Search

Alphabetic skills were one of the early literacy skills. Several studies on alphabetic skills have been conducted in Indonesia. Meta-analysis was used to describe the children's alphabet skills aged 3 to 6 years as an aggregate. The maximum likelihood estimation method and random effect design were performed to aggregate children's alphabetic skills that can be generalized in Indonesia. The articles were obtained from research published between 2014 and 2021. Those were accessed and collected through a collection of bachelor's thesis on Google Scholar and university digital libraries. The meta-analysis was carried out with JASP. The results showed that the ability to recognize letters among children aged 3 to 6 years in Indonesia was 50.16 (scale 0-100). Despite the fact that mastering letters has an impact on children’s growth in early literacy, the study’s findings show that youngsters in Indonesia still have a low level of letter recognition. These results encourage to improve the quality of kindergartens literacy instruction in Indonesia

Resumo El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar la contribución de la inteligencia verbal y no verbal, el nivel socioeconómico y el ambiente de aprendizaje matemático en el hogar, en el desempeño de patrones matemáticos de niños ecuatorianos de jardín infantil. Al inicio del año escolar, se aplicó una prueba de patrones matemáticos y una de inteligencia a un total de 112 niños. El nivel socioeconómico se construyó en base al nivel educativo de la madre. Finalmente, los padres de los niños llenaron un cuestionario sobre las actividades matemáticas que realizan con los niños en el hogar. Los resultados señalaron que la inteligencia no verbal, el nivel socioeconómico y el ambiente de aprendizaje matemático en el hogar predicen el desempeño en patrones matemáticos de los niños. La inteligencia verbal no fue un predictor de dicho desempeño. Al final, se discuten críticamente los hallazgos del estudio con miras a mejorar la calidad de la educación matemática a temprana edad. Abstract The aim of the present study was to evaluate the contribution of verbal and non-verbal intelligence, socioeconomic status, and mathematical home learning environment in Ecuadorian kindergarten children’s mathematical patterning performance. At the beginning of the school year, a total of 112 children received an intelligence and a mathematical patterning test. The socioeconomic status was constructed based on the mother’s educational level. Finally, the children’s parents filled out a questionnaire about the mathematical activities they carry out with the child at home. The results indicated that non-verbal intelligence, socioeconomic status, and the mathematical home learning environment predict children’s performance on mathematical patterns. Verbal intelligence was not a predictor of such performance. At the end, the study findings are critically discussed with a view to optimizing the quality of mathematics education at an early age.

Learning outcomes The aim of this study is to make students understand the significance of strategy formulation and the impact of internal and external factors on the strategy adopted by the firm. Upon the completion of this case study, the students will be able to achieve the following: • map out relevant macro-environment strategical factors of an organization; • assessing organizations industry and competitive environment; • outline strategic group maps to assess positions of key competitors; • develop issues priority matrices; • testing competitive power of resources; and • identifying an organizations internal strengths and external threats. Case overview/synopsis Across the globe, the COVID-19 pandemic left few organizations untouched and many entrepreneurs fighting to stay afloat. Here we look at the survival dilemma faced by the founder of Little Birds Kindergarten, in Doha, Qatar. Founded by a local Qatari businesswoman, the kindergarten offered a British-style curriculum and an Early Years Foundation Stage structure; with her profound passion for technology, the founder (here called Fatma) has always believed that integrating technology into a child’s early learning opens the door to limitless opportunities and potential. Therefore, she ensured that the kindergarten consistently invested in advanced educational technology and the accompanying software. Yet, while the reputation of Little Birds Kindergarten stayed high, the COVID-19 pandemic stunted the growth in enrolments. Fatma stopped paying herself a salary and even drew on her own savings to keep the kindergarten going but it still did not earn enough to compensate for her initial investment. So, despite her passionate concern for the kindergarten, she worried about being unable to keep it afloat for much longer. The purpose of this case study is to shed light on the strategic posture, performance and market position of one kindergarten. From there, it surveys the opportunities in the education industry that are unique to student enrolment and highlights what a kindergarten can do to develop a survival strategy. Complexity academic level The case is suitable for teaching basic and advanced courses at the undergraduate and post-graduate levels. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 11: Strategy.

Die vorliegende Bachelorarbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Mediennutzung von Kin-dergartenkindern zwischen drei und sechs Jahren. Anhand von Studien soll her-ausgefunden werden, welche Bedeutung digitale Medien für Kinder diesen Alters tatsächlich haben. Inwiefern ist davon auszugehen, dass digitale Medien schon in dieser Altersgruppe präsent sind. Des Weiteren soll die Frage beantwortet wer-den, ob aus Sicht von pädagogischen Einrichtungen und den dort tätigen Pädago-gen ein erhöhter Bedarf an Medienpädagogischen Angeboten besteht, bzw. ob diese bereits in der pädagogischen Arbeit und Konzeption verankert ist. Auf Grundlage dieser Faktoren, soll ein konzeptioneller Ansatz erarbeitet werden, wel-che sich an den tatsächlichen medialen Gegebenheiten orientiert und sich in den Alltag der Einrichtungen integrieren lässt.

The researcher was motivated to conduct this study and determined the lived experiences of kinder parents and kinder teachers in modular distance learning in time of pandemic. The researcher used the social constructivist lens to explore and examine the lived experiences of kinder parents and teachers. Interviews were conducted with a group of kinder parents and kinder teachers who have first-hand knowledge of modular distance learning during the Covid-19 Pandemic enrolled in Sta. Cruz Elementary School. These were participated by 10 kinder teachers and 20 kinder parents selected through purposive sampling technique. Findings revealed that partnerships with kinder parents may be strengthened and be given preferential attention as parents are the key players in the learning process of their children at home. Kinder parents may be provided ample time to submit or return learners’ outputs as they have to attend to their work to earn a living and do other household chores. The school, through their kinder teachers, may continue “Kumustahan Online” as a means to communicate with kinder parents and learners in order to monitor progress and address any academic-related problems that may arise between parents and their children. Kinder parents should create, as much as possible, a conducive-to-learning home environment to ensure academic success among their children. Kinder teachers, on the other hand, may continue to simplify the contents of Self-Learning Modules without sacrificing the minimum competencies expected from the learners.

ispartof: Journal Of Educational Psychology vol:114 issue:6 pages:1-17 status: published

Le présent article a pour but d’étudier le rôle prédictif de la qualité des interactions enseignante-enfants sur le développement du raisonnement spatial chez des enfants de la maternelle quatre ans à temps plein en milieu défavorisé. L’échantillon apparié est composé, d’une part, de 232 enfants (130 filles, 102 garçons) âgés de 58,29 mois (ÉT = 4.93) et de 8 enseignantes titulaires d’un baccalauréat en enseignement, ayant en moyenne 12,2 ans d’expérience en enseignement à l’éducation préscolaire (ÉT = 5.45). Des analyses de régressions multiples à effet mixte montrent que les dimensions et sous-dimensions de la qualité des interactions enseignante-enfants prédisent significativement et positivement les sous-tests du raisonnement spatial. Cette étude soulève l’importance d’améliorer la qualité des interactions enseignante-enfants afin de favoriser le développement du raisonnement spatial des enfants de la maternelle quatre ans., The purpose of this article is to examine the predictive role of the quality of teacher-child interactions on the development of spatial reasoning in full-time kindergarten four-year-old children in underprivileged settings. The matched sample is made up, on the one hand, of 232 children (130 girls, 102 boys) aged 58.29 months (SD = 4.93), and eight teachers holding a baccalaureate, having in average 12.2 years of teaching experience in preschool (SD = 5.45). Multiple mixed-effect regression analyzes showed that dimensions and sub dimensions of the quality of teacher-child interactions significantly and positively predicted the subtests of the spatial reasoning. This study highlights the importance of improving the quality of interactions in order to promote the development of spatial reasoning in four-year-olds.

Tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin perhepäivähoito- ja päiväkoti-instituutioiden tuottamista varhaiskasvatuksesta vastaavien kunnallisten viranhaltijoiden puheessa. Tutkimus tehtiin kymmenessä suomalaisessa kunnassa, ja aineistona käytettiin teemahaastatteluja (N =42). Perhepäivähoito ja päiväkotitoiminta ymmärrettiin diskursiivisen institutionalismin näkökulmasta sosiaalisina käytäntöinä, joiden merkitykset ilmenevät ja muuttuvat varhaiskasvatuksen instituutioiden kielenkäytössä. Aineistoa analysoitiin diskursiivisesti, ja puheesta erotettiin vaihtelevia tapoja puhua perhepäivähoidosta ia päiväkotitoiminnasta. Löydetyissä puhetavoissa perhepäivähoidolle ja päiväkotitoiminnalle tuotettiin erilaiset tehtävät ja käyttäjät. Tulokset osoittavat, että yhdenmukaisesta lainsäädännöstä huolimatta perhepäivähoito ja päiväkotitoiminta asettuvat keskenään erilaisiin asemiin puheessa, jolla perustellaan varhaiskasvatuksen järjestämistä kunnissa. Tutkimus nostaa esille kysymyksen näiden kahden instituution asemasta tulevaisuudessa osana suomalaista varhaiskasvatusta la sen kehittämistä. Based on thematic interviews in ten Finnish municipalities, the study examined the institutions of family day care and kindergartens (day care centres) in the talk of municipal officials (N=42) responsible for early childhood education and care (ECEC). These two institutions are part of the Finnish ECEC system and subject to the same statutory regulations. From the perspective of discursive institutionalism, family day care and kindergartens were understood as social practices the meanings of which emerge and change in the language used in these institutions. The data were analysed discursively, and several discourses about family day care and kindergartens were identified. In these discourses, family day care and kindergartens were conceptualised with different functions and service users, and despite their common legislation, seen and positioned differently in the field of Finnish ECEC. The study raises the issue of future positions and development of the two ECEC institutions in Finland. peerReviewed

Inspired by the montessori method and crafted into an innovative and holistic early childhood education programme that provides a strong foundation aimed at continuing all round development progressive through primary and secondary school levels. Our motto is “Follow the Child” and the entire environment is designed in keeping with the ethos. Our Campus. Snuggled within an acre and a half campus in the heart of Whitefield , provides a nurturing and stimulating environment for young children to learn and grow. The outdoor space provides aesthetic touch with vegetable gardens, sand pit, music walls and outdoor story telling areas,while being mindful of security features like sensory pathways, slow learning areas truly making the campus more safe and accessible. Our Team. Our specially trained staff at Kinfolk is a dedicated team of teachers who are passionate about the method and enjoy working with children. The team of teachers at Kinfolk is guided by an advisory panel of educators experienced in all aspects of pre school education and well respected for their commitment to maintaining excellence in quality standards in pre school education., https://kinfolkedu.com/about.html

Vocabulary is a crucial part of second language (L2) learning. Children learn new vocabulary by forming mental lexicon relations with their existing knowledge. This is called lexical inferencing: using the available clues and knowledge to guess the meaning of the unknown word. This study explored the potential of second language vocabulary acquisition through lexical inferencing in child-robot interaction. A storytelling robot read a book to Dutch kindergartners (N = 36, aged 4-6 years) in Dutch in which a few key words were translated into French (L2), and with a robot providing additional word explanation cues or not. The results showed that the children learned the key words successfully as a result of the reading session with the storytelling robot, but that there was no significant effect of additional word explanation cues by the robot. Overall, it seems promising that lexical inferencing can act as a new and different way to teach kindergartners a second language.

Σκοπός αυτής της μελέτης ήταν να εξετάσει τη σχέση μεταξύ της μορφολογικής επίγνωσης και του λεξιλογίου των παιδιών στο νηπιαγωγείο. Διακόσια δεκαπέντε ελληνόφωνα νήπια εξετάστηκαν σε τρεις δεξιότητες μορφολογικής επίγνωσης (κλίση, παραγωγή και σύνθεση), στο προσληπτικό λεξιλόγιο και στο εκφραστικό λεξιλόγιο. Παράλληλα, εξετάστηκαν και σε άλλες γνωστικές και γλωσσικές δεξιότητες. Τα αποτελέσματα των ιεραρχικών παλινδρομικών αναλύσεων έδειξαν ότι καθεμία από τις επιμέρους όψεις της μορφολογικής επίγνωσης (επίγνωση της κλίσης, της παραγωγής και της σύνθεσης) είχε μία ανεξάρτητη συμβολή τόσο στο προσληπτικό όσο και στο εκφραστικό λεξιλόγιο. Επιπλέον, τα αποτελέσματα έδειξαν ότι ο κάθε τύπος λεξιλογίου είχε μία ανεξάρτητη συμβολή σε καθεμία από τις επιμέρους όψεις της μορφολογικής επίγνωσης. Τα αποτελέσματα αυτά συμβάλλουν στην κατανόηση της σχέσης μεταξύ των δύο αναπτυσσόμενων δεξιοτήτων, καθώς έδειξαν μία αμφίδρομη σχέση. Επίσης, υπογραμμίζουν τη σημασία που μπορεί να έχουν όλες οι επιμέρους όψεις της μορφολογικής επίγνωσης στη διαμόρφωση αυτής της σχέσης., The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between morphological awareness and vocabulary. Participants were two hundred and fifteen Greek children tested in kindergarten. We evaluated three morphological awareness skills (inflection, derivation, and lexical compounding), receptive vocabulary and expressive vocabulary, along with other cognitive and language skills. The results of hierarchical regression analyses showed that each one of the three aspects of morphological awareness (inflectional, derivational, and compounding) predicted uniquely both receptive and expressive vocabulary. In addition, the results of hierarchical regression analyses showed that each one of the two types of vocabulary predicted uniquely each one of the three aspects of morphological awareness. These results add to our understanding of the relationship between these two developing skills as they suggested a reciprocal relationship. Moreover, the results underscore the potential importance of all aspects of morphological awareness in this relationship.

When the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in March 2020, the lives of families all over the world were disrupted. Many adults found themselves working from home while their children were unable to go to school. To better understand the potential impact of these educational disruptions, it is important to establish what learning looked like during the first school shutdown in the spring of 2020, particularly for the youngest learners who may feel the longest lasting impacts from this pandemic. Therefore, the purpose of the current descriptive study was to gather information on how kindergarten teaching and learning occurred during this time, what the biggest barriers were, and what concerns educators had regarding returning in person to the classroom setting. The sample for the current study was 2569 kindergarten educators (97.6% female; 74.2% teachers, 25.8% early childhood educators) in Ontario, Canada. Participants completed a questionnaire consisting of both quantitative scales and qualitative open-ended questions. Educators reported that parents most often contacted them regarding technological issues or how to effectively support their child. The largest barrier to learning was the ability of both parents and educators to balance work, home life, and online learning/teaching. With regards to returning to school, educators were most concerned about the lack of ability of kindergarten aged children to do tasks independently and to follow safety protocols. Our findings highlight unique challenges associated with teaching kindergarten during the pandemic, contributing to our understanding of the learning that occurred in Ontario during the first COVID-19 shutdown. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10643-021-01304-z.

This article highlights how reciprocal relationships between children and the environment can contribute to exploring understanding of children’s learning in the outdoor environment. We draw on data from a kindergarten in the northern part of Norway, where we have carried out fieldwork three hours a week from October to mid-May. During this period, the outdoor area was covered with snow of varying qualities. Snow and weather conditions are included as elements in a relational understanding, in which the environment is understood as open and dynamic – an interaction between past and present, between geography, materiality, people and the ‘more-than-human’. The learner and the environment are understood as an indivisible process, where different elements exercise a reciprocal influence on each other. Using Ingold’s concept of correspondence, we explore how children learn by being within and with the world. The article is a contribution to creating a nuanced understanding of children’s learning and the educator’s role within an outdoor environment in kindergarten practice.

