Young Children's Experiences Research Articles

악기를 활용한 유아음악활동에 관한 탐구

The purpose of this study is to examine the musical experience of young children from the perspective of Deleuze's philosophy and to understand the events and meanings generated from the encounters between young children and musical instruments. To this end, 10 children aged 3-5 in a mixed class of a daycare center were observed participating in special music activities for about 4 months, and as a kind of post-qualitative research method, Deleuze's philosophical concepts were used for analyzing the data generated. As a result of the study, young children created new meanings through various sensory encounters in music activities using musical instruments, and invented their own musical styles through creative experiments and expressions. In addition, the children's musical instrument activities were interpreted as the meaning of new creation through agential practices of musical ‘becoming.’ Based on these results, it was suggested that looking at young children's musical activities with an open eye by focusing on their encounters with materials and relationships, and moving from the standardized teaching approaches to new meanings created by musical instruments through philosophical thinking.

Patient reported outcomes (PROs) and user experiences of young children with type 1 diabetes using t:slim X2 insulin pump with control-IQ technology

ObjectiveExamine patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after the use of t:slim X2 insulin pump with Control-IQ technology (CIQ) in young children with type 1 diabetes. MethodsChildren with type 1 diabetes, ages 2 to < 6 years (n = 102), were randomly assigned 2:1 to either CIQ or standard care (SC) with pump or multiple daily injections (MDI) plus continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) for 13 weeks. Both groups were offered to use CIQ for an additional 13 weeks after the randomized control trial’s (RCT) completion. Guardians completed PRO questionnaires at baseline, 13-, and 26-weeks examining hypoglycemia concerns, quality of life, parenting stress, and sleep. At 26 weeks, 28 families participated in user-experience interviews. Repeated measures analyses compared PRO scores between systems used. ResultComparing CIQ vs SC, responses on all 5 PRO surveys favored the CIQ group, showing that CIQ was superior to SC at 26 weeks (p values < 0.05). User-experience interviews indicated significant benefits in optimized glycemic control overall and nighttime control (28 of 28 families endorsed). All but 2/28 families noted substantial reduction in management burden resulting in less mental burden and all but 4 stated that they wanted their children to continue using CIQ. ConclusionsFamilies utilizing CIQ experienced glycemic benefits coupled with substantial benefits in PROs, documented in surveys and interviews. Families utilizing CIQ had reduced hypoglycemia concerns and parenting stress, and improved quality of life and sleep. These findings demonstrate the benefit of CIQ in young children with type 1 diabetes that goes beyond documented glycemic benefit.

Using vignettes to understand the social-emotional experiences of three-year-olds in diverse language contexts

In this article, we report on the educational experiences of young Afrikaans mother tongue South African children who are exposed to multilingual learning environments during their preschool years. We carried out phenomenological research using a vignette research design that provided observational, co-experiential data of the lived experiences of three-year-old boys as they engaged with formal and informal learning. We controlled vignette data that had been collected through observations, written teacher validation, and face-to-face interviews against existing literature to provide in-depth insights into the participants' different experiences of and within their learning environments. Findings indicate specific areas in which young children may need additional support in multilingual learning environments, in terms of 1) social-emotional security experienced in the learning environment, 2) intentional development of empathy for peers, 3) independence and initiative taking in informal settings, and 4) interactive communication. Although we focused on a South African context, these findings may inform future interventions to support children in multilingual language environments in their early years.

In Solidarity: Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Family Engagement and Home Learning Program During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic caused serious social disruptions and posed significant challenges to all families, especially immigrant families. Immigrant families who spoke languages other than English and who had young bilingual children faced numerous barriers as they struggled to navigate remote learning with their children without adequate language and technological support. The need to design action plans to mitigate the negative educational impact of the pandemic on immigrant families with young bilingual children was urgent. To address the immediate needs of immigrant families during the first year of the pandemic, this transformative mixed-methods study presents a family engagement and home learning program called the Home Connection. This program was collaboratively designed and implemented to support 20 immigrant families with 42 young bilingual children from the Metro and Greater Boston Areas. Focusing on the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Home Connection program, findings from this study demonstrate how the family participants actively engaged with and positively evaluated the program. These findings also suggest that family and community engagement play a crucial role in creating a more sustainable support system for immigrant families as well as equitable learning experiences for young bilingual children during and after the pandemic.

