Accompanying early childhood professional reflection in Quebec: A case study
This article explores the views of professionals from the Centre for Assistance and Support to Initiatives, Organisations, and Professionals in Early Childhood (CASIOPE) and its member organizations on how reflective practice in early childhood professional learning is understood, put into practice, and evaluated. Findings from this case study reveal that CASIOPE used principles of constructivist learning theories to develop their own reflective process, but that this process is understood incompletely and variably by the majority of its members. Findings are presented in the context of a current struggle to define early childhood professional learning between, on the one hand, a means of improving programme quality, and, on the other hand, a right to which all early childhood professionals are entitled. This study suggests that, in practice, both goals are important to childcare administrators in Montreal, while CASIOPE's staff members prioritize building relationships, helping people, adapting their services to the needs of all those involved, and professional empowerment.
Reports & Papers
Books, bytes and brains: The implications of new knowledge for children's early literacy learning
The early years of childhood are critical for the successful development of adult literacy, whatever that literacy might look or feel like in the oncoming digital age. Two questions that become important are what sort of literacy (or literacies) will children need in the future to navigate new information pathways, and how can we use recent advances in neuroscience to help us understand optional pathways for developing the fundamentally social skills of literacy. This paper reviews recent research from the two traditionally separate areas of contemporary literacies and infant brain development to re-examine the underpinnings of literacy learning in the early years. (author abstract)
Other
CCHRSC Child Care Administrator Standards Update and ECE-School-Age Care Profile Development Project: Inclusion from the perspective of diversity: Snapshot report
An examination of the concepts of diversity and inclusion as they relate to early childhood education (ECE) practice and policy in Canada, based on 31 key informant interviews with practitioners and experts in the ECE sector
Reports & Papers
Children's voices: Providing continuity in transition experiences in Singapore
The issue about when children should begin primary schooling continues to be an area for discussion amongst educators, parents, and children who indeed have some views about this. The compulsory entry age of children into formal schooling is different in many countries. It is not only the starting age that has invoked discussion, but also the types of practices that occur to facilitate transition and minimise stress in young children. In this regard the 'ready school concept' has grown in acceptance and provides for the needs of children of diverse backgrounds, knowledge and experiences. This paper examines what is happening in transition experiences in Singapore and presents the voices of a small sample of children who wanted primary school to be a place for both work and play. (author abstract)
Reports & Papers
The confidence and competence in information and communication technologies of practitioners, parents and young children in the Early Years Foundation Stage
A review of evidence on the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the early years was commissioned by the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency. Views of practitioners, parents and children were obtained and practitioner ICT audits completed. Most young children grow up in media-rich digital environments in which they actively engage. Family members and practitioners are positive and actively promote use of ICT through ongoing socio-cultural practices. There appears to be a gap between children's access to and use of ICT at home and in early years settings, and between state-maintained and non-maintained sectors. Training implications are marked. Cost of purchase, maintenance and replacement of age-appropriate digital technology remains a challenge and the development of active pedagogy to maximize benefits of technological advances must generate imaginative solutions. (author abstract)
Reports & Papers
Continuing professional development and the early years
workforce
An introduction to s special issue of the journal Early Years, presenting articles from six countries on continuing workforce training and development initiatives and systems
Other
A critical analysis of the National Quality Framework: Mobilising for a vision for children beyond minimum standards
The National Quality Framework (NQF) has been heralded by the Australian Government as a significant reform that will raise the quality of early childhood education and care (ECEC) across the country. Drawing on Foucault's (1991) conceptualisation of governmentality this article critically analyses the NQF. From this analysis we conclude that while overall, children in ECEC settings across Australia will be somewhat better off, the NQF nonetheless falls well short of its intended outcomes. Sumsion's (2006) conceptual framework for political activism in the ECEC sector is used to propose one way forward for early childhood advocates and activists to work for policy reform that may more effectively meet the Government's goal of giving children the best possible start in life. Central to our proposal is what we believe is currently lacking in early childhood policy: a bold, innovative vision for children's right to a high-quality early education. (author abstract)
Other
Delivering quality early learning in low-resource settings: Progress and challenges in Ethiopia
A summary of a study of Ethiopian children's educational experiences during their preschool years and their transitions to primary school, based on longitudinal survey data from cohorts of approximately 1,000 older and 2,000 younger children and on qualitative data for a subsample of 40 children
Fact Sheets & Briefs
Does reading to children enhance their educational success?: Short- and long-term effects of reading to children in early childhood on their language abilities, reading behavior and school marks
Drawing on two unique German datasets, we explore the possible short- and long-term effects that reading aloud in early childhood has on children's language abilities, their reading behavior, and their school marks in kindergarten and at the end of both primary and secondary school. By applying propensity score matching, we found a positive effect of reading on the language abilities of preschool children and of students at the end of primary school. Additionally, a high frequency of reading to children in early childhood positively affects their own reading behavior. However, differences in reading in early childhood appear to be unrelated to school marks in the subject of German language at the end of primary school. Furthermore, we found no long-term effects of reading among secondary school leavers. Overall, our results confirm positive immediate and mid-term effects, but hardly any long-term effects, of reading to children during their early childhood. (author abstract)
Reports & Papers
Early childhood education and care (ECEC) and reading acquisition in at-risk readers: Does quantity matter?
