This study took place in an inner metropolitan Adelaide school and a rural school on Kangaroo Island off the South Australian coast. We compare 33 eight- to 10-year-old children's accounts of what the area is like for them. What are the rules and boundaries and who sets them? Metropolitan children were found to have tighter boundaries and required…

"Children?s Voices" is a longitudinal research project to document and understand children's perceptions of live arts performance and the impact on their teachers and school communities. The research conducted in South Australia with 135 5?12-year-olds in four schools involves collaboration between the South Australian Department of…

This special issue of "Early Child Development and Care" focuses on the issues involved in researching the views and experiences of young children. Challenging issues need to be addressed. For example, what constitutes ethical questioning of children? What are young children's rights as research respondents? What is meaningful 'informed consent'…

Describes the contents of the November 1989 issue of Early Childhood Development and Care, which concerns early childhood education and care in Australia. (RJC)

Describes the Hunter Caravan Project of Australia, which was designed to improve direct services for children and address the needs of parents and families living in caravan parks. (RJC)

The depressed economies in countries such as Australia have led governments to view education as a means to serve the national economic interest, with the result that art education receives a low priority in the curriculum and in education budgets. Argues that the arts can serve as a key to educational reform and enhancement. (MDM)

Outlines a process-oriented approach to teaching movement and performance to young children. This approach applies a model, which stresses playing and problem solving and which focuses on the creative process rather than creation of a product, to the development of a method of teaching that encourages problem finding and problem solving. (MDM)

Used the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency to examine the gross motor proficiency of Hong Kong 5- to 6-year-old preschoolers. Found that both age groups scored well below norms in running speed and agility and well above norms on balance, bilateral coordination, strength, and upper-limb coordination. Boys were superior to girls on…

Evaluated alternative assessment strategies for preschoolers which use movement behavior as the focus and which involve teachers, parent/caregivers, and children in the process. Incorporated adult/child observation coding system with physical, social, cognitive, and task dimensions supplemented by regular structured interviews and a motor…

Governments and health authorities are expressing concern about increasing levels of obesity, diabetes and physical inactivity in children. In response to such concerns, it is common to adapt strategies for adults to children, and to conduct adult-focused research. This paper describes a research study commissioned by the South Australian…