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The complexity of gear concepts, often misunderstood by young children, highlights the need for educational frameworks beyond simple play. To examine the effects of using the prediction, observation, and explanation (POE) model in building block activities, a true experimental design was implemented. A total of 49 preschoolers were randomly assigned to either an experimental group, which engaged with building blocks embedded with the POE model, or a control group, which followed a building instruction guide. Data were gathered through pretests, posttests, and two-week delayed tests administered to all participants. The theoretical framework for this study was based on the POE model, emphasizing the importance of prediction, observation, and explanation in the learning process. The results revealed that the POE model had positive impacts on fostering young children's acquisition of gear concepts. Specifically, gear speed and gear direction were identified as the most challenging concepts for preschoolers to grasp. The results highlight the critical role of children's reflection in learning these concepts. The participants' common naive conceptions about gear function, gear speed, and gear direction were identified. The implications of these results highlight the importance of incorporating reflective practices in early childhood education to enhance concept acquisition and address misconceptions.

The Merdeka Belajar curriculum is the current curriculum developed by the Indonesian Ministry of Education, which should be implemented thoroughly in 2024. Project-based learning is identically engaged with this curriculum, which offers many advantages to enrich the quality of education. This method has been promoted and implemented in several schools across the region in Indonesia, yet many teachers still need help applying it. This research explores the project-based learning steps for preschool teachers in Bandung through a community service program by Industrial Engineering lecturers in Indonesia. There were 42 participants from 35 kindergarten and playgroup schools who joined the PJBL workshop. With an active learning workshop delivery, a significant result has been achieved that could increase their understanding of the PJBL concept. The "A Healthy House" project was an example of the topic covered in the workshop. To check the participant's knowledge of the PjbL steps, the questionnaire was distributed two times, before and after the workshop ended. Using the Mc Nemart test, the PJBL workshop has significantly impacted the teachers. They could understand the principles of PjBL and the steps of the methods.

This study explored early childhood education and care (ECEC) teachers' visual gaze and related reflections on pedagogical actions during pedagogical activities in groups of children under three years of age in Finland. The data were collected from play and teacher-guided activities using mobile eye-tracking glasses, the retrospective thinking aloud (RTA) method, and semi-structured interviews. The results showed that even though the teachers were surprised about some aspects of the visual gaze metrics, they reflected on and gave reasons for their visual gazes on children. When observing gaze data from play, teachers explained the high amount of gaze by citing children's particular needs. When observing gaze data from guided activities, teachers reflected on children's unpredictable behavior and noted that the children's need for support in concentration was linked to more gazes by the teacher. The findings showed that both during play and guided activities, children seeking a gaze and the position of children in the classroom influenced the number of teachers' gazes. In the teachers' explanations of their visual gaze and related pedagogical actions, five categories were identified: protection; physical and emotional availability, teaching and learning; facilitation; and initiatives. This explorative study showed that teachers utilize their knowledge concerning children's individuality, development, and learning when they explain their decisions concerning their visual gaze and pedagogical activities with toddlers. The use of mobile eye-tracking technology is relatively new; therefore, its applications to ECEC are pioneering for the development of the field in relation to the practices and research of toddlers' groups and groups with older children in ECEC.

Play is essential to the healthy growth and development of children. As children play, they explore new roles, try out new ideas, and bond with each other. Play increases language, cognitive, and social skills. How can the power of play be harnessed and shaped for educational purposes? How can teachers infuse play into the classroom to improve reading and related language skills? Teaching reading requires a combination of teaching skills but also requires ways to motivate students to read. Whatever the reading level or ability, most students will enjoy reading and read more often when they connect to the text in one way or another. Not all reading material that students read in school is enticing to them. Play-based methods and play integration have the potential to increase motivation and engagement with the reading if used flexibly with the student in mind. Also, play-based methodologies are student-centered by nature.

