Writing for Young Children

Group photo of preschool teacher and class

Writing for Young Children

Young Children is a peer-reviewed journal from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Published four times a year, each issue offers practical, research-based articles on timely topics of interest. Our readers work with or on behalf of young children from birth through age 8. Readers include teachers, family child care providers, child development program administrators, resource and referral counselors, early intervention specialists, elementary school principals, teacher educators, students, researchers, policy makers, and others.

The editorial team and consulting editors use the following criteria when reviewing the content of articles submitted to Young Children. We look for articles that

reflect the current knowledge base in early childhood education
describe real life examples of developmentally appropriate practice
provide practical strategies for practitioners
cite relevant research findings, when appropriate
suggest ways to involve families, when appropriate
consider the roles of culture, ethnicity, and home language when relevant to the content
support inclusion of children with a range of abilities
show respect for gender, culture, and home language

Articles selected for publication in Young Children are considered a contribution to the profession; authors do not receive fees or royalties. Articles published in Young Children are peer reviewed and vetted by the Young Children editorial team.

Types of articles

Young Children articles vary in content, length, and writing style. The best way to determine what types of manuscripts we are seeking is to read recently published articles. Many authors write about a particular classroom, school, or teacher they have observed. If your article describes another educator’s practice in detail, please acknowledge this contribution or consider including him or her as coauthor.

Young Children does not publish term papers, literature reviews without clear connections to practitioners, content or promotional pieces that focus on and promote one organization's products or services as editorial content, or reports that emphasize research methodology or the findings of an individual study. The journal does not accept articles already published elsewhere in print or electronic format. We expect that articles have not been simultaneously submitted to other publications.

Young Children articles are written in an informal, conversational style. They use active voice (e.g., “The teacher planned…” rather than “Plans were made by the teacher…”) and clear language. This makes the text easier and more enjoyable to read.

Cluster-topic articles

Each issue features a group of articles that address different aspects of a topic. Although cluster topics are decided on many months in advance (see below), in order to respond to topical issues and trends, the editors may change the publication date of a cluster from time to time.

General articles

These articles address important early childhood topics and have a variety of styles. General articles typically include

innovative, research-based teaching strategies
early childhood theories and research, along with recommended practices
specific issues affecting young children
personal stories and observations, often intended to enhance understanding of research-based practices

Viewpoints

These are research-informed opinion pieces, similar to op-eds, that address specific questions, issues, or challenges of practices. A Viewpoint piece takes a particular stance or presents a specific perspective and offers supporting sources and examples. It should answer the question of why this viewpoint is important and impactful for early childhood teaching and learning as well as what it looks like in practice.

Young Children cluster topics

Young Children, NAEYC's award-winning, peer-reviewed journal, publishes four times a year, in Spring, Fall, Summer, and Winter.

We are excited to announce the cluster topics and associated due dates, which you will find in the table below, and we look forward to continuing to support educational excellence and focus on meeting the needs of all children, birth through third grade, through high-quality content in Young Children.

The table below provides the cluster topics for upcoming issues of Young Children, along with the due dates for submitting articles to be considered for each cluster.

