Learning Experiences For Children Research Articles

“I See Why They Play”: Chinese immigrant parents and their beliefs about young children's play

Parents’ beliefs have an important influence on their children's play and learning experiences in the home and at school. Given the dramatic increase in the number of Chinese immigrant families and children living in the United States (the population has grown more than six-fold since 1980, reaching 2.3 million in 2019), it is particularly important to gain a better understanding of these immigrant parents’ beliefs. Their beliefs about their children's education most likely vary greatly based on numerous factors including their cultural backgrounds, and these beliefs have been shown to be correlated with children's social and developmental outcomes. The present study aim was twofold: first, to examine play beliefs among this rapidly growing group by validating an existing parent report measure of play beliefs and comparing parents’ beliefs to children's interactive peer play and social skills in Head Start classrooms; second, to provide more nuanced information via qualitative data analysis about how Chinese immigrant parents make meaning of their children's play in the context of early learning opportunities. Families of 213 preschool children enrolled in Head Start programs located in a large, northeastern city participated in this study. Findings extend the validity of the Parent Play Beliefs Scale (PPBS; Fogle & Mendez, 2006) for use with Chinese immigrants in the US. Qualitative data suggest that Chinese immigrant parents hold positive beliefs about play, while also displaying some concerns about preschool curriculum in the United States, which likely derive from their own learning experiences when they were in China. The current study underscores the importance of incorporating immigrant parents’ voices in assessments of children's behavior to better reflect cultural nuance and variability, parenting strategies, and/or beliefs that may differ from mainstream US culture.

Uloga porodice u dečjim iskustvima učenja na daljinu tokom pandemije COVID-19 - Kazahstan i Mađarska

The COVID-19 outbreak forced schools around the globe to close. As a result, home became the dominant learning environment and family members became educational providers for students. Research to date demonstrates that families responded differently to the challenges related to remote learning and demonstrated various responses in their new responsible roles. Furthermore, research from the initial phases of COVID-19 shows that families' socio-economic status and educational background are related to children's remote learning experiences. This study seeks to explain and advance our understanding of the participants' remote learning experiences in the early stage of COVID-19 through the analysis of three Kazakhstani and three Hungarian families. The families have different backgrounds, including the language they speak, their residential characteristics, parents' educational attainment, and occupational status. The author conducted semi-structured interviews with parents from Kazakhstan and Hungary via Zoom. Qualitative directed content analysis was employed to analyse the collected data. The results of this study indicate that: a) parents had to become teachers in addition to their primary caregiver roles, thus balancing parenting and home-schooling; b) children's learning opportunities and losses during the COVID-19 outbreak are linked to families' socioeconomic status; and c) some families found it difficult to support their children due to their lack of pedagogical and content knowledge. Therefore, it can be concluded that existing social and educational inequalities in Kazakhstan and Hungary may have long-lasting negative effects on the children who did not experience high levels of parental involvement in their remote education.

Mind mapping as a new method that supports readiness for primary school

In the changing and developing world, the methods and approaches which promote learning experiences of individuals develop at the same pace. If such methods are integrated into the education system as an alternative to traditional teaching methods, it will enrich the learning experience for children and provide teachers with an opportunity to reach more children. As part of this, the research aims to use the mind mapping method to develop school readiness skills of preschoolers. This study was designed with a quantitative research procedure and was planned using a quasi-experimental design. The working group for the study was made up of 44 children, of which, 21 belong to the experimental group and 23 the control group. For the first step of the study, teachers were given mind mapping training and later the children in the experimental group were subjected to mind mapping applications in 22 themes (school, numbers, shapes, our healty, cooperation, emotions, nature…), comprising 7 large group and 15 individual mind mapping applications. The mind map theme of the week was covered every day in that week's program. As a result of the study, a significant difference in scores for school readiness skills between the experimental and control groups was revealed for all sub-dimensions in favour of the experimental group. The study indicates that the mind mapping technique applied with the children in the experimental group supports their readiness for primary school considerably.

