Kindergarten Settings Research Articles

Together from kindergarten: exploring quality to inform inclusion in early childhood settings in Bulgaria

ABSTRACTThe Bulgarian Government has made a commitment to inclusive early childhood education and care (ECEC) systems for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). High-quality ECEC settings are more inclusive and responsive to children's individual learning needs. In partnership with UNICEF, the Ministry for Education established a pilot project, ‘Together from Kindergarten’, to enhance quality and support early childhood settings in creating and maintaining quality conditions that support all children's right to access and participate in ECEC. As part of this project, the ECERS-3 was used as a broad measure to explore quality across 40 kindergarten settings. Evidence suggests that despite the positive attitudes of ECEC teachers towards inclusion, the quality of the kindergartens was low, with particular challenges concerning teacher–child interactions and individualised learning supports. The study offers important insights into how ECEC settings in Bulgaria can enhance quality to develop conditions that support children with SEND to participate in mainstream ECEC provision.

Sign learning and its use in a co-enrollment kindergarten setting.

Experimental studies report positive effects of signing for language acquisition and communication in children with and without language development delays. However, little data are available on natural kindergarten settings. Therefore, our study used questionnaire data to investigate the sign learning in hearing children (aged 3;7–5;9 years) with and without language development delays in an inclusive kindergarten group with a co-enrolled deaf child (aged 3;8 years) and a deaf signing educator. We observed that the hearing children in this co-enrollment group learned more signs than the hearing children from groups with only hearing educators who learned signs in a training program. Hearing children’s sign learning showed a tendency toward correlating positively with their level of spoken language development. However, the individual background for children with language development delays impacted this relationship. Additionally, we examined the modality use of all children in interactions with hearing and deaf educators and peers using questionnaire and video data. Despite acquiring signs, hearing children predominantly used spoken language with hearing educators and predominantly nonverbal communication strategies with the deaf educator and the deaf child. Children with language development delays used code-blending with hearing educators in a few cases. The deaf child used mainly sign language for interactions with the deaf educator and mainly nonverbal communication with hearing educators and peers. Overall, our results suggest that the presence of a deaf educator increases sign learning in hearing children. However, in interactions during free play, they barely used signs making it particularly challenging for the deaf child to participate. This reveals that, in addition to a deaf role model, more sign language competent peers and targeted approaches increasing the use of the visual modality are required.

Kindergarten practitioners’ perspectives on intergenerational programs in Norwegian kindergartens during the COVID-19 pandemic: exploring transitions and transformations in institutional practices

ABSTRACT Intergenerational programs have benefits for both children and older adults; however, the ongoing pandemic has changed social situations across the globe. The focus of this article is on exploring transitions and transformations due to societal conditions and demands that drive the implementation of intergenerational programs during a time of a global crisis that is the COVID-19 pandemic. Through an online survey form and focus group discussion, a total of 64 kindergarten practitioners shared their perspectives on intergenerational programs between young children and older adults in kindergartens in Norway. Kindergarten practitioners identified challenges that hinder intergenerational programs in kindergarten settings during the pandemic, as well as conditions that facilitate its implementation. Implications from this research indicate the need to think differently to be able to provide children with intergenerational experiences in kindergarten settings in Norway even during the pandemic and beyond.

Physical education interventions improve the fundamental movement skills in kindergarten: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Fundamental motor skills (FMS) are the foundation for the development of advanced motor skills. To assess the effect of physical activity intervention on the promotion of FMS and explore the influencing factor of physical activity intervention on the development of FMS in preschool children. Trails with children aged 3-7yeas in kindergarten settings that applied physical activity intervention programs were included. We calculated the effects on overall FMS, locomotor skill and object control skill subscales (LMS and OCS) by weighted standardized mean differences using random-effects models. In this study, 23 trials involving 2258 preschoolers (aged 3.3-6.5years) were selected, including 7 high quality studies, 11 medium quality studies and 5 low quality studies. Analysis of the effects of physical activity intervention revealed significant differences among groups in favor of intervention group, FMS (SMD = 1.50, 95% CL [1.29, 1.71], I2 = 89.7%), locomotor skills (SMD = 1.56, 95% CL [1.38, 1.75], I2 = 59.2%), object control skills (SMD = 1.43, 95% CL [1.25, 1.61], I2 = 93.8%). Physical activity interventions can significantly improve FMS in healthy preschool aged children. However, we should be cautious due to the limited researches, low-quality evidence and immediate post-intervention effects without long-term follow-up.

