Early Childhood Classrooms Research Articles

Music early learning programs: Enduring outcomes for children and their families

Music early learning programs (MELPs) that provide music services to parents and carers of children aged birth through 8 years are proliferating. Parents make significant financial and social investments in MELPs, yet little is known of their motivations and aspirations nor of the enduring outcomes of participation. This article reports the findings of an interview study with 10 parents, 1 grandparent, and 8 child former participants in a MELP program in regional Australia that investigated perceptions of MELP participation. Findings indicate that parents come from a range of musical backgrounds. Reasons and aspirations for MELP enrolment encompass developing both parents’ and children’s musical skills, providing social benefits for parent and child, exposure to musical experience, value-adding to their child’s education and expanding the family social circle. Enduring outcomes include developed music knowledge and skills, future investments, physical and emotional development, and new patterns of learning that are potentially transferable. Findings suggest that children arrive at formal schooling with a rich repertoire of music, a capacity to engage in embodied musical experience, and a set of expectations concerning their participation in music. Such knowledge holds implications for the ways in which music learning might be structured within the early childhood classroom.

Discussion-Case Analysis for Facilitating Pre-Service Teachers' Exploration of Play in the Early Childhood Classroom

Discussion-Case Analysis for Facilitating Pre-Service Teachers' Exploration of Play in the Early Childhood Classroom

The Impact of Exploratory French Instruction on Child and Family Attitudes and Aptitudes for Learning World Languages in Preschool

While the demographic diversity of children served in early childhood classrooms continues to grow, world language learning opportunities for English-speaking preschoolers remain a rarity. Efforts to teach world languages in addition to English at the preschool level may be hampered by limited early childhood educator expertise, lack of programmatic fit, and uncertain expectations from participating families. This study used a foreign language exploratory (FLEX) program design for French language learning to examine whether these barriers could be overcome through a collaborative partnership between a world languages specialist, the classroom teacher, and the children’s families. The 10-week study involved twelve 3-year-old children from varied home language backgrounds attending an English-only preschool. Results showed that following the world language specialist’s weekly classroom visits, all participating children demonstrated some level of French language learning, and that learner engagement as a variable was strongly correlated with the child’s ability to acquire French, rather than variables of age, gender, or language used at home. Furthermore, while statistically significant differences in language learning beliefs existed between families who did and did not speak a language other than English at home prior to the study, no significant belief differences between these families were found following participation in the French program. Based on the results of this programmatic effort, the authors posit that a language ladder of supports wherein the childcare center and families form parallel sides of ongoing support while the WL specialist provides the rungs that unite both sides, may be a useful model of collaboration.

Writing letters to characters in bullying-themed stories: An approach to educating about bullying in early childhood

In spite of increasing international concern and the long-term effects of bullying on children’s development, bullying in early childhood has been overlooked and underestimated, with both children and adults having difficulties in recognizing and understanding it. This study explores how young children respond to bully-themed stories, what and how they expressed in writing letters to characters from the stories, and how their attitudes towards and understanding of bullying have changed through a series of reading, discussing and writing about bullying. Drawing from social-constructivist theory, this study was conducted in a classroom of 20 5-year-old children in a metropolitan city in Korea using a qualitative study approach. The children were involved in a large group reading about bullying and follow-up letter-writing activities led by their teacher. The findings show that the approach used in this study helped children clearly understand and recognize bullying. Specifically, the letter-writing activities after reading and discussing bully-themed stories enhanced their understanding of bullying and helped them empathize with the characters. The children also showed various ways of solving problems/issues and practised getting along with other children. Approaches to more meaningful and effective planning and implementing activities for bullying education in the early childhood classroom are discussed.

