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We collaborated with Early Head Start (EHS) coaches to qualitatively explore the feasibility delivering a professional development approach designed to enhance the quality of conversations in infant-toddler (I/T) classrooms and family child care homes. First, we reviewed empirical literature about oral language discourse skills in infants and toddlers. Second, we examined the frameworks and evaluation tools EHS practitioners and programmes used to guide conversations, e.g. the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework and the Quality of Caregiver-Child Interaction for Infants and Toddlers (Q-CCIIT) Scale. Third, we adapted the Conversation Compass© approach for ages birth to 24 months. Lessons learned were (1) teachers report that the Conversation Compass approach was user-friendly, (2) due to teachers' limitations with computer skills the online course was difficult for them to complete independently, and (3) the approach can be used to facilitate and model conversation in mixed-age group settings with infants and toddlers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although text messaging interventions targeting parents of older students have shown promise for improving a variety of outcomes, evidence on text-based outreach and support for parents of young children is just emerging. We explore programmatic data from a text-based mentoring intervention designed to support postpartum mothers and promote healthy child development. We coded 18,897 texts from 162 mother-mentor pairs to describe their interactions. On average, mothers remained engaged for 296 days. Mothers and mentors discussed both child-focused (28% of exchanges) and mother-focused topics (8%). Mentors responded to 86% of mothers' problems within 48 hours, offering emotional support (39% of offers) and advice (35%) most frequently. Based on the demonstrated ability of the programme to engage mothers commensurate with other early parenting interventions, the content addressed in mother-mentor interactions, and the mentor offered supports, we conclude text-based mentoring may be a promising strategy for providing outreach and support to postpartum mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parents as partners in their children's learning is predicated by a notion of a mutual understanding of the learning as shared by educators. Documenting learning in early childhood education and care (ECE & C) settings has evolved from more traditional developmental approaches to include photographs, artefacts and social stories to make learning visible for parents. However, while educators are using these approaches to document learning in ECE & C settings, the shared understanding of the learning for parents is not always mutually understood. The paper presents a small-scale case study, which examined the way parents in one long day ECE & C service which had recently redeveloped an outdoor play area to bring in more natural affordances to support the children's learning and development. The paper reports on the perceptions of two parents with children attending this centre in how the educators were making visible the learning and development afforded the children through engaging in this newly designed space. The study found that while educators were using a range of documentation approaches, the parents had little shared understanding of their children as engaging in this space. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Families play important roles in children's learning. Yet, teachers' values and beliefs may sway how families may participate in assessment of their child's learning within early childhood education. This paper reports on a qualitative case study in a New Zealand early childhood setting that explored teachers' views about involving families in assessment of infants’ and toddlers’ dispositional learning. Methods comprised interviews with five teachers, researcher field notes and documentation about children's learning. Findings suggested that teachers’ views about learning dispositions, teaching and assessment positioned families as consumers of, rather than participants in, assessment. Theoretical tensions arose between Gerber's Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE) approach that guided teachers' philosophy and practice andTe Whāriki, the mandated early childhood curriculum of New Zealand. The paper argues that weaving RIE with a national curriculum framework requires teacher engagement in critical thinking and discussion regarding actively involving families in assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper critically examines current concerns regarding professional issues in labour force development for teachers with children up to two years of age (UtoT). The concerns in New Zealand (NZ) relate to whether initial teacher-education (ITE) qualifications prepare teachers to work with children UtoT, involving synergy between ITE and the early childhood curriculum, and if there is widespread acknowledgement that in-depth knowledge is needed for teachers as leaders in this field. The background to these issues involves low teacher status with children UtoT and high staff turnover, and a lack of specialised knowledge, accompanied by increasing enrolments for this age group. A recent document analysis of ITE programmes in NZ revealed an increasingly generalised view of children under five years rather than specialised knowledge of young children in the first years. A more knowledgeable and professional labour force would provide much needed leadership in this expanding part of the education sector. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Parenthood is a concrete experience that develops while having a psychological existence in its background. It is heard in two voices simultaneously: the overt, concrete one versus the covert, psychological one. It moves between four intersecting axes, which together create the ‘Parental Voice’ model. Axis 1 − Parenthood between fantasy and the concrete child, and in parallel with the child's development stages. These characteristics are the focus of what educators have to deal with when interacting with parents of young children. Axis 2 − Parenthood between the ‘intergenerational transference’ mechanism and adjustment to the current reality in which the parent and child are growing. Axis 3 − ‘Whose child is it?’ − ecological and systemic aspects: struggles and congruencies between the educational system and the family. Axis 4 − Parenthood as a psychological existence that develops between the three structures of Self (Private Self, Professional Self and Parental Self). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of variations in presentation of play materials on social behaviour of 18- to 30-month-old children. The study group included 102 children attending infant and toddler classes in 14 public childcare centres in Israel. Play materials were presented to the children either in a suggestive manner (as part of a scenario suggesting a context for play) or a random manner (without any planned organisation). Social behaviour of the two age groups was differentially affected by the manner in which play materials were presented. Toddlers showed a decline in aggressive behaviour following the suggestive presentation, whereas infants showed an increase in aggressive behaviour. Clinical implications of the current study include the possibility of using physical environmental variables as means for affecting children's experiences in childcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]