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All children can develop high levels of math proficiency when they are given rigorous instructional tasks with appropriate teacher support. Preservice teachers (PSTs) must develop various instructional strategies tailored to the diverse learners in their classroom, including multilingual students. More research is needed on how PSTs can support students of different math abilities with strategies for multilingual learners in early childhood classrooms. This qualitative research study explored instructional strategies found in 20 PSTs' math lesson plans and lesson plan reflections to understand how they taught equitably to diverse learners across their kindergarten-3rd grade field placement settings. Strategies emerging from the codes were analyzed to determine how different instructional strategies supported multilingual learners, offered differentiation, or were culturally responsive. Most strategies supported multilingual students and students who may need additional support in math; examples include gesturing and pointing, allowing students to respond non-verbally, and modeling the activity. Some areas of the framework were not addressed in the lesson plans, and potential reasons and solutions for this are also addressed.

Teachers' negative experiences can be detrimental to how they teach math because their beliefs about mathematics affect how they see themselves, their instructional practices, and the level of appropriate mathematics activities offered in their classrooms. Research has shown that there are many classrooms where appropriate activities are happening but teachers do not recognize the math involved, and they may not understand how the activities promote algebraic understanding. With some coaching and math training, teachers begin to see that math is everywhere and can start to expand on the activities already occurring in their classrooms to promote algebraic thinking. Elliott (2005) provides five different ways teachers can help children engage in algebra: "pose questions about their world, precisely; look for patterns, continuously; represent structures, symbolically; model relationships, quantitatively; and analyze change, periodically" (p. 104). These five strategies serve as the framework for this article. The authors describe each strategy and how it demonstrates algebraic thinking, tell what early childhood teachers are already doing in their classrooms, and share ideas they might try in order to expand algebraic thinking for their students.

Historically, in the USA context child development content knowledge has been one of the main emphases of early childhood teacher education programs, as it is theorized that teachers need strong content knowledge if they are to teach well. Teachers gain knowledge as they move through the degree ladder, from Child Development Associate to Associates to Bachelor's. The purpose of this study was to examine whether knowledge of child development increased as teachers gained more education. Participants in this study (n = 98) are part of a larger dataset of an early childhood longitudinal research collaboration between a community college and a university bachelor's completion program. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire including items on their gender, age, race/ethnicity, highest degree earned, as well as current employment and whether ongoing work was related to the field of early childhood education. Participants also completed the Knowledge of Child Development Inventory, which consists of 56 multiple-choice items of knowledge relating to child development from birth to age 3. The items in the Knowledge of Child Development Inventory are grouped into four significant areas of development: emotional, cognitive, physical, and social. In the Knowledge of Child Development Inventory, each developmental domain group consisted of 14 items with the resulting possible range of scores for each section being 0-14. A repeated-measures analysis of variance was conducted that examined the effect of education level on knowledge of child development. There was a statistically significant main effect for education level on child development. Post hoc tests revealed that the participants with bachelor's degree scored significantly higher than the participants with both a Child Development Associate and Associates. These results indicate that as students move up through the education ladder, they gain more knowledge of child development.

This article explores preservice teachers' (PSTs), use of a translation app with dual language learners (DLLs). The TPACK (technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge) framework serves as the conceptual framework for the study in order to explore how PSTs integrated technology use with their current pedagogical and content knowledge. The PSTs taught three lessons in which they integrated the Speak & Translate app (S&T). After each lesson, the PSTs completed a reflection that focused on the use, successes, and challenges of the app integration. Through qualitative coding methods, the results revealed that PSTs primarily used the app to translate key vocabulary. The results also revealed positive changes in DLLs' engagement and behaviors when the app was used. Further investigation into PSTs' use of translation apps with DLLs holds promising potential for successful technology integration in the school setting.

The affective qualities of teacher-child relationships were examined by observing 20 pre-service teachers' (PST) interactions with kindergarten and first-grade students identified as either "naturally" or "ethically" cared for. Videotaped mathematics and science lessons were coded by the PST and an independent rater. Written surveys identified PST's opinions on their equitable treatment of children and the caring practices they adopted. Strategies for building trust and relationships were identified by the PST but ethically cared for children were asked fewer questions, received fewer smiles and praise than their naturally cared for peers. Discrepancies in inter-rater agreement suggest that PST see themselves as more effective in reaching both natural and ethically cared for children than they actually are. The findings are discussed with reference to future research.

Dewey's concept of enabling children to explore based on their own interests has evolved into investigations and projects using methods of exploration, experimentation, and discovery--three tenets of service-learning. Using mixed methodology, the authors examined the implementation of service-learning in a teacher education program. A total of 155 preservice teachers participated in this study over a 5-year period. Results indicated that preservice teachers believed that their service-learning experiences provided a valuable contribution to the development of pedagogical skills, as well as fostering self-actualization and social-moral development. They also rated the importance of service-learning highly in pedagogical, self-actualization, and social-moral development.