Teacher–child Interaction and Preschoolers’ Learning Behavior in China: A Piecewise Growth Model

ABSTRACT Research Findings: This longitudinal study examined how teacher-child interaction quality related to growth in children’s approaches to learning (ATL), measured by Competence Motivation Learning Strategies, and Attention and Persistence, in a stratified random sample of 607 Chinese children. Data on classroom teacher-child interaction quality (three domains of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System: Emotional Support, Classroom Organization, and Instructional Support) and ATL were collected three times (T1, T2, and T3) across the three years of preschool. The influence of teacher-child interaction quality on children’s ATL was examined by using piecewise growth curve modeling. Findings showed that Emotional Support was significantly positively related to children’s growth of Attention and Persistence in the kindergarten year; Classroom Organization negatively predicted children’s growth of Competence Motivation and Attention and Persistence; however Instructional Support, showed no correlation with growth of any measured learning behavior. Practice or Policy: Findings are discussed within the sociocultural context of Chinese early childhood classrooms, including limitations and future research directions.

Early childhood educators’ teaching of digital citizenship competencies

As technology access and use increases in early childhood classrooms and at home, there is an increased need to support students’ understanding of how to be safe, responsible, and cooperative digital media users. While teaching media literacy in education has some historical context, it is only relatively recently that school districts have expanded their efforts to teach other digital citizenship competencies, including internet safety, media balance, and digital footprint. The purpose of this paper is to use survey data of teachers to document how the teaching of digital citizenship competencies in elementary school varies based on factors such as demographics of the students and the amount of educator experience. Results from this descriptive study indicate that elementary educators are teaching digital citizenship as early as Kindergarten but not all competencies of digital citizenship are being taught equally. Additionally, early teaching of digital citizenship competencies is more likely to occur in suburban schools and schools with more racially-ethnically diverse students. These results have implications for education policies around supporting digital citizenship competencies starting early in formal schooling.

The Relation Between Teachers’ Positive Behavior Support and Language Support

The goal of this study was to extend what is known about factors that contribute to the language-learning environment in early childhood classrooms. Two primary research questions were addressed: (a) Are measures of teacher use of classroom-wide positive behavior intervention and support (PBIS) strategies associated with the quality of teacher language support? and (b) Do teachers who receive program-wide training in PBIS strategies differ in their language interactions with children in their classrooms compared with a control group? Findings were mixed and provide preliminary support for the hypothesis that a positive relationship exists between PBIS strategies and the language-learning environment of preschool classrooms. Teachers’ scores on a measure of PBIS strategies were a significant predictor of global ratings of language support. However, teachers who were enrolled in the program-wide PBIS training group did not score significantly higher than teachers in a control group at posttest.

Exploring the Meaning of Body-Seat in the Early Childhood Classroom from Deleuze's Ethologie Perspective

Exploring the Meaning of Body-Seat in the Early Childhood Classroom from Deleuze's Ethologie Perspective

Silence and its mechanisms as the discursive production of the ‘normal’ in the early childhood classroom

In this paper, we aim to better understand and trouble the discursive (re)production of what is taken as the ‘normal’ in ‘inclusive’ early childhood classrooms. We do so by exploring the practices of the ‘including’ group, the so-called ‘normal, in relation to or in the presence of those who are variously labeled as ‘non-normal’. We highlight those mechanisms that are associated with silence and taboo, and through which the including group produces and maintains itself. We present data produced during a six-month ethnographic study in three early childhood classrooms in Australia. Using the notion of category boundary work in the analysis, we illuminate the practices of silence: ‘ignoring’, ‘moving away’, ‘turning away’ and ‘keeping silent’ through which children undertake the category work of the ‘normal’. The effect of this category work, we argue, is that disability or the diagnosed subject becomes ‘the elephant in the room’, strongly present but avowedly ignored. We draw out some considerations for practice in the concluding part of the paper.

“I’m Gonna Cook My Baby in a Pot”: Young Black Girls’ Racial Preferences and Play Behavior

Despite calls for an increase in diversity and equity in early childhood classrooms, preschool teachers sometimes struggle to effectively address race in their classrooms, leaving young children to try to make sense of it themselves. Therefore, in this qualitative study, researchers examined how race issues were manifested in the play of young Black preschool girls. Findings indicate that young Black girls had a strong preference for the nonblack dolls. This preference was evident in their repeated rejection of the Black dolls. These findings have significant implications for early childhood teachers and how they anticipate notions or misconceptions children may have about race, structure discussions and activities about race and racism, and scaffold children's development of their racial identity. Further, the paper presents how teacher educators can help to prepare future practitioners for work in helping to foster positive racial identities.

