Heidi L. Hollingsworth

Program Quality and Early Childhood Inclusion Recommendations for Professional Development

This article advocates for the need to link early childhood program quality and professional development, with a particular focus on how this topic relates to early childhood inclusion. There is consensus in the early childhood field about various components of program quality for young children in general, and a number of states now have program quality improvement systems in place to guide professional practice in this regard. However, there is a need to reach consensus on dimensions of program quality that define high quality inclusion and to reflect these dimensions in both program standards and professional development efforts. This article provides recommendations for how components of quality inclusion can be incorporated into professional development to ensure that practitioners are highly effective in serving every child and family, including those with disabilities.

Establishing Friendships in Early Childhood Inclusive Settings What Roles Do Parents and Teachers Play

Adult support of 12 specific friendship dyads involving 3- to 5-year-old children with and without developmental delays was investigated through semi-structured interviews with the children’s parents and teachers. Most respondents described these friendships as harmonious and important for the emotional benefits that these relationships provided children. Parents and teachers reported supporting the friendships through a variety of strategies, ranging from setting up the social environment to helping friends interact with each other and engaging in home-school communication on the topic of friendship. Findings also indicated that some of these strategies may have been implemented incidentally, rather than being intentionally focused on friendship support. Teachers reported giving information and being asked about or provided with information but did not report asking parents for information relating to specific friendships.

Interventions to Promote Peer Social Interactions in Preschool Settings.

peers, children develop verbal skills and learn about how to get along with others. However, many young children experience difficulty with peer relations, particularly children with disabilities (McConnell, 2002; Rogers, 2000). Indeed, children with disabilities have problems with peer interactions beyond difficulties expected based on developmental level (Guralnick, 2001a). As the field of early childhood education has become

‘Almost everything we do includes inquiry’: fostering inquiry-based teaching and learning with preschool teachers

ABSTRACT Given the increased emphasis on science in early learning standards, two studies were conducted to investigate preschool teachers’ efficacy for teaching science and their inquiry-based teaching practices. Fifty-one teachers completed a survey of their efficacy for teaching science and understanding of inquiry methods. Teachers reported moderate confidence in their abilities, but only 25% of respondents indicated knowledge of most steps of the inquiry process. In a follow-up study, a small group of teachers participated in training sessions followed by in-depth interviews. Most teachers reported implementing the beginning steps of inquiry, such as observing and questioning, within an activity, but rarely reported next steps, such as making predictions and evaluating evidence. Participants identified lack of materials, scheduling, and time constraints as challenges to inquiry-based teaching. Findings highlight the need for professional development, emphasising the integrated, sequential, cyclic nature of the inquiry process to support preschoolers’ complex thinking and reasoning.

Policy and Advocacy Concepts and Processes: Innovative Content in Early Childhood Teacher Education.

ABSTRACT Knowledge and skills regarding policy and advocacy are important expectations for todays early childhood workforce, yet policy and advocacy content and processes have not traditionally been emphasized in teacher preparation programmes. This article describes an innovative undergraduate course that goes beyond traditional foci on developmental research and pedagogy and aims to inform future early childhood professionals about policies and policy-making procedures. The course also prepares students to engage in advocacy efforts on behalf of young children and their families by providing content on advocacy processes and opportunities, and by requiring students to complete an advocacy project. The authors present student responses to the course and discuss possible implications for research and practice.

Promoting Pretend Play in the Preschool Years: Teacher Practices and Strategies for Involving Families

Research demonstrates that creative play is critical for healthy human development. It helps children develop physical, social, and cognitive abilities and promotes problem-solving skills and creativity. Children around the world play, and the ways they play are culturally bound. Children benefit from both unstructured and structured play, and teachers and caregivers can scaffold both types of play through a variety of supportive methods. It is important to view every interaction and experience as an opportunity for learning, without providing so much structure that it interferes with the play. In this article, the authors identify the benefits of pretend play—creating imaginary scenarios—and explore ways that teachers and families can promote make-believe play for preschool children.