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The benefits of play for children's learning are well-documented and well-researched. The evidence for its positive impact on brain development, social interactions, emotional wellbeing, and motor skills is widespread. So, why should this practice stop after the early years? "A Practical Guide to Play in Education" encourages teachers to reflect on their practice and consider how a play-based approach may enhance their teaching. It provides realistic, accessible ideas and resources to incorporate into practice while giving evidence to back up this approach. Divided into three clear sections, readers are guided through: (1) An introduction to play in education, including theory, benefits, and potential challenges; (2) Putting it into practice, such as setting up the classroom, resources for play, and adopting a playful ethos in a realistic and accessible way; and (3) Lesson plans in a variety of subjects, spanning from numeracy, to literacy, to health and wellbeing. This unique and practical book highlights the importance of play in helping children develop skills to support their future and demonstrates how this approach can be seamlessly integrated into teaching styles across primary and early secondary.

"Proceedings of International Conference on Studies in Education and Social Sciences" includes full papers presented at the International Conference on Studies in Education and Social Sciences (ICSES) which took place on October 20-23, 2023, in Antalya, Turkey. The aim of the conference is to offer opportunities to share ideas, to discuss theoretical and practical issues and to connect with the leaders in the fields of education and social sciences. The conference is organized annually by the International Society for Technology, Education, and Science (ISTES). The ICSES invites submissions which address the theory, research, or applications in all disciplines of education and social sciences. The ICSES is organized for: faculty members in all disciplines of education and social sciences, graduate students, K-12 administrators, teachers, principals and all interested in education and social sciences. After peer-reviewing process, all full papers are published in the Conference Proceedings. [Individual papers are indexed in ERIC. The month of the conference on the cover page (November) is incorrect. The correct month is October.]

Designed to spark an interchange of ideas, this book presents early childhood education as a nuanced, shifting, and complex field. Readers will bear witness to several decades of the lived experiences of influential leaders engaged in conversation about seven major topics: systems of early care and education, diversity and children's rights, developmentally appropriate practice, perspectives on play, curriculum and pedagogy, the care of infants and toddlers, and families and family engagement. Each chapter is accompanied by a "Reflections" essay from one of the volume editors that includes important source material and theoretical and research perspectives. Readers are invited to reflect thoughtfully on each topic to construct their own understanding of where the field has been and why it matters. Contributors reveal how they have been shaped by societal values and events, as well as how they have helped to shape the field as we know it. These reflective dialogues help readers develop greater understanding of the past and its influence on the present, while preparing readers to make decisions throughout their careers about what matters and why it is important to young children and their families. Book Features: (1) Examines recent history in early childhood education via conversations that are forward-thinking and backward-reflecting; (2) Illustrates how time and place have impacted ideology and practice in early childhood education in the United States; (3) Offers new perspectives and creates new understandings through the experiences of well-known leaders in the field; and (4) Encourages readers to reflect on the past, present, and future of the field and reclaim its practice in an era that threatens standardization and technocracy. [Foreword by Diane M. Horm.]

In "Learning Without Lessons," David F. Lancy fills a rather large gap in the field of child development and education. Drawing on focused, empirical studies in cultural psychology, ethnographic accounts of childhood, and insights from archaeological studies, Lancy offers the first attempt to review the principles and practices for fostering learning in children that are found in small-scale, pre-industrial communities across the globe and through history. His analysis yields a consistent and coherent "pedagogy" that can be contrasted sharply with the taken-for-granted pedagogy found in the West. The practices that are rare or absent from indigenous pedagogy include teachers, classrooms, lessons, verbal instruction, testing, grading, praise, and the use of symbols. Instead, field studies document the prevalence of self-guided learners who rely on observation, listening, learning in play from peers the hands-on use of real tools and, learning through voluntary participation in everyday activities such as foraging. Aiming to reverse the customary relation between western and non-Western theories or ideas about child learning and development, this book concludes that the pedagogy found in communities before the advent of schooling differs in very significant ways from that practiced in schools and in the homes of schooled parents.

This book showcases a case study of the development of a generalist early childhood education (ECE) teacher into a confident and competent teacher of science in early childhood with support from a mentor. It argues that with guided mentoring, and later, timely support of a mentor as and when required, ECE teachers can deliver the curriculum, teach science by providing opportunities to explore and then build on children's interest through intentionally planned activities, dialogue, and discourse. It presents a comprehensive literature review and research design including theoretical frames and methodology. It includes a chapter on teacher development and discusses different approaches to science investigations practiced by the teacher in the case study. The book provides evidence of children's science learning and presents the findings as response to research questions. It also includes a model of teaching as inquiry in the context of early childhood education.

Learn how to create and nurture communities of care for diverse children, families, and practitioners through responsive practice. In this text, the social and emotional worlds of babies and toddlers, their peers, and their caregivers come to life in the everyday moments of infant-toddler care and education. The authors show infants and toddlers as active, agentic, and intentional social partners from the start of life, highlighting their unique capacities for social engagement with both adults and peers. Interwoven within each chapter's narrative are insights culled from extensive observations, teacher interviews, and video analyses. Part I emphasizes play, peer friendships, and humor as essential elements of infant learning, illustrated throughout with anecdotes of praxis in early care and education settings. Building on these aspects of babies' ways of being in group care, Part II examines the complex roles of infant-toddler professionals and the critical importance of supportive and caring environments. Readers will explore the elements needed for in-depth and specialized professional preparation, including overarching principles of relationship-based practice. This book: (1) illuminates particular and understudied ways that infants and toddlers actively contribute to their own social learning and development; (2) shares how teachers learn to engage with and nurture infants' and toddlers' social capacities and experiences within child care settings; (3) uses anecdotes and vignettes from the authors' research and practice with infants, toddlers, and caregivers to bring their experiences to life; (4) discusses themes that are important and unique for infancy and toddlerhood, such as play, friendships, humor, and professional love; and (5) presents a unique set of chapters that reveal infants' and toddlers' perspectives, while also considering the caregiver's actions within a responsive care framework. [Foreword written by Mary Benson McMullen.]

In this update of a bestselling classic, you will learn how to develop children's capacity and will to read. Each sequential chapter is practical, eye-opening, and exactly what you need to engage young learners, plan lessons, partner with parents, and align your PreK-3 classrooms to the science of learning and the science of reading. Gain the latest insights on: (1) Brain development from birth to age eight, plus the skills to nourish it, age by age and grade by grade; (2) What the latest neuroscientific research now says about oral language acquisition; (3) The evidence base for practices such as read alouds, inventive spelling, and sustained silent reading; (4) Why vocabulary building must happen concurrently with phonological processing, decoding, fluency, spelling, and writing; and (5) How to artfully combine explicit teaching of skills with playful, multi-sensory routines every day. All aspects of memory are needed to develop successful readers. When we engage children's brains and build our teaching practices around what we know about how the human brain makes meaning, literacy learning makes more sense for children… and for us.

