Inequities and lack of professionalisation of early childhood development practice hinder opportunities for mathematics stimulation and realisation of South African policy on quality education for all

White Paper 5's aim is to provide South Africa's children with a solid foundation for lifelong learning and development. Children need to be nurtured and developed holistically for them to participate efficiently in their democratic society. However, South African students continue to perform poorly in Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study compared to other African countries. Contributing factors highlighted by research on this poor performance include students' lack of foundational knowledge. Hence, mathematics stimulation for young children has been suggested as a prompt intervention towards improving mathematics performance. This paper therefore evaluates the preparedness of practitioners who work with 3–4-year-olds as resources for facilitating mathematics stimulation, availability of mathematics stimulating resources and daily planning for mathematics stimulation. The findings of this paper indicate that mathematics development of children younger than five years is loaded with many inequity factors and continue to exclude the majority of black children. This paper recommends professionalisation of the early childhood education with emphasis on quality provisioning that can be achieved through norms and standards that are monitored continuously in all formal and informal settings that provide early childhood education.     

The role of drawing in young children's journeys towards literacy

The focus of this article is the role of drawings in the journeys of young children towards literacy. The argument is that young children learn from home contexts a wide range of approaches towards literacy. At school their flexibility in using these approaches is reshaped into narrow versions of literacy based on learning to read, write and become numerate. Children continue to explore alternative modes of representation at home and amongst their peer group in informal learning contexts outside school. The argument is illustrated with examples from a project, which followed the changes in seven young children's drawing behaviours as they made the transition from home to school. It is suggested that we need a radical reappraisal of what it means to be a literate child in 2004; and that the literacy curriculum in early childhood settings needs to be reframed to reflect this reappraisal.     

Interactive Read-Alouds—An Avenue for Enhancing Children’s Language for Thinking and Understanding: A Review of Recent Research

Enhancing young children’s early literacy achievement is a top priority in many countries. There is a considerable body of research demonstrating young children’s language development as a critical factor in reading and later academic success. Implementation of high quality literacy instruction has the potential to improve literacy outcomes for all children, especially those “at risk”. However, a significant challenge has been to implement instruction that will support children’s language for thinking and understanding, rather than narrowly focused instruction on easily quantified code-related skills. This article reviews some of the recent research on the value of interactive read-alouds as an avenue for enhancing early literacy learning for preschoolers. Although there is abundant evidence supporting the practice, there are a number of aspects that interact in dynamic ways to affect the efficacy of read-alouds. They include pedagogical knowledge, book selection, the quality of interactions around books, and developing vocabulary and inferential language skills. The way books are shared may open or close learning opportunities and possibilities to use language for an increasingly wider range of purposes. Skillful teachers can play a significant role in building, refining and extending literacy knowledge, skills and dispositions.     

Touch Screen Tablets and Emergent Literacy

The use of touch screen tablets by young children is increasing in the home and in early childhood settings. The simple tactile interface and finger-based operating features of tablets may facilitate preschoolers’ use of tablet application software and support their educational development in domains such as literacy. This article reviews current findings on using touch screen tablets in supporting early literacy development within a theoretical framework. The evidence suggests that tablets have the potential to enhance children’s emergent literacy skills (e.g., alphabet knowledge, print concepts, and emergent writing). However, the optimal use of tablets for early literacy learning may be dependent upon the type of scaffolding used by parent or teacher and the availability and quality of literacy tablet applications. Practical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Conceptualizations of writing in early years curricula and standards documents: international perspectives

Abstract

In this article, researchers in the field of early writing identify underlying beliefs and values about writing and learning to write for the beginning years of formal schooling in four jurisdictions: the American state of Connecticut, New Zealand, the Canadian province of Ontario, and Sweden, as reflected in the respective curricula and standards documents that guide instruction. Using Ivani?’s Discourses of Writing and Learning to Write to guide our text analysis, we found that curriculum developers have primarily been influenced by views of writing as a set of skills, processes, and genres. We found few references to the sociopolitical discourse which indicates a view among curriculum developers that sociopolitical literacy is not suitable for this age group. We argue, with support in previous research, that young children’s writing does not have to be politically neutral and that it can be developed under age-appropriate circumstances. Implications for policy and curriculum development include a need for greater consideration of the complexities of writing shown in research conducted across five decades. We propose a change to the model for early years, recognising that young children’s socio-political understandings lie within their home and school lives, rather than the broader community.     

