concludes with a multi-media feature detailing a project by Indiana kindergartners, "The Llama Project" (Candy Ganzel and Jan Stuglik.) (HTH)