Early Learning Environments Research Articles

Early Childhood Creativity: Challenging Educators in Their Role to Intentionally Develop Creative Thinking in Children

Creativity is a topic of wide global interest, often discussed in fields such as education, psychology and business (Runco, Divergent thinking and creative potential, Hampton Press, New York, 2013; Yoruk and Runco, Journal for Neurocognitive Research 56:1–16, 2014). However, the relationship of pedagogical practices in early childhood education and care (ECEC) as it applies to the development of creative thought processes of young children is a relatively new area for investigation. This paper presents recent research that examines the role of the educator as an intentional teacher within Australian early learning environments and investigates the relationship of this role to children’s developing creativity. Theoretically informed by Vygotsky’s sociocultural constructivist approach (Vygotsky, Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1930, 1978) and neo-Vygotskian theories on creativity (John-Steiner and Moran, Educational Psychologist 31:191–206, 2012), this paper explores some of the beliefs and understandings of educators on creativity. Furthermore, this paper exposes some of the misconceptions of educators about children’s creative thinking as they engage in play-based learning activities. The evidence from this Australian study suggests that the role of the educator is pivotal in assisting children in the early development of creative thinking thus challenging their role as educators.

The relationship between teacher qualification and the quality of the early childhood education and care environment

The relationship between teacher qualification and the quality of the early childhood education and care environment

Using a logic model to evaluate the Kids Together early education inclusion program for children with disabilities and additional needs

Despite clear evidence that learning and social opportunities for children with disabilities and special needs are more effective in inclusive not segregated settings, there are few known effective inclusion programs available to children with disabilities, their families or teachers in the early years within Australia. The Kids Together program was developed to support children with disabilities/additional needs aged 0–8 years attending mainstream early learning environments. Using a key worker transdisciplinary team model, the program aligns with the individualised package approach of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). AimThis paper reports on the use of a logic model to underpin the process, outcomes and impact evaluation of the Kids Together program. MethodsThe research team worked across 15 Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) centres and in home and community settings. A realist evaluation using mixed methods was undertaken to understand what works, for whom and in what contexts. The development of a logic model provided a structured way to explore how the program was implemented and achieved short, medium and long term outcomes within a complex community setting. Discussion and conclusionKids Together was shown to be a highly effective and innovative model for supporting the inclusion of children with disabilities/additional needs in a range of environments central for early childhood learning and development. The use of a logic model provided a visual representation of the Kids Together model and its component parts and enabled a theory of change to be inferred, showing how a coordinated and collaborative approached can work across multiple environments.

The Digital Handshake: A Group Contract for Authentic eLearning in Higher Education

An emerging challenge for the Australian higher education sector is the delivery of authentic eLearning to support the collaborative construction of knowledge through the provision of real-life tasks in an online environment. This paper describes research conducted in a fourth-year university course where students from across the nation were required to work in small groups to complete an online assignment task: to design a provocation that could be integrated into an early childhood learning environment to promote multiliteracies learning. A qualitative design-based study of two cohorts of students found that online group work facilitates authentic connections between educational theory and practice, and that the introduction of a ‘digital handshake’ group contract can support these processes.

Exploring the Utilization of Funds to Support Health Promotion Programs in Early Learning Environments

The Department of Basic Education has instituted several measures for improvement in the provision of early education in South Africa. Despite these efforts and resource allocations, health promotion in centers of early learning remains a challenge. This study focused on utilization of funds allocated to Grade R classes. Participants from schools and community-based sites with Grade R classes participated in this research. The main instruments for data collection included individual interviews, photographs and documents. The findings from this study indicated that funds allocated to health programs are channeled to fund other priorities, which are academically inclined. A low priority given to health promotion was visible in the budgets, with schools as worst culprits. Lack of monitoring and control of the budgets and absence of adherence to the stipulations in circular 33/2010 were the main challenges. The visibility and involvement of the government departments in Community-Based Centers, assist...

The Digital Handshake: A Group Contract for Authentic eLearning in Higher Education

An emerging challenge for the Australian higher education sector is the delivery of authentic eLearning to support the collaborative construction of knowledge through the provision of real-life tasks in an online environment. This paper describes research conducted in a fourth-year university course where students from across the nation were required to work in small groups to complete an online assignment task: to design a provocation that could be integrated into an early childhood learning environment to promote multiliteracies learning. A qualitative design-based study of two cohorts of students found that online group work facilitates authentic connections between educational theory and practice, and that the introduction of a ‘digital handshake’ group contract can support these processes.

