Young Children's Experiences Research Articles

Adult Children's Daily Experiences With Parental Advice: The Importance of Life Problems and Relationship Quality.

Parents often provide advice to their adult children during their everyday interactions. This study investigated young adult children's daily experiences with parental advice in U.S. families. Specifically, the study examined how receiving advice and evaluations of parental advice were associated with children's life problems, parent-child relationship quality, and daily mood. Young adult children (aged 18-30 years; participant N = 152) reported whether they received any advice and perceived any unwanted advice from each parent (parent N = 235) for 7 days using a daily diary design (participant-day N = 948). Adult children also reported their positive and negative mood on each interview day. Results from multilevel models revealed that adult children who reported a more positive relationship with their parents were more likely to receive advice from the parent, whereas adult children who had a more strained relationship with their parents were more likely to perceive advice from the parent as unwanted. Receiving advice from the mother was associated with increased positive mood, whereas unwanted advice from any parent was associated with increased negative mood. Furthermore, the link between unwanted advice and negative mood varied by children's life problems and parent-child relationship quality. Indeed, parental advice is not "the more the better," especially when the advice is unsolicited. This study highlights the importance of perceptions of family support for emerging adults' well-being.

Understanding the complexity of young children's learning and development in science: A twofold methodological model building on constructivist and cultural-historical strengths

Abstract Young children's learning and development in Science is a complex process. Although a wide range of epistemological, theoretical and methodological frameworks have informed research in Early Childhood Science Education, capturing this complexity remains a challenge. New ways of conceptualizing and researching young children's engagement with Science are needed for responding to this fundamental challenge. The present study brings together the strengths of constructivist and cultural-historical research perspectives to provide deeper insight and a holistic understanding of the unique way young children experience, make sense of, and conceptualize the natural world. In line with the two basic research approaches, a twofold methodological model is introduced. Empirical data were collected in an early childhood setting during a collective science experience centred on the natural phenomenon of cloud formation. Following a constructivist perspective, the data on children's conceptual understanding of the phenomenon was initially analysed. Then, the same data set was analysed from a cultural-historical perspective. In this second step, the children's whole experience of the phenomenon was also captured. Findings reveal the critical role of the children's overall reality in the science concept formation. The study argues that a dialectical interrelation between the two research perspectives is feasible and essential for understanding children's conceptualizations in the moment, as well as how science concepts are formed in the overall reality of everyday life. This adds to the literature on Early Childhood Science Education, where studies have primarily focused on dividing, rather than bringing together the strengths of the two perspectives. The study contributes to the continual challenge of rethinking and overcoming traditional dichotomies in educational research.

Young children's flow experience in the integrated shadow activities of science and art

Young children's flow experience in the integrated shadow activities of science and art

Recommendations to Support Young Children from Australian Military Families: A Report for Policy Makers, Family and Social Workers and Educators

Deployment is considered a challenging time for military families that lasts three to nine months for Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel. There is insufficient research about children who experience parental deployment (Siebler, 2015). This recommendations report highlights valuable insights into young children's understandings and experiences of their parents' military deployment in Australia. The research utilised an adapted framework, based on the policies from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNICEF, 2015) and Clark and Moss (2011), to listen to and privilege the often-marginalised child's voice. The research found that young children's experiences of parental deployment included stressors, responses, adaptations and protective factors. Children's understandings of parental deployment were often underestimated by parents and strongly influenced by time, place, acculturation, narrative, digital technology, cognitive development, adult reinforcement and the use of age and culturally appropriate resources. This knowledge is presented to inform effective support strategies for parents, educators and professionals who work with these children in the ADF and broader community.

Culturally diverse families of young children with ASD in Sweden: Parental explanatory models.

BackgroundResearch suggests that families’ knowledge and cultural perceptions of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and beliefs about its etiology and prognosis, can affect parents’ recognition of the first signs of autism in their children and influence help seeking and treatment decisions.ObjectiveThis study investigated explanatory models of autism among parents of young children with ASD in the multicultural context of Sweden.MethodSeventeen parents from diverse cultural, ethnic and linguistic backgrounds participated in semi-structured interviews. A deductive approach to qualitative content analysis was used to analyze data. Five domains of the Explanatory Model supplementary module of the Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI) were used as coding categories, operationalized as ‘Parents’ understanding of autism’; ‘Autism prototypes’; ‘Causal explanations’; ‘Course of autism’, and ‘Help seeking and treatment expectations’ResultsThe results showed that parents’ prior knowledge of autism and experience of young children’s typical developmental trajectories, as well as the opinions of children’s grandparents and preschool teachers, affected symptom recognition and help seeking. There were differences in parents’ explanatory models before and after ASD diagnosis. Initial interpretations of the disorder included medical conditions and reaction to environmental influences, while genetic, supernatural/religious factors, and vaccinations were mentioned as definite causes after obtaining a clinical diagnosis. Parents also held multiple explanatory models, influenced by the views of family members and information obtained from media or from health care professionals. Parents’ treatment decisions included use of available state-funded support services, and complementary and alternative treatments.ConclusionThe results demonstrate the utility of the CFI’s Explanatory Model supplementary module in autism research. Implications for clinical practice are discussed.

