scholarly journals Early years’ provision for young children in Wales: history, challenges, and the Welsh language

Author(s):  
Siân Wyn Siencyn

The development of Welsh medium early years’ education has been a story of singular success over the last century. With the establishment of the National Assembly in 2000, Wales further forged its own vision for its young children. One of its first priorities, for example, was the Foundation Phase with its radical approach. This paper offers an overview of the historic development of nursery education in Wales, before and post devolution. Welsh language and Wales policies are set in the context of wider influences. Focus will be on Welsh language provision, highlighting the role of Mudiad Meithrin in the language revitalisation process. This paper will consider issues, research and theory relating to early bilingualism and will review approaches to immersion methodology.  Thereafter, the challenges of implementing immersion will be explored and set in the landscape of tensions facing the field of early childhood services in Welsh, and in light of current political and policy developments.

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 313-320
Author(s):  
Colti Sistiarani ◽  
Bambang Hariyadi ◽  
Saudin Yuniarno ◽  
Endo Dardjito

The rapid development of technology makes it easier for mothers to provide stimulation related to growth and development using gadgets. However, parental knowledge is needed about the safe limits of using a gadget in early childhood. This study aims to determine the perspective and behavior of mothers about the use of gadgets in toddlers. The method used is quantitative research with a cross-sectional approach. The participants of this study were thirty-one mothers who have early childhood and who are empowering family welfare. The inclusion criteria were mothers who agreed to be respondents, the exclusion criteria for mothers who did not have gadgets. This study uses a questionnaire measurement instrument for data collection. Data analysis was performed univariate and bivariate using the chi-square test. The results of the study concluded that the mother's knowledge regarding the safety of using a gadget was still lacking, with a value of around 54.8%, while the mother's behavior related to the same thing was better, which was around 58.1%. The relationship test shows that there is a strong enough relationship between maternal knowledge and maternal behavior in introducing or using gadgets in toddlers.  Keywords: Early Childhood, Mother Perspective, Gadget Safeness  References Appel, M. (2012). Are heavy users of computer games and social media more computer literate? Computers and Education, 59(4), 1339–1349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.06.004 Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Prentice-Hall. Cingel, D. P., & Krcmar, M. (2013). Predicting Media Use in Very Young Children: The Role of Demographics and Parent Attitudes. Communication Studies, 64(4), 374–394. https://doi.org/10.1080/10510974.2013.770408 Connell, S. L., Lauricella, A. R., & Wartella, E. (2015). Parental Co-Use of Media Technology with their Young Children in the USA. Journal OfChildren and Media, 9(1), 5–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482798.2015.997440 Haines, J., O’Brien, A., McDonald, J., Goldman, R. E., Evans-Schmidt, M., Price, S., King, S., Sherry, B., & Taveras, E. M. (2013). Television Viewing and Televisions in Bedrooms: Perceptions of Racial/Ethnic Minority Parents of Young Children. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 22(6), 749–756. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-012-9629-6 Jones, I., & Park, Y. (2015). Virtual worlds: Young children using the internet. Young children and families in the information age. Educating the young child (Advances in theory and research, implications for practice) (I. K. Heider & J. M. Renck (eds.); Volume 10). Springer. Lauricella, A. R., Wartella, E., & Rideout, V. J. (2015). Young children’s screen time: The complex role of parent and child factors. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 36, 11–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2014.12.001 Livingstone, S, Görzig, A., & Ólafsson, K. (2011). Disadvantaged children and online risk. http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/39385/ Livingstone, Sonia, Mascheroni, G., Dreier, M., Chaudron, S., & Lagae, K. (2015). How parents of young children manage digital devices at home: The role of income, education and parental style (Issue September). Livingstone, Sonia, Ólafsson, K., Helsper, E. J., Lupiáñez-Villanueva, F., Veltri, G. A., & Folkvord, F. (2017). Maximizing Opportunities and Minimizing Risks for Children Online: The Role of Digital Skills in Emerging Strategies of Parental Mediation. Journal of Communication, 67(1), 82–105. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcom.12277 M, S. (2017). The Impact of using Gadgets on Children. Journal of Depression and Anxiety, 07(01), 1–3. https://doi.org/10.4172/2167-1044.1000296 Marsh, J., Hannon, P., Lewis, M., & Ritchie, L. (2017). Young children’s initiation into family literacy practices in the digital age. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 15(1), 47–60. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476718X15582095 Mifsud, C. L., & Petrova, R. (2017). Young Children (0-8) and Digital Technology. In JRC Science and Policies Reports. Nevski, E., & Siibak, A. (2016). The role of parents and parental mediation on 0–3-year olds’ digital play with smart devices: Estonian parents’ attitudes and practices. Early Years, 36(3), 227–241. https://doi.org/10.1080/09575146.2016.1161601 Nikken, P. (2017). Implications of low or high media use among parents for young children’s media use. Cyberpsychology, 11(3 Special Issue). https://doi.org/10.5817/CP2017-3-1 Nikken, P., & de Haan, J. (2015). Guiding young children’s internet use at home: Problems that parents experience in their parental mediation and the need for parenting support. Cyberpsychology, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.5817/CP2015-1-3 Piotrowski, J. (2017). Media exposure during infancy and early childhood: The effect of content and context on learning and development. In I. R. Barr & D. Linebarger (Eds.), The parental media mediation context of young children’s media use.(pp. 205–219). Springer International Publishing. Plowman, L., Stevenson, O., Stephen, C., & McPake, J. (2012). Preschool children’s learning with technology at home. Computers and Education, 59(1), 30–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2011.11.014 Rasmussen, E. E., Shafer, A., Colwell, M. J., White, S., Punyanunt-Carter, N., Densley, R. L., & Wright, H. (2016). Relation between active mediation, exposure to Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, and US preschoolers’ social and emotional development. Journal of Children and Media, 10(4), 443–461. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482798.2016.1203806 Smahelova, M., Juhová, D., Cermak, I., & Smahel, D. (2017). Mediation of young children’s digital technology use: The parents’ perspective. Cyberpsychology, 11(3 Special Issue). https://doi.org/10.5817/CP2017-3-4 Troseth, G. L., Strouse, G. A., & Russo Johnson, C. E. (2017). Early Digital Literacy: Learning to Watch, Watching to Learn. In Cognitive Development in Digital Contexts. Elsevier Inc. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-809481-5.00002-X Vaala, S. E. (2014). The Nature and Predictive Value of Mothers’ Beliefs Regarding Infants’ and Toddlers’ TV/Video Viewing: Applying the Integrative Model of Behavioral Prediction. Media Psychology, 17(3), 282–310. https://doi.org/10.1080/15213269.2013.872995 Zaman, B., & Mifsud, C. L. (2017). Editorial: Young children’s use of digital media and parental mediation. Cyberpsychology, 11(3 Special Issue), 9. https://doi.org/10.5817/CP2017-3-xx


