Early Childhood Education Journal最新文献

Let’s do Engineering was a research and engagement project running for 2 years in Scotland, aimed at broadening perceptions of engineering in the early years (ages 3–7). Engineer role models and creative practitioners co-created educational resources which were tested across a variety of settings, including preschool and primary schools. Twenty engineer role models developed over thirty different activities, reaching in excess of 4000 children across Scotland. This article focuses on the impact of the project on the engineer role models, creative practitioners and educators using a mixed methods approach, with data from surveys, interviews and focus groups (n = 49). This study draws out best practices for fostering collaborations between science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals and creative practitioners (artists) as well as for designing engineering activities for early years audiences. Key evaluation findings were that teachers reported high pupil engagement and valued the diversity of engineering role models, but challenges were identified in linking the resources with child-led early years pedagogies, and the complexity and length of some activities and resources. We have gained knowledge on what educators of 3–7 year olds are looking for when searching for STEM learning materials, and have identified factors that help or hinder the use of learning resources in classrooms.

Emergent literacy skills are essential for reading development, yet autistic students face a greater risk of reading difficulties. This qualitative-driven, mixed-methods study explored public preschool teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge in teaching emergent literacy to autistic children. Findings from questionnaires and interviews with ten purposively selected, licensed public-school teachers revealed general knowledge of emergent literacy and autism but highlighted gaps in areas like phonemic awareness. Teachers acknowledged challenges in effectively teaching emergent literacy to autistic students and expressed a need for additional training. Notably, they lacked familiarity with research-supported instructional strategies for autistic learners and often prioritized social and behavioral skills over emergent literacy instruction. These findings emphasize the need for targeted professional development and further research to enhance emergent literacy instruction in preschool settings.

Child developmental milestones are deeply rooted in Western developmental theory and, therefore, cannot be assumed to generalize to culturally and racially minoritized (CRM) children and families, including those who are from international backgrounds. When developmental milestones are exclusively used to assess children’s development and make decisions about child goals, Early Childhood Education (ECE) and Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) practitioners may perpetuate unconscious bias by favoring Western expectations of child development. This can have negative consequences for children and families who are CRM. For example, children can be misdiagnosed with delays and continuing disproportionality in ECSE. To address this problem, we propose strategies to prepare ECE/ECSE preservice teachers to counter biases towards children from CRM backgrounds. In this conceptual paper with an emphasis on practical strategies, we provide an overarching framework of Funds of Knowledge [FoK; Esteban-Guitart and Moll, Cult Psychol 20(1):31–48, 2014] that can be incorporated into a preservice teacher preparation program. Next, we propose the following practical strategies aligned with FoK, which can be included in preservice teacher education: (1) assigning mentor families from CRM backgrounds to support preservice teachers learning about developing meaningful partnerships with families and (2) embedding opportunities for social identity mapping (Jacobson and Mustafa, Int J Qual Methods 18:1–12, 2019), a practice that prompts preservice teachers to reflect on their assumptions and biases.

Group coaching is defined as a collaborative process where a coach, knowledgeable in facilitating positive group dynamics, is an active member of a community, encouraging productive dialogue and goal achievement. Group coaching is a unique form of professional development because it combines key components of individual teacher coaching within a learning community context. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate how group coaching supported teachers’ implementation of a preschool math curriculum with a particular focus on the role of the coach. Preschool teachers from a rural southern region of the United States were provided with materials, implementation support, and opportunities to share their practices within a collaborative group facilitated by a coach. Six preschool teachers, a psychologist, and an instructional coach met on five occasions between the beginning of the school year and winter break. Transcripts of the group coaching session recordings were coded to investigate the role of the coach in the initial curriculum implementation of an early childhood math curriculum. Results indicate the coach-focused group discussions centered on curriculum activities and planning, math content knowledge, check-ins about curriculum implementation, logistics, use of math materials, and developmental trajectories. Implications include the importance of coaching in increasing the knowledge and practice of preschool teachers. Group coaching, specifically, is effective when the frequency and time span of meetings is shorter, such as a semester, as opposed to a year. When group coaching is systematically implemented, organizational change is more likely to occur.