The preschool years, spanning from birth to age six, are crucial periods for acquiring social-emotional learning (SEL) skills. An effective way to address social-emotional learning deficits is to implement evidence-based intervention programs. The purpose of this article is to review specific evidencebased social-emotional learning intervention programs for preschool children, drawing from resources such as books, peer-reviewed journal articles, and conference proceedings. In this context, five social-emotional learning intervention programs, including First Step to Success, I Can Problem Solve, Incredible Years, PATHS, and Strong Start Pre-K, documented in the social-emotional learning literature, were reviewed. Each program was evaluated based on its target group, duration, focus, delivery method, and experimental effects. The reviews found that play-based activities, puppets and stories, role-playing, and family involvement were common components of these programs. The majority of programs focused on problem-solving skills, and all had positive effects on preschoolers' social-emotional learning skills. Based on the reviews, it was underlined that social-emotional learning intervention programs are effective when their content, process, and delivery methods are developmentally appropriate for the target group. Accordingly, it was seen that the widespread implementation of evidence-based social-emotional learning intervention programs is essential to improve the basic social-emotional learning skills of preschool children and to address their potential deficits. Continuous evaluation and refinement of social-emotional learning intervention programs, guided by feedback from educators, parents, and researchers, was also highlighted as crucial to increase their impact. By prioritizing the implementation of evidence-based social-emotional learning intervention programs with appropriate components and delivery methods, the stakeholders of education can facilitate the holistic development of preschool children and lay a strong foundation for their future social-emotional well-being.

This study investigates the way a kindergarten teacher implemented a three-stage project to support children's map understanding. The project, the Map and Play, was designed to help children understand the relationship between reality and its abstract representation. The guided play was adopted as the pedagogical approach because it empowers children to make independent decisions, encourages critical thinking, and offers opportunities for exploration. At the same time, adults take part in purposeful activities alongside the children. The research employed an ethnographic methodology involving classroom observations, video recordings, and interviews. Content analysis was used to explore the data sources. The results illustrated the stages taken to introduce children to the idea of map considering scientific research about how to foster map understanding. The data displays occasional mistakes made by the teacher, offering valuable insights into the dynamics of classrooms where similar activities might be introduced. The MPP was a promising experience for kindergarten children in enhancing their map reasoning and use of spatial language. Still, there is a need for teacher training to guide this complex learning process effectively.

Background: Early childhood education (ECE) is crucial in cultivating creativity, especially in today's tech-savvy world. This study explores the impact of collaborative project-based learning (PjBL) with computer and play motivation on kindergarten children's creativity. Aim: Our research aimed to determine if collaborative PjBL, combined with computer-based activities, enhances creativity compared to independent PjBL. We also examined the influence of play motivation on computer-based creativity. Setting: The study was conducted in Makassar Lotus Kindergarten, Indonesia, involving 30 Grade B kindergarten students. Methods: We employed a post-test control group design and systematically selected two matched classes. The experimental group engaged in collaborative PjBL, focussing on computer activities to foster creativity, while the control group experienced independent PjBL. Creativity assessment encompassed originality, art, fluency, flexibility, self-actualisation, and creative skills. Results: Collaborative PjBL had a more significant impact on children's computer-based creativity than independent PjBL. Children with high play motivation also exhibited higher creativity levels during computer-based activities. Conclusion: This study underscores the potential of collaborative PjBL in promoting creativity among kindergarten children in the digital era. It highlights the significance of innovative teaching methods and children's intrinsic motivation in nurturing creativity. Contribution: These findings contribute to the ongoing discourse on effective ECE strategies that harness technology to foster creativity.

The COVID-19 pandemic's restrictions for schools and playgrounds threatened children's social and emotional wellbeing. In response, Grade 4/5 students created music-based activities through action research to sustain playground interactions. This study explored the crucial yet fragile playground relationships and the children's determination to maintain them. Findings indicate that the student-initiated projects were not only a medium for self-expression and maintaining friendships, but also served as an important tool for reinforcing the inherent social fabric of the playground setting. Notably, this study underscores the significance of collaborative learning, interpersonal skill development, and intrinsic motivation in fostering social skills and enhancing self-confidence.