Arquitecturas para el juego en Central Park: aventuras contra la apatía

Children's play architectures propose new uses for urban public space. The intervention of the New York architect Richard Dattner with his "Adventure playground" (1967) in Central Park creates a children's play environment from formal anarchy in which children can imagine their own ways of playing. The proposal of elemental architectures that encourage children to be adventurous was opposed to the apathy inherited from the conservative institutionalized design. Structures linked by a slightly winding concrete wall define living and playing spaces by creating a natural separation of the children's and the adult's environment. The concatenation of iconic forms of children’s plays aims to choreograph the child's personal learning experiences. Dattner's project is the architectural expression of a bold play program. It represents the rebellious attitude of young architects of advanced ideology. It symbolizes the radical change in thinking about the design of the public playground. It considers the need to involve the community in the project phase and is a contribution to the artistic avant-garde movements that vindicated the specific object of minimal expression.

MENJADI ORANG TUA EFEKTIF (MENINGKATKAN PRESTASI BELAJAR ANAK)

In learning experience of children at home, of cource the role of parents is very crucial as a leader, educator, and motvator. In this entexct, parents must be motvated, and controlled ad activities of children in order to gain the efective learning in any time. This article presented to describe to become the effective parents.

Development of modular school design as a permanent solution for post-disaster reconstruction in Indonesia

Purpose This paper describes the development and implementation of a modular school building design prototype to support “build back better” after the disaster. The purpose of this paper is to bridge the gap between the two standard practices of post-disaster reconstruction: the quickly temporary construction and the permanent solution with longer time to complete. Design/methodology/approach The modular school design prototype was developed based on three design criteria established to achieve a relatively quick construction with good quality as a post-disaster permanent solution. The prototype was implemented in Kerandangan Village, Lombok and evaluated to review its compliance with the design criteria. Findings Three design strategies were proposed to respond to the main design criteria: the use of modular units and components, the material durability and availability, and the “plug-and-play” configuration system. Through these strategies, the prototype demonstrated the ability to perform as a permanent solution to be implemented in a short time. The prototype evaluation suggests some possible improvement to ensure a more efficient process and further replicability. Originality/value The development of the modular design bridges the gap between temporary and permanent approach for post-disaster school reconstruction. The highlighted criteria and the proposed design strategies contribute to the “build back better” attempt by providing better learning experiences for children through a replicable modular design that could be flexibly adapted to various local contexts.

Inequalities in Children's Experiences of Home Learning during the COVID-19 Lockdown in England.

This paper combines novel data on the time use, home‐learning practices and economic circumstances of families with children during the COVID‐19 lockdown with pre‐lockdown data from the UK Time Use Survey to characterise the time use of children and how it changed during lockdown, and to gauge the extent to which changes in time use and learning practices during this period are likely to reinforce the already large gaps in educational attainment between children from poorer and better‐off families. We find considerable heterogeneity in children's learning experiences – amount of time spent learning, activities undertaken during this time and availability of resources to support learning. Concerningly, but perhaps unsurprisingly, this heterogeneity is strongly associated with family income and in some instances more so than before lockdown. Furthermore, our analysis suggests that any impacts of inequalities in time spent learning between poorer and richer children are likely to be compounded by inequalities not only in learning resources available at home, but also in those provided by schools.

Pembentukan Karakter pada Kelompok Belajar Anak Usia Sekolah Dasar

This community service is aimed at developing children’s character so that they are willing to caretoward their environment (social awareness), to actively involved in activities, and improve their creativity. The method used in this community service is by doing assistance and giving accompanying to school-age children who willingly join the activities for a month which is held once in a week. The accompanying is conducted through ‘Learning is Fun’ approach. The target of this community service activity is school-age students of 7 up to 10 years old who willingly join activity for a month. The results of the activity are children willingly behave and care that cover sharing together, helping others in need, and actively involving in various activities. The results of the activity are the success of this community service activity that is reflected from the activities and the enthusiasm of children who attend which are 12 school-age children. They come and join each session orderly and carry out the activities well. Based on the communication to some parents, children have started helping simple household core, such as making the bed, sweeping, and washing. This succeed can also be seen from the children’s spirit in joining each activity. This activity is expected to be able to improve character of social care in children, foster children's creativity and improve children's learning experience.