Dual language learners (DLLs) represent one of the fastest growing populations in classrooms, and yet many teachers are monolingual and not trained in English as a Second Language. Many teachers strive to create an anti-bias classroom that puts goals of diversity and equity at the center of all that they do, but are unsure of effective strategies for communicating with all students. By supporting the home language, teachers show their DLLs and native English speakers that every child's home language is important and welcome in the classroom. Using translation apps can help teachers talk to their students, build relationships with children and families, and support bilingualism. Once teachers and children can communicate successfully, DLLs can increase their understanding of content, engagement, motivation, communication, and sense of self-esteem. The three apps discussed in this article, Speak and Translate, Microsoft Translator, and Google Translate have been shown to be helpful in facilitating interactions with children in their home language. Additional information is provided on using these apps, as well as their potential benefits and drawbacks.

Service learning is an instructional approach that connects and combines community service activities with academic learning. It is a method that facilitates student learning through active participation in organized community service. It can be used with students across all grade levels and it can be integrated across all subjects. Service learning appeals to pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and primary grade teachers because it is an approach that reflects the basic tenets of developmentally appropriate practices (DAP). Developmentally appropriate practice views young children as "active learners, drawing on direct physical and social experience as well as culturally transmitted knowledge to construct their own understanding of the world around them. In the past few years there has been a surge of interest in adopting service learning as a teaching and learning approach in the early childhood and primary grades, or from prekindergarten to third grade. But, is it appropriate or reasonable for young children to engage in community service? The authors found that service learning can enrich children's classroom experiences by engaging them in learning, service, and caring.

One goal educators have is to empower students at all levels in this diverse and changing society whether they work with teacher candidates or with P-12 students. Teachers are seeing increased differences in race, ethnicity, culture, and special needs in children in their classrooms. The changing composition of early childhood classrooms challenges educators to be more responsive to the diverse needs of all children. Therefore, implementing a curriculum that is culturally responsive and inclusive to assist children's needs is imperative. To prepare teacher candidates to integrate anti-bias or diversity curriculum with the regular curriculum then becomes a crucial goal of every teacher preparation program. Unfortunately, many teachers currently in the classroom report that they feel inadequate to teach multicultural or anti-bias curriculum. Implementing a diversity curriculum may not be easy because of the fear, uncertainty, or discomfort of many teachers and teacher educators. Teachers' beliefs influence and affect their teaching practices and may become barriers that prevent the integration of anti-bias curricula. However, previous research found that teacher candidates' level of intercultural sensitivity could be enhanced by their teacher preparation courses and activities and from teacher educators who encouraged teacher candidates to discuss and reflect upon issues. In this article, the authors discuss what an anti-bias curriculum is, provide the theoretical framework and rationale for involving teacher candidates in certain activities that promote the anti-bias curriculum, and offer additional anti-bias strategies for teacher candidates and teacher educators to implement in their classrooms.

Research Findings: This mixed-methods study utilized the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework to examine surveys, reflections, focus groups, and lesson plans from 22 pre-service teachers (PSTs) participating in two technology-rich courses. Following the completion of these courses, the results indicated a notable improvement in PSTs' attitude towards educational technology and technology pedagogy. The pre-post paired t-test also demonstrated significant increases in PSTs' pedagogical knowledge, technological content knowledge, technological pedagogical knowledge, and overall TPACK scores. Practice or Policy: The Covid−19 pandemic has heightened the interest in effectively integrating technology into early childhood education (ECE) classrooms. Early childhood teacher preparation programs must actively promote and exemplify technology integration practices for PSTs to facilitate such practices in their future classrooms. Teacher educators and teachers should recognize the significance of technology integration and pedagogy to dispel any misconceptions surrounding technology use in ECE. This study proposes various transformations and adaptations in PSTs' education, including innovative student-teacher placements, as one way to help address the widening digital divide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the current study was to examine if preservice teachers' (PSTs) mathematics anxiety decreased and if their beliefs and stereotypes changed after they completed their early childhood mathematics methods course. It was hypothesized that by using and modeling concrete materials or manipulatives (Thompson, 1992; Vinson, 2001) and placing a greater emphasis on conceptual understanding (Bursal & Paznokas, 2006), two strategies identified as reducing PSTs' mathematics anxiety, negative beliefs, and stereotypes that are associated with math anxiety, would diminish. Thirty preservice teachers, all female, participated in this study. Using a qualitative research approach, measures included midcourse evaluations, a draw-a-mathematician task (Mewborn & Cross 2007), the Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (Hopko, Mahadevan, Bare, & Hunt, 2003), and anecdotal notes. Although we were encouraged that the math anxiety experienced by our preservice teachers slightly decreased by the end of the semester, it was discouraging to find minimal change of beliefs and stereotypes of mathematicians. This confirms that many preservice teachers enter teacher education programs with well-established images of how to do school, along with entrenched beliefs about mathematics and their ability to do math (Vacc & Bright 1999) and these beliefs are very difficult to change.