The increasingly neoliberal course of Higher Education is linked to rises in student anxiety around assessment and increased fear of the consequences of failure. Making mistakes is an inevitable part of any learning process (and of life generally) and managing failure in a productive and positive way is crucial for success and wellbeing beyond university. In this article, we argue that academia does not adequately prepare learners for managing mistake-making progressively and that escape rooms can provide a way to facilitate learning through failure. We first present an original model of failure-based learning that explores why being able to make mistakes safely is important for students and why the use of escape rooms in Higher Education presents an excellent opportunity for the application of this model. We then show the relevance of this model by using it to analyse two case studies that explore different ways in which educational escape rooms can be used in Higher Education: either designed to facilitate learning by "playing" a game; or supporting learning through designing a game. Our model of failure-based learning has three stages, emphasising the importance of "preparation," an iterative play cycle of testing, failing, reflecting, and revising, and finishing with a "presentation" phase. The article concludes by considering the limitations of educational escape rooms in this context and highlighting some practical considerations for the use of these approaches.

Group sandplay therapy is a useful instrument for healing family rifts. This article is a case study where the group sandplay therapy method was used to address the client's conflicts with his family members. The therapy outcomes show that group sandplay therapy is efficacious in enhancing communication and interaction between family members, improving interpersonal relationships within a family, particularly the parent-child relationship, and alleviating parent-child tensions as barriers to effective home education.

Early experiences in STEM education can contribute to positive cognitive development in young children. When students have the opportunities to play, inquire, follow their interests/curiosities, develop STEM identities, be creative, and operate within concrete/contextualized STEM explorations, they will experience expansive cognitive growth. Cognitive benefits include expanded thought capacity, increased creativity, better problem-solving abilities, a developing capacity for research, better exploration processes, and better observational powers. Implications for practice and recommendations for educators are discussed.

Background: Early childhood development (ECD) practitioners are encouraged to implement play pedagogies and their views of play as a pedagogy in rural settings have not been captured widely. They are the main role players in implementing play pedagogies for learners' learning and development. The commitment to play can be traced through theory and ideology in early childhood programmes internationally and in South Africa. Aim: This study explored the views and beliefs of the practitioners about the use of play pedagogy in rural ECD centres. Setting: Six practitioners from three rural primary schools in Limpopo, South Africa, participated in the study. Methods: Semi-structured interviews, document analysis and nonparticipant observation were used to collect data. Results: The participants found integrating play pedagogies when planning their lessons and assessing children's progress challenging. The results showed that ECD practitioners in rural centres lack the skills and material resources to implement play pedagogies. Conclusion: The study suggests that ECD practitioners in rural areas need professional development opportunities in the implementation of play activities as a teaching pedagogy. Contribution: These findings can be used to assist ECD practitioners in rural areas in implementing play pedagogies. Educators could use low-cost, locally available materials such as natural resources, recycled materials or everyday objects to create play-based activities that could involve indigenous songs and games relevant to the children's cultural and social context. They could collaborate with parents and community members to develop and implement play-based activities, leveraging the knowledge and skills of the local community.

The aim of this research is to reveal the effects of symbolic play content activities organized in kindergarten to first reading and writing skills. For this purpose, mixed-method research has been designed. In the first stage of this research, four experiments, including pretest-posttest applied, a paired experiment-control group, were applied. 30 kindergarten students from 15 experimental and 15 control group-students participated. The data obtained from the experimental process were analyzed with the Man-Whitney U Test and Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test. In the second stage, the data were collected through semi-structured observation and interview forms. 20 first-grade students from 10 experimental and 10 control group-students participated. Qualitative data were analyzed through descriptive analysis. The control group participants who successfully acquired the read-write preparation outcomes in the kindergarten and passed to the first grade were more successful in obtaining the first reading and first writing compared to the supervisory set participants who passed the first grade without acquiring the literacy preparation achievements in the kindergarten.