Homophobic stigmas and the discrimination of homosexual people are still worrying in today’s society. The current study seeks to investigate kindergarten children’s attitudes towards homosexuality and how they are influenced by their peer-groups and authorities. It does so by means of a puppet theatre presentation including ‘Kasperl’ and ‘Seppel’ puppets as the main protagonists in a German puppet theatre. The audience consisted of six German kindergarten children aged 4–6 years, randomly selected by the kindergarten director. A participant observation has been conducted with the first researcher as the presenter of the puppet show. The results of the recorded puppet theatre showed that several intragroup processes including the social identity theory with regard to group membership could be observed within the puppet theatre. Groups have been formed and children of the same ingroup showed equal attitudes towards homosexuality. However, the researcher’s influence as an authority figure could have as well impacted their attitudes through positive reinforcement. The present study contributed to the gap in research regarding kindergarten children’s attitudes towards homosexuality. To have a better overview of the results, future studies should include additional variables like kindergarten’s cultural and geographical differences.

Prior research has found that US kindergarten children’s knowledge of math vocabulary predicts their later performance on number line estimation (Chan et al., 2022). Further, children’s ordinal skills has been suggested as a precursor for refining their number line estimation (Chan & Mazzocco, 2023; Xu 2019). Using longitudinal data collected with Hong Kong kindergarten children across four time points, we aim to build on this literature by (a) replicating the predictive relations from math vocabulary knowledge and number ordering skills to number line estimation performance, (b) examining the predictive relation between math vocabulary knowledge and number ordering skills, and (c) exploring the longitudinal pathways from math vocabulary knowledge to number line estimation performance through number ordering skills. This work will provide insights into the potential mechanisms underlying children’s understanding of number lines—an important predictor of math achievement (Schneider et al., 2018) and a critical foundation for later learning of difficult concepts such as fractions (Hamdan & Gunderson, 2016; Sidney & Thompson, 2019).

This article examines the findings of partially standardized interviews of children on perceived quality in preschool. For this purpose, 47 children between three and six years were interviewed about theory-based characteristics of good interaction quality with the instrument GrazIASchild. The research results show that childrens’ answers provide valuable information and can be an impulse for quality development processes in everyday pedagogical work. Answers concerning the educator-child-relationship and critical childrens’ feedback appear to be particularly relevant., Der vorliegende Artikel geht der Frage nach, was Kinder zur wahrgenommenen Interaktionsqualität im Kindergarten mitteilen. Dazu wurden 47 Kinder zwischen drei und sechs Jahren aus sieben Einrichtungen anhand des Instruments GrazIASKinderperspektive zu wissenschaftlich fundierten Merkmalen guter Interaktionsqualität befragt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Aussagen der Kinder wertvolle Informationen liefern und ein Impuls für Qualitätsentwicklungsprozesse im pädagogischen Alltag sein können. Besonders relevant erscheinen Aussagen zur Fachperson-Kind-Beziehung sowie kritische Kinderrückmeldungen., ElFo - Elementarpädagogische Forschungsbeiträge, 5, 1 p. 18-29

В статье представлен аналитический обзор историко-педагогического аспекта развития целостного педагогического процесса в детских садах. Рассуждая об исторической ретроспективе, авторы учли нормативно-правовые основы, статистические и годовые отчеты детских садов, программно-методические материалы, педагогическую и социокультурную периодику по проблемам дошкольного образования в регионе, мемуары деятелей в данной сфере, справочные издания по направлению исследования, на которых оно было построено. В работе применен ряд методов: историко-структурный, конструктивно-генетический, историко-компаративистский, что позволило рассмотреть логическое развитие проблемы педагогического процесса. Материал статьи построен на хронологическом периоде истории формирования целостного педагогического процесса в России с 1941 по 1992 год. В качестве региона предпочтена территория Башкирии, в которой проживают многие национальности. Выбор хронологического периода основан на анализе научной активности в исследовании проблем дошкольного образования. В это время система регионального дошкольного образования была направлена на развитие ребенка, в котором уделяли внимание умственному, физическому, нравственному, эстетическому и трудовому воспитанию. Анализ источников позволил авторам описать основные направления в педагогическом процессе дошкольного образования. Отдельное внимание уделено главным типам дошкольного образования, рассматриваемым в имеющихся хронологических рамках. Научная новизна исследования заключается в том, что совокупность полученных объективных результатов содержит решение существенной научной проблемы – характеристики теории и практики дошкольного образования Башкирии в исследуемый период. Ретроспективное историко-педагогическое изучение поможет определить ведущие приоритеты личностного становления дошкольника, его развития и саморазвития, установить перспективные стратегические направления формирования дошкольного образования., The article presents an analytical review of the historical and pedagogical aspect of the development of an integral pedagogical process in kindergartens. The authors applу a number of methods: historical-structural, constructive-genetic, historical-comparative, which maлe it possible to consider the logical development of the problem of the pedagogical process. The text of the article is based on the chronological period of the history of the development of an integral pedagogical process in Russia from 1941 to 1992. The territory of Bashkiria was chosen as a region, as a region in which many nationalities live. The choice of the chronological period is based on the analysis of scientific activity in the study of the problems of preschool education. During this period, the system of regional preschool education is aimed at the development of the child, in which attention is paid to mental, physical, moral, aesthetic and labor education. The analysis of sources allows the authors to describe the main directions in the pedagogical process of preschool education. Attention is paid to the main types of preschool education, presented in the existing chronological framework. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that the totality of the obtained objective results contains a solution to a significant scientific problem – the characteristics of the theory and practice of preschool education in Bashkiria during the study period. A retrospective historical and pedagogical study will help determine the leading priorities of the personal formation of a preschooler, his development and self-development, and establish promising strategic directions for the development of preschool education.

Research shows that computational thinking can be used with kindergarten mathematics instruction, however we still do not know much about how specific math knowledge is related to computational thinking and if (and if so, how) children's mathematical knowledge is related to students' performance on computational thinking assessments. This student fills this knowledge gap by examining the following research questions: (1) How are kindergarten students' mathematical knowledge (MK) and computational thinking (CT)MK and CT operationalized during a CT assessment? In what ways, if any, do MK and CT co-occur, and (2) How do students' mathematical knowledge and co-occurring mathematical knowledge and computational thinking relate to their performance on individual assessment items? To answer these questions, I analyzed video data that was originally collected for a larger research study (NSF project award #DRL-1842116), which showed 60 kindergarten students taking an interview-based, computational thinking assessment. I coded and notated the data to describe how students demonstrate their mathematical knowledge and computational thinking, then analyzed the coded data to identify how students' mathematical knowledge and computational thinking co-occurred. Lastly, I described how, for four assessment items, students' co-occurring knowledge related to their assessment item performance. The results show that students demonstrated different levels of mathematical knowledge and computational thinking through their gestures, language, and interactions with the assessment materials. Students' spatial and unit measurement knowledge most frequently co-occurred with computational thinking, and most often when students built and read/enacted programs. I categorized the co-occurrences as independent or dependent, depending on if the co-occurrence related to the students' correct or incorrect response to the assessment items. These findings show that mathematical knowledge and computational thinking are strongly connected, and that students' mathematical knowledge is related to how they performed on the assessment. These findings have implications for computational thinking curriculum and assessment design, mathematics curriculum design, and theory. Based on the results of this present study, I recommend that mathematics curriculum developers take advantage of the particularly strong connections of spatial and unit measurement knowledge with computational thinking to design experiences for children develop their spatial reasoning and measurement knowledge.

