Preschool/Pre-K

A grid of elementary school children expressing a wide variety of different emotions. SEL. Social Emotional Learning.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty
Student Well-Being & Movement Opinion We’re Stuck on the Wrong Question About SEL in Early Childhood
A family therapist explores how to help children make sense of their emotions.
Erika Bocknek, October 29, 2026
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5 min read
Illustration of a bundle of winding roads. They weave in and out of each other, suggesting that they may be tangled. Outside of the roads, there's dotted lines, arrows, dots and swirls marking paths and pointing different directions.
Illustration by Emily Wright for Education Week + Getty
Early Childhood When Transitions Lead to Tantrums: How to Help Young Students Be More Flexible
Preschool students are increasingly inflexible, say teachers. Experts explain why, and how to help.
Elizabeth Heubeck, October 27, 2026
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5 min read
Students sit during a TK class at First Street Elementary School in Los Angeles, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
Students sit during a transitional kindergarten class at First Street Elementary School in Los Angeles, on April 22, 2026. A new longitudinal study found that social-emotional learning in preschool is associated with better measures of well-being in young adulthood.
Ethan Swope/AP
Student Well-Being & Movement Q&A Teaching Feelings at Age 4 Pays Off at 21, 20-Year Study Shows
Social-emotional learning in preschool is associated with better measures of well-being in young adulthood.
Jennifer Vilcarino, October 22, 2026
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5 min read
Citlali Márquez-Hamil dances during a Transitional Kindergarten class at First Street Elementary School in Los Angeles, on April 22, 2026.
Citlali Márquez-Hamil dances during a transitional kindergarten class at First Street Elementary School in Los Angeles, on April 22, 2026. During a recent Education Week webinar, experts discussed California's shift to play-based screeners, including how they work, the risk of student misidentification, and implementation oversight.
Ethan Swope/AP
English Learners 4 Lessons From One State's Move Away From Formal Pre-K Language Testing
California is shifting from formal assessments to play-based screeners for its youngest learners.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, October 12, 2026
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5 min read
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Educational posters and stickers are displayed in a Head Start center classroom in Athens, Pa., on Aug. 13, 2026. The Trump administration has proposed sweeping changes to Head Start regulations.
MD. ZOBAYER HOSSAIN JOATI for Education Week
Early Childhood Here’s Where RFK Jr.’s Head Start Deregulation Would Hit Hardest
The Trump administration has proposed dismantling several key Head Start regulations.
Elizabeth Heubeck, October 6, 2026
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6 min read
A teacher escorts young children to their classroom at a Head Start preschool in Immokalee, Fla., Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026.
A teacher escorts young children to their classroom at a Head Start preschool in Immokalee, Fla., on Sept. 10, 2026. Many experts argue that preschool is a critical time to teach important social-emotional skills to prepare them for elementary school.
Rebecca Blackwell/AP
Early Childhood What Do Young Kids Really Need From Preschool? Experts Weigh In
Three experts share their thoughts on the evolution of preschool and where it's headed.
Elizabeth Heubeck, October 1, 2026
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5 min read
A Pre-K 4 SA student arrives for class, Oct. 9, 2025, in San Antonio.
A Pre-K student arrives for class on Oct. 9, 2025, in San Antonio. As district leaders weigh integrating early learning into K-12 systems, there are logistical challenges to consider.
Eric Gay/AP
Early Childhood How Two Districts Are Shaping Pre-K Learning
Superintendents say a strong strategic vision and high-quality PD are key.
Olina Banerji, September 30, 2026
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2 min read
Students tend to chickens at WonderHere in Lakeland, Fla. on Sept. 1, 2026.
Students tend to chickens at WonderHere in Lakeland, Fla. on Sept. 1, 2026.
Saul Martinez for Education Week
Early Childhood Video Play-Based Learning: How It Can Build Young Children’s Independence
An EdWeek video looks at how an early learning program helps students explore boundaries and responsibility.
Sean Cavanagh & Marvin Joseph, September 24, 2026
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1 min read
Illustration by Nicole Xu showing a very young EL boy scribbling over an assessment test with a swirly white circle of confusion around his head.
Nicole Xu for Education Week
English Learners How One State Is Identifying English Learners Early—Without Misclassifying Them
California is replacing formal pre-K English screeners with age-appropriate tools to prevent misidentification.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, September 21, 2026
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7 min read
MONTEREY PARK, CA - August 21, 2026: Transitional kindergarten students engage in a clay activity at a dual language Head Start program at Hillcrest Elementary School in Monterey Park on Friday, August 21, 2026.
Transitional kindergarten students engage in a clay activity at a dual-language Head Start program at Hillcrest Elementary School in Monterey Park, Calif., on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. A new poll sheds light on early childhood educators' stance toward industry regulations.
Christina House / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Early Childhood Deregulate Early Childhood Education? Here's What Educators Think
A new report from a national early education organization breaks down workforce concerns.
Elizabeth Heubeck, September 16, 2026
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4 min read
HERNDON, VA - MAY 11: Carmen Quintanilla and her husband Cain Perez read a book to their daughter, Carolina Perez, 5, during a program with Coates Family Academy at Lutie Lewis Coates Elementary School in Herndon, Va., Thursday, May 11, 2023. The program is called Book Bounce, one of many designed by Coates Family Academy for parents to be more involved in their students' education. It's focused on immigrant and English-learning families.
Carmen Quintanilla and her husband Cain Perez read a book to their daughter Carolina Perez, 5, during a program with Coates Family Academy at Lutie Lewis Coates Elementary School in Herndon, Va., on May 11, 2023. New research shows a decline in parent-child shared book reading experiences since the pandemic.
Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Early Childhood Parents Are Reading Less to Preschool-Age Kids at Home. What’s to Blame?
A new study uncovers factors tied to shared reading habits at home.
Elizabeth Heubeck, September 11, 2026
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4 min read
Pre-K students line up outside a classroom at the South Education Center, on April 2, 2014, in San Antonio.
Pre-K students line up outside a classroom at the South Education Center in San Antonio on April 2, 2014. Some experts have raised concerns about whether it's developmentally appropriate for preschoolers to stand and walk in lines.
Eric Gay/AP
Early Childhood Get in Line! Pre-K Expansion May Force 4-Year-Olds to Act Like Older Students
Experts explain why lines for little kids don't make sense, and offer alternatives.
Elizabeth Heubeck, September 3, 2026
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3 min read
WASHINGTON,DC - JUNE 10: Dr. Aaron Spence, Superintendent, Loudoun County Public Schools and Dr. Macquline King, Superintendent and CEO of Chicago Public Schools speak during a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing titled “Breaking Trust: Attacks On Parental Rights, Inappropriate Content, And Legal Abuses In America’s Schools” on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, June 10, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Dr. Aaron Spence, Superintendent, Loudoun County Public Schools, and Dr. Macquline King, Superintendent and CEO of Chicago Public Schools, speak during a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on June 10, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Superintendents believe pre-K is a priority for their districts, but it doesn't often translate to actively supporting early grades.
Jabin Botsford For Education Week
Early Childhood Q&A If District Leaders Support Pre-K, Then Why Is It Not a Top Priority?
Superintendents can empower other leaders to nurture and grow their district's pre-K program.
Olina Banerji, September 2, 2026
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6 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
Federal Opinion What’s Behind the Trump Administration's Push to Reform Head Start?
Assistant Secretary Alex Adams explains the Trump administration’s approach to the early-ed program.
Rick Hess, September 1, 2026
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7 min read