Enhancing the early home learning environment through a brief group parenting intervention: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.

BackgroundThe quality of the home learning environment has a significant influence on children’s language and communication skills during the early years with children from disadvantaged families disproportionately affected. This paper describes the protocol and participant baseline characteristics of a community-based effectiveness study. It evaluates the effects of ‘smalltalk’, a brief group parenting intervention (with or without home coaching) on the quality of the early childhood home learning environment.Methods/designThe study comprises two cluster randomised controlled superiority trials (one for infants and one for toddlers) designed and conducted in parallel. In 20 local government areas (LGAs) in Victoria, Australia, six locations (clusters) were randomised to one of three conditions: standard care (control); smalltalk group-only program; or smalltalk plus (group program plus home coaching). Programs were delivered to parents experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage through two existing age-based services, the maternal and child health service (infant program, ages 6–12 months), and facilitated playgroups (toddler program, ages 12–36 months). Outcomes were assessed by parent report and direct observation at baseline (0 weeks), post-intervention (12 weeks) and follow-up (32 weeks). Primary outcomes were parent verbal responsivity and home activities with child at 32 weeks. Secondary outcomes included parenting confidence, parent wellbeing and children’s communication, socio-emotional and general development skills. Analyses will use intention-to-treat random effects (“multilevel”) models to account for clustering.Recruitment and baseline dataAcross the 20 LGAs, 986 parents of infants and 1200 parents of toddlers enrolled and completed baseline measures. Eighty four percent of families demonstrated one or more of the targeted risk factors for poor child development (low income; receives government benefits; single, socially isolated or young parent; culturally or linguistically diverse background).DiscussionThis study will provide unique data on the effectiveness of a brief group parenting intervention for enhancing the early home learning environment of young children from disadvantaged families. It will also provide evidence of the extent to which additional one-on-one support is required to achieve change and whether there are greater benefits when delivered in the 1st year of life or later. The program has been designed for scale-up across existing early childhood services if proven effective.Trial registration8 September 2011; ACTRN12611000965909.

Associations between inattention, hyperactivity and pre-reading skills before and after formal reading instruction begins

Concurrent associations between teacher ratings of inattention, hyperactivity and pre-reading skills were examined in 64 pre-schoolers who had not commenced formal reading instruction and 136 school entrants who were in the first weeks of reading instruction. Both samples of children completed measures of pre-reading skills, namely phonological awareness, phonological memory, rapid naming, and letter name knowledge, as well as a measure of verbal ability. School entrants also completed measures of letter sound knowledge and beginning word identification skills. Teachers completed rating scales of inattention and hyperactivity. In the preschool sample, teacher-rated inattention and hyperactivity were not correlated with measures of children’s phonological processing but were correlated with letter name knowledge. In comparison, inattention, but not hyperactivity, was independently related to all measures of school entrants’ phonological processing and alphabet knowledge and their knowledge of high frequency words. Structural equation modelling on the school entrant sample revealed that the relationship between inattention and beginning word identification was mediated by pre-reading skills, suggesting that attention problems may compromise reading development during the earliest stages of learning to read through their impact on pre-reading skills. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the consideration of inattention in the design of effective and engaging early childhood learning environments.

ELEMENTOS CONSTITUTIVOS DA EXPERIÊNCIA INFANTIL

O artigo apresenta os elementos que compõem as experiências produzidas pelas crianças no ambiente da Educação Infantil. A categoria experiência foi refinada a partir da crítica da cultura e da modernidade de Walter Benjamin e dos Estudos Sociais da Infância. O estudo de caráter qualitativo buscou captar a densidade das ações das crianças. Identificou-se que as experiências das crianças são resultantes da combinatória de ações que elas desenvolvem nas relações que estabelecem com os artefatos, nas relações vivenciadas entre elas e os adultos e por último nas relações entre as próprias crianças. Ao vivenciar as experiências no âmbito da instituição, as crianças articulam-nas a situações vividas em temporalidades distintas das dos adultos, criando, assim, campos de experiências.

Sources of Lead and Steps to Reduce Lead Exposure in Homes, Child Care, and Early Learning Environments

Childhood lead poisoning is one of the best understood and most preventable childhood diseases. Yet each year lead exposure is estimated to contribute to about 600,000 new cases of intellectual disabilities among children, according to the World Health Organization. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that children in at least 4 million households are being exposed to high levels of lead. Many parents and early childhood care providers are well aware of the detrimental effects of lead exposure, especially on young children. However, as Schlieber and Neuharth-Pritchett point out, its detection is not always a focus. This article helps to refocus our attention on this enemy of happy and healthy childhoods and draw attention to easy steps everyone can take to reduce exposure to lead not only in homes, but also in child care and early learning settings, and all of the other environments in which children grow up.