Using the Scientific Method to Guide Learning: An Integrated Approach to Early Childhood Curriculum

Researchers and practitioners have become increasingly interested in how early childhood programs prepare young children for science. Due to a number of factors, including educators’ low self-efficacy for teaching science and lack of educational resources, many early childhood classrooms do not offer high-quality science experiences for young children. However, high-quality science education has the potential to lay an important foundation for children’s knowledge and interest in science as well as reinforcing and integrating critical language, literacy, and math readiness skills. This paper examines the current research on science in preschool classrooms and provides suggestions on how to teach science that supports children’s development across domains. Using the scientific method to explore science with young children provides a systematic model for engaging children in observation, questioning, predicting, experimenting, summarizing, and sharing results. These processes encourage children’s use of language, literacy, and mathematics skills in authentic ways. Suggestions are provided for teachers to use the scientific method as their guide for generating scientific discovery in their classroom.     

Early childhood teacher education: the case of geometry

For early childhood, the domain of geometry and spatial reasoning is an important area of mathematics learning. Unfortunately, geometry and spatial thinking are often ignored or minimized in early education. We build a case for the importance of geometry and spatial thinking, review research on professional development for these teachers, and describe a series of research and development projects based on this body of knowledge. We conclude that research-based models hold the potential to make a significant difference in the learning of young children by catalyzing substantive change in the knowledge and beliefs of their teachers.     

Preschool Teachers' Beliefs About Appropriate Early Literacy and Mathematics Education for Low- and Middle-Socioeconomic Status Children

This study explored preschool teachers' beliefs about the appropriateness of early literacy and mathematics education. In all, 60 teachers of 4-year-olds, half working with low-socioeconomic status (SES) children at publicly funded preschools and the other half with middle-SES children at private preschools, were randomly assigned to read either the mathematics or the literacy versions of written vignettes describing issues related to teaching these subjects. Teachers were interviewed individually concerning the vignettes. Analyses showed that teachers of middle-SES children tended to support literacy and mathematics education that respects individual children and their preferences and to oppose classroom use of computers; overall they emphasized nonacademic areas. Teachers of low-SES children tended to focus on literacy and mathematics to prepare children for kindergarten and to support computer use; they showed concern about their students' underdeveloped readiness to learn, particularly literacy. Analyses comparing subject matter showed that for literacy, teachers preferred to gear a curriculum toward children's interests and to allow children to follow their interests in a literacy-rich classroom to promote social competence and positive dispositions toward literacy. For mathematics, teachers preferred to embed mathematics into everyday routines to promote the learning of key knowledge and skills throughout the day. These findings have significant implications for professional development.     

Empowering Classroom Teachers for the 21st Century: meeting the challenge of advancing children's mathematical development1

In this paper, the specific concerns for literacy and numeracy as we enter a new era are addressed through a discussion of an innovative mathematics early intervention programme, which the author and classroom teachers have developed and applied. ‘Mathematics Intervention ‘ is an innovative programme developed by three classroom teachers to identify, then assist, children in year 1 ‘at risk’ of not coping with the current mathematics curriculum. The programme incorporates assessment tools and learning activities based on recent research about children's early numerical learning. It develops the basic concepts of number upon which children build their understanding of mathematics. All three teachers participated in a professional development course, which developed skills that allow teachers to recognise which children have a problem, to identify the underlying problem and to provide appropriate activities to advance their mathematical development. The course highlights the benefits of clinical interviewing as an assessment tool and promotes various strategies that classroom teachers can use to assist the development of numerical concepts. ‘Mathematics Intervention’ is an example of a programme developed and implemented by classroom teachers using new learning processes designed to empower classroom teachers to meet the challenge of advancing all children's mathematical development.     

