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Fathers' interactions with their young children are understudied. Variations between families in the masculine nurturance of toddlers can be expected, depending on personal characteristics, gender, family structures, and cultural contexts in which they are situated. This is a qualitative study, focusing on probing the nature of the exchanges between female toddlers and their male caregivers, to gain an understanding of the dynamic nature of these interchanges. We observed four thriving 30-month-old girls in Italy, the UK, Peru, and Thailand, wherein filmed transactions between them and their fathers and grandfathers during one "Day in their Lives" were observed, documented, and analysed. The case studies of these young girls demonstrated considerable agency in their interactions with their caregivers, which were, in part, responsible for a wide range of promotive nurturance styles in the adults.

This paper reports on an in-depth interview study of the roles, job jurisdictions and associated learning of higher level teaching assistants (HLTAs). This role has the core purpose of covering classes to enable teacher release for planning, preparation and assessment. HLTAs' individual job jurisdictions are described and discussed as are implications for their knowledge and practice. The HLTAs are found to have wide-ranging job domains and, sometimes, unexpected involvements which mean they have to improvise practice. The study acknowledges that these HLTAs are being creatively managed and deployed by head teachers for the sake of teachers and schools. However, they are, at times, required to take on planning and cover duties which are beyond their knowledge and training with a likely impact on children's learning. Given their training and experience it is asked if covering classes to release teachers is the most effective use of their abilities and time. (Contains 1 table.)

This paper explores the methodology of an ecological investigation of aspects of culture in the interactional construction of early childhood in diverse global communities: Peru, Italy, Canada, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. Regarding culture as a dynamic dimension of the child's socialisation, the approach taken was to film a "day in the life" of a two-and-a-half-year-old girl in each location. The principal investigators viewed these five "days" and selected clips were made into a compilation tape, to be interrogated and interpreted by the local investigators and the child's family. These latter reflections were also taped and then applied to a growing appreciation of the child in cultural context. Other inter-researcher techniques were used to elucidate and explore events and values further. Reflexive concerns as to the interplay between aims and methods in interpretive research are critical components of this endeavour to develop new cultural understandings of the girls in context. (Contains 1 note.)

This article reports on a specific aspect of a larger study of "a day in the life" of five two-and-a-half-year-old girls in families in Canada, Italy, Peru, Thailand and the UK. The larger study involved filming each of the five children in their family contexts for one whole day and studying a number of emerging themes related to the child's development. The focus is on mealtimes and eating. Culture is regarded as a dynamic dimension of the child's socialisation through which family practices around eating (often neglected as a research focus) are explored. Using the concept of an "eating event", by analogy with a "literacy event", close examination of video sequences reveal the extent to which children and carers, with differing desires and intentions, negotiate and collaborate to achieve mutually satisfactory ends. (Contains 6 figures.)

This article reports on the findings of a small-scale study into the perceptions of 78 primary school children regarding the adults in their classrooms. The data show that children easily differentiate between their own class teacher and other adults, but report a substantial overlap between the activities of teachers and teaching assistants. Some express the difference in terms of status rather than role. Accounts call into question the notion that teaching assistants "help" rather than teach and that there is a clear division of labour between them and teachers. Teachers and assistants are seen as working in an interdependent way, with each making a significant contribution to children's learning. The difficulties of using children's language as evidence are considered and it is concluded that the notion of a "remodelled" primary school workforce needs to take into account the ways in which teachers and assistants maintain fluid working relationships. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

This article describes the programmes and workshops available for both parents and young children at the Tate Modern Gallery. The main aim of this paper is to convey a sense of the pedagogy that was used by one of the workshop leaders, Michaela Ross, an artist-educator. The authors accomplish this by drawing on a tape recorded discussion which took place shortly after the end of six "Small Steps in a Big Space" workshops. This focused on a number of selected themes including: workshop leadership and the presentation of self; the effect of space on group and child behaviour; individual and group engagement with artworks, promoting children's independence, and the nature of an artist-educator's pedagogical knowledge. (Contains 3 figures.)

A survey of 72 inner London local education authorities found that 55% had functioning parent organizations, 5 lapsed ones, and 28 no organizations. Their main functions were fundraising and social activities. The formality or informality of parent organizations reflected schools' attitudes about parent involvement. Official, statutory status might increase their effectiveness. (SK)

Reports the results of a survey of Brent primary school headteachers concerning home-based reading programs. Finds considerable parental involvement in children's reading, as well as heightened institutional interest in developing parental-involvement programs. (NH)

Describes development of a learning module for students studying foreign languages, which usually depicts social behavior between the foreign language nationals to teach communicative competence in face-to-face interactions between nationals and students. Marketing of the module, which was first produced on videotape and later on interactive videodisc, is also discussed. (MBR)