A grounded theory of adoption and maintenance of physical activity among autistic adults.

Although a growing body of literature has explored the physical activity experiences from the perspective of children on the autism spectrum, the perspective of autistic adults remains largely unheard. Due to this absence of perspective, there exists limited knowledge of the appropriateness and generalizability of current models and theories of physical activity for this population. A constructivist grounded theory study was conducted to explore the experiences of adoption and maintenance of physical activity from the direct perspective of autistic adults. Autistic adults (n = 23) from the United States and the United Kingdom were recruited. A total of 29 codes emerged from the coding process. These codes were formed into four broad categories: (1) individual attributes; (2) environmental factors; (3) social relationships; and (4) social experiences. The interconnectedness of these four categories was explored. The findings and presented model highlight the importance of building successful experiences for young children on the autism spectrum, so that they are more likely to continue physical activity into their adult life. Furthermore, findings emphasize the importance of creating noncompetitive, sensory-friendly physical activity experiences for autistic adults that offer flexibility in social engagement. Little is known about how autistic adults experience physical activity. To begin to change this, we interviewed 23 autistic adults from the United State and the United Kingdom about their past and current experiences of physical activity participation. The interviewees told us about how their physical activity experiences were highly influenced by their individual strengths, the setting in which the activity took place, the presence of people to support their physical activities, and the sensory experiences they had while in physical activity. Through these interviews, we were able to create a model that represented the physical activity experiences discussed. Based on the model that emerged from this study, we recommend physical activity opportunities are made available that are noncompetitive, sensory-friendly, and that allow for participants to socialize as they prefer.

Enhancing young children's movement experiences through a colouring activity pages: individualised ad hoc colouring materials can make a difference

ABSTRACT Young children’s colouring activities are an educational resource, providing an opportunity for children to express their feelings about the people and objects in their lives. To our knowledge, no systematic empirical research has yet addressed the question of how individualised childreńs colouring materials with a healthy message impact physical activity patterns and movement experiences in the early childhood education context. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyse, following a quasi-experimental design, the impact of an individualised physical activity colouring pages on young childreńs physical activity patterns, through pedometry and systematic observation during outdoor movement sessions. Furthermore, childreńs drawings and narratives were used to explore children’s movement experiences to the individualised colouring activity pages. Our results suggest that the individualised ad hoc colouring materials can promote increased physical activity levels, but more importantly, children had the opportunity to discover new movement possibilities and explore their capabilities. In conclusion, it is really important for a wider range of early childhood education teachers to consider how creating their own materials might encourage more movement possibilities and active behaviours among young children.

Harvesting Good Medicine: Internalizing and Crystalizing Core Cultural Values in Young Children.

Indigenous Alaskans face many obstacles as they attempt to navigate what it means to be a member of a tribal group. Pressures to assimilate into the global society, loss of access to traditional lands, and dwindling subsistence resources due to climate change are aggravating factors in the cultural identity development of Indigenous Alaskans. Experiences on the land such as fishing, picking berries, and harvesting edible and medicinal plants with family members and other culture-bearers are known to play a mitigating role in resisting assimilative pressures, yet little is known about how such experiences contribute to a child's growing sense of self and belonging. In this research study, the authors sought to untangle the nuanced experiences of young children as they engaged in the cultural activity of harvesting a medicinal plant in Southeast Alaska. Through the use of wearable cameras, the authors captured video footage from the perspectives of 5- to 6-year-old kindergarten children from a small Alaska Native village in Southeast Alaska as they learned lessons on and from the land, from adult culture-bearers, and from peers. As the authors analyzed the videos, themes emerged that pointed to small interactions with adults, peers, and the environment that positioned the children to internalize and crystalize core cultural values and thereby strengthen their own cultural identity development.