This issue of the Bank Street "Occasional Paper Series" is a labor of love. It testifies love for Jonathan Silin, who for 17 years served as Editor-in-Chief. This issue has been designed to exemplify two commitments that have shaped the decades of Jonathan's career and that will resonate with readers of the "Occasional Paper Series": (1) Jonathan's passionate belief in the power of narrative; and (2) Jonathan's devotion to nurturing intergenerational relationships for creating conditions that can welcome newcomers into the extant world. To celebrate the spirit of Jonathan's lifetime of work, this issue has invited scholars to tell stories of education as hospitality, as welcoming the newcomer and the stranger, with all the complexities this involves. To create the issue itself as an act of welcoming, a group of curriculum theorists who are newer to the field --scholars whose voices are emerging as powerful representatives of a new generation of scholars-- were invited to write essays. Each of these theorists were paired with a more senior scholar, who wrote a response to their paired partner. In inviting the senior scholars to respond, they were asked to put narrative to use in welcoming the work of their partner, again exemplifying hospitality, creativity, and care. Invited authors were told that their pieces did not have to directly reference Jonathan's work; some did and some did not. Regardless, what followed from the invitation to contribute was nothing less than a profound testament to the spirit of Jonathan's work, leading to inspired acts of support and generosity shown by our contributors to one another, all occurring during the extreme stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Every educator's imaginative instincts will be guided by this book's practical design method, which harnesses the power of play for student learning. Teachers from all disciplines and levels can create a full spectrum of engaging exercises through the authors' six accessible ALLURE steps: (1) Ask where to apply the play; (2) List the mental moves; (3) Link the mental moves to the play; (4) Understand how the learning principles operate; (5) Run the activity-game; and (6) Evaluate the learner experience. Along with principles from game-based learning pedagogy, readers will explore a framework of original complex mechanic teaching templates that will help their fledgling instructional activities cross the bridge into fully formed games. Beginners and veterans will find multiple entry points, from adding a single playful element (student roles in discussions) to more elaborate designs (riddles and simulations). They will also learn different levels of producing physical tabletop components (cards, boards, plastic pieces) or light digital options (discussion board riddles, Google Slides games). Born from the authors' extensive experiences running professional development workshops, this guide has been frequently requested by classroom teachers, college instructors, librarians, and instructional designers. While examples are all drawn from secondary and higher education environments, the ALLURE method is also being used in workshops with elementary-level teachers, including homeschool instructors; business trainers; and digital and analogue game designers. This book: (1) Offers hands-on, practical advice about how to be more playful with your students, with a focus on nondigital activities and games; (2) Is written in the language of instructional design, so advanced knowledge about games or technology is not required; (3) Provides creative instructional techniques that will boost student engagement for both in-person and online instruction; (4) Includes more than two dozen original illustrations and designs to aid understanding; and (5) Addresses the need for accessible, inclusive learning environments. [Foreword written by Mark C. Carnes.]

Drawing on frameworks of teacher research and critical literacy, this volume documents the experiences of educators in New Mexico who participate in Teaching Out Loud--an intergenerational, professional development program that focuses on the creation and implementation of imaginative, critical curriculum with historically marginalized students. This text offers a set of conceptual tools and pedagogical practices for teacher educators and researchers seeking to advance teacher learning and leadership through the use of critical study groups, rather than the more scripted professional development approaches that dominate mainstream educational settings. Specifically, this book uses the voices of a diverse set of teachers to demonstrate the role of teacher inquiry in shifting curriculum and advancing equity, even when faced with formidable circumstances like a global pandemic. The authors examine how participation in Teaching Out Loud helped teachers foster social-emotional learning, foreground issues of race and identity, build and sustain community, promote self-care, and center play within and against challenging local and global contexts. This book: (1) Highlights the voices of teachers representing a range of diverse perspectives and experience levels; (2) Explains classroom practices and approaches in detail; (3) Examines the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic; (4) Explicitly addresses critical issues like race and social justice; and (5) Focuses on the American Southwest. [Foreword written by Gerald Campano.]

"Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum" emphasizes the how, what and why of curriculum development to help you create the most effective programs for young children ages 3 through 8. It's an all-in-one guide that brings together everything pre-service teachers need to implement an integrated, developmental approach to curriculum-based instruction. Sample activities and lesson plans are included for each curriculum domain. Practical research-based guidelines and a focus on teaching methods give you the tools you need to translate theory into age-appropriate, effective practice that accommodates individual, social and cultural differences. The 8th Edition integrates play and assessment examples into every chapter, as well as information from recent NAEYC publications and standards to keep the material fresh and up to date.

The Experience, Represent, Apply (ERA) heuristic is an innovation of the Early Learning STEM Australia (ELSA) project. It provided educators with an approach that embeds digital technologies in play-based learning in such a way that the focus of the learning remains on the child and not on the device. This paper reports on the experiences of early years educators and indicates that the ERA heuristic was instrumental in helping educators to integrate digital technologies in their everyday activities to promote engagement with STEM. [This paper is the third in a symposium of three papers. For the first paper, "The Role and Nature of Digital Technology use in Preschool STEM," see ED604741. For the second paper, "The Early Learning STEM Australia (ELSA): The Policy and Practice(s) of Engagement in the Early Years," see ED604738.]

This edited volume brings together a group of international researchers and theorists from various intellectual and analytic traditions to explore the role uncertainty plays in creativity, learning, and development. Contributors to this volume draw on existing programs of research as well as introduce new and even speculative directions for research, theory and practice. Learning and life are filled with uncertainty. Although the experience of uncertainty can cause emotional discomfort or cognitive rigidity, uncertainty serves as a catalyst and condition for change. In this way, uncertainty represents a core facet in the interrelationship among creativity, learning, and development. Considerations for both the benefits and potential costs of uncertainty will be addressed in this volume with an aim of understanding how uncertainty can be better understood in light of creativity, learning, and development. Taken together this volume stands to contribute to our collective understanding of the role that uncertainty plays in learning and life and highlights how conceptualizing and studying uncertainty in new ways can promote positive and lasting change. [For "Revealing Creativity: Exploration in Transnational Education Cultures. Creativity Theory and Action in Education. Volume 5," see ED618890.]

Research shows that teaching sign language to all young children has a wide range of benefits, from enhancing social-emotional and preliteracy skills to supporting positive parent-child relationships. With "Sing & Sign for Young Children," early childhood professionals will have a fun, easy, and highly effective way to teach and practice key ASL sign vocabulary through music and play during everyday classroom routines. Packed with engaging sign language activities and original, kid-friendly songs, this innovative program was created by a music therapist and early childhood specialist with years of experience working and playing with young children. Dr. Anne Meeker Watson, creator of the SING.PLAY.LOVE.® program, shows you how to transform your daily activities--including arrival, mealtime, shared book reading, free play, and departure--into joyful learning opportunities infused with music, play, and warm adult-child connections. You'll get everything you need to implement the program when you purchase the book: original songs with lyrics and scores, guidance and tips for beginning the program, pictures of all the signs and hand formations, suggested activities and games, a list of additional resources, and videos modeling signs for each song. Benefits include: (1) Strengthens skills essential for academic and social success: communication, social-emotional, self-regulation, and literacy skills; (2) Combines signing with music--a powerful, motivating, and neurologically rich experience for young children; (3) Helps children build positive, meaningful relationships with each other and with their educators and caregivers; (4) Infuses the school day with joy and fun, creating an environment that's conducive to sustained attention and engagement; (5) Gives children many chances to practice and demonstrate new skills across daily routines; and (6) Helps support communication development for all children, including dual language learners and children with language delays.

This book reviews literature and research linked to early childhood education and care (ECEC). This educational level is fundamental for acquiring key competencies for school entry and establishing the physical, cognitive, and emotional bases for lifelong learning. Preschool education should promote student autonomy as the ability of a child to act on their own free will because it is a critical part of learning for all children. When a child has autonomy, it helps build confidence for responding to the demands of the family, self-esteem values linked to collaboration tasks, and independence in selecting reasonable choices. [This book was co-edited with Luis Miguel Villar Angulo and Carla Giambrone.]

This book illuminates the lived experience of a group of primary school children engaged in virtual world play during a year-long after-school club. Shaped by post-structuralist theory and New Literacy Studies, it outlines a playful, participatory and emergent methodological approach, referred to as 'rhizomic ethnography'. This 'hybrid' text uses both words and images to describe the fieldsite and the methodology, demonstrating how children's creation of a digital community through Minecraft was shaped by the both the game and their wider social and cultural experiences. Through the exploration of various dimensions of the club, including visual and soundscape data, the author demonstrates the 'emergent dimension of play'. It will be of interest and value to researchers of children's play, as well as those who explore visual methods and design multimodal research outputs.