Longer-term associations of preschool education: The predictive role of preschool quality for the development of mathematical skills through elementary school

This study investigates the longer-term associations of preschool quality with the development of mathematical skills during elementary school, taking into account early and subsequent learning environments at home and at elementary school. The arithmetic skills of a German sample of 554 children in grades 1–3 (ages 7:5–9:3 years) were analyzed using latent linear growth curve models to test the extent to which the quality of preschool math instruction is related to entry skills in grade 1 and rates of change over time from grades 1–3. In addition, we asked whether preschool quality interacted with quality of the home environment (HLE) during early or middle childhood in predicting math skills.Results show that initial mathematical skills at grade 1 were predicted by numerical skills at preschool age, and socio-economic status of the family. Moderator analyses revealed that middle childhood HLE moderated the preschool quality effect on the initial status of mathematical skills in grade 1 in such a way that preschool quality was associated with mathematical skills at grade 1 when middle childhood HLE was in the higher range. Growth in mathematical skills between grade 1 and 3 of elementary school was positively predicted by preschool quality even when controlling for the quality of the subsequent learning environments. Furthermore, elementary school quality was positively related to growth in mathematical skills during the observed period between grade 1 and 3. Moderator analyses revealed that effects of elementary school and preschool are additive as no significant interactive effects between quality in elementary school and preschool have been found. The study highlights the importance of high quality preschools for child development during elementary school.

Who are the Most Disadvantaged? Factors Associated with the Achievement of Students with Low SocioEconomic Backgrounds

The achievement gap between distinct groups of students has increasingly been an important subject of focus in the contemporary educational literature, governments' educational policies (irrespective of their development level), and the endeavors of international organizations (such as UNESCO and Word Bank), since education is proven to be a substantial strategy to reduce poverty and enhance individuals' and communities' overall living condition (Darling-Hammond, 2010; Fullan, 2006). A major body of educational policy research examined the achievement gap and found it to be substantial among those who were labeled as low socio-economic status (SES) and minority students (Crane, 1996; Desimone & Long, 2010; Delen & Bellibas, 2015; Flores, 2007; Haycock, 2001; Kober, 2001; Ladson-Billings, 2006; Lubienski, 2002). It is consistently found that unlike students with higher socio economic status SES backgrounds, students who suffer from lower SES living conditions are less likely to succeed in elementary and secondary and to attend a higher education institution (Daniel, 2009; Gelbal, 2008; Perry & McConney, 2010; Undheim & Nordvik, 1992). The issue is especially critical for successful low SES students. Wyner, Bridgeland, and Dilulio (2007), for instance, reported that high achieving low income students are more likely to fail during their primary and secondary education, and less likely to graduate from college when compared with their high-SES counterparts.Many potential remedies to the problem are discussed in the literature. Some proposed solutions have put considerable pressure on schools. In many studies and articles, the school is considered a useful intervention in addressing the disadvantages associated with low SES backgrounds (e.g., Darling-Hammond, 2000; Haycock, 1998; Ingersoll, 2001; Jesse, Davis, & Pokorny, 2004; Koedel, 2009; Mosteller, 1995; Rivkin, Hanushek, & Kain, 2005; Sanders & Horn, 1998). Educational researchers found that the variation of achievement among students is larger between different than the variation within each individual school. This finding reveals the significant contribution of the teacher to student learning outcomes. Further research concluded that the teacher has a greater influence on student learning than any other school-related factors and that good quality teaching matters (Hanushek & Kain, 2005), particularly for students from disadvantaged backgrounds (Haycock, 2001; Koedel, 2009; Sanders & Horn, 1998). Ensuring an adequate supply of well-qualified teachers in high-minority schools is considered to be an effective way to deal with the achievement problem of low-SES students (Kober, 2001). Even though such research emphasizes the importance of effective teachers, measuring teacher effectiveness has been the subject of controversy, and not much has been done to assign teachers who are considered effective to with high concentrations of low-SES students. Yet, some other school policies, such as reducing class size, have been implemented and resulted in substantial academic gains for low-SES students (Mosteller, 1995).Besides remedies aimed at improving students' education in schools, researchers have proposed various other policies and strategies for intervention programs to alleviate the detrimental impact of SES on the academic achievement of lower SES students. The list of solutions they produced mostly suggested the importance of early childhood education, parenting, and household issues (Bellibas & Gumus, 2013; Darling-Hammond, 2010; Ingram, Wolfe, & Lieberman, 2007; Lareau, 1987, 2002, 2003; Rothstein, 2004; Scott- Jones, 1987). For instance, Darling-Hammond (2010) reports 2006 PISA results and argues that the U.S has the largest existing achievement gap among students with differing SES, when compared to other developed countries. In addition to assigning high quality teachers to vulnerable environments, Darling-Hammond highlights the importance of the provision of basic life needs for low-income students, as well as the creation of supportive early learning environments. …

