Science concept formation has a long history in early childhood educational research. Most of the studies in the field focus on the way children form science concepts as preschoolers. However, less is known about the nature of science concept formation for children under 3 years of age. This study explores how early childhood teachers create the…

This paper reports on a combined research-development project conducted in collaboration between researchers and preschool teachers in three Swedish preschools. The aim is to investigate how ongoing preschool activities may become the starting point for mathematics teaching in which toddlers are given the opportunity to distinguish necessary…

This study presents data on the effectiveness of participatory training, called 'Improvement Groups', voluntarily adopted in four nurseries in Northern Italy to prevent episodes of violence by staff toward children. The interventions provided for the representation of problematic cases, experienced by participants, relating to factors of work…

Purpose: The goal of this study is to examine how shyness affects a child's performance on language assessments that vary in sociability. We hypothesized that accuracy on language tasks would be driven by shyness such that shyer children would perform better on nonsociable tasks compared to sociable tasks. Method: The procedures followed a…

There has been a major international focus on the education and care of toddlers. To date, empirical studies on adults' interactions in play with toddlers have focussed on the proximity of teachers, teachers' affective responses, and joint attention between adults and children in play. However, less attention has been given to the role of two…

In the field of educational robotics, it is important to understand the processes trough which child-robot interactions are established during play activities. In terms of socio-material characteristics, robots can vary widely, from more mechanical robots to more anthropomorphic ones. Research has shown that the degree of anthropomorphization of…

This article focuses on child participation in early childhood education (ECE). The theoretical basis for this study is a relational approach that highlights the significance of spatiality and materiality. Drawing from these theoretical perspectives, child participation is understood as a space that children actively do in various combinations of…

This study used naturalistic audio-visual recordings from early care and education (ECE) settings to examine the associations between toddlers' (76 toddlers, 40 female, M[subscript age] = 32.94 months, SD = 4.92 months) multimodal emotion expressions and emotion-related vocalizations with contingent teacher interventions. Findings indicated a…

Using a multilevel random-coefficient approach, we examined the longitudinal association between toddlers' early shyness and their well-being during their first year in Norwegian early childhood education and care (ECEC) centres. We used data from two measurement points (preintervention and postintervention) from a larger cluster randomized…

Early childhood educators play a central role in fostering children's mathematics learning; however, few studies have focused on educators' beliefs about very young children's capabilities in mathematics. Understanding these beliefs is critical for gaining insight into the mathematics education provided in birth to three settings. In light of this…

This paper examines inequality among children, demonstrating its gradual emergence within the folds of daily routines in early childhood education (ECE). Employing Rob Nixon's (2011) concept of slow violence, our focus is on the cumulative impact of practices involving exclusion. Synthesizing Nixon's framework with Deleuze (1994) and Guattari's…

Can at-scale, government-implemented parent training programs improve parenting practices and child development outcomes? This article presents evidence on the effects of a low-cost, group-based early childhood education program that provided parent training and direct child stimulation in rural communities, evaluated in six Mexican states.…

The importance of early science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning opportunities for all young children has become increasingly documented by research and recommended practices. In addition, high quality inclusive settings where all children can access and benefit from learning activities continues to demonstrate optimal outcomes…

Little is known about the modes of active commuting to and from school (ACS) in toddlers (2-3 years old). The aims of the present study are threefold: (a) to describe the modes of transport to and from early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions in toddlers; (b) to analyze the role of different barriers and neighbourhood…

In this article, we provide a critical philosophical analysis of contemporary early childhood education practices on emotions and well-being. We develop our argument against the backdrop of an intensifying preoccupation, since several decades, with the psychological, social and emotional well-being of pupils and students. Our focus is on one…