Games enable children to practice emotions in spaces that are free from actualized consequences. With thoughtful guidance, games can help children manage emotions, perspective-take, demonstrate empathic concern, and exhibit prosocial behaviors. Emerging research suggests that these competencies--also known as social and emotional learning (SEL) skills--are, in fact, teachable. In "Gaming SEL: Games as Transformational to Social and Emotional Learning," Matthew Farber investigates the rich opportunities games have in supporting SEL skill development. Experts from the fields of education, game development, and SEL--including folks from CASEL, the Fred Rogers Center, Greater Good in Education, iThrive Games, Minecraft Education, and UNESCO MGIEP--share advice. Games themselves cannot be responsible for children's learning. Having a supportive educator or caregiver guiding experiences can be crucial. This book also includes recommendations for embedding games in classrooms in ways that support meaningful SEL skill development. Regardless of your experience, content area, or grade level, this book is for you!

This practical guide for educational leaders explores how you can transform your school or district into a vibrant center of learning and socio-ecological responsibility with only three manageable actions: taking students outside, bringing nature inside, and cultivating a mindset of awareness, responsibility, and empathy. This book is rich in practical, attainable approaches and stories of real actions taken by leaders, teachers, parents, and community partners to design, lead, and manage a vibrant, flourishing, sustainable learning community. Authors Uline and Kensler take you on an inspirational journey through nine key leadership strategies for you to begin or expand your work towards whole school sustainability.

This book is an exploration of story and its importance in early childhood. It provides a thorough theoretical foundation, and considers how to practically implement the use of stories to aid children's wellbeing and holistic development. The chapters cover topics including cognitive and emotional development, creativity, play, mathematics, language development, and trauma and healing. It is an ideal resource for early years practitioners, parents, and all those working in early childhood who are looking to encourage creativity, build agency and foster positive communication in children's lives.

All students can benefit from a deeper understanding of how our language works. "Playing With Language" shows elementary school educators (K-6) how to think about, talk about, and manipulate language out of context. This cognitive skill set, known as metalinguistic awareness, is an important component of reading ability. This practical guide scales activities and teaching suggestions to students' age, linguistic background, and individual strengths and challenges. The authors offer suggestions for introducing metalinguistic concepts like phonological, semantic, and syntactic awareness with fun activities like games, songs, rhymes, and riddles. The book also identifies and explains research that supports using metalinguistic teaching with diverse students and English learners to build skills in multiple areas, including reading comprehension and decoding ability. Teachers will find that students introduced to language play become continually engaged with language, finding real-world examples with wonder and delight. This book: (1) Compiles information on all forms of metalinguistic awareness (MA), spanning different linguistic units and developmental reading levels; (2) Contains personal anecdotes and classroom-tested instructional recommendations for encouraging language play; (3) Presents research on how individual language skills affect reading ability; and (4) Offers suggestions for full lesson plans with small groups or whole classes of children, as well as ideas for infusing MA activities into everyday exchanges and book choices.

Following on from the phenomenal success of the Peter Lang publication 'Autism from the Inside Out', 'Leading inclusion from the Inside Out' is the first book to focus on providing Irish parents, early childhood teachers in early learning and care, primary and special school settings with practical and effective strategies for supporting the inclusion of all children at this critical phase of their education journey. With a foreword by Prof Seamus Hegarty, University of Warwick/University College Dublin, and emerging from the experiences of the authors during the delivery and evaluation of the multi-award winning Leadership for INClusion in the Early Years (LINC) Programme, the book is located in contemporary research on inclusion. The volume is presented in three interconnected sections focused on placing the child at the centre of a bioecological framework; realising inclusive pedagogy and cultivating effective leadership for including all children. Believing that language is a significant contributor to progressing an education system where all children are valued equally, the authors have directed specific attention to the use of terminology that communicates a philosophy of universality, within which difference and diversity are embedded, rather than disability and uniformity. In essence, the publication looks towards a new era, where leading inclusion from the inside out progresses to leading early childhood education from the inside out and advocating for inclusion is relegated to history. [Foreword written by Seamus Hegarty.]

Confirmation of the current enthusiasm for re-visioning progressive education arrived in inboxes this fall when the Bank Street College of Education received more submissions for this issue than for any other in the journal's 17-year history. From these the editors have selected a range of essays that reflect pre-kindergarten through high-school settings; focus on individual classrooms, entire schools and school districts; and attend to matters of pedagogy and curriculum building or to working within the constraints of the contemporary moment. Following an introduction title "Now is the Time," by Jonathan Silin & Meredith Moore, nine essays were selected. Three of the essays showcase child-centered public schools and present twenty-first century embodiments of progressive principles laid out more than a century ago. Corinthia Mirasol-Spath and Jill Leibowitz explore the benefits of play for students and teachers alike in a New York City elementary school that provides students with time to explore their interests through long-term projects of their choosing in "Reenvisioning the Classroom: Making Time for Students and Teachers to Play." Rachel Seher, Alan Cheng, and Melissa Birnbaum paint a portrait of another school with experiential learning at its core; at "City-As-School: Internship-based Learning in New York City Public Schools," internships take the place of many classroom-based courses. "The Center for Inquiry: Anatomy of a Successful Progressive School" transports the reader to Indianapolis, Indiana, where authors Christine Leland, Amy Wackerly, and Christine Collier were part of the original cohort of teachers and university faculty who founded a progressive magnet school. Premised on inquiry-based teaching and learning, the Center for Inquiry has grown from one to four schools. The second group of essays addresses the ways that progressive education in public schools has shifted and must continue to shift to meet the needs of America's increasingly diverse student population. In "Beyond Child-Centered Constructivism: A Call for Culturally Sustaining Progressive Pedagogy," Alissa Algava argues that twentieth-century constructivist pedagogies are not sufficient to fulfill progressive education's inherently political, activist and democratic potential. She calls for a culturally sustaining progressive pedagogy that critically engages questions of power with both children and teachers. Beatric S. Fennimore confronts the deficit-based talk prevalent in many schools serving marginalized students in "Say that the River Turns: Social Justice Intentions in Progressive Public School Classrooms." She argues that teaching for social justice begins by replacing deficit-based talk with clearly articulated intentions that subsequently transform into actions. Echoing the theme of the power of language, Darrick Smith summarizes efforts to transform the negative and disrespectful culture at a small California high school with a racially diverse student population, in "A Humanizing Approach to Improving School Disciplinary Culture." Here a humanizing approach to discipline, rooted in an affirmation of students and their families, and entailing an alignment of school and family values with the school's mission, has been successful. Finally, incorporating data from an ethnographic case study of a bilingual (Spanish/English) Head Start program serving the children of Dominican and Mexican immigrants, Ysaaca Axelrod explores the tensions in parents', teachers', and administrators' beliefs about language use and the role of play in ""We All is Teachers": Emergent Bilingual Children at the Center of the Curriculum." Balancing these essays on classroom life, the final two essays focus on administrative practices that support progressive education. In "Holding Space for Progressive Practices," elementary principals Abbe Futterman, Dyanthe Spielberg, and Cecelia Traugh use a descriptive review process to share their methods for maintaining educational spaces that are grounded in progressive values, in the face of conflicting mandates from the district or the state. In a provocative counterpoint, Doug Knecht, Nancy Gannon, and Carolyn Yaffe, former New York Department of Education administrators, describe their work adding a quality review process to the accountability system for city schools in "Across Classrooms: School Quality Reviews as a Progressive Educational Policy." Positing that the quality review is itself a progressive process, they argue that it can help schools to focus more on the lived experiences of their students and less on high stakes moments. Together these essays tell that only through a shared commitment of families, teachers and administrators can progressive practices flourish in public schools. They also tell that success requires a combination of hard work in the classroom and savvy political strategizing in the larger systems, along with a deep understanding of the foundational tenets of progressivism and a willingness to reimagine how best to realize them in the twenty-first century. It is the hope that these essays will inspire as they have inspired the writers to continue advocating for more just, engaging, and child-friendly classrooms for all children. (Individual papers contain references.)