Актуальность исследования. Дошкольные образовательные организации активно внедряют в работу различные электронные средства обучения – ноутбуки, интерактивные доски, цифровые лаборатории, 3D-ручки и многое другое. Применение данных средств для обогащения образовательной деятельности ребенка и повышения разнообразия его самостоятельной деятельности – важная задача современного дошкольного образования. Изучение отношения педагогов к применению технических устройств в работе с детьми – актуальная проблема, изучение которой позволит выявить особенности использования воспитателями электронных средств обучения. Цель исследования: выявление отношения воспитателей к применению электронных средств обучения в образовательной деятельности дошкольников. Методология: индивидуальное структурированное интервью. Описание хода исследования. Выборку составили 50 воспитателей дошкольных образовательных организаций г. Иваново. Педагогам предлагалось ответить на ряд вопросов по использованию электронных устройств в профессиональной деятельности. Тщательно исследовались высказывания, показывающие отношение респондента к применению техники в работе с детьми; возможности для развития ребенка, которые видит педагог в применении современной техники; проблемы и сложности, с которыми встречается в процессе использования электронных устройств. Основные результаты. Воспитатели активно применяют технические устройства в работе с детьми. Чаще всего техника используется педагогами для повышения наглядности занятий, а также в качестве сюрпризного момента для привлечения внимания детей. Большинство опрошенных воспитателей не хотели бы применять технические средства на каждом занятии. Они объясняют это тем, что для дошкольника важнее получать опыт живого общения, предметной деятельности и самостоятельной работы с различными материалами. Среди основных проблем педагогов в работе с техническими устройствами можно выделить недоступность или неисправность электронных средств, а также нехватку расходных материалов и сложность освоения компьютерных программ. Выводы. Основная проблема в отношении педагогов к современным техническим устройствам состоит в противоречии между широкими возможностями для проведения занятий, которые дает техника воспитателю, и возможным вредом для здоровья и развития ребенка. Педагоги расценивают электронные средства обучения как ресурс для дополнительного аудиовизуального сопровождения занятий и не видят потенциала технических устройств для обогащения самостоятельной деятельности детей на занятиях и в игре. Применяя технические устройства в работе с детьми, педагоги исходят из руководящей позиции взрослого и определяют занятие в качестве ведущей организационной формы работы с дошкольниками., The relevance of the subject of the article. Preschool educational organizations are actively implementing various electronic learning tools – laptops, interactive whiteboards, digital laboratories, 3D pens and much more. The use of these tools to enrich the educational activity of the child and increase the diversity of his independent activity is an important task of modern preschool education. The research of the attitude of teachers to the use of technical devices in working with children is an urgent problem, the study of which will reveal the features of the use of electronic learning tools by educators. The aim of the study: to identify the attitude of educators to the use of electronic learning tools in the educational activities of preschoolers. Methodology: individual structured interview. Description of the research progress. The sample consisted of 50 teachers of preschool educational organizations in Ivanovo. Teachers were asked to answer a number of questions on the use of electronic devices in their professional activities. The statements showing the respondent’s attitude to the use of technology in working with children, the opportunities for the development of the child that the teacher sees in the use of modern technology, the problems and difficulties encountered in the process of using electronic devices were carefully studied. Research results. Educators actively use technical devices in working with children. Most often, technical devices are used by teachers to increase the visibility of classes, as well as a surprise moment to attract the attention of children. Most of the interviewed educators would not like to use technical devices in every exercise. They explain this by the fact that it is more important for a preschooler to gain experience of live communication, subject activity and independent work with various materials. Among the main problems of teachers in working with technical devices, one can single out the unavailability or malfunction of electronic means, as well as the lack of consumables and the difficulty of mastering computer programs. Conclusion. The main problem in the attitude of teachers to modern technical devices is the contradiction between the wide opportunities for conducting classes that technology gives to the educator, and the possible harm to the health and development of the child. Teachers regard electronic learning tools as a resource for additional audiovisual support of classes and do not see the potential of technical devices to enrich children’s independent activities in the classroom and in the play. Using technical devices in working with children, teachers proceed from the leading position of an adult and define the lesson as the leading organizational form of work with preschoolers.

Migrationsbezogene Überzeugungen von frühpädagogischen Fachkräften werden insbesondere in kulturell diversen Kindertageseinrichtungen eine handlungsleitende Bedeutung zugesprochen, obwohl es für diese Annahme kaum empirische Belege gibt. Die vorliegende Studie setzt hier an und untersucht, ob die migrationsbezogenen Überzeugungen von N = 206 frühpädagogischen Fachkräften im Zusammenhang mit der in ihren N = 107 Kindertageseinrichtungen beobachteten sprachspezifischen Prozess- und Strukturqualität stehen. Als migrationsbezogene Überzeugungsfacetten wurden die multikulturellen und assmiliativen Überzeugungen berücksichtigt, die anhand von Selbsteinschätzungen erfragt wurden. Die sprachspezifische Prozess- und Strukturqualität wurde mithilfe verschiedener Subskalen der Skala zum Sustained Shared Thinking und zum emotionalen Wohlbefinden (SSTEW), der Kindergarten-Skala-Erweiterung (KES-E) sowie einer selbst entwickelten Skala „Sprach- und kultursensible Raumgestaltung“ (SKR) in Beobachtungen eingeschätzt. Die multikulturellen und assimilativen Überzeugungen der frühpädagogischen Fachkräfte gingen neben ausgewählten Struktur- und Fachkraftmerkmalen getrennt in Strukturgleichungsmodelle ein. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass die multikulturellen Überzeugungen der frühpädagogischen Fachkräfte signifikant positiv mit der Subskala „Sprache“ der KES‑E und der Skala „Sprach- und kultursensible Raumgestaltung“ zusammenhingen. Die assimilativen Überzeugungen waren hingegen mit keiner der drei sprachspezifischen Qualitätsmaße assoziiert., Especially in culturally diverse preschools, migration-related beliefs of preschool teachers are assigned a major importance for pedagogical practice, although so far there has been hardly any research on this relation. The present study explored whether the migration-related beliefs of 206 preschool teachers are related to the language-related process and structural quality observed in their 107 preschools. As facets of migration-related belief, the multicultural and assimilative beliefs based on self-assessments were taken into account. The language-related process and structural quality was rated on the basis of the subscale “Supporting and extending language and communication” of the Sustained Shared Thinking and Emotional Well-being Scale (SSTEW), the subscale “Literacy” of the Early Childhood Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) as well as the scale “Language and Cultural Sensitive Room Formation” (SKR). The multicultural and assimilative beliefs of the preschool teachers were included separately alongside selected structural and teacher characteristics in structural equation models. The results showed that the multicultural beliefs of the preschool teachers were significantly positively related to the subscale “Literacy” of the ECERS‑R and the scale “Language and Cultural Sensitive Room Formation”. In contrast, the assimilative beliefs were not associated with any of the three language-related quality measures.

Der vorliegende Artikel geht der Frage nach, was Kinder zur wahrgenommenen Interaktionsqualität im Kindergarten mitteilen. Dazu wurden 47 Kinder zwischen drei und sechs Jahren aus sieben Einrichtungen anhand des Instruments GrazIASKinderperspektive zu wissenschaftlich fundierten Merkmalen guter Interaktionsqualität befragt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Aussagen der Kinder wertvolle Informationen liefern und ein Impuls für Qualitätsentwicklungsprozesse im pädagogischen Alltag sein können. Besonders relevant erscheinen Aussagen zur Fachperson-Kind-Beziehung sowie kritische Kinderrückmeldungen. This article examines the findings of partially standardized interviews of children on perceived quality in preschool. For this purpose, 47 children between three and six years were interviewed about theory-based characteristics of good interaction quality with the instrument GrazIASchild. The research results show that childrens’ answers provide valuable information and can be an impulse for quality development processes in everyday pedagogical work. Answers concerning the educator-child-relationship and critical childrens’ feedback appear to be particularly relevant.

This work reports the results of an exploratory survey conducted among educators and teachers of the educational sector 0-6 in the Municipality of Rome. Due to the lockdown caused by the spread of Covid 19, also in Rome, as in most part of the world, nursery and kindergarten operators have been forced to organize distance didactic, using digital tecnology, to maintain the relationship with children and their families. In order to understand the ways in which they organized distance learning and their opinions on the matter, an online questionnaire was created and submitted. Interesting findings emerged: all the respondents (n=318) put a lot of effort into the design of distance learning approaches even if almost all (except 5) declared that they had no training in the use of digital technologies for educational purposes and never had them previously adopted. L’uso delle tecnologie digitali per la costruzione di contesti educativi a distanza nel Nido e nella Scuola dell’Infanzia. Una indagine esplorativa. Questo lavoro riporta gli esiti di un’indagine esplorativa condotta tra gli educatori e i docenti del settore educativo 0-6 del Comune di Roma. A causa della chiusura determinata dalla diffusione del Covid 19, anche a Roma, come nel resto del mondo, le operatrici dei nidi e delle scuole d’infanzia hanno organizzato interventi educativi a distanza, utilizzando le tecnologie digitali, per mantenere la relazione con i bambini e le loro famiglie. Per conoscere le modalità, le tecnologie adottate e le loro opinioni in merito, è stato costruito un questionario distribuito online. Sono emerse questioni interessanti: tutte le rispondenti (n=318) hanno posto molto impegno nella progettazione di interventi didattici a distanza anche se la quasi totalità (eccetto 5) ha dichiarato di non avere alcuna formazione nell’uso delle tecnologie digitali a scopo educativo e di non averle mai adottate in precedenza.

