The early years of education are a crucial time to develop a strong foundation of critical mathematical skills. A growing body of research continues to demonstrate that this foundational knowledge can be successfully built through teacher-facilitated, or guided, approaches to play. Despite its benefits, the implementation of guided play is…

Recent studies report high levels of physical inactivity among most of the global population, including young children. As young children spend a large fraction of their time in school, early childhood teachers have important roles in promoting adequate physical activity (PA) among children. This scoping review aims to synthesise existing evidence…

Preschool settings play a significant role in promoting physical activity for children under five years. Most of the time, however, is sedentary (50-94%) with only a small percentage devoted to light (5-27%) or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (1-17%). While the experiences children have during childcare hours can impact their physical…

The aim of this article is to contribute to the under-researched topic of racism in Finnish early childhood education and care (ECEC) by posing three questions: What kind of racism do ECEC teachers recognize in ECEC? How are teachers committed to opposing racism in their work? What kind of obstacles to committing to antiracism are recognized in…

Children with autism often display differences in functional and symbolic play and may experience barriers to social inclusion with peers in preschool settings. Therefore, interventions supporting social play between children with autism and their peers that can be feasibly implemented by teachers in inclusive settings are needed. A…

The quality of teacher-child discourse affects children's development and learning. Our study aims to explore teacher-child discourse during planned science activities (PSAs) in Vietnamese preschools. This research is essential to understanding the reasons behind Vietnamese children's low level of scientific skills and to exploring the dynamics of…

Numerous studies have demonstrated the substantial advantages of integrating music education into the overall development of students, particularly in early childhood education. This integration allows for combining music education with various curriculum areas, utilizing its playful and motivating nature as a practical methodological tool for…

While academic interest in belonging in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings has increased in recent years, the interplay between parental and educators' notions of belonging is under-researched. This article explores preschool educators' experiences of working with families of young children and their perspectives of parental…

Verbal interactions between children and educators can support the language development of preschoolers when conversations are of high quality. Educators' conversations with preschoolers are known to be responsive, but they are not always sufficiently complex. Educators' talk and topics may be too simple to propel preschoolers' oral language…

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of specialised personnel versus schoolteachers in delivering first aid teaching and trauma management to children aged 4-8 years in Greece. Methods: An experimental study with an educational intervention was conducted, involving three groups of children: a control group which…

Preschool teachers are frontline workers to the mental health crisis, and commonly have very little to no training in identifying students with trauma symptoms. This qualitative case study examined the State Change trauma training program located in Vermont in the United States. This study explored how this program trained preschool teachers…

This cross-cultural multiple case study investigates the approaches of educators in nature-based preschools in Turkey and Germany towards risky play, exploring factors influencing play behaviours and educator roles. Four educators from Turkey and three educators from Germany participated in the study. Through qualitative analysis of interviews and…

There are documented disparities in how preschool teachers perceive and respond to challenging behavior in the classroom. Teachers' decision-making processes when handling challenging behavior and how they include families in the process is an area that is notably under-researched. Using an experimental design, preschool teachers (N = 131; 93%…

Childhood trauma as a consequence of complex social challenges is prevalent in South Africa. The pastoral role of the early childhood development (ECD) teacher includes the support of parents with children who have suffered trauma, to promote the well-being of both the child and the parent. Underpinned by the framework of Maslow's hierarchy of…

Today, digital games are considered important tools for learning, but using them in early childhood education and care (ECEC) has raised the question of educators' roles when children play an educational digital game. The aim of this study was to explore how ECEC educators differed in their attitudes and perceptions toward and ways of supporting…