"The Creative Arts in Counseling" presents an evidence-based exploration of how expressive therapies can be used effectively with clients of all ages and backgrounds. After an introduction to the history and benefits of using the arts in counseling, Dr. Gladding discusses the therapeutic use of music; dance/movement; imagery; visual arts; writing/literature; drama; humor; play; animal-assisted therapy; and horticulture, nature, and wilderness therapies. Text features include a new section on incorporating the creative arts in telebehavioral counseling, two-part chapter overviews, 96 creative reflections for self-discovery, 145 exercises for use in session, and a listing of creative arts and art therapies websites. [For the Fifth Edition, see ED582451.]

The first two editions of "Finnish Lessons" described how a small Nordic nation built a school system that provided access to a world-class education for all of its young people. Now available in 30 languages, this Grawemeyer Award-winning book continues to influence education policies and school practices around the globe. In this "Third Edition," Pasi Sahlberg updates the story of how Finland sustains its exemplary educational performance, including how it responds to turbulent changes at home and throughout the world. "Finnish Lessons 3.0" includes important new material about: (1) teachers and teacher education; (2) teaching children with special needs; (3) the role of play in high-quality education; and (4) Finland's responses to growing inequality, slipping international test scores, and the global pandemic. In the midst of national education reforms and global changes driven by public health crises and economic turbulence, "Finnish Lessons 3.0" encourages teachers, students, and policymakers to think big and bold when they look for new solutions to improving their schools and entire education systems. This edition provides an even deeper dive into the present world of education in Finland in light of the most recent education statistics and international data, including PISA 2018, TIMSS 2016, and TALIS 2018. [Foreword by Howard Gardner. Afterword by Ken Robinson. For the first edition, "Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland? Series on School Reform," see ED525697.]

The COVID-19 pandemic was a forceful reminder that education plays an important role in delivering not just academic learning, but also in supporting physical and emotional well-being. Balancing traditional "book learning" with broader social and personal development means new roles for schools and education more generally. This volume is part of a series that examines the intersections between education, well-being and digital technologies. Complementing the first volume "Educating 21st Century Children: Emotional Well-Being in the Digital Age," this volume turns the spotlight on physical health and well-being. It explores the important role of play and risk-taking in learning. It examines the "pursuit of perfection" and the impact on children's lives, whether it be physical, cognitive or academic. It highlights important efforts countries have made to tackle inequality and protect and empower students in both physical and digital environments. It ends with a look at the pending agenda, underscoring the role of partnerships, policy and protection. [For "Educating 21st Century Children: Emotional Well-Being in the Digital Age," see ED609285.]

Research studies show that all students--young and old, rich and poor, urban and rural--benefit immensely from classrooms filled with art, creativity, and laughter. Fun, playfulness, creative thinking, and individual expression reinforce positive experiences, which in turn lead to more engaged students, better classroom environments, and successful learning outcomes. Designed for K-12 educators, "The Playful Classroom" describes how teachers can develop a playful mindset for giving students meaningful, relevant and fun learning experiences. This unique real-world guide provides you with everything you need to incorporate engaging, hands-on lessons and creative activities, regardless of the level and subject you teach. Building on contemporary and seminal works on learning theory and play pedagogy, the authors explain how to inspire your students by bringing play. into your classroom. This clear, user-friendly guide supplies practical strategies and effective solutions for adding the missing ingredients to your classroom culture. Access to the authors' companion website provides videos, learning experiences, and downloadable teaching and learning resources. Packed with relatable humor, proven methods, and valuable insights, this book enables you to: (1) Provide meaningful experiences that will benefit students both in school and later in life; (2) Combine the principles of PLAY with traditional curricula to encourage creative learning; (3) Promote trust, collaboration, and growth in students; (4) Develop a playful mindset for bringing the arts into every lesson; and (5) Foster critical thinking in any school community. "The Playful Classroom: The Power of Play for All Ages" is a must-have resource for K-12 educators, higher education professionals, and readers looking for education-based professional development and training resources. [Forward written by Stuart Brown.]

"Psychoeducational Assessment of Preschool Children," Fifth Edition, provides academics and school-based practitioners such as psychologists, speech-language pathologists, and social workers with an up-to-date guide to the assessment of young children. Long recognized as the standard text and reference in its field, this comprehensive, skill-building overview is organized into four sections: foundations, ecological assessment, assessment of developmental domains, and special considerations. Chapters written by recognized scholars in the field cover theory, research, and application. This thoroughly revised new edition addresses current developments in preschool assessment, new policies and legislation, and student/family population demographics.

How do teachers identify the potential for greater depth writing and encourage children to meet their full potential? This book was created by people who are not only passionate about primary education, but who are also leading experts in their own particular areas. They have made use of their wide experience to offer practical guidance on greater depth writing, while underpinning this with theoretical understanding. We hope that reading this book helps you to reflect on what greater depth writing looks like and how you can encourage children to write at greater depth. You will find many suggestions for teaching lessons that encourage children to write at greater depth underpinned by theory. Chapters include: (1) What Is Greater Depth Writing? (Adam Bushnell); (2) Developing Deeper Writing in EYFS and KS1 through a Play-Based Approach (Angela Gill); (3) Developing Deeper Writing in KS1 through the Use of High-Quality Picture Books (Megan Stephenson); (4) Deeper Writing at KS2 (Adam Bushnell); (5) Developing Understanding of Language and Deeper Writing (David Waugh); (6) Non-Fiction Writing (Kate Allott); (7) Deeper Writing through Writing for Children (Dan Hughes); (8) Deeper Writing through Drama (Christina Castling); (9) Deeper Writing for EAL Pupils (Kulwinder Maude); (10) Engaging Pupils through the Use of Different Materials to Produce Deeper Writing (Lucy M. Davies); (11) Developing Reasoning to Encourage Deeper Writing (Michaela Oliver); (12) Using Classic Texts to Develop Deeper Writing Skills by Supporting the Teaching of Grammar, Vocabulary and Creative Writing (Pam Vennart); and (13) Reporting in Science at a Deeper Level (Catherine Reading).

This issue is a Festschrift in honor of Harriet K. Cuffaro, a Bank Street College faculty member from 1968-1998. A Festschrift--a volume reflecting the values, theories, and passions of a senior scholar in a field--seeks to offer scholarship that builds on these contributions. Harriet Cuffaro has touched and shaped more lives of teachers, scholars, and colleagues than can possibly be counted. A teacher in her soul, and an esteemed scholar of John Dewey, Harriet has "unfolded and connected" essential Deweyan ideas and made them accessible and meaningful in the lives of teachers. This Festschrift reflects the core ideas that Harriet brought to the field of early childhood education and the study of John Dewey. Above all, Harriet reminds others that to teach means to have a philosophy of education, to articulate the whys of what teachers do, and to understand that it is this philosophy that guides and shapes the decisions made in the classroom. Individual essays in this Festschrift include: (1) One Perspective on Harriet Cuffaro: A Story of Engagement and Experience (Celia Genishi); (2) Thinking Through Early Childhood (Jonathan Silin); (3) When Unit Blocks Came to Gardaborg (Kristín Einarsdóttir); (4) The Experience of Working and Learning Together (Jane Clarke); (5) Caroline Pratt: Progressive Pedagogy "In Statu Nascendi" (Jeroen Staring); (6) An Inquiry into the Pedagogical Implications of Dewey's Ecological Thinking (Simon Jorgenson); (7) Doing Dewey (Carol Rodgers) [Contains Appendix: "Whispers on the Moon"]; and (8) Presence in Double Vision (Miriam Raider-Roth). Individual essays include references and figures.