The role of the medium for verbal engagement: shared reading in groups with books and apps in Norwegian ECEC-institutions

ABSTRACT This article presents findings from a study carried out with groups of children (N = 72; M = 57.2 months) in early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions in Norway. Twelve teachers read two stories, once in a print book format and once in a picture book app, with groups of children. Children’s and teachers’ verbal engagement was coded for dialogue length (duration) and topic (frequency; utterance about medium or narrative/content). Findings revealed that average dialogue length does not vary as an effect of medium. However, there are significantly more utterances about the medium in app readings than in book readings. Moreover, apps that are high in interactivity and hot spots, generate more talk about the medium than low-interactivity apps. Implications of these findings for shared reading with groups of children in kindergarten settings, are discussed.

Bullying and Victimization in Chinese Affordable Kindergartens: A Latent Profile Analysis

Research on bullying and victimization has largely focused on univariate analyses on older children. Little is known regarding the bullying and victimization experience of young children with a person-centered approach, especially in Chinese affordable kindergarten settings. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and underlying profiles of bullying and victimization experiences. The study was based on a sample of 92,528 children aging from 2 to 6 years old enrolled in 582 Chinese affordable kindergartens. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted to identify latent profiles of participants based on their bullying-victimization characteristics. The results suggested that the most common bullying form was physical bullying, followed by verbal bullying, and social bullying. A three-class model was identified from the involved participants: not involved class, physical bully-victim class, and verbal-physical victim class. Male children were more likely to be in the “physical bully-victim” and “verbal-physical victim” class than female children. Children with one or more siblings were more likely than children with no sibling to be in the “physical bully-victim” and “verbal-physical victim” class. Our study suggests that bullying may be prevalent in affordable kindergarten and it is urgent to create a policy framework to identify, intervene and prevent bullying behaviors.

Moving beyond ‘gender-neutral’: creating gender expansive environments in early childhood education

ABSTRACT In this research, feminist post-structuralism and queer theory were used to examine Australian early childhood educators’ views on children’s gender identity development, and the content on gender in the Australian Government’s Early Years Learning Framework. The methodology and study design were based upon qualitative phenomenological research methods. The participants consisted of 12 early childhood educators who worked in kindergarten and long day care settings. The data was collected through semi-structured focus groups and semi-structured interviews. Feminist post-structuralist discourse analysis was used to identify discourses deployed within participants’ responses in relation to how they may enable or constrain pro-diversity spaces. Implications of this research include the need for further support and guidance for educators through policy, curriculum, resources and teacher education. This research highlighted the need to trouble the notion of ‘gender-neutral’ and the value of fostering gender expansive environments in early childhood education.

Supporting language and literacy development with intensive small-group interventions: An early childhood efficacy study

The strong association of early language skills to later reading ability suggests that supporting the development of these skills in children who enter school with below average language abilities may lead to stronger literacy development. Despite this, few evidence-based supplemental language interventions exist for school-based implementation. The current paper reports on 2 large-scale randomized trials of 5 small-group, intensive language-focused interventions implemented in preschool and kindergarten settings. After screening on an expressive language measure, 342 preschool children were randomized to either business-as-usual general education or to 1 of 3 10- or 12-week interventions. Comparably, after screening, 905 kindergarten children were randomized to business-as-usual or to 1 of 4 8-12-week interventions. Children were assessed pre- and post-intervention on a battery of distal standardized language, including listening comprehension, and early literacy measures. Results indicated significant impacts for 3 of the 5 interventions in 1 or 2 grades, on at least 1 standardized measure, although none of the interventions directly impacted listening comprehension measures. Implications for supporting language development and for the early prevention of reading comprehension difficulties are discussed.

