The aim of this study is to deepen the understanding of how preschool teachers can use representations of different kinds to bring fore the mathematical content that may be afforded in pictures and narrative designed for numerical learning purposes. Seventy-three video documentations of reading sessions with 27 toddlers (1-3 years of age) over the…

We discuss oral history interviews with academics who laid the foundation of research and pedagogies in daycare for under three-year-olds in Europe and North and South America since the 1970s. Their work is clearly embedded in the social-political context of their country: the left-wing programmes for disadvantaged families in the U.S.A.;…

The present study originates in an interest in toddlers' spontaneous literacy activities and Swedish preschool practice. The curriculum for Swedish preschool (National Agency for Education, 2011b) clearly states that preschools should work on the basis of a holistic view of the child and that activities should be both enjoyable and based on…

This research focused on learning conditions in preschool that support multilingual children's linguistic development. The aim of this paper was to study singing activities through the experiences of ten multilingual children in toddler groups (one to three years of age) in eight Swedish preschools. A sociocultural theoretical approach is used to…

This article is a theoretical discussion on the dimensions of learning in play and the dimensions of play in learning, using the playful interaction between children and teachers as a starting point. From an empirical study observations of two situations were chosen, one from a mealtime and one of children's play, both typical examples of playful…

In a study of sex differences in young children's drawings, 18- month-old children scribbled on sheets of paper with a preprinted circle in the middle. A computer-based analysis of 100 randomly-selected drawings revealed: (1) boys developed an apparent stronger graphic activity; and (2) girls concentrated and adjusted their movements to the…

This article focuses on pedagogical encounters as an important dimension of learning in early childhood education. The discussion is based on an investigation (Johansson, 2003a) into the quality aspects of learning in Swedish preschool amongst toddlers. In the investigation, three main themes were found, which were significant with respect to the…

Individual differences in inhibition were moderately but significantly stable over the two years of the study. Compared to other children, inhibited children engaged in less high quality peer play at home and in day care, and were less able to play alone in the mother's absence. Other findings underscored the predictive and construct validity of…

This paper reports on a study designed to increase the psychological and educational knowledge of day care staff and develop content and methods appropriate for toddlers in day care settings. Preschool teachers and nursery nurses in three day care centers participated. They were interviewed at the beginning of the study, and 19 months later at the…