Effects of the Global Coronavirus Disease-2019 Pandemic on Early Childhood Development: Short- and Long-Term Risks and Mitigating Program and Policy Actions

Effects of the Global Coronavirus Disease-2019 Pandemic on Early Childhood Development: Short- and Long-Term Risks and Mitigating Program and Policy Actions

ВПЛИВ ІНТЕРНЕТ РЕСУРСІВ НА ЗМІСТОВІ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКИ МОВЛЕННЄВОГО ДОСВІДУ ДІТЕЙ МОЛОДШОГО ШКІЛЬНОГО ВІКУ

У статті представлено результати теоретичного й емпіричного дослідження впливу інформаційно-комунікаційних технологій (ІКТ) на мовленнєвий досвід дітей молодшого шкільного віку, виявлено напрями подальших досліджень впливу мережі Інтернет середовища на мовленнєвий досвід. Визначено проблему, що полягає у недостатньому врахуванні у педагогічному процесі нецілеспрямованого і неорганізованого використання дітьми інформаційно-комунікаційних технологій. З’ясовано основні теоретичні підходи до вивчення проблеми взаємодії дітей і Інтернет-середовища та основні напрями використання ІКТ у педагогічному процесі. Критичне осмислення наукових теоретичних та практичних розвідок дало змогу виокремити потребу вивчення питання впливу інформаційних ресурсів мережі Інтернет на змістові характеристики мовленнєвого досвіду дітей молодшого шкільного віку. У статті обґрунтовано підхід до вивчення мовлення саме як до мовленнєвого досвіду, докладно описано методику емпіричного дослідження. Дослідження здійснюється в парадигмі теорії мовленнєвого досвіду, згідно з якою останній розглядається як система у свідомості особистості, спрямована на здійснення мовленнєвого освоєння особистістю світу. Зовнішня структура мовленнєвого досвіду, котра складається з мовленнєвої компетентності, мовної картини світу та мовленнєвої культури, виконує функцію опосередкування мовленнєвої взаємодії дитини із світом. У статті визначено провідні функції кожного елементу мовленнєвого досвіду, змістові характеристики та маркери, а також діагностичний інструментарій, за допомогою якого виявляються ці маркери. У результаті здійсненого емпіричного дослідження було виокремлено специфічні змістові характеристики мовленнєвого досвіду дітей молодшого шкільного віку, зумовлені використанням ІКТ: збільшення асортименту та диференціації емоцій одночасно зі зменшенням здатності до їх вербалізації; переважання динамічних фреймових когнітивних структур над статичними; розширення семантичних полів; збільшення ініціативності в комунікації; зменшення ролі правильності мовлення, дотримання граматичних і синтаксичних норм мови; збільшення семантичної гнучкості. Провідним висновком здійсненого дослідження є те, що використання ІКТ здійснює вплив не лише на кількісні показники мовленнєвого досвіду дітей молодшого шкільного віку (рівень мовленнєвого розвитку), а змінює його змістові характеристики.

USING THE SOCIOCULTURAL CONCEPT OF LEARNING ACTIVITY TO UNDERSTAND PARENTS’ LEARNING ABOUT PLAY IN COMMUNITY PLAYGROUPS AND SOCIAL MEDIA

ABSTRACT This paper considers utilising the sociocultural concept of learning activity to understand parents’ learning about young children’s play in the context of community playgroups and social media use. Parents’ knowledge about children’s play influences the provision of parental-provided play experiences for young children and can be enhanced through participation in a community playgroup. Increasingly, playgroup parents are using social media to communicate about children’s play at playgroup and this social situation for learning about play is yet to be theorised for maximising young children’s access to play-based learning experiences in early childhood. Learning activity as a sociocultural concept, recognises learning as an activity for self-development. It has been applied to formal education contexts but has not been used to understand parents’ learning in informal early childhood education contexts. This paper explores its potential for generating new knowledge about parents’ learning about play in the home and community by conceptualising learning as an activity enacted within the social situation of community playgroups and social media. Implications for the mobilisation of this social situation are framed in the context of parent engagement in early childhood education.

The development of the clinical assessment tool "Health and Everyday Functioning in Young Children with Cancer".