Language development in children's natural environments: People, places, and things.

Our goal in this chapter is to describe young children's experiences with language by examining three domains-people, places, and things-that define and influence their language input. We highlight how features of each of these three domains could provide useful learning opportunities, as well as how differences in infants' and toddlers' experiences may affect their long-term language skills. However, we ultimately suggest that a full understanding of early environments must move beyond a focus on individual experiences and include the broader systems that shape young children's lives, including both tangible aspects of the environment, such as physical resources or locations, and more hidden factors, such as cultural considerations, community health, or economic constraints.

유아가 참여한 실외놀이터 재구성 과정에서의 경험 탐색

This study aimed to explore the experiences of young children participating in the process of reconstructing otheir outdoor play area in their early childhood education institution.&#x0D; To achieve this, 18 children from a 5-year-old class at A Kindergarten located in D City participated in the process of restructuring the outdoor play area. Various participatory and visual methods, such as introducing the outdoor playground, taking photos, conducting photo interviews, drawings pictures, creating structures, and making model maps, were employed. The results are as follows: First, the children collected and interpreted data about the outdoor play area from their own perspectives and played a role as co-researchers in creating research agendas. Secondly, the children had opportunities for reflection through their personal 'stories' from their experiences in the outdoor play area and addressed issues within the outdoor play area, constructing solutions on their own.&#x0D; Third, through the experience of realizing their ideas such as 'horizontal bar nets,' 'benches for relaxation spaces,' and 'front porch table for role-playing houses' in the outdoor play area, the children experienced themselves as the owners of the outdoor play area. Actively participating in the restructuring of the outdoor play area allowed the children to develop a sense of belonging and attachment to the outdoor play area as a 'meaningful' place filled with their stories. Such experiences of 'participation' are believed to help expand the scope of children's reasoning abilities in deciding their own lives in the future.

Experiences of feeding young children with Down syndrome: parents’ and health professionals’ perspectives

BackgroundChildren with Down syndrome are commonly reported to experience feeding problems in the early years. This study aimed to explore and synthesise the experiences of feeding young children with Down syndrome from parents and professionals, and the support needed and received during this time.MethodsEight mothers and twelve healthcare professionals took part in semi-structured interviews. All participants had, or had supported, a child(ren) with Down syndrome aged 0–5 years.ResultsReflexive thematic analysis resulted in two themes and seven subthemes. Mothers had clear feeding goals and adapted their journeys to meet their child’s individual needs, with support from professionals and peers. Professionals could empower parents by building confidence and offering proactive support, although a lack of knowledge about Down syndrome and difficulties accessing support undermined mothers’ confidence in services.ConclusionsBreastfeeding and family mealtimes held significant value to mothers, and specialist and trusted support may be needed to help families achieve these goals.

Early word learning is influenced by physical environments.

During word learning moments, toddlers experience labels and objects in particular environments. Do toddlers learn words better when the physical environment creates contrasts between objects with different labels? Thirty-six 21- to 24-month-olds (92% White, 22 female, data collected 8/21-4/22) learned novel words for novel objects presented using an apparatus that mimicked a shape-sorter toy. The manipulation concerned whether or not the physical features of the environments in which objects occurred heightened the contrasts between the objects. Toddlers only learned labels for objects presented in environments where the apparatus heightened the contrast between the objects (b = .068). These results emphasize the importance of investigating word learning in physical environments that more closely approximate young children's everyday experiences with objects.

