Early Education Centers Research Articles

The Effects of Teaching and Learning Methods on Performance of Learners in Public and Private ECDE Centres in Kenya

The Kenya 2010 Constitution placed management and financing of Early Years' Education (EYE) under custody of county governments. Management and efficiency of early childhood education is therefore expected to be more effective than it was before 2010. Public early education centres suffered quality because of budgetary constraints, this is expected to have changed over the period that ECDE has been devolved. There is need for research evidence on the quality of ECDE in the context of county government management. This study emerges from the theoretical perspective that increased inputs should lead to increased outputs. The Education Production Function (EPF) theory was employed. Has increased expenditure after devolution and budgeting from close changed the quality of ECDE in counties? The purpose of this comparative study was to identify, compare and discuss effect of teaching and learning methods on performance of learners in public and private ECDE centres after one term of instruction and how this factor interact to influence, learning and achievement in public and private ECDE centres in the context of increased funding to public sectors schools by county government. The study site selected for this study was Kericho County. The population of interest in this study was all the 750 public ECDE centres with 1066 teachers and 18405 pupils, and all the 258 private ECDE centres comprising of 628 teachers and 4180 pupils in Kericho County. Sampling was done through stratified, purposive and simple random sampling methods. The sample size was determined by adopting the Krejcie and Morgan formula. Tools for data collection included questionnaires, observation schedules and interview guides. Data collected was bot qualitative and quantitative. Analysis involved qualitative techniques and quantitative techniques. The quantitative techniques involved descriptive and inferential statistics in order to answer the questions posed for study. The results obtained showed that despite the increased funding to public ECDE centres, learners in private ECDE centres had high academic achievement. The findings were used to develop a model for county government to establish uniform qualification of ECDE staff, common methodology to improve teaching and learning facilities hence universal instructions leading to improved achievement among pre-primary school learners.

Use of touchscreen technology by 0–3-year-old children: Parents’ practices and perspectives in Norway, Portugal and Japan

This paper discusses findings from online surveys completed by parents of 0–3-year-old children in Norway, Portugal and Japan concerning their young children’s use of touchscreen technology. The study investigated parental practices, views and perspectives related to children’s digital practices and explored these in relation to wider cultural discourses around early childhood in the participant countries. The study adopted Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory to inform the questionnaire and interpretative data analysis of how parents’ views and experiences are influenced by a wide range of social, cultural and personal factors. The findings demonstrate some coherence between beliefs among parents regarding very young children’s use of touchscreen technologies and their place in the children’s home lives. Quantitative and qualitative results highlight that the respondents from all countries expressed the need for further guidance regarding technology use, and better communication with early education and care centres. The study findings are discussed in relation to the reported uses of touchscreen technologies in the three different cultural contexts, parents’ views on the benefits and/or disadvantages of children’s touchscreen technology use, and the potential influences of dominant cultural discourses on parents’ perceptions, views and practices.

P47 EFNEP and SNAP-Ed Programs in the Early Child Care and Education Setting: Opportunities to Impact Both Adults and Youth

