Abstract In the United States, many children ages 3–5 are enrolled in preschool. Preschool occurs prior to kindergarten, which is the first year of free universal public school education, but is optional in all locales and often operates separately from the free public school education system. The federal government funds one comprehensive early education program that includes preschool programming—Head Start. Successful transitions from preschool into kindergarten can lay an important foundation for students’ success in school. Indeed, legal federal requirements direct Head Start programs to coordinate and collaborate with local education agencies (LEAs) into which children will transition for school, including requirements to establish formal agreements—often called memoranda of understanding (MOUs)—to guide coordinated efforts to support children and their families. Despite these requirements, little research exists around their existence, use, and influences on young children’s transitions. We examined the structure and content of a sample of 23 Head Start-LEA MOUs using content analysis. We found that kindergarten transitions were not the primary focus of the MOUs. However, when they were, some documents included detailed descriptions of partnerships across Head Start and LEAs to align expectations, resource allocations, and key activities. When MOUs explicitly mentioned kindergarten transitions, there were three federal priorities often noted: (1) creating cross-system communication channels; (2) developing family collaboration and involvement practices; and (3) transferring, sharing, and obtaining student records and data. Findings suggest that while few MOUs contain explicit references to kindergarten transitions, MOUs remain an important potential vehicle by which to establish greater collaboration between Head Start and LEAs and ensure young children experience effective transition practices through intentional planning and documentation.
Requirements for those who work as paraprofessional assistant teachers (PATs) in 4-year-old public Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) within the United States is variable across states and programs. Given limited research conducted with PATs as participants, little is known about how their social roles (their characteristics and experiences) impact their functional role in the classroom. Using Role Theory as a guide, a mixed methods exploratory sequential design was employed to contextualize the quantitative phase where duties identified in a qualitative analysis of PAT job descriptions (n = 12) were used in a quantitative survey (n = 118). Using a combined Latent Profile/Class Analysis (LPA/LCA), two profiles of PAT social roles were identified. An additional LCA was run utilizing the duty statements from the qualitative phase and identified two classes of duty frequency corresponding with a hierarchical and co-teaching classroom structure. A logistic regression analysis of the characteristic and context profiles predicting the duty classes was not significant. Implications of these findings include focusing recruitment efforts on supporting PATs who strive to become lead teachers as this may contribute to diversifying the teacher workforce and utilize the skills of those with experience in Pre-K classrooms. This research demonstrates the importance of the voices and experiences of PATs as a population of interest for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers.
Abstract Early childhood education and care is expected to serve social inclusion and equality, but segregation counteracts this aim. While private provision is believed to foster inequalities, so far little is known about the consequences and effects of the pluralistic provider structures in Germany regarding possible segregation effects. Some studies indicate that parent initiatives are particularly homogeneous in their ethnic composition. Considering the complexities of segregation processes, the aim of our study is to analyse the impact of being a parent initiative on the settings’ ethnic composition–measured by the share of children with a non-German language of origin–based on a sample of day-care centres identified through families in nationally representative household data. The study is part of the project “Segregation und Trägerschaft. Eine quantitativ-qualitative Studie zur Untersuchung von sozialer und ethnischer Entmischung in Kitas” (Segregation and Day-Care Providers: a Quantitative–Qualitative Study Investigating Social and Ethnic Segregation in Day-Care Centers) and draws on data from the Early Childhood Education and Care Quality Study in the Socio-Economic Panel. We use multivariate regression analyses to better understand the specific aspects of parent initiatives that might impact the share of children with a non-German language of origin in the day-care centres (N = 572). Even after controlling for other influencing variables, being a parent initiative accounts for a lower share by 8%-points (β = -8.30; p < .001). Additionally, it is especially aspects in the organizations own sphere of action–selective place allocation processes, the amount of parental involvement, a specific pedagogical orientation, and a lack of specifically trained staff–that is related to their ethnic composition. As preschool composition impacts children’s competence development, our findings point to the need to discuss system governance in relation to educational inequality and providers’ responsibilities to create equal opportunities and divers learning contexts for all children.
Abstract Play is integral to early childhood development, fostering skills crucial for holistic growth. While the role of mothers supporting children’s play has been widely studied, there is limited research on fathers’ roles, despite evidence suggesting a positive impact of their involvement on children’s cognitive, social, and emotional outcomes. This paper, drawn from a larger study on learning through play in Nigerian public pre-primary schools, explores fathers’ perceptions of Learning through Play (LTP). A mixed-method design was employed for the overall study, and data was collected through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). Participants consisted of 160 fathers from diverse backgrounds, with children aged 3–5 attending public pre-primary schools in 16 urban and rural locations across eight states in Nigeria. The primary objective of the FGD discussions was to gain an in-depth understanding of the fathers’ comprehension of LTP and their perceptions regarding its significance in children’s learning. The data were analyzed thematically, using NVivo-12 to derive key themes from the transcripts. Themes emerged around fathers’ knowledge of LTP, cultural perceptions regarding play, urban-rural distinctions in play practices, perceived benefits of LTP, fathers’ supportive roles, challenges and cultural constraints, and strategies for father engagement. Findings indicated that fathers recognized LTP as a holistic approach incorporating play and learning and improving father-child relationships. While emphasizing their role as financial supporters of education, fathers acknowledged their interests and availability to undertake community-level engagement, advocacy, and development of play environments and resources. Urban-rural distinctions contributed to diverse perspectives on LTP. This study recommends encouraging paternal involvement in LTP through engagement of fathers as community awareness ambassadors, and father-focused and led initiatives for fostering healthy child development in pre-primary classrooms.
Drama is widely recognized as an experiential pedagogical approach that supports children’s cognitive, social, emotional, and creative development. In India, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasizes play-based, experiential, and holistic learning in early childhood education, creating renewed relevance for drama as a learning medium. However, the extent to which drama is conceptualized and implemented within early education remains unclear. This study adopts a mixed-methods research design integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches. The qualitative component, which forms the core of the inquiry, includes semi-structured interviews and classroom observations with early childhood educators. A pilot quantitative study using the Drama in Education Awareness Survey and the Playful Drama-Based Pedagogy Awareness Survey provides complementary insights into children’s engagement with drama-based learning. In addition, a qualitative content analysis of the NEP 2020 and related policy documents was conducted. The findings reveal that drama aligns strongly with the experiential and holistic learning vision articulated in the NEP 2020. However, its presence in early childhood curricula is limited and largely implicit. Key challenges include insufficient teacher training, infrastructural limitations, curriculum overload, and the perception of drama primarily as entertainment rather than pedagogy. Despite these constraints, India’s rich theatrical traditions and supportive policy discourse present significant opportunities for integrating drama meaningfully into early education. The study highlights the need for explicit curricular recognition of drama, systematic teacher preparation, and policy-supported implementation strategies. Strengthening drama-based pedagogy can contribute to realizing the NEP 2020’s vision of holistic, experiential learning in early childhood education.
