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Children frequently respond differently to therapies compared to adults. Differences also exist between paediatric age groups for pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in both efficacy and safety. Paediatric pharmacovigilance requires an understanding of the unique aspects of children with regard to, for example, drug response, growth and development, clinical presentation of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), how they can be detected and population‐specific factors (e.g., more frequent use of off‐label/unlicensed drugs). In recognition of these challenges, a group of experts has been formed in the context of the conect4children (c4c) project to support paediatric drug development. This expert group collaborated to develop methodological considerations for paediatric drug safety and pharmacovigilance throughout the life‐cycle of medicinal products which are described in this article. These considerations include practical points to consider for the development of the paediatric section of the risk management plan (RMP), safety in paediatric protocol development, safety data collection and analysis. Furthermore, they describe the specific details of post‐marketing pharmacovigilance in children using, for example, spontaneous reports, electronic health care records, registries and record‐linkage, as well as the use of paediatric pharmacoepidemiology studies for risk characterisation. Next the details of the assessment of benefit–risk and challenges related to medicinal product formulation in the context of a Paediatric Investigation Plan (PIP) are presented. Finally, practical issues in paediatric signal detection and evaluation are included. This paper provides practical points to consider for paediatric pharmacovigilance throughout the life‐cycle of medicinal products for RMPs, protocol development, safety data collection and analysis and PIPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Person‐centred care, with its central focus on the patient in partnership with healthcare practitioners, is considered to be the contemporary gold standard of care. This type of care implies effective communication from and by both the patient and the healthcare practitioner. This is often problematic in the case of the paediatric population, because of the many communicative challenges that may arise due to the child's developmental level, illness and distress, linguistic competency and disabilities. The principle of universal design put forth in conventions and legislation means that the design of products and services should be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible. Augmentative and alternative communication encompasses strategies, for example pictures and apps, that are typically used with people with communication disability. In this position paper, we argue for the universal use of augmentative and alternative communication to support person‐centred communication and care for children, regardless of age or potential disability. Clinical examples are shared from three different paediatric care settings where pictorial supports were applied universally. Interviews were conducted with children and adolescents (with and without disabilities), parents and healthcare practitioners, and the principles of universal design were used as a framework to demonstrate how person‐centred communication is supported in paediatric care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Writing for a child's theater represents one of the most complex types of literary writing, as the discourse directed to the child requires several requirements, perhaps the most prominent of which is a real awareness of the child's psychology, especially in the early stages of his life, and perhaps one of the most important forms of child theater interaction is puppet theater, hence the title of this research entitled (The role of puppet theater texts in developing the linguistic dictionary for children: Faris the feisty and wondrous paper as a model). The researcher built the hypothesis of his research with the following question: Do theater texts contribute Dolls in the development of the linguistic dictionary for children? In the theoretical topic, our research dealt with two topics, the first of which was entitled the concept of puppet theater and its implications for the educational culture of the child, and the second was the linguistic development of children through puppet theater. As for the procedural chapter, it was devoted to analyzing a theatrical sample (Faris the feisty and wondrous paper as a model) and the fourth chapter was for the results and conclusions.and concluded the search with a list of sources and references. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper began with the assumption that the habitual practices of knowledge-creation, which have shaped the day-to-day contexts of teachers and researchers, are not greatly different from the practices that have led to human-made catastrophes in the Anthropocene. I pondered over my experiences as a researcher in an attempt to gain insights for thinking about and engaging in knowledge-creation differently to become more response-able in the Anthropocene. Inspired by post-qualitative research practice, I re-turned, like an earthworm, (to) two research events. A theoretical framework informed by critical posthumanism and feminist new materialism guided the process. Through these re-turns, I came to understand that creating knowledge is a complex and indeterminate process that always accompanies the 'more-than'. Attending to the notion of knowledge-ing, I discussed the ways in which knowledge emerged as a flow that was neither fully graspable nor static through more-than-human intra-actions. What I propose in this paper is not a methodological technique, but rather, a mode of practice that might disrupt our sense of Cartesian self. I offered some suggestions for teachers and researchers to reimagine the practices of knowledge-creation as a way of reinventing their subjectivity and responding to the damaged earth more responsibly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caribbean nations have leaned on and undergirded their early childhood programmes with Developmentally Appropriate Practices promulgated by the NAEYC. For many years the guidance provided by DAP has been used in both the development of standards of practice for early childhood professionals as well as curriculum development. In recent years however, as Caribbean nations have attempted to employ more Caribbean-centric approaches and understandings of Early Childhood Care and Education, the role of DAP and its applicability to Caribbean Early Childhood Care and Education systems have been questioned. Now that DAP has evolved to provide greater consideration to socio-cultural differences across settings, the role of DAP must be re-examined. This paper focuses on the evolving role of DAP in Caribbean early childhood settings. Importance will be placed on presenting the work of Caribbean early childhood educators in relation to the new philosophical and theoretical tenets of the fourth version of DAP. This paper identifies ways in which the revised DAP position guidelines more readily address cultural and social nuances of ECCE practice in the Caribbean. It also identifies areas where specific focus should be highlighted to ensure that DAP represents the Caribbean reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence firmly establishes the link between early childhood interventions and the mitigation of the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Given the long-term effects of conflict and displacement on children's healthy development, educational mass media can offer critical learning opportunities to mitigate both the impact of learning disruption and the effects of ACEs. This paper will highlight three different ways media, and its diverse distribution platforms, can support young children's understanding and use of coping strategies in the face of significant adversity. Using examples of diverse distribution to reach refugee and migrant children in the United States and across Latin America and the Middle East, this paper will highlight the ways media can support children and families affected by displacement and conflict to develop critical coping strategies. Lessons learned in developing and adapting coping strategies for diverse contexts and platforms include learnings for content curation and implementation, engagement of local and regional advisors, and importance of a network of on-the-ground implementing partners. These findings offer guidance for those developing content and programs for children in conflict and crisis, in particular creators of children's media and outreach programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This introduction provides an overview of the major constructs that are the focus of this Special Issue. Individualism and collectivism have been the cornerstones of theoretical work on cultural values in psychological science, and conformity is an important component of theories related to motivational values. Individualism, collectivism and conformity values are reviewed in relation to parenting (warmth, knowledge solicitation, rules/limit‐setting, parents' expectations regarding children's family obligations) and children's adjustment (internalising