In this theoretical article, we present, argue for, and illustrate a conception of early childhood arts education, centred on the notions of "synaesthesia" and "transduction". The empirical illustrations come from three different activities where teachers and children (aged 4-8 years) are engaged in music-listening, playing drums and a…

The main research question in this article is directed to how children use symbols to build up metaphors and through these metaphors express their messages about their culture and everyday life. In the article, I describe how a child, Oskar, takes hold of the power to be the one defining children's own lives by challenging adult's prejudices…

This paper reports findings from a 2-year Australian study that explored children's perceptions of the meaning and value of the arts, and accounts of their engagement in arts activities in school and youth arts settings. The research also aimed to develop data generation methods sensitive to the ways children communicate and make meaning. The 570…

This article describes a puppet as a mediating tool in early childhood education and the puppet's communicative properties, potential and use in preschool. In the empirical section, the puppet consists and functions as a starting point for children's interaction, narratives and different ways of communication. The research interest is directed…

Contemporary social theory and the United Nations (1989) "Convention on the Rights of the Child" have forged current interest in the concept of children's citizenship. However, what citizenship is and can be for young children is surrounded by much debate and ambiguity. This article discusses explorations of possibilities of children's citizenship…

Documentation for pedagogical purposes is an increasingly important practice in Sweden, in Europe, and in the United States. This article focuses on the ethical aspects that need to be addressed in documentation practices in preschool. The empirical material is drawn from the blogs of Swedish preschool teachers who recorded their thoughts on…

Dominant discourses in Germany portray children with a so-called "migration background" implicitly or explicitly as "the Other" in relation to a normative image of "German children." Family origins, language, and physical appearance act as important criteria in this process of ethnifying children. Embedded within this discursive framework, my…

Recently, researchers have begun to investigate the ways contemporary childhoods are being shaped by a range of multimodal communicative practices (Kress, "Literacy in the new media age," Routledge, New York, 2003; Lankshear and Knobel, "New literacies: Changing knowledge and classroom learning," Open University Press, Milton Keynes, 2003). This…

Since the introduction of the Child Friendly Cities Initiative in 1996, children and young people's participation in consultation has become an increasingly important element of the planning and community development strategies of many government and community organisations throughout Australia. This has been the case in the city of Wodonga,…

Stemming from the UNCRC, childhood researchers have proposed a variety of methodological strategies for upholding children's rights and understanding their perspectives. This paper aims to advance the conversation on engaging children's perspectives by presenting data collection methods used in a qualitative study exploring children's special…

Interest in children's wellbeing has been steadily increasing across political, social and educational contexts. While the importance of children's wellbeing--particularly in relation to learning and development--is undisputed, there are conflicting perspectives on what "wellbeing" actually is, let alone how to measure and promote it. The purpose…

Learning study has been used by many to develop exemplary teaching in school, and this approach has recently been adopted for use in kindergarten as well. When using such approaches in different settings than they were intended for, several challenges potentially arise. This article discusses the implementation of a learning study approach in a…

Across Australia a combined government effort is underway to reform early childhood education and care (ECEC) provision. A National Law Bill passed in 2010 heralds a new legal, regulatory and accountability framework that embraces all types ECEC provision. As a result, service providers face rapid change to address a new orientation and higher…

This article outlines a new approach to the study of learning and the improvement of education. The approach consists of two elements: a theory of learning cultures and a cultural theory of learning. Learning cultures are different from learning contexts or learning environments in that they are to be understood as the social practices through…

This article reports upon a Portuguese pedagogical model, where children engage with the teacher in planning and assessment during routine activities like "Council Meetings", "Communication Time," and using specific tools such as an "Activities Chart" and a "Diary." The article questions how these processes generate a community of practice in…