Viðhorf leikskólakennara og leiðbeinenda til upphafs leikskólagöngu barna

Greinin er byggð á rannsókn sem ætlað er að varpa ljósi á viðhorf og reynslu leikskólakennara og leiðbeinenda í einum leikskóla í Reykjavík af samstarfi við foreldra- og barnahóp með fjölbreyttan bakgrunn og menningu í upphafi leikskólagöngu. Tímamótin eru kölluð aðlögun og er þar vísað til inntöku nýrra barna í leikskóla. Hugmyndafræðilegur grunnur rannsóknarinnar er að mestu sóttur í smiðju fræðimanna sem hafa rannsakað þau þáttaskil sem verða þegar börn hefja grunnskólagöngu. Margir sömu þættir koma einnig við sögu við upphaf leikskólagöngu. Litið er á börn sem mikils megnug og skapandi og að námsumhverfi og námskrá skuli byggjast á áhuga og aðstæðum barna og taka tillit til þess að þau eru ólík (Educational Transitions and Change Research group, 2011).Gagna var aflað með eigindlegum rannsóknaraðferðum; einstaklingsviðtölum, rýnihópaviðtölum og vettvangsathugunum á þremur deildum í leikskólanum. Greining gagna fór fram með þemagreiningu, en hún er sveigjanleg aðferð sem notuð er til að skipuleggja og greina gögn (Braun og Clarke, 2013). Niðurstöður rannsóknarinnar sýndu að leikskólakennarar lýstu hlutverki sínu í aðlögunarferlinu sem tvíþættu. Annars vegar að koma á og viðhalda tilfinningalegum tengslum við foreldra og börn. Hins vegar að hafa yfirsýn, ýta undir samstarf innan deilda og miðla þekkingu til samstarfsfólksins. Leiðbeinendur ræddu um virka þátttöku í aðlögunarferlinu og í samskiptum og tengslum við foreldra barnanna eftir að formlegri aðlögun lauk. Þátttökuaðlögun var talin reynast vel sem sameiginlegt námsferli foreldra, barna og leikskólastarfsfólks. Fram komu vísbendingar um að foreldrar af erlendum uppruna ættu frekar í erfiðleikum með þátttöku og að börn af erlendum uppruna upplifðu í mörgum tilvikum erfiðari aðlögun en börn íslenskra foreldra. Rannsóknin sýnir að það er fagleg áskorun að þróa starfshætti sem stuðla að því að skapa samfellu í lífi barna með fjölbreyttan bakgrunn og menningu frá upphafi leikskólagöngu.

School design patterns supporting learning through play

ABSTRACT Education is essential for a country’s social and economic development and school architecture should be part of systems to support vital learning experiences of children and youth. This study investigates design patterns to support learning through play activities in schools. Play learning activities are explored as they act on the cognitive and motor development of children and young people. The potential of school buildings to embrace essential play learning activities is presented through their graphic translation into a list of design patterns. A new pattern language is created that includes value-based architectural settings for play, to support a productive school building design process.

“If they have more work, they learn more”: parents’ views of their children’s learning experiences and homework in Pre-K settings

ABSTRACTThis study examined parents’ perspectives on children’s learning in Pre-K, their expectations for Pre-K, and how to prepare their child(ren) for kindergarten. Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 22 ethnically diverse parents from 8 schools in New York City. This paper presents a thematic analysis of these interviews. Findings revealed parents believed children’s academic learning should be the focus for kindergarten readiness, with an emphasis on language and literacy and mathematics. They frequently mentioned homework as a hands-on activity that promotes children’s learning. With the continued increase in funding and attention to Pre-K, there needs to be a greater understanding of how parents conceptualize kindergarten readiness and structure learning experiences for children, and how Pre-K curriculum is changing extended learning. Parents’ views should be considered in decision-making around programming with regard to daily instruction, as well as facilitating the transition to elementary school.

A Proposed Paradigm for the Requirements for Designing and Using Digital Games-Based Learning by Educable Intellectual Disabled Children

This study aims to shed further light on how to utilize digital games in education as a contribution to developing educable intellectual disabled children's teaching and learning practices via identifying the requirements for their design and use at those children's classes. Notably, the researchers focused on using digital games in promoting educable intellectual disabled children's learning experiences highlighting their different practical mechanisms and teaching practices based on literature review. Also, types of digital games capable of fulfilling the teaching requirements of those children were identified by making a list of the requirements for designing and using digital games-based learning at educable intellectual disabled children's classes consisting of 38 various requirements divided into 3 major dimensions, namely: (1) educational requirements for using digital games-based learning; (2) instructional design requirements for using digital games-based learning; and (3) practical application requirements for using digital games-based learning. Then, the proposed list was applied to a sample consisting of 25 faculty members at 5 Egyptian universities. Following data statistical analysis, it was revealed that the questionnaire total mean score is 2.73 with a relative weight of 90.1%. In a nutshell, such values verify that the questionnaire all proposed requirements are, indeed, very important for using digital games-based learning at educable intellectual disabled children's classes.

