Communication between children and carers during mealtimes

Mealtimes are identified as an important learning environment where socialisation and language development takes place. Caregivers can facilitate the structure of a child's learning in the mealtime setting. The aim of this study was to gain an understanding about the nature of communication in a normal population during mealtimes. This is important to help understanding about the nature of communication and interaction in children with disabilities during mealtimes. Participants were six typically developing preschool children aged from 8 months to 3;05 years. Caregivers of the children supported their child having a typical meal at home. Each mother–child dyad was video‐recorded by the researchers during a typical meal for up to 30 minutes. Each recording was transcribed by the researchers, and specific communicative features were counted and coded; caregiver comments about appropriate mealtime behaviour, child verbal and nonverbal initiation, caregiver questions and comments about meal enjoyment, caregiver praise of child, and caregiver repetition to coax feeding. A caregiver questionnaire was also completed to obtain information about the child's feeding, any early history of feeding difficulties and typical mealtime routine. The results indicated that the most considerable difference were between the dyads who had reported early feeding difficulties and those who had not reported any. Carers who supported children who had a history of early feeding difficulties used more language to manage and guide the child's behaviour during the mealtime. Caregivers who reported early feeding difficulties appeared to be more concerned with how their child was presenting at the meal (i.e., appropriate behaviour and meal enjoyment). This information has important implications for supporting children with complex needs during mealtimes.     

Making Research Relevant in Preservice Early Childhood Teacher Education

Increasingly, researchers, teacher educators and governmental agencies underline the need for early childhood professionals to be able to conduct and use relevant research in their practice. In contrast, early childhood teachers tend to draw exclusively on practical advice rather than research evidence to evaluate and develop their teaching. To address these contradictions in expectations, recently developed preservice early childhood teacher education programs have included a core research subject that aims to foster an appreciation of the value of research and its contributions to professional practice. This study examines the effectiveness of teaching and learning approaches designed to make research relevant to undergraduates at an Australian regional university by tracking students' changing views about research during a one-semester teaching period. The findings of this study show that relevant learning experiences, such as designing and conducting a simple research project, modeling research, collaborative inquiry, focused reading, and organizing a research conference, significantly changed student perceptions of the relevance of research to their teaching and their future role as early childhood professionals.     

The Electronic Video Recording System

It has already been announced that Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd. has joined with the Columbia Broadcasting System Inc. of America and C.I.B.A. Ltd., of Switzerland, to form a partnership in the United Kingdom to manufacture and market a new audio-visual system called E.V.R.—Electronic Video Recording and Reproduction.     

Miss Julie: Essence and anomaly of naturalism

August strindberg created a paradoxin Miss Julie. Simultaneously, he established a prototype, the perfection of the naturalistic play according to Emile Zola's requirements, while he contradicted the anti‐art bias of orthodox dramatic naturalism as developed by Zola's followers.     

Home-start: A voluntary home-visiting scheme for young families

Very often statutory intervention in child abuse cases can prove to be costly, inappropriate or even unwelcome. “Home-Start” began as a voluntary home-visiting scheme in Leicester, England, 8 years ago with the objectives of offering support, friendship and a practical approach to any young families experiencing difficulties. A recent evaluation by Willem van der Eyken, suggests that Home-Start enjoys a high success rate, particularly with the 25% of families referred to the scheme, who have children on the nonaccidental injury “At Risk” register. This paper outlines details of the objectives. the volunteers, the families visited and the Home-Start approach with child abuse cases. It highlights some elements of the scheme which have proved vital to its success, such as close liaison with the related statutory agencies, the intensive support to families in their own homes, and the meticulous preparation and support of the volunteers themselves. The Home-Start approach is now being used effectively in many other areas of Great Britain and consequently Home-Start Consultancy has been established at 22 Princess Road West, Leicester. England, to provide the opportunity for consultation, liaison and development with existing and new Home-Start schemes.     

‘Don’t be a smart arse’: social enterprise-based transitional labour-market programmes as neo-liberal technologies of the self

In this paper we re-visit the work of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and the social enterprise Fifteen Foundation and their development of a programme designed to train unemployed young people in the hospitality industry. We argue, drawing on the Foucauldian literature on governmentality and technologies of the self, that social enterprise-based transitional labour-market programmes can best be understood as neo-liberal technologies of the self that seek to transform persons. In the face of precarious forms of youth labour market participation, the self – the marginalised, unemployed young person – can ill afford to be a smart arse.     

The weight of waiting: the impact of delayed early intervention on parental self-efficacy

Early intervention is a systematic approach for identifying and co-ordinating support for children up to five years of age with developmental delay. The increasing number of children needing early intervention is leading to longer waiting lists for assessment, treatment and diagnosis. Through a mixed-methods approach, this study examined the impact of waiting lists on parental self-efficacy (PSE). An online survey was completed by 197 mothers of children with special educational needs aged one to seven years. Six mothers later took part semi-structured interviews. The research aimed to establish (a) whether there was a relationship between length of time on waiting lists and PSE, and (b) whether there were specific themes or patterns associated with delayed early intervention and PSE. Results showed no significant relationship between time spent on a waiting list and perceived PSE. The qualitative results, however, found that limited contact and poor quality of interactions alongside a lack of information did reduce perceived PSE.