Authors Kevin McCaughey and Rick Rosenberg demonstrate techniques for using board games to stimulate student-centered language practice that is flexible, productive, engaging, and fun. The article includes tips for efficient game play and for using games with a variety of levels and class sizes. The authors show that playing board games for language practice can be educational AND entertaining.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of therapeutic play training on physical health in 10-12 year old children with back muscle weakness. Experimental research model was used in the study. According to the results of the Functional Movement Screening test, 16 children (8 Study, 8 Control) with back muscle weakness were included in the study as participants. According to the pre-test analysis results, children with weak back muscles were given therapeutic play training with 7 different games adapted to increase healthy posture and physical development for 8 weeks and 3 days a week. At the end of the therapeutic game education application process, the FMS test (post-test) was administered to the children again and the results were recorded. The groups were homogeneously distributed, independent sample t-test was used to determine the difference between the research and control groups, and paired sample t-test was used to compare the data within groups. All statistical values obtained were evaluated at 95% confidence interval and significance was evaluated at p<0.05 level. According to the findings obtained from the study, a statistically significant difference was found when the FMS pre-test-post-test results of the children in the study group, in which therapeutic games were applied, were analyzed (p<0.05). As a result of the FMS pre-test before the education program was started, it was determined that 7 of the 8 participants, who could not reach a sufficient score and whose back muscles were found to be weak, reached a sufficient score according to the FMS post-test results after the applications, and only 1 participant showed positive development although he could not get a sufficient score. When the FMS pre-post test results applied to the control group were examined, it was determined that there was no statistically significant difference p>0.05.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of fathers' participation in the Father Support Education Programme on their perception of their role as fathers and the development of play skills in their children. The study sample comprised 40 fathers whose children, aged 5 and 6, were enrolled in independent pre-schools located in the city centre of Bartin. The experimental design of pre-test and post-test control group was adopted to facilitate the study. All technical terms were defined when first used. The study comprised 20 fathers, who were divided into control and study groups. Fathers in the study group received the Father Support Education Program over a period of 10 weeks, while no education program was provided to the control group. Information was collected using the "Personal Information Form," "Father Role Perception Scale (FRPS)," and "Game Skills Assessment Scale (PSAS)." The research's quantitative data was analysed using the SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) programme for Windows 22.0. To compare continuous data between two independent groups, the t-test was employed. The analysis established that following the educational programme, fathers in the study group exhibited a significant difference between their pre-test and post-test mean scores for their roles in their children's play skills. It was found that the Father Support Education Programme had a positive impact on fathers' roles and the development of children's play skills.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of musical play on the social skill development of third-grade students and to investigate the opinions of classroom teachers on the effect of musical play on the social skill development of their students. The study sample consists of 60 students: 30 in the experimental group, and 30 in the control group. Musical play activities were applied in the experimental group for 10 weeks. At the end of the research, interviews were conducted with both the experimental and control group classroom teachers. The results demonstrate a significant difference, in of the experimental group, between the posttest total scores, adjusted according to the students' social skills scale pretest total score averages. According to the answers to interview questions from the classroom teachers, musical play is beneficial for the development of social skills.

Background: Research has shown the benefits of play for children's learning and development. Play can also be harnessed for pursuing pre-determined learning goals related to school curricula through "guided" play. Aim: The research inquired into the implementation of a pre-service teacher education course on play as pedagogy to evaluate and refine the course's design principles. Setting: The study was conducted at the University of Johannesburg, involving pre-service teachers within the Bachelor of Education in the foundation phase of schooling. Methods: The research formed part of a broader design-based research study. The data were collected via questionnaires, interviews, analysis of students' work and a research journal. A combination of inductive and deductive data analysis was used. Results: The way in which the course was designed and implemented was successful in helping students develop a basic understanding of guided play, although there were gaps in their understanding of their guiding role; student teachers learnt that creativity could be developed through play. Conclusion: In general, the design principles served the course and its implementation well because students learnt much about guided play. However, a major gap was the insufficient focus on guiding practices. Such practices should receive considerable attention in a preservice teacher education course on guided play. A stronger focus on the interconnectedness of play and creativity in a course on guided play for pre-service teachers will be beneficial. Contribution: The research on teacher preparation for using play-based teaching and learning is limited. This study contributes to addressing this gap.