Exploring augmented reality for mobile learning: a case study with children's readings on environmental sustainability

An increasing number of children are using mobile devices at an early age. Some argue that excessive technology usage could have negative impacts on children. If used appropriately, mobile devices can be effective learning tools for children. The main purpose of this study is to explore the impact of Augmented Reality (AR) for children in mobile learning. The experimental study was conducted with 30 participants divided into two groups: AR (a book accompanied with AR) and Book (the same book with no AR). Children's perceptions regarding conservation, wild animals, and the new ecological paradigm were measured with survey questions before and after reading the same AR or Book content on environmental sustainability. The study results demonstrates that AR was more engaging than books alone and more efficient at improving attitudes toward the environment. AR allowed children to empathise more with environmental issues and develop their own learning environments. The study reveals the potential of AR for improving children's learning experiences on environmental sustainability.

Identifying the preschool home learning experiences that predict early number skills: Evidence from a longitudinal study

This study examines the longitudinal relationships between home learning experiences and early number skills. The counting, number transcoding and calculation skills of 274 children were assessed in the penultimate term of preschool (Mage = 4:0). Prior to these assessments, parents completed questionnaires that surveyed the frequency of the children's home learning experiences. Three types of experiences were indexed: code-focused home literacy experiences that focus on the phonological and orthographic features of language, meaning-focused home literacy experiences that focus on sharing the meaning of language and text, and home number experiences. The children's language abilities (phonological awareness and vocabulary) and nonverbal abilities (inhibitory control and nonverbal reasoning) were assessed in the final term of preschool (Mage = 4:3). Their number skills were reassessed in the final term of the first year of primary school (Mage = 5:3). Home letter–sound interaction experiences (interactive code-focused literacy experiences) had significant longitudinal relationships with counting and number transcoding that were independent of language and nonverbal abilities. The relationship between letter–sound interaction experiences and later counting was also independent of the autoregressive influence of baseline counting ability. We extend previous findings by demonstrating that interactive code-focused home literacy experiences in the preschool period predict growth in counting skills even when a broad range of language and cognitive abilities are controlled. Supporting parents to engage in code-focused home literacy experiences may benefit pre-schoolers’ counting skills.

Music, Dance and Song About Tooth Brushing in The Improvement of Knowledge, Teaching Practices and Dental Cleaning Status Mouth in Children Down Syndrom in SLB Kota Tasikmalaya

Music, dance and tooth brushing songs (MUTALAGI) given to children with Down syndrome is a modified dental and oral health education effort that aims to increase knowledge, practice brushing and dental and oral hygiene status. Dental health education using music, dance and songs can provide a deeper message and provide a better learning experience for children with Down syndrome. This study uses a mixed method design with a Sequential Exploratory strategy where researchers use two stages, namely qualitative research to conduct group interviews focused on parents of down syndrome children as the basis for making instruments. Media made by researchers was assessed by 12 experts consists of two music and dance experts, two media experts, two dental health education experts, two child dental health experts and two experts with special needs children. Quantitative research was conducted to test the media for 26 down syndrome children using the one group pretest and posttest approach and tested statistically using the Wilcoxon test, Marginal Homogeneity test and Binomial test.The results showed that music, dance and tooth brushing songs for Down Syndromic children were suitable for use in dental health education, and the results of statistical analysis showed a significant increase in knowledge scores, teeth brushing practices and oral and dental hygiene status before and after treatment, i.e. p 0.001.

Play-Based Learning: Evidence-Based Research to Improve Children’s Learning Experiences in the Kindergarten Classroom

With a heavy increase in academic expectations and standards to be learned in the early years, educators are facing the challenge of integrating important academic standards into developmentally appropriate learning experiences for children in kindergarten. To meet this challenge, there is a need to become familiar with the role of play in the classroom with an emphasis on developmentally appropriate practices such as play-based learning (PBL). PBL is child-centered and focuses on children’s academic, social, and emotional development, and their interests and abilities through engaging and developmentally appropriate learning experiences. This paper explores the definition of play-based learning (PBL), the theoretical frameworks and historical research that have shaped PBL, the different types of play, the social and academic benefits of PBL, and the ways in which educators can facilitate, support, assess, and employ technology to enhance PBL. The authors will conclude by reflecting on how teaching practices can be informed by evidence-based research to improve children’s learning experiences in the kindergarten classroom.