体验数学的重要性:幼儿数学素养发展的起点

数学素养是现代社会公民应具备的基本素养,对于个体的终身发展具有重要的意义,应从幼儿园教育阶段就开始培养幼儿的数学素养。让幼儿体验到数学的重要性是促进幼儿数学素养发展的起点。由于幼儿尚不具备抽象思维能力,所以他们通常并不能自发体验到数学的重要性,而需要幼儿园教师的适当引导。教师应遵循兴趣激发原则、基本概念原则、自然引导原则,在幼儿园一日生活、区域游戏、集体教学中让幼儿充分感知和体验数学的重要性。只有引导幼儿体验到数学很重要,才能激发幼儿学习数学的信心与热情,提高幼儿对数学活动的兴趣与参与度,帮助幼儿开启真正愿意学习数学的过程,为幼儿数学素养的终生发展打下良好的基础。     

Early literacy standards: What new teachers should know

Abstract

Students in early childhood teacher education programs are expected to know, plan curriculum, and teach within several sets of content area, national, state, and local, learning standards. Understanding where these standards originated and why they are important within the context of classroom practice will help new teachers begin their careers aware of their role in helping children become competent in the content‐area standards. At the heart of the standards movement are the early literacy standards, necessary for achieving both reading and language arts competencies and for achieving competency in social studies, science, and mathematics in the K‐12 grades. Understanding and applying the standards, through best practices, can guide teachers in the writing of objectives, development of activities, selection of materials, and the authentic assessment of children's learning within their classroom.     

Emergent literacy of deaf children

This article reviews the literature on emergent literacy in young deaf children, focusing on the nature and course of both emergent reading and emergent writing. Beginning with definitions and background information concerning emergent literacy as a field of study, it examines instructional approaches that support emergent literacy learning. The review of the literature is organized into four major sections that reflect the body of work to date. The article concludes with an eye toward the future of emergent literacy in pedagogy, theory, and research.     

DEVELOPING PEDAGOGICAL KNOWLEDGE THROUGH TEACHER‐WRITTEN CASE STORIES

Abstract

With more children spending the greater part of their waking hours in preschool settings today than they did years ago, teachers play an even more critical role in providing daily literacy experiences that many children of earlier generations received at home. The article focuses on the critical role that preschool teachers play in supporting children's early literacy development and presents an instructional framework to help guide early literacy teaching. The framework is based on Vygotsky's learning theory, which emphasizes the nature and importance of social interactions in instruction, particularly between adult and child. We present activity‐embedded assessments that preschool teachers can use to observe and document children's emerging literacy concepts and skills, and describe key teaching actions that scaffold learning of new concepts. In closing, we offer five principles to guide preschool teachers in planning and implementing appropriate activities to promote young children's literacy development. Sample documentation forms are included in the appendices.     

Pre-service and in-service teachers’ perceptions on the integration of children’s literature in mathematics teaching and learning in Ireland

The beneficial role that children’s literature plays in facilitating the meaningful integration and advancement of literacy and numeracy in the primary mathematics classroom has been well validated by research findings internationally. In Ireland, supporting the development of literacy and numeracy is a key educational priority. Consequently, a myriad of policy initiatives such as the Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life strategy have been introduced. All aim to address concerns about young people’s lack of basic literacy and numeracy skills and to consider new teaching and learning modalities to enhance same. Despite this, no official emphasis is given to incorporating literature in the Irish primary school mathematics curriculum. Therefore, it is pertinent and timely that this study seeks to ascertain pre-service and in-service teachers’ views on the use of literature to support mathematics teaching and learning and to investigate perceived barriers to and enablers for the integration of children’s literature in the mathematics classroom in Ireland. The analysis of the findings will be framed using Ajzen’s (Ajzen, Icek. 1991. “The Theory of Planned Behavior.” Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 50 (2): 179–211) Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model. This research is part of a large international research collaboration (see www.mathsthroughstories.org), in which the beliefs of teachers with respect to children’s literature are investigated.     