eye brings you another batch of the latest products and books on offerAddressing Challenging Behaviours and Mental Health Issues by Mojdeh Bayat (ISBN: 9781138012912). Paperback. £24.99. Published by Routledge. www.routledge.com/education; orders via 01235 400400; [email protected] Review by Martine HorvathExploring Education and Childhood edited by Dominic Wyse, Rosemary Davis, Phil Jones and Sue Rogers (ISBN: 9780415841115). Paperback. £24.99. Published by Routledge. www.routledge.com/education; orders via 01235 400400; [email protected] Review by Martine HorvathIntroducing Dialogic Pedagogy – provocations for the Early Years by E. Jayne White (ISBN: 9780415819855). Paperback. £27.99. Published by Routledge. www.routledge.com/education; orders via 01235 400400; books. [email protected] Review by Martine HorvathPicture booksEncouraging Physical Development Through Movement-Play by Carol Archer and Iram Siraj (ISBN: 9781446297124). Paperback. £24.99. Published by SAGE Publications. www.sagepublications.com; Tel: 020 73248500 Review by Martine HorvathStarting Inquiry-Based Science in the Early Years by Sue Dale Tunnicliffe (ISBN: 9781138778566). Paperback. £21.99. Published by Routledge. www.routledge.com/education; orders via 01235 400400; [email protected] Review by Martine HorvathThe Camera Book: loads of things you can do with a camera by John Davis (ISBN: 9780711236448). £9.99. Paperback. Published by Frances Lincoln Children's Books. Tel: 020 7284 9300; www.franceslincoln.co.uk/[email protected] Review by Neil HentyObserving Young Children The role of observation and assessment in early childhood settings by Sandra Smidt (ISBN: 9781138823563). Paperback. £19.99. Published by Routledge. www.routledge.com/education; orders via 01235 400400; [email protected] Review by Martine Horvath

2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 54-56

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 174-188
Author(s):  
Alex Elwick ◽  
Pam Burnard ◽  
Jayne Osgood ◽  
Laura Huhtinen-Hildén ◽  
Jessica Pitt

This article considers the value and role of early years music and sound activities in museum spaces – in relation to children themselves, as well as to their families and wider communities. The article reviews literature around early years music and sound activities; early childhood and the museum; and the use of music and sound in museum spaces – reflecting on reconceptualisation’s of the child within museum spaces and in relation to music and sound. In particular, the article highlights gaps in the literature that present an opportunity to explore the role of music and sound with young children (and particularly with so-called ‘hard-to-reach’ communities or families) within museums.


