Kindergarten

Is Pre-Kindergarten Too Much Work and Not Enough Play?

With more children attending pre-kindergarten and expectations that children be “kindergarten ready,” concerns have emerged that preschools may be too academic in nature. This white paper attempts to shed light on these questions and offers valuable information in the conversation regarding play and academics in pre-K.

Interactive read alouds: tips for parents and caregivers for enriching reading experiences at home

Many parents and caregivers find themselves at home with young children while schools and child care centers are closed. Reading aloud is one of the most significant activities for developing literacy that also creates a sense of connection and safety in what may be a difficult time. Read on for research-backed tips to help make the most of these shared experiences.

SMALL Talk: A project to study language development

As many as 10% of children, and disproportionately children from low-income households, are affected by early language impairment. SMALL Talk, an ongoing Crane Center project, is looking to identify the early risk factors as the first step in preventing language impairment in these vulnerable populations.

More Bad News for Child Care: The Importance of Not Looking Away

Our Broken Child Care System and How to Fix It, Part 2: our executive director Dr. Laura Justice examines how child care programs are a key part of the economic infrastructure but are also developing the nation’s brain trust of the future.

Alphabet Learning and Instruction

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.

2019’s Top 9

This year, we started Tuned In – our Friday morning round-up of policy-related news and analysis. It’s been a labor of love that my colleague Caitlin and I really enjoy providing to you all. In lieu of our regular edition today, here’s a reflection on nine of the best (policy-related) things that happened in 2019, in no particular order.

Transitioning to Kindergarten

The transition from preschool to kindergarten presents several unique challenges including heightened anxiety. To make the transition easier, teachers and parents can work collaboratively to support children with these tips.

SPROUT

Expanding early childhood programming is a global interest given the strong return on investment. Programming is most beneficial when these experiences are high quality, and high-quality experiences are associated with numerous long-term benefits. SPROUT was created to provide a scientifically based framework for identifying high-quality in early education settings.

Sit Together and Read (STAR)

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.

Early Learning Ohio

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT: Take a look at one of our ongoing projects which is looking deeply into a child’s social and learning experiences with peers from preschool through third grade.