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Introduction:The Norwegian care sector is a municipal responsibility, but financing is a central state responsibility. This means that the responsibility for financing and production is divided between two different governmental levels. The use of earmarked grants is a common policy instrument used by the central state to influence prioritization in the municipalities. Earlier studies have shown that the earmarked grants for housing in the care sector has worked as intended. However, little attention has been paid to the effects the earmarked grants can have on other sectors. In this article we ask whether the earmarked grants for housing has led to less investments in other areas, such as culture, schooling and kindergartens.Methods:Data on investment plans at municipal level were provided by the Norwegian Housing Bank, and linked to data describing the municipalities’ financing and local needs, which were provided by Statistics Norway and NSD (Norwegian Centre for Research Data).We studied the effect of earmarked grants to nursing homes and care homes on kindergartens and primary schools using difference-in-difference estimation.Results:No results are available yet, but will be for the conference.Discussions:If the earmarked grants affect spending or investments in other sectors, it indicates that the use of earmarked grants needs to be the subject of a broad evaluation. Merely focusing on whether the intended effect is reached in one sector is inadequate for evaluation purposes.Conclusion:No results are available yet, but will be for the conference.Lessons learned:No results are available yet, but will be for the conference.Limitations:We have all relevant data from Norway, and as such, we see no specific data limitations that hinder our availability to draw inferences about the effects of the Norwegian investment grant scheme.Suggestions for future research:More research should be done in order to see whether the findings are relevant for other countries and other healthcare systems.

Starting in early childhood, children are capable of learning sophisticated science and engineering concepts and engage in disciplinary practices. They are deeply curious about the world around them and eager to investigate the many questions they have about their environment. Educators can develop learning environments that support the development and demonstration of proficiencies in science and engineering, including making connections across the contexts of learning, which can help children see their ideas, interests, and practices as meaningful not just for school, but also in their lives. Unfortunately, in many preschool and elementary schools science gets relatively little attention compared to English language arts and mathematics. In addition, many early childhood and elementary teachers do not have extensive grounding in science and engineering content. Science and Engineering in Preschool through Elementary Grades provides evidence-based guidance on effective approaches to preschool through elementary science and engineering instruction that supports the success of all students. This report evaluates the state of the evidence on learning experiences prior to school; promising instructional approaches and what is needed for implementation to include teacher professional development, curriculum, and instructional materials; and the policies and practices at all levels that constrain or facilitate efforts to enhance preschool through elementary science and engineering. Building a solid foundation in science and engineering in the elementary grades sets the stage for later success, both by sustaining and enhancing students' natural enthusiasm for science and engineering and by establishing the knowledge and skills they need to approach the more challenging topics introduced in later grades. Through evidence-based guidance on effective approaches to preschool through elementary science and engineering instruction, this report will help teachers to support the success of all students.

W artykule poruszono problematykę architektury współczesnych żłobków i przedszkoli oraz zwrócono uwagę na ich dostęp do przyrody i zieleni na podstawie analizy istniejących obiektów w Polsce oraz wybranych obiektów europejskich i azjatyckich. Opisano podstawowe założenia teoretyczne dotyczące potrzeb dziecka w aspekcie architektury oraz kontaktu z naturą, które zestawiono z realiami panującymi w tego typu inwestycjach. Przedstawiono najczęstsze i najbardziej istotne cechy dominujące architekturę żłobków i przedszkoli a także jej otoczenie oraz poddano analizie w kontekście rzeczywistych potrzeb dla danej kategorii wiekowej. Podjęto próbę oceny najczęstszych czynników przyrodniczego wyjałowienia terenów przedszkolnych oraz nakreślono zagrożenia jakie niesie ze sobą kontynuowanie takiego podejścia. Przyjęte metody badań obejmowały m.in. analizę opracowań naukowych z zakresu architektury, psychologii i kognitywistyki oraz obserwacje i eksperymenty wśród grupy docelowej (dzieci z przedziału wiekowego 3-5 lat). Current trends in the design of nurseries and kindergartens and their impact on the development of children. Study of selected projects including access to nature The article discusses the issues of the architecture of contemporary nurseries and kindergartens, and highlights their access to nature and greenery based on the analysis of existing facilities in Poland and selected European and Asian facilities. The basic theoretical assumptions regarding the child’s needs in terms of architecture and contact with nature were described, compared to the realities of this type of investment. The most common and important features dominating the architecture of nurseries and kindergartens as well as its surroundings were presented and analyzed in the context of actual needs for a given age category. An attempt was made to assess the most common factors of the natural depletion of pre-school grounds and outlined the risks of continuing such an approach. The adopted research methods included, among other, analysis of scientific studies in the field of architecture, psychology and cognitive science as well as observations and experiments among the target group (children aged 3-5).