Provisions Supporting Dialectical Thinking and Emotion Comprehension in Kindergarten Settings

This paper explores the correlations between provisions created by teachers to support dialectical thinking and emotion comprehension in the learning environment of preschool institutions. Particularly, it describes the instruments designed by researchers at Moscow City University’s Laboratory of Child Development to assess the characteristics of preschool learning environment that promote dialectical thinking and emotion comprehension of children. Assessment scales were constructed using the principles underlying the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS‑3). This article presents the results of validation of the developed assessment tools, which involved the contrasting groups method, analysis of expert scores consistency, and calculation of internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha). Than the validated tools were used to test the hypothesis that preschool teachers who create provisions to support emotion comprehension in children are significantly more likely to also support provisions for dialectical thinking. The sample consisted of 31 preschool student groups from 23 educational institutions representing nine administrative districts of Moscow, with both low- and high-quality learning environments. Correlation analysis was used to demonstrate a strong relationship between preschool settings necessary to develop emotion comprehension and dialectical thinking of children. The findings of this study allow recommending the designed tools to be used for assessment of kindergarten learning environments and can serve as the basis for reconceptualizing the pedagogical framework of supporting emotional and cognitive development of children to make it more coherent and consistently embracing the psychological characteristics of preschoolers.

Affordances for Science Learning in “Bush Kinders”

The European forest kindergarten movement has recently translated into an Australian ‘bush kinder’ approach. The affordances of bush kindergarten settings with relation to the science experienced through play has not been previously investigated. This pilot project followed three kindergartens in South Eastern Australia using a bush kindergarten approach. A phenomenographic case study approach was used, in which data consisted of observations of ‘science learning through play’ during bush kinder sessions and educator interviews. Using interactive video interviews, educators were asked to comment on their perceptions of the science that formed children’s play. Findings suggest that the bush kinder environment enables children to experience and improve their understanding of a range of science ideas, however, there is an impact in the scope of children’s learning based on the educator scaffolding. It is argued here that bush kinder provides affordances for science learning and makes an important contribution to science education.

Reflecting on ‘quality’ in early childhood education: practitioners’ perspectives and voices

ABSTRACT Despite widespread availability, accessibility and affordability of early years settings in the Maltese context, the quality of services within childcare and kindergarten has never been explored. This study presents the perspectives of 436 practitioners from 50 childcare or kindergarten settings who were invited to reflect upon their understanding of quality through an interview or focus group discussion. Practitioners are key, influential stakeholders, responsible for supporting young children and their families at a significant time of growth, development and transitions. Given their crucial role in providing quality learning experiences, it is imperative to access their insights into ‘quality’ issues which can offer much-needed evidence for policy development. NVivo analysis of practitioners’ responses to an open-ended question yielded five broad factors including environmental factors, relationships, practitioner matters, child-oriented factors and issues associated with policies and praxis. These results are interpreted in light of their implications for policymakers and practitioners.

The effect of family literacy programs on the development of children’s early literacy in kindergarten settings

Abstract The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of family literacy programs on developing kindergarten children’s early literacy skills in Qatar. Three hundred and twenty kindergarten children (166 girls and 154 boys; mean age = 4.721 years) participated in the study. The sample was divided into two groups: the experimental group with (162) children whose parents participated in family literacy programs and the control group with (158) children whose parents did not participate. For the purpose of the study, the researchers designed an early literacy test that included five literacy skills: concepts of print, phonological awareness, letter knowledge, vocabulary, and emergent writing. The children in each group were pre-tested and post-tested. The findings indicated that there were statistically significant differences between the two groups as children in the experimental group had higher scores in the early literacy test compared to the control group. Among the sample studied, boys’ and girls’ early literacy scores were not markedly differentiated. Furthermore, the findings indicated that there was no difference due to the interaction between group and gender. In light of these results, recommendations for establishing family literacy programs in Qatari kindergarten settings are addressed.

