This paper is part of a broader research initiative examining algebraic thinking. It presents a case study involving a 4 year-old female student, examining her functional perspective through individual work. Our interest lies in early childhood functional thinking. Specifically, our research objective is to describe how the child completed two tasks involving linear functions and their respective inverse

The Elementary School Journal, Volume 125, Issue 2, December 2024.

As prekindergarten and kindergarten (PreK/K) programs continue to expand into public elementary schools, a key actor in this process of integration and alignment is the school principal. While there is a growing body of scholarship that examines how principals integrate and align these programs with the later grades of elementary school, little is known about how principals identify the support prekindergarten

Gender‐science stereotypes emerge early in childhood, but little is known about the developmental processes by which they arise. The present study tested the hypothesis that language implying scientists are a special and distinct kind of person contributes to the development of gender‐science stereotypes, even when it does not communicate stereotypic content. One cross‐sectional and two longitudinal

Classmates’ academic and executive function (EF) skills are important predictors of individual EF and achievement. The present study investigated the effects of peer EF, using a battery of measures, on individual EF and academic achievement in preschool. Peer effects were assessed for 321 preschool-aged children from 48 classrooms. Using hierarchical linear modeling, peer EF predicted student gains

The rapid proliferation of digital media has significantly transformed childhood experiences, necessitating an understanding of its impact on preschoolers’ development. This study illuminates the nature of YouTube interactions among preschool-aged children, underlining the importance of this research in the broader context of digital media’s role in early childhood. Addressing a vital gap, the work

Crime impacts both the immediate victims and has indirect effects on the community. This study examined associations between daily neighborhood crime and actigraphy‐assessed sleep outcomes using multilevel modeling. Data were from a longitudinal (14‐day) study of 288 adolescents (Mage = 15.27; 70.8% girls, 29.2% boys; 38.9% Asian, 36.8% Hispanic or Latinx, 20.5% Black or African American) in the New

In the U.S., licensed child care is funded through a mostly private market, constraining the supply of accessible high-quality care. Child care providers are limited in their ability to offer high-quality early child care that is easily accessible by parents across the economic spectrum. In a mostly private market, there is variation in options for early child care at the community- and provider-levels

Twin studies are important for research on genetic and environmental influences on child development, but it is imperative to test whether findings can be generalised from twins to singletons. Since the first months of life are defined by the emergence of important sleep behaviours, we compared 451 (54.8% females) twins and 77 singletons (48.1% females) on a range of sleep, settle and crying behaviours

This study investigates Mandarin-speaking children’s (age 3–7) comprehension development of novel and conventional metonymy, combining online and offline methods. Both online and offline data show significantly better performances from the oldest group (6-to-7-year-old) and a delayed acquisition of conventional metonymy compared with novel metonymy. However, part of offline data shows no significant

Research shows that children’s home environment (e.g., the composition of their household and the resources available in it) has an impact on children’s language development. However, this research has mostly been conducted among English speakers from the minority world and has often only considered vocabulary size. This exploratory study investigated whether home environment factors are predictive

Private speech is a tool through which children self-regulate. The regulatory content of children’s overt private speech is associated with response to task difficulty and task performance. Parenting is proposed to play a role in the development of private speech as co-regulatory interactions become represented by the child as private speech to regulate thinking and behaviour. This study investigated

This study investigated the role of temperament in oral language development in over 200 Mandarin and Cantonese speakers in the Growing Up in New Zealand pre-birth longitudinal cohort study. Mothers assessed infant temperament at nine months using a five-factor Infant Behaviour Questionnaire-Revised Very Short Form. They also reported on children’s vocabulary and word combinations at age two using

Conflict and a lack of cohesive daily family relationships can negatively affect adolescent adjustment, although adolescents differ in how they respond (i.e., their emotional reactivity) to these daily experiences. The present study assessed whether adolescents' well‐being (i.e., life satisfaction, purpose) was associated with dampened emotional reactivity to daily variability in family conflict and

Parenting in very early childhood (0-2 years) provides important context for children's socioemotional development. The present study aims to address limitations of extant parenting literature, namely the reliance on white, middle-class samples and use of variable-centered approaches that often mask the rich heterogeneity of parenting styles. Using data from an efficacy trial of a tiered parenting