One hundred and ten English-speaking children schooled in French were followed from kindergarten to Grade 2 (M age : T1 = 5;6, T2 = 6;4, T3 = 6;11, T4 = 7;11). The findings provided strong support for the Home Literacy Model (Sénéchal & LeFevre, 2002) because in this sample the home language was independent of the language of instruction. The informal literacy environment at home predicted growth in English receptive vocabulary from kindergarten to Grade 1, whereas parent reports of the formal literacy environment in kindergarten predicted growth in children's English early literacy between kindergarten and Grade 1 and growth in English word reading during Grade 1. Furthermore, 76% of parents adjusted their formal literacy practices according to the reading performance of their child, in support of the presence of a responsive home literacy curriculum among middle-class parents.

Early Childhood Education (ECE) programs provide skills needed for successful kindergarten strides, especially for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. While Florida’s Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) program currently serves most four-year-olds, some educators have questioned the program’s quality. The purpose of this study was to investigate the direct and indirect effects of Florida’s VPK program on kindergarten readiness and academic achievement for students attending the program in one county's VPK (CVPK) when compared to students who did not attend approved VPK programs in this county. The results suggest that, regardless of socioeconomic status, children who attended CVPK programs were just as prepared and performed equally as well in kindergarten as those who did not attend this program. Unfortunately, we cannot know how the CVPK program compared to specific pre-K alternatives without being able to distinguish program attendance across provider types (i.e., other ECE or no pre-K), which is something we recommend Florida begin tracking and make accessible.

Indirect effects of preschool classroom indexes of teacher talk were tested on fourth-grade outcomes for 57 students from low-income families in a longitudinal study of classroom and home influences on reading. Detailed observations and audiotaped teacher and child language data were coded to measure content and quantity of verbal interactions in preschool classrooms. Preschool teachers' use of sophisticated vocabulary during free play predicted fourth-grade reading comprehension and word recognition (mean age = 9; 7), with effects mediated by kindergarten child language measures (mean age = 5; 6). In large group preschool settings, teachers' attention-getting utterances were directly related to later comprehension. Preschool teachers' correcting utterances and analytic talk about books, and early support in the home for literacy predicted fourth-grade vocabulary, as mediated by kindergarten receptive vocabulary.

One year after participating in the Research-based, Developmentally Informed (REDI) intervention or \"usual practice\" Head Start, the learning and behavioral outcomes of 356 children (17% Hispanic, 25% African American; 54% girls; M age = 4.59 years at initial assessment) were assessed. In addition, their 202 kindergarten classrooms were evaluated on quality of teacher–student interactions, emphasis on reading instruction, and school-level student achievement. Hierarchical linear analyses revealed that the REDI intervention promoted kindergarten phonemic decoding skills, learning engagement, and competent social problem-solving skills, and reduced aggressive–disruptive behavior. Intervention effects on social competence and inattention were moderated by kindergarten context, with effects strongest when children entered schools with low student achievement. Implications are discussed for developmental models of school readiness and early educational programs.

This study examined the contribution of executive function (EF) and multiple aspects of fine motor skills to achievement on 6 standardized assessments in a sample of middle-socioeconomic status kindergarteners. Three- and 4-year-olds' (n = 213) fine and gross motor skills were assessed in a home visit before kindergarten, EF was measured at fall of kindergarten, and Woodcock—Johnson III Tests of Academic Achievement were administered at fall and spring. Correlations indicated that EF and fine motor skills appeared distinct. Further, controlling for background variables, higher levels of both EF and fine motor skills, specifically design copy, predicted higher achievement on multiple subtests at kindergarten entry, as well as improvement from fall to spring. Implications for research on school readiness are discussed.

Number sense development of 411 middle- and low-income kindergartners (mean age 5.8 years) was examined over 4 time points while controlling for gender, age, and reading skill. Although low-income children performed significantly worse than middle-income children at the end of kindergarten on all tasks, both groups progressed at about the same rate. An exception was story problems, on which the low-income group achieved at a slower rate; both income groups made comparable progress when the same problems were presented nonverbally with visual referents. Holding other predictors constant, there were small but reliable gender effects favoring boys on overall number sense performance as well as on nonverbal calculation. Using growth mixture modeling, 3 classes of growth trajectories in number sense emerged.

We investigated the impact of kindergarten organizational climate on teachers' job involvement, and assessed the mediating role of teaching efficacy in this relationship. We conducted a survey with 326 kindergarten teachers and the results revealed a significant positive correlation between kindergarten organizational climate and teachers' job involvement. Furthermore, teaching efficacy played a mediating role in this relationship. Our findings contribute to understanding of the interplay among kindergarten organizational climate, job involvement, and teaching efficacy in the context of early childhood education in China. These insights provide educators with practical understanding for enhancing the job involvement of kindergarten teachers in China and suggest directions for future research.