Bridging Research and Practice


In this time of increasing recognition of the importance of the early years, research is fundamental. As a leading publication for professionals in the field, Exchange magazine seeks to provide a bridge linking research and practice and to bring this to professionals at all levels. Bridging Research and Practice features varied aspects of research related to early childhood education with a reference to previously published research. Each article contains practical strategies for putting the research into action for teachers, administrators, and teacher educators.

We invite each of you — whether you are a teacher educator, administrator, principal, classroom teacher, or home child care provider — to use these articles in your work! We have heard from many of you that you would like to access new evidence in our field and understand ways to use it to inform your practice. Learn together as we enhance children’s lives through our individual and collective practices.

Help us make this just what you need by sending us your requests for topics you want to learn more about. You can also nominate a researcher who is doing interesting work - maybe it is even you.

If you are interested in writing for Exchange magazine, please send a brief description of the research you are interested in and the citation of the original research publication. Describe how it contributes to the field of early care and education and how you have used the research in your work and/or applied strategies suggested in the original research.

Articles are approximately 1,500 words and are considered for publication on an ongoing basis by the Exchange Research Advisory Team. The team considers the value to Exchange magazine readers, timeliness for the ECE field, and cultural inclusiveness of the research.

Contact us by email: [email protected]





Advisory Team


Dr. Sharon M. Carver has been director of the Carnegie Mellon University Children’s School since 1993. She teaches courses in child development and educational design and is the associate training director for the graduate Program in Interdisciplinary Education Research, funded by the Institute of Education Sciences since 2004.   Dr. Beth Hatcher is an early childhood consultant and writer. After a career in teacher education and program administration, she pursues interests in early childhood math development and school readiness. Recent projects include developing training modules for Maine’s Early Learning and Development Standards and research on technology and children’s social skills.


Dr. Zijia Li is an Assistant Research Professor at the National Institute of Early Education Research (NIEER). Her research areas are statistical, psychometric, and measurement theories and their applications in early education and assessment; especially Rasch and item response models for dichotomous or polytomous item responses, and how they are extended to multilevel and longitudinal frameworks.   Dr. Lori Ryan is senior instructor in the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Colorado Denver. Her teaching, research, coaching, and consulting focus on building the capacity of teachers and leaders. Lori promotes within communities of practice a strong image of children, teachers, and families as co-constructors of their own learning stories within their unique cultural contexts.


Dr. Mary Sciaraffa is an associate professor in Child and Family Studies at Eastern Kentucky University. She holds a doctorate degree in curriculum and instruction and taught in an early childhood classroom and served as an administrator. She has presented within a variety of venues with a variety of audiences and has been published in peer-reviewed professional journals, textbooks, and practitioner’s books.   Janet Thompson, MA, is director of the Early Childhood Lab School at the University of California, Davis Center for Child and Family Studies. As an educator, her interests focus especially on the growth of social and emotional competency and its contributions to early learning. She was a primary author of California’s Preschool Learning Foundations and Curriculum Frameworks for Social-Emotional Development and Social Sciences Frameworks.


Rachel Robertson has been a teacher, center director, quality coach, curriculum developer, and adult education facilitator. Currently, she is the VP of Education and Development for Bright Horizons Family Solutions. She is also the author of numerous books and articles for, including a series of books for military children and families coping with deployment, books on quality early education, and children’s health and wellness. Rachel holds a B.S. in Family Social Science and an M.A. in Human Development.    





Coordinators


Dr. Pam Boulton is an instructor for Early Childhood Leadership courses at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and is UW-Milwaukee child care director emeritus.   Christine Kiewra, MS, is an assistant professor of practice in the Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies (CYAF), at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln