Education Commons^™

Measurement Of Young Children's Learning For Program Evaluation, Jen Jackson, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Toby Carslake, Petra Lietz

Dr Jen Jackson

The global commitment to early learning has been expressed in the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals Agenda (SDG) (United Nations, 2016) and access to support for early learning is considered a human right for all children, whether provided by the family, community, or institutional programs (UNESCO, 2013). Inadequate cognitive stimulation has been identified as one of the key psychosocial risk factors associated with poor child development – a factor that is modifiable, with the right interventions (Walker et al., 2007). Thus, insights into how early learning supports may be delivered effectively in various contexts are essential. To explore the …

What Can Early Childhood Education And Care Settings Teach Us About Skills For The 21st Century?, Dan Cloney, Kellie Picker

Dr Dan Cloney

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings are naturally oriented towards promoting 21st century skills. This can be seen in Australia, where learning is defined as the development of identity, social and emotional skills, problem-solving, and communication skills. A 21st century orientation is also seen in the playbased pedagogies implemented in ECEC settings. A gap, however, exists in the ability of the ECEC sector to communicate its successes. This gap relates to the lack of measurement tools to quantify the quality of the adult–child interactions in ECEC settings, and children’s growth in these 21 century skills and abilities. This paper …

Fostering Understanding Of Early Numeracy Development, Kate Reid, Nicola Andrews

Dr Kate Reid

In 2012, the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) began the Longitudinal Literacy and Numeracy Study: Transitions from Preschool to School (LLANS:TPS). The study is part of a program of longitudinal literacy and numeracy research at ACER that started with a seven-year longitudinal study of children’s developing literacy and numeracy throughout primary school, which began in 1999 with a cohort of 1000 children from 100 schools around Australia (Meiers et al., 2006). The original Longitudinal Literacy and Numeracy Study (LLANS) developed new instruments for assessing children’s literacy and numeracy understanding in the first three years of primary school and described …

Treatment Outcomes For At-Risk Young Children With Behavior Problems: Toward A New Definition Of Success, Michael P. Fung, Robert A. Fox, Sara E. Harris

Robert Fox

This study examined the outcomes of Early Pathways (EP), an in-home parent–child therapy program with 447 at-risk children younger than 5 years of age who were referred for severe behavior and emotional problems, such as aggression, oppositional behavior, and separation anxiety. EP emphasized parent-directed training of child behavior strategies including psychoeducation regarding child development, child-led play, and cognitive-behavioral techniques. Outcomes were assessed using a unique 2-dimensional definition of treatment completion, which consisted of treatment duration and an assessment of reliable change for the primary outcome measure of child behavior problems. Results showed that the majority of children (63.4%) met or …

Safe At School? Exploring Safety And Harm Of Students With Cognitive Disability In And Around School, Sally Robinson, Dominique Mcgovern

Professor Sally Robinson

Students with cognitive disability experience higher rates of abuse, neglect and exploitation than students without disability. This research project investigated what students, their families and other key supporters such as teachers, disability, and child protection workers think about personal safety in and around school, together with their perspectives on what might make things better. The research was supplemented by an extensive analysis of relevant law and policy in this area.

Home-Based Parent-Child Therapy In Low-Income African American, Caucasian, And Latino Families: A Comparative Examination Of Treatment Outcomes, Brittany L. Gresl, Robert A. Fox, Alicia Fleischmann

Robert Fox

This study examined parent and child treatment outcomes for a home-based Parent-Child Therapy (PCT) program for 66 children from families living in poverty. African American, Caucasian, and Latino families were examined to determine if an evidence-based program would produce similar results across different ethnic groups. The results showed that caregivers across the three ethnic groups reported improved child challenging behavior, increased positive parent-child interactions, improved parental expectations, higher levels of nurturing, and less reliance on verbal and corporal punishment as a form of discipline. Practical implications for these results are discussed.

In The Picture: Understanding Belonging And Connection For Young People With Cognitive Disability In Regional Communities Through Photo-Rich Research: Final Report, Sally Robinson, Malcolm Hill, Karen Fisher, Anne Graham, Kylie Valentine

Professor Anne Graham

Feeling like you belong and that you are connected to people and places is fundamental to young people’s identity. For young people with cognitive disability who live in regional Australia, very little is known about what helps and what hinders belonging and connection in their communities. This research addressed this gap in our knowledge by working collaboratively with young people. Young people were asked what helped them to feel like they belonged and were connected to their communities, and what aspects of belonging were difficult to achieve. The research investigators assisted them to describe their connections, and how to explore …

In The Picture: Understanding Belonging And Connection For Young People With Cognitive Disability In Regional Communities Through Photo-Rich Research: Final Report, Sally Robinson, Malcolm Hill, Karen Fisher, Anne Graham, Kylie Valentine

Professor Sally Robinson

Feeling like you belong and that you are connected to people and places is fundamental to young people’s identity. For young people with cognitive disability who live in regional Australia, very little is known about what helps and what hinders belonging and connection in their communities. This research addressed this gap in our knowledge by working collaboratively with young people. Young people were asked what helped them to feel like they belonged and were connected to their communities, and what aspects of belonging were difficult to achieve. The research investigators assisted them to describe their connections, and how to explore …

In The Picture: Belonging And Connection In Country Towns: Easy Read Report, Sally Robinson

Professor Sally Robinson

No abstract provided.