ObjectiveDescribe opportunities to strengthen behavioral outcomes in EFNEP and SNAP-Ed direct education through engagement in policy, systems and environment outreach projects in early childcare settings.Use of Theory or ResearchEducators in childcare settings are well-positioned to positively influence the nutritional habits of young children, however they may lack opportunities to learn about the nutritional care and feeding of this audience. This presents opportunities for EFNEP/SNAP-Ed programs to continue the shift in focus to instilling healthy habits earlier in the lifecycle. They can engage childcare employees in education related to best practices for infant and toddler feeding, the need for healthy mealtime environments and the importance of role-modeling healthy behaviors.Target AudienceEmployees of early childcare and education centers participating in WVU FNP Programs in 2018.Program DescriptionWVU FNP partnered with WVSTARS to offer 6.0 hours of professional development to employees in exchange for participation in a modified version of the Nutrition Education Aimed at Toddlers curriculum (Michigan State University). Marketing materials were created for front-line staff to recruit participants and programs launched in 2018.Evaluation MethodsOutcomes were evaluated using both the EFNEP Food & Physical Activity Questionnaire and the Web-based Nutrition Education and Evaluation Reporting System (WebNEERS) software.ResultsSixty-five people participated across 5 counties and 90% received continuing education credit. Graduation rates and behavioral outcomes in core EFNEP areas were similar or better than both overall West Virginia and national EFNEP levels, however improvements in fruit and vegetable intake and consumption of sugar sweetened beverages were lower than expected.ConclusionsBehavioral outcomes for child care center employees indicate a greater need for engagement around sugar sweetened beverage and fruit and vegetable consumption. Integrating existing FNP PSE support programs such as Rethink Your Drink, Kids Farmers Markets, gardening and Food of the Month at child care centers offers an opportunity to strengthen behavioral outcomes of childcare center staff as well as influencing health behaviors of children and families. Describe opportunities to strengthen behavioral outcomes in EFNEP and SNAP-Ed direct education through engagement in policy, systems and environment outreach projects in early childcare settings. Educators in childcare settings are well-positioned to positively influence the nutritional habits of young children, however they may lack opportunities to learn about the nutritional care and feeding of this audience. This presents opportunities for EFNEP/SNAP-Ed programs to continue the shift in focus to instilling healthy habits earlier in the lifecycle. They can engage childcare employees in education related to best practices for infant and toddler feeding, the need for healthy mealtime environments and the importance of role-modeling healthy behaviors. Employees of early childcare and education centers participating in WVU FNP Programs in 2018. WVU FNP partnered with WVSTARS to offer 6.0 hours of professional development to employees in exchange for participation in a modified version of the Nutrition Education Aimed at Toddlers curriculum (Michigan State University). Marketing materials were created for front-line staff to recruit participants and programs launched in 2018. Outcomes were evaluated using both the EFNEP Food & Physical Activity Questionnaire and the Web-based Nutrition Education and Evaluation Reporting System (WebNEERS) software. Sixty-five people participated across 5 counties and 90% received continuing education credit. Graduation rates and behavioral outcomes in core EFNEP areas were similar or better than both overall West Virginia and national EFNEP levels, however improvements in fruit and vegetable intake and consumption of sugar sweetened beverages were lower than expected. Behavioral outcomes for child care center employees indicate a greater need for engagement around sugar sweetened beverage and fruit and vegetable consumption. Integrating existing FNP PSE support programs such as Rethink Your Drink, Kids Farmers Markets, gardening and Food of the Month at child care centers offers an opportunity to strengthen behavioral outcomes of childcare center staff as well as influencing health behaviors of children and families.

Relations Among Low-Income Preschool Children’s Self-Regulation, Marginal Food Security, and Parent Stress

ABSTRACT Research Findings: Marginal food security is less studied relative to food insecurity but may also have adverse effects on family outcomes. The present study examined whether parental stress mediated the relationship between marginal food security (MFS) and preschool-aged children’s observed self-regulation at three early education centers located in two urban cities in a Midwestern state. Primary caregivers (81.3% mothers) completed an adapted version of the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form and a two-question screener from the USDA Annual Food Security Survey. Children’s aged 37-70 months, M= 54, SD = 6.46; 57% boys) self-regulation skills were directly assessed. Approximately one-third (39.75%) of the present sample were considered MFS, as they reported being “worried that food would not last” in the past 12 months. MFS families had significantly higher levels of parental stress than food secure families. Additionally, MFS indirectly affects children’s observed self-regulation skills through parental stress, even after controlling for the effect of child age, sex, and family structure. Practice or Policy: Implications of this finding for early intervention and food support programs are discussed.

Facilitating the Participation of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Development Centres in Malawi: Developing a Sustainable Staff Training Programme

This article explores the development of a sustainable training programme supporting the inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood, education and care (ECEC) centres in Malawi. This programme is based on a review of literature of curriculum, pedagogy and teaching approaches in ECEC in sub-Saharan Africa, alongside a review of national policy documents. The training was designed to enable staff to value the inclusion of children with disabilities in ECEC centres, as well as suggesting practical ways to do so. We set out our response to the gap in training of ECEC staff through the development of a supplementary integrated training programme, which, whilst respectful of the curriculum, policy and practice of Malawi, challenged staff to consider ways of including children with disabilities (CWD) and their families. We suggest this is a pragmatic and sustainable model that could be applied to training in other ECEC settings across the region in sub-Saharan Africa. It concludes with guiding principles for training those working in ECEC with young children with disabilities in low-income countries.

