Vocabulary knowledge provides a critical foundation for later reading comprehension. Children with limited vocabularies and background knowledge often need many opportunities to learn a new word. One effective way to promote vocabulary acquisition for young children is to provide opportunities for children to learn new words throughout classroom…

Preschool children have the capacity to engage in scientific practices and inquiry and develop understanding at a conceptual level. While engaging in inquiry with preschool students, teachers transition from being transmitters of knowledge to facilitators in the educational process as students take on an active role in this learner-centered…

The increasing accountability framework in Kindergarten education has put pressure on teachers to ensure that students reach certain literacy milestones before proceeding to the subsequent grade. One result of this shift is a tension between an emphasis on academic learning and the use of developmentally appropriate practices, such as play.…

This naturalistic, qualitative study examines the nature of child- and adult-led interactions in a children's museum. Using dialogic learning as a theoretical framework, the study examines how children and adults engage in interactions while learning at a museum. Findings suggest that children and adults are almost equally likely to lead…

This paper examines the current use of interactive whiteboards in the teaching and learning of children aged three to seven years in Wales, UK. It considers both teachers' and children's reflections regarding the use of this "novel" technology. Observations in 30 classrooms with interactive whiteboards (IWB) and interviews with teachers…

Analyzed the diagnostic teaching abilities in the domains of literacy and numeracy of second-year teachers in a Dutch primary school. Assessed student's literacy development using standardized tests, and compared results of these tests with teachers' criterion-referenced judgment of their pupils' literacy development. Found teachers' judgments to…