According to Ruetzel & Cooter, "… writing and reading are mirror processes with reciprocal benefits" (2019, p. 316). When teachers provide opportunities for reading and writing practice every day, children flourish. What better place to infuse this practice than through children's play. As children play, they think critically, answer…

The "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS) encourages educators to help kindergarteners formalize a big idea in physics: A push or pull can cause an object to begin moving, speed up, slow down, stop, or change the direction it is going (NGSS Lead States 2013). In this article, the authors share an exciting, classroom-tested…

In early Finnish reading instruction, hyphens are used to denote syllable boundaries. However, this practice slows down reading already during the 1st grade. It has been hypothesized that hyphenation forces readers to rely more on phonology than orthography. Since hyphenation highlights the phonology of the word, it may facilitate reading during…

Since the spring of 2020, many early childhood education programs (pre-K, K, 1st, and 2nd grades) had to close as governments around the world took serious measures to slow down the transmission of COVID-19. As a result, the pandemic forced many early childhood teachers to start teaching online and continue supporting their students remotely.…

Miss Isabel Little was a Scottish infant teacher who immigrated to New Zealand in 1912. She was described as a "Froebel trained Scot from Edinburgh" and known around Wellington education circles for her "modern methods". In contrast to known Froebelian pioneers, Miss Little's historical footprint is light but the few glimpses…

The aim of this study is to determine preschool, special education, elementary school teacher and mathematics teachers' views of finger-counting in mathematics teaching. The study was conducted with case study design. The sample of the study consisted of 34 teachers. Data were collected using an 8-item written form, and content analysis was…

Syllabification by hyphens (e.g., hy-phen-a-tion) is a standard procedure in early Finnish reading instruction. However, recent findings indicate that hyphenation slows down children's reading already during the first grade (Häikiö, Hyönä, & Bertram, 2015, 2016). In the present study, it was examined whether this slowdown is indicative of…

The science is clear: A child's brain is built, not born. The process begins before birth and involves a complex interplay of neural connections that are shaped by experience and environment. In the early years, these neural connections occur at lightning speed--a speed never again repeated. They establish a foundation of development that will…

What high expectations people place on their infants and toddlers who are just beginning to understand this great big world and all of its complexities! In an attempt to ensure that growth and learning occur, the fundamental needs of infants and toddlers are often pushed aside as people rush the young child to achieve the next developmental…

Self-regulation ability is an important component of children's academic success. Physiological reactivity may relate to brain activity governing attention and behavioral regulation. Saliva samples collected from 186 preschool children (101 boys, mean age = 53 months, 34% minority) before and after a series of mildly challenging games and again 30…

In recent years, a tidal wave of mobile digital devices and applications (apps) has found its way into the daily lives of early childhood professionals everywhere. It is safe to say that the speed at which new digital devices and apps get into people's hands will not slow down. This article presents a status report on technology in early childhood…

For decades "Exchange" magazine has tracked the growth of the for profit child care sector. In this article, the author reflects on trends in the for profit sector over the past four decades. Overall, it has been a period of tremendous growth for the for profit sector. However, it has also been characterized by alternating periods of rapid growth,…

Early Head Start (EHS) programs have become increasingly interested in using a reflective practice approach to help staff members attend to themselves as well as to the families they serve. Paying attention to the relationships between program staff members, between staff and families, and between parents and children is key to a successful…