Issue Date	Cluster Topic	Article Due Date
Winter 2023	Technology in Early Childhood Education: What We Know and What We Are Still Learning The joint position statement from NAEYC and the Fred Rogers Center was a significant advance in guiding intentional decision making about technology and media in early childhood settings. Since its publication, digital offerings and digital use at every age have rapidly increased. While there is a rich literature in this area that stretches back decades, debates, myths, and confusion remain about the place of technology and media in early childhood education. For this cluster issue, we are seeking manuscripts that represent a cutting edge understanding of theory/research on this topic and responsive, practical applications for educators navigating an ever-evolving landscape of choices, policies, and beliefs.	Deadline extended! January 27, 2023
Spring 2024	Knowledgeable and Engaged Young Citizens: Social Studies in Early Childhood While certain content areas dominate the preschool and primary grades curriculum, our society has always needed active, engaged citizens. Fostering the knowledge, skills, and dispositions for engaged citizens begins in early childhood. For this cluster, we are seeking articles that focus on key concepts and effective practices for promoting early social studies. Articles may focus on one discipline (geography, history, civics and government, etc.), on an integrated approach across social studies disciplines, or on the key place of social studies within a broader integrated curriculum.	April 3, 2023
Summer 2024	Executive Function and Self-Regulation: Responsive and Informed Practices for Early Childhood The foundations for executive function and self-regulation skills are formed in early childhood. There are significant short- and long-term implications for children’s development in these two areas. Early childhood educators play a critical role in that development. As the science of learning and professional practice have evolved, educators of young children need up-to-date information and recommendations. Articles for this issue should help explain the latest theory/research and effective practices related to the what, why, and how of self-regulation and and/or executive function.	July 10, 2023
Fall 2024	Informed and Guided by Context: Strengths-Based Teaching and Learning Now more than ever, the field has recognized the importance of being responsive to the social, historical, and cultural contexts of children, families, and communities in early childhood education. Expectations have been set, and there is a clear call to act. But what does it really mean to consider and make decisions that account for context? What do strengths-based practices look and sound like in action? Articles for this issue should outline specific strategies, activities, and/or materials grounded in theory/research that build from children’s and families’ strengths, interests, and funds of knowledge to create equitable learning environments and instruction.	October 2, 2023

Please note: We are no longer asking authors to submit proposals for cluster articles. Authors should submit complete articles (along with figures and photos, if possible).

Formatting requirements

When submitting an article to Young Children, please adhere to the following formatting and submission guidelines.

Length

All manuscripts must meet page-length requirements.
General, cluster, and viewpoint articles: 3,000 - 3,500 words (not including the reference list or graphics)

Format

If manuscripts are not formatted correctly, they will be unsubmitted until the appropriate changes are made.

All manuscripts are subject to blind review. Make sure the name(s) of author(s) as well as specific workplaces/schools/program names do not appear on any pages of the article. This includes the reference list.
Use pseudonyms in place of children's real names.
Use in-text citations as outlined in The Chicago Manual of Style. Do not include footnotes.
Include subheadings throughout the article.
Use Times New Roman font, 12-point type, double space lines, and allow for at least 1-inch margins.
Number the pages.

Cover letter

Prepare the cover letter as a separate document.
List the title of the article.
Indicate the type of article (cluster topic, general, viewpoint).
List the name, affiliation, title, and e-mail for each author.
Designate one author as the primary contact.
Give the Manuscript ID for any manuscript written by the primary author or a coauthor that was accepted for publication in Young Children within the last two years.
Provide a brief summary of how the submission offers useful and relevant information for teachers and other practitioners.
Provide a brief abstract of 50 words or less.

Style guides

Authors should provide accurate and complete information for references and resources. Young Children expects authors to focus on references published within the last 10 years (unless they are seminal sources) in order to reflect the most recent research and data. Use primary references when available and avoid online resources such as Wikipedia. Authors should also use the number of resources appropriate for the length of their manuscript.

Young Children follows Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition, for spelling and The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition, for style and reference formatting.

Photos and visuals

We encourage authors to include informative, interesting visuals (e.g., high-resolution photographs, children's work samples, charts, and graphs) that enhance the content of the article and promote understanding. This is not a requirement.

Prior to submission, the author must possess completed model release forms for any recognizable person appearing in the author's photos (signed by any adult who appears in the photo and by the legal guardian of any child who appears in the photo). If the author did not take the photos but submits them with the article, the author must confirm that she or he has the right to publish the photos and that the photographer possesses the necessary model releases.

One sample model release and the visuals themselves should be uploaded as separate files in Editorial Manager as part of the manuscript submission. Do not include them in the body of the article. Young Children does not pay authors for their own photos when they are integral to the content of the article.