Early Second Language Learning through SparkLing™: Scaling up a Language Intervention in Infant Education Centers

ABSTRACTInfancy (0–3 years) represents a unique time for language learning. Previous research shows that infants' second language (L2) learning advances rapidly in early education centers, through a research‐based method and curriculum delivered by native‐speaking language tutors. Here we test the potential of this method for broad application, through an interactive online tool, SparkLing™, which trains and certifies language tutors to implement the program in infant education centers. Intervention infants (n = 168) from families of predominantly low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds in Madrid, Spain, experienced 18 or 36 weeks of L2 (English) exposure, through daily, 45‐min, group sessions led by SparkLing™‐trained tutors and were compared to a matched Current Practice Comparison (CPC) group of peers (n = 72). Intervention children outperformed the CPC group and showed rapid gains in English comprehension and production. SES was not a significant factor in learning. Infants' L2 skills advance quickly using this research‐to‐practice, scalable program for play‐based infant L2 instruction.

Examining physical activity policies to practice implementation: Results from the Texas Early Childhood Physical Activity Survey in non-Head Start childcare centers.

Ensuring young children have adequate opportunities for physical activity (PA) is important, and policies at childcare centers may help to ensure children have adequate opportunities. The purpose of this study is to examine the associations between center policies and odds of meeting best practices for PA in non-Head Start Texas early care and education (ECE) centers. Licensed centers with publicly available email addresses on the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services website were invited to participate in an online survey in February 2016. A total of 10 PA-related policies and 11 best practices were assessed. Logistic regression models assessed the odds of meeting best practices with each written policy (vs. no written policy). Covariates included center enrollment size. Exclusion criteria yielded a cross-sectional sample of 481 center respondents. Centers reported, on average, 3.92 (SD = 3.00) policies and meeting 4.55 (SD = 1.99) best practices. Each policy was associated with higher odds of meeting at least one best practice. Education policies and structured, adult-led active play policies were associated with meeting most PA best practices. No policies were associated with meeting best practices for seated time or for providing preschoolers recommendation daily minutes of indoor and outdoor PA. Texas ECEs report a low number of written policies and best practice implementation. The findings suggest policies alone may not be enough for implementation of best practices. There are opportunities for enhancement in mandated licensing, policy development, and best practice implementation surrounding PA.

Diet Quality in Early Care and Education Centers: A Comparison of Menu, Served, and Consumed Lunch Measures

ObjectiveAssess if diet quality (DQ) differs among 3 lunch measures commonly used to assess DQ in early care and education (ECE) centers, which include what is listed on the menu, served, and consumed. DesignThis quantitative observational study measured DQ of food and beverage items listed on the menu, what children were served, and what they consumed during one lunch meal. SettingAlabama ECE centers. ParticipantsECE centers (n = 28) with attendance of ≥10 children ages 3 to 5 years and provided lunch daily. Main Outcome Measure(s)DQ measured through Healthy Eating Index–2015 (HEI) scores, which were calculated for the menu, served, and consumed lunch measures. AnalysisMenu, served, and consumed HEI scores compared using either Kruskal-Wallis or ANOVA. Dunn Bonferroni or Duncan post hoc tests identified which group differed. ResultsTotal HEI scores were significantly higher among menus, compared with served and consumed (P = .001). Served and consumed total HEI scores were not different. Conclusions and ImplicationsMenu DQ differed from both the served and consumed lunch measures. These findings support the need for nutrition education on the importance of menu adherence in ECE centers.