Making art matter-ings: Engaging (with) art in early childhood education, in Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract This article examines the special nature of Te Whāriki, Aotearoa New Zealand’s early childhood national curriculum, as a dynamic social, cultural document through an exploration of two art-inspired imaginary case studies. Thinking with Te Whāriki retains the potential to ignite thinking post-developmentally about art, pedagogy and practice in teacher education, and in the field. It offers examples of how creating spaces for engaging (with) art as pedagogy acts as a catalyst for change, art offers a dynamic way of knowing, and being-with the different life-worlds we inhabit. While new paradigms for thinking and practicing art in education continue to push the boundaries of developmentally and individually responsive child-centred pedagogies, an emphasis on multiple literacies often gets in the way. This prohibits opportunities for engaging in other more complex approaches to pedagogy and art as subject-content knowledge, something essential for developing a rich curriculum framework. The article draws on research that emphasises the importance of teacher education in opening up spaces for thinking about (the history of) art in/and of education as more than a communication/language tool. It considers an inclusive and broad knowledge-building-communities approach that values the contribution that art, artists, and others offer the 21st early learning environments we find ourselves in.

Teachers as Brokers

This paper explores a small sample of Australian early childhood teachers’ perceptions of the rights-based conceptsparticipationandagency. We recognise and reconcile some of the perceived tensions between the debates on participation and protection and how these play out in the teaching and learning spaces of early childhood education. Teachers’ reflections on these concepts in relation to practice are highly significant to the field, connecting the concepts of children’s rights to the reality of everyday practices in early childhood education and care settings. As brokers or conduits to participation in early learning environments, a better understanding of teacher’s professional stance enables opportunities for young children to be better heard. An understanding of complexities and relatedness within these settings, can lead to more consistent and clear policy implementation.

Prevalence and influences of preschoolers' sedentary behaviors in early learning centers: a cross-sectional study.

BackgroundRecent research has highlighted the need for increased evidence regarding the sedentary activity levels of preschoolers. Given the large proportion of time this population spends in various early learning facilities, the exploration of sedentary behaviors within this particular environment should be a priority. The purpose of the study was two-fold: (1) to compare sedentary time of preschoolers in three different early learning environments (i.e., full-day kindergarten [FDK], center-, and home-based childcare); and (2) to assess which characteristics (i.e., staff behaviors, sedentary environment, fixed play environment, portable play environment, sedentary opportunities) of these early learning environments influence preschoolers’ sedentary time.MethodsData collection occurred between September 2011 and June 2012. Preschoolers’ sedentary time was measured using Actical™ accelerometers at a 15 s epoch. The Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation (EPAO) tool was used to assess the sedentary environment of participating early learning classrooms, and those subscales (n = 5) that were evidence-informed as potentially influencing sedentary time in early learning centers were explored in the current study. A linear mixed model ANCOVA was carried out to determine the differences in sedentary time based on type of early learning environment while direct entry regression analyses were performed to describe the relationships between sedentary time and the five sedentary-specific EPAO subscale.ResultsPreschoolers (n = 218) from 28 early learning programs (i.e., 8 FDK, 9 centre-, and 8 home-based childcare facilities) participated. Accelerometry data revealed that preschoolers attending centre-based childcare engaged in the highest rate of sedentary time (41.62 mins/hr, SD = 3.78) compared to preschoolers in home-based childcare (40.72 mins/hr, SD = 6.34) and FDK (39.68 mins/hr, SD = 3.43). The models for FDK, center-based childcare, and home-based childcare, comprised each of the five EPAO subscales accounted for 10.5 %, 5.9 %, and 40.78 % of the variability in sedentary time, respectively. Only the models for FDK and home-based childcare were found to be statistically significant (p < .05).ConclusionsThis is the first exploration of differences in sedentary time among preschoolers in different early learning arrangements. Findings highlight the substantial portion of the day preschoolers spend in sedentary pursuits, and subsequently, the ongoing need to reduce preschoolers’ sedentary time in early learning programs, particularly among those attending centre-based childcare facilities.

