New research examined whether the quantity of toddlers’ exposure to media was related to language skills in accordance with the American Association of Pediatrics one hour per day recommendations.
Early Childhood
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT: Using technology to measure child-directed speech
New research employed machine learning to develop, validate, and test an automatized system in order to identify child-directed speech occurring in a preschool classroom environment. Read on to learn more about the findings and possible action steps.
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT: Perceptions of early childhood teachers’ literacy instruction – differences between observers and the teachers themselves
New research shows that observations of early childhood classrooms, often required by state regulatory systems, show differences between a teacher's perceptions of their own literacy instruction and what is seen by observers. Read on to learn more about the findings and possible action steps.
PEACh: Preschoolers’ Experiences and Activities in Childcare
The Preschoolers’ Experiences and Activities in Childcare project (PEACh) examines how preschool classrooms shape children's experiences and social development.
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT: Closing the research-to-practice gap in early childhood special education classrooms
This Crane study examines the persisting research-to-practice gap for teachers in early childhood special education classrooms, specifically for children with autism spectrum disorder. Read more about the study’s findings and ideas on how to close this gap.
It’s a struggle: Transitioning children into kindergarten
A recent questionnaire surveying kindergarten teachers found that a majority (72%) said children had difficulty in the transition to kindergarten, with boys and children with IEPs more likely to have difficulty. This white paper shares research about children's kindergarten transitions and key recommendations for policymakers, researchers and practitioners.
ProPELL: Promoting Preschoolers’ Early Language Learning
The Crane Center's Promoting Preschoolers’ Early Language Learning (ProPELL) project is an IES-funded project designed to investigate preschoolers’ early language learning. This project is done in partnership with colleagues from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT: Using head-mounted cameras to understand preschoolers’ classroom conflict
This Crane study used head-mounted cameras to examine preschool peer conflicts, as well as how and when teachers intervene. Read more about the study’s findings and what it could mean for teacher approaches to interventions.
Childhood-related policy hopes for 2021
Our policy team shares four things that they will be paying attention to in 2021 regarding early childhood policy. They are careful to note, these are not* predictions (after what 2020 taught us about making predictions for the year).
BrightStart!
The BrightStart! project involves a collaboration with the Nemours Children’s Health System, Columbus’ Ready4Success initiative, and local early childhood programs to examine the efficacy of the Nemours® BrightStart! program through a 5-year randomized controlled trial funded by the Institute of Education Sciences.