This study investigates the current situation regarding singing in Norwegian kindergartens. More specifically, how often kindergartens offer singing possibilities to children, in what situations singing is embedded, how valued singing is in such institutions, what singing methods and repertoires the teachers use, and whether teachers have certain underlying goals and beliefs connected to their use of singing. Furthermore, we are interested in whether there are contextual factors that influence the singing practice of a kindergarten/teacher. This exploratory cross-sectional study uses a webbased questionnaire, and the sample consists of 660 Norwegian kindergarten teachers. The statistical analyses cover standard descriptive and inferential statistics. The study’s main findings are as follows: (1) singing is highly valued in most kindergartens; (2) singing is done “very often” in most kindergartens, and the majority of teachers report that they sing with the children daily in a large variety of situations and using mainly Norwegian songs – however, the actual frequency and amount of singing depends on various factors; (3) one of the most important factors regarding singing praxis is musical expertise of teachers, regarding which most teachers rate themselves as below the population average; (4) the teachers mainly sing unaccompanied with the children; (5) they learn new songs mainly through streaming services; and (6) the teachers assume that singing leads to especially positive psychological, social, and cognitive effects on children.

To synthesize and appraise economic evaluations of vision screening to detect vision impairment in children.Literature searches were conducted on seven electronic databases, grey literature, and websites of agencies conducting health technology assessments. Studies were included if they (1) were full, comparative economic evaluations that used cost-utility, cost-benefit, cost-effectiveness, cost-consequence, or cost-analysis methods; (2) described screening services designed to detect amblyopia, strabismus, or uncorrected refractive errors in children under 6 years of age; and (3) published after 1994. High-quality studies were synthesized descriptively. Currencies were reported in 2019 Canadian dollars. Quality was assessed with the Pediatric Quality Appraisal Questionnaire (PQAQ).Vision screening services were conducted by paid staff, volunteers, or health care professionals in schools or clinics. Thirteen studies were published from five countries: China (n = 1), United States (n = 4), United Kingdom (n = 1), Canada (n = 1), and Germany (n = 6). Analytical techniques included cost-utility/cost-effectiveness combination (n = 2), cost-effectiveness analysis (n = 7), cost-utility analysis (n = 1), cost-benefit analysis (n = 1), cost-consequence analysis (n = 1), and cost analysis (n = 1). Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios ranged from C$1,056 to C$151,274 per additional case detected/prevented and from C$9,429 to C$30,254,703 per additional QALY gained, depending on the type of screening service and comparator. Six studies were determined to be of high quality.Vision screening to detect amblyopia for young children may be cost-effective compared with no screening if amblyopia reduced quality of life. Studies varied significantly in the type of screening services and comparators used. Methodological limitations were common. Future studies would be aided immensely by prospective studies on the impact of amblyopia on the health-related quality of life of young children and guidelines on the effective conduct of vision screening.RéSUMé: OBJECTIF: Synthétiser et évaluer des évaluations économiques de dépistages visuels visant à détecter la déficience visuelle chez les enfants. MéTHODE: Nous avons interrogé sept bases de données électroniques, la littérature grise et les sites Web d’organismes effectuant des évaluations des technologies de la santé. Nous avons inclus les études correspondant aux critères suivants : (1) évaluations économiques comparatives exhaustives utilisant l’analyse coûts-utilité, coûts-bénéfices, coûts-efficacité ou coûts-conséquences ou l’analyse des coûts; (2) décrivant des services de dépistage visant à détecter l’amblyopie, le strabisme ou les anomalies de la réfraction non corrigées chez les enfants de moins de six ans; et (3) publiées après 1994. Nous avons fait la synthèse descriptive des études de haute qualité. Les devises ont été converties en dollars canadiens de 2019. Nous avons évalué la qualité des études à l’aide de l’outil PQAQ (Pediatric Quality Appraisal Questionnaire). RéSULTATS: Les services de dépistage visuel étaient offerts par du personnel rémunéré, des bénévoles ou des professionnels de santé dans des écoles ou des cliniques. Treize études ont été publiées dans cinq pays : Chine (n = 1), États-Unis (n = 4), Royaume-Uni (n = 1), Canada (n = 1) et Allemagne (n = 6). Les techniques d’analyse employées étaient la combinaison analyse coûts-utilité/analyse coûts-efficacité (n = 2), l’analyse coûts-efficacité (n = 7), l’analyse coûts-utilité (n = 1), l’analyse coûts-avantages (n = 1), l’analyse coûts-conséquences (n = 1) et l’analyse des coûts (n = 1). Les rapports coût-efficacité différentiels s’échelonnaient entre 1 056 $ CA et 151 274 $ CA par cas supplémentaire détecté/prévenu et entre 9 429 $ CA et 30 254 703 $ CA par année de vie pondérée par la qualité (AVPQ) supplémentaire gagnée, selon le type de service de dépistage et le comparateur. Six études ont été jugées être de haute qualité. CONCLUSION: Comparativement à l’absence de dépistage, les dépistages visuels pour détecter l’amblyopie chez les jeunes enfants peuvent être efficaces par rapport à leur coût lorsque l’amblyopie réduit la qualité de vie. Le type de services de dépistage et les comparateurs utilisés variaient considérablement d’une étude à l’autre. Les contraintes méthodologiques étaient courantes. Les études futures seraient grandement favorisées par des études prospectives des incidences de l’amblyopie sur la qualité de vie liée à la santé chez les jeunes enfants et par des lignes directrices sur l’exécution efficace des dépistages visuels.

developing fine motor skills, this is because children feel that motor activities are very boring, teachers do not use interesting/varied learning media and tools, provide guidance and motivation to children, good learning atmosphere. less fun and the teacher does not carry out development activities gradually, repeatedly and integratively in accordance with the development of children's fine motor skills. This type of research is Classroom Action Research, which uses two cycles with each cycle consisting of four stages, namely (1) planning, (2) implementation, (3) observation, (4) reflection. The subjects of this study were group B TK Pertiwi Margorejo Tempel Sleman with 15 children, consisting of 9 boys and 6 girls. The object of this research is an effort to improve children's fine motor skills through drawing activities. Data analysis was obtained through demonstration, performance, assignment, observation and documentation. The results of increasing fine motor skills through drawing activities in the first cycle of children who developed very well 71% increased to 85.43%. In the second cycle the fine motor skills of children who developed very well 50% increased to 93.71%..

Many school districts provide one-time transition events to help students prepare for the rigors of kindergarten; yet, research shows families desire additional information and opportunities to help their children thrive once school begins. Researchers for this study interviewed 39 parents whose children participated in a three-week structured kindergarten transition program designed to promote parental involvement in school, reduce students' chronic absenteeism, and increase children's readiness for kindergarten. All interviewees expressed that participating in the program yielded benefits for themselves and their children. Respondents shared that meeting education staff members early during the summer, familiarizing themselves with the layout and routines of their schools, and building stronger social connections with other families were of particular value in helping them prepare for the start of kindergarten. Similarly, understanding kindergarten expectations more thoroughly and acquiring tools to support their children at home were deemed especially beneficial for those families who had not previously participated in preschool or other structured school opportunities. In addition to positive feedback, participants proposed various ways that adjusting the program could better meet the needs of all stakeholders. Suggestions included increasing the length of the student sessions, improving communication between district and families, re-structuring the parent information sessions to be more conducive to working families, and staffing the program with more individuals who would stay on as teachers during the transition from summer to fall. Parent suggestions from this study were synthesized into multiple implications for practice and substantiated by current relevant literature.

