This paper proposes that the future is uncertain for many children. Both natural and human-made disasters are adversely affecting the lives of millions of children and their families. An example of an environment-related disaster is cited from Sichuan Province, China, where a massive earthquake killed some 70,000 people in 2008. How the teachers…

In this research article, Haeny Yoon and Tran Nguyen Templeton explore the challenges of listening to children in both classrooms and research that purports to center young children. Through two stories from their respective studies, Yoon and Templeton highlight the complexities of following children's leads given the competing agendas situating…

Researchers have suggested that a paucity of research exists on refugee youth in early childhood education settings. Arguing that children's stories provide educators a valuable resource for understanding the meaning children make of initial cross-cultural experiences, this article presents a narrative inquiry into the stories and artwork of three…

In this article, I will examine the use of picture books as a means of supporting the intellectual pursuits of young children. Theoretical frameworks will be discussed as they pertain to the integration of these books in the Municipal Infant Toddler Centers and Preschools of Reggio Emilia and Pistoia, Italy. The pedagogical framework of these…

Adults have long been fascinated by children's drawings and paintings. Significant research has been done on the development of representational imagery. Most young children are not primarily focused on the visual appearance of the final image. Instead they are engaged in the unfolding and observation of their ideas, their experience, and the…

Australia holds some of the most unique, diverse and vulnerable ecosystems in the world, ranging from marine, coral reefs, to the arid and semi-arid outback, to tropical rainforests. Young children's perceptions of, and attitudes to their environment carry with them into adulthood, determining their capacity to learn about and interact with their…

All too frequently the process of starting school is viewed through the eyes of teachers and parents alone. What is often overlooked is that the children, who live this experience, and their interpretation of events, may be vastly different from that of their parents and teachers. The use of drawings in conjunction with oral retellings is an…

Young children's meaning-making is a multifaceted, complex experience, where thought, body and emotion unite. Rich and intricate creations are brought to life through children's formation, communication and interpretation of "signs" which stand for or represent something else. The term drawing-telling is used to describe children's use of a range…

This arts-based research illustrates how young children engage in "graphic-narrative play"--a personal fantasy-based experience depicted on paper--while representing imaginary worlds centered on the topic, "what the future will be like". The descriptions show how the children not only made representations, but also manipulated…

Kellogg and O'Dell's criteria for designating children's art as pictures and Pitcher and Prelinger's collection of stories from children were examined for analogous patterns of structure. Results indicated that form, derived from a structure of repetition, is embodied by children as a metaphor for pictures or stories. (Author/SR)

Describes how preschool teachers guided 4-year-olds in a classroom project that integrated constructing with wire, drawing, and storytelling. Notes that children monitored and directed their work and responded to learning challenges. Shows how teachers supported learning of individual children as children began to influence each other's learning.…

This book compiles specially commissioned articles about early childhood education written by experts in the field and students enrolled in the Early Childhood Studies Scheme at the University of North London. The book is divided into seven parts. Part 1 concerns how young children learn and includes articles on a developmental approach to the…

Children experience a wide variety of life experiences that are stressful to them. Children's stories and drawings allow adults to understand children's perceptions and reactions, and picture books enable children to experience stressors safely in a supportive setting. This paper describes a storytelling and drawing intervention based on art…