scholarly journals Can natural history collections support a connection to nature for young children and families?

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 369-382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine Bates

Recent studies indicate that contact with nature is important for children’s development, and supports creativity, wellbeing, problem solving and empathy with nature as adults. Researchers raise concerns that this experience is being eroded by a decline in green spaces (especially in cities) and an increasingly risk averse society (Bragg et al.2013; Louv 2005; Moss 2012; Pretty et al. 2009).Whilst direct experiences of nature may be increasingly rare for young children, Kellert’s work on biophilia and child development (2005) suggests that indirect experiences with nature, such as those occurring during a museum visit, may be able to compensate for this. Within this context, Manchester Museum developed Nature Discovery (opened in December 2014), a gallery aimed at engaging under-5s and their parents with nature. As well as drawing from existing studies of young children in museums, the gallery responded to research carried out with local parents, young children and teachers. This research focused on documenting parent and child interactions during a series of child-led, family visits to the existing natural history galleries and further visits by different families to evaluate the new gallery (2015).Using existing nature connection measures (Cheng and Munro 2012; Ernst and Theimer 2011), the results suggest that natural history objects can support a connection to nature, which may result in environmentally friendly behaviours in adulthood. Parent and child interaction is identified as a key characteristic of supporting a connection to nature and in supporting children’s learning.

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Pia R. Britto ◽  
Suna Hanöz-Penney ◽  
Liliana Angelica Ponguta ◽  
Diane Sunar ◽  
Ghassan Issa ◽  
...  

Abstract This article provides an overview of selected ongoing international efforts that have been inspired by Edward Zigler's vision to improve programs and policies for young children and families in the United States. The efforts presented are in close alignment with three strategies articulated by Edward Zigler: (a) conduct research that will inform policy advocacy; (b) design, implement, and revise quality early childhood development (ECD) programs; and (c) invest in building the next generation of scholars and advocates in child development. The intergenerational legacy left by Edward Zigler has had an impact on young children not only in the United States, but also across the globe. More needs to be done. We need to work together with a full commitment to ensure the optimal development of each child.


2003 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela A. Schulze

Much has been written about the plight of refugee children and families. The authors of these articles generally make a case for greater involvement by the international community on behalf of refugee children. All too often, these eloquent and moving calls to action fall on deaf ears. In particular, this author argues that academics in the field of child development, who tend to be socialized to define and debate issues rather than act on them, are often slow to act on issues of concern. In this colloquium, the author provides several examples of ways that professionals in early childhood can help to promote the healthy development of refugee children, and she advocates for all of us to take on this responsibility, as it is consistent with our professional, personal, and moral obligation to promote the developmental well-being of all young children.


2021 ◽  
pp. 026101832098398
Author(s):  
Marjorie Murray ◽  
Daniela Tapia

Nadie es Perfecto (Nobody’s Perfect, or NEP) is a parenting skills workshop aimed at ‘sharing experiences and receiving guidance on everyday problems to strengthen child development’. This article explores this workshop in terms of its relationship with the daily lives of participants, based on one year of fieldwork focused on families with young children in a low-income neighbourhood in Santiago. While caregivers frame their parenting efforts as aiming to ‘hacer lo mejor posible’ (do their best) under difficult circumstances, our study found that facilitators take an anachronistic and homogenizing view of participants. Embracing a universalistic perspective of child development, they discourage participation and debate, focusing instead on providing concrete advice that limits the potential of the workshops. This article argues that by ignoring the different living situations of families in this socioeconomic context, NEP reproduces a prejudiced view of poor subjects that sees them as deficient and incapable of change.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1476718X2110149
Author(s):  
Susan Edwards

Young children aged birth to 5 years are known users of the internet, both unsupervised and in collaboration with adults. Adults also use the internet to share details of children’s lives with others, via sharenting and educational apps. During COVID-19 internet use by children and families rose significantly during periods of enforced stay-home. Internet use by children, and by adults on behalf exposes children to conduct, contact and content risks online. These risks mean that cyber-safety in the early years is increasingly necessary, especially concerning increased internet usage during COVID-19. While cyber-safety is well developed for primary and secondary-school aged children this is not the case for young children, their families and educators. This paper proposes a research agenda for cyber-safety in the early years, using critical constructivism and internet studies to define the internet as a non-unitary technology. Three main objects of study concerning cyber-safety in the early years, including the reference to COVID-19 are identified for targeted research, including: technologies, context and policy.