Early Science Learning Experiences: Triggered And Maintained Interest, Mary Ainley, John Ainley

Dr John Ainley

A key question for science educators is how to sustain interest in novel or intriguing scientific phenomena so that interest in science is maintained, with the potential to develop into a more enduring interest as manifested in choice of studies in senior high school and tertiary programs. According to Hidi and Renninger (2006), progress through the phases of interest development depends on the availability of opportunities to engage and re-engage with content of the interest, and on support for taking up those opportunities. In this chapter, The authors investigate the validity of this proposition, examining evidence from early childhood studies, …

Literacy Learning In The Early Years, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers describes a workshop held in Delhi in February that addressed young children’s language and literacy knowledge.

Young Children’S Decisions To Include Peers With Physical Disabilities In Play, Karen E. Diamond, Soo-Young Hong

Soo-Young Hong

The authors examined factors related to preschool children’s reasoning about including a hypothetical peer with a physical disability in different play activities. They hypothesized that children’s inclusion decisions would be influenced by features of the physical environment, attention to issues of fairness and equity, and individual child characteristics. Participants comprised 72 children enrolled in inclusive preschool classrooms. Children’s ideas about inclusion and their inclusion decisions were gathered in response to vignettes reflecting experiences that children are likely to encounter in preschool. The authors found that children were significantly more likely to say that they would include a child with a …

Mathematical Thinking Of Preschool Children In Rural And Regional Australia : Research And Practice, Robert Hunting, Janette Bobis, Brian Doig, Judith Mousley, Lyn English, Joanne Mulligan, Marina Papic, Catherine Pearn, Bob Perry, Jill Robbins, Jenny Young-Loveridge

Catherine Pearn

Results of a research project that investigated: early childhood educators' thoughts on young children's mathematical thinking and development; reviewed recent research literature on the mathematical learning and thinking of young children; and made this information accessible to early childhood educators at all levels. Sixty-four early childhood educators from regional and rural New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria were interviewed for the project. Questions focused on: children's mathematics learning; support for mathematics teaching; use of technology; attitudes to mathematics; and assessment and record keeping. [p.1]

Evaluation Of A University-Community Partnership To Provide Home-Based, Mental Health Services For Children From Families Living In Poverty, Robert A. Fox, Ryan Mattek, Brittany L. Gresl

Robert Fox

A university-community partnership is described that resulted in the development of community-based mental health services for young children from families living in poverty. The purpose of this pilot project was to implement an evidence-based treatment program in the homes of an at-risk population of children with significant emotional and behavior problems that were further complicated by developmental delays. Outcomes for 237 children who participated in the clinic’s treatment program over a 2 year period are presented. Comparisons are included between treatment completers and non-completers and the issues of subject attrition, potential subject selection bias, and the generalizability of the results …

Does Code Switching Work For Young Children? A Case Study Of English Language Learners, Shamah Md-Yunus, Geena Anselmo, Mohogany Williams

ShamAh Md-Yunus

The study examines if a code switching technique demonstrated by the teacher helps English language learners acquire a second language. Nineteen preschoolers from families speaking Spanish as their primary language participated in the study for seven weeks. Structured classroom observations, pre-and post-test checklists, anecdotal notes, and the Speaking Component Scale were used to measure children’s scores in speaking, listening and writing in English. Data from the Speaking Component Scale showed an increase in grammar and expressive language scores after learning about the code switching technique. However, the children scored low in the reading component of identifying concepts about print and …

Integration Of A Social Skills Training: A Case Study Of Children With Low Social Skills, Dong Hwa Choi, Shamah Md-Yunus

ShamAh Md-Yunus

This study explores changes in children's social skills after a cognitive-social skills model intervention. The intervention was conducted over a period of 12 weeks within a regular preschool setting. Sixteen children including four considered to have low social skills participated in the study. Data analysis revealed that lhe four children w:ith low social skills demonstrated changes in social skills through positive play behaviours such as asking positive questions, offering suggestions, initiating play episodes, and sharing play materials, although they had limited ability to maintain play episodes.

A Meta-Analysis Of Peer-Mediated Interventions For Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Jie Zhang, John J. Wheeler

John J. Wheeler

Child's Play: Computer Games, Theories Of Play And Children's Development, I. Verenikina, P. Harris, P. Lysaght

I. Verenikina

The purpose of this project is to examine the ways in which classical and modern theories of play may be applied to an analysis of the developmental value of computer software in the early childhood years. Modern and classical theories of play have identified many ways in which play may advance the cognitive, social and emotional development of children. However, in the last two decades there has been concern that play is being replaced by other activities such as computer games, ranging from commercial arcade games to different kinds of educational software. Whilst there has been an ongoing debate about …

Profiling Esl Children: How Teachers Interpret And Use National And State Assessment Frameworks, M Breen, C Barratt-Pugh, B Derewianka, H House, C Hudson, Tom Lumley, M Rohl

Dr Tom Lumley

No abstract provided.