This article analyses the educational possibilities of art installations in the training of future early childhood and primary school teachers. I start by reviewing the origins of installation art before presenting an experience designed for teachers based on the creation of scale models and installation experiences. Scale model installations constitute a tool for future teachers to explore contemporary artistic creation while fostering creativity and reflection on their role as educators. This study employs a constructivist qualitative methodology using "action-based research" and a journal to record the progress of the students throughout the project. The initial results demonstrate the educational value of this experience and its potential to generate further educational experiences to explore contemporary art themes and other areas of the curriculum. The use of installation art in education is compatible with a diversity of approaches, materials, and media and opens the door to new lines of research.

The authors compare pretend play and executive function both in preschool children with an acquired brain injury and in neurotypical preschool children. They find the ability to produce logical, sequenced pretend play actions and object substitutions in play correlates strongly with executive function ability in both groups, and working memory emerges in their study as the most reliable predictor of pretend play in both groups of children. Their investigation highlights the need to include pretend play in rehabilitating children with brain injuries and the importance of pretend play for developing executive function in all children.

Many kindergarten educators grapple with how best to teach reading in play-based kindergarten classrooms. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to ascertain the instructional strengths and needs of kindergarten educators as they teach reading in play-based programs. Fifteen kindergarten teachers participated in an online questionnaire and focus group conversations that explored their concepts of self-efficacy and professional content knowledge to gain an understanding of the tensions these educators expressed, and to compare and confirm these with existing literature. Educators felt quite confident that they were effectively weaving foundational reading skills with learning opportunities into authentic experiences throughout the day. They indicated that balancing competing priorities within their programs was a challenge, and that supporting multilinguals and deepening their understanding of how to effectively build oral language and phonological awareness in their students were areas where they wanted to build their professional content knowledge.

The aim of the study is to develop a Likert-type scale to determine the play preferences of children attending pre-school education. The research was designed and carried out according to the survey research model. Data collected from 3 different study groups were used in the scale development process. The study groups consist of parents of children attending pre-school education in Istanbul Province in the 2022-2023 academic year. The 33-item and 8-dimensional structure obtained after EFA was also confirmed with CFA. Dimensions were determined as solitary play, parallel play, together play, collaborative play, building-building play, dramatic play, games with rules and digital play. It is seen that the reliability coefficients of the scale after EFA and CFA vary between 0.757 and 0.900. In order to distinguish between the lower and upper groups and to make comparisons between the groups, an independent group t test was performed, and it was revealed that there was a difference between the 27% lower and 27% upper groups (p <0.05). It was determined that the testretest values of the game type preferences scale were significant. According to these values, it was determined that the scale gave consistent results. When all studies were evaluated, it was concluded that the play preferences scale is a measurement tool that can validly and reliably measure the play preferences of children receiving preschool education.

Background: Poetry predates all other genres of literature, and it has been argued that the relationship between poetry and language is inextricable. The ability of African people to articulate their own stories was largely silenced by colonialism. Poems and lyrics have been known to create a bridge between individuals in meaningful words and songs. Aim: This article explores Grade 3 teachers' experiences of teaching poetry and their utilisation of play pedagogies to enhance learning and make it pleasurable. Setting: Three schools in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, were purposively selected because of their rural location. The sample comprised six Grade 3 teachers who worked in these three rural primary schools. The learners in the study were using isiZulu as a language of learning and teaching. Methods: Semi-structured interviews, document analysis and non-participant observations were employed to generate the data. Results: Regardless, Grade 1 teachers know their knowledge of the value of play pedagogies in the development of young children. Conclusion: Researchers suggest that Grade 3 teachers need to align their practice and lesson plans with Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) proposals and guidelines. Moreover, play pedagogies need to be implemented and these need to be realistically aligned with allocated time frames and available resources to mitigate the severe restraints that impede effective poetry teaching as a tool for facilitating learning. Contribution: To ensure the success of all Grade 3 learners in the realm of poetry understanding and writing, it is imperative that Foundation Phase (FP) teachers align their teaching to the CAPS pedagogies to expose learners to various forms of poetry.