Malta has become a diverse country and educators are facing challenges in adapting their pedagogies to their current students. Given that parents were opting their children out of catholic religion lessons, the Ethics curriculum was introduced in the primary and secondary classroom. However, no direction was given with regards to moral education in the kindergarten classroom with children aged 3-5. This study seeks to explore how kindergarten educators are transmitting morality in their classroom and what impacts these transmission practices. This descriptive research used cluster sampling. Seven kindergarten educators whose ages range between 30 -60 participated in two two-hour focus groups representing the diverse demographic and needs of the students in the colleges of Malta and Gozo. Given the flexibility and organisational approach, thematic analysis was used to code the focus groups. The major findings are that teachers’ beliefs followed by school climate are salient factors in the impact on moral educational strategies. Moral education was mostly imparted through the teaching of society’s moral norms. This study suggests that future research investigates the impacts of teachers’ beliefs on the children’s identity and studying how children’s religious identity impacts their prosocial behaviours and relationships in the classroom. This will shed light on policies for religious and moral education in the kindergarten state schools.

Indoor dust presents an important source of daily exposure to toxic elements. The present study reports for the first time the levels of Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sn, Se, Sr, Tl, V, and Zn measured in dust samples collected from 10 kindergartens and 21 cars from Zagreb, Croatia. Based on the obtained data, we assessed the health risks from overall daily exposure to trace elements for children aged 2–6 years taking into account three pathways of dust intake—ingestion, dermal absorption, and inhalation. The median concentration of most elements was significantly higher in dust obtained from cars compared to kindergartens, especially in the cases of Co (11.62 vs. 3.60 mg kg−1), Cr (73.55 vs. 39.89 mg kg−1), Cu (186.33 vs. 26.01 mg kg−1), Mo (8.599 vs. 0.559 mg kg−1), Ni (37.05 vs. 17.38 mg kg−1), and Sn (9.238 vs. 1.159 mg kg−1). Oral intake was identified as the most important exposure pathway, except for Cr, Ni, and Sb where dermal contact was the main route of exposure. Health risk assessment indicated that no adverse effects are expected from overall exposure to trace elements. Although the cases of high exposure to toxic elements are not common in areas with no significant environmental pollutants, due to the health threat they may present even at low levels, their status should be carefully monitored.

Children’s literature has a cognitive value and is a source of aesthetic experiences. Picture books with mathematical content are a special type of children’s books. The study aims to show that picture books where mathematical text is combined with images in an aesthetic form provide impulses to create educational situations that inspire mathematical activity. Based on the classification of mathematical activity by Ewa Kozak-Czyżewska, we developed our methodological proposals for stimulating creative and imitative mathematical activity in children. These suggestions are presented on the basis of our work with two books: Numbers written by Jacek Cygan and At our house written by Isabel Minhós Martins and Madalena Matoso. For the purpose of this study, educational classes with the use of mathematical literary texts were conducted for six-year-old children in kindergarten. It has been shown that picture books can inspire creative and imitative mathematical activity in children. By providing positive experiences, these texts can support the processes of learning mathematics, awaken children’s motivation to calculate and use mathematics in everyday life. The presented study may be used as a model of working with picture books with mathematical content in kindergarten., Literatura dla dzieci ma wartość poznawczą i jest źródłem przeżyć estetycznych. Jej szczególnym rodzajem są książki obrazkowe z wątkami matematycznymi. Celem opracowania jest ukazanie, że książki obrazkowe, rozumiane jako te, w których tekst matematyczny łączy się z obrazem w estetyczną formę, dostarczają impulsów do kreowania sytuacji edukacyjnych wyzwalających aktywność matematyczną. Opierając się na klasyfikacji aktywności matematycznej w opracowaniu Ewy Kozak-Czyżewskiej, opracowano własne propozycje metodyczne pobudzania twórczej i odtwórczej aktywności matematycznej dzieci, co ukazano na przykładzie pracy z książkami: Cyferki (autor: Jacek Cygan) i W naszym domu jest (autorzy: Isabel Minhós Martins, Madalena Matoso). Zajęcia dydaktyczne z wykorzystaniem matematycznych tekstów literackich przeprowadzono dla dzieci sześcioletnich w przedszkolu. Wykazano, że książki obrazkowe mogą być inspiracją w wyzwalaniu twórczej i odtwórczej aktywności matematycznej. Poprzez dostarczanie pozytywnych przeżyć mogą wspierać procesy uczenia się matematyki, rozbudzać dziecięcą motywację do liczenia i używania matematyki w życiu codziennym. Opracowanie może stanowić model pracy z książką obrazkową z wątkami matematycznymi wprzedszkolu.

Norwegian Kindergartens are seen as one of the most important social infrastructures for all children below five years. Kindergarten attendance is a legal right for children from the age of one year in Norway, and consequently 97 per cent of children aged four to five years attend these institutions. However, we still have little knowledge to what extent children regardless of abilities can develop social capital and experience inclusion in Kindergarten. Our point of departure is a human rights perspective on children and a relational perspective on disability and materiality. Through a cross sectional multi-method study design, based on qualitative methods, we, in collaboration with children with and without disabilities identified which places indoors and outdoors these children defined to be comfortable and inclusive spaces, and what characterise them. All children preferred stable organisational structure, physically small places equipped with different types of construction materials and available and reliable staff. Children showed that (dis)abilities are a spatial phenomenon and thereby guide inclusive pedagogy closer to the dynamic between children, place, and space. Children’s preferences and meaning-making contrasts the pedagogical epistemology which manifests itself as fluid and flexible organisation, based on children’s ‘free choice’.

Until their conceptual, systemic and substantive reform in the 1990s, preschool institutions in Slovenia were recognised predominantly as care institutions, on the one hand, and as “preparatory institutions” for school or pre-primary school, on the other. This paper presents an analysis of preschool education in Slovenia based on theoretical starting points, international comparative analyses of quality indicators for preschool education and curricular documents, as well as the results of Slovenian and foreign empirical research on early child development and learning. The analysis was conducted from the viewpoint of conceptual, systemic and curricular solutions. In particular, we emphasise the need to update the Curriculum for Preschool and resolve any professional dilemmas related to the efficiency and equity of preschool. In conclusion, we specifically highlight certain possibilities for improvements in Slovenian preschool education.

Das Sammeln vielseitiger Bewegungserfahrungen und der Aufbau der motorischen Handlungsfähigkeit gelten als wichtige Entwicklungsaspekte der frühen Kindheit. Dabei repräsentieren das Spielen im Freien, Sporttreiben in der Freizeit sowie ein aktiv bewältigter Schulweg grundlegende Erfahrungsräume der Lebenswelt von Kindern. Im Rahmen der vorliegenden Querschnittstudie mit 478 Kindergartenkindern aus zwei Kantonen der Schweiz wurde überprüft, inwiefern sich aufgrund der Häufigkeit dieser Bewegungsformen relevante Unterschiede bei den motorischen Basiskompetenzen (MOBAK) nachweisen lassen. Die Analyse zeigt, dass Kinder, die ihren Schulweg aktiv bewältigten, in ihrer Freizeit häufig im Freien spielten oder sportlich aktiv waren, insgesamt über ein besseres motorisches Niveau verfügen., +repphzhbib2021A

The research team will conduct a comparative multi-case study that takes an ecological approach to studying promising transition approaches from Head Start to kindergarten by exploring the multiple settings and multi-directional influences on children’s, families’, and teachers’ experiences and outcomes.

This article focuses on how children, independent of abilities, create healthy identities and spaces in kindergarten, and is based on a qualitative CGT-study carried out in Norwegian Kindergartens. Data sources include Life-form interviews with 24 children, with and without disabilities. Children placed health in the context of their daily-life experiences. They underlined the importance of aspiring to social well-being and creating healthy spaces through internally driven physical exertion and child-controlled activities. Children described how they relate to the staff’s restrictions and legal requirements as “the staff” versus “we, the children”. They advocate for the staff’s engagement in play and activities. Health promotion and Identity Construction in Norwegian Kindergartens - A qualitiative Study in Children with and without Disabilities

This paper deals with the specifics of a music teacher's work in kindergarten and presents an empirical study, based on the approach of hermeneutic phenomenology. In the research outcomes, the experiences of the music teacher's work in kindergarten are presented through their stories about memorable moments of their professional activity. Initially, in accordance with the theory of Max van Manen, the research data were viewed through the prism of five dimensions (lived time, lived space, lived self-others, lived things, and lived body), typical of all phenomena. The paper discusses one of them, i.e. the teachers' experience from the perspective of the lived body. The stories demonstrate how through the looks, facial mimicry, and body language, moments of the teacher's everyday routine are revealed that would otherwise be overlooked or considered irrelevant.