and externalising behaviours). Background on the Parenting Across Cultures project, a study of children, mothers and fathers, in nine countries (China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand and the United States) is provided as a prelude to the country‐specific papers from each of these countries that follow in the rest of the Special Issue before a final concluding paper that focuses on between‐country versus within‐country variation in cultural values, parenting and children's adjustment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contains thoughts on the journey a man undertakes when he becomes the father to a newborn child, and on the difficulties he faces. Drawing on both psychoanalytic theory and clinical experience the author considers the journey to fatherhood men undertake, exploring the need for them to tolerate change and loneliness as they support and protect the new mother-infant dyad. While infantile anxieties of abandonment may be aroused, the importance of the father's role in the newly established family is emphasised, particularly in relation to the child finding their own identity. Throughout the paper, parallels are drawn between the role of the father and the role of psychoanalyst or psychotherapist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues for generation to be incorporated into the analysis of social reproduction to open new ways of thinking about the significance of children's unpaid work in and for their families. This paper situates its argument in relation to social reproduction theory and the conceptualization of generation in childhood studies and development studies. It draws on a longitudinal study of girls growing up in contemporary Benin and Togo conducted by Plan Benin and Plan Togo. This paper shows how the work of social reproduction is distributed across the household with children, especially girls, playing a large part in these activities. Trading and farming are the main economic activities of women, and girls gradually extend their knowledge of how to farm and trade as they get older. This paper concludes that placing generation into the centre of social reproduction theory will not only make visible the work that children do in subsistence economies but is also important for answering the perennial question of social reproduction theory in capitalist economies: who pays for that 'strange commodity', 'living labour' to be reproduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

iPad® and paper versions of a receptive vocabulary assessment were administered to 4- to 6-year olds with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). No differences were found between scores on the two assessments. Standardized testing for children with ASD can be challenging; however, testing using the iPad® may offer a different avenue as it provides visual input that appears to be motivating. Findings suggest iPad® assessments offer an efficient format for itinerant speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and SLPs providing telepractice when creating individualized evaluation plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic led the United Kingdom (UK) into a national lockdown in March 2020. The UK government has acknowledged that children and young people (CYP) with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) were left behind during the pandemic. This integrative literature review aims to investigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the development of CYP with SEND from parents’ experiences. The review included 14 papers: quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods. Parents’ experience of the COVID-19 pandemic was mostly negative; CYP were left behind, experienced reduced or suspended services, and loss of social interactions and support networks. However, a few parents reported some positive effects; families could spend more time together, and children experienced reduced anxiety as strict routines were relaxed. Most papers identified were completed during or just after the first lockdown. Therefore, none of the papers included whether CYP’s development has been affected in the longer term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed a systematic review to investigate the current evidence on the association between allergic diseases and short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which are microbially produced and suggested as one mechanism on how gut microbiome affects the risk of allergic diseases. Medline, Embase and Web of Science were searched from data inception until September 2022. We identified 37 papers, of which 17 investigated prenatal or early childhood SCFAs and the development of allergic diseases in childhood, and 20 assessed SCFAs in patients with pre‐existing allergic diseases. Study design, study populations, outcome definition, analysis method and reporting of the results varied between papers. Overall, there was some evidence showing that the three main SCFAs (acetate, propionate and butyrate) in the first few years of life had a protective effect against allergic diseases, especially for atopic dermatitis, wheeze or asthma and IgE‐mediated food allergy in childhood. The association between each SCFA and allergic disease appeared to be different by disease and the age of assessment. Further research that can determine the potentially timing specific effect of each SCFA will be useful to investigate how SCFAs can be used in treatment or in prevention against allergic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To systematically review the effectiveness of caregiver and parent skills training programs, including caregiver‐mediated interventions, for caregivers of individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders. Method: We conducted a systematic review with a random‐effects meta‐analysis. We searched 11 electronic databases through July 2021 and used a snowball methodology to locate relevant articles of randomized controlled trials. Effect size estimates were pooled using Hedges' g from data extracted from study reports and through author requests using random‐effects meta‐analyses for three child outcome categories (child development, adaptive behavior, and problem behavior) and three caregiver outcome categories (parenting skills and knowledge, psychological well‐being, and interpersonal family relations). Results: We located 44 910 records, from which 75 randomized controlled trials involving 4746 individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders and their caregivers were included. Random‐effects meta‐analyses showed improvements in child development (g = 0.30; 99% confidence interval [CI] = 0.07–0.53) and reduction in reported problem behaviors (g = 0.41; 99% CI = 0.24–0.59), but not a statistically significant improvement in adaptive behavior (g = 0.28; 99% CI = −0.42 to 0.98). Caregivers showed improvements in parenting skills and knowledge (g = 0.72; 99% CI = 0.53–0.90), psychological well‐being (g = 0.52; 99% CI = 0.34–0.71), and interpersonal family relations (g = 0.76; 99% CI = 0.32–1.20). Interpretation: Caregiver skills training programs benefit both caregivers and children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Skills training programs improve child development and behavior, improve parenting skills, reduce caregiver mental health issues, and improve family functioning. Programs using culturally appropriate training material to improve the development, functioning, and participation of children within families and communities should be considered when caring for children with neurodevelopmental disorders. What this paper adds: Caregiver skills training programs are effective interventions for both caregivers and children.Children with neurodevelopmental disorders benefit from improvements in development and reduction of problematic behaviors.Caregivers benefit from enhanced skills and psychological well‐being.Improvements in interpersonal family relationships have also been documented. What this paper adds: Caregiver skills training programs are effective interventions for both caregivers and children.Children with neurodevelopmental disorders benefit from improvements in development and reduction of problematic behaviors.Caregivers benefit from enhanced skills and psychological well‐being.Improvements in interpersonal family relationships have also been documented. This systematic review is commented on by Lau on pages 684–685 of this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) is a UNICEF framework based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). CFCI was launched globally in 1996 to protect children's rights throughout the world. There are child friendly cities in over 44 countries around the globe, but none presently in the United States. The purpose was to establish a Child Friendly City in the United States. Description: Child friendly cities are a child-rights and equity-based approach designed to ensure all children in a community reach their full potential for optimal health, development, and well-being. The paper discusses the development of the guiding principles of the CFCI-Minneapolis Model as well as a community needs assessment. Assessment: The assessment consisted of a digital survey of 60 questions on the SurveyMonkey platform. The sample included 173 Minneapolis youth 10-18 years of age and 85 parents with children less than five years of age. The participants were drawn from four of the 83 Minneapolis neighborhoods that had the highest concentration of children and youth, communities of color, and immigrant families that have historically been under resourced. Conclusion: The results of the community assessment guided the development of four programmatic initiatives. These included child rights learning & awareness, emergency preparedness & planning, community safety, and youth participation in decision making. The paper concludes with the lesson learned to date in the implementation of the CFCI-Minneapolis Model. These include partnership, dedication, leadership, community engagement, coalition building, and celebrating success. CFCI-Minneapolis received full designation from UNICEF USA as a child friendly city in February 2024. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Disfluency is a multifactorial concept that can be linked to several of the language production levels, in both typical and atypical populations. In children, the language system is still developing and few studies have explored disfluency patterns. In typical development (TD), in particular, studies have shown discrepancies according to the language being considered. In neurodevelopmental disorders, such as developmental dyslexia (DD), it is still unclear whether the pattern of disfluency is similar to TD. Aims: To analyse the type of disfluency and their evolution in French children aged 8–12 years. Also to compare the pattern of disfluency in DD and TD, and to test whether disfluencies were correlated with reading difficulties. Methods & Procedures: A total of 25 children with DD and 21 children with TD aged 8–12.6 years produced an autobiographical narrative. Seven types of disfluencies were coded: part‐word repetitions; repetitions of monosyllabic words; other types of repetitions (words and phrases); filled pauses; revisions—substitutions; revisions—additions; and abandoned utterances. We compared the proportion of each disfluency in DD and TD. Spearman correlations were then performed between disfluencies, reading performance and age. Outcomes & Results: The results showed that both DD and TD children mainly produced filled pauses, repetitions of monosyllabic words and substitutions. Both groups displayed a high rate of disfluency (> 10%). No correlations with age were found. Correlations with reading performance were significant in the TD group only. Conclusions & Implications: The study showed that DD is not characterized by a specific pattern of disfluency. Additionally, disfluency rates were similar in children aged 8–12 years. In contrast to other languages, the current study suggests that French‐speaking children have a high rate of disfluency. The study also suggests that disfluency should be interpreted with caution in DD, given that TD children also have a high rate of disfluency. Therefore, it seems important to adapt the pathological threshold of disfluency to the language being spoken in order to avoid an overestimation of the prevalence of these deficits in French‐speaking children. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on this subject: TD children produce a high rate of disfluency, which is also influenced by the language being spoken. No study looked at the effect of DD on disfluency production. Nonetheless, problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience may impact lexical development and speech fluency. What this paper adds to the existing knowledge: In our study, both groups (French‐speaking children) produced a substantial amount of disfluency as compared with other languages (> 10%). Additionally, the pattern of disfluency was similar in TD and DD (namely, filled pauses, prolongations repetitions of monosyllabic words and substitutions). In the DD group, disfluency production was not correlated with reading performance. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: These results indicate that it is crucial to consider the language being spoken when examining disfluency in order to avoid an overestimation of language difficulties in some languages, such as in French. Moreover, the production of disfluencies in DD should not be considered as language dysfunction since the pattern of disfluency what quite similar in TD and DD, and did not correlate with their reading difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Institutional care is one of the child care strategies used to provide secure family environments to children at risk. In this vein, institutions provide care through caregivers who look after children round the clock. These caregivers are trained and expected to provide high-quality services. However, in so doing, the caregivers face several challenges. This paper is based on a qualitative study that collected data from 24 caregivers working at four childcare institutions in Harare, Zimbabwe. The study employed a multiple case study design that was embedded in a phenomenological design. Findings from the study revealed that challenges experienced by caregivers include high caseloads and lack of resources, regulations which do not promote proper child development, inadequate training for caregivers, and nonexistence of a representative body for caregivers and the existence of multiple reporting systems for children. Noteworthy, is the fact that these challenges result in the provision of inappropriate services to children in institutions culminating in dilution of quality-of-care services' provision to children. To this end, the author suggests a redress of caregivers' roles and revision of institutional care framework; to address the challenges faced by caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the difficulty in identifying and monitoring factors that cause hearing impairment during pregnancy, large numbers of new hearing‐impaired children are born every year. Children's hearing impairment can have an impact on all aspects of the family. Family education, as an important element of family function, plays a key role in the growth and development of hearing‐impaired children and in improving the interaction between hearing‐impaired children and their parents. Based on a qualitative study in central China, this article examines the current situation and dilemmas of family education for hearing‐impaired children. Results show that families of hearing‐impaired children generally have a tendency to avoid family education responsibilities, as demonstrated by the lack of family roles, low participation in specific family education, absence of communication and care functions and a laissez‐faire approach to bringing up their children. This evasive tendency cannot simply be attributed to parental irresponsibility; rather, it is the result of a combination of four factors and is closely related to insufficient social support. In the short term, a two‐pronged approach is needed: strengthening the government's responsibility and rendering assistance for families with hearing‐impaired children on the one hand, and establishing reliable links between home and school to provide professional support on the other. In the long run, it is necessary to build up a social support mechanism with social work intervention. This paper puts forward the need for collaboration among multiple parties and a family‐centred assistance model to promote a shift from the tendency towards evasion to active assumption of family responsibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: It is believed that gut microbiota alteration leads to both intestinal and non-intestinal diseases in children. Since infants inherit maternal microbiota during pregnancy and lactation, recent studies suggest that changes in maternal microbiota can cause immune disorders as well. This systematic review was designed to assess the association between the child and mother's gut microbiome and allergy development in childhood. Data sources: In this systematic review, international databases including PubMed, Scopus, and ISI/WOS were searched until January 2023 to identify relevant studies. Study selections: Observational studies that analyzed infant or maternal stool microbiome and their association with allergy development in children were included in this study. Data extraction and quality assessment of the included studies were independently conducted by two researchers. Results: Of the 1694 papers evaluated, 21 studies examined neonate gut microbiome by analyzing stool samples and six studies examined maternal gut microbiota. A total of 5319 participants were included in this study. Asthma followed by eczema and dermatitis were the most common allergy disorders among children. Urbanization caused a lack of diversity in the bacterial microbiota as well as lower levels of Bifidobacterium and Lachnospira associated with a higher risk of allergy. In contrast, higher levels of Roseburia and Flavonifractor were associated with lower allergy risk. Conclusions: This systematic review shows that gut microbiota may be associated with allergy development. Further studies are required to provide a definitive answer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental education may influence children's development both additively and multiplicatively. While parental educational attainment enriches financial and cultural investments in children's development, parental educational homogamy is associated with consistency and agreement in parenting