Young children's experiences of everyday life with cancer are vital in guiding care. The universal and interdisciplinary language of the International Classification of Functioning (ICF) and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health for Children and Youth (ICF-CY) has wide reaching effects for the care of young children in need. The aim of this study was to select and validate the content of a clinical assessment tool (CAT) for health and everyday functioning in young children with cancer. A comprehensive set of ICF-CY codes (n = 70) mapping everyday function and health was previously identified from the transcripts of 12 interviews with young children with cancer and their parents at a paediatric oncology centre in the west of Sweden. Three transcripts were from data collected shortly after diagnosis, three transcripts from 6 months after diagnosis, three transcripts from 12 months after diagnosis, and three transcripts from 18 months after diagnosis. The present study involved the development of items based on the ICF-CY codes. The CAT consists of 52 items grouped in four dimensions: "the child herself/himself," "the child's everyday life," "the child's need for support," and "the child's contacts with health care." The questions correlate well with known research results and highlight areas that are important for health and everyday life for young children with cancer. This tool, based on children's experiences, can be used by both parents and health care personnel such as nurses to highlight aspects of health and function in everyday life for the young child with cancer that otherwise might be missed. This novel approach using the ICF-CY could be used to guide the delivery of care towards living an everyday life with a long-term illness.

Breaking the limits of executive functions: Towards a sociocultural perspective

Executive functions refer to the neurocognitive processes that enable conscious control of goal-directed behaviour. Executive functions lay the neural and cognitive foundation for civilisation and culture with its far reaching effects in day-to-day planning, problem-solving, creativity, self-regulation, empathy and cooperative social behaviour. Though a celebrated area of research for cognitive scientists, contemporary studies find that most of the interventions that target executive functions promote academic achievement in children, but fail to transfer to real-life interpersonal situations. This suggests the need for breaking its cognitive shell and conceiving executive function development in the larger sociocultural context. Thus, the present paper inquires into the cultural space that provides collaborative learning experiences for young children to become efficient problem-solvers and empathetic social beings. After reviewing certain theoretical perspectives and research findings, it is concluded that the early experiences of scaffolding by more competent individuals, specific to the social context and culture, are the crucial determinant of positive executive function development and its expression in everyday situations. The process of such sociocultural influences seems to be mediated by learning appropriate rules that guide executive functions. The paper puts forth the need for culture-specific value-based training for children that can potentially improve the internally motivated execution of control in practical situations. Revival of activities inherent in cultures is also found to be a promising option for devising effective training methods.

Understanding the Experiences of Young Children on the Autism Spectrum as They Navigate the Irish Early Years’ Education System: Valuing Voices in Child-Centered Narratives

This article, which focuses upon narrative inquiry as a means of including the voice and experience of children on the autism spectrum, draws upon a doctoral study that explores the experiences of young children as they and their families navigate the Irish Early Years’ Education System (both preschool and primary school). It focuses, in particular, on the need to acknowledge and appreciate the experiences of these children within their homes and educational settings, their immediate microsystem. It also urges an increased awareness of how the development of these children’s voices is heavily impacted by the roles and actions of others. Six parents shared stories of navigating the Irish Early Years’ Education System with their young child on the autism spectrum. Their children’s voices were incorporated into these narratives using visual storytelling methods. This research adopted an ecological or intercontextual interpretive stance, thus providing valuable insight into the coconstructed experiences of those who identify as “different” or “other,” in this instance, young children on the autism spectrum and their families. In terms of the present article, this ecological stance encompasses the central aim of the overarching study; the critical restorying of parents’ lived experiences of navigating the Irish Early Years’ Education System with their child on the autism spectrum which is thus, underpinned by narrative inquiry and voice.

Text messaging as an enhancement to home visiting: Building parents’ capacity to improve child language-learning environments

The amount and quality of language-related interactions young children experience is related to their later development. The field has developed strategies to address this need, but in practice, parents rarely use them consistently or with high levels of fidelity. Given the need to modify such interventions so that they are used consistently and with fidelity, the purpose of this study was to evaluate whether text messaging used as an enhancement to the Promoting Communication Tools for Advancing Language in Kids (PC TALK) intervention would result in improvements in parent engagement in a home visiting program, parent fidelity of use of the Promoting Communication (PC) strategies, and child language outcomes. Standard analyses of differences associated with group assignment to text messaging versus a control group did not reveal differences in outcomes; however, secondary analyses within the text messaging group were conducted to determine whether unplanned variations in the number of text messages sent were related to parent engagement, parent strategy use, and consequently, child language outcomes. A greater number of PC strategy-focused text messages and the total number of text messages sent were associated with increases in parent engagement and parent fidelity of implementation of the PC strategies. Text messaging had an indirect effect on child communication outcomes via parent fidelity. Social validity data and implications for practice from these findings are discussed.