This randomized-control trial examined the learning of preservice teachers taking an initial Early Literacy course in an early childhood education program and of the kindergarten or first grade students they tutored in their field experience. Preservice teachers were randomly assigned to one of two tutoring programs: Book Buddies and Tutor Assisted Intensive Learning Strategies (TAILS), which provided identical meaning-focused instruction (shared book reading), but differed in the presentation of code-focused skills. TAILS used explicit, scripted lessons, and the Book Buddies required that code-focused instruction take place during shared book reading. Our research goal was to understand which tutoring program would be most effective in improving knowledge about reading, lead to broad and deep language and preparedness of the novice preservice teachers, and yield the most successful student reading outcomes. Findings indicate that all preservice teachers demonstrated similar gains in knowledge, but preservice teachers in the TAILS program demonstrated broader and deeper application of knowledge and higher self-ratings of preparedness to teach reading. Students in both conditions made similar comprehension gains, but students tutored with TAILS showed significantly stronger decoding gains.

This exploratory study examined the impact of tutoring programs on preservice teachers (PSTs) and tutees. The PSTs are assigned to either the Tutor-Assisted Intensive Learning Strategies (TAILS) or Book Partners (BP) service-learning tutoring program and work with identified kindergarten or first-grade struggling readers. Three questions are addressed: 1) what impact does the social skills training have on the PSTs' ability to understand the connection between social skills and literacy development; 2) what social skills do PSTs model, label, or scaffold in their classrooms; and 3) what effect does service-learning tutoring have on tutees? Participants include 27 PSTs and 27 children. Findings reveal that the TAILS PSTs are more informative in their biweekly reflections, provide specific social skills details, and report twice as many classroom social behaviors as the BP PSTs. The tutees demonstrated progress in both social and literacy skills, or they continued to struggle socially and not improve in the area of literacy. These findings suggest that most PSTs' knowledge of the connection between social skills and literacy development increased due to their participation in the service-learning tutoring programs and highlight the need to include this connection in teacher education programs and P-12 classrooms.

Service-learning is defined as a teaching/learning method that connects meaningful community service with academic learning, personal growth, and civic responsibility. In this study, conducted at an American University, we describe a cascading model of integrating early childhood teacher education and service-learning for preservice teachers who then implemented the combined model in their field classrooms with young children. Examples of the projects from the two cohorts of 25 and 26 undergraduate students are provided. We demonstrate that service-learning projects provide an instructional avenue for preservice students to teach in an integrated and/or experiential manner in their field classrooms and discuss why service-learning is an appropriate and meaningful strategy to use with preservice teachers and children. (Contains 2 tables.)

Preparing special educators who are knowledgeable about evidence-based interventions for teaching reading to students with reading difficulties and who are capable of using curriculum-based assessments to monitor student progress and differentiate interventions is vital to the success of current school reform efforts. The primary purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the effect of tutoring and using assessment to monitor the progress of struggling readers on preservice teachers' (PSTs') knowledge and preparedness to teach reading. Also of interest was whether reading scores of tutored students improved. PSTs (n = 18) in an undergraduate reading methods course tutored at-risk second graders using an evidence-based intervention and monitored students' progress weekly. PSTs made significant growth on a measure of teacher knowledge about the structure of language and on a survey of their preparedness to teach reading. A qualitative analysis of PSTs' weekly reflections and final reports revealed that the majority used curriculum-based assessment data to describe students' response to tutoring and were beginning to use that data to make instructional decisions. On average, tutored students improved reading fluency, but did not demonstrate significant growth in reading relative to national norms. Implications and limitations of the study are described and directions for future research are discussed.

If one were to search for classroom strategies for English Language Learners (ELLs), it would not take much time to find many different types of activities that are all useful with ELLs. Additionally, if one were to search for social studies strategies to use with native English speakers, he or she would have little difficulty in finding a variety of innovative and clever approaches. However, if one were to search for strategies that would be effective for both ELLs and native English speakers in the same classroom, he or she would be hard pressed to find a good integration of theory and classroom strategy that would result in quality learning for both groups. Yet, this challenge is exactly the dilemma faced by thousands of primary education teachers as they implement the typical social studies curriculum. This article brings theory into practice and demonstrates how to apply commonly accepted language acquisition theories to lesson plans designed for native speakers. Using an everyday social studies lesson designed for primary grade classrooms, the authors reveal how to adapt objectives for ELLs and how to analyze lessons in order to modify the language demands of each lesson. (Contains 1 figure and 6 notes.)

