Early Childhood Education Journal最新文献

{"title":"Supporting Preschool Children with Concussions or Traumatic Brain Injuries in Early Childhood Classrooms","authors":"Trinh Le, Megan Kunze, Berenice de la Cruz, Melissa McCart","doi":"10.1007/s10643-025-01876-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-025-01876-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This manuscript provides information about how to support young children who sustain concussions or traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in their classrooms. A description of concussion or TBI symptoms, ways of communication with young children, classroom accommodations, and parental support are presented. The concussion signs and symptoms in children are slightly different from those of adults. When talking about these symptoms with preschoolers, it is essential to use simple, straightforward, and gentle language. Three main classroom accommodations are recommended including reducing physical activities, simplifying cognitive tasks, and creating a restful, calm environment. Resources for parent support are also provided to inform parents of what to expect and where to get help when a concussion/TBI occurs. The purpose of this paper is to increase the awareness of concussions and TBIs in young children and to equip teachers with practical knowledge in working with these children and their families, resulting in the teachers’ timely and efficient responses when concussions occur.</p>","PeriodicalId":47818,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Education Journal","volume":"27 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143417262","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Making with LEGOs to Improve the Writing of Young Children","authors":"Qianyi Gao, Anna Hall, Virginia Theriault","doi":"10.1007/s10643-025-01869-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-025-01869-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Maker Movement has gained popularity in educational settings due to its emphasis on hands-on creation and fostering creative expression. While making is often associated with STEM disciplines, literacy educators are increasingly interested in exploring the intersection between making and writing. This qualitative study examines the impact of LEGO building on young children’s writing. Over the course of eight weeks, five participants from a third-grade classroom engaged in small group sessions that integrated LEGO building with writing tasks. Participants demonstrated enhanced expository writing skills, increased concentration and focus during writing tasks, and a shift in emphasis from spelling accuracy to content clarity. The findings underscore the potential of LEGO building as a valuable tool for improving the writing of young children and highlight the promise of integrating making activities to writing instruction.</p>","PeriodicalId":47818,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Education Journal","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143393001","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Developing a Low-Resource, Evidence-Based Early Years Professional Development Programme Using Self-Assessment","authors":"Anushay Mazhar, Kathy Sylva","doi":"10.1007/s10643-025-01863-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-025-01863-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Early language and communication skills are critical for children’s development and early years educators are well-placed to support children’s learning; however, many early years educators receive little training to support the development of these skills. While professional development programmes offer a potential solution, existing programmes have yielded mixed findings, and little is known about why this is the case since most programmes do not describe their intended mechanisms of change. Moreover, most programmes require abundant resources, leading to limited sustainability and scalability. This paper presents a theoretical framework for a low-resource professional development programme aimed at enhancing educators’ abilities to support preschool children’s language and communication skills. We identify core characteristics (sustained, multi-format, flexible, context-sensitive, focused) and active components (coaching, practice, feedback, reflection, goal setting, modelling, group engagement) of effective professional development programmes, which we use to inform the programme design. The proposed programme integrates three main components: (1) LangQuest, a free, downloadable self-assessment tool designed to help educators reflect on their language-supporting strategies, (2) an online course that promotes meaningful use of the LangQuest and builds educators’ knowledge of how and when to use different pedagogical strategies, and (3) Learning Circles, a form of professional learning communities to promote social learning. We envision that this programme will enhance educators’ procedural knowledge of language-supporting strategies and improve teacher-child interactions, ultimately fostering children’s language and communication skills. By identifying features of effective early years programmes, the paper provides a practical roadmap to those interested in developing PD programmes or integrating the LangQuest into existing programmes.</p>","PeriodicalId":47818,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Education Journal","volume":"4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143385104","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From Play to Creativity: The Mediating Role of Self-regulation in Kindergarteners","authors":"Rafat Ghanamah","doi":"10.1007/s10643-025-01867-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-025-01867-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The interplay between playfulness, executive functions, and creativity is paramount for children’s cognitive and emotional development, as these variables significantly impact early learning and problem-solving abilities. The current study investigates the associations between playfulness, executive functions, and creativity among kindergarteners, with a focus on the mediating role of self-regulation. A sample of 124 Arab Israeli children (64 females) aged 5–6 years completed the head-toes-knees-shoulders (HTKS; Ponitz et al. in Developmental Psychology, 45(3):605–619, 2009, https://doi.org/10.1037/a0015365) task, the Hand Movement Test (Kaufman and Kaufman (Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (KABC, K-ABC), APA PsycTests, 1983, https://doi.org/10.1037/t27677-000), the Beery Visual-Motor Integration [Beery and Beery (The Beery-Buktenica developmental test of visual-motor integration: Administration, scoring, and teaching manual, NCS Pearson, 2004)] test, and the Thinking Creatively in Action and Movement [Torrance (Thinking creatively in action and movement, Scholastic-Testing Service, 1981)] measures while the teachers completed The Children’s Playfulness Scale (Barnett in Play &amp; Culture, 3(4):319–336, 1990). Correlation analyses revealed significant associations between playfulness factors and creativity, indicating that playful behaviors are positively linked to creative expression. Notably, the HTKS task demonstrated a significant mediating effect in the relationship between total playfulness and creativity, as confirmed by Sobel test results (z ≈ 7.49). This highlights the crucial role of self-regulation in facilitating creative thought processes during play. The findings highlighted the importance of promoting playfulness and self-regulation abilities in early childhood education to advance creative development. Implications for educational practices and the need for future research exploring these constructs across diverse populations and settings are discussed. This study contributes to the expanding body of literature connecting executive functions to creativity, especially within the context of play, underscoring the necessity of holistic approaches in early childhood development.</p>","PeriodicalId":47818,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Education Journal","volume":"27 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143385103","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Comparison Between Outdoor Play Spaces, Equipment, and Resources in Low Versus High Socioeconomic Johannesburg Early Childhood Development Centres","authors":"Lara Clarkson, Marica Botha, Janine van der Linde","doi":"10.1007/s10643-024-01846-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-024-01846-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Play spaces facilitate play as a child’s primary occupation which is essential for learning and early childhood development. In South African early childhood development centres, almost 11% do not have access to outdoor play areas, 20% have no outdoor play equipment, and 50% have no access to educational toys (Early Childhood Development in South Africa. Education Series. IV (No. 92-01-04),100, Available: http://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/92-01-04/92-01-042016.pdf). This research aimed to compare the physical design and resources of outdoor play spaces in low socioeconomic (LSE) versus high socioeconomic (HSE) early childhood development (ECD) centres in Johannesburg. A descriptive comparative research design was used, with a total population sampling method for the distribution of a self-developed questionnaire adapted from play literature. Results were obtained from a total sample size of 82 ECD centres, 28 reported LSE and 54 reported HSE. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. LSE-ECD centres (57% community-based sites) had significantly less funding frequency compared to HSE-ECD centres (83% independent / private schools), with 87% private funding at least annually for outdoor play space upkeep. LSE-ECD centres had limited outdoor play space resource variety and quantity (7% had no outdoor play space, 43% had traditional playground designs, 14% had no fixed playground equipment), compared to HSE-ECD centres with a wide variety and abundance of outdoor play space resources. Chi-square statistics revealed a significantly higher number of fixed and loose manufactured equipment, movement toys, fixed and loose natural resources, and multi-sensory exploration spaces in HSE-ECD centres. Cramer’s V statistics revealed outdoor play space physical design and resource availability have a strong dependence on socioeconomic status.</p>","PeriodicalId":47818,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Education Journal","volume":"36 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143375249","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Home Literacy and Mathematics in Bulgaria, Israel, Spain, and the U.S.: How Do Preschool Parents Socialize Academic Readiness?","authors":"Michele L. Stites, Susan Sonnenschein, Dorit Aram, Galia Meoded Karabanov, Carmen López-Escribano, Katerina Shtereva, Besjanë Krasniqi, Hatice Gursoy","doi":"10.1007/s10643-025-01861-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-025-01861-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Previous research shows that preschool parents in the United States (U.S.) prioritize literacy over mathematics, despite the importance of both subjects for their child’s future academic success. However, less is known about how parents in other countries socialize the literacy and mathematics skills of young children. This paper examines the beliefs of preschool parents from Bulgaria (<i>N</i> = 103), Israel (<i>N</i> = 167), Spain (<i>N</i> = 138), and the U.S. (<i>N</i> = 183). These countries were selected due to differences in location, economics, religions, languages, and alphabet. Specifically, we examine the importance parents place on home literacy and mathematics, the time spent in the home on those activities, and parents’ confidence in supporting their child’s learning in both domains. We also examined the type of support and resources parents in each country would value receiving from their child’s teacher. The results indicated the importance of expanding research from just U.S. participants. Parents from all four countries valued home literacy and mathematics but viewed literacy as significantly more important. While parents from all four countries viewed literacy as more important, differences between countries were noted when it came to the time spent on different subjects, with Spain and the U.S. spending more time on literacy and Bulgaria and Israel spending more time on mathematics. Parents from the U.S. indicated significantly higher levels of confidence in supporting literacy than parents in the other three countries; however, no differences were noted in confidence for supporting mathematics. The types of resources that parents would like to receive also varied by country.</p>","PeriodicalId":47818,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Education Journal","volume":"143 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143371646","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"How the Co-Inquiry Model Supports Multimodal Literacies in Early Learning Settings: A Case Study of Two Child Care Centres in Western Canada","authors":"Rhonda Fischer","doi":"10.1007/s10643-025-01860-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-025-01860-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In early learning settings, multiple modes of communication are used to help young children convey meaning. These modes, or multimodal literacies, include signs, images, gestures, sounds, speech, movements, and actions. This study adds a deeper understanding of the strategies educators in Alberta use to support multimodal literacies. I conducted a multiple case study with eight educators at two childcare centers. To collect data, I utilized video walk-throughs whereby educators showed me around their playrooms digitally, interviews with early childhood educators, and pedagogical documentation in the form of learning stories collected from educators to further my understanding of how multimodal literacies are supported in early childhood settings. This research revealed that educators use multiple strategies to support multimodal literacies, including an emergent curriculum using the co-inquiry model of observation, reflection, and planning next steps. Implications include the need for early learning and childcare educators to use a broad view of multimodal literacies and a co-inquiry model first to observe the children’s multimodal literacies, then reflect on their observations, and then nurture or extend these literacy practices.