2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 4-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Edwards

PLAY-BASED LEARNING IS a cornerstone of early childhood education provision. Play provides opportunities for young children to explore ideas, experiment with materials and express new understandings. Play can be solitary, quiet and reflective. Play can also be social, active and engaging. While play is commonly understood as the basis for learning in early childhood education, this is not always the situation in all settings. Cultural variations in learning and play suggest that social interactions and observational learning also create powerful pedagogical learning environments for young children. International and national research highlights the value of sustained and reflective interactions between children and educators in promoting children's learning. Increasingly, the notion of quality in play-based pedagogy invites educators to integrate traditional beliefs about play with new insights into the role of social interactions, modelling and relationships in young children's learning. Overseas, the movement towards quality play-based pedagogy reflects debate and policy initiatives captured by the notion of intentional teaching. In Australia, the Early Years Learning Framework makes explicit reference to intentional teaching. Intentional teaching arguably engages educators and children in shared thinking and problem solving to build the learning outcomes of young children. However, the pedagogical relationship between play-based learning and intentional teaching remains difficult to conceptualise. This is because the value placed on the exploratory potential of play-based learning can appear to be at odds with the role of intentional teaching in promoting knowledge development. This paper reaches beyond binary constructs of play and intentional teaching, and invites consideration of a new Pedagogical Play-framework for inspiring pedagogical and curriculum innovation in the early years. This paper was a keynote address at the 2016 Early Childhood Australia National Conference addressing the theme Inspire-be inspired to reach beyond quality.


2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 149-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan E. Elliott-Johns ◽  
Ron Wideman ◽  
Glenda L. Black ◽  
Maria Cantalini-Williams ◽  
Jenny Guibert

The ongoing emphasis on early years education in Ontario provided a rich context for this research project, commissioned by The Learning Partnership (TLP), to evaluate a new provincial project called FACES (Family and Community Engagement Strategy). This initiative seeks to extend and enhance community-based, multi-agency partnerships that support young children and their families in successful transitions to school. Interview data from individuals and focus groups suggest re-thinking early childhood education practices to include innovative multi-agency, community-based partnerships. "Seven Keys to Success" in building multi-agency partnerships emerged from the data providing direction for educators and policy makers.


2006 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 13-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Cutter-Mackenzie ◽  
Suzy Edwards

AbstractIn recent years discussions surrounding early childhood curriculum has focused on the movement from developmental to sociocultural theory. A further area worthy of investigation involves the role of content in early childhood education, specifically the relationship between content, context and pedagogy. The paper draws on teacher vignettes to consider how environmental education can be represented as a content area in early years education. Issues associated with environmental education as an emerging area of importance in early childhood education are also discussed.


Soundings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 76 (76) ◽  
pp. 128-157
Author(s):  
Celia Burgess-Macey ◽  
Clare Kelly ◽  
Marjorie Ouvry

Early years education in England is in crisis. This article looks at what is needed to better provide the kind of education and care that young children need outside the home, from birth to school-starting age. It explores: the current arrangements and varieties of provision and approaches in England; educational and developmental research about young children's development and early learning; the current national early years curriculum and how it contrasts to other international models and pedagogical approaches; the importance of play-based learning; the role of adults in observing, recording, assessing and supporting young children's learning; and the holistic nature of children's learning - which makes education and care inseparable in young children's lives. Neoliberal governments have had little interest in these questions: they have been focused instead on marketising the sector, which has led to great inequality of provision; and they have been unwilling to provide the necessary funding to train staff and maintain appropriate learning environments; most fundamentally, they have engaged in an ideological drive to impose on very small children a narrow and formal curriculum that ignores all the evidence about good practice in the sector, and is focused on making them 'school ready' - that is, ready to fit into the rigid frameworks they have already imposed on primary school education.


