Preschool – an arena for children’s learning of social and cognitive knowledge

The aim is to investigate Swedish preschool teachers’ accounts of children’s learning in relation to the goals in the Swedish preschool curriculum. The research question is: “What do preschool teachers see as fundamental aspects of learning in preschool practice?” The study is based on interactionist perspectives founded in Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory in which individuals and environment influence each other in a dynamic, reciprocal interaction. The data consist of interviews. The results show two themes that describe what teachers express as fundamental learning aspects in preschool practice: children’s learning of social knowledge and children’s learning of social and cognitive knowledge as integrated. The results show that some preschool teachers view social knowledge as fundamental to children’s learning. Others have a broader learning-oriented approach, which is grounded in the Swedish preschool curriculum and in modern theories of learning. This is an integrated learning approach, which is assumed to promote children’s learning and development in a long-term perspective.     

Play in the Preschool Classroom: Its Socioemotional Significance and the Teacher’s Role in Play

The goals of this paper were two-fold. The first goal was to examine the emotional and social developmental value of play in the early childhood classroom. This issue is important because of the recent impetus for a more academic focus in early childhood classrooms, and questions about the developmental benefits of play. The second goal was to examine and discuss the role teachers could play in making play a developmental and educational experience. This is because understanding the significance of play could make teachers less apprehensive about using play to promote learning and development, and enable them answer questions regarding the value of play. Using these goals as a backdrop, this paper discussed views of children’s play; the defining characteristics of emotional and social development; play and the socioemotional development of children; and the role of early childhood teachers in children’s play.     

‘Drawing and playing are not the same’: children’s views on their activities in Icelandic preschools

Play is an important part of early childhood education and has been defined from different perspectives and paradigms. However, definitions of play have been studied more from adults’ perspectives than from those of children themselves. This ethnographic research, with children aged three to five years and built on sociological constructs, will explore children’s views on play in two preschool settings in Iceland. Video-stimulated recordings were used to support children’s conversations about their different activities in the settings, to explore which activities they considered play. Most of the children said that they were playing when they took on roles and could decide what to do with the material. When the children were preparing the play or were drawing, they usually said they were not playing. These findings add to the understanding of play from children’s perspectives and are valuable to the research field and for educators working with young children.     

Exploring pedagogical relationships in the context of free play

Early childhood advocates agree that positive teacher–child relationships are critical to classroom quality. Much research has emphasized quantifiable teacher characteristics and child outcomes without fully capturing the complexity of these relationships. Drawing on extensive classroom observations, two video-recorded free play sessions and teacher interviews, this study explored some of the ways that preschool teachers create and maintain positive relationships, with emphasis on how they care for the children: their ways of being with and for them. The results of this study provide practical examples for building and sustaining teacher–child relationships, help delineate the complexity of the relationships that exist in preschool classrooms and demonstrate the everyday ways in which those relationships are foundational for children’s learning and development.     

‘Are you working or playing?’ Investigating young children’s perspectives of classroom activities

Play is valued conceptually and pedagogically, although its place in early years settings is under increasing pressure. Framed by the sociology of childhood and understandings of children’s agency, this article reports on an ethnographic study with children aged five years in the first year of primary school in Australia. The study investigated children's understandings of play in classroom activities involving different periods of teacher-framed and child-selected activities. Drawing on children’s accounts and video-recorded observations, the study found that children’s participation was influenced by teacher-framed agendas, and the agency afforded to them to engage in self-chosen activities and to design and negotiate their play spaces. For instance, children generally were unenthusiastic about writing activities and called these activities ‘work’ if they were directed by the teacher, and yet they consistently chose to engage in writing activities during periods of freely chosen activities. The findings raise questions about what counts as ‘play’ and ‘work’ for children, and the important function of play and free choice to mobilise participation in foundational academic activities such as writing. These understandings generate opportunities for educators to reflect upon ways to enhance children’s participation in everyday play activities in the classroom as supporting foundational academic activities.     

Creating pretence and sharing friendship: modal expressions in children's play

Friendships and play provide children with opportunities for mutual engagement, which both require and facilitate children's language use. Modality is a semantic system in the language associated with children's learning. One way in which modality is realised is through linguistic expressions which allow speakers to moderate the degree of certainty about the truth of propositions (expressions of possibility) and the degree of necessity with respect to proposals (expressions of obligation). No research has explored the relationship between friendship and children's use of modality. This paper reports on the use of both types of modal expression during play between five- and six-year-old children in two friendship contexts. Results showed that possibility expressions occurred at similar rates in both contexts while obligation expressions occurred significantly more often in play in high-level friendships than in low-level friendships. Findings suggest that in high-level friendships modality was used cohesively to create and extend pretend play, whereas in low-level friendships it was used to regulate behaviour. Because modal expressions are important resources for managing interpersonal relationships, for talking about ideas and situations beyond the here and now and for writing for a non-present audience, our findings provide valuable insights for educators of young children.     