This issue of "Bank Street Occasional Papers" explores the value of time outside of school. Educators have given relatively little scholarly attention to young people's nonschool lives. Ignored or valorized, nonschool spaces show up in educational research only as a backdrop, implying that school learning is the yardstick by which to measure the young people's lives. Even scholars who focus primarily on nonschool spaces are limited by their inability to theorize nonschool learning without framing it in terms of school learning (Sefton-Green, 2012; Teitle, 2012). Yet this myopic view of school outcomes only serves to narrow the purpose and possibilities of nonschool time. Therefore, the editors of "Bank Street Occasional Papers" asked authors to expand the conversation about young people's lives outside of school. Contributing authors both engage with current literature on nonschool spaces and offer new and exciting ways to conceptualize nonschool activity and learning. Articles in this issue include: (1) What (and Where) Is the "Learning" When We Talk About Learning in the Home? (Julian Sefton-Green); (2) Global Childhoods, Asian Lifeworlds: After School Time in Hong Kong (Nicola Yelland, Sandy Muspratt, and Caja Gilbert); (3) Becoming-Belieber: Girls' Passionate Encounters with Bieber Culture (Kortney Sherbine); (4) Building After-School Islands of Expertise in "Wrestling Club" (Victor Sensenig); (5) Mapping the Social Across Lived Experiences: Relational Geographies and After-School Time (Jennifer A. Vadeboncoeur and Louai Rahal); (6) Changing Through Laughter with "Laughter for a Change" (Laurel J. Felt and Ed Greenberg); (7) Enhanced Participation: Creating Opportunities for Youth Leadership Development (Clara Waloff); (8) Witnessing the Power of El Sistema in Urban Communities: Sister Cities Girlchoir (Erika Kitzmiller); and (9) Playing Outdoors: The Importance of the City as a Playground for Skateboarding and Parkour (Michael Jeffries, Sebastian Messer, and Jon Swords). Individual articles contain references.

For young learners to adults, "New Ways in Teaching with Games" offers over 90 fresh activities -- each with video instruction -- that involve play and games that will enrich your EFL and ESL classrooms. This innovative volume: (1) Introduces traditional, online, and commercial games and explains how they can be used to practice language; (2) Illustrates games that can reinforce language across the four skill areas, and encourage both culturally and pragmatically appropriate language productions; and (3) Enriches language classrooms with a variety of innovative, leaner-friendly games that are seamlessly tied to language practice. Using gamification for your ESL classroom turns repetitive exercises into meaningful and fun activities! The activities are broken down by topic including: (1) Traditional Pencil and Paper Games; (2) Dice Games; (3) Board Games; (4) Card Games; (5) Technology-Mediated Games: Online, Apps, and More; and (6) Miscellaneous Games. Video instructions are included for each activity!

Rooted in both ABA and developmental theory, Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBI) are some of today's most effective, evidence-based, and widely used interventions for autism spectrum disorder. Prepare tomorrow's autism professionals for success in the field with this graduate-level textbook, the first comprehensive introduction to the principles and practices of NDBI. Future professionals will start with a clear and detailed overview of NDBI, examining how these approaches use natural environments and personal interests to motivate the child and bring about lasting improvements in skills and behavior. Then they'll explore the foundational principles of NDBI, take an in-depth look at the most successful NDBI models, and learn how to use specific NDBI strategies to improve child outcomes. This book will prepare future professionals to: (1) Identify quality indicators of NDBI program; (2) Understand how proven NDBI models, including Pivotal Response Treatment, Early Start Denver, Enhanced Milieu Teaching, and Project ImPACT fit in the NDBI framework; (3) Select meaningful skills to teach children within their natural environment; (4) Write measurable and attainable goals across developmental domains; (5) Empower parents to use NDBI strategies during everyday interactions with their children; (6) Use NDBI strategies to support children in inclusive environments; (7) Enhance children's communication skills, social competence, and play skills; (8) Support positive behavior and self-regulation using an NDBI framework; and (9) Work NDBI strategies into school-based activities and lessons.

This book began as a deep discussion among administrators, teachers, researchers, teacher educators, and educational consultants concerned about the critical reduction of play, engaged learning opportunities, and intellectually stimulating experiences in classrooms for toddlers through the primary grades. This group made a pact to organize and stand up for engaged learning by creating a comprehensive, research-based defense that they call The Manifesto. In Growing Child Intellect, this panel of experts pulls together the research, stories, and lessons learned from using the Project Approach in a variety of settings. Readers are invited to dive deeply with them into the world of project work, beginning with the neuroscience foundation, through the research in the field, and on to the challenges and successes. The book features: (1) Provides a strong review of research on the benefits of the Project Approach; (2) Explains research on the development of intellect from Mind Brain Education Science; (3) Includes extensive examples of intellectually stimulating classrooms and learning experiences across diverse settings; (4) Shows how to bring engaging experiences into classrooms while still meeting goals for required content and standards; (5) Explains what each person can do, no matter position or program, to nurture children's intellectual development; (6) Provides practical advice for overcoming common challenges to implementing project work; and (7) Offers a short Declaration of Beliefs about engaged learning for easy sharing. Chapters and "Voices from the Field" projects include: Chapter 1, "Bringing Intellectual Deserts to Life" is a compilation of pieces by Judy Harris Helm and Karrie A. Snider, with Sue Vartuli; and "Voices from the Field": The Path Project (Rebecca Teall). Chapter 2, "Curriculum that Supports Intellectual Development" is a compilation of pieces by Judy Harris Helm, Maggie Holley, and Sue Vartuli; and "Voices from the Field": The Power Lines Project (Nick Pettit). Chapter 3, "Curriculum Research on the Project Approach: Illuminating the "What" and the "How" of Teaching and Learning" is a compilation of pieces by Karrie A. Snider and Sue Vartuli; and "Voices from the Field": Engaging Teacher Candidates in Project Work (Karrie A. Snider and Natalie Tye). Chapter 4, "Creating 21st Century Learners: Integrating Projects and Standards" is a compilation of pieces by Rebecca A. Wilson, Pam Scranton, and Tricia DeGraff; and "Voices from the Field": The Construction Project (Pam Scranton). Chapter 5, "Project Work: A Path to Engaged Learning for All Children" is a compilation of pieces by Karrie A. Snider, Rebecca Wilson, Pegi Stamps, and Carol Bolz; and "Voices from the Field": The Reptile Project (Crystal Woodin). Chapter 6, "Professional Development Models to Support Teaching with the Project Approach" is a compilation of pieces by Carol Bolz, Catherine Wilson, Erika Gray, Pam Scranton, Lisa Roti, Pegi Stamps, and Liz Smith; and "Voices from the Field": Bringing Project Work to an Elementary School (Tricia DeGraff). Chapter 7, "Moving Forward with the Project Approach" is a compilation of pieces by Karrie A. Snider, Sue Vartuli, and Judy Harris Helm. Chapter 8, "Manifesto Call to Action: Growing Child Intellect Through the Project Approach" is a compilation of pieces by Karrie A. Snider, Sue Vartuli, and Judy Harris Helm.