Environmental Influences on Preschoolers' Physical Activity Levels in Various Early-Learning Facilities

Purpose: This study aimed to: (a) compare the physical activity (PA) levels (i.e., moderate-to-vigorous PA [MVPA] and total PA [TPA]) of preschoolers in 3 different early-learning environments (center-based childcare, home-based childcare, and full-day kindergarten [FDK]); and (b) assess which characteristics (e.g., play equipment, policies, etc.) of these settings influenced preschoolers' PA. Method: Twenty-seven facilities (9 centers, 10 homes, and 8 FDK) participated in this study. Participants (aged 2.5–5 years; n = 297) were fitted with Actical™ accelerometers for 5 consecutive days during childcare/school hours to assess their PA. The Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation (EPAO) tool was used to objectively examine the PA environment of all participating facilities. Finally, demographic questionnaires were administered to preschoolers' parents/guardians. Results: Preschoolers in FDK accumulated significantly more MVPA (p < .05; 3.33 min/hr) than those in center- (1.58 min/hr) and home-based (1.75 min/hr) childcare, and they accumulated significantly more TPA (p < .05; 20.31 min/hr) than those in center-based childcare (18.36 min/hr). For FDK, the Active Opportunities, Sedentary Opportunities, Sedentary Environment, and Fixed Play Environment subscales of the EPAO significantly impacted both MVPA and TPA. For center-based childcare, only the Sedentary Environment subscale was found to impact MVPA and TPA. No subscales influenced children's MVPA or TPA in home-based childcare. Conclusions: This research underscores the need to encourage/support preschoolers' active behaviors in early-learning settings, particularly for those in center- and home-based childcare. Furthermore, this article highlights environmental and staff characteristics on which future PA programming should focus.

Children’s perceptions of their experiences in early learning environments: An exploration of power and hierarchy

This qualitative study explores five children’s perspectives of their experiences in both a university laboratory school and in their current public school setting. The perceptions of the children, aged between 4 and 6, provide innovative and significant information on how early childhood education is being realised in Ontario, Canada, as the government’s full-day kindergarten curriculum is being fully implemented across the province. Children express their thoughts and opinions on their learning through semi-structured conversations and child-produced drawings. Employing the ‘new’ sociology of childhood, critical pedagogy and a child rights–based perspective as theoretical frameworks, an overarching theme of power and hierarchy is established throughout the children’s descriptions of their experiences in their current public elementary school setting. More specifically, this central theme of power and hierarchy, and how it is realised in classroom environments in order to regulate and control children, is explored through the children’s descriptions of space, pedagogical practice, rules, and their decision-making and influence on curriculum.

Early Childhood Family Learning Environment's Influence on Adolescent Learning Achievement in Taiwan

THIS STUDY USED FOUR waves of the Taiwan Education Panel Survey (TEPS) for seventh to twelfth grade students to construct a latent growth model (LGM) and carry out a longitudinal analysis, in order to explore the influence of the early childhood family learning environment on later adolescent learning achievement, performance and change. The results showed that adolescents with better performance in early learning had greater growth in later learning achievements. In addition, when preschool children had a good family learning environment, it benefited their cognitive skill development before they entered elementary school, and enhanced their reading interest as well as self-education expectations. This consequence further improved adolescent learning achievements, and these advantaged children had significantly higher learning growth levels later than children without such advantages.

Developmentally universal practice: visioning innovative early childhood pedagogy for meeting the needs of diverse learners

Although developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) has strong merits, there are considerations pertaining to its development and implementation which must be raised. In order for educators to include diverse voices of young children, the time has come for a new conversation to unfold introducing developmentally universal practice (DUP). With this new discourse, DUP would be considered a framework for early childhood pedagogy by supporting creative possibilities for teaching and learning, providing leadership and guidance for children, and addressing issues regarding diversity and inclusion. DUP would focus on intentional high-quality activities and promote equal access for young children, birth to age 8. This evaluative paper will address characteristics of DUP and using DUP for a variety of learners both from diverse cultural and/or linguistic backgrounds. A section is also devoted to relational pedagogy and preparing teachers to teach DUP with instructional strategies for early learning environments.

PROTOCOL: The Relationship between Teacher Qualification and the Quality of the Early Childhood Care and Learning Environment: A Systematic Review

PROTOCOL: The Relationship between Teacher Qualification and the Quality of the Early Childhood Care and Learning Environment: A Systematic Review