Teacher educators are often searching for methods and/or techniques to enhance and expand the content of their courses. As teacher educators, we do not want to introduce new methodology that detracts our students' attention away from the course content. However, we need to keep our courses current and interesting for ourselves as well as for our students. Several teacher educators at one institution have begun including service-learning projects into their preservice and inservice teachers' courses as a way to augment the standard curriculum. The focus of this study is to illustrate how service-learning was incorporated into the existing children's literature course and share the five cooperative projects that resulted from this integration.

The study examined the integration of science and mathematics methods courses and preservice teachers' understanding of constructivism. The participants were 50 preservice teachers who were enrolled in early childhood education mathematics and science methods courses, and an early childhood practicum. The two methods courses were integrated and the instructors adopted a collaborative approach, including common syllabi, texts, assignments, and teaching strategies. The preservice teachers completed e-journal reflection that were subsequently coded and analyzed. The findings suggested that the instructional approach enabled students to develop and refine their understanding of constructivism. (Contains 1 footnote.)

This article brings theory into practice and demonstrates clearly how to apply commonly accepted language acquisition theories to science lesson plans designed for native speakers of English. In the first section of the article, readers will learn not only how to apply theory to science lessons, but also, and more important, why to apply certain theories to certain types of lessons, moving beyond the limitations of just plain "good teaching." Then, using an everyday science lesson utilizing demonstration and hands-on activity strategies designed for upper elementary students, the authors describe how to adapt objectives for ELLs and how to analyze lessons in order to modify the language demands of the lesson based on the theories. Key points in this process involve increasing interaction and comprehensibility, and prioritizing learning. The procedure includes the adaptation of content objectives, analysis of the linguistic and cultural demands of the lesson, the creation of language objectives, and the modification of assessment procedures.

It is a well-known theory and practice among early childhood educators that building early relationships with the children is crucial to their development. However, there is irony in the fact that many teacher education programs that propose to model "best practices" do not model relationship building with their preservice teachers. This study examines two methods courses that integrated the ethic of care within their science and mathematics pedagogy as an avenue to operationalize the "relational zone." Two cohorts of 24 and 20 female preservice early childhood teachers participated in the study. The students were enrolled in science and mathematics classes that emphasized integration and an ethic of care. Integration included joint syllabi, discussions, joint assignments, and co-teaching by both teacher educators. Caring practices were modeled and practiced within the courses. The participants responded to 10 prompts by writing journal entries. Qualitative analysis of the students' journals revealed that they understood and practiced caring content in the context of science and mathematics teaching. The findings are discussed in terms of modeling relationship building with preservice teachers.

This qualitative study that allowed children to be the dominant voice examined children's stories of hope. Twenty-nine kindergarten children through to third graders were interviewed using familiar school items: story board, pictures, puppets, and so on. One elementary school, located in a large southwestern metropolitan city, was selected for this study. Data was coded and prominent themes emerged illustrating that children are much more moral than many adults give them credit for. Approximately one-half of the stories shared focused not on the children's wants or "hopes," but on others--classmates, friends, family, or extended relatives. The findings support research that highlights the issues of care, concern, and compassion that are a priority for young children. (Contains 2 tables.)

Investigated the understandings of the relationship between caring and teaching brought by elementary student teachers to their first field placements. Data from electronic dialog journals indicated that student teachers believed caring to be an important part of their teaching lives. They had three commonly held understandings of caring: essentialism, oversimplification, and idealism. (SM)

The article presents a lesson plan for primary education which teaches concepts about language learning.

Direct instruction teaching methods have been found to promote the acquisition of literacy in developing readers. Equally important, learning strategies that allow children to construct knowledge through active participation increase their motivation for reading and writing. This action research was designed to explore the effectiveness of direct instruction with playful extensions in developing emergent literacy in a kindergarten classroom. The intent of the project was to connect developmentally appropriate practices with direct instruction teaching. The systematic approach of Peer Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) was followed using only the teacher directed lessons; playful extensions of the PALS lessons were integrated throughout to maintain the children's interest and to provide motivation for learning. Results indicated that the students who initially were the lowest performers in letter-sound correspondence and writing performance made the greatest gains in identifying letters-sounds and in applying letter-sound knowledge to making spelling approximations in writing. Kindergarten students with the highest academic abilities made the greatest gains in sight word recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents techniques to make English language lessons more enjoyable for young students. Use of interactive calendar in primary grade classrooms; Implementation of graphic organizer notebooks to improve tests; How to organize journal-writing workshops in a first-grade classroom.