This study explored preschool teachers' beliefs about the benefits of young children's outdoor play and play in naturalized play environments. Three face-to-face in-depth, semi-structured individual interviews were administered. For data analysis, Charmaz's (2006) constructivist grounded theory was employed using two steps of coding, initial and focused. These teachers' beliefs about the benefits of children's outdoor play in natural environments emerged in three major themes: (1) environmental, physical, and emotional freedom, (2) learning and development through outdoor play, and (3) burning off energy. The links between the findings and the existing literature, implications for practice, and recommendations for further research are discussed.

The home environment and experiences before a child enters formal schooling have a significant impact on their educational progress and results. Most research in this area has been conducted in Western countries and may differ across different countries and cultures. The purpose of this study is to investigate how literacy skills are developed in Kazakh homes and the kinds of social interactions that take place between parents and children to foster this development. An ethnographic case study design through participant observations and interviews was used to further understand the relationship between the Kazakh home learning environment (HLE) and literacy development in four affluent and highly educated families. The findings of this study suggest that parent-child social interactions play an important role in the development of literacy skills in Kazakh families. The parents purposefully used play, joint book reading and storytelling to focus on oral language development and to establish skills in one language first despite the fact that Kazakhstan is a bilingual country that is gradually moving towards a trilingual policy (Kazakh, Russian and English). The study highlights the types of regular and high-quality literacy-related social interactions parents engage in to help their children succeed educationally in school and beyond. The findings of this study suggest that children would benefit from regular parent-child interactions and policymakers and other stakeholders responsible for early years learning and development should encourage parents to be actively involved in their children's learning and literacy development in the home environment.

The author discusses American philosopher, psychologist, and educator John Dewey and the Laboratory School he founded at the end of the nineteenth century at the University of Chicago, where he conducted important studies of child development. The author notes the influence of Dewey's theory of (and pedagogical guidelines for) children's play, which he initially formulated between 1896 and 1900 and which subsequently influenced such play theorists as Lev S. Vygotsky and Loris Malaguzzi. However, the author asserts, the literature on play has largely neglected Dewey and contains no account of his important and influential early works about play, a gap he intends this article to fill.

The authors contend that children benefit from play as a form of intervention and as a means of fostering their cognitive, social, and physical growth. They review several standardized instruments developed over the last fifty years to assess this benefit of play on child development. They identify twenty-one such play measures, the majority of them applicable to children under twelve. Some of the measurements can be conducted by children, but most are proxy rated and employ some form of observation. Over half require no or minimal training. Others can be completed in less than thirty minutes. More evaluations exist for the earlier instruments, but these measurements lacked psychometric evidence to back them up. The authors note they based their selections on the distinct characteristics and features of the measures, and they offer their conclusions to assist users in choosing the best systematic instruments for their specific needs.

Calls to bring more equity into science education research (McWayne and Melzi, 2023) are most notable for early childhood. We know very little about the teaching of science to infants and toddlers, yet this is where science education begins. To address the dearth in research, we undertook an in-depth intervention study in an Australian early childhood center with six educators working with 11 infants and toddlers learning science (1.1-2.0 years; mean 1.6) to identify how educators support science education for infants and toddlers in a play-based setting over 10 sessions. Specifically, our research question was how do educators create the conditions and interact with infants and toddlers in play-based setting to support the learning of science. We found a form of co-operation between educators and infants that centered on educator sensitivity to infants and toddlers noticing the science, educators generating rather than following infant interest, focused thinking spaces, use of scientific language by the educators, planned conceptual progression, and the use of props as placeholders for scientific meaning that acted as pivots and prompts for infants in imaginary situations. We argue that under the conditions of an intervention study where educators planned and taught science to infants, that greater insights into how to teach science to such young children was possible, thereby making available evidence-informed practice in an under researched area to guide educators working with infants and toddlers.