P113 Diet Quality Assessment in Early Care and Education Centers: A Comparison of Three Common Methods

Background Children in Early Care and Education (ECE) centers are not meeting Dietary Guidelines (DG), which could contribute to the onset of diet-related diseases. ECE center diet quality has been assessed using either what is listed on the menu, what children are served and/or what was consumed for the lunch meal. However, it is unclear whether diet quality differs among the three measures, which may be useful to understand patterns that inform nutrition education messaging. Objective Identify if diet quality differs among the menu, served and consumed lunch measures. Diet quality will be assessed using Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI) scores, which represent how closely DG are met. Study Design, Settings, Participants ECE centers were located within one southern state, and included rural and urban communities. For each center, three children from a 3-5 year old classroom, were randomly chosen and observed during one lunch meal, per a published protocol. The type and amount of food/beverage served to or by the child (SERVED) and the amount consumed (CONSUMED) was visually estimated and recorded. The menu from the observed lunch (MENU) was collected. For each center, a mean HEI score was calculated for SERVED, CONSUMED and MENU. Measurable Outcome/Analysis Non-parametric ANOVA and Duncan's post-hoc were used to identify statistically significant differences among SERVED, CONSUMED, and MENU HEI scores. Results Lunch observations were completed within 28 ECE centers. The total HEI score was significantly higher (χ2 = 11.7, P = .003) among MENUS, compared to SERVED and CONSUMED. Total HEI scores among SERVED and CONSUMED were not significantly different. Conclusion Diet quality was higher among menus, compared to served and consumed measures. Nutrition education messaging may encourage ECE employees to serve the food/beverage items listed on the lunch menu, in order to improve diet quality. Understanding why diet quality differences exist among lunch measures, is warranted. Funding Nestle S.A. Grant.

Early Minds: a pilot randomised controlled trial of a mindfulness program in early learning centres

BackgroundOptimal mental health is critical for a child’s learning and academic functioning. As a universal service, early education centres play an important role in promoting children’s mental health. Social-emotional learning programs are efficacious in reducing behavioural difficulties, enhancing competence, and improving learning abilities. Mindfulness practices, known to promote health and wellbeing in adults, have been adapted to education programs for younger populations, including pre-school children. Despite an increasing use of mindfulness-based programs in pre-school settings, there is a limited number of randomised trials and paucity of data on implementation fidelity of these programs. ‘Early Minds’ is a mindfulness-based program developed by Smiling Mind for 3–5-year-old children. This paper describes a protocol of a pilot randomised control trial, evaluating the implementation of the program in early learning centres (ELCs, i.e. pre-schools) in Melbourne, Australia. The primary aim of this pilot study is to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and fidelity of the program. The secondary aims are to assess the acceptability of the design and measures and to investigate preliminary impacts of the program on child social-emotional outcomes.MethodsA convenience sample of six ELCs are recruited. Participants include educators, children, and their parents from 3- and/or 4-year-old ELC rooms. Upon completion of baseline surveys, rooms are randomly allocated to intervention and control arms by an independent statistician. ‘Early Minds’ is designed in a flexible delivery manner; meditations and activities are completed at least three times a week. Educators are trained in the program and have access to the activities and meditations on an app. Parents are encouraged to practice with their children at least three times a week. Educators document implementation fidelity throughout the 8 weeks of the program. Parents and educators complete follow-up surveys at 3 and 12 months post-randomisation, capturing feasibility and acceptability, child social-emotional behaviour and sleep, and educator, parent, and family wellbeing outcomes.DiscussionThis pilot study is the first to assess a mindfulness-based program in ELCs in Australia. Data on feasibility and acceptability, implementation fidelity, and potential impact on children’s behaviour will inform the design of adequately powered evaluation trials.Trial registration numberAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12618000435280. Date registered 26 March 2018.