Parenting and parent–child home practice during the COVID-19 pandemic: a case in central China

The current study aims to explore parents’ perceptions of parenting and parent–child activities at home with children aged 3–6 during the pandemic in China. A parenting survey was conducted to investigate parental role, age, educational background, work productivity, and different parenting categories during the lockdown period. We also examined the experiences of young children’s participation in extracurricular activities before and after the stay-at-home policy was implemented as well as their activities with parents during the lockdown period. The results showed that parents’ work productivity affected their perceptions of well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Children spent less time on extracurricular activities during the lockdown period, but some particular activities increased in frequency, especially academic extracurricular activities.

Young children's perspectives on treatment and care: A qualitative study using narrative and play-based interviewing

PurposeTo explore young children's (age 3–6 years) own experiences and perceptions of treatment and care when living with a chronic illness. Design and methodsThe study employed a qualitative research design using a narrative and play-based interview approach. Individual face-to-face, narrative and play-based interviews were conducted with eight young children age 3–6 years with type 1 diabetes or cystic fibrosis. The play sessions took place at the home of the children and were video recorded. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyse the data and frame the study. ResultsOur analysis identified six main themes: 1. Children understood illness through their bodily experience of treatment and care, 2. Children's experience of care and treatment ranged from a feeling of powerlessness to a sense of agency, 3. Children depended on their parents to provide comfort, advocacy and protection, 4. Children's perceptions of treatment and care were inherently related to their experiences of familiarity, interpersonal relationships and trust, 5. Children with type 1 diabetes did not perceive that they played an active role during consultations, and 6. Children associated medical treatment with receiving tangible rewards or positive feedback. ConclusionChildren expressed a need to feel safe and build agency. They experienced this through participation and interpersonal relationships with healthcare professionals. Practice implicationsWe should prioritize the establishment and implementation of age-appropriate psychosocial care practices that support young children in participating, forming relationships, and building trust.

‘I'd rather learn outside because nature can teach you so many more things than being inside’: Outdoor learning experiences of young children and educators

Outdoor and nature-based activities promote better health and academic outcomes for children. The school context represents a critical opportunity to support increased outdoor time. Yet, outdoor learning (OL) is not being implemented consistently across school contexts, therefore, many students do not receive the opportunity to participate. This study was designed to support increased uptake of OL and explores young children’s perspectives of learning within an outdoor context and explores how educators support OL opportunities within an early learning context. This research places a focus on children’s voices in order to emphasize their perspective of the learning experience and to highlight experiential child-led processes within OL. We collected semi-structured interviews with students, their parents and school staff who were involved in OL. An exploratory thematic analysis was applied using QSR NVivo. Findings that emerged were organized under two main themes: Nature as the teacher and Child-led exploration of nature. Nature as a teacher contained three subthemes: 1) Seasonal change influencing inquiry, 2) Engagement with other living things in nature and 3) Dimensionality of the outdoors as an element that enhances learning – experiential immersive learning. Child-led exploration of nature contained one subtheme: Learning driven by play. These findings can be used to advocate for increased uptake of OL in education and to provide guidance to educators regarding how to include OL within their practice to enhance equitable access for children.

Correction to Tucker et al. (2014).

Reports an error in "Family dynamics and young children's sibling victimization" by Corinna Jenkins Tucker, David Finkelhor, Heather Turner and Anne M. Shattuck (Journal of Family Psychology, 2014[Oct], Vol 28[5], 625-633). In the original article, several errors were made when describing the results of the second and third columns of Table 2 whereby, in the text of the second paragraph of the" No Victimization Versus Sibling Victimization Groups" section. The corrected texts are present in the erratum. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2014-32430-001). This research examines how family dynamics like interparental conflict, family violence, and quality of parenting are associated with young children's experiences of sibling victimization. We use nationally representative data from interviews with caregivers of 1,726 children aged 2 to 9 years of age. We hypothesized different family dynamics predictors for a composite of common types of sibling victimization (property, psychological, and mild physical aggression) in comparison to severe physical sibling victimization (victimization that includes physical aggression with a weapon and/or injury). Multinomial regression results showed that sibling victimization in general was associated with negative family dynamics but that children in the severe group had even less parental warmth, poor parental supervision, and greater exposure to interparental conflict and family violence than children in the common types victimization group. Different aspects of family dynamics contribute to sibling victimization, but possibly in different ways and with different consequences. The findings underscore the importance of a family systems theory approach to clinical and intervention work. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Parent–child play and coping: experiences of parents and young children during the pandemic