A Comparison of Early Childhood Classroom Environments and Program Administrative Quality in Turkey and North Carolina

This study examined the quality of early childhood education programs in two different quality rating and improvement systems, one in Turkey and the other in the state of North Carolina in the USA. The early childhood environment rating scale-revised edition was used to evaluate the quality of early childhood classrooms, and the Program Administration Scale was used to evaluate the quality of administrative processes. These scales were used to rate 20 early childhood programs, in each of the two systems. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent sample t tests and Pearson correlations. Results indicated that early childhood classroom quality of classrooms in North Carolina was rated significantly higher than classroom quality in Turkey. However, there were no significant differences in the quality of administrative processes. Results also indicated significant positive associations between classroom environment quality and program quality. Even though there were several differences between the quality rating and improvement systems across the two contexts, the need for continued efforts to support and develop ongoing quality in early childhood education is common across the two systems.

Emerging Mobile Learning Pedagogy Practices: Using tablets and constructive apps in early childhood education

ABSTRACT Early childhood teachers introduced mobile learning activities and educational software to the children's in-class learning activities. This qualitative study implemented one constructive creation app in two early childhood classrooms. It designed, implemented and evaluated the effectiveness of pedagogy practices (PP) for the meaningful implementation of constructive apps in an early childhood classroom. Two small groups of four to five years-old children engaged in weekly in-class research activities. Sixteen videos and 122 artifacts were analysed to determine each child's well-being, involvement, and motivation during the digital creation activities and evaluate the effectiveness of the implemented PP. The most effective PP embedded strategies that 1. enhanced the children's perceived autonomy, competence, and relatedness, 2. implemented a flexible and generous use of direct interactions between teachers and students, and 3. provided app operational habit-shaping routines that guided young children’s engagement with the mobile device and app. The implications of these findings are practical and theoretical. Teachers may use the transferable PP to guide their efforts to develop and implement digital creation activities in their early childhood classrooms. The findings of this study may also contribute the development of a mobile learning theory for young children and address a gap in the research literature.

Recognizing pattern rules in an early childhood classroom: The role of manipulatives

This study explores the way that the pattern rule is developed in preschool age and the contribution of the manipulatives to this recognition. For this purpose, 23 preschoolers were tested in pre- and post-tests which were designed to examine the development of the pattern rule. From the results it appears that preschoolers recognize and generalize the rule in 7 steps and that the manipulatives help children on the one hand, in this recognition and generalization and, on the other hand, to construct their own manipulatives, which they then use in order to deal with other relevant mathematical situations.

Barriers to the Use of Games-Based Learning in Pre-School Settings

The main aim of this research is to investigate how teachers perceive the barriers that limit the adoption and implementation of games-based learning in early childhood education on Cyprus. Teachers are working in public and private pre-schools. A 19-item questionnaire was administered to 148 early childhood teachers in Cyprus (78 public pre-school teachers and 70 private pre-school teachers). Factor analysis reveals three types of barriers to the use of games-based learning in early childhood classroom: lack of confidence, lack of support, and lack of equipment. The higher the teachers' self-efficacy in using digital games is, the lower the level of teachers' perception regarding the barrier lack of confidence becomes. Teachers with no frequent use of computer and digital games in the classroom perceive lack of confidence as a major barrier. Public pre-schools teachers have significantly more positive attitudes toward the usefulness of GBL than private pre-schools teachers.