2021 ◽  
pp. 027112142199083
Author(s):  
Hailey R. Love ◽  
Margaret R. Beneke

Multiple scholars have argued that early childhood inclusive education research and practice has often retained racialized, ableist notions of normal development, which can undermine efforts to advance justice and contribute to biased educational processes and practices. Racism and ableism intersect through the positioning of young children of Color as “at risk,” the use of normalizing practices to “fix” disability, and the exclusion of multiply marginalized young children from educational spaces and opportunities. Justice-driven inclusive education research is necessary to challenge such assumptions and reduce exclusionary practices. Disability Critical Race Theory extends inclusive education research by facilitating examinations of the ways racism and ableism interdependently uphold notions of normalcy and centering the perspectives of multiply marginalized children and families. We discuss constructions of normalcy in early childhood, define justice-driven inclusive education research and its potential contributions, and discuss DisCrit’s affordances for justice-driven inclusive education research with and for multiply marginalized young children and families.


2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-30
Author(s):  
Xigrid T. Soto-Boykin ◽  
Anne L. Larson ◽  
Arnold Olszewski ◽  
Veena Velury ◽  
Anna Feldberg

Young children with and without disabilities who are bilingual or in the process of learning multiple languages have many strengths; however, educational policies and bias related to bilingualism for children from linguistically minoritized groups have typically included deficit-based views. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify how researchers describe these children and their caregivers. Thirty research studies were included in the review. Each study was published in Infants and Young Children, Journal of Early Intervention, or Topics in Early Childhood Special Education between 1988 and 2020. Studies were coded to determine participant characteristics and whether deficit- or strength-based descriptions of participants were used. Although researchers’ descriptions of participants’ linguistic backgrounds varied, most were English-centric, and deficit-based descriptions of bilingualism were more prevalent than strength-based descriptions. Preliminary recommendations are provided for describing children and families from linguistically minoritized communities and including strength-based language in research and practice.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda M. Richter ◽  
Tamsen J. Rochat ◽  
Celia Hsiao ◽  
Thembelihle H. Zuma

The HIV epidemic in South Africa is putting great strain on health services, including the inpatient care of young children. Caregivers and young children (107 pairs) and 17 nurses participated in an intervention to improve the care of young children in hospital in a high HIV and AIDS setting. The intervention addressed caregiver expectations about admission and treatment, responsive feeding, coping with infant pain and distress, assistance with medical procedures, and preparation for discharge and home care. Following a preparatory and piloting phase, measures of nurse burnout, caregiver physical and emotional well-being, and caregiver-child interaction were made before and after intervention. No changes were found between before and after intervention on assessments of caregiver wellbeing. However, mothers in the postintervention phase rated nurses as more supportive; mother-child interaction during feeding was more relaxed and engaged, and babies were less socially withdrawn. While the intervention proved useful in improving certain outcomes for children and their caregivers, it did not address challenging hospital and ward administration or support needed by caregivers at home following discharge. To address the latter need, the intervention has been extended into the community through home-based palliative care and support.


2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 73-80
Author(s):  
Wahyudin Wahyudin

The development of the character education still becomes the controversy among the educators, either from the theoretical or philosophical points of view. Actually, the core of the character education is not only viewed from philosophical difference, pedagogical ideology, or politics, but focused on the child development. Curriculum 2013 seeks to provide a problem-solving on the cultural matters and the national characters by integrating the characters / values /attitudes into the lessons, self-development, and the culture of the school. It is expected that a new generation of nation is developed in attitudes, knowledge, and skills. It has been clear that teachers thought, beliefs, and choices will influence their teaching practice. Therefore, it is necessary to build the views, beliefs, and positive selection within the teachers mind for the successful implementation of Curriculum 2013.   Perkembangan pendidikan karakter sampai sejauh ini masih penuh dengan kontroversi yang terutama berakar dalam berbagai perbedaan teoretis dan filosofis, meski sebenarnya inti dari pendidikan karakter tidak pada perbedaan filosofis, ideologi pedagogis, politik, dan sebagainya, melainkan tentang perkembangan anak. Kurikulum 2013 berupaya memberikan pemecahan persoalan budaya dan karakter bangsa dengan cara mengintegrasikan karakter/nilai/sikap ke dalam mata pelajaran, pengembangan diri, dan budaya sekolah, dengan harapan terbentuknya generasi baru bangsa yang utuh dalam sikap, pengetahuan, dan keterampilan. Dengan menyadari bahwa pandangan, keyakinan, dan pilihan para guru akan berpengaruh pada praktek pembelajaran, maka perlu dibangun pandangan, keyakinan, dan pilihan yang positif dalam diri para guru demi keberhasilan implementasi Kurikulum 2013.


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