The influence of parents in the discursive construction of technology-mediated learning experiences

ABSTRACTIn the new learning ecology, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) promote the learning of children and young people in a variety of contexts and also shape their learning trajectories. However, empirical studies often ignore how learners construct narratives about their own learning trajectories and about what it means to learn with ICTs. Thus, we propose Subjective Learning Experiences (SLEs) as a unit of analysis for studying personal learning trajectories. SLEs allow us to investigate learning both across settings and over time. To illustrate our empirical approach, we present a brief study in which we explore how dominant discursive constructions, from parents, about what it means to learn with ICTs influence the learning experiences of children and young people. For this study, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 Spanish children and their parents, using thematic analysis to identify their discursive constructions. Our results provide evidence that discursive constructions about what it means to learn, present in the contexts of activity in which children and young people participate, influence their learning experiences. We conclude that our empirical approach advances the analysis of personal learning trajectories by allowing us to capture the fluid and boundless nature of learning across settings and time.

Video art as digital play for young children

AbstractIn the 21st century, along with fine arts, media art has become an important genre for young children. Undoubtedly, early visual arts give children a powerful language with which to express themselves aesthetically, cognitively and creatively through the use of symbolic representations. However, digital play remains a controversial issue in early childhood education, causing many schools to delay implementing digital arts. Recently, a number of international scholars have studied how digital technologies relate to children's learning experiences at school, arguing that open‐ended digital devices (eg, tablet computers, cameras and video recorders) may allow children to produce more creative content, such as drawings, photos and films. This study explored the role of video art in early visual arts education by using digital devices in a summer workshop in Hong Kong on video making, applying the digital play framework to the data collected. The findings revealed that the children who participated were able to explore the professional device through epistemic play. Meanwhile, they were able to use film language to share their toy‐playing stories and make their own 1‐minute video through ludic play. In this study, the children engaged in concurrent exploratory activities, using a digital video recorder and toys to create innovative and imaginative play. The findings of this study increase practitioners' and leaders' awareness of the role of digital play in early childhood education. Practitioner NotesWhat is already known about this topic? Digital arts initiatives in early childhood education have been discussed around the world; however, the implementation of digital arts learning projects has been a challenging undertaking in schools. The digital play framework has been introduced in the previous literature. This framework helps teachers observe, plan for and integrate the use of still‐camera technologies in play‐based learning. What this paper adds This study aims to offer practical advice on the integration of video art in children's digital play activities. It adopts a theoretical lens related to video making to examine techniques and engagement among children in the Asia‐Pacific region. It supplements the existing digital play framework with additional indicators associated with learning to use video cameras through play. Implications for practice and policy This study sheds new light on the application of open‐ended digital devices in children's play and learning. The results highlight the value of children's play in digital arts and the possibility of integrating digital arts into the early childhood curriculum in schools.

Designing a Social Robot to Support Children\u2019s Inquiry Learning: A Contextual Analysis of Children Working Together at School

Designers of educational interventions are always looking for methods to improve the learning experience of children. More and more, designers look towards robots and other social agents as viable educational tools. To gain inspiration for the design of meaningful behaviours for such educational social robots we conducted a contextual analysis. We observed a total of 22 primary school children working in pairs on a collaborative inquiry learning assignment in a real world situation at school. During content analysis we identified a rich repertoire of social interactions and behaviours, which we aligned along three types of interaction: (1) Educational, (2) Collaborational, and (3) Relational. From the results of our contextual analysis we derived four generic high-level recommendations and fourteen concrete design guidelines for when and how a social robot may have a meaningful contribution to the learning process. Finally, we present four variants of our Computer Aided Learning system in which we translated our design guidelines into concrete robot behaviours.

PERFORMING ARTS IN THE BASIC SCHOOLS CULTURAL FESTIVALS: EDUCATING THE GHANAIAN STUDENT

In the days gone by, the Ghanaian child acquired knowledge and skills in the performing arts through a direct involvement and participation in the culture in which he or she belongs. This learning process has been interrupted due to economic and social changes taking place. The school has now become the social institution to provide such learning experiences for children in the society. However, it not fulfilling this task effectively. This paper therefore re-emphasise the role of the schools cultural festivals in educating the Ghanaian basic school student in the performing arts. Article visualizations: