Outdoor education is one of the popular subjects in education recently and used synonymously with different concepts such as adventure education, nature education, museum education, recreation education or experiential education. It is also considered as complementary of mainstream education and a rich learning environment by the researchers. The…

The COVID-19 pandemic poses multiple challenges for young children in the modern world. Listening to, and capturing, the experiences and perspectives of young children on the pandemic are congruent with our sense of an inclusive, democratic society which values solidarity and the right to be heard, yet too often the voices of young children are…

This collaborative project explores the nature of teacher-child sustained shared thinking (SST) in two kindergartens. SST involves teachers engaging with children in play, working together in back and forth conversations that provide opportunities to discuss, explore, and think about everyday experiences, problems or challenges in an inquisitive…

The study described in this article sought to enhance the social interaction skills of 3 preschool children using video modeling. All children had been assessed as having difficulties in their interactions with peers. Two were above average on internalizing problems and the third was above average on externalizing problems. The study used a…

The collection of papers contained in this special issue was elicited by a worldwide call for papers to explore settings that provided nature experiences for young children, with attention given to the effects that these initiatives have on the holistic development and environmental awareness of the children, as well as impacts on the teachers and…

This booklet contains an outline of, and recommendations based on, a study of 128 New Zealand children in special groups mainstreamed into kindergartens and play groups. Research goals were to explore how mainstreaming had been implemented, whether special group children were profiting from the environment's educational opportunities, and whether…

Playcentres assist women with an established role (home) and with an emerging role (work) and help women find status in society. (Published by New Zealand Council for Educational Research, Education House, 178-182 Willis Street, Wellington, New Zealand.) (Author)

This booklet, directed to parents, advocates parent involvement in New Zealand playcenter groups, discusses parental duties in the playcenter, and suggests ways parents can help children to learn. The booklet has three chapters. Chapter I discusses the value of parent involvement from the point of view of the child, the parent, and the community.…

This paper elaborates on a series of quotations to illustrate major influences in children's language development. The first quotation, from Lilian G. Katz (1988), suggests that what children like is not necessarily developmentally appropriate for them. This idea can be applied to the development of language competence. In the second quotation,…

In this study an observation schedule was developed and used to compare activities and behavior of 77 New Zealand children with disabilities who had been mainstreamed into special groups within preschools and play centers and 77 non-disabled peers. The development of the schedule is described, results are given, and advice is offered to…

This paper examines the prevailing theoretical orientation of the "free play" curriculum in New Zealand child care centers. It also introduces an alternative way of understanding how children learn and discusses a literacy-centered curriculum that uses aspects of the free play and alternative curricula. Child care centers in New Zealand…

The New Zealand early childhood education experience is studied in order to discover practices which might be adapted for use in the United States. Data are presented on social and governmental factors influencing the development of early childhood education in New Zealand. Preschool education is conducted by private volunteer groups subsidized by…

The purpose of this study was to describe and evaluate the operational theories of six early childhood teachers in a child care center and kindergarten in New Zealand. It is suggested that teacher educators have a responsibility to address the significant gaps in some teachers' theoretical accounts of their own practice, and that practice is most…

This pilot study investigated methods for meeting the needs of children under 2.5 years of age who attend play centers with older children. Also studied were the effects of the toddlers' presence on the other children, parent helpers, and supervisors. Advisors at each of 27 play centers in New Zealand completed a questionnaire with the help of…

This report contains six papers presented at 1993 and 1995 seminars conducted by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research. It also includes the schedules of the two seminars and a summary of a general discussion on future directions in research in early childhood education and care conducted at the 1995 seminar. They include: (1)…