Cross-cultural interpretations of changes in early childhood education in the USA, Russia, and Finland

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 309-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janniina Vlasov ◽  
Eeva Hujala
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
The Usa

Cross-Cultural Psychology of Play and Early Childhood Education

2018 ◽  
pp. 184-201
Author(s):  
Asil Ali Özdoğru
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Cultural Psychology ◽  
Central Element ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Multicultural Environment ◽  
Globalizing World ◽  
Cultural Research ◽  
Theory Research

Play is a universal form of human behavior that has been observed across all cultures and constitutes a fundamental role in children's development. This chapter summarizes theory, research, and practice of play in early childhood education from a cross-cultural perspective. Even though there are common qualities of play, there is a great deal of variation within and across cultures. In the multicultural environment of globalizing world, early childhood professionals need to make better use of play from an intercultural perspective. Effective utilization of play in early childhood education needs a thorough understanding of scientific theories and cross-cultural research on play. Quality early childhood education programs incorporate play as a central element in the curriculum with consideration of both individual- and group-level differences. Developmentally and culturally appropriate practice in early childhood education demands the assessment and utilization of individual and cultural characteristics of children in the planning and implementation of play-based interventions.

scholarly journals The 20 Hours Free Early Childhood Education Programme: A USA Perspective

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenda Bushouse
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Universal Access ◽  
Education Programme ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Low Income Families

This article provides a comparative perspective on early childhood education (ECE) policy in the USA and New Zealand. The contrast between the two countries is significant. In the USA the federal government funds early childhood education only for the poor and disabled. Some individual states have created their own funding programmes, but again, they primarily target children from low-income families. Only a few provide universal access. By way of contrast, the New Zealand 20 Hours Free programme initiated in 2007 provides 20 hours of free ECE for three- and four-year olds regardless of family income. This article discusses the creation of the programme, starting with its genesis in 2005, and considers what are regarded as “wedge” issues, the controversy over the exclusion of private services and parent/whanau-led services, and the ongoing debate over the restriction on “top-up” fees. In the current global economic crisis, it remains to be seen whether the recently-elected National-led government will continue to fully fund the programme or revert to a subsidy strategy.

Cross-Cultural Psychology of Play and Early Childhood Education

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Asil Ali Özdoğru
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Cultural Psychology ◽  
Central Element ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Multicultural Environment ◽  
Globalizing World ◽  
Cultural Research ◽  
Theory Research

Play is a universal form of human behavior that has been observed across all cultures and constitutes a fundamental role in children's development. This chapter summarizes theory, research, and practice of play in early childhood education from a cross-cultural perspective. Even though there are common qualities of play, there is a great deal of variation within and across cultures. In the multicultural environment of globalizing world, early childhood professionals need to make better use of play from an intercultural perspective. Effective utilization of play in early childhood education needs a thorough understanding of scientific theories and cross-cultural research on play. Quality early childhood education programs incorporate play as a central element in the curriculum with consideration of both individual- and group-level differences. Developmentally and culturally appropriate practice in early childhood education demands the assessment and utilization of individual and cultural characteristics of children in the planning and implementation of play-based interventions.

scholarly journals Colonialism and Cargo Cults in Early Childhood Education: Does Reggio Emilia Really Exist?

2000 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Preschool Education ◽  
Learning Processes ◽  
Reggio Emilia ◽  
Education Systems ◽  
Cultural Icon ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
The World ◽  
The Usa

The Reggio Emilia, preschools in Italy, have been called one of the best preschool education systems in the world. This is witnessed by the proliferation of people who have made a pilgrimage to Reggio to study this system and bring it to the USA. This article uses Reggio as a now familiar cultural icon in an attempt to problematize larger issues in the field of early childhood education. Beginning with a brief overview of some of recent Reggio discourse the author interprets this phenomenon using Foucault in an attempt to illustrate the extent to which “power reaches into the very grain of individuals … inserts itself into their actions and attitudes, their discourses, learning processes and everyday lives' (1980, p. 39). Assisting with this interpretation, the popularity of Reggio is positioned against cargo cult theory and the normative, hegemonic practices of colonization.

Yoruba toddlers’ engagement in errands and cognitive performance on the Yoruba Mental Subscale

2002 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oluyomi A. Ogunnaike ◽  
Robert F. Houser
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Child Rearing ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Cultural Research ◽  
Cross Cultural Research ◽  
Southwest Nigeria ◽  
The Relationship

Responsibility training is an essential component of child-rearing practices in several African societies. To inculcate responsibility, caregivers allocate their children household duties and send them on errands; these include (but are not limited to) fetching objects and purchasing items. Such errands foster the acquisition of cognitive, social, and economic competencies. In this paper, the relationship between the types of errands engaged in by Yoruba toddlers of southwest Nigeria and cognitive performance using an adapted version of the Bayley Mental Scales of Development, referred to as the Yoruba Mental Subscale, is examined. Findings revealed that children who engaged in purchasing items and retrieving specific objects for the caregiver had a significantly higher performance on the Yoruba Mental Subscale compared to children who did not engage in such errands. With regard to performance on the Bayley Mental Scales, findings revealed no significant association with the errands examined. The implications of these findings for cross-cultural research and early childhood education are discussed.

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