There are many misconceptions about school absenteeism. This new study from the Crane Center shows that early absences do matter, and in ways we may not have considered. Read here for a summary of the findings and for a link to the full published research.

Do neighborhood affect parenting practices? Most of the literature around how neighborhoods influence parenting looks at families with older children; a new Crane study studied this influence for families with infants. In our highlights of this research, we also share a possible action step based on the findings.

This study examined the individual differences in social interactions between children in the same classroom showing trends especially important to inclusive classroom environments. Read our highlights of the research, key takeaways and practitioner application as well as view the peer-reviewed publication.

Alphabet knowledge is a basic building block for early reading and writing. Children who learn the forms, names and sounds of letters during early childhood are less likely to experience reading difficulties later in school. See highlights of Crane Center research and find resources for assessing and teaching the alphabet.

STAR Read-Aloud Practices are designed to develop and strengthen young children’s awareness of and knowledge about print. They utilize evidence-based reading techniques developed from years of research.

Directors of childcare centers engage in a wide range of important tasks to make sure their centers run smoothly and ensure their children are receiving quality care. This study, developed in partnership with center directors, seeks to shed light on this complexity so that research, policy, and practice can better support these early childhood professionals.

The APPLE evaluation looks at the extent to which professional development for preschool teachers impacted children’s language and literacy outcomes.