Formación Docente de Educación Inicial en la Atención de Primeros Auxilios

La ausencia de conocimiento y el efecto emocional que se puede manifestar al momento de encontrarse inmerso en situaciones de riesgo que amerite la aplicación de los primeros auxilios en un momento dado puede generar problemas en las instituciones educativas, en especial en los Centros de Educación inicial. Por ello, el articulo presentado se elaboró con intención de mostrar los avances investigativos, teniendo como propósito general de implementar experiencias formativas en primeros auxilios para los docentes de educación inicial, específicamente en el Centro de Educación Inicial estado Guárico, parroquia Barinas del municipio Barinas estado Barinas, enmarcado en el enfoque socio crítico y el método la investigación acción participante, tomándose como informantes a doce (12) docentes y un (01) coordinador pedagógico del mencionando Centro Educativo, los cuales se seleccionaron porque pertenecen al mismo contexto de estudio. Entre los hallazgos de la investigación destacan un cambio de actitudes de los profesionales educativos hacia la formación, el cual no genera recarga de actividades, sino la utilización de espacios formales y no formales dentro de la institución. Además, se logró la participación activa de los educadores en el desarrollo de las experiencias.

Child-Centered Nutrition Phrases Plus Repeated Exposure Increase Preschoolers’ Consumption of Healthful Foods, but Not Liking or Willingness to Try

ObjectiveTo determine whether the use of child-centered nutrition phrases (CCNP) with repeated exposure (RE) improved willingness to try, liking, and consumption of healthful foods compared with RE alone. DesignThe researchers used a 2 × 2 × 4 fractionated within-subjects experimental design in the study: phrase condition (RE vs CCNP + RE) by time of measurement (preintervention, postintervention, and 1-month follow-up), by type of food (tomatoes, bell peppers, lentils, and quinoa). SettingChildren were recruited from 2 early education centers; 89% participated. ParticipantsChildren aged 3–6 years old (n = 87) who were predominantly white (67%) and from middle-income homes and had parents with some higher education. InterventionAdult delivery of CCNP + RE weekly for 6 weeks. Main Outcome Measure(s)Willingness to try, change in liking, and change in consumption. AnalysisTwo-level random-effects models were used to account for repeated measurements of willingness to try, liking, and consumption nested within participants. ResultsChildren exhibited greater consumption of CCNP foods at follow-up assessment compared with RE foods (b = –16.28, SE = 5.41, t(528) = 3.01; P = .003). Conclusions and ImplicationsUse of CCNP combined with RE may encourage healthy eating, especially for novel foods that children may typically refuse.

영유아기 자녀를 둔 취업모의 양육스트레스에 영향을 미치는 변인 : 부부갈등, 사회적 지지, 유아교육기관 만족도 및 가족친화제도를 중심으로

영유아기 자녀를 둔 취업모의 양육스트레스에 영향을 미치는 변인 : 부부갈등, 사회적 지지, 유아교육기관 만족도 및 가족친화제도를 중심으로

Young Children's Screen Time and Physical Activity: Perspectives of Parents and Early Care and Education Center Providers.

Early care and education (ECE) providers and parents can facilitate physical activity (PA) and reduce screen time in preschoolers. Input from caregivers on barriers and facilitators of PA and screen time is needed to comprehensively address these behaviors and promote children’s health. Four focus groups (3 parent and 1 ECE provider) were conducted. Thematic analysis was performed to identify themes and subthemes. Twenty-eight caregivers (21 parents and 7 ECE providers) participated. Caregivers reported responsibility for modeling and shaping children’s PA and screen time. Parents felt that a busy lifestyle was a PA barrier and encouraged screen time. ECE providers were concerned about certain environmental influences on PA. The groups differed in their view of screen time as either entertainment (parents) or educational (providers). Both types of caregivers were unaware of PA or screen time guidelines. Investigation into opportunities to utilize screen time to serve priorities of both caregivers and promote child PA are needed.

Design and methodology of a cluster-randomized trial in early care and education centers to meet physical activity guidelines: Sustainability via Active Garden Education (SAGE)