Transitions from preschool to kindergarten can be problematic for children and their families when programs prepare children for kindergarten in groups rather than through an individualized process. Another drawback with current transition practices is that parents and families may lack assessment tools that can provide insights into their perceptions of their child’s growth and development. A multiyear study evaluated the interrater agreement between parent and teacher ratings for preschoolers who were transitioning to kindergarten. The goal of this study was to evaluate parent and teacher evaluations of child developmental and academic abilities across eight domains using authentic assessment practices. There were 53 parents and educators who formed dyads from rural Head Start programs across two years. Data collection was conducted with the third edition of the Assessment, Evaluation, & Programming System transition tools for parents and professionals in the spring for preschoolers moving to kindergarten in the fall. Results draw attention to some areas where parents and professionals have the greatest difference in the assessment. This study has implications for individualized authentic assessment practices for evaluating child development and learning during transition to kindergarten that can support collaboration between families and their schools.

This cross-cultural study examines the life skills of preschool children in Turkey and Rwanda, exploring similarities, differences, and the socio-cultural and educational contexts that influence these skills. Life skills, defined as adaptive and positive behaviors that enable individuals to cope effectively with life’s demands, are critical for holistic development. Using an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design, quantitative data were collected using the “Preschool Life Skills Scale” from 200 children (100 from each country), while qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with 30 teachers. Findings demonstrate notable differences in life skills profiles between the two groups, with Turkish children achieving higher scores in specific subdomains like social life, decision-making, and self-care. These differences are contextualized within educational frameworks, socio-economic factors, and community resources in the respective countries. The study highlights the inherent challenges in assessing life skills using psychometric tools and underscores the critical role of culturally adapted education systems. Recommendations focus on fostering life skills through contextualized curricula, targeted investments, and international collaborations that address disparities.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of a group of mothers who participated in an online musical parenting educational program. The participants comprised 18 mothers with infants from birth to 12 months old. This study was conducted for 6 months using qualitative research methods: semi-structured interviews and informal discussions with mother-participants, participants’ digital journals and filmed videos, and researcher field notes taken during the educational program. Findings revealed that during the program, mothers engaged in multimodal musical interaction with their infants, which facilitated a dynamic state of attunement within the mother-infant dyad. Active participation in the educational program fostered mothers’ confidence in using music as a parenting tool and enhanced conscious musical parenting practices with their infants. I discuss implications for musical parenting educational programs and research.

This theoretical article linking theory and practice summarizes current understandings of the importance of teacher-child relationships and provides insights in teacher competencies, strategies, and behaviors that promote positive relationships with young children in classrooms. Drawing from attachment theory, teacher-child relationships are described as dyadic relationships encompassing attachment-based qualities. In addition, the importance of teacher-child relationships for the development of self-perceptions, trust in others, engagement and self-regulation of young children is discussed. Finally, the article outlines evidence-based strategies that foster positive teacher-child relationships, including (1) relationship building competencies, (2) play-based strategies, (3) relationship-based reflection, and (4) the necessity of school-level support.

The parent-child relationship is evolving due to the influence of technology in the digital age. Traditional family dynamics are changing, prompting parents to rethink their approach to children’s development and learn how to interact effectively in digital environments. In light of these considerations, this study aims to examine the role of parental media mediation in the relationship between digital parental awareness and the parent-child relationship. The research was conducted as a cross-sectional survey study based on a quantitative research method. The sample consisted of 291 parents with preschool-age children. Data collection tools included the Demographic Information Form, Digital Parental Awareness Scale, Parental Media Mediation Scale, and Child-Parent Relationship Scale. GLM Mediation Model was performed for data analysis. The analysis revealed that parental mediation behaviors partially mediate the parent-child relationship across all dimensions of digital parental awareness, including being a negative role model, digital negligence, efficient usage, and protection from risks.

Many scholarly publishers and leading professional associations publish books that are a collection of chapters written by various academic authors. This practical article begins by delineating the criteria for a high-quality edited book project. It then discusses possible benefits for chapter authors and argues that the edited collection is a unique genre in academic writing. Next, it challenges outdated assumptions about edited books and describes how scholarly publishing has changed to make chapters more searchable, accessible, and impactful. The final portion of the article outlines phases in book chapter development that include (1) conducting a self-assessment, (2) locating a suitable outlet, (3) writing an abstract, (4) rewriting the manuscript many times, (5) revising in response to peer review/editorial feedback, and (5) completing the production process. The concluding argument is that there is value in joining a community of experts capable of delving into a significant topic, trend, issue, or controversy and examining it from multiple perspectives. At its best, the edited book is more than a compilation of individual chapters. It is a cohesive entity that not only deepens insights but also furthers readers’ understandings. At their best, edited book can perform a valuable service within the discipline of education generally and for the field of early childhood education in particular.