The Coping Power Program is an evidence-based intervention for children identified to be at risk for developing externalizing behavioral problems. The Coping Power Program has been adapted to universally prevent behavioral problems in school-aged children. This study sought to test the efficacy of this adaptation, the Coping Power Universal program, on preschoolers' behavioral difficulties and pre-academic skills. Teachers delivered the intervention in their classes. The study included a sample of Italian children (N = 250, 125 boys) with a mean age of 4.50 years (SD = .50) at the beginning of the study. Classrooms of these children were randomly assigned to receive either the intervention or the Italian preschool standard curriculum. Measures included a questionnaire and objective and standardized measures for numerical intelligence and metaphonological skills delivered by a psychologist to the preschoolers. Classes in which teachers applied the Coping Power Universal program showed lower problematic behaviors and higher pre-academic skills than those in which teachers followed the standard curriculum only. Although further studies are still needed, the current findings showed that the Coping Power Universal program can be adapted for preschoolers with good results. Implications for practice, methodological limitations, and directions for future research are reviewed.

Background. Adequate nutrition is one of the most important factors for influencing growth and development of children. Providing adequate amounts of minerals is extremely important in the developmental age, especially in periods of intensive growth. Calcium and vitamin D deficiency may have a negative impact on the health of children, both in the short and long term. Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate the content of calcium and vitamin D in the meals of preschoolers and to compare the obtained results to Polish dietary reference values for children aged 4-6 years. Material and methods. The study was conducted in 40 randomly selected kindergartens in some Silesian cities and were concerning 1,746 children. 10-day-menus and preschool inventory reports describing the amount of food used for meal preparation were obtained from every kindergarten. 10-day-menus were analysed in terms of calcium and vitamin D content with the use of the Dieta 5 software. The obtained results were developed in Microsoft Excel 2016. Results. The analysis of 10-days menus showed significant deficiencies in both calcium and vitamin D intake in the assessed food rations. The mean calcium level was 416.0 mg while vitamin D was 1.47 μg. The content of calcium and vitamin D in the examined 10-days menus did not meet the dietary reference values. Conclusions. The necessity to modify menus in terms of increasing the consumption of the analysed nutrients was demonstrated, as well as the need to implement nutritional education for preschool staff and parents was suggested.

School buildings gather a large number of underage students, and the disastrous consequences of fire in such buildings are very serious, which is one of the key concerns of society in fire prevention and control. This study takes a “[” type kindergarten teaching building as the background and constructs a BIM–FDS building fire simulation model to reveal the fire smoke dispersion law under the coupling of the typical building structure and fire protection systems. The results show that the stairwells on both sides of the “[” type building are the main channels for the diffusion of fire smoke, and the asymmetry of the stairwell structure will cause apparent differences in the diffusion of smoke. Using the natural smoke exhaust in the stairwells of low-rise buildings does not aggravate the spread of smoke in the building and is conducive to smoke emissions. The high-pressure water mist system is superior to the water spray system in fire extinguishing and controlling room temperature. While it reduces smoke exhaust performance, it does not adversely affect personnel evacuation. This study systematically reveals the law of diffusion of fire smoke from “[”-type teaching buildings, which can support the design of similar building structures, ventilation, fire protection, and the formulation of fire escape plans.

Background: Studies have shown that outdoor play in nature is associated with a higher physical activity level than indoor play. We aimed to examine the effect of outdoor versus conventional kindergartens on objectively measured physical activity. Method: Using a pre-test-post-test design, we collected data in four kindergartens that provided a rotating outdoor and conventional kindergarten setting. Step counts were measured during one week in the outdoor setting and one week in the conventional setting. Differences in step counts between the outdoor and conventional setting were analysed using a paired t-test. Results: In total, 74 children were included. There was no statistically significant difference in total daily step counts between children in the two settings. When we looked at step counts during kindergarten hours, we saw that children were more physically active in the outdoor setting compared to the conventional setting (mean difference: 1089, p < 0.0001). When we looked at activity during time outside the kindergarten, we discovered that children had a lower step count in the outdoor setting as compared to the conventional setting (mean difference −652, p = 0.01). Conclusion: This study indicates that children are more physically active during the time they spend in outdoor kindergartens compared to conventional kindergartens, but may compensate with more inactivity outside kindergarten hours.

Non-verbal communication depends on children’s experiences and knowledge. In artistic activity the richer one’s experiences are that are related to art workshop, the greater is that per-son’s the ability to transmit information about the world, both real and notional, fantastic, which is within the scope of interest of a young creator. The aim of planned research was: to determine ways of creating graphical records by children in preschool and early school age, as universal non-verbal messages. In the research proceedings it was important to define ways of presenting particular issues and types of perspective the children used in particular tasks. Additionally, the symbols were important that were used by children to underline the power of expression. Artistic works of children at preschool age are a creation of both the presence and the future and expression of psychical state. The artistic means used in art works are significant because they reveal logic of children’s thinking, feeling and knowledge the children have., Neverbalna komunikacija ovisi o dječjim iskustvima i znanju. U umjetničkoj djelatnosti što su bogatija iskustva povezana s umjetničkim radom, to je veća sposobnost te osobe da prenosi informacije o svijetu, stvarne i nestvarne, fantastične, što je već u opsegu interesa mladog stvaratelja. Cilj planiranog istraživanja bio je: utvrditi načine stvaranja grafičkih zapisa djece u predškolskoj i ranoj školskoj dobi, kao univerzalnih neverbalnih poruka. U istraživačkom je radu bilo važno definirati načine predstavljanja određenih problema i tipove perspektive koje su djeca koristila u određenim zadacima. Uz to, važni su bili simboli koje su djeca koristila kako bi podcrtala snagu izražavanja. Umjetnička djela djece u predškolskoj dobi tvorevina su i sadašnjosti i budućnosti, te izraz psihičkog stanja. Umjetnička sredstva koja se koriste u umjetničkim djelima značajna su jer otkrivaju logiku dječjeg razmišljanja, osjećaja i znanja koje djeca imaju.

Many initial childhood settings worldwide have started to create an environment and educational system that would increase the children’s environmental awareness and the ways to minimize it. A newly built ecological kindergarten in Antalya, Turkey, has adopted an educational system in which children are getting involved with nature in most of their daily routines. This study intended to learn if the physical environment of the declared setting responds to the early childhood environmental education work frame. Accordingly, the study has adopted “Guidelines for Excellence, Early Childhood Environmental Education Programs’’ as the primary resource for an evaluation checklist. Data collection is conducted via an in-depth site analysis, as well as the questionnaire survey of teachers and parents regarding their perception of the kindergarten’s physical environment. The results showed that the physical environment of the kindergarten does not meet the requirements of the early education environmental framework. This study underlines the importance of profound research studies that analyze the architectural features of an early environmental education setting and the ways improving its physical attributes may promote the children environmental education. Doi: 10.28991/cej-2021-03091657 Full Text: PDF

Zusammenfassung. In dieser Studie wurde der Test MARKO-D (Mathematik- und Rechenkonzepte im Vorschulalter–Diagnose) mit einer Stichprobe von Kindern aus der deutschsprachigen Schweiz ( N = 555) im ersten und zweiten Kindergartenjahr erprobt und es wurde analysiert, ob sich die Altersnormen der deutschen Stichprobe auf die Schweiz übertragen lassen. Zudem wurde der Test mit einer Teilstichprobe ( n = 87) hinsichtlich Messinvarianz über die Zeit untersucht. Die Ergebnisse des eindimensionalen Rasch-Modells zeigen, dass das Instrument für die Schweiz geeignet ist. Die Testleistungen hängen jedoch vom Kindergartenbesuch ab. Für die Schweiz müssten deshalb nebst Altersnormen auch Normen pro Kindergartenhalbjahr verwendet werden. Die Analyse mittels Differential Item Functioning ergab, dass 17 von 55 Items von großer Messvarianz über die Zeit betroffen sind. Um das Instrument für Längsschnittuntersuchungen einsetzen zu können, müsste es weiterentwickelt werden.