Strategies are needed to help early care and education centers (ECEC) comply with policies to meet daily physical activity and fruit and vegetable guidelines for young children. This manuscript describes the design and methodology of Sustainability via Active Garden Education (SAGE), a 12-session cluster-randomized controlled crossover design trial using community-based participatory research (CBPR) to test a garden-based ECEC physical activity and fruit and vegetables promotion intervention for young children aged 3–5 years in 20 sites. The SAGE curriculum uses the plant lifecycle as a metaphor for human development. Children learn how to plant, water, weed, harvest, and do simple food preparation involving washing, cleaning, and sampling fruit and vegetables along with active learning songs, games, science experiments, mindful eating exercises, and interactive discussions to reinforce various healthy lifestyle topics. Parents will receive newsletters and text messages linked to the curriculum, describing local resources and events, and to remind them about activities and assessments. Children will be measured on physical activity, height, and weight and observed during meal and snack times to document dietary habits. Parents will complete measures about dietary habits outside of the ECEC, parenting practices, home physical activity resources, and home fruit and vegetable availability. SAGE fills an important void in the policy literature by employing a participatory strategy to produce a carefully crafted and engaging curriculum with the goal of meeting health policy guidelines and educational accreditation standards. If successful, SAGE may inform and inspire widespread dissemination and implementation to reduce health disparities and improve health equity.

Safety, efficacy and acceptability of praziquantel in the treatment of Schistosoma haematobium in pre-school children of Kwale County, Kenya

BackgroundThe recommended strategy for control of schistosomiasis is preventive chemotherapy with praziquantel (PZQ). Pre-school children (PSC) are excluded from population treatment programs. In high endemic areas, these children are also at risk, and require treatment with PZQ. The Government of Kenya initiated the National School-Based Deworming Programme (NSBDP) where PSC in Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) Centers are only eligible for treatment with albendazole (ABZ) but not with PZQ.Methodology/Principal findings400 PSC were enrolled, from 10 randomly selected ECDE Centers in Kwale County, Kenya where children were treated with crushed PZQ tablets mixed with orange juice, at a single dose of 40 mg/kg. Adverse events were assessed 24 hours post-treatment through questionnaires administered to the parents or guardians. Acceptability was determined by observing if the child spat and/ or vomited all or part of the PZQ dose immediately after treatment. Efficacy was assessed by examining urine samples for Schistosoma haematobium eggs in the 5 weeks post-treatment follow-up. Children testing negative for S. haematobium during the follow-up were considered cured. Egg reduction rate (ERR) was calculated as the decrement in the infection intensity (group’s geometric mean egg counts per 10 ml of urine) following treatment expressed as a proportion of the pre-treatment infection intensity. Before treatment, 80 out of the 400 children enrolled in the study tested positive for S. haematobium (20.0% (95% confidence interval (CI) 16.4–24.2%). Of these, 41 had infections of heavy intensity (51.3%) while the rest (48.7%) were of light intensity. Five weeks post-treatment, 10 children who had heavy intensity infection were diagnosed with S. haematobium (prevalence: 2.5% (95% CI 1.5–4.9%). Infection intensities decreased significantly from 45.9 (95% CI: 31.0–68.0) eggs/ 10 ml urine to1.4 (95% CI: 1.1–1.7) eggs/ 10 ml urine during pre-and post-treatment respectively. The ERR was 96.9%. There were no severe adverse events during follow up 24 hours post treatment. Treatment tolerability among the 400 children was high as none of the children spat and/ or vomited as observed in this study.Conclusion/SignificanceThe study revealed that crushed PZQ is safe and effective in the treatment of urogenital schistosomiasis in this age group. It is therefore recommended that PZQ should be administered to the PSC in Kwale County.

Bridging the Intergenerational Gap: Reflections for the Field

ABSTRACTIn this paper, the authors describe the first year of a project and the process undertaken to implement intergenerational (IG) programs in two sites: a continuing care retirement community and an early care and education center, which are located geographically close to one another in a small Midwestern town in the United States. The authors discuss the application and results based on the management framework for IG programming articulated by Jarrot and colleagues (2006) and its utility for planning and implementing IG programming in both sites. Reflections about the planning and implementation and outcomes of IG programs are also included.

Screen-Time Policies and Practices in Early Care and Education Centers in Relationship to Child Physical Activity.