Early childhood education and care (ECEC), involving nonparental preschool supervision and programming for children in centre-based and school contexts, can influence academic outcomes during elementary years. We present preliminary findings identifying quantity and timing as important but relatively little investigated aspects of ECEC experience. We focus on associations among cumulative ECEC hours during the early preschool (birth to 24 months prior to the commencement of Grade 1) and late preschool (24 months prior to Grade 1) periods, and later growth in children's achievement in letter naming, decoding, and reading comprehension. Ninety-four children, aged 72 to 91 months at the outset, were examined across five testing occasions spanning the first two-and-a-half years of formal schooling. The quantity of ECEC in the early and late periods did not independently account for significant variance in initial status or growth in reading outcomes. However, differential influences of timing and quantity in children at risk of developing reading difficulty and in children experiencing family SES risk were found for decoding and comprehension. Results are consistent with a contextual support model of influence of ECEC quantity, and they indicate contextual circumstances in which ECEC experience may be a protective factor for early reading development. (author abstract)
Reports & Papers
Early childhood education: Pathways to better health
An examination of children's health outcomes in early childhood education programs and of program features associated with positive health outcomes
Other
Expectations of mentoring in a time of change: Views of new and professionally isolated early childhood teachers in Victoria, Australia
This paper presents preliminary data from a mentoring program, initiated in response to widespread Government reform policy that targeted early childhood teachers who were new or professionally isolated. It was implemented over a period of two years (2011-2012) in the state of Victoria, Australia. The paper focuses on the voices of these future mentees regarding why they wanted to participate in the mentoring program and what they were hoping to achieve from participation in the program. These responses came from surveys completed on enrolment in the program and, based on grounded theory and using inductive coding, themes were identified. Their answers reveal their hopes and aspirations, as well as their doubts, anxieties, and feelings of isolation. Such responses prompt thinking about the importance of ensuring that professional learning is contextually relevant and recognising the situated nature of learning. From their answers, it is apparent that, for these teachers, professional learning needs to encompass a much sought-after space in which to be reflective of their practices, gain support and guidance, find new ideas for their practice, and get a feeling of belongingness in a professional learning community. It is argued that mentoring can meet these professional learning needs and aspirations in times of change. (author abstract)
Reports & Papers
Exploring a methodology with young children: Reflections on using the Mosaic and Ecocultural approaches
This paper critically reflects on the appropriateness of the methodological framework adopted in an exploratory study of young children's experiences of participation in their early childhood centre and home environments. The Mosaic and Ecocultural approaches informed the study's methodological framework as these approaches were seen to be complementary and child-friendly. While some of the data collection tools were not as successful in the current study as they have been reported in previous research, there was support for the usefulness of the Mosaic approach as an effective, adaptable and child-focused research methodology. Further, the Ecocultural approach was found to provide an appropriate and meaningful way of talking with young children about their daily routines and everyday home life. (author abstract)
Reports & Papers
Family day care in Australia: A systematic review of research (1996-2010)
Family Day Care (FDC) is a distinctive form of child care chosen by many Australian families. However, there appears to be little empirical research on FDC conducted in Australia. The aim of this study was to systematically review the recent published literature on FDC research in Australia, assess its quality, and identify pertinent topics for future research. FDC research has been conducted on topics such as use and cost of care, aspects of child and caregiver health, and nutrition and physical activity. Studies were generally quantitative and descriptive, with a notable lack of intervention studies. Small sample size and limited analysis of FDC data were the two major issues compromising the quality of the studies. Overall, there is great potential to increase the amount of research on FDC in Australia, and improve its quality. Important topics requiring further research include the effect of training on the caregiver, and the social and emotional wellbeing of children and educators. (author abstract)
Literature Review
Family policies, employment and poverty among partnered and single mothers
The risk of poverty for single mothers ranges from less than 2% in Sweden to more than 35% in the United States; less extreme cross-national variations also exist for partnered mothers. We explore which family policies are most effective at directly reducing poverty among families with children, and whether these policies indirectly reduce poverty through supporting mothers' employment. We combine microdata from the Luxembourg Income Study with the Work-Family Policy Indicators dataset, and use multilevel logistic regressions to examine the associations between policy and poverty, controlling for individual-level factors. We find significant effects of family allowances, generous parental leaves and childcare provisions, with more powerful effects for single mothers. We further show that parental leave and childcare operate through boosting mothers' employment, illustrating that work-family policies are useful for reducing poverty by enhancing mother's employment. (author abstract)