Correlates of Public Kindergarten Teachers’ Self-efficacy and Their Developmentally Appropriate Practice Beliefs in Selected Districts in the Central Region, Ghana

The study examined relationships between Kindergarten Teachers’ Self-efficacy and their Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) beliefs in selected pubic basic schools in two Districts in the Central Region, Ghana. The study was underpinned by Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory. The cross-sectional survey design was adopted for the study. Simple Random and Purposive sampling techniques were used in selecting the districts and kindergarten teachers. The sample size for the study was 274 kindergarten teachers, data analysis was however based on responses from 264 of them. An adaption of the long version of Tschannen Moran and Hoy Self-efficacy scale and self developed items from the 12 principles of DAP were used to gather data. Means, Pearsons Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and Standard Multiple Regression were used in analyzing data. The findings revealed that kindergarten teachers’ beliefs in employing DAP in kindergarten settings was high. There was a small but positive statistically significant correlation between kindergarten teachers’ self-efficacy and their developmentally appropriate practice beliefs. It also came to light that, of the three self-efficacy sub-variables, kindergarten teachers’ self-efficacy in instructional strategies was the strongest predictor of their developmentally appropriate practice beliefs. It was recommended that stakeholders should organize workshops, seminars, for kindergarten teachers to enable them become abreast with current trends that would increase their self-efficacy and also their belief in their ability to use DAP. Keywords: kindergarten, self-efficacy, developmentally appropriate practice, beliefs DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-14-06 Publication date: May 31 st 2020

Defining quality in early childhood education: parents’ perspectives

ABSTRACTIn the Maltese context, the nation-wide roll-out of State kindergarten provision in the mid-70s and the rapid increase in childcare services for under three-year-olds over the last two decades were initiatives driven by efforts to entice women to the labour market. National research to determine short and long-term effects which these services have on children’s development and achievements or quality-related studies have yet to be undertaken. This article analyses responses to an open-ended question inviting parents of children in childcare and kindergarten settings, to identify three aspects indicative of ‘quality’. Responses were completed by just under 2000 parents. NVivo analyses indicated that parents associate quality with practitioners’ characteristics, including the care and love towards children; the relationships and communication between the settings and families; children’s happiness, personal development and welfare; and physical characteristics of the setting. Knowing about parents’ definitions of quality can strengthen collaboration between families and settings and encourage meaningful engagement to support young children’s learning and development.

Ethical Considerations of Applying Robots in Kindergarten Settings: Towards an Approach from a Macroperspective

In child–robot interaction (cHRI) research, many studies pursue the goal to develop interactive systems that can be applied in everyday settings. For early education, increasingly, the setting of a kindergarten is targeted. However, when cHRI and research are brought into a kindergarten, a range of ethical and related procedural aspects have to be considered and dealt with. While ethical models elaborated within other human–robot interaction settings, e.g., assisted living contexts, can provide some important indicators for relevant issues, we argue that it is important to start developing a systematic approach to identify and tackle those ethical issues which rise with cHRI in kindergarten settings on a more global level and address the impact of the technology from a macroperspective beyond the effects on the individual. Based on our experience in conducting studies with children in general and pedagogical considerations on the role of the institution of kindergarten in specific, in this paper, we enfold some relevant aspects that have barely been addressed in an explicit way in current cHRI research. Four areas are analyzed and key ethical issues are identified in each area: (1) the institutional setting of a kindergarten, (2) children as a vulnerable group, (3) the caregivers’ role, and (4) pedagogical concepts. With our considerations, we aim at (i) broadening the methodology of the current studies within the area of cHRI, (ii) revalidate it based on our comprehensive empirical experience with research in kindergarten settings, both laboratory and real-world contexts, and (iii) provide a framework for the development of a more systematic approach to address the ethical issues in cHRI research within kindergarten settings.

Mothers' Perspectives on the Inclusion of Young Autistic Children in Kuwait.

There is a lack of information on early childhood inclusive education and the parental perspectives towards the inclusion of autistic children in Kuwait. The aim of this study was to explore the perspectives and experiences amongst mothers of young autistic children regarding the inclusion of their children in general education kindergarten settings. Focus group and individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with (n = 34) Kuwaiti mothers of children with (ASD). The study participants were of the opinion that the behaviours unique to (ASD) can only be managed in highly structured special education settings. The themes that emerged from the interviews demonstrate that the general view amongst the study participants is that the inclusive educational model will not meet the autistic children's needs.

Comprehensive Cost Analysis of First Step Next for Preschoolers with Disruptive Behavior Disorder: Using Real-World Intervention Data to Estimate Costs at Scale.

