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A participatory action research study conducted at the Arlitt Child Development Center, a laboratory preschool at the University of Cincinnati, used naturalistic inquiry to create a solution for addressing challenging behaviors within an early childhood developmental and constructivist framework. In focus groups facilitated by a school psychology doctoral student, the center's preschool teachers created constructivist strategies for addressing a Tier I Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) framework that was based on Response to Intervention (RTI) processes. The aim was to assess the dissonance between behavioral and constructivist approaches to early childhood interventions, often most evident in teacher language used and the emphases on reinforcement strategies in behaviorist literature. Researchers employed eco-constructivism, a philosophical perspective for addressing challenging behaviors that emerge within the ecology of the classroom, to interpret teachers' responses that were oriented toward fostering children's self-regulation skills and child agency. Findings indicate that an eco-constructivist approach to PBIS may serve as a model for blended practices in early childhood programs.

This paper investigates young children's exploratory play and inquiry on playscapes: playgrounds specifically designed to connect children with natural environments. Our theoretical framework posits that playscapes combine the benefits of nature and play to promote informal science exploration of natural materials. This, in turn, is expected to lead to environmental science literacy, which in turn is likely to strengthen a child's ecological identity and lead to environmentally responsible behaviors (ERBs). The following questions are of specific interest: to what extent do children go beyond observations and explorations and use science-specific representations and language during their play on playscapes? What locations on the playscape afford science-specific activities? And how do these activities relate to their play on the playscape? In an attempt to answer these questions, we describe data obtained from a video analysis of preschoolers visiting a playscape. As a means of initial comparison, we also analyzed data obtained from a traditional playground. We examine the intersection of children's play and inquiry within specific areas of interest at the two sites. The two sites vary in many dimensions, including size, familiarity, and access to natural materials. Nevertheless, our data provide initial support for our hypothesis that natural environments promote explorations and inquiry, fostering ERBs.