How families with young children are solving the dilemma between privacy and protection by building trust - A portrait from Portugal

ABSTRACTParents are the main mediators of the digital exposure and experiences of young children. When adopting a parental mediation style, they are challenged by a dilemma: protecting their children often means invading their privacy and restricting their options. The adopted parental mediation style is pondered according to the perceptions and experiences of parents regarding digital media; it is an ongoing and dynamic negotiation between the actions of parents and children. Our research focuses on mobile apps, since the favourite devices of young children are smartphones and tablets, in order to explore how parents and children select apps, and which criteria they use. Our fieldwork was conducted in Portugal and used a mixed method, combining an online survey to a purposive sample of 1955 parents of children under 8 years old, and separate interviews to parents and children under 8 to a purposive sample of 81 families. Our results reveal how parents are coping with contrasting perceptions on digital media and how they negotiate their parental mediation style in interaction with their children. Parents believe more in building trust than in restricting children, but when they find it necessary, their will to protect overcomes their respect for the children’s privacy.

Young children's vacation experience: Through the eyes of parents

The travel industry has witnessed remarkable development of the children's market in recent decades; however, relevant academic research remains scarce, especially with younger children. By adopting a netnographic approach, this study explores young children's (0–4 years old) holiday experiences through the eyes of their parents. Research findings revealed parents' preferred types of destinations for family vacations. Two broad themes were identified from analyses of parents' accounts: enjoyment of nature and social development. Findings are discussed in the context of relevant literature, and industry recommendations are provided.

“At night he cries from dreams”: Perceptions of children's psychological distress and wellbeing amongst parents with refugee or asylum seeker backgrounds in Australia

ObjectiveThe objective of the current study was to gain insight into the ways in which parents who had arrived in Australia with refugee or asylum seeker backgrounds understand their young children's experiences of wellbeing and psychological distress during resettlement.MethodEight parents (three male and five female) who had arrived in Australia from Iran and Afghanistan with children aged between five and eight were recruited using purposive sampling. In‐depth interviews were conducted regarding their perceptions of their children's experiences of wellbeing and psychological distress. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.ResultsFour primary themes were developed: (a) Practical needs are a key priority, (b) the refugee experience impacts family structure and dynamics, which has a negative effect on children's wellbeing, (c) wellbeing as engagement in physical activity and education, and (d) bad dreams and difficulty sleeping are indicators of psychological distress.ConclusionsFor parents recently arrived in Australia as refugees or asylum seekers, practical concerns impact perceptions of children's wellbeing or psychological distress, particularly for those on temporary visas. While this may lead parents to overlook symptoms of psychological distress in their children, protective factors conducive to wellbeing, including safety, housing, and education, are prioritised. Future research should explore when and why parents are likely to seek assistance for their children in the context of resettlement, as well as the impacts of visa types on children's experiences of positive wellbeing and psychological distress.

Flow research in music contexts: A systematic literature review

The purpose of this study was to review flow research in music contexts from 1975 until the first quarter of 2019. Specifically, frequencies/percentages were calculated for (a) output in five-year periods; (b) publication type; and (c) methodologies employed, including measurement instruments used. Content analyses were also conducted on topics covered. Using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology, a total of 3,341 records were examined, with 95 studies eventually included in the analysis. Findings indicated a steady increase in research output over the last 25 years. Studies overwhelmingly sampled participants from Western populations, especially the United States. The majority of quantitative studies used self-report questionnaires, of which those developed by Jackson and colleagues were most prevalent. Among the qualitative approaches, interviews and observations were the most common means of data collection. Topics covered in the studies reviewed include the psychophysiological aspects of flow, transmission and group experience of flow, the association of flow with a range of positive outcomes, factors that contribute to flow experiences, and flow experiences of young children. Implications for future research were proffered in light of the findings.

Values stop play? Teachers’ attitudes to the early years outdoor environment

ABSTRACTThis paper explores the views and attitudes of a small group of teachers concerning the early years outdoor teaching and learning environment. Further their responses are compared to an online survey of teachers examining their attitudes to the early years outdoor environment. This extends the current knowledge as to the drivers for teachers’ professed actions when working in the early years outdoor environment, and specifically the extent to which the teachers’ own experiences of outdoors influences their professed behaviours in their role when working outside with children. At the heart of this discussion is the concern that only those teachers who have had good experiences of outdoor play themselves may go on to provide good outdoor experiences for young children.