Critical Geography in Preschool: Evidence of Early Childhood Civic Action and Ideas about Justice

Background U.S. preschool children from Latinx immigrant and Black communities often experience schooling rooted in compliance and overdiscipline. In these contexts, schools do not recognize the rich lived experiences of Children of Color as suitable for civic learning. This article explores how, when schools value young Children of Color as capable and their work as important, classrooms become sites of children's daily embodied civic action. Purpose Our study sought to better understand how children conceptualize and enact their ideas about community and to document the kinds of civic action present in early childhood classrooms. Applying theoretical tools of critical geography, we specifically analyzed how children used space and materials to enact their vision of a just community. Participants Three classrooms—an inclusion classroom, a bilingual classroom, and an English-only general education classroom—located within a Head Start center in South Texas participated in this study. The campus is roughly 65% Latinx, 33% Black, and 2% White, serving 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children. Research Design This study used a multisited, comparative ethnographic methodology. Multisited ethnography allows researchers to locate patterns and contextual differences that impact people's lived experiences. Initially, researchers conducted ethnographic observations through field notes, photographs, and short videos documenting children's action on behalf of or with the classroom community. Next, we used video-cued ethnographic methods, filming for three days in each classroom and editing the footage into a 20-minute film. We showed that film to teachers, families, and children in focus groups. Analysis occurred in multiple phases, during which we refined codes through individual, partner, participant, and team-level work. Findings Children used physical space and materials to assert community membership and to strengthen community ties. They adapted space and classroom materials to include other community members in shared activities. Finally, children advocated for space for their own purposes. Conclusions When teachers and administrators approach the classroom as a civic space where children representing racial, linguistic, and ability diversity can access embodied experiences with civic action, children can use their space to act on behalf of the community. Rather than offering lesson-based social-emotional learning, schools can reflect on how children might build a just, caring community through authentic embodied experiences that include having some control over space and materials. Doing so may allow a shift toward class environments that support shared endeavors and opportunities for children to care for community members.

행위주체로서의 유아 교구와 성역할 담론 간의 내부작용 탐구

본 연구는 유아교육에서 전통적으로 강조되어온 교구와 환경의 중요성에 대한 인간중심적 관점을 비판적으로 성찰하기 위하여, 유아 교실의 옷 입히기 교구, 유아들, 성역할 담론 간의 관계성을 Karan Barad (2007)의 내부작용 (Intra-action) 이론을 통하여 탐구하였다. 본 연구의 자료는 미국의 한 대학부설 유치원에서 실시된 유아교실의 물질성에 관한 민족지학적 연구의 자료 일부를 발췌하였다. 내부작용 이론은 인간과 비인간인 모든 주체가 행위주체성과 능동성을 가진다고 보고, 이 주체들 간의 관계성에 시선을 맞추고 세계를 바라본다. 이에 따라 본 연구 역시 인간과 물질의 이분법적인 분류 및 위계적 분석에서 벗어나 물질, 즉 교구가 가지는 역동성과 교구를 둘러싼 교실 내외의 담론, 유아들, 교사, 시간, 공간 간의 내부작용에 초점을 맞추어 자료를 분석하였다. 본 연구를 통하여 유아 교실 안에서 특정 발달적 목적을 가지고 유아들이 그것을 발견하여 배워주기를 기다리는 수동적인 물질로 여겨졌던 교구들이, 물질, 담론, 인간 간의 내부작용을 통하여 또 다른 내부작용을 만들어내며, 불확정성과 비결정성을 지닌 현상들을 발현하는 주체가 됨을 발견하였다. 또한 이 내부작용들은 끊임없이 변화되고, 이탈하고, 변형되며 유아의 놀이에 관여하고 있음을 알 수 있었다.

Realización de criterios de valoración sobre el trabajo por proyectos a partir de la observación directa de la metodología en un caso real de un aula de educación infantil