Exploring issues of student agency, equity, assessment, teaching, management, teacher leadership, and use of technology, this book provides strategies, tips, and guidance for enacting innovative change in today's schools. Drawing from unique and creative approaches at international schools, real practitioners share their stories and best-practices. Chapters contain engaging snapshots of the innovative practices currently happening in international schools, translate those practices into leadership actions, and show how those innovations are played out in localized contexts. This exciting book is for every school and district leader keen to think outside the box, reassess their schools' strengths, and improve the purposes and means by which they educate students. Following an introduction, "Innovative Leadership Practices in International Schools," by the editor, this book contains the following chapters: (1) iBlock @ UNIS Hanoi: Turning Potential into Performance (Glenda Baker); (2) Vignette: Classrooms without Teachers (Shwetangna Chakrabarty and Natasha Haque); (3) Vignette: Innovate, Play, Transform--Design Thinking in the Early Years (Kristen L. MacConnell); (4) Vignette: Developing Creativity in Schools (Sara Ssengendo); (5) A Journey to Inclusion (Ryan Elissa Hopkins-Wilcox and Deborah Bradshaw); (6) In Pursuit of International Mindedness (Natasha Haque); (7) Women in Science: Community Collaboration for Real-World Inquiry (Stephanie Budd and Caleb Steindam); (8) Skill-Based Exams: Assessment Promoting the Transfer of Learning Beyond the Classroom (Jim Gerhard and Gray Macklin); (9) Creating Curriculum Structures that Foster Innovation (Elizabeth Rossini); (10) Vignette: Personal Learning Profiles--Learning for the Unique, Not the Average (Daniel Todd); (11) Instructional Coaches: An Investment in Innovation (Kimberly Ann Cofino); (12) Bringing Innovative Practices to Traditional Contexts: Navigating the Challenges of Change (Jennifer D. Klein); (13) The Future of Learning at the Western Academy of Beijing: A Work in Progress (John D'Arcy); (14) A Reimagined Doctoral Program (Matt Militello and Lynda Tredway); (15) Cultivating Teacher Leadership (Kristen L. MacConnell); (16) Vignette: Distributed Leadership Through Reciprocal Advisory Structures (Joelle Basnight); (17) Creating a Culture of Learning (Ryan Elissa Hopkins-Wilcox); (18) Vignette: Visiting Scholars--Bringing Innovation to You! (Kimberly Ann Cofino); (19) A Reimagined Doctoral Program in Action: Confronting Equity Challenges in International Schools (Matthew Militello, Lynda Tredway, Tosca Killoran, Christie Powell, and Kristin Halligan); (20) Innovative Learning Spaces: Design Thinking in Pedagogy (Shwetangna Chakrabarty); (21) Technology in Today's Schools (Todd Von Seggern); and (22) Hit the Ground Running: Leveraging Distance Education for Teacher Induction (Jeff Dungan).

"Pre-K Stories" offers a lively exploration of how one classroom community played with and collaboratively engaged in authorship. Through everyday stories, readers are invited to witness and engage with classroom practices that honor young children's brilliance and build on their questions, interests, and strengths. Weaving together literacy, language arts, social studies, science, mathematics, and more, the authors illustrate how curriculum can be authentically and meaningfully integrated. They also offer a unique perspective on the development of language and literacy practices by framing children's play narratives as the foundation from which rich curricula can grow. "Pre-K Stories" allows readers to experience the rich cadence of a classroom while also coming to understand important theories that undergird early childhood teaching and young children's learning. Book features include: (1) Rich descriptions and examples of 4-year-old children's authoring and writing processes; (2) Engaging narratives from the perspective of an early childhood teacher and students; (3) A unique perspective on the development of language and literacy practices through children's play; (4) A view of young children as powerful and capable of co-constructing curriculum with teachers; and (5) A dynamic approach that has broad implications for literacy and integrative curriculum practices in early childhood.

Play is how children explore, discover, fail, succeed, socialize, and flourish. It is a fundamental element of the human condition. It's the key to giving schoolchildren skills they need to succeed--skills like creativity, innovation, teamwork, focus, resilience, expressiveness, empathy, concentration, and executive function. Expert organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Academy of Sciences, and the Centers for Disease Control agree that play and physical activity are critical foundations of childhood, academics, and future skills--yet politicians are destroying play in childhood education and replacing it with standardization, stress, and forcible physical restraint, which are damaging to learning and corrosive to society. But this is not the case for hundreds of thousands of lucky children who are enjoying the power of play in schools in China, Texas, Oklahoma, Long Island, Scotland, and in the entire nation of Finland. In "Let the Children Play," Pasi Sahlberg, Finnish educator and scholar, and Fulbright Scholar William Doyle make the case for helping schools and children thrive by unleashing the power of play and giving more physical and intellectual play to all schoolchildren. In the course of writing this book, Sahlberg and Doyle traveled worldwide, reviewed over 700 research studies, and conducted interviews with over 50 of the world's leading authorities on education. Most intriguingly, "Let the Children Play" provides a glimpse into the play-based experiments ongoing now all over the world, from rural China, Singapore, and Scotland to North Texas and Oklahoma, as well as the promising results of these bold new approaches. Readers will find the book to be both a call for change and a guide for making that change happen in their own communities.

Play is an essential part of young children's lives. This symposium highlights the integral role of play in young children's mathematics learning and examines the teacher's role in facilitating and extending this. Papers examine key tenets of play, contributing to theoretical understandings and presenting data on teacher's perceptions of play and young children's actions in play. Examination of teacher perceptions and young children's experiences of mathematical play identifies potential for development of mathematical concepts beyond embryonic mathematics inherent in play. The papers included in this symposium are: (1) What Makes Mathematics Play? (Sue Dockett and Bob Perry); (2) Teaching Mathematics and Play-based Learning in an Indigenous Early Childhood Setting: Early Childhood Teachers' Perspectives (Louise Thomas, Elizabeth Warren, and Eva deVries); (3) Mathematical Outdoor Play: Toddler's Experiences (Shiree Lee); and (4) Little People, Big Play, and Big Mathematical Ideas (Robert P. Hunting). Individual papers contain tables and references. [For the complete proceedings, "Shaping the Future of Mathematics Education. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (33rd, Freemantle, Western Australia, Australia, July 3-7, 2010)," see ED520764.]

Preschool and kindergarten educators know that strong oral language skills must be in place before children can learn to read. In "Before They Read: Teaching Language and Literacy Development through Conversations, Interactive Read-Alouds, and Listening Games," Cathy Puett Miller helps educators teach those early literacy skills with engaging games and activities that are based on her three big ideas for early literacy development: great conversations, good listening skills, and interactive read-alouds. Developed from Miller's successful work with families and early childhood educators around the country, "Before They Read" makes it easy to help every child move through the stages of literacy development at their own pace. Early childhood educators learn how to: take advantage of the learn-through-play style of the preschool and kindergarten child; play simple and effective games and activities that build core early literacy skills; and engage a child in the experience of reading a picture book to target essential concepts. An essential guide for childcare professionals and preschool and kindergarten teachers, "Before They Read" supports educators from the first word games throughout the journey to reading from playing with sounds through advanced phonemic awareness skills. The following are appended: (2) Stages of Phonological Awareness; (2) Shallow-to-Deep Progression; (3) A-Hunting We Will Go Rhyming Words--More Rhymes for Activity #8; (4) Great Rhyming Reads from (Activity #10); (5) Tongue Twisters for Every Letter of the Alphabet (Activity #16); (6) Read-aloud Books with Suggested Targets for Vocabulary and Concepts; (7) List of Rhyming Word "Families" (Activity #10). Lists of professional references and additional resources are provided. [This book was published by Maupin House.]

Neighborhood and school playgrounds are places that kids play, get fit and make friends. Individuals expect playgrounds to be safe and clean environments for children to play in. However, too many playgrounds across America have unsafe play equipment and are not well-maintained. Some may pose environmental health hazards such as the ones discussed in this guide. Children are more vulnerable to environmental health hazards because their bodies are still growing. Proportionally, they eat, drink, and breathe more per pound of body weight than adults. Children like to explore, which can expose them to more environmental threats than adults. But, they also do not know how to identify and protect themselves from these hazards. This guide discusses the following: what parents and schools can do to ensure safety in playgrounds; current federal and state laws governing toxic playground materials; and health concerns associated with each type of risk.