practices that may benefit the children. In this paper, using the 2014 China Education Panel Survey, we examine relationships between parental education, regarding both parental educational attainment and educational assortative mating, and children's subjective wellbeing, measured by depressive symptoms and self-rated confidence in the future. We also explore the mediating mechanisms linking parental education and children's subjective wellbeing. Results show that holding average parental years of schooling constant, both hypergamy and hypogamy predict lower levels of confidence and higher levels of depression than does parental homogamy. Children born to hypergamous parents where the mother has less than high school education are most vulnerable of all children. The negative effects of parental hypogamy are likely channelled through parent-child and interparental dynamics, as children from hypogamous families are more likely to experience issues in parent-child relationships, paternal drinking problems, and parental fights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A strong relation between adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and aggression has been established in adult populations, with less research examining this relation earlier in development. The purpose of this study was to complete a scoping review of the current evidence available on the relation between ACE and aggression and subtypes of aggression within a child and adolescent population. Inclusion criteria for the review included publications in English between 1998 and 2023, use of a child/adolescent population, and peer-review and quantitative publications. Databases searched included PubMed, APA PsycINFO, Scopus, and EBSCO, and search terms included words related to ACE and aggression. Initial selection was based on title and abstract, with 32 papers meeting eligibility criteria for inclusion. Two authors extracted the relevant characteristics of the studies independently and conferred on any disagreements. The overall findings from the scoping review suggest that there is a strong link between aggression and ACE; however, this link may not be as strong for specific subtypes of aggression. Additionally, characteristics of ACE may play role in understanding this relation, but little research is available within a child and adolescent population. A few studies have attempted to examine potential mediators and moderators of this relation; however, none have been replicated within a child and adolescent population. The findings from this review support the need for additional research in this area and identify significant gaps in the literature that need to be addressed within a child and adolescent population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and use of diverse picturebooks to support reading development and social-emotional skills are gaining acceptance and broader use. With this shift, new measures of efficacy are needed to confirm, bolster, and source new policies and strategies for family and classroom literacy practices. To this end, the Reading Builds Empathy (RBE) literacy study sought to develop and pilot a new instrument that uses picturebook reading as a way to understand empathy development. The RBE study participants included 21 parent-child dyads (N = 42) and piloted a tool that was created to measure children's empathy development for children ages six–eight. The tool includes collecting parent reports of children's at-home literacy practices and engagement with picturebooks as well as parents' perspectives on their child's empathy development. The tool also includes a researcher-administered tool to directly measure children's empathy development in a developmentally appropriate format across three domains: affective, cognitive, and ethnocultural empathy. This paper describes the process for instrument development, initial pilot data, considerations for changes to the instrument, and ideas for how the instrument can be used in future intervention studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Converging global trends (digitization, globalization, datafication) have influenced all aspects of children's literacies, including children's picturebooks. The recent turn towards embodied, affective and sensory literacies, stimulated our interest in multisensory picturebooks that engage all children's senses, including the sense of smell (olfaction). Olfactory children's picturebooks demand new forms of literary conversations, which capitalise on unique properties of odours and integrate these with stories. Drawing on a systematic search of children's picturebooks about, and with, smell, in paper-based and digital formats, we identified three principal ways in which olfaction is currently embedded in children's picturebooks: 1, as an add-on to depiction of objects (including foods, plants) and places, 2, as a device to introduce humour into a story, and 3, as an engagement tool for children's active participation in the story. We mobilise Sipe's (2008) concept of seven constituting elements in children's picturebooks to describe how current olfactory picturebooks apply the elements in their design and make recommendations for future development of children's olfactory picturebooks. Reflecting on the generative potential of literary theories and olfactory power to stimulate children's non-linguistic embodied interactions with picturebooks, we propose some extensions to the current olfactory picturebook landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies children’s (aged 8–12) news-related practices and subsequent acts of lived citizenship in formal and informal social contexts. While children in this age group are increasingly exposed to various types of news that shape their understanding of the world, little is understood about their interactions with news. We employ the concept of “news-related practices’ to analyze how news is integrated into or excluded from their daily routines. Based on longitudinal participant observations of children (N = 256) at four afterschool care locations and five primary schools in the Netherlands in combination with semi-structured interviews with teachers (N = 9), we find that children employ a wide range of playful news-related practices that allow for light-hearted explorations of news and create opportunities for acts of lived citizenship. Play allows children to explore societal issues with peers and form moral opinions. However, conceptualizations of news as serious’ hindered primary school teachers” recognition of playful news-related practices. Following these findings, we argue that the acknowledgement of such practices as an effective tool for civic education, may support children in their development of news practices and foster their first steps into becoming informed citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractHuman capital deficits in early childhood in terms of health and cognitive developmental issues are conceptualized as a lurking threat to China’s future economic growth by a growing body of scholarly literature; however, it is unknown whether these deficits persist into adolescence. This study draws upon longitudinal, nationally-representative data from the China Family Panel Studies 2010–2020 to investigate the possibility of recovering from early growth retardation and the potential implications for recovery of related cognitive outcomes. In particular, the paper considers whether there is evidence of cognitive catch-up from early cognitive delays. Based on group-based trajectory models with inverse probability of treatment weighting, this study finds that mid-childhood catch-up growth may mitigate the negative effects of early childhood stunting on early adolescent academic performance. Moreover, children who recover from stunting demonstrate cognitive catch-up in Chinese but not in math. This evidence not only reaffirms the significance of early childhood development but also suggests an opportunity for interventions to avert undernutrition and cognitive deficits after early childhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Aims Methods & Procedures Outcomes & Results Conclusions & Implications WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS What is already known on the subject What this study adds to the existing knowledge What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Approximately 50% of all young children with a developmental language disorder (DLD) also have problems with speech production. Research on speech sound development and clinical diagnostics of speech production difficulties focuses mostly on accuracy; it relates children's phonological realizations to adult models. Contrarily to these relational analyses, independent analyses indicate the sounds and structures children produce irrespective of accuracy. Such analyses are likely to provide more insight into a child's phonological strengths and limitations, and may thus provide better leads for treatment.Ram (1) To contribute to a more comprehensive overview of the speech sound development of young Dutch children with DLD by including independent and relational analyses, (2) to develop an independent measure to assess these children's speech production capacities; and (3) to examine the relation between independent and relational speech production measures for children with DLD.We describe the syllable structures and sounds of words