Learning in the outdoor environment: a missed opportunity?

In 2001, the Welsh Assembly Government announced proposals for a Foundation Phase for children aged three to seven years. The Foundation Phase framework promotes a play‐based approach to children's learning in both indoor and outdoor contexts and places children's well‐being and their personal and social development at its core. While the framework is currently being piloted across Wales, full implementation will not take place until 2010; for many schools, then, this is a time of transition. This paper discusses the findings of a research project that aimed to document the current use of the outdoors by a group of early years teachers working in South Wales. Drawing on data from interviews and observations conducted in four schools, it is suggested that the teachers missed many of the opportunities afforded by the outdoor environment to enhance children's learning. The paper considers the reasons why this might be the case and comments on the distinction, apparent in two schools, between what was seen as ‘normal’ and ‘special’ outdoor activity.     

Early childhood education and care in China: history,current trends and challenges

This paper reviews the development of early childhood education and care (ECEC) in China. The historical context from 1900 is summarised, and then developments from the 1980s up to the present kindergarten expansion movement, starting in 2010, are covered in detail. The review shows that ECEC development in China has undergone great changes both in policy and practice. The clash between progressive ideas and existing kindergarten practices has been and remains a challenge. The ‘cultural appropriateness issue’ is of concern, and there are strong voices for keeping valuable aspects of Chinese traditional culture. China has put great efforts recently into boosting kindergarten participation nationwide; yet, there have been and remain great social economic disparities at various levels. There is also growing concern that the programme quality cannot be maintained with the rapid kindergarten expansion process. Policy development for the childcare sector (0–3) in China is relatively thin compared to recent booms for kindergartens.     

新加坡"早期儿童发展培训者培训"项目简述

新加坡“早期儿童发展培训者培训”是由新加坡政府发起、面向发展中国家的一个学前教育师资培训项目。新加坡培训方在实施这个项目时,注重从受训者的需要出发,制定具有针对性的培训计划;注重采取适合成人学习的方式,引导受训者主动学习;注重营造平等和相互尊重的培训氛围,让每个受训者积极参与;注重发挥培训者作为引导者、协调者和促进者的角色和作用;注重创设材料丰富而灵活多变的培训环境。     

论汤斌的学术思想及成就

汤斌顺应明末清初实学思潮,以振兴儒学为己任,讲求实效,为处于困境中的理学增添经世致用的因子。在学术上,他不辨门户,不主空谈,提倡读经,认真考证,为扭转明末空谈的学风作出了贡献,并推动了清初学术由理学向经世致用之学、继而向经学考据的转变。     

Turkish prospective early childhood teachers’ emotional intelligence level and its relationship to their parents’ parenting styles

The current study explored Turkish prospective early childhood teachers’ emotional intelligence scores in order to determine whether levels indicated differentiations according to grade level, and parenting style. Participants responded to the Turkish version of the Parenting Style Inventory and Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS). EIS also contains the Perception of Own Emotions (POE), Understanding Others’ Emotions (UOE) and Regulating Emotions (RE) subscales. Study findings revealed that participants had moderate scores on the POE, UOE, and RE subscales and for whole emotional intelligence. Significant differences in total emotional intelligence and some subscales were found among grade levels and parenting styles. However findings showed that prospective teachers’ EI level did not increase as their professional education level increases. Also, prospective teachers with neglecting parents obtained the lowest mean scores from the total scale and every subscale for EIS. The study concluded that teacher education programs should support emotional development too.     

Delivering Sure Start in rural communities

This paper explores and questions some of the evidence used to support early childhood interventions in the UK, and reports on discussions with three rural Mini Sure Start project leaders in Devon. Sure Start funding in the UK has been repeatedly increased to provide more centres for 0–3‐year‐olds and their parents. It is increasingly linked to welfare to work policies designed to encourage a culture of ‘hardworking families’ in areas of traditional deprivation. This finds resistance among parents to the idea of combining work and childcare for the under‐3s. It also uncovers the complexity for key workers of trying to implement government directives in areas of rural deprivation.     

初唐诗人的宗教信仰及其诗歌艺术

诗人宗教信仰的自由状况对艺术创造的审美价值有十分直接的影响。就初唐诗人来看,他们在宗教信仰方式上总体上经历了一个由受家族化传统影响为主,到受政治利益引导为主;由封闭的、不自由的被动接受为主,到自由的、开放的主动追求为主这样一个历史性转变。其间,士、庶力量的对比转换构成了这一转变的内在动因。随之而来的则是主体人格的觉醒,并因此促成宗教哲学观念的内在化、心灵化,为诗歌艺术在初唐的全面更新奠定了健康的精神内蕴。     

Exploratory analysis of decentralized governance and its implications for the equity of early childhood education services in four countries of Europe and Central Asia

We conducted a qualitative study in four countries of the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region and explored the Early Childhood Education (ECE) policy landscape with an emphasis on the challenges and opportunities decentralization has presented for the provision of services. We content-analyzed ECE policies and documents to map national approaches to ECE. Key informant interviews were conducted to assess the implementation of decentralized ECE governance. An analytical framework that combined core constructs of ECE systems and key domains of decentralization (autonomy, institutional capacity and accountability) was developed and applied. Our analysis points to four overarching processes that contribute to the perpetuation and possible increase of inequitable ECE including (1) sparse mechanisms for participatory and autonomous policy formulation, with few systematic efforts to strengthen local institutional capacities; (2) fragmented policy approaches to promote the assessment and strengthening of quality at scale; (3) funding frameworks and financing schemes that tend to benefit enrolment in contexts of higher levels of economic development; and (4) few mechanisms for coordination to ensure operational coherence across the ECE sector.     

Evaluation of patterning instruction for kindergartners

Abstract

To determine whether patterning instruction was as useful or more useful than other forms of instruction, kindergarten children (age five) were taught either patterning or early literacy or mathematics or social studies in matched sessions. Instruction was conducted in 15-minute sessions from November through mid-April. Posttests on patterning, mathematics, early literacy, and three executive functions showed that the children taught patterning became significantly better at patterning than those in the other instructional conditions. No differences were found between the children taught mathematics, early literacy, or social studies. Correlational analyses indicated that the relations of patterning ability, working memory, and inhibitory control to mathematics achievement were similar. Cognitive flexibility was not very strongly related to any other measure and the executive functions were relatively independent of each other for the children who were age five.     

《世说新语》:史传的孳生和演化

《世说新语》产生于魏晋南北朝文学自觉时期,其文体的复杂性带有中国早期笔记小说的共同点,它“亦史亦文”的文体特点自有其渊源和发展过程,而对这一过程的梳理可以清楚见证中国小说形成和演变的痕迹,从而为早期笔记小说的文体定位提供参照。