Child Care and Early Education: Satisfaction with Services Among Rural Families

Parents were surveyed regarding their satisfaction with early childhood services. Participants were 65 families who had at least 1 child younger than 5 years of age enrolled in a child care center or an early education program in a rural county; a majority of respondents were single, African American females with annual incomes below $20,000. Parents responded to the 20 items of the questionnaire on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5). The average score for overall level of satisfaction was 4.64 for the child care group and 4.37 for the early education group; the average for individual items ranged from a low of 3.85 to a high of 4.64. Differences between child care centers and early education programs were not statistically significant. Applications, implications, and recommendations for early childhood services are discussed.     

Exploring the tactfulness of implementing play in the classroom: a Hong Kong experience

‘Learning through play’ in early childhood education is widely advocated, but studies show that play is not easily enacted in classrooms. The quality of learning through play has been questioned in various countries, especially when learning outcomes are a global concern. This paper examines how one teacher implemented learning through play within a formal and didactic Hong Kong pre-school classroom. Following this real-life adaptation of the play pedagogy, this paper aims to illuminate the practical theories of linking play with learning in the classroom. The findings support the adoption of ‘play’ in young children's learning and reveal tactful ways in which a teacher can encourage the evolving ‘flow’ of children's play while simultaneously scaffolding their learning. The paper analyses the tact involved in the above process and suggests key dimensions for realizing ‘learning through play’ in the classroom.     

Early childhood education and care educators supporting parent-child relationships: a systematic literature review

Building strong relationships between children and parents is vital for children’s social and emotional development. A majority of children attend early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings where they experience a range of relationships (educator–child, educator–parent, parent–child). Educators build relationships with children and parents, yet their influence on parent–child relationships is not well understood. Therefore, an evaluation of interventions/programs designed to promote parent–child relationships in ECEC settings (long day care, occasional care and preschool) and a range of settings (play groups, community groups and health centres) was conducted. The search revealed 21 peer-reviewed studies and seven interventions: two conducted in ECEC settings and five in a range of parent–child support settings. All studies reported intervention efficacy, yet none examined educators’ influence on parent–child relationships. Investigation into current educator practices is recommended to ensure educators are supported to promote and nurture parent–child relationships, consequently strengthening children’s social and emotional development.     

Situated decoding of gender in a Swedish preschool practice

This article is based on data generated in an ethnographic study of gender in a Swedish preschool. Drawing on Judith Butler’s understanding of performativity and (un)doing of gender, a new theoretical concept, situated decoding of gender, is further developed by showing how the material and spatial dimension of the educational practice and the teachers’ actions contribute to establishing and maintaining this process in an early childhood educational setting. Instead of normalising the gender binary, a reverse process occurs that turns what is perceived as feminine or masculine into a gender decoded state in which gender is made less relevant, or even irrelevant. It is argued that this continuous reiterative process emerges and is maintained by three main factors: (a) the preschool’s physical environment, (b) the regular and repetitive structure of the educational practice and (c) the consistent actions of the teachers in the everyday practice.     

“玩”的文学:幼儿文学的游戏性

游戏对幼儿来说不是一种剩余精力的简单耗费,而是包含了学习、创造和娱乐层面的多重意义。幼儿文学是幼儿体验游戏的一种特殊场所。幼儿文学从内容、语言、体式到内在精神,都体现了一种与幼儿生活密切相关的游戏性。这种游戏性以语言作为最基本的承载物,其游戏内容主要也是在语言的层面上展开。幼儿文学作品所具有的对于童年内在生命精神的理解和尊重等深层内涵,构成了幼儿文学所独特的游戏精神,这既是一种天然的童年游戏趣味,意味着一种充沛的童年生命能量,也是一种高级的审美游戏,意味着一种严肃的童年内在精神。     

Individual differences in children's risk perception and appraisals in outdoor play environments

Child characteristics including age, gender, risk-taking behaviour and sensation seeking are thought to influence children's ability to appraise risks. The present study investigated children's risk perceptions and appraisals in the context of common outdoor physical play activities. Risk perceptions and appraisal of four- and five-year olds were assessed using a pictorial risk appraisal measure and through individual semi-structured interviews examining children's decision-making. Sensation seeking and risk-taking behaviour were assessed using self- and parent-report measures. Results revealed that the children were able to identify injury risk behaviours however differentiating the severity of the potential injury was less accurate. Furthermore, the children appeared to use these judgements in their play to inform their behaviour whilst using playground equipment. Whilst they actively sought out those activities that offered challenge and excitement, they were aware of their abilities and showed caution in engaging in activities that were beyond their current capabilities. The results have implications for the provision of calculated risk-taking in outdoor play and for adult responses to the risk-taking behaviour of children.     

