Examining how young children learn to write is increasingly important as global society moves further towards a knowledge economy, where the production of texts of various kinds is an increasingly ubiquitous practice in everyday life and work. While there has been recent policy and practice focus on children's writing performance in standardised…

Previous research indicates that young children, as young as preschoolers, spontaneously draw dihedral and cyclic symmetries in their representations of the natural world. This is an intriguing find because at this age children have barely had their first contact with formal geometry and, therefore, one would not expect to find a use of symmetries…

This article provides a snapshot of assessment for learning in action. It introduces the drawings made by children who had been studying "Planet Earth and Beyond"--Matariki as a context in science in a New Zealand primary school. The visual data are drawn from the Te Ao Hurihuri project (The Changing World) in which students were offered…

How children piece together their reasons for protecting the environment is an important but under-research area in early childhood education for sustainability (ECEfS). This article reviews findings related to young Maltese children's (aged 3-7 years) reasons for protecting the environment. Adopting a qualitative case study approach, preliminary…

Play is valued conceptually and pedagogically, although its place in early years settings is under increasing pressure. Framed by the sociology of childhood and understandings of children's agency, this article reports on an ethnographic study with children aged five years in the first year of primary school in Australia. The study investigated…

As described in the symposium overview, this paper is built on two researchers' interests and research concerning mathematics learning and teaching at the time of children's transition to primary school, including prior-to-school and the first years of school. Our previous research has shown that young children are aware of their own mathematical…

Evaluated the effectiveness of a drawing program called "negotiated drawing" with children aged 5-7 years. Compared drawings of children using this program with those of children given normal drawing lessons. All the children improved their drawings, but the children using the negotiated drawing program improved more than the children…

Considers the wide social implications of children's unsolicited drawings of violence, stating that these drawings and children's attitudes toward them are indicative of a central social contradiction; a society that is violent but champions peace. Discusses avenues for action by art educators to help children's development. (Author/LS)

Ninety-seven children between 5 and 8 years of age drew two arrays, four times each, in different orientations vis-a-vis the child. Younger children's drawings contained much array-specific information but often no indication at all of the child's viewing position. Older children's drawings were predominantly view-specific, often containing little…

In this decade of Education for Sustainable Development, it is timely to consider the methodological issues associated with researching this topic not only with adults but also with the young children who, as members of the next generation, will experience the success or otherwise of current environmental sustainability efforts. We argue that it…

The nature of children's writing and drawing forms a useful starting point for examining journal writing with young children. Much research and literature suggests the educational value of having children write, yet a controversy exists among writing authorities concerning whether children's drawings are a necessary part of journal-writing…

Tests four hypotheses to separate the effect of schemes from drawing-specific influences on young children's drawings and examines whether copies and anticipatory drawings are influenced by schemes in the same manner. (HOD)

A study investigated why children's drawing becomes less flexible and less exploratory as the children age. Subjects, 92 students in two kindergarten and two first grade classrooms in two different public schools in Queens, New York, were interviewed about their feelings concerning drawing and writing. Each classroom was visited for 1 week each.…

Examines a number of variables in children's drawings (color selection, subject matter, artistic skills) for evidence of gender differentiation in these variables. Discovers differentiation in only two variables. Moreover, this dichotomy decreases from kindergarten to third grade suggesting an increase in sex equity due to education. (MJP)

Discusses questions dealing with children's learning to read and write; children's drawing; encouragement, correction, and interpretation of children's writing; and writing programs. Suggests that parents and teachers can promote children's writing by creating an environment for children that develops confidence and by understanding the processes…