Los estudios de formación para la docencia, en Educación Primaria y Educación Infantil, han permitido conocer diferentes metodologías y modelos educativos,así como el aprendizaje de destrezas, actitudes y competencias profesionales que se exigen para ejercer la docencia. En el caso de la metodología del Trabajo por Proyectos, a pesar de tener su origen hace varios siglos, es actualmente cuando está en auge en España, implementándose sobre todo en las aulas de Educación Infantil, por lo que se ha decidido ampliar la información sobre esta metodología. Por ello, ha sido necesario recurrir a la revisión de diversos estudios y ejemplos de aplicaciones prácticas, ejecutadas en algunos centros educativos. El criterio de selección del colegio para este estudio, estuvo enmarcado dentro del contexto de la elección de centros para el desarrollo del Practicum III en la Universidad de Valladolid, tras la investigación previa de aquellos centros donde trabajaban y llevaban a cabo esta metodología.Es así cómo la escogencia del colegio, permitió tanto la observación directa sobre la práctica docente en un aula de Educación Infantil con 22 estudiantes de 4 años, así como realizar una evaluación de la aplicación práctica de la Metodología del Trabajo por Proyectos, bajo el foco del siguiente planteamiento: ¿se están cumpliendo los criterios que sigue esta metodología? Durante la práctica observada, se fueron obteniendo datos y se construyeron 8 criterios que permiten valorar la práctica observada. Asimismo, se ha realizado una propuesta de mejora sustentada en lo que la autora de este trabajo ha contrastado con los principios metodológicos para la aplicación del Trabajo por Proyectos, siguiendo un orden lógico de acuerdo a los criterios de evaluación propuestos y respondiendo a: ¿Qué dice la teoría?, ¿Qué se observó en la práctica real del aula? y ‘la propuesta de mejora: ¿Qué haría yo?

Tracing Diverse Pathways to Teaching: Tales of Nontraditional Immigrant Women of Color Becoming Teachers of Young Children

Situated in New York City, this qualitative case study investigates nontraditional teachers, particularly immigrant women of color, and their diverse pathways into early childhood classrooms. Against the backdrop of the city’s expansion of public preschool programs and its efforts to ensure high quality through narrowly defined measures of professionalization for the early childhood workforce, I traced the lived experiences of nontraditional immigrant women of color, their becoming teachers of young children, and the ways in which their funds of knowledge shape their teaching practice. Findings reveal that although nontraditional immigrant women of color enter teaching with unique and valuable life experiences, they face many challenges in the changing landscape of early childhood education. Implications point towards the importance of cultivating a more diverse teaching force and supporting teachers’ development through culturally responsive and sustaining ways that honor the wealth of knowledge they bring to the benefit of young children and their families, especially those with diverse cultural backgrounds.

Examining the effects of internal versus external coaching on preschool teachers’ implementation of a framework of evidence-based social-emotional practices

ABSTRACT Coaching is becoming widely recognized as a tool to help early childhood educators enhance teaching and build professional skills. Although effective, the use of an external coach can be cost and time prohibitive. This study examined the effectiveness of internal peer coaches as compared to external coaches in implementation fidelity of an evidence-based framework aimed at enhancing the social-emotional competencies of young children in early childhood classrooms. Fifteen Head Start teachers and 125 of their students participated in this study. The intervention consisted of training on practice-based coaching, training on the social-emotional framework, and eight weeks of coaching (eight teachers participated as internal peer coaches and seven received external coaching). Pre and post data included an assessment of fidelity to the framework and evaluation of individual child social skills. Overall, results suggest that internal peer coaches were more effective at supporting the implementation of practices with fidelity. Children in classrooms with internal coaches demonstrated a significant increase in social skills. Although more research is needed, internal peer coaching can be considered as a potential solution to the challenges of working with an external coach.

Leadership in the Early Childhood Years

Research into young children’s leadership skills is sparse and focuses on leadership in early childhood classroom contexts. Understanding of leadership development in young children can be expanded by studying parents’ perceptions of children’s leadership development as it is enacted in contexts outside of the school. This qualitative study examined beliefs, practices, and contextual relationships of families with young children who were identified by teachers within their schools as having strong leadership skills. Student leaders were identified according to the Leadership subscale of the Scales for Rating the Behavioral Characteristics of Superior Students, 3rd ed. Four mothers and three fathers of identified first graders who met gender and ethnic selection criteria participated. Interviews were conducted with structured and unstructured open-ended questions, and parent journals were collected from participants. Using Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model of human development as a guide, parental perceptions of contextual influences on young children’s leadership development were investigated. Findings indicate that parents were intentional in trying to develop characteristics and dispositions in their children to help them become good citizens but did not necessarily consider their actions as also building early leadership skills. Information concerning contextual situations, relationships, tools, and characteristics of early leadership development is shared. As parents discussed opportunities for their first graders to develop leadership skills, an unexpected theme emerged regarding benefits of rural living for young leadership development.