Preschool cognitive and language skills predicting Kindergarten and Grade 1 reading and spelling: a cross‐linguistic comparison

The importance of cognitive and language skills on reading and spelling development were investigated in a cross‐linguistic longitudinal study of 737 English‐speaking children (US/Australia) and 169 Scandinavian children (Norway/Sweden) from preschool to Kindergarten and Grade 1. The results revealed that phonological awareness and print knowledge were the strongest predictors of early reading and spelling across orthographies. The contribution from rapid naming to literacy development was low in Kindergarten, but similar to that of phonological awareness and print knowledge in Grade 1. The present study identified a significant difference across orthographies in the effects of print knowledge and general verbal ability on spelling in Kindergarten. However, this pattern was explained by cultural rather than orthographic differences. The results indicate that cognitive and language skills underlying early reading and spelling development are similar across alphabetic orthographies.     

Creating Citizens

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the content of citizenship education in Swedish schools during the twentieth century. Its origin and content is analysed in relation to predominant ideas in society at different times and is seen as the outcome of a struggle between social forces representing different power groups. The shift of meaning of democracy and equality is related to changes in political and economic conditions. Recent trends and changes in the Swedish educational system are discussed in relation to changing power groups in society and considerations made for the implications of citizenships, democracy and equality.     

Degrees of influence: the politics of honorary degrees in the universities of oxford and cambridge, 1900–2000

Minerva - The universities of Oxford and Cambridge had developed different attitudes towards the award of honorary degrees through the early and middle decades of the twentieth century. Recently,...     

The politics of PISA: The media,policy and public responses in Norway and England

Using the PISA 2015 releases in Norway and England, this article explores how PISA has been presented in the media and how the policy level has responded to the results. England will be used as an example for comparison. The article presents early media responses from the 20 most circulated daily newspapers in the two countries and discusses them in relation both to the national PISA reports in Norway and England, as well as the international report of the OECD. The media responses are further interpreted in light of previous research in both countries, with a particular focus upon Norway, where previous Ministers of Education have been interviewed about assessment policy and education reforms.     

“It wouldn't be the same without nature”—The value of nature according to Finnish upper secondary school students

This article describes an interview study on Finnish upper secondary school students' values of nature. Even if the Finnish adolescents' interest in nature has decreased, most of the interviewees in this study regarded nature as worthy of maintenance. They valued nature for its material, aesthetic, and recreational values, as well as its diversity and future value, and because of their holistic view of nature. The nature values of the students were complex. Therefore, we suggest education that supports their value development through deliberation, authentic involvement, and outdoor activities.     

A dynamic learning concept in early years’ education: a possible way to prevent schoolification

In early childhood education and care, Nordic social pedagogy approach is challenged by a learning orientation that often results in unproductive ‘either/or’ thinking. Therefore, based on the two approaches and by analysing several dimensions of Froebel’s ideas and prevailing social-historical activity (play) theory, the author deduces four generally accepted play criteria that form the basis for the construction of a dynamic and play-based learning concept that has the three following cornerstones as focal points: (1) learning happens in activities where the child is an active participant and interacts and communicates with other people; (2) meaningful activities pave the way for children’s learning; these are activities where the child’s motive aligns with the goal of the activity; and (3) learning is seen as a productive and creative activity characterised by imagination.