Research has found demand for child care in the United States outpaces supply. However, the most widely available proxy for child care supply—authorized capacity—likely overestimates care availability in many studies. Authorized capacity represents the maximum children a provider can legally serve based on safety regulations and physical characteristics of the site. However, the slots available across

This systematic review and meta‐analyses aim to synthesise evidence about behavioural interventions to address dysregulated sleeping and cry/fuss behaviour in infants aged up to 12 months and the effects on infant behaviour and maternal mental health. A systematic literature search of English‐language publications was performed in November 2020 and updated in May 2023 using Medline, Embase, PsychInfo

We report findings from a corpus-based investigation of three young children growing up in German-English bilingual environments (M = 3;0, Range = 2;3–3;11). Based on 2,146,179 single words and two-word combinations in naturalistic child speech (CS) and child-directed speech (CDS), we assessed the degree to which the frequency distribution of CDS predicted CS usage over time, and systematically identified

Both the quantity and quality of the maternal language input are important for early language development. However, depression and anxiety can negatively impact mothers’ engagement with their infants and their infants’ expressive language abilities. Australian mother-infant dyads (N = 30) participated in a longitudinal study examining the effect of maternal language input when infants were 24 and 30

We characterised language samples collected remotely from typically developing three-year-olds by comparing them against independent language samples collected in person from age-matched peers with and without language delays. Forty-eight typically developing, English-learning three-year-olds were administered a picture description task via Zoom. The in-person comparison groups were two sets of independent

Early writing includes both transcription skills (e.g., handwriting and spelling) and composing skills (e.g., the generation, manipulation, and translation of ideas into writing), yet early composing is not as well understood in academic research or by classroom educators. This study seeks to understand 1) how children retained or modified core idea units from pre-writing verbalizations to post-writing

To better understand the effects of social media use on adolescents' psychosocial functioning, this study examined the temporal stability of social media effects across two separate 3‐week experience sampling methodology (ESM) studies conducted 6 months apart in 2019 and 2020. Participants were 297 adolescents (Mage = 14.1 years, SD = 0.7, 58.9% girls; 41.1% boys; 0.1% other; 97% Dutch) who completed

Experiences in gender–sexuality alliances (GSAs) could predict youth's academic engagement through improved social–emotional wellbeing (indicated by school belonging, hope, and positive and negative affect). This study utilized three waves of data, each spaced 2–3 months apart, among 627 youth (87% LGBQ+, 45% trans/nonbinary, 48% youth of color) ages 11–22 (Mage = 15.13) in 51 GSAs in the United States

Children in the United States (N = 488, 4–11 years, 239 females, 248 males, one other, 53% White; data collected 2021–2022) participated in three studies investigating their expectations about immigrants. Participants recognized that immigration impacts characters' national identity and behaviors. Although previous research reported that children may essentialize nationality, participants instead reasoned

In this study, we measured attitudes, beliefs, and intentions about implementing outdoor learning experiences among 56 early childhood professionals before and after attending Growing Up WILD™ (GUW) training. Online pre- and post-surveys were distributed to participants measuring a range of attitudes (i.e., comfort and confidence), beliefs, and intentions (i.e., planning). Overall, after attending

Utilization rates of early care and education (ECE) programs among young children (ages 0-5) involved with child protective services (CPS) are significantly lower than those of all U.S. children in this age group (39% vs. 74%). Research on factors contributing to this disparity, potentially driven by inequitable access to care, is limited. Expanding access to quality ECE for CPS-involved children depends

Creativity is widely recognized as a crucial factor for both personal and social advancement. Given that the early years lay the foundation for future learning and development, fostering creativity during this period is of paramount importance. To facilitate and optimize creativity in the classroom, it is essential to understand teachers’ conceptualization of creativity and their instructional approaches

In Australian schools, approximately 20% of young children are emergent bilinguals, who are simultaneously developing their home languages while learning through English. While many teachers recognise the benefits of multilingual teaching approaches in culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms, there remains a significant level of uncertainty about how to enact them. These approaches depend

The present study examined to what extent children's enrollment in Head Start and public Pre-Kindergarten (PreK) is associated with their absenteeism from kindergarten to fifth grade. Using a cohort of kindergarteners (5-years-old) in the Baltimore City Public Schools District (n = 7,447), Head Start and Pre-K enrollment and school attendance records were analyzed. About half of students were male

