Policy makers around the world increasingly mandate play-based learning in kindergarten classrooms, a pedagogical approach backed by research espousing not only the developmental appropriateness of play-based learning for this age group but also the benefits to students' academic achievement. Despite these mandates, researchers continue to see a…

Food practices are culturally and historically situated, and so are conceptions of 'risk'. Comparative studies of food practices can highlight these cultural norms and conceptions. In this article we will present results from a study that investigated food practices in Norwegian and French kindergartens with a particular focus on constructions of…

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Social Affairs has launched an initiative to revive traditional play so as to increase children's knowledge of the UAE's rich culture, traditions and heritage. Inspired by the initiative, this qualitative study is a synthesis of locally written historical accounts interlaced with 52 Emirati kindergarten…

Conversations play a significant role in early childhood antibias and multicultural education because they enable children to connect with others and to begin to see the implications of certain assumptions. However, engaging children in these conversations is not always easy. No matter what the question, children frequently resist answering…

Developing successful schooling sites in multiracial regional town contexts can often be quite challenging. This paper examines the work done in one such pre-schooling context in a medium-sized regional town where racial and ethnic tensions are high and where many families struggle with social/emotional/economic challenges. This pre-school setting…