</p>","PeriodicalId":47818,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Education Journal","volume":"132 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143367428","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Look to Laboratory Schools for Innovation and Leadership","authors":"Jennifer Gallo-Fox, Monica Miller Marsh, Cynthia Paris, Nancy Barbour, Robyn Brookshire, Meghan Fisher, Pamela Hutchins, Brent McBride, Elizabeth DeMartino Newton, Iyanuoluwa Olalowo, Dorit Radnai-Griffin, Elizabeth Schlesinger-Devlin","doi":"10.1007/s10643-024-01843-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-024-01843-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Laboratory schools were developed more than one hundred years ago on university campuses. The roles, structure, mission, and history of university-based laboratory schools uniquely position them to respond to the needs of their communities and provide resources and leadership for the field. All lab schools have different strengths and resources to support growth and innovation, address issues in the field, and provide leadership to address challenges and opportunities; in collaboration with others they hold the potential to multiply the impact of work conducted independently. This practical article seeks to clarify the role of university laboratory schools while highlighting the responses of five early childhood laboratory schools in the United States to current challenges, illustrating ways that lab schools serve as valuable resources to the field of early childhood education. Together, these schools represent different state and local contexts, serve different populations, and have different programmatic structures. As we seek to address current challenges in early childhood education, we remind others to look to laboratory schools as valuable resources and partners for envisioning new possibilities for the field.</p>","PeriodicalId":47818,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Education Journal","volume":"40 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143192489","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Is Confidence in Mathematics Pedagogy Enough? Exploring Early Childhood Teachers’ Mathematics Beliefs and Confidence","authors":"Marina M. Papic, Christopher Papic","doi":"10.1007/s10643-024-01840-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-024-01840-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p>A multicentre cross-sectional study of early childhood teachers (ECTs) from one large Australian not-for-profit early childhood organisation in preschool (3–5 years) classrooms, was conducted. This study was part of a quasi-experimental online Mathematics Professional Learning Program intervention aimed at developing ECTs’ mathematical pedagogical content knowledge; we report on ECTs’ (n = 325) pre-program survey scores, investigating their beliefs and confidence around mathematical pedagogy and their beliefs of preschoolers’ mathematical abilities. Scores were high, especially for confidence in pedagogical knowledge and pedagogical ability in helping children learn mathematics, and several survey constructs were significantly inter-related. However, more than half of the ECTs did not agree that most children enter preschool with some mathematics abilities, and confidence in their own mathematical abilities in areas of numeracy and spatial awareness varied. Mathematics focussed Environmental Rating Scale, Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale—Extension (ECERS-E) and Sustained Shared Thinking and Emotional Wellbeing (SSTEW) scale, item scores were evaluated for a representative subgroup of ECTs (n = 102) and overall showed <i>minimal</i> (3 out of 7) quality learning environments. Mathematical beliefs and confidence had a weak association with mathematics focused ECERS-E scores and no association with SSTEW scores. The results show that while beliefs and confidence were high, they did not predict the quality of the preschool learning environment. ECTs may be unaware of the specific mathematical content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge required to effectively teach mathematics to preschool children and develop children’s complex mathematical thinking. Implications for professional learning are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":47818,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Education Journal","volume":"61 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143125343","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nature as a Co-Teacher in Early Childhood Language Education","authors":"Jannette Prins, Lisa Gaikhorst, Dieuwke Hovinga","doi":"10.1007/s10643-025-01854-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-025-01854-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Playing in nature-based places supports early childhood development. In previous years, studies have shown the benefits of nature play for healthy child development, including language development. For early childhood teachers it is insightful to learn together how to develop language education in nature that is supportive of their student’s language development. The aim of this study is to investigate how early childhood education (ECE) teachers make nature-based places function as language learning environments in EC language education. The study took a collaborative action-based research approach and worked in communities of practice (CoP). In these communities, 55 teachers across five schools gathered six times. Based on the analysis of the shared conversations we defined the supportive aspects of nature-based places and related them to the expected outcomes of early childhood language education. We also described the professional changes they made to be able to teach language in nature. These changes were summarized in a model that informs early childhood teachers how to include the pedagogical and linguistic function of nature-based places to work towards the outcomes of EC language education.</p>","PeriodicalId":47818,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Education Journal","volume":"61 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143083252","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}