While the long-term societal costs for youth with disruptive behavior disorders are well documented, there is a dearth of information about the comprehensive costs of implementing even the most well-regarded early intervention programs, and the costs of scaling effective interventions are even less well understood. This study estimated the costs of delivering and disseminating First Step Next (FSN), an established tier two school-based early intervention, in preschool and kindergarten settings, including the training and ongoing technical assistance that support sustained, high-quality implementation. Using the Ingredients Method, we estimated (a) the per student costs of implementation, (b) the incremental cost of offering FSN to an additional student, and (c) the cost to disseminate FSN to 40 preschool and kindergarten students, including a sensitivity analysis to examine potential areas of cost savings. The per child cost to implement the FSN intervention with 29 triads in two cohorts was $4330. The incremental cost per additional student was only $2970, highlighting efficiencies gained once intervention infrastructure had been established. The cost of disseminating the intervention to a single cohort of 40 students was $170,106, or $4253 per student. The range in sensitivity analysis was $3141-$7829 per student, with variability in personnel wages having the greatest impact on cost estimates. This research expands on existing literature by providing a more comprehensive understanding of the cost of effective disruptive behavior interventions based on real-world implementation data, using these data to estimate dissemination costs, and showing how dissemination costs are particularly sensitive to personnel wages.

Food practices and risk constructions in Norwegian and French kindergartens

ABSTRACTFood practices are culturally and historically situated, and so are conceptions of ‘risk’. Comparative studies of food practices can highlight these cultural norms and conceptions. In this article we will present results from a study that investigated food practices in Norwegian and French kindergartens with a particular focus on constructions of ‘risk’. We used a polyphonic ethnographic approach, where teachers and assistants from both countries were invited to reflect upon video clips that we filmed of their kindergarten settings, to discuss and critically reflect on their own and others’ practices. The results show that ‘risk’ can be seen in light of ‘risk’ discourses in the society. We identified both health-related and pedagogical ‘risks’. Food practices in early childhood education and care become a socio-political tool to either support or avoid and work against the experiences and food customs the children bring from home. The study can contribute to reflections on the taken-for-granted – on both a practical and a political level.

Towards Holistic Supporting of Play-Based Learning Implementation in Kindergartens: A Mixed Method Study

Using a holistic support framework, this study investigated teachers’ conceptions of effective play-based learning development and how their perceptions of its effectiveness related to whole-child development. Data were collected from a mixed method study. A total of 286 questionnaires from 50 Hong Kong kindergartens were collected and then 29 principals, head teachers and teachers were interviewed after the completion of the survey. Results of quantitative analyses showed that school collaborative culture facilitated various aspects of children’s development through the mediation of teachers’ enactment of play pedagogy and home-school cooperation. Qualitative interview data also confirmed the survey results that the roles and functions of parents and teachers were significant in supporting the implementation of play-based learning in kindergarten settings. Findings of the study have shed light on the conceptualizations of effective play-based learning which are perceived by teachers as part of a school collaborative culture, teachers’ enactment of play pedagogy and home-school cooperation. The practical and policy implications of the study may suggest adopting a holistic support model in the analysis and actively seeking to integrate parents, teachers and kindergartens in constructing an optimal play learning experience for young children.

Differentiated Instruction in Practice: Curriculum Adjustments in Kindergarten

The present study aims to investigate the effectiveness of Differentiated Instruction (DI) on kindergarten children’s achievement. More specifically, the paper discusses the effect of different types of adjustments on an Integrated Curriculum following the DI approach. DI is a teaching and learning approach that provides a context to adjust sufficiently several aspects of the curriculum in order to address effectively the needs of all learners. However, the impact of DI is often related to several learning subjects, e.g. reading, mathematics etc., while scarce empirical evidence exists regarding its effectiveness in the context of an Integrated Curriculum. The majority of related research excludes the preschool education; hence, more research about the appropriate implementation of DI in kindergarten settings is needed. The study was quasi-experimental, including pre- and post-tests to examine the effectiveness of DI in reaching the learning goals of three interventions. The participants were 80 kindergarteners for the experimental group and 74 children comprised the control group. The statistical analysis highlighted the positive impact of DI on their achievement. In addition, a tendency was found implying that differentiation by interests was the most effective type of adjustment. The results proved the applicability and positive impacts of DI in kindergarten classrooms, while further research is needed to define and optimize the differentiation strategies and techniques.