ABSTRACT Play can create a safe environment for children to escape from worries. The global COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home orders were stressful events for young children and families. This case study documents children’s and parents’ play, emotions and coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey. Five mothers and their young children participated in our study, and we used the Parent Play Preferences Questionnaire (PPPQ), a semi-structured interview, and mother–child tasks for data collection in the Summer of 2020. Findings showed young children’s daily activities and play changed, and both mothers and children experienced various emotions. Children were aware of the precautions taken to protect themselves from COVID-19, and they attempted to keep the play characters safe in their play. Children reported missing friends, school, playgrounds and playing with others. Our study highlights the importance of parent–child conversations and play to cope with unexpected events in children’s lives and captures children’s voices in early childhood education research.

Is the traditional placement of stainless steel crowns in primary teeth more painful than the non-preparation Hall technique?

Is the anxiety level and pain experience in young children the same for the traditional method of stainless crowns placement that might require local anesthetic and excavation of decay compared to the Hall technique that requires no preparation and no anesthetic injections? A randomized controlled study of 2 groups (43 and 54) children 4-8 years old with proximal decay in primary first molars. Each child had one tooth restored with the Hall technique (HT) and the second tooth received a conventional stainless crown (CT) (with or without local anesthesia, as needed) and all crowns were cemented with a GIC resin type cement less than a month of each other. The order of the placement was reversed with the allocation randomly concealed. A visual Wong-Baker Pain Scale with six cartoon faces was used to record pain levels. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 25). After computing univariate descriptive statistics, differences among proportions were examined using cross-tabulations and χ2 tests (α = 0.05). Analysis of variance was conducted for parametric analysis, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for within-group, and the Mann-Whitney U-test was used for between-group, nonparametric analysis. The pain scores did not differ by treatment type. The majority of children (58.3%) reported low procedural pain for both treatments leaving 47.7% reporting moderate to high procedural pain. Using local anesthetic with CT did not change the results. The pain scores were similar for both procedures. HT has been recommended as less traumatic and but this might not be true for all children.

Study on Teaching Techniques to Improve Chinese Children's Early Reading Fluency

This paper discusses the problems that exist in the development of early reading fluency among children in first-tier cities in China, including unclear reading goals, inappropriate selection of reading materials, inadequate teaching methods, and unscientific reading environment. Through on-site experience, open interviews, observation, case studies, and surveys, the author analyzes these problems and proposes corresponding solutions from seven aspects: cultivating reading skills as the core, emphasizing phonemic awareness in teaching, creating a reasonable teaching environment for early childhood reading, setting up a reading area, creating a psychological environment conducive to cultivating children's reading skills, emphasizing the guiding significance of early childhood reading, and creating successful reading experiences for young children. These suggestions and solutions provide relevant decision-making and guidance for kindergartens, parents, and teachers to carry out early reading activities, which have important value for promoting the development of children's early reading fluency in China.

Stability and change in young children's linguistic experience during the COVID-19 pandemic: insight from a citizen-science sample in the United States.

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, extensive lockdowns interrupted daily routines, including childcare. We asked whether these interruptions, and the inevitable changes in the people with whom children spent their waking hours, caused changes in the languages that children heard. We retrospectively queried parents of young children (0-4 years) in the US about childcare arrangements and exposure to English and non-English languages at four timepoints from February 2020 to September 2021. Despite discontinuity in childcare arrangements, we found that children's exposure to English versus other languages remained relatively stable. We also identified demographic variables (child age at pandemic onset, parental proficiency in a non-English language) that consistently predicted exposure to non-English languages. Thus, multilingually-exposed children in this population did not appear to significantly gain or lose the opportunity to hear non-English languages overall. These results provide insight into the experiences of this unique cohort and inform our understanding of how language development can be shaped by complex environmental systems.