将教育融于自然,用自然美化教育——国外学前教育中公园资源的利用及启示

在工业经济越来越发达的今天,公园以其独特的环境优势、人文气息、休闲设施等优势,成了人们户外欣赏自然、休闲娱乐的首选场所。公园作为一种重要的社会资源,其潜在的教育功能越来越受到教育者和家长的重视。有学者指出,公园是社区中的一种重要的教育资源,有助于促进儿童在体力、认知、情感、社会性、审美等方面的发展。学前教育中利用公园资源对幼儿进行教育是指学前教育机构在教育中,利用公园潜在的教育资源对幼儿进行各种教育活动,促进幼儿发展的一系列活动和行为。国外学前教育中十分注重对公园资源的利用,这对我国幼儿园和家庭注重公园教育功能的发挥和利用具有一定的启示意义。     

幼儿园中自由游戏的涵义、价值及运用

自由游戏在充分保证儿童游戏性体验的同时也体现了适宜儿童的学习方式。但是由于人们对自由游戏的片面认识使得它并未在幼儿园中发挥积极作用。幼儿园需要走出认识的误区,对自由游戏形成科学、全面的认识并合理运用。     

Using an Ecological Framework for Understanding and Treating Externalizing Behavior in Early Childhood

This paper will review the literature on the rate, stability, and outcomes associated with externalizing behavior problems prior to kindergarten entry. Bronfenbrenners (The ecology of human development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press) ecological framework will be used to present the factors related to the onset and persistence of externalizing behavior problems in young children. Behavior problems prior to school entry are somewhat developmentally appropriate and most can be resolved within the classroom or child care setting. Intervention for children with moderate to severe behavior problems in early childhood is crucial because behavior problems are likely to persist into elementary school leading to a variety of social and academic concerns. Steps will be presented to help teachers determine whether or not a referral to a specialist is needed and locate an appropriate specialist.     

What play therapists do within the therapeutic relationship of humanistic/non-directive play therapy

Play therapists are increasingly being employed in schools, yet there is confusion among many health, education and social care practitioners about the role of play therapists. This paper explains how play therapists position themselves and what they do through an examination of the therapeutic relationship between the therapist and child. It discusses the core conditions of congruence, acceptance and empathy with reference to recent research. Play therapists vary their practice in terms of verbal or non-verbal interaction, the tools in their playroom and how they physically place themselves. This paper argues for placing an emphasis on the non-verbal mirroring of the child, the incorporation of expressive media such as paint, clay and sand into the play room and the positioning of the therapist within the play space.     

Quality of the early childhood education environment and interactions,and their relationship with time dedicated to free play (Calidad del entorno y de las interacciones en educación infantil y su relación con el tiempo dedicado al juego libre)

ABSTRACT

This study evaluated the quality of early childhood education (ECE) environments, the quality of teacher-child interactions and the duration of free play in 22 ECE classrooms in the Valencian Community, Spain. Twenty-two ECE teachers of four- and five-year-old preschoolers participated in the study. The quality of ECE environments and teacher-child interactions were evaluated using the ECERS-3 and TSRS, respectively. The time children spent in free play and non-free play was also registered. The study concluded that the quality of ECE environments was minimal. The scores of teachers on emotional support were in the medium-high range and scores in instructional support were low, with direct instruction as the predominant teaching style. Indoor free play was positively related to the overall quality of ECE environments and the quality of teacher-child interactions. The findings of this study are discussed in relation to the results of other studies in the Spanish context.     

当前农村学前教育发展存在的问题及对策探索

推动农村地区学前教育发展,是当前一项迫切且艰巨的任务.文章分析当前农村地区学前教育发展存在的问题,并探讨推动农村地区学前教育发展的策略.要认识到学前教育的重要性和公益性,制定完善的学前教育管理体制,建立政府主导、社会参与的教育成本分担机制,同时完善幼儿教师管理制度,推动农村学前教育的持续发展.