Countries around the world have identified early childhood education as a major priority in providing the foundation for inclusive democratic participation. In US early childhood practice, creating a classroom community is recognised as a part of "quality" education and a means to teach democratic principles. The purpose of this qualitative study…

This paper explores the possibility that early childhood institutions can be, first and foremost, places of political practice--and specifically of democratic political practice. The case for the primacy of democratic political practice in early childhood institutions is made more urgent by two developments apparent in many countries today: the…

Recent theoretical conceptions of transition have emphasised the key influence of educational transition on young children's learning. The Foundation Stage was established in England in 2000, creating a distinct phase of education for children aged three to five, which spans the transition to school. In the Foundation Stage children learn through…

The aim of this study was to analyse how a model for practitioner-oriented research can be used as a tool for professional development in the preschool. The focus of interest is the type of knowledge that is formed when researchers and preschool staff cooperate on local projects, and what this new knowledge means for the images of professional…

This article draws on research with the student cohort in one of the early childhood teacher education programmes at the University of Western Sydney, Australia. It explores students' perceptions of a flexible and blended pedagogy, or "heutagogy" which combines online work with face-to-face lectures and tutorials. Research into teaching and…

This article is concerned with how and to what extent cultural diversity and difference are promoted in early childhood education and the curriculum. With reference to the "Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage in England" (2000), I argue that dominant discourses of cultural homogeneity continue to powerfully inform the curriculum, and work…

Methodological and ethical challenges that researchers face when they conduct research with children are the focus of this article. The discussion is based on a study conducted with 2-6-year-old children in Iceland, where the purpose was to shed light on children's perspectives on their early childhood settings. The study is built on the…

This article examines the level of empowerment and autonomy children can create in their play experiences. It examines the play discourses that children build and maintain and considers the importance of play contexts in supporting children's emotional and social development. These aspects of play are often unseen or misunderstood by the adult…

There is a growing debate on the balance between making sure our children are safe versus letting the children play in physically and emotionally stimulating and challenging environments. The focus is now on children's right to do risky play. There are no studies categorising risky play. The present study has aimed to do this. Qualitative…

Detailed analyses of adult-infant interaction among some European and North American populations have revealed that it resides on characteristics such as synchronous timing, phrasing, pitch contours and variations of dynamic intensity that are essentially musical in nature. Moreover, this musicality of infancy is the medium which enables and…

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether introducing schematising to children in early childhood (ages five to six) promotes better learning outcomes in later mathematics (age seven). This was done using a longitudinal, quantitative study with a quasi-experimental design. With the help of teachers and a teacher-trainer, pupils in the…

After a critique of the standard literacy practice in primary school, the article develops a Vygotskian view on literacy that defines literate activity as a generalised ability of using sign systems for personal and interpersonal use within specific cultural practices. Narrative competence is seen as one specific form of this literate activity.…

Much of the advertising content children see is adult-oriented. However, research has focused on commercials designed for child audiences. Also, whether advertising is commercially successful or not, it constitutes a "form of acculturation". However, research is mainly focused on perception of the commercial dimension of advertising, and does not…

This paper interrogates the role children's indigenous games of Africa can play in the development of fundamental movement skills relevant in modernized sports. On a daily basis, children in Africa play varieties of traditional games that vary between tribes, communities and distances. However, the efficacy of these games in the development of…

This article condenses the milestones of a long project. The ambition of the project has been to seek a balanced view of early childhood education, where both the adaptive and agentive nature of action is considered. A model based on the relationships between perception and environmental change serves as the project's theoretical foundation. The…