What's in a Dream? Natural Elements, Risk and Loose Parts in Children's Dream Playspace Drawings

IN THIS PAPER, CHILDREN'S idealised playspace drawings, arising from their participation in planning a children's playground in a local shopping centre, are examined. This examination is conducted by engaging with theories of human/nature connection, significance of place, and children as agents in co-construction of playspaces. Analysis of the drawings—through a combination of iterative visual methods and children's narratives—highlights the value children place on being outdoors and on natural elements, loose parts and activity in their play. The playspaces imagined/drawn by the children are in stark contrast to the design of play environments in many schools and early childhood settings where safety and supervision are the dominant focus. These conflicting views are examined in the context of international discourse on playspace design, and the concluding discussion adds to the growing number of voices affirming that children should be actively engaged in the planning process and become co-constructors in spaces that are designed for their use.

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From everyday to scientific (mathematical) concepts: A Vygotskian interpretation of a young child's speech

Avances de Investigación en Educación Matemática ◽

10.35763/aiem.v0i19.404 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 86-99

Author(s):

Marie Therese Farrugia

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Theoretical Framework ◽

Scientific Concepts ◽

Mathematical Concepts ◽

Asking Questions ◽

Loose Parts ◽

Early Childhood Settings

In Early Childhood settings, children are considered to learn through play. In this paper I report on a case-study of a four-year-old boy playing with loose parts. As he played, I interacted with him by commenting and asking questions. My aim was to include mathematics in his play. My analysis involved an micro-examination of the interaction to trace the child’s language over the sessions. The theoretical framework employed was Vygotsky’s distincton between everyday and scientific concepts and his theory of play. I noted that the interactive contexts supported the child to use certain words in association with others. In particular, he started to link the words big/small with numbers, thus quantifying size, which is the foundation of measurement. In line with the importance afforded to speech by Vygotsky, I was able to trace the role played by words in the child’s progression from everday (play) concepts to scientific (mathematical) concepts.

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Citizenship for All in the Literate Community: An Ethnography of Young Children with Significant Disabilities in Inclusive Early Childhood Settings

Harvard Educational Review ◽

10.17763/haer.74.4.p46171013714642x ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 74 (4) ◽

pp. 373-403 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

CHRISTOPHER KLIEWER ◽

LINDA MAY FITZGERALD ◽

JODI MEYER-MORK ◽

PATRESA HARTMAN ◽

PAT ENGLISH-SAND ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Young Children ◽

Literacy Development ◽

Children With Disabilities ◽

Ethnographic Methods ◽

Significant Disabilities ◽

Making Meaning ◽

Children's Narratives ◽

Early Childhood Settings ◽

Inclusive Early Childhood

In this study, Christopher Kliewer, Linda Fitzgerald, Jodi Meyer-Mork, Patresa Hartman, Pat English-Sand, and Donna Raschke use ethnographic methods to explore literacy development in young children considered to have significant disabilities. The study settings included nine preschool and kindergarten classrooms across five programs, all of which involved children with and without disabilities learning side-byside. Over the course of two school years, the authors observed teachers emphasizing children's narratives, and in so doing effectively fostering the citizenship of all children in the literate communities of the classrooms under study. The authors describe several themes that appeared in their data related to fostering effective literacy development in children historically segregated from rich curricular opportunities. In this effort, defining literacy as making meaning and interpreting children with disabilities as competent meaning-makers was foremost.

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Children’s ‘working theories’ as curriculum outcomes

10.1093/oso/9780198747109.003.0016 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Sally Peters ◽

Keryn Davis ◽

Ruta McKenzie

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

New Zealand ◽

Adult Child ◽

Early Childhood Curriculum ◽

Complex Thinking ◽

Young Learners ◽

Early Childhood Settings ◽

Te Whāriki ◽

Sense Of Wonder

This chapter explores how children make sense of their world through the development and refinement of ‘working theories’. Working theories are a key item for young learners, and are emphasized in the New Zealand early childhood curriculum Te Whāriki. Children’s working theories develop in environments where they have opportunities to engage in complex thinking with others, observe, listen, participate, and discuss, within the context of topics and activities. It is through interactions and activities that children begin to own the ideas and beliefs of their culture and begin to make sense of their worlds. However, fostering this learning in early childhood settings is not always easy, and requires skilled adults who can respond appropriately. We explore and discuss the nature of children’s working theories and ways in which adult–child interactions can enhance or inhibit a sense of wonder and curiosity.

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