Early-Childhood Research
Early Childhood
Q&A
Ask A Scientist: Add Patterns to Kindergarten Common Core Math?
We spoke with an expert from Vanderbilt University about why patterns aren't included in the Common Core State Standards for kindergarten math and whether they should be added.
Early Childhood
Q&A
Ask A Scientist: What Should Preschool Math Look Like?
We spoke with Bethany Rittle-Johnson, an early-math researcher, at length about what math should look like for preschool students.
School & District Management
What the Silicon Valley Preschool Gap Says About Schools in Communities
High housing costs and confusion over subsidized care helps drive preschool enrollment gaps in Silicon Valley, a new study finds.
Early Childhood
Why Aren't Low-Income Children in Silicon Valley Attending Preschool?
While 64 percent of children from non-low-income families attend preschool in Silicon Valley, only 48 percent of 4-year-olds from low-income families do, the Urban Institute says.
Early Childhood
Q&A
Ask a Scientist: Are Blocks, Books, or Talking Toys Best for Learning Language?
Turns out, the toys you buy your kids can affect how well they learn language, but maybe not in the way you think.
Early Childhood
Parenting Skills Boosted by Video Feedback, Study Finds
Researchers have found that children of parents who received parenting coaching as part of their well-child visits had significantly higher attention skills and lower levels of aggression than children whose parents did not get the extra support.
Families & the Community
Video Feedback Helps Stressed Parents Learn to Be More Positive With Their Kids
Adding a parenting review to regular pediatric check-ups may boost parents' mood and toddlers behavior and attention, a new study finds.
Federal
$26 Million Goes to New, National Early-Ed. Research Network
The Institute of Education Studies has just launched new research network focused on developing "reliable information and useful tools" for early educators and policymakers.
Early Childhood
Q&A
Ask a Scientist: What Can Parents Do To Make Infants Better At Learning?
Researchers at Vanderbilt University have found that exposing infants to certain experiences can make them better learners a full year later.
Early Childhood
Focus on Fade-Out: A $26 Million Project to Hash Out How to Make Pre-K Gains Last
New federal research projects will probe how to prevent 'fade-out' of promising preschool results. But a wave of recent research suggests it will be a complicated problem to solve.
Early Childhood
Want Preschool Benefits to Persist? Give Kids High-Rated Elementary Teachers
A study of Tennessee preschool students found that those who were taught by highly rated 1st grade teachers performed better than those who had highly rated teachers but did not attend state preschool.
Early Childhood
Q&A
Ask a Scientist: Do Lullabies for Infants Really Work?
Scientists have proven what parents and caregivers have known intuitively for thousands of years: Lullabies work better than baby talk for keeping infants calm.
Early Childhood
Your Favorite Early Years Posts of 2015
The Early Years "Ask a Scientist" series yielded some of the most popular blog posts of 2015, as did a number of posts on other research topics.
Families & the Community
Website Spotlights Programs Using Technology to Support Early Literacy
The Integrating Technology in Early Literacy website highlights more than 30 programs around the country that are using devices such as tablets and web video to enhance literacy instruction.