Rachel Schaefer’s inquiry focuses on the ways classroom materials influence learning and their role in investigations.

On a summer day, three preschool teachers and an early education consultant met to draft a unit on decay. They used this planning session to design a curriculum specific to their own group of children and families on pumpkin decay.

These days, teachers no longer view themselves simply as purveyors of information who fill children with knowledge.

The July 2016 cluster articles provide a snapshot of the developmentally appropriate ways the needs of young children growing up today are being addressed.