Building Academic Foundation Through Investing in Early Childhood Education and Development in South African Informal Settlement

In the developing world alone, there are over 200 million children who are in need of immediate early childhood development interventions. Most affected by poor or lack of quality ECD are the poor and those children in low income households. Early childhood development interventions protect children against the effects of poverty, poor nutrition, inadequate healthcare, and a lack of education. Globally, various ECD programme interventions in communities clearly indicate that communities and families want quality ECD programmes for their children at a cost that is affordable. In South Africa, quality early childhood development interventions could have a significant effect in reducing poverty and inequality. This chapter interrogates the challenges and benefits of extending quality ECE & D particularly to disadvantaged and materially deprived children in South African informal settlements. The chapter is based empirical research as well as secondary data in the form of books, book chapters, and accredited journals.

Connecting STEM Rich Learning Environments With Environmental Education

The objective of this chapter is to provide an overview of research in the convergence of environmental education and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (E-STEM) education models through a values-based framework for nature. An argument for the interconnectedness of environmental education and STEM programs is presented. A further argument presented that nature-based learning environments engage children in E-STEM. Lastly, an exploration of research suggests how various pedagogical practices incorporate and facilitate the E-STEM paradigm to prepare young children for 21st century workforce that can solve large, complex problems in an information and service-based economy.

Raising Children in Cantonese, English, and Putonghua (Mandarin Chinese) Within Non-Trilingual Families

This chapter explores trilingual teaching in Hong Kong, a city where the ‘trilingual and biliterate' policy was officially enacted for more than two decades. A brief introduction of Hong Kong's language climate was illustrated to provide a clearer idea why trilingualism is a significant topic that should be explored. The two purposes of this study are to understand more about how non-trilingual parents raise their trilingual children and to compare the findings between families of different socioeconomic and cultural background. Case studies were conducted with four families: two bilingual local families, one bilingual family from mainland China, and one monolingual family from Nepal. The work provides viewpoints regarding the motivation, attitude, expectations, and strategies of these four families in raising trilingual children in Hong Kong.

Creating Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Classroom Communities in Early Childhood Language Immersion Schools

This chapter examined the development of a classroom community through a case study of a kindergarten teacher in a Spanish language immersion school. Case study data includes observational field notes, classroom artifacts, informal conversations, and interviews with an immersion kindergarten classroom teacher. Additionally, interviews with the two administrators from the Spanish and French immersion schools (networking schools) were collected and analyzed to learn about their perspectives regarding culturally and linguistically responsive teaching practices and their commitment to encouraging the creation of classroom communities within their schools. The results revealed both the administrators and the case teacher in the kindergarten classroom supported practices of drawing from their own and students' cultural identities and resources to create a culturally responsive learning and social environment, in partnership with students and families. Recommendations for future studies on diverse early childhood settings are discussed in regards to teacher preparation and policy enactment.

An Interdisciplinary Approach to Develop Linguistic Abilities in Bilingual Education

The traditional methods of language teaching have always had their roots in the grammar-translation method, used in our educational system for more than 500 years. However, the constant search for updating and the desire to improve the language skills of students has led to a succession of different methods and proposals in a few years with the intention of improving the existing ones. The literature on this subject confirms that there is no perfect approach, but it also shows that the communicative one and the interdisciplinarity in the teaching-learning process of second languages brings good results. The author proposes a holistic interdisciplinary activity for the bilingual early childhood classroom, based on the communicative method. Thus, this chapter presents the elaboration of a musical tale, accompanied by a subsequent audiovisual recording, which will help students to learn a second language in real natural contexts.

Translanguaging Practices in Early Childhood Classrooms From an Intercultural Perspective

The term ‘translanguaging' not only has appeared in the field of Applied Linguistics, but also it entered in the field of Multilingual/Multicultural Education in early childhood classrooms. Translanguaging is mostly seen as an opportunity to build on emergent bilingual speakers' full language repertoires in order to scaffold language learning; however, it also provides an opportunity for young learners to gain cross-cultural knowledge. The authors observed translanguaging practices during play time in the AraNY János Hungarian Kindergarten and School in New York City (USA) to understand how different languages and cultures presented in the early childhood classes might contribute to shaping an anti-biased mindset towards social and cultural diversity. The overarching aim of this study was to reveal some of the translanguaging practices both students and teachers used in a diverse ethnic community of Hungarian descendants living in New York City.

Delivering Integrated Early Childhood Education and Development Through Family in Focus

This chapter explores the potential of home-based early childhood education in democratizing the sector especially for poor and disadvantaged children. Considering the huge number of children not accessing early learning centers, alternative ECD is optional. Family in Focus is one of the alternative ECDs formed in 1987 to cater for the needs of the poor and vulnerable children in the Western Cape Province. The focus of this programme is on the family as the primary source of care of young children. Through the FIF programme, home visitors are trained and supported to reach out to these children and their caregivers in order to develop the skills and capacity of caregivers to stimulate and develop their children effectively in their own homes. The chapter argues that the introduction of Family in Focus (FIF) as an alternative ECD programme could serve as a strategy to make ECD accessible to poor and disadvantaged communities.

To Develop the Sense of Activity Through Play in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Play is an ideal tool for enhancing the development of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). It is important to know their possibilities and to develop play activities that permit the special educational needs of these children to be addressed in an adequate way. Therefore, a case study is presented with two children and a two-year follow-up period during which the authors observe which aspects the development has evolved and if it is possible to increase the sense of the activity in these children using play as an educational response. The results are accompanied by an in-depth interview with the teachers of the students over the two-year period. An improvement in areas of development is evidenced in the social, communicative, symbolic, and anticipation and flexibilization dimensions during the two years immersed in a play methodology, supported by the structuring of routines and task spaces. Also, an evolution of the sense of the activity and the development of functional play is observed.

Children's Development

This chapter outlines the roles of families and communities as well as the importance of early learning classrooms as they relate to integrating activities designed to promote children's development. Specific focuses of the chapter will delve into family dynamics, including various parenting styles and meta-emotion approaches, as they relate to affecting children's development. The chapter will also uncover the role of children's play interactions as they relate to how the activity itself fosters children's development as well as how play may be viewed as a vehicle in which to promote children's appreciation and understanding of diversity and multiculturalism. Specific program models typically seen within early learning classrooms and standards created by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) will be discussed in this chapter.

Thoughts on Why and How to Promote Sustainable Practices in Early Years Education

It is important to introduce ideas and practices to encourage young children to act sustainably so that this becomes habitual and continues in adulthood. An examination of global developments for environmental action provides a context for a more specific focus on work in early years contexts, which, it is noted, most commonly originates in Australia and Scandinavia. The UK is active but lagging behind their lead, relying on pockets of activity in certain university and nursery centres. Noting, also, a need to train staff to teach young children sustainable behaviours, how this can be done is illustrated through an action research project that helped a playgroup to establish a wildlife garden where children could learn about and care for plants and animals. Returning to the broader global picture, the chapter concludes by stressing the need for joint adult-child action to protect the planet in/on which all humans live.