To make a photograph submission, please see our photography guidelines.

Permissions

Authors are responsible for seeking and maintaining written permission from parents or legal guardians to include photos of children and adults. NAEYC may request to review these permissions.

For quoted material longer than 100 words, as well as figures and tables (or the content therein), authors must seek and submit to Young Children written permission from the copyright holder prior to publication.

How to submit an article

Young Children receives all submissions electronically through Editorial Manager. After creating an account, authors will find instructions for manuscript submission. Be sure to submit the cover letter, article, and photographs as separate files. Authors can view tutorials on the Editorial Manager website for assistance or e-mail the Young Children editorial staff at [email protected].

With the exception of cluster-topic articles, submissions are generally published 6 to 24 months after acceptance. Authors may check the status of their submissions by logging into their Editorial Manager account.

Please note: Individuals may submit only one article within a six-month period. Young Children's preferred practice is to publish a particular author only once per 12-month period. On rare occasions we make exceptions to best meet the needs of our readers.

Authors may submit only one article at a time. This holds true whether they are the only author, or one of several. If authors have written several articles for submission, they must decide which one to submit first.

After the article has been reviewed, the authors will be notified of its status. After receipt of this notification, the author may submit another article. Thus, only one article per author can be under initial consideration and review at a time.

Review and editing process

The Young Children review process generally takes 6–8 months from receipt of manuscript. The process is compressed for cluster articles. The schedule may vary according to the schedule of our reviewers, many of whom are on the academic calendar.

Steps in the Review and Editing Process

Steps	Time frame
1. Initial reading. Given the volume of articles we receive, not all articles can be sent out for review, nor can we provide individual feedback on articles that are not reviewed. The editor in chief determines whether articles will go out for review. There are a number of reasons why articles are not sent out for review. Sometimes articles do not meet basic guidelines for content, writing style, length, or format. At times, the journal has a backlog of articles or has recently published an article on the same topic. In some cases, we receive a number of articles for a cluster that address the same topic and age group. The editor in chief might recommend revising an article before it is reviewed by consulting editors.	1 to 16 weeks after receipt
2. Peer review. Articles that meet basic guidelines undergo peer review by NAEYC’s consulting editors. The reviewers provide comments and suggestions. NAEYC senior staff may also review articles.	16 to 26 weeks after receipt
3. Decision. Using all reviews as a guide, the editorial team determines one of the following as the next step. Accept the article. Ask the author to make revisions and resubmit it for further review (most articles require some revisions) and possible acceptance. Advise the author that the article is not accepted. The editor in chief notifies the author of the decision via e-mail. When necessary, this correspondence includes the reviewers' feedback and suggestions for enhancing the manuscript.	26 to 32 weeks after receipt
4. Revision. When authors submit revised articles, they must include a summary of what the author did to address the reviewers’ feedback, through Editorial Manager.	Within 6 months of authors' receipt of decision e-mail

From acceptance to print

It is not possible to determine in advance the exact publication dates of accepted articles (unless for a particular cluster). When planning issues, the editorial team considers the content, style, intended audience, and length of articles, as well as articles’ submission dates.

Authors are notified when their articles are scheduled for publication. They are asked to make updates and to complete biography, copyright transfer, and photograph submission and credit forms.

Editing involves the editorial and copy editing teams. The copy editor returns the edited article to the author via email for final approval before the manuscript enters production. On occasion, last-minute changes in an issue’s content may cause publication of an article to be postponed.

Authors receive two copies of the issue in which their article appears.

Contact information

Annie Moses, Editor in Chief,Young Children

Managing Editor, [email protected]

Interested in writing for other NAEYC publications?

Check out our author guidelines for

Age: Early Primary, Infant/Toddler, Kindergarten, Preschool

Topics: YC

NAEYC

Writing for Young Children

You are here