The goal of this supplement is to expand the extant literature about racism's toxic effects on the nation's youngest children– infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. The supplement contains articles that (a) focus on how racism is manifested in early care and education systems, policies, and programs, (b) demonstrate how racism influences the economic and community contexts children live in, and (c)

During the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-Asian racism intensified in the United States (US), impairing the mental health of Asians and Asian Americans. However, no research has investigated how Asian and Asian American early educators’ experiences of racism affect them and their students in early childhood education (ECE). Thus, this study examined how Asian and Asian American early educators’ racial discrimination

What are the effects of environmental racism on early childhood development? This paper argues that this is a largely unanswered question that reflects more than a research gap, but a research vacuum. This paper reviews the available literature on the intersection of environmental racism and early childhood from a sociological perspective. I rely on Iruka et al.’s (2022) Racism + Resilience + Resistance

Early care and education (ECE) was created to support the social, emotional, and academic development of young children. Yet, there are marked disparities and inequities in how Black children and their families are perceived and treated in ECE. The current review article seeks to document how anti-Blackness in ECE is detrimental to young Black children and their families. Following Black Critical Theory

Efforts to bolster the school readiness of Latine children from low-income and immigrant homes have focused on fostering parent engagement in children's education. In assessing parent engagement, most measures center school-based activities in alignment with middle class, European American dominant norms, missing the multiple ways that Latine families engage with their children to support their educational

The effects of persistent antiblackness are not without consequence for young Black children. It slowly kills, steals, and destroys the humanity, joy, and spirit of Black children in a phenomenon known as spirit murder. As a consequence, spirit murder is a spiritual problem requiring a spiritual solution. In order for Black children to be whole and well, they need life affirmation and spirit enrichment

Academic and public discourse continues to center discussions of structural racism, its effects, and policy remediation of its lasting impacts on the well-being of racial minorities over the life course. We contribute to this discourse through a research synthesis of scholarship on the health and well-being consequences of vicarious and environmental racism for Black youth. Utilizing a sociological

The long-existing racial/ethnic wealth gaps in the U.S. persist during the COVID-19 pandemic due to income inequalities and other structural racism experiences, which may contribute to racial/ethnic disparities in material hardship experiences. This study examined material hardship disparities and factors that may contribute to racial/ethnic wealth gaps among U.S. families with young children during

To explore the ways that Indigenous Knowledge can inform the field of early childhood development, the current study examines how cultural traditions and relationships support Indigenous children's well-being. Using a participatory approach and Indigenous methods, the study team, which included Michigan-based researchers, community partners from Indigenous early childhood programs, and Indigenous community

Racial disparities in early care education (ECE) utilization and quality continue to persist in the United States and have considerable implications throughout the life course. This study applied a population health framework and an antiracist lens to conduct peer-led qualitative interviews (n = 20) and facilitate community synthesis and design sessions (n = 6) with parents, ECE staff, and thought

Current approaches to identifying the impacts of structural racism on human development focus on downstream consequences or developmental outcomes rather than the upstream processes that create and perpetuate those negative consequences. Yet, the hallmarks of complex problems like structural racism include feedback relationships linking factors, path dependence, dynamics, non-linear effects, time delays

Racial disparities in educational outcomes start early in childhood and persist through adulthood. High quality Early Care and Education (ECE) programs tend to show benefits for Black children, but less is known about how larger contextual inequalities, both historical and contemporary, relate to young children's outcomes in these high-quality settings. Previous work has shown that historical racism

The purpose of this study was to investigate White early childhood educators’ beliefs about the effects of children’s use of African American English (AAE) on children’s academic performance. The study investigated the extent to which educators’ background and training, knowledge of AAE, and perceived competence predicted their beliefs. Two-hundred and nine White early childhood educators, working

The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) is highly responsive to changes in environmental conditions and serves an essential role in mobilising the metabolic resources required for young children to regulate their thoughts, emotions and behaviours. According to polyvagal theory, the PNS evolved to play a leading role in the neurophysiological response to situations that range from modestly challenging

Parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity has widespread research applications but poses measurement challenges due to its high sensitivity to environmental conditions and immediate demands. While standardised methods exist for measuring PNS reactivity and recovery in response to stressors, the selection of appropriate baseline and resting states is often overlooked. This commentary argues that

