Abstract/Notes: Children in a Montessori preschool were administered a series of tests at the beginning of the school year and retested on the same battery 8 mo. later, at the end of the school year. The children exhibited a mean gain of about 11 points on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test IQ. They also exhibited a decline in Impuisivity and an increase in Superego scores, on the average, as measured by the Arrow-Dot Test. These longitudinal results corroborate an earlier cross-sectional analysis; and, as these results follow a prediction from Freudian theory, give indication of construct validity for the test.

Language: English

DOI: 10.2466/pms.1970.30.1.269

ISSN: 1558-688X, 0031-5125

Abstract/Notes: BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Three-fourths of US preschool-age children are in child care centers. Children are primarily sedentary in these settings, and are not meeting recommended levels of physical activity. Our objective was to identify potential barriers to children’s physical activity in child care centers. METHODS: Nine focus groups with 49 child care providers (55% African American) were assembled from 34 centers (inner-city, suburban, Head Start, and Montessori) in Cincinnati, Ohio. Three coders independently analyzed verbatim transcripts for themes. Data analysis and interpretation of findings were verified through triangulation of methods. RESULTS: We identified 3 main barriers to children’s physical activity in child care: (1) injury concerns, (2) financial, and (3) a focus on “academics.” Stricter licensing codes intended to reduce children's injuries on playgrounds rendered playgrounds less physically challenging and interesting. In addition, some parents concerned about potential injury, requested staff to restrict playground participation for their children. Small operating margins of most child care centers limited their ability to install abundant playground equipment. Child care providers felt pressure from state mandates and parents to focus on academics at the expense of gross motor play. Because children spend long hours in care and many lack a safe place to play near their home, these barriers may limit children's only opportunity to engage in physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: Societal priorities for young children—safety and school readiness—may be hindering children’s physical development. In designing environments that optimally promote children’s health and development, child advocates should think holistically about potential unintended consequences of policies.

Language: English

DOI: 10.1542/peds.2011-2102

ISSN: 0031-4005, 1098-4275

Abstract/Notes: The development of self-care skills in children is a part of the Core curriculum for preschool education. The contents regarding formation of such skills include shaping hygiene practices, goodhabits and developing motor skills. Maria Montessori drew attention to the development of selfcare skills and functional independence. In her concept of preschool child education, Maria Montessori developed practical life activities which were intended to serve the development of specificskills and their application to everyday life. Therefore, the aim of the research was to identify thelevel of self-care skills in 4-year-old children attending selected kindergartens located in MińskMazowiecki and Siedlce. The research was conducted on 200 children from Non-public CreativeActivity Montessori Kindergarten ‘Zameczek’ in Siedlce, Non-public Montessori Kindergarten‘Delfinek’ in Mińsk Mazowiecki and 6 traditional kindergartens — 2 of which were located inMińsk Mazowiecki and 4 located in Siedlce. The obtained research results indicated a varied levelof self-care skills depending on kindergarten the children attended.

Language: Polish

ISSN: 2353-7140, 2353-7159

Abstract/Notes: We explore the use of video and photo elicitation in a research study undertaken to understand the way in which preschool teachers perceive and construct their provision of children’s educational experiences. We explore the value of visually elicited interviews based on video footage and photographs captured during teaching and learning in four classrooms in two preschool settings in Kenya. Through visually elicited interviews, both the teachers and the researcher constructed meaningful conversations (interviews) to explore preschool teachers’ practical experiences and their beliefs, understanding and interpretation of developmentally appropriate educational practices. This paper targets the possible value of and contribution made by visual data generation procedures, as well as their inherent challenges, in order to add to the body of knowledge on visually elicited interviews.

Language: English

DOI: 10.15700/saje.v32n4a661

ISSN: 2076-3433

Language: English

ISSN: 0028-7571

Language: English

ISSN: 0065-9444

Abstract/Notes: The paper presents a description and comparison of the undergraduate student teacher training and kindergarten teacher continuing education in the Montessori Method of Education encompassed in formal education in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The theoretical part of the paper aims at depicting Montessori education, still an attractive pedagogical direction in both countries, in a thorough, unconventional and innovative way. Even though Montessori education has been rooted worldwide for centuries, in Slovakia and the Czech Republic it presents relatively new alternative education, considering that an integrated school system, introduced in these countries in 1948 and lasting almost to the end of20thcentury, did not allow the use of other alternatives in addition to the mainstream education. A description of (preschool) education in both countries and an analysis of kindergarten teacher's personality and his/her lesson plans are included in the theoretical part of the paper. The empirical part contains pedagogical research of qualitative design, conducted in Slovakia and the Czech Republic in order to identify and map the current state, level and possibilities of formal education of pre-service and in-service teachers in Slovak and Czech kindergartens.

Language: English

DOI: 10.5937/IstrPed2101137S

ISSN: 2217-7337, 2406-2006

Language: English

ISSN: 0065-9444

Language: English

ISSN: 0027-5379

Language: English

Published: San Diego, California, 1985