Preschool Teachers' Beliefs About Appropriate Early Literacy and Mathematics Education for Low- and Middle-Socioeconomic Status Children

This study explored preschool teachers' beliefs about the appropriateness of early literacy and mathematics education. In all, 60 teachers of 4-year-olds, half working with low-socioeconomic status (SES) children at publicly funded preschools and the other half with middle-SES children at private preschools, were randomly assigned to read either the mathematics or the literacy versions of written vignettes describing issues related to teaching these subjects. Teachers were interviewed individually concerning the vignettes. Analyses showed that teachers of middle-SES children tended to support literacy and mathematics education that respects individual children and their preferences and to oppose classroom use of computers; overall they emphasized nonacademic areas. Teachers of low-SES children tended to focus on literacy and mathematics to prepare children for kindergarten and to support computer use; they showed concern about their students' underdeveloped readiness to learn, particularly literacy. Analyses comparing subject matter showed that for literacy, teachers preferred to gear a curriculum toward children's interests and to allow children to follow their interests in a literacy-rich classroom to promote social competence and positive dispositions toward literacy. For mathematics, teachers preferred to embed mathematics into everyday routines to promote the learning of key knowledge and skills throughout the day. These findings have significant implications for professional development.     

Early Shared Reading,Socioeconomic Status,and Children’s Cognitive and School Competencies: Six Years of Longitudinal Evidence

This study explored longitudinal associations between early shared reading at 2 to 3 years of age and children’s later academic achievement. It examined the mediating role of children’s vocabulary and early academic skills, and the moderating effects of family’s socioeconomic status. Data were drawn from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (n = 4,768). Academic achievement was assessed at 8 to 9 years of age via standardized national test scores of literacy and mathematics achievement. Results indicated that early shared reading was associated with children’s academic achievement directly and indirectly through receptive vocabulary and early academic skills. Also, the frequency of early shared reading predicted the outcome measures, over and above other home learning activities. Associations were stronger among low and middle socioeconomic status groups compared to the high socioeconomic status group. We conclude that shared reading offers unique opportunities for adults to teach young children new words and concepts.     

One Hundred Children: baseline assessment of literacy in the early years of education

One Hundred Children is an Australian study of literacy learning in the early years of education. The larger study (Hill, Comber, Louden, Reid and Rivalland, 1998) includes detailed case studies of children’s literacy learning in their homes, pre-schools, day-care centres and schools. This paper reports on the assessment framework developed during the study and provides a brief overview of children’s performance on items in that framework. The study demonstrates that most children made rapid and substantial progress in literacy learning and identifies the literacy domains in which children learned most during their first year at school. A number of advantages of the use of baseline measures for assessing young children’s progress in literacy are also highlighted.     

A Family Strengths Approach to Early Language and Literacy Development

Language and literacy skills are an essential element of young children’s development and allow them to interact meaningfully with other people and to develop knowledge in all subject areas. Despite the importance of language and literacy development, however, more than one-third of children in the United States enter school with significant differences in language, early literacy skills, and motivation to learn that place them at considerable risk for developing long-term reading difficulties. The quantity and quality of language interactions children have with their parents and exposure to print in their home environment prior to entering school have an important impact on these individual differences. This paper provides teachers with guidelines and tools for helping families identify and create language and literacy opportunities in their home environment that reflect their unique strengths and routines.     

Exploring young children's (mathematical) thinking: preservice teachers reflect on the use of the one-to-one interview

One-to-one interviewing is one of the most powerful ways of exploring young children's thinking. While there are a few studies which report the use of this pedagogic strategy by preservice teachers, more are needed. This paper describes an early childhood mathematics education assignment which preservice teachers in a teacher-education college in Ireland undertake with four- and five-year-old children. It presents an analysis of data from a selected sample of 58 preservice teachers' reflections on their dialogues with individual children. It describes how the preservice teachers engaged with the process of interviewing the children; how they reflected on their interactions with the children; their reflections on the children's engagement; and their reflections on young children's mathematics generally. Some dilemmas faced by the participants in the course of the interviewing are highlighted. Findings demonstrate the integrated nature of the knowledge that early childhood teachers need to teach early childhood mathematics effectively. The learning arising from this assignment relates to early childhood mathematics thinking, to the psycho-social nature of learning in early childhood and to pedagogy in early childhood education.