6 Introduction Tiffany Wilson, Editor This spring issue is fully committed to providing readers with an abundance of information relevant toward supporting children’s holistic learning and development. In particular, authors clearly identify a variety of strategies to support creating integrated, inclusive, and holistic learning experiences both in the home and at school. Articles: Analyzing Student Achievement Data: Preparing Teacher Training Candidates for Leadership Angela Danely, Karen Loman, Natalie Tye In the first article, “Analyzing Student Achievement Data: Preparing Teacher Candidates for Leadership,” Angela Danley, Karen Loman, and Natalie Tye discuss the importance of ensuring teacher candidates with relevant fieldwork opportunities to analyze and apply student achievement data. The authors provide a summary of the relevant literature and highlight the rationale for research describing teacher preparation programs that use student achievement data; this topic in the research remains deficient. Danley, Loman, and Tye conducted an action research study examining the impact of learning to analyze and interpret authentic student achievement data during their teacher preparation program. Authors describe how these early field experiences better prepare teacher candidates to assume future school leadership positions. Teacher Perceptions of Gender Roles, Socialization, and Culture During Children’s Physical Play Dalal Alanazi, Rana Alghamdi, Adil Alghamdi In the second article, “Teacher Perceptions of Gender Roles, Socialization, and Culture During Children’s Physical Play,” Dalal Alanazi, Rana Alghamdi, and Adil Alghamdi examine how teachers enact roles that shape gendered and non-gendered play. They discuss how a child’s play can be influenced by the teacher-created environment. In order to support creating a proactive physical environment, authors describe what is meant by gender stereotyping and gender neutral. Alanazi, Alghamdi, and Alghamdi highlight the importance of maintaining teachers’ awareness of their own personal biases. 7 Classroom Practices, Physical Activity, and the School Day: A Preliminary Analysis Monica M. Brown, Kathleen G. Burriss, Larry L. Burriss & Donald Snead In the third article, “ Teacher Practices, Time for Physical Activity, and the School Day: A Preliminary Analysis,” Monica M. Brown, Kathleen G. Burriss, Larry L. Burriss, and Donald Snead discuss the need to include physical activity and play during the typical school day and furthermore, describe the importance of teachers’ understanding what is meant by appropriate physical activity and play opportunities. Brown, Burriss, Burriss, and Snead provide data describing the ways in which classroom teachers describe their implementation of physical activity and play during the schoolday. Teacher training, recess time, and apps related to physical activity and play are also described. Pictures for Reflection Playgrounds: Think Differently Kathleen G. Burriss Photographs by Larry L. Burriss Kathleen Burriss asks readers to think differently about playgrounds. Using questions, photographs, and a suggested reading list, Burriss suggests ways to design holistic, inclusive, and innovative outdoor play spaces. Tech Talk How EdTech Can Support Social and Emotional Learning at School and at Home Nancy Caukin, Leslie Trail, Ashlee Hover Nancy Caukin, Leslie Trail, and Ashlee Hover discuss the role of technology in supporting children’s social and emotional learning (SEL). In their article, “How EdTech Can Support Social and Emotional Learning at School and at Home,” they describe how EdTech might be used as a complimentary form of SEL instruction. Caukin, Trail, and Hover provide readers with a background into the SEL framework and highlight the research showing positive outcomes for the use of SEL in schools. Authors provide readers with instructions to implement SEL in daily classroom life. Finally, they include the importance of establishing EdTech in conjunction with traditional learning, especially in times of school closure. ETC. Teacher-Child Interactions and Dramatic Play: Stories from Three Cultures Rana Alghamdi, Darlene DeMarie, Dalal Alanazi, Adil Alghamdi Rana Alghamdi, Darlene DeMarie, Dalal Alanazi, and Adil Alghamdi provide readers with a discussion of the critical importance of dramatic play in the classroom as a social and academic learning tool for both teachers and children, and further describe how culture influences this interaction. In their article, “Teacher-Child Interaction in Dramatic Play that Enhance Young Children’s Learning: Stories from Three Continents and Three Cultures,” they define a teacher’s 8 multiple roles in facilitating dramatic play, such as planning, scaffolding, and modeling. Finally, Alghamdi, DeMarie, Alanazi, and Alghamdi conclude with a discussion of how dramatic play is truly holistic for children’s learning and development. Children and Families: Health and Wellness Gratitude: A Lifestyle Worth Developing Barbara Whitman Lancaster Barbara Whitman Lancaster, in the article, “Gratitude: A Lifestyle Worth Developing” discusses how adults are charged with the responsibility of modeling the social-emotional learning of gratitude with the goal of teaching children the power of resiliency and positive thinking. She explores reasons and benefits for becoming grateful and describes how to cultivate a habit of gratitude within families and children. Education by the Numbers The Basics Donald Snead In “Education by the Numbers,” a new IJWC feature, Donald Snead provides readers with relevant numbers associated with education, children, and families. In order to initiate this new content, Snead, in “The Basics,” provides readers with current U.S. student demographic data and then identifies the numbers related to the education budget. Numbers drive many issues related to education; this new IJWC overview intends to support discussion, motivate thinking, and consider alternatives. STEAM STEAMING Ahead by Challenging Thinking Natalie Tye, Sarah Willard For the STEAM content, Natalie Tye and Sarah Willard In their article, “STEAMING Ahead by Challenging Thinking,” discuss the importance of the addition of the “A” in the STEM acronym to make STEAM. They provide a history of this movement as well as future directions, such as the inclusion of an “R” for reading. In addition, Tye and Willard support teachers in transitioning from rote to integrative STEAM teaching; they include a case study as an example. Finally, they emphasize the importance for the incorporation of teaching styles that challenge students and help them to succeed in a changing world. 9 Page Turners: Books for Children Maria T. Genest, Katrina Bartow Jacobs, Carla Meyer Michelle Sobolak, Patricia Crawford Editors Maria T. Genest, Katrina Bartow Jacobs, Carla Meyer, Michelle Sobolak, and Patricia Crawford identify and discuss a collection of current children’s literature. They provide educators and parents with a variety of books for early childhood, the elementary years, and adolescent readers as well. IJWC Spring 2020 6 IJWC Spring 2020 7 IJWC Spring 2020 8 IJWC Spring 2020 9