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (esp.) ◽  
pp. 89
Author(s):  
Luciana Figueiredo Lacanallo Arrais ◽  
Lucinéia Maria Lazaretti ◽  
Paula Tamyris Moya ◽  
Silvia Pereira Gonzaga de Moraes

  No cenário da educação infantil, principalmente na prática pedagógica com bebês, ainda persistem desafios em torno da organização do ensino para esse período de vida. Diante disso, este texto tem o objetivo de discutir as possibilidades educativas para os primeiros anos de vida da criança em relação à aprendizagem da matemática por meio de uma atividade de ensino, considerando a singularidade do desenvolvimento infantil. Ancoradas na Teoria Histórico-Cultural, estruturamos essa discussão em dois momentos: a) a especificidade do desenvolvimento da criança pequena e a organização do ensino de matemática na educação infantil; b) a análise de uma atividade de ensino para crianças do berçário. Esperamos que o texto possa auxiliar o trabalho educativo com a matemática na educação infantil, pois um ensino sistemático e dirigido, desde os primeiros anos, é condição fundamental para a aprendizagem e para as transformações qualitativas no desenvolvimento psíquico das crianças.Palavras-chave: Educação Infantil. Ensino de Matemática. Primeira Infância.TEACHING MATHEMATICS TO YOUNG CHILDREN: attraction, discovery and exploration in relationships between magnitudes ABSTRACT: Several challenges exist on teaching organization within early childhood, mainly with regard to the pedagogical practice with young children. Owing to the uniqueness of children´s development, the educational possibilities on the teaching of Mathematics, through activities, in their early life period, are discussed. Based on the Cultural and Historical Theory, current discussion underscores two factors: a) the specificity of children´s development and the organization of the teaching of Mathematics in early education; b) the analysis of a teaching activity for kindergarten children. The authors expect that current analysis will aid the teaching of Mathematics in young children´s education. In fact, systematic and monitored teaching during the early years of life is a crucial condition for learning and for qualitative transformations in children´s psychic development.Keywords: Early Childhood Education; the teaching of Mathematics; Early childhood.ENSEÑANDO MATEMÁTICA A LOS BEBÉS: encantos, descubrimientos y exploración de las relaciones entre grandezas RESUMEN: En el escenario de la educación inicial, principalmente en la práctica pedagógica con bebés, aún persisten desafíos en torno a la organización de la enseñanza para ese período de vida. Este texto tiene por objetivo discutir las posibilidades educativas de los primeros años de vida del niño en relación al aprendizaje de las matemáticas considerando la singularidad del desarrollo infantil, a través de una actividad educativa. Ancladas en la Teoría Histórico-Cultural, estructuramos esta discusión en dos momentos: a) la especificidad del desarrollo del niño y la organización de la enseñanza de las matemáticas en la educación inicial; b) el análisis de una actividad de enseñanza para bebés. Esperamos que el texto pueda auxiliar el trabajo educativo con las matemáticas en la educación inicial, pues una enseñanza sistemática y dirigida desde los primeros años es condición fundamental para el aprendizaje y las transformaciones cualitativas en el desarrollo psíquico de los niños.Palabras clave: Educación inicial; Enseñanza de la Matemática; Primera infancia. 


2019 ◽  
pp. 1541-1560
Author(s):  
Vicki Schriever

This chapter examines the literature surrounding digital technologies within kindergarten. It highlights the ways in which mobile devices and smart gadgets are used by early childhood teachers and young children in diverse teacher-focused and child-centred approaches. The challenges faced by early childhood teachers to successfully use and integrate mobile devices and smart gadgets within their kindergarten will be explored. These challenges include, meeting curriculum requirements, mediating parental expectations, seeing the potential of digital technologies, having the confidence and self-efficacy to use digital devices and determining the value and place of digital technologies within a play-based environment. Each of these challenges are explored within the chapter and the ways these challenges can be overcome are detailed. The opportunities which mobile devices and smart gadgets present to maximise young children's learning, play and engagement and which facilitate and support the role of the early childhood teacher will also be examined.


2019 ◽  
pp. 166-185
Author(s):  
Hazel R. Wright ◽  
Paulette Luff ◽  
Cahide Sevgi Emre

Sustainable play practices offer many benefits to young children, developmental and cultural, and these are examined in an English context. The authors claim a shared European heritage for children's play practices; one that has been eroded with the commodification of play materials, the manufacture of commercial toys and games accessible only to the wealthy child. After demonstrating the value of education for sustainable development, the chapter considers how reclaimed resources can be used to promote this end. It discusses a small-scale research project that visited four English early years settings to see whether and how the staff followed sustainable principles. It was found that the approaches of the four settings varied considerably, using resources that spanned the spectrum from commercial to natural, and concluded that more should/could be done to encourage play with reclaimed materials to set children on the path to greater environmental awareness and intercultural harmony.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document