Hearing young children’s perspectives: Reflections on research into left-behind children’s lived experience in Chinese rural areas

Children’s right to be heard is an issue raised in recent years in the Global North, which has also been acknowledged by Chinese researchers currently studying child development and education. However, Chinese researchers still often prefer the perspectives of adults in their research on young children, citing a lack of suitable methodologogy for collecting and interpreting young children’s voices. This article recognises the significance of including young children’s perspectives in research. It discusses how Western methodologies for listening to their perspectives, such as the Mosaic approach, can be adapted for use in Chinese socio-cultural contexts. By reflecting on the first author’s research on the lived experience of leftbehind young children in a Chinese rural area, the article explores the development and implementation of such a methodology. The research findings indicate that the Mosaic approach, alongside phenomenological interviews and other research tools, provided an effective approach that enabled achievement of the research aims. Flexibility and reciprocity in relationships were two key contributors to effectiveness of this approach to research in a Chinese context.

Abolition and ethnic studies in early care and education

The authors enter this conversation on equity, inclusion, and belonging in early care and education with abolition and ethnic studies as necessary standpoints that must be embodied to build what the world can and should be for its youngest inhabitants. Early care and education systems have been marked by damaging practices, pathologizing portrayals, and carceral pedagogies, which demand radical reimagining. The authors offer this writing as a collective—of early childhood educators, motherscholars, and community workers—realizing that there is more expertise and possibilities for change from the collective than any one person alone. This article shares how ethnic studies and abolition gave the authors the language and concepts to put their dreams of humanizing learning experiences for young children into action. They describe key concepts and examples of how abolition and ethnic studies can serve as methodological frameworks to attend to the survivance of young children and communities of color.

Peer experiences in the preschool classroom: Contribution to children's academic development

The present study examined the relations between two aspects of peer experiences in preschool classrooms and children's math and literacy development during kindergarten transition. Based on the theoretical framework of classroom ecology model, peer experiences were represented by classroom social network and teachers' grouping preferences. The outcomes included standardized math and literacy assessments collected from three time-points, fall of preschool, spring of preschool and fall of kindergarten. The analytical sample included 367 children recruited from 47 preschool classrooms located in two large school districts. Children completed peer-nomination tasks to characterize the classroom social network and teachers completed questionnaires to describe their grouping preferences. We conducted a multilevel longitudinal model to estimate the effects of classroom-level predictors on the trajectories of skill growth. We found that indices of classroom social network – density and centralization – were significantly associated with math and literacy development: more dense classrooms positively predicted math and literacy development whereas more centralized classrooms negatively predicted math and literacy development. Teachers' attention to children's skill levels in creating grouping structure was positively associated with math and literacy development. These findings indicate that young children's peer experiences are potentially important indicators of classroom quality, as they are associated with children's academic development over the course of preschool year into kindergarten transition.

Preschool predictors of loneliness in school‐age children

AbstractChronic loneliness is a risk factor associated with adverse psychological, physical, and academic outcomes. Converging evidence suggests that young children experience and can reliably report on their own loneliness: thus, a clearer understanding of the risk factors for child loneliness is needed. The aims of this study were two‐fold: (a) to examine if temperament (i.e., negative affect, effortful control, inhibitory control), and attachment security assessed at the age of four predict loneliness at the age of six and (b) to determine if social competence at the age of five mediates the relation between temperament and attachment security at the age of four and loneliness at the age of six. Participants included a diverse sample of 796 4‐year‐old children, about half of whom were male. Results of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that lower levels of effortful control and inhibitory control at the age of four significantly predicted greater loneliness at the age of six. Also, while lower levels of negative affect (NA) and higher levels of effortful control and attachment security at the age of four significantly predicted higher levels of social competence at the age of five, social competence at the age of five did not predict loneliness at the age of six. There was no evidence that social competence at the age of five mediated the relation between the age of four temperament, attachment security, and the age of six loneliness. These findings reveal that early self‐regulation is associated with later child‐reported loneliness and that intervention for children who struggle with behavioral regulation may be effective in decreasing risk for later loneliness.