Research evidence suggests that summer breaks contribute to income-based achievement and opportunity gaps for children and youth. However, summertime can also be used to provide programs that support an array of goals for children and youth, including improved academic achievement, physical health, mental health, social and emotional well-being, the acquisition of skills, and the development of interests. This report is intended to provide practitioners, policymakers, and funders current information about the effectiveness of summer programs designed for children and youth entering grades K-12. Policymakers increasingly expect that the creation of and investment in summer programs will be based on research evidence. Notably, the 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) directs schools and districts to adopt programs that are supported by research evidence if those programs are funded by specific federal streams. Although summer programs can benefit children and youth who attend, not all programs result in improved outcomes. RAND researchers identified 43 summer programs with positive outcomes that met the top three tiers of ESSA's evidence standards. These programs were identified through an initial literature search of 3,671 citations and a full-text review of 1,360 documents and address academic learning, learning at home, social and emotional well-being, and employment and career outcomes. The authors summarize the evidence and provide detailed information on each of the 43 programs, focusing on the evidence linking summer programs with outcomes and classifying the programs according to the top three evidence tiers (strong, moderate, or promising evidence) consistent with ESSA and subsequent federal regulatory guidance.

Concerned that various reforms promising greater professional autonomy and status as well as student success are actually disempowering teachers, impoverishing intellectual life in schools, and serving as a portal for the marketization of teaching and education, editors invited teachers to respond to the ways in which the proliferation of standards and testing combined with their own loss of professional control is altering the landscape of American education. The editors' goal was to raise questions about whether and how educators are balancing the demands of high stakes testing, scripted curricula, and a focus on performance outcomes with the emotional complexity of classroom life. Selections include: (1) Squeezed, Stretched, and Stuck: Teachers Defending Play-based Learning in No-nonsense Times (Karen E. Wohlwend); (2) Invisible Ink: A Psychoanalytic Study of School Memory (Lisa Farley); (3) Imaginary Stories in School: First Steps towards Literacy (Gillian Dowley McNamee); (4) In Defense of Playfulness (Peter Nelsen); (5) Mouthy Students and the Teacher's Apple: Questions of Orality and Race in the Urban Public School (Alyssa D. Niccolini); and (6) Confounded and Compounded by Language: English Language Learner and High Stakes Testing (Elizabeth Park). (Articles are footnoted and referenced individually.)

Teaching and learning literacy in the early years can be a joyful, explorative and meaningful experience. This accessible book will give teachers and practitioners the practical and theoretical skills and knowledge they require to successfully and confidently teach reading, writing and oral skills in the early years classroom. Foregrounding the ways in which literacy instruction can be made enjoyable and meaningful from the very beginning, "Teaching Essential Literacy Skills in the Early Years Classroom" explores the theory and practice of teaching various aspects of literacy and language, from phonological awareness, phonics and fluency, to vocabulary and comprehension. Chapters draw on the latest research to identify and showcase best practice in writing instruction, illustrate how language and literacy can be developed through play, and outline how a teacher might use the environment to enhance children's learning. Downloadable resources, examples of planning, classroom activities and vignettes can be quickly and easily adapted for use in any early years setting. A rich and comprehensive source of information, ideas, activities and tips, this will be a key resource for pre- and in-service teachers and practitioners looking to adopt a cohesive, effective and meaningful approach to literacy teaching and learning.

Our youngest learners thrive when their learning environment is one that celebrates curiosity, exploration, and imagination. This comprehensive resource sets the stage for play-based learning that will help children build a strong literacy foundation as well as negotiate the choices they make in real life. Get your students off on the right foot with literacy learning that appeals and engages.

This reader-friendly text examines the key foundational studies in early literacy. It addresses such essential questions as how research informs current practices and where the field still needs to go to provide the best learning opportunities for all children. Each chapter describes the methods and findings of one to five seminal studies, critically assesses their long-term impact on practice and policy, and offers takeaways for the classroom. Leading authorities--including several authors of the original pivotal studies--cover 12 essential aspects of language development, literacy development, and home and community literacy experiences in PreK-2. Following an introduction from the editors and a foreword by Joanne Knapp-Philo, chapters include: (1) Now You're Talking: Vocabulary Development in the Home Context (Lillian R. Masek, Molly E. Scott, Rebecca Dore, Rufan Luo, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff); (2) Pivotal Theory and Research Affecting Emergent Bilingual Children's Language and Literacy Achievement (Theresa A. Roberts); (3) Writing in the Early Years (Judith A. Schickedanz); (4) Reconceptualizing Alphabet Learning and Instruction (Marcia Invernizzi and Jordan Buckrop); (5) A Close and Careful Look at Phonological Awareness (Christina M. Cassano); (6) The Role of Word Recognition in Beginning Reading: Getting the Words off the Page (Ruth M. Wharton-McDonald); (7) Engagement, Motivation, Self-Regulation, and Literacy Development in Early Childhood (Alisa Hindin); (8) Starting Them Young: How the Shift from Reading Readiness to Emergent Literacy Has Influenced Preschool Literacy Education (William H. Teale, Emily Brown Hoffman, Colleen E. Whittingham, and Kathleen A. Paciga); (9) Pivotal Research in Storybook Reading (Molly F. Collins); (10) The Impact of Pivotal Research on the Role of Play in Early Literacy Development (Muriel K. Rand and Lesley Mandel Morrow); (11) Family Literacy: Is It Really All About Storybook Reading? (Susan M. Dougherty and Jeanne R. Paratore); and (12) Enhancing Children's Access to Print (Susan B. Neuman and Donna Celano). An afterword, "Pivotal Research in Early Literacy: Lessons Learned and a Call to Action" by Heidi Anne E. Mesmer and Melissa Rose-McCully concludes the book. An index is included.

"Children at the Center" provides a closely observed account of a decade-long effort to reshape the scope, direction, and quality of the Boston Public Schools' early childhood programs. Drawing on multiple perspectives and voices from the field, the authors highlight the reflective, collaborative, inquiry-driven approach undertaken by the program and share lessons learned. More Boston Public Schools are recognized for embedding high-quality, public preK programs in their system and achieving exceptional results. In this book, the authors outline the core principles that underlie the district's early childhood programs and explore the role of curriculum, professional development, coaching, and data use in supporting these new initiatives. They show how the Boston Public Schools Department of Early Childhood was able to work with and against the constraints of the current accountability system to create a holistic, child-centered, play-based program that has had a significant impact in narrowing income-based learning gaps. Written in collaboration with the Department of Early Childhood Education, this account of creating successful preK programs in a diverse urban district will provide a valuable resource for practitioners engaged in similar work across the country. An index is included. [Some chapters are co-written with Melissa Rivard, Jodi Doyle Krous, David Ramsey, and Abby Morales. The appendix, "The Role of Data, Research, and Evaluation in the Process of Change," was written by Christina Weiland and Jason Sachs.]

The most challenging parts of teaching mathematics are engaging students and helping them understand the connections between mathematics concepts. In this volume, you'll find a collection of low floor, high ceiling tasks that will help you do just that, by looking at the big ideas at the third-grade level through visualization, play, and investigation. During their work with tens of thousands of teachers, authors Jo Boaler, Jen Munson, and Cathy Williams heard the same message--that they want to incorporate more brain science into their math instruction, but they need guidance in the techniques that work best to get across the concepts they needed to teach. So the authors designed "Mindset Mathematics" around the principle of active student engagement, with tasks that reflect the latest brain science on learning. Open, creative, and visual math tasks have been shown to improve student test scores, and more importantly change their relationship with mathematics and start believing in their own potential. The tasks in "Mindset Mathematics" reflect the lessons from brain science that: (1) there is no such thing as a math person--anyone can learn mathematics to high levels; (2) mistakes, struggle and challenge are the most important times for brain growth; (3) speed is unimportant in mathematics; and (4) mathematics is a visual and beautiful subject, and our brains want to think visually about mathematics. With engaging questions, open-ended tasks, and four-color visuals that will help kids get excited about mathematics, "Mindset Mathematics" is organized around nine big ideas which emphasize the connections within the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and can be used with any current curriculum.

