Abstract/Notes: The question of whether early academic environments provide a challenge or a pressure for young children is being hotly debated, yet there is little empirical research on this topic. This paper presents a subset of data from a two-year comprehensive project designed to examine this question. Parental attitudes and behaviors along with school philosophy and practices comprised the predictor variables used to define "academic environments." This study then focused on how these family and school variables related to child outcome measures of academic competence, creativity, and emotional well-being for 90 prekindergarten children, and a follow-up sample of 56 kindergarten children. The results suggest no academic advantages for children from highly academic environments, and potential disadvantages in creative expression (measured as originality) and emotional well-being (measured as test anxiety and attitudes toward school). Possible interpretations and ramifications of these results are discussed.

Language: English

DOI: 10.1207/s15566935eed0106_1

ISSN: 1040-9289, 1556-6935

Abstract/Notes: The physical environment in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) institutions provide children with possibilities for play. This study describes a physical environmental intervention aiming to increase the possibilities for functional play in the indoor environment, and its influence on children’s well-being and physical activity. The intervention involved the establishment of a tumbling space with soft surfaces, mats and big construction materials. The sample consists of video observations of 65 children’s free play in seven ECEC institutions at two data points. Multilevel regression analysis indicates that children’s physical activity and functional play is strongly related to the use of a tumbling space, and that the intervention group had a higher increase in functional play following the intervention compared to the control group. The impact of the tumbling space on well-being is limited. The results indicate that targeting children’s possibilities for functional play may be beneficial form a health promotion standpoint.

Language: English

DOI: 10.1080/03004430.2019.1651305

ISSN: 0300-4430, 1476-8275

Abstract/Notes: This paper addresses the ideas of Maria Montessori (1870-1952), Italian educator who established the most widespread educational method of the world, in relation to environmental education in the context of child-nature interaction as well as the practices applied within the framework of these ideas. The paper is composed of two parts. The first part includes the ideas of Montessori about child-nature interaction and information on how such interaction takes place in Montessori schools. The second part of the paper comprises of the ideas of Montessori about environmental education and information on the practices applied within the framework of environmental education. Therefore, the paper includes information on both theory and practice. In the consequence of the paper, it was observed that Montessori attributed great importance to human contact with nature and that her method laid emphasis on this idea.

Language: English

DOI: 10.1080/09720073.2014.11891548

ISSN: 0972-0073

Abstract/Notes: Portfolios have gained wide acceptance as a learning and assessment tool. Yet, little research has been reported on the practices of teachers who are actually using portfolios within their classrooms and how those practices are moderated by contextual variables. This research examined the instructional, learning, and assessment roles of student portfolios and explored, from the perspective of the classroom teacher, variations in portfolio applications associated with teaching level (primary vs. intermediate) and classroom environment (self-contained vs. multiage-teaming). Kindergarten through Grade 5 teachers in 13 elementary schools completed a survey questionnaire regarding the instructional and assessment uses to which portfolios are put within their classrooms. To further examine for patterns of portfolio use, a subset of teachers was interviewed to explore the perceptions that teachers hold about the impact of student portfolios on themselves and on their students. The results suggest that Kindergarten through Grade 5 teachers make deliberate decisions regarding uses of their students' portfolios, decisions that appear heavily impacted by the maturity or skill level of the child, the purposes of the application, and the classroom environment within which the application occurs. They also depend on whether the portfolio product is in a formative state (working portfolio) or final state (performance portfolio).

Language: English

DOI: 10.1207/S15324818AME1302_5

ISSN: 0895-7347

Language: Spanish

ISSN: 0210-0630

Language: English

ISSN: 0010-700X

Language: English

ISSN: 0010-700X

Language: English

ISSN: 0010-700X

Language: English

Language: English