Reports & Papers
How do early childhood education teachers perceive their expertise?: A qualitative study of child care providers in Lapland, Finland
Every preschool age child in Finland has the right to child care. Well-educated staff consists of all-round experts who work in versatile contexts with various children in a multi-professional collaboration. This staff is one of the strengths of the Finnish child care system. The aim of this article is to clarify the expertise of those early childhood education teachers, who have the competence of kindergarten teachers (n = 80) and discuss how the development of early childhood education teachers' expertise could be supported in a small country like Finland, and more specifically, in its northernmost part, the province of Lapland. This was a qualitative study. The data consisted of the early educators' stories of their growth toward expertise. The analysis method was content analysis. Four themes emerged from the analysis of the early educators' growth toward expertise. According to the informants, education, work experience, personal life history and personal attitudes toward work had been the most influential variables in the process of growth toward their expertise. This research showed that the development of early childhood education teachers' expertise necessitates new kinds of working methods and measures for educational planning. In addition, there is need for individual development plans as the work has become more and more collegial and it is necessary to expand a notion of individual expertise into the realm of collaborative and socially shared expertise. (author abstract)
Reports & Papers
How do you make a bear look like a butterfly?: Exploring the Metropolitan Opera's production of Mozart's Magic flute with a group of preschool children
In this research paper we discuss a music program in an early learning centre and present an example of practice that involved children engaging with a picture book of The magic flute. The children researched the opera by watching a film, had conversations about the music and story, drew pictures and dramatised the story during spontaneous play. Relationships between familiar events (the literary exploration of a book) with unfamiliar experiences (watching an opera as a serial) gave the children's activities depth. These relationships are discussed to explore how children used their competence in language and literature to frame their understandings of the story of The magic flute and music of the opera and to anticipate and enjoy the weekly serial. We conclude by relating our discussion to "intentional teaching" as a practice and the Early Years Learning Framework. (author abstract)
Reports & Papers
How we view Australian early childhood education practice: Indian migrant parents' perspectives
This qualitative case study investigates Indian migrant parents' perspectives of early childhood education (ECE) in Melbourne, Australia. The study focuses on exploring parents' understanding of the structure, pedagogy and curriculum practices in early childhood settings. We selected a sample of six Indian parents, who had migrated to Melbourne not more than five years ago and had children attending Australian ECE. To gather their perspectives and experiences, in-depth, face-to-face interviews were conducted. A framework analysis of the data (Ritchie & Spencer, 1994) points to the preference of Australian ECE to Indian ECE Their preference of Australian ECE is contingent on curriculum flexibility, opportunity for parent participation and active involvement of children in planning and learning. However, participatants, particularly the mothers, missed the academic aspect of Indian ECE and believed that the Australian curriculum and pedagogy distanced their children from their culture. Based on these findings, we argue for early childhood teachers to include the experiences of Indian migrant parents in their children's ECE in Australia to help sustain purposeful partnerships and incorporate culturally relevant activities into the curriculum. (author abstract)
Reports & Papers
Integrated services for Aboriginal children and families
This paper discusses an empirical research study based on a community consultation process for the development of an integrated children and families centre. Conducted in Western Australia in 2009, the consultation was designed specifically for the Noongar Aboriginal community, drawing on Indigenous research methods and sociocultural theory. The paper discusses the study's findings, considers its Australian policy and international contexts, and explores challenges to providing integrated child and family services for Aboriginal families. It identifies key elements of successful service delivery and highlights the significance of consultation and collaboration in developing culturally appropriate services. The paper concludes that the widely recognised need to 'close the gap' in Indigenous health and education services is not being met with sufficient funding, and notes the ever-widening gap between purported policy imperatives and the process of addressing inequalities. (author abstract)
Reports & Papers
Interaction or interruption?: Five child-centred philosophical perspectives
This study investigated early childhood educators' beliefs regarding whether and when they should interact with children. Interviews were conducted with five educators chosen for their alignment with five distinct philosophical approaches representing a range of contemporary early childhood education services in New Zealand. A qualitative approach was used to elicit their individual stories to delve into the complexities of child-centred interactions. The literature reviewed highlighted an apparent tension between developmental and sociocultural perspectives, namely the issue of whether and when educators choose to interact with children. However, this study suggests that such tension is nullified when educators align their daily practice with clear philosophical guidelines. (author abstract)
Reports & Papers
The interface of the national Australian curriculum and the pre-Year 1 class in school: Exploring tensions