The paper presents a description and comparison of the undergraduate student teacher training and kindergarten teacher continuing education in the Montessori Method of Education encompassed in formal education in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The theoretical part of the paper aims at depicting Montessori education, still an attractive pedagogical direction in both countries, in a thorough, unconventional and innovative way. Even though Montessori education has been rooted worldwide for centuries, in Slovakia and the Czech Republic it presents relatively new alternative education, considering that an integrated school system, introduced in these countries in 1948 and lasting almost to the end of20thcentury, did not allow the use of other alternatives in addition to the mainstream education. A description of (preschool) education in both countries and an analysis of kindergarten teacher's personality and his/her lesson plans are included in the theoretical part of the paper. The empirical part contains pedagogical research of qualitative design, conducted in Slovakia and the Czech Republic in order to identify and map the current state, level and possibilities of formal education of pre-service and in-service teachers in Slovak and Czech kindergartens.

Various aspects of the preschool environment may either promote or restrict children’s moderate- to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), for example through opportunities for outdoor play. The aim of the present study was to determine associations for preschool environmental quality with outdoor time and MVPA in preschoolers. In total, 358 Norwegian 2–6-year-old children had 1–3 valid 14-day periods of accelerometer-determined MVPA (ActiGraph GT3X+) and corresponding logs of preschool outdoor time collected during 2015–2016. The children were enrolled in 30 different preschool departments for which we assessed environmental quality using the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R). Associations for preschool quality with outdoor time and MVPA were determined using multivariate pattern analysis. We found strong inverse associations between preschool quality and outdoor time (51.4 % explained variance), and weak inverse associations between preschool quality and MVPA (5.4 % explained variance). Associations were strongest for the “Space and Furnishings”, “Personal Care Routines”, “Language-Reasoning”, and “Interaction” subscales of ECERS-R, in particular for aspects of safety practices. Children enrolled in departments rated as high quality spent less time outdoors and less time in MVPA. Thus, recognized quality aspects of preschool environments, in particular safety practices, might restrict children’s movement opportunities.

Leseprobe ----- Bibliographie: Schafers, Maria Sophie/Hohne, Mandy/Rehkemper, Julia/Wegner, Claas: Darstellung eines Mixed-Methods-Ansatzes zur Bestimmung naturwissenschaftlicher Begabung im Kindergartenalter, Diskurs Kindheits- und Jugendforschung / Discourse. Journal of Childhood and Adolescence Research, 4-2020, S. 461-466. https://doi.org/10.3224/diskurs.v15i4.10

Contexte théorique : La transition vers le milieu scolaire est un moment critique pour la réussite scolaire des enfants ayant un TSA et peut influencer le maintien ou la perte des acquis effectués avant l’entrée à l’école. Plusieurs auteurs suggèrent que la mise en place de stratégies favorisant la continuité éducative permet de maintenir à long terme les effets de l’intervention précoce. Par exemple, les chercheurs et les orientations gouvernementales s’accordent sur l’importance de la planification de la transition et la mise en place d’activités permettant la continuité éducative et de mieux connaître l’enfant ainsi que de l’implication des parents dans la transition de leur enfant. Objectifs : Cet article a pour objectif de décrire les activités de transition menant aux décisions de classement et à l’offre de services individualisée ainsi que l’implication des parents dans la transition vers l’école de leur enfant ayant un TSA. Méthode : Les données ont été recueillies à l’aide d’un questionnaire en ligne auprès de 88 parents d’enfants présentant un TSA et ayant reçu le code 50 du MEES et ont servi à des analyses statistiques descriptives. Résultats : La planification n’est pas systématique et elle sous-utilise les documents gouvernementaux et la consultation des intervenants en petite enfance. Les activités de transition visent davantage l’offre d’information aux parents et la familiarisation de l’enfant avec le milieu scolaire que l’apprentissage ou le développement d’habiletés chez l’élève ayant un TSA. De plus, bien qu’une majorité de parents ont été impliqués, plusieurs obstacles demeurent présents pour qu’ils puissent bien jouer leur rôle. Conclusion : La planification et l’implication des parents dans la transition vers la maternelle des élèves ayant un TSA dans le système scolaire public ne correspondent pas encore aux recommandations scientifiques ni aux orientations gouvernementales., Background: Transition to the school environment is a critical time for the academic success of children with ASD and can influence the retention or loss of prior learning. Several authors suggest that the implementation of strategies promoting educational continuity helps to maintain the effects of early intervention in the long term. Researchers and government orientations agree on the importance of planning the transition and setting up activities that allow for educational continuity and better knowledge of the child, as well as the involvement of parents in the process. Aim: The purpose of this article is to describe the transition planning and activities as well as the involvement of parents in the transition to school for their child with ASD leading to placement decisions and individualized service offers. Method: Data were collected by an online questionnaire filled by 88 parents of children with ASD and used for descriptive statistical analysis. Results: Planning is not systematic and underutilizes government documents and consultation of early childhood stakeholder. Transition activities focus more on providing information to parents and familiarizing the child with the school environment than learning or developing skills for students with ASD. In addition, although a majority of parents have been involved, several obstacles remain and they can play their role fully. Conclusion: Transition planning and parental involvement in the transition to kindergarten of students with ASD in the public school system does not yet correspond to scientific recommendations or government orientations.

Salah satu perkembangan kognitif yang harus diperhatikan usia TK adalah kemampuan berhitung yang mencakup konsep penjumlahan dan pengurangan. Faktanya, tidak semua anak usia TK dapat memahami dengan baik konsep matematika yang disajikan dalam simbol matematika. Selain itu, sebagian anak usia TK masih mengalami kesulitan dalam menjumlahkan angka-angka secara abstrak. ada pula siswa yang kurang mampu menuliskan banyaknya benda dalam simbol angka. Oleh karena itu, untuk mendukung perkembangan kognitif anak kelompok TK B secara optimal diperlukan stimulan yang tepat dalam proses pembelajaran. Sehingga disusun sebuah bahan ajar yang berdasarkan pada teori Iceberg untuk mengembangkan kemampuan koginitif anak dalam konsep berhitung. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengembangkan bahan ajar untuk memperkenalkan konsep penjumlahan dan pengurangan bagi TK kelompok B dengan menggunakan pendekatan Iceberg. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian pengembangan yang dilaksanakan dalam tahapan 4D yaitu, define, design, develop dan disseminate. Hasil dari penelitian ini menunjukkan bahan ajar yang disusun termasuk dalam kategori layak dan dapat digunakan untuk menjadi bahan ajar penunjang pembelajaran berhitung pada anak usia TK, Perkembangan kognitif yang harus diperhatikan pada anak usia TK diantaranya adalah kemampuan berhitung yang mencakup konsep penjumlahan dan pengurangan. Akan tetapi, dalam prakteknya, konsep matematika yang abstrak tidak selalu dapat diterima dengan baik oleh siswa usia TK. Sebagian siswa TK masih mengalami kesulitan dalam menjumlahkan angka-angka secara abstrak. ada pula siswa yang kurang mampu menuliskan banyaknya jumlah benda ke dalam simbol angka. Oleh karena itu, untuk mendukung perkembangan anak secara optimal diperlukan stimulan yang tepat. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengembangkan bahan ajar untuk memperkenalkan konsep penjumlahan dan pengurangan bagi TK kelompok B dengan menggunakan pendekatan Iceberg. Hasil dari penelitian ini menunjukkan bahan ajar yang disusun termasuk dalam kategori layak dan dapat digunakan untuk menjadi bahan ajar penunjang pembelajaran berhitung pada anak usia TK