Few preschool children meet physical activity recommendations, whereas the majority exceeds screen-time recommendations. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of screen-time policies and practices with children's physical activity and sedentary time in early care and education (ECE) centers. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 104 children (3.3 ± 0.5 years; 50% girls) attending 10 ECE centers in the United States. Physical activity was measured by accelerometry. Screen-time practices were measured by classroom observation and director report. Mixed linear models were used to examine the relationship of screen-time practices with children's total physical activity (TPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time, adjusting for child's age, sex, and BMI z-score and taking into account the clustering of children within each center. Models were repeated to include director-reported active play time as a covariate. More limited/supervised screen-time (by observation) was related to higher TPA (p = 0.0003) and lower sedentary time (p = 0.0003). More limited/supervised screen-time (by director report) was related to higher TPA (p < 0.0001) and MVPA (p = 0.021) and lower sedentary time (p < 0.0001). Associations remained significant when active play time was included as a covariate. TPA was inversely related to computer access (p = 0.0015) and positively related to the use of educational screen-time compared with noneducational screen-time (p = 0.04). Limiting computer usage and ensuring screen-time is educational, and integrated within the curriculum may benefit children's physical activity levels and reduce time spent sedentary.

Feasibility of a Multicomponent Program to Promote Physical Activity and Nutrition in Georgia Low-Income Early Care and Education Settings.

This article describes the process and intermediate outcomes from a program implemented in 65 Early Care and Education (ECE) centers serving low-income families throughout Georgia during the 2014-2017 school years. The HealthMPowers' Empowering Healthy Choices in Schools, Homes, and Communities ECE program was based on the organization's previously successful elementary school program and aligns with current early childhood nutrition and physical activity recommendations. Participating centers worked with HealthMPowers for up to 3 years. A team from each center led changes by conducting annual self-assessments, creating and implementing improvement plans, and implementing nutrition and physical activity programs using educational resources and environmental cues. A monitoring and evaluation plan provided ongoing feedback to HealthMPowers and centers. Family and staff surveys provided insights into behaviors of children, families, and staff. Process measures included specific benchmarks (e.g., center leadership team formation, improvement plan implementation). Annual self-assessment results served as intermediate outcome measures. As of 2017, 65 centers had enrolled in the program. All centers formed a health team and completed the baseline self-assessment and most implemented an improvement plan (88%). At the 1-year follow-up self-assessment, centers reported improvements from baseline including never offering food incentives for good behavior (75%-86%), conducting taste testing at least once a month (61%-79%), and rarely/never serving sugar-sweetened beverages (93%-96%). Initial process measures from a multicomponent health promotion program in ECE were promising. An integrated continuous improvement approach to working with child care settings is feasible and likely effective.

Enfoques educativos, culturales, éticos y en valores de la Educación Inicial

Analizar los nuevos enfoques educativos, culturales, éticos y en valores de la Educación Inicial fue el objetivo general de este estudio de investigación formativa. Promover la importancia que tiene el inspirar valores a los niños desde temprana edad es, como futuros docentes de educación infantil, un reto en una sociedad multicultural e intercultural, desarrollando seres humanos respetuosos con una sociedad democrática. La metodología de este proyecto de investigación es cuantitativa y cualitativa, de carácter exploratorio y descriptivo. El instrumento utilizado es la entrevista. La población universo del Centro de Educación Inicial fue siete docentes. Todos ellos trabajan con niños de cero a tres años de edad. El instrumento contiene quince reactivos acerca de la temática en cuestión, es decir, la interculturalidad y lo que implica la implementación de la misma en la institución permitiendo verificar los conocimientos de los docentes acerca del tema y su aplicación, rigiéndose al Plan del Buen Vivir (2013-2017).Las conclusiones extraídas son las diferencias entendidas sobre la interculturalidad, multiculturalidad y pluriculturalidad por parte de los docentes y sus características comprendiendo su importancia dentro del marco del Buen Vivir. Se resalta que la interacción de los docentes con los alumnos es constante y buscan implementar en los niños diversos valores, la aceptación de diversas culturas y tradiciones a través de temas o clases especificas; sin embargo, también se pudo comprobar que como institución no cuentan con un programa explícito donde trabajen sobre los temas antes mencionados siendo un Centro Infantil donde coexisten niños de diversas provincias y nacionalidades.