Current research is revealing that physical activity can protect against a range of lifestyle diseases and illnesses. Consequently, early childhood practitioners and parents need to adopt guidelines and practices which encourage children of all ages to be physically active. In "Active children: Healthy Now and Later," authors Linley Campbell and Josephine Musumeci explore how to encourage children to develop and maintain a love of movement, through options that allow choice and incorporate play, so having fun is emphasised. This book also includes suggestions for activities and games for each age group from birth to eight years old, to get everyone moving. Contained in the book, following the introduction, are the following chapters: (1) "What Happens if Children Are Not Very Active?" (2) "Why Have Children's Activity Levels Declined?" (3) "Physical Activity Recommendations and Principles for Children"; (4) "Physical Activity Ideas for Children Birth to Two Years"; (5) "Physical Activity Ideas for Children Three to Five Years"; and (7) "Physical Activity Ideas for Children Six to Eight Years"; followed by the Conclusion, References, Physical Activity Resources for Early Childhood. Appended are: Table 1: Physical Activity Guidelines for Infants; and Table 2: Guidelines for Toddlers and Preschoolers.

The authors of this collection of research reviews studied how single subject research designs might be a useful method to apply as part of being accountable to clients. The single subject research studies were evaluated in accordance with the following criteria: Was the study applied, behavioral, reliable, analytic, effective, and generalizable? The topics represent a range of interests emerging from the individual author's background, experience, and curiosity. The importance of the topics is reflected in their reasons for uncovering the impact of various specialized interventions in terms of effects on special populations such as children with autism, ADHD, selective mutism, developmental delay, conduct disorders, and emotional handicaps. The types of interventions that were critiqued include The Good Behavior Game Plus Merit, peer tutoring, bullying prevention, early intervention for academic achievement, token reinforcement, audio support for reading comprehension, socialization training, group contingencies, different parenting styles to improve homework completion, and consultation procedures of school psychologists. The collection contains the following titles and authors: (1) The Effects of Selective Mutism on Participation (Gisela Timiraos); (2) The Effects of Peer Tutoring on Academic Performance for Children with ADHD (Jezel Guede); (3) The Effect of Early Academic Interventions on the Future Success of African American Children (Aniva Airy-Lumpkins); (4) The Effects of Audio Support on Reading Comprehension (Karina Alvarez); (5) The Effect of Different Parenting Styles on the Academic Achievement of School-Age Children (Carmen Alvarez); (6) Facilitating Appropriate Preschool Play by Improving Preschoolers' Social Skills and Linguistic Capabilities (Clare Loschner); (7) The Effects of Self-Recording on Self-Management for Students with Disabilities (Carolann Falkenberg); (8) The Effects of An Early Intervention Across Multiple Settings on the Conduct Disorder of Elementary Age School Children (Alyna Fernandez); (9) The Effects of An Intervention to Assist A Student with Developmental Delay to Remain on His Mat During Rest Time (Katrina Landa); (10) The Effects of Response Cost Within A Token Economy on The Conduct of A Young Boy with Developmental Delay (Liliana Salazar); (11) The Effects of the Good Behavior Game on Classroom Disruptive Behaviors (Out of Seat and Talking Out) In a Self-Contained Classroom for Students with Emotional Handicaps (Laurie Wacks); (12) The Effects of Peer Mediation on Academic Achievement and Social Interaction of School-Age Children (Iris Viera); (13) The Effects of Token Reinforcement Plus Response Cost on The Disruptive Behavior of Preschoolers At -Risk for ADHD (Luzmary Amesty); (14) Treatments for Relational Bullying Behaviors of Preadolescent Girls (Melissa Clark); (15) The Effects of Behavioral Interventions to Reduce Social Isolation/Inappropriate Behaviors of School Age Children with Autism (Eva Llaneras); (16) The Effects of Participation in Group Projects within the Classroom on the Socialization of Children with Autism (Alina Contino); (17) The Effects of Monitoring Intervention Implementation Integrity on Consultation Outcomes (Elyse Wasserman); and (18) The Effects of Consultant Behavior on Consultee Implementation of Interventions (Mirtha Santisi). [Individual papers contain references.]

The "Research in Practice Series" is published four times each year by Early Childhood Australia. The series aims to provide practical, easy to read, up-to-date information and support to a growing national readership of early childhood workers. The books bring together the best information available on wide-ranging topics and are an ideal resource for children's services workers and others interested in the care and education of young children. This book challenges early childhood educators and others caring for young children to reflect upon everyday interactions between children as a foundation for problem-solving, learning and developing relationships. The stories told by the authors invite one to reconsider one's role in children's services, to see oneself as a researcher, an analyst of interactions and a philosopher about the nature of teaching and learning. This book is divided into the following chapters: (1) Introduction; (2) The Box: Getting out Requires a Theory; (3) Re-Playing Play; (4) The Circle-Makers: The Stalwarts, the Floaters and the Organisers; (5) Building Thinking Together; (6) The Lift: Children's Living History; (7) Learning through Everyday Events; (8) Conclusion; (9) References; and (10) Suggested Further Reading. [This document was produced by Early Childhood Australia Inc., formerly known as the Australian Early Childhood Association.]

The days following September 11, 2001, were characterized for many by a startling clarity, as if someone had applied a magnified lens to life's everyday routines and every moment, every gesture, every word exchanged with friends, colleagues and family was more nuanced and precious than before. The decision to publish this volume of essays was fueled by a desire to provide a vehicle through which educators could share their experiences of those events. Contributors wanted to know how teachers were addressing the questions raised by the tragedy: What kinds of conversations had been sparked among children, teachers and parents? How had curriculum shifted in response to a heretofore unimaginable event? These manuscripts examine the tension between an educator's professional obligations and his/her personal needs or commitments. Rose asks the question directly: When can I stop being a caregiver and be given care? For Lent, the tension is captured in a series of vignettes that explore the vulnerability that she felt on September 11 and for many days afterward. For Rothschild and Edstrom, the tension provides a springboard from which classroom practices are launched: Rothschild allowed a new level of questioning to enter her high school classroom; Edstrom created space and time for young children to re-imagine the reality of September 11 through block play. Administrator Delacorte explores the tensions between the needs of parents to protect their children from distressing information, maintaining an atmosphere of feeling safe and those of educators to help children make sense of complex social realities in the face of crisis. Extrapolating from the work of Lent and Delacorte, Vascellaro draws up a list of principles to assist adults respond to children living through a crisis. A year after the events that prompted this collection, Weisman's students attempt to envision an appropriate memorial and to reconstruct the World Trade Towers site. The poems of Stuart-Hunt and Abell act as photographic snapshots, bringing to the reader the immediacy of the moment. The poet Czeslaw Milosz wrote that poetry is valuable in difficult times, even while he recognizes that in our time "serious combat, where life is at stake/ is fought in prose." McKersie concludes that these words feel eerily applicable to the September 11 tragedy because, in the end, it is the power of ideas and the ability to express them that is the most effective tools in managing the trials and crises of life. Following introduction (Alison McKersie), the essays include: (1) "Safe" (Patricia Lent); (2) "A Story to Tell" (Megan Rose); (3) "Monday, September 17" (Rella Stuart-Hunt); (4) "Urn" (Rella Stuart-Hunt); (5) "Building Up: Block Play after September 11" (Lisa Edstrom); (6) "Living in Question" (Cynthia R. Rothschild); (7) "Re-Visioning the World Trade Center" (Alexandra Weisman); (8) "The Children Keep Reminding Us: One School's Experience after 9/11" (Kate Delacorte); (9) "Principles for Responding to Children in a Traumatic Time" (Sal Vascellaro); (10) "The NYC Board of Education Mandates Pledging Allegiance" (Kate Abell); and (11) "Forever Undone" (Kate Abell). [Visuals for Edstrom's "Building Up" and Delacorte's "The Children Keep Reminding Us" are available on CD-ROM. CD-ROM is not available from ERIC.]