The Australian state-based educational system of a national school curriculum that includes a pre-Year 1 Foundation Year has raised questions about the purpose of this year of early education. A document analysis was undertaken across three Australian states, examining three constructions ct the pre-Year 1 class and tensions arising from varied perspectives. Tensions have emerged over state-based adaptations of the national curriculum, scripted pedagogies for change management, differing ideological perspectives and positioning of stakeholders. The results indicate that since 2012 there has been a shift in constructions of the pre-Year 1 class towards school-based ideologies, especially in Queensland. Accordingly, positioning of children, parents and teachers has also changed. These results resonate with previous international indications of "schooling" early education. The experiences of Australian early adopters of the curriculum offer insights for other jurisdictions in Australia and internationally, and raise questions about future development in early years education. (author abstract)
Other
An international perspective on regulated family day care systems
Despite emerging evidence of the contributors to high-quality family day care, a comprehensive comparison of international family day care systems has not been undertaken. The aim of this paper is to compare regulated family day care (FDC) in Australia, Canada, England and Wales, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Norway, New Zealand, Sweden, and the USA, using standard information about FDC usage and each country's structural characteristics, regulatory approach, quality assurance indicators, supervision and support, and sector challenges. A template was developed by representatives of the International Family Day Care Organisation, including academics, FDC providers, and FDC educators and management staff. The paper demonstrates that, although the existing body of published research is sufficient to provide clear guidance for developing and maintaining quality FDC, this knowledge is not always being applied in current practices. Three practices, each pertaining to several countries, are of concern: (a) minimal requirements for being a regulated FDC provider, (b) minimal quality assurance guidelines, and (c) minimal provider supports. There is great potential to learn from countries that have a high level of success in providing high-quality FDC and strong support for providers and families. (author abstract)
Other
Licensed child care questionnaire 2012 results
A study of the hours and days of operation, prices charged, wages paid, and finances of licensed child care providers in Ontario, Canada, based on survey responses from 3,459 licensed providers
Reports & Papers
"The moving body": A sustainable project to improve children's physical activity at kindergarten
Physical activity promotes children's awareness of the body. Children, to experience and to learn, need to be physically active and their innate physical activity is playing. Playing together means building relationships with peers, means learning how to use tools and space, means addressing egocentric behaviour toward rules' respect; in summary, it means learning "social conviviality and respect". The aim of the project "The moving body" was to favour children's physical and cognitive development and their social relationships. Gross motor physical abilities were assessed in 270 children attending the kindergarten. The children were grouped according their level of motor abilities to promote learning through older children's imitation. Structured games and playing were alternated to free time, and words such as physical activity, movement, and so on, were never used. Every month the children were asked to draw their own body to assess their body shape perception and their ability in representing it. All the children improved their physical abilities as compared to the beginning of the project; they strengthened their creativity and fantasy, inventing new and imaginative games, became more confident in their own capacities, and they learned how to deal and overcome, with a greater autonomy, difficult tasks. The body shape perception, and its representation as drawing, showed, especially among children 3 years old, remarkable progress. The importance of physical activity and play in kindergarten activities was evidenced through the significant improvement of children's several specific motor and psychosocial competences. (author abstract)
Reports & Papers
"NAEYC's key attributes of quality preschool programs" applied to the Jordanian kindergarten context
Jordan's education system is currently undergoing rigorous and comprehensive reform processes that focus on improving the status of educational policies and experiences for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Kindergarten education in Jordan has been dominated until recently, by the private-sector. For the past decade, the Ministry of Education has taken initiative to provide government-funded kindergarten programs. The main objective of this research was to evaluate program practices implemented by private and public-sector programs and examine their alignment with Developmentally Appropriate Practices. Using NAEYC's "Top 10 Signs of a Good Kindergarten Classroom" as evaluative guidelines, observational data was collected from 118 classrooms (50-private, 68-public). Demographic data were also obtained from classroom teachers; level of education, specialty, and years of experience. The results of the analysis revealed significant differences in application of the 10 NAEYC guidelines between public and private-sector programs. Ministry of Education kindergarten classroom practices were found to be closely aligned to best practices compared to private-sector programs. Also, teachers with bachelor's degrees and those with early childhood education backgrounds outperformed their counterparts in the application of Developmentally Appropriate Practices. Years of experience yielded no significant results for this sample of teachers. Reflecting on the results of this study, several recommendations were posed. (author abstract)
Reports & Papers