elicited in two picture‐naming tasks of 82 children with DLD and speech production difficulties between ages 2;7 and 6;8. The children were divided into four age groups to examine developmental patterns in a cross‐sectional manner. Overviews of the children's productions on both independent and relational measures are provided. We conducted a Spearman correlation analysis to examine the relation between accuracy and independent measures.The overviews show these children are able to produce a greater variety of syllable structures and consonants irrespective of target positions than they can produce correctly in targets. This is especially true for children below the age of 4;5. The data indicate that children with DLD have difficulty with the production of clusters, fricatives, liquids and the velar nasal (/ŋ/). Based on existing literature and our results, we designed a Dutch version of an independent measure of word complexity, originally designed for English (word complexity measure—WCM) in which word productions receive points for specific word, syllable and sound characteristics, irrespective of accuracy. We found a strong positive correlation between accuracy scores and scores on this independent measure.The results indicate that the use of independent measures, including the proposed WCM, complement traditional relational measures by indicating which sounds and syllable structures a child can produce (irrespective of correctness). Therefore, the proposed measure can be used to monitor the speech sound development of children with DLD and to better identify treatment goals, in combination with existing relational measures.Speech production skills can be assessed in different ways: (1) using analyses indicating the structures and sounds a child produces irrespective of accuracy, that is, performance analyses; and (2) using analyses indicating how the productions of a child relate to the adult targets, that is, accuracy analyses. In scientific research as well as in clinical practice the focus is most often on accuracy analyses. As a consequence, we do not know if children who do not improve in accuracy scores, improve in other phonological aspects that are not captured in these analyses, but can be captured by performance analyses.The overviews show these children are able to produce a greater variety of syllable structures and consonants irrespective of target positions than they can produce correctly in targets. Consequently, adding performance analyses to existing accuracy analyses provides a more complete picture of a child's speech sound development.We propose a Dutch version of a WCM, originally designed for English, in which word productions receive points for word structures, syllable structures and sounds, irrespective of accuracy. This measure may be used by Dutch clinicians to monitor the speech sound development of children with DLD and to formulate better treatment goals, in addition to accuracy measures that are already used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing sound evidence of program effectiveness can be difficult for many programs initiated by schools and communities, and impedes many beneficial programs from broader dissemination. This paper shares results of an evaluation approach used with a bullying and victimization prevention program with elementary school children called the radKIDS® Personal Empowerment and Safety Education Program. The purpose of this study was to examine indicators of initial effectiveness of the radKIDS® program for elementary school child safety skill development and instructor training to reduce child victimization and associated trauma and empower healthy psychosocial child development. The study involved 330 active radKIDS® instructors surveyed during two separate two-week periods, resulting in 148 completed questionnaires (45%). Instructors rated their perceptions of what children effectively learned in radKIDS®, the effectiveness of instructor training, and on Social Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies addressed in the program. Evaluation findings confirmed the theoretical model of the program, and that the developmental safety domains impacting children in radKIDS® differs from those in other bullying prevention interventions focused on SEL and other competencies. Recommended areas of improvement for the program included making training less time consuming and more flexible in delivery, provide more practice opportunities and time on skill acquisition during training, and increase supervision and guidance during program implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Building 'key skills' may help prevent the development of challenging behaviour in children with an intellectual disability. The aim of this paper was to extend the current limited evidence in this area. Method: We undertook two studies with children with an intellectual disability in school settings: (1) a cross‐sectional replication study exploring the relationship between 'key skills' and challenging behaviour. (2) a longitudinal study follow‐up exploring change in 'key skill' levels and challenging behaviour. Results: The replication study recruited 74 participants, those scoring lowest in 'key skill' had a 94% chance of having challenging behaviour; those with the highest scores had a 6% chance. The follow‐up study recruited 39 participants, we found a significant increase in children's 'key skill' level (p <.001) and a decrease in their challenging behaviour (p =.046). Conclusion: Building 'key skills' in children with an intellectual disability may help reduce or prevent challenging behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a discourse analysis of 12 Swedish sexuality education texts intended for preschool practitioners and published between 1969 and 2021. Using Fairclough's framework, we identify three discourses about children's sexual play in relation to children's sexual agency in the texts: child sexuality as encouraged and entangled with adult sexuality; child sexuality as conditioned by what is perceived as normal or abnormal in children; and child sexuality as repressed. These three discourses mainly appear chronologically, but also overlap and connect with one another. When analysis begins from children's position and a theoretical understanding of children's and adults' agency as interdependent, it becomes possible to see how the child is construed as agentic, and how the adult role changes from encouraging sexual play to regulating and monitoring behaviour so that it does not occur. Over time, discourse on young children's sexual play has changed our understanding of both adults and children. Adults are increasingly construed as less knowledgeable in relation to young children's sexuality, and young children have become understood as more dangerous and in need of having their sexuality constrained and civilised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the research protocol for the Educational and Developmental Gains in Early Childhood (EDGE) Study, which will examine the implementation of two years of funded kindergarten prior to the first year of school in Victoria, Australia. EDGE will examine whether children's language, cognitive, social-emotional, and behavioural outcomes are improved after two years of kindergarten compared to one year. The experiences of (and impacts on) teachers, service leaders, and families will also be examined. The study includes a cross-sectional cohort of 95 early childhood education and care (ECEC) services, and an embedded longitudinal observational cohort of children attending these services. Case studies of 15–20 ECEC services will also be collected, in addition to interviews with policy stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kinship care and child fostering are a common practice in certain parts of Africa. This narrative review seeks to explore and thematically code the contextual circumstances in which children leave their natal homes and are fostered across Africa and the corresponding outcomes for these children. It draws on case studies from Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Namibia and other countries across the region to illustrate the diversity and cultural importance of kinship care and child fostering. These countries were selected based on their inclusion in the Thrive by Five International Program, a child rearing program promoting social, emotional, and cognitive development of children from birth to age five. The importance of kinship care and child fostering is also reinforced by outcomes from codesign workshops conducted for the Thrive by Five International Program in which parents, caregivers, and subject matter experts discussed their perspectives on child rearing practices and the challenges faced by caregivers in their home countries. The paper highlights the need to support kinship and foster caregivers in Africa with culturally adapted and place‐based child rearing programs to help ensure fostered children reach their full developmental potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractPurposeMaterials and methodsResultsConclusions\nIMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONA powerful aphorism states: “If I hadn’t believed it, I wouldn’t have seen it!” This challenging notion reminds us how strongly we are influenced by prevailing ideas, and how we interpret things according to current fashions and