Early childhood digital pedagogy (ECDP) has been widely implemented and studied, but the empirical evidence has not been systematically reviewed. This scoping review aimed to synthesize the existing studies to understand the practices and profiles of ECDP and the redefined roles of teacher, child, and technology. Thirty-eight studies on ECDP published from January 2010 to October 2024 were collected

This study explored how seven Montessori teachers from across three countries perceive and practice literacy. One-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with each participant over the 2022–23 school year. Qualitative analyses, in which interview transcripts were coded using an open-coding technique, revealed three themes about how Montessori teachers from Canada, Mexico, and Italy perceive

The present study examined associations between social, emotional, and behavior (SEB) problems in toddlerhood and social and emotional strengths and difficulties at eight years of age. In addition, we were interested in associations between parental worry about the child´s psychosocial and language development in toddlerhood and social and emotional strengths and difficulties at age eight years. Participants

In the present study, we examine the extent to which demographic factors, including household subsidy receipt, predict child care access among families with low incomes. To operationalize access, we investigate parental decision-making factors that align with multiple dimensions of the family access framework (i.e., reasonable effort, affordability, support of child development, and meeting parent's

Adopted youth often have contact with or at least information about birth family members—but such relationships or knowledge rarely extend to birth fathers. The current study explores ideas, feelings, and questions about birth fathers among youth raised by two mothers, including whether or not they desire contact. Interviews were conducted with 25 adolescents, ages 13–19 years. Thematic analysis of

In a sample of 110 Mexican‐origin infants (M = 7.24 months; SD = 2.06; range, 3.78–13.04 months; 58% male) we examined the bidirectional covariation of mother and infant positive and negative emotions across the day. Further, we examined maternal emotion regulation as a potential moderator of the linkage between mother‐infant emotions. Using an Ecological Momentary Assessment design, mothers reported

Early writing is an important early literacy skill related to later reading and writing development. Writing assessment and instruction, however, tends to focus on just part of early writing development, transcription (i.e., handwriting and spelling), whereas composing (i.e., text generation) is an essential component of early and later writing. In fact, several assessments of early writing do not

This cautionary article urges general education preschool teachers to evaluate their responses to challenging student behavior. The manuscript delivers practical advice to improve teachers' responses to challenging behavior by refreshing their understanding of the various consequences that influence behavior recurrence. It highlights the need to avoid punitive measures that could harm teacher–child

This study investigates the interrelationship between gender-shift in child-directed speech (CDS), child gender, and parenting styles among Arabic-speaking caregivers. A survey of 180 Palestinian parents assessed their parenting styles and reported use of gender-shift in relation to their child’s gender. The findings reveal no significant correlation between gender-shift and child’s gender. However

This qualitative case study explores the affordances of home-based multimodal literacy activities through the case of Mason’s (pseudonym) home writing experiences, a six-year-old bilingual kindergartener. Utilizing a play-based family literacy framework, the study examines 15 handmade mini-books created by Mason, revealing three key themes: (1) agency, creativity, and joy in Mason’s writing, (2) the

The experience of joy and shared joyful moments benefits children’s learning, development and wellbeing. The arts engage the senses, imagination and creativity in meaning making and expression of ideas. Learning through the arts is often collaborative and embodied. This paper reports on a study which explored the use of arts-based practices in teaching writing with children mostly aged seven to nine

Given that social and emotional learning (SEL) is critical for children’s current development and future success, effective teaching can enhance this process. This qualitative study investigated which competencies were prioritized most frequently in social and emotional teaching (SET), why, and how. Data collection included: (1) observations of three preschool teachers’ SET in their interactions with

The purpose of this study was to examine which early childhood (EC) teachers’ qualifications (i.e., degree, major, and teaching experience) are linked to teachers’ Metacognitive Awareness (MA) and science teaching efficacy, and to investigate the relation among EC teachers’ MA components and science teaching efficacy. A total of 153 Head Start teachers from eight U.S. states completed validated surveys

Race-related data are not routinely collected as part of the Canadian kindergarten teacher reported Early Development Instrument (EDI) data collection even though they could be used to inform provision of supports for students and educators. Therefore, the goal of our exploratory study was to gather an understanding of teacher perceptions regarding the assessment of items on the EDI in the context