teachings.In this paper we present and discuss contemporary perspectives concerning childhood-onset disability and the evolving nature of how people are thinking and acting. We illustrate these ideas by reminding readers of how we have all traditionally been trained and acculturated to think about many dimensions of neurodevelopmental disability (“What?”); reflect on the impact of these ways of thinking in terms of what we have conventionally “seen” and done (“So What?”); and contrast those traditions with contemporary concepts that we believe or know impact the field (“Now What?”).Many of the concepts discussed here will be familiar to readers. In taking this analytically critical perspective we aim to illustrate that by weaving these individual threads together we are able to create a coherent fabric that can serve children with childhood-onset NDD, their families, service providers, the community, and policy-makers. We do not purport to offer a comprehensive view of the whole field.We encourage readers to consider the integration of these new ways of thinking and acting in our still-evolving field of “childhood-onset disability”.21st-century thinking about childhood-onset neurodisability builds on WHO’s ICF framework for health, expanding well beyond traditional primary biomedical foci on diagnosis and management and toward a focus on functioning and belonging.New emphases put family at the centre, attending to family voices and prioritizing family wellbeing as targets for intervention equal to a focus on the child.There is strong emerging evidence to support the value and impact of these broader approaches on overall family functioning and wellbeing.These developments are primarily conceptual rather than technical: they emphasize child and family development, parenting, promotion of functioning, and a life-course approach from the start of intervention.21st-century thinking about childhood-onset neurodisability builds on WHO’s ICF framework for health, expanding well beyond traditional primary biomedical foci on diagnosis and management and toward a focus on functioning and belonging.New emphases put family at the centre, attending to family voices and prioritizing family wellbeing as targets for intervention equal to a focus on the child.There is strong emerging evidence to support the value and impact of these broader approaches on overall family functioning and wellbeing.These developments are primarily conceptual rather than technical: they emphasize child and family development, parenting, promotion of functioning, and a life-course approach from the start of intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current paper, we examined the dimensional structure of parenting using a bifactor model of observed parenting domains during infancy. We validated our parenting dimensions by examining correlations with indicators of family well‐being and child development. Data come from a longitudinal cohort that recruited a diverse sample of mothers (56.5% White) and their newborn child (50.7% males). Parenting was assessed using multiple indicators at an average of 18 months (N = 397). Bifactor modelling revealed a general latent dimension of sensitivity and two unique dimensions indexing emotional input and cognitive input. We found a pattern of shared and unique correlations of the three parenting dimensions with family and child well‐being. The most robust correlations were with the general sensitivity dimension, which we argue cuts across parentings behaviors and is fundamental to development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Aims Methods & Procedures Outcomes & Results Conclusions & Implications WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS What is already known on the subject What this study adds What are the clinical implications of this work? Morphosyntactic problems are a core symptom of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). In the Netherlands, children with (presumed) DLD can receive special care in language‐focused treatment groups. The focus of these groups mainly lies in improving communicative intentions, vocabulary and phonology. Morphosyntactic skills receive less attention.The authors developed a scripted group‐based intervention targeting morphosyntactic skills in young children with DLD. In this study, the effect of the intervention on the morphosyntactic skills of preschoolers with (presumed) DLD was tested and the usability for pedagogical practitioners (PPs) was evaluated.Twenty‐seven preschoolers with DLD (aged 2;10–3;10 [years;months]) participated in an A‐B group study in which the development of grammatical structures was monitored with a morphosyntactic task and language sample analyses (LSA). Progression during 8 weeks usual care (UC) and 8 weeks morphosyntactic intervention was examined using Bayesian mixed effects models. In LSA, structures that were targeted were compared to control structures. The intervention consisted of a weekly script‐based group session in which morphosyntactic structures were targeted, and daily activities in which these target structures were repeated. The intervention was provided by trained PPs, who were coached by a speech‐language therapist. An early indication of usability and feasibility was evaluated using an online questionnaire.The analyses show that morphosyntactic skills improved during the intervention period, with strong evidence for growth in the production of target structures on the morphosyntactic task and target and control structures in LSA, while barely any evidence was found for growth in the use of these structures in UC. However, target structures and control structures seem to develop at the same rate. General measures of morphosyntactic ability showed improvement both during UC and the intervention phase. Evaluation among practitioners suggested that the intervention is regarded as usable and feasible.Growth in morphosyntactic skills of children in the intervention period was demonstrated, but this could not be proven to be related to the intervention because both target and control structures improved during the intervention. This growth might be due to maturation instead of the intervention. Nevertheless, our study demonstrates that the morphosyntactic skills of preschoolers with DLD can show considerable improvement over a period of 8 weeks. Furthermore, our study underlines the importance of using LSA measures when monitoring the morphosyntactic development of children, as they might be more sensitive to change than standardised tests. Most children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) experience difficulties in their morphosyntactic development. In the Netherlands, preschoolers with DLD can receive special care in language‐focused treatment groups. These groups mainly focus on stimulating communicative intentions, vocabulary and phonology, but less so on stimulating morphosyntactic skills. We designed a new group‐based intervention targeting the expressive morphosyntactic skills of children with DLD, examined the effect and investigated the usability and feasibility. Although there is strong evidence for growth in morphological skills, intervention effects could not be demonstrated. Evaluations among practitioners suggested that the intervention is regarded as usable and feasible. Furthermore, this study shows that children's morphosyntactic skills can improve over relatively short periods of time and language sample analyses seem to be sensitive to detect these changes. Currently, very few group‐based morphosyntactic interventions exist (in the Netherlands). Since practitioners were generally positive about the intervention and its usability and feasibility, the proposed intervention might benefit the treatment of morphosyntactic problems in children with DLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In 2018, the Dutch government initiated the Solid Start program to provide each child with the best start in life. Key program elements are a biopsychosocial perspective on pregnancy and children's development and stimulating local collaborations between social and health domains, with a specific focus on (future) families in vulnerable situations. Two programs for interprofessional collaboration between maternity and social care professionals to optimize care for pregnant women in vulnerable situations were developed and implemented, in Groningen in 2017 and in South Limburg in 2021. This paper describes the extent of implementation of these programs and the perceptions of involved professionals about determinants that influence program implementation. Methods: We conducted a mixed-methods study in 2021 and 2022 in two Dutch regions, Groningen and South Limburg. Questionnaires were sent to primary care midwives, hospital-based midwives, obstetricians (i.e. maternity care professionals), (coordinating) youth health care nurses and social workers (i.e. social care professionals), involved in the execution of the programs. Semi-structured interviews were held with involved professionals to enrich the quantitative data. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed using Fleuren's implementation model. Results: The findings of the questionnaire (n = 60) and interviews (n = 28) indicate that professionals in both regions are generally positive about the implemented programs. However, there was limited knowledge and use of the program in Groningen. Promoting factors for implementation were mentioned on the determinants for the innovation and the user. Maternity care professionals prefer a general, conversational way to identify vulnerabilities that connects to midwives' daily practice. Low-threshold, personal contact with clear agreements for referral and consultation between professionals contributes to implementation. Professionals agree that properly identifying vulnerabilities and referring women to appropriate care is an important task and contributes to better care. On the determinants of the organization, professionals indicate some preconditions for successful implementation, such as clearly described roles and responsibilities, interprofessional training, time and financial resources. Conclusions: Areas for improvement for the implementation of interprofessional collaboration between maternity care and social care focus mainly on determinants of the organization, which should be addressed both regionally and nationally. In addition, sustainable implementation requires continuous awareness of influencing factors and a process of evaluation, adaptation and support of the target group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report a 12-week longitudinal study aiming at exploring the students' reading outcome and cognitive load with individual-based print, mobile app of Rain Classroom and collaboration-based social media of WeChat. Administered to 186 postgraduate students in a research university were the weekly reading materials and comprehension tests, together with the self-designed CLCR scale after the reading sessions. A combination of one-way and repeated measures ANOVA along with multi-regression analysis showed that social media produced the best reading outcome; The same pattern occurred about enhanced reading outcome in the initial sessions followed by a decline at the end; Reading outcome in print other than in mobile and social media significantly increased from the first session to the ending session; Reading in mobile generated the highest level of extraneous, intrinsic, and germane load; Multi-regression analysis showed a negative relationship between intrinsic load and the prediction of collaborative reading across all the reading contexts. Further efforts may contribute to more complex patterns of reading outcome and cognitive load status by arranging individual- and collaboration-based contexts in different sequences for students with high and low level of cognitive load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As spaces, physical or virtual, are change agents and can have an impact on learning, the power of built pedagogy is being acknowledged in Higher Education. Emphasis is being placed on the design of Active Learning Spaces (ALS) and its impact on pedagogy, by fostering active learning. However, the field is fragmented, due to a profusion of terms for ALS, lacking systematization. This paper presents a systematic literature review on ALS with a focus on the concepts, design principles, teaching and learning strategies, educational resources, assessment criteria and spaces typologies. It aims to map the state of the art and identify common orientations to inform the design and assessment of ALS. The results show that studies in ALS emphasize the centrality of students' learning through collaborative work and supported by technology-enhanced environments. Despite the profusion of designations, its definitions generally focus on pedagogical strategies, technology-enhanced learning principles, collaborative aspects and interdisciplinarity and transferable skills, albeit with different importance levels. It also shows that research in this area is small-scale and empirically weak. Considering the assessment of ALS usage, future research on the impact of different layouts (pedagogy, furniture, and technology) both on teachers' practices and on students' learning is highly recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers are increasingly incorporating new learning materials into their classes: mobile apps, VR, and other results of humanity's digital development. The aim of the study was to compare the impact of the traditional approach to teaching mathematics and the use of MalMath application on the academic performance of students in terms of conceptual and procedural knowledge, problem solving, and the level of their learning motivation. The participants were 72 students. A quasi-experimental study was conducted, which revealed that the participants of the experimental MalMath group were more academically successful (45.11) than the control group students (33.23), which was statistically significant. The results of the study confirmed the increased learning motivation when learning with the MalMath application (t-test was 5.396). The study results confirm the data of other scientific papers on the positive impact of MalMath application on the academic performance and motivation of students. Theoretical and practical implications of this study are based on the possibilities of further theoretical study and practical use of mobile applications in the process of learning mathematics, comparing the effectiveness of MalMath with other applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology education has become increasingly important during the last few decades. Previous studies, however, have paid insufficient attention to technology education for young children aged 3–8 years, compared to research in other age groups. This study presented a comprehensive overview of technology education in early childhood education studies, including curriculum, tools, research methods, and learning effects. The study found that technology education in ECE has grown fast as a result of technical breakthroughs, greater research funding, and increasing international interest in this field. Based on a systematic review approach, we confirmed the research focused on themes such as curriculum, robotics, programming, attitudes, and opinions between 2003 and 2021. This review examined 25 research papers on technology education in early childhood education. This study also indicated that future research directions, including comparing robot learning to traditional learning, using robots to improve students' skills, thinking and problem-solving abilities, and assessing the effectiveness of using robots in learning and teaching. This study offers a holistic view of technology education research in early childhood education and provides future researchers with directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking into account the profound impact of technology on modern education, especially during the covid19 pandemic, increasing academic interest has focused towards the design and application of such tools on different learning contexts. A specific area of Human–Computer Interaction, called affordance theory, focuses on the perception, design and use of different technologies by educators and learners in learning contexts. This paper explores the impact of affordances in the process of creative problem in the context of playful educational robotics, with an intension of informing the design of future educational experiences around the field. The study capitalizes upon previous affordance propositions and frameworks in order to establish an affordance-based framework in the scope of playful educational robotics contexts, through the adoption of a qualitative research methodology, which was considered more appropriate as an exploratory tool. As part of the qualitative analysis, the study is mapping different types of affordances, related to such technologies, as well as an iterative creative problem-solving process that stems from learners' interactions with robotic artifacts, like the CreaCube playful robotics activity, which is presented in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of digital creativity educational practices on the improvement of academic performance and creative thinking development of Chinese high school students. The study defined the importance of the concept of STEM learning in the development of modern skills needed to live and work in a digital socio-economic change caused by the development of Industry 4.0. An educational experiment involving 60 9th grade Chinese students evaluated the impact of digital creativity learning practices on the development of students' creative thinking on such indicators as fluency, flexibility, originality, detailing, and metaphoricity. The impact of digital creative learning practices on the performance of students in the control group and the experimental group was assessed. The analysis of the results of practical research on the impact of digital tools and pedagogical models of learning on the acquisition of students' creative thinking skills was conducted, which proved that the digital environment is the optimal place for students' creative manifestations and provides opportunities to improve creative thinking skills by implementing learning practical activities using innovative tools for the manifestation of digital creative skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present SCAMP – Social Configuration Affordances for Museum Play – an analytical framework we develop and use to highlight the relationship between designed affordances at interactive museum exhibits and different social playful behaviors they trigger and support. We do this through a selective case study analysis of Rainbow Agents, an interactive museum exhibit designed to support play across multiple social configurations. This variety of configurations is valuable for museum settings, as it helps museum visitors engage with each other according to their preferences and also enables the emergence of modes of collaboration and competition novel for learners in such contexts. Our SCAMP analysis of Rainbow Agents sheds light on design features which successfully support different forms of productive social play – including short and long episodes of competitive, collaborative and parallel play, spanning play, teaching, and receiving interpersonal interactions. In particular, we pay attention to behaviors representing a variety of mentoring and learning opportunities – in line with and extending the vision and goals of educational games' and science museum exhibits' designers and researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Well-being commonly refers to the concept that equates to a good life. What constitutes a good life at school for students has emerged as an important education agenda over time due to its wide-reaching benefits. However, there is a limited understanding of the well-being experiences of children from diverse cultures and countries, particularly from the Global South, such as Bangladesh. This paper presents findings from a qualitative study among 40 Grade 7–10 students (aged 13–16 years) from Bangladesh, and aims to explore the barriers to their well-being experiences at school. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, the authors found key three barriers: (i) punitive disciplinary school practices; (ii) poor pedagogic school practices; and (iii) perceived injustice at school that prevents students from experiencing well-being at school. The findings have implications for improving school practice and policy for promoting student well-being in Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the nature of global citizenship education in Chinese secondary schools by investigating what kind of global citizens these institutions try to develop in the twenty-first century. Drawing on qualitative data from six high schools in China, the study reveals a distinctive Chinese perspective shaping the understanding of global citizenship. Educators purposefully harmonise the attributes of global citizens with cultural and traditional values inherent to the Chinese context, actively seeking common ground while adhering to national government policies. The research underscores a deliberate effort to connect global citizenship with the necessity of adapting to international competition and China's role in world leadership. Furthermore, notable variations emerge among schools in their conceptualisations of developing global citizens, reflecting diverse expectations aligned with the different strata of students within China's highly centralised education system. This exploration provides insights into the nuanced nature of global citizenship education in Chinese secondary schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the contextual field of environmental composition in kindergarten, transforming it into a space for cognitive, social, emotional, i.e., holistic formation and development of the child, multimodality operates with authenticity, magnetism, multilevelity, multidimensionality, and dynamism to overcome schematicity and linearity of thinking, thus stimulating imagination. Leading the way is the understanding that the environmental composing of multimodality in kindergarten is the foundation of quality for the child's cognitive, affective, sensory cognition and self-knowledge. This paper outlines the parameters of evaluating multimodal digital resources designed by students preparing for future kindergarten teachers. The starting points for their expertise in the relations of autonomy, coherence, justification, adequacy and authenticity as subjectively significant and objective wholes of multimodal composing are argued. Criteria and indicators for the expert evaluation of digital resources for multimodal environmental composing in kindergarten, as modeling and provoking and enriching the individual sensory experience of the child, as an opportunity to stimulate cognitive and personal activity are derived. It is necessary to conclude that through the design of multimodal digital resources, the existing contradictions in the starting conditions of the pedagogical interaction in the kindergarten will be overcome. The main recommendation points to the need for specific training of future children's teachers for multimodal environmental composition of educational practices in kindergarten, synergizing different modalities, rather than their linear sequential environmental combination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the hegemony of developmentalism in early childhood education and care, this article uses a poetic juxtapositional approach to bewilder Piaget's theory of cognitive development. Critical consideration of how the theory of cognitive development has contributed to the imagining of a universal, ahistorical child and childhood(s) are discussed and analysed whilst providing a rationale for a more complex and nuanced understanding of how children develop, drawing on the theoretical concept of clocking practices. This paper analyses data from Piaget's writing in 'The Origins of Intelligence in Children' and micro-ethical events from research with children, teachers, families from an affirmative diffractive stance through the lens of bewilderment. Creative poetic vignettes are included which encourage readers to unsettle dominant and deficit assumptions made about children and their abilities, framed by Piagetian theory. The insights are shared via three propositions: following learning experiences of and with children requires openness, forms of resistance to linear understandings of time are generative, and resist the desire to chase secure meanings and intentions. These propositions and the corresponding questions offer possibilities for seeing children's ideas and contributions through a capability-oriented lens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper diffracts Deleuze and quantum physics through Winnicott's work to argue for an enrichment to playing. The roots of the play-cognitive hierarchy in Freudian psychoanalysis makes visible that progression and the stages that a child must pass en route to rationality continue to feed educational assumptions that a child must leave playing behind in order to learn. Addressing critiques of Freud's psychosexual theory of child development, I introduce Winnicott's work on playing as creative activity and transitional phenomena which cast playing in a positive light. I then turn to Deleuze's critique of Freud's foundational concepts of child development influenced by Newtonian physics to argue that a Deleuzian concept of energy aligns with quantum physics, which unsettles the binary play-cognition hierarchy. I introduce a vignette to illustrate a rich array of concepts involved in playing that are read through Winnicott. In the final step, I argue that Winnicott's transitional object provides a juncture with Deleuze's concept of the partial/virtual object paving the way to graft an alternative and more processual ontology onto Winnicott's work on playing that acts beside cognitive connections in ways that bring learning alive and liberate teachers to enter less constrained relationships with children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early childhood education (ECE) spaces within settler-colonial societies operate as sites of violence and oppression whereby non-conformity to white, rational, ableist, cisgender norms is weaponised as developmental deficits. In this paper, we refer to the refusals of non-dominant ways of knowing as forms of epistemic injustice (Fricker 2007). We describe the foundational underpinnings of ECE throughout the twentieth century in Ontario, Canada and trace how normative ideas of children, educators, education, and childhood developed through a largely positivist, developmental orientation. Ultimately, we call for epistemic justice (Fricker 2007) as an emancipatory way forward in post-secondary ECE programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assumption that primal phantasmatic activity stems from bodily functions is widely accepted in developmental and psychoanalytic thinking. This article attempts to give more specific meaning to this abstract assumption. It examines the influence of sensory, perceptual, and motor capacities on the consolidation of typically differentiated erotogenic experiences relevant to pre-Oedipal and Oedipal organisations. It then proceeds to examine the impact of innate deficiencies in these capacities on the development of phantasmatic organisation in children on the autistic spectrum who often manifest atypical erotogenic organisation. Additionally, it pays attention to non-symbolic therapeutic communication and the unconscious transference-countertransference relationship stemming from such a problematic matrix. The paper is clinically derived from a description of the early-Oedipal organisation of a child with low cognitive and functional capacities and proceeds to the manifestations of the Oedipal constellation of a high-functioning autistic child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]