Purpose: Pivotal response treatment (PRT) is a well-established intervention addressing core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with parent involvement as a key component. The current study aimed to examine the effects of PRT parent training on parent fidelity and provide descriptive analyses of parent-child interactions before and after parent training. It also probed parental acceptance and satisfaction with the program. Methods: A concurrent multiple baseline design across participants was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the parent training program. Four parents (range 32-47 years old) and their children with ASD participated in the study. The intervention comprised 12 one-on-one parent training sessions over six consecutive weeks. The visual analysis and effect size calculation (Tau-U) were used to evaluate functional relationship between independent and dependent variables. The descriptive analysis was used to analyze parent--child interaction data. Results: The findings reveal that all parents learned and maintained PRT with a high level of fidelity, they also enhanced awareness to create more opportunities for interactions during free play, and the parents were very satisfied with the program. The results also indicate that the six-week parent training program is effective in teaching parents to implement PRT with their children. Conclusion: These results suggest that the parent training program may be a promising treatment model that is effective, efficient, and cost-effective. Implications for future research and practice are then discussed.

While research consistently demonstrates that young children learn best through play and social interactions, this developmental insight is not often reflected in current classroom curricula. Through action research, I examined how a play-based kindergarten environment could impact student writing and writing engagement. This article specifically focuses on two students from the class, Matthew and Liam. Using observations, semi-structured interviews, and student artifacts evaluated using a developmental writing rubric, findings indicate that the play-based approach led to increased interest and engagement in writing activities, as well as improvements in writing skills. These results suggest that integrating play into the early childhood curriculum can create authentic writing experiences, fostering development and enthusiasm in young writers.

Previous research has supported selecting development-matched targets rather than age-matched targets to teach play skills to children with autism spectrum disorder. However, few studies have been conducted, and replications and extensions of this research are needed. The current study replicated Pane et al. (2022) by comparing the acquisition of development-matched and age-matched play targets when teaching play skills to four children with autism. No contrived prompts or consequences were used to teach play skills in either condition. Extensions included identifying targets via a newer version of the Developmental Play Assessment, targeting different play categories, assessing additional imitation skills, and conducting a caregiver assessment to identify socially valid toys, play actions, and vocalizations based on each participant's common experiences and preferences as well as their caregiver's values and preferences. As in Pane et al., participants demonstrated a higher level of scripted play actions in the development-matched condition.

To inform parent-mediated intervention models, this study assessed if family affectedness (i.e., elevated autism symptoms in more than one child) was associated with maternal self-reported social difficulties (as indexed by the Social Responsiveness Scale; SRS-2), and social interactions during play. As part of a prospective study, 71 mothers completed the SRS-2 and a play session. Interactions were coded for a range of prosocial behaviors, including gaze, positive affect, and vocalizations. Overall, mothers with multiple children exhibiting autism symptoms self-reported significantly more social difficulties on the SRS-2, when compared to mothers raising only typically developing children, or one child with autism. However, even with elevated SRS-2 scores, mothers with higher family affectedness demonstrated comparable social exchanges with their children during play.

Objective, quantitative measures of caregiver-child interaction during play are needed to complement caregiver or examiner ratings for clinical assessment and tracking intervention responses. In this exploratory study, we examined the feasibility of using automated video tracking, Noldus EthoVision XT, to measure 159 2-to-7-year-old autistic children's patterns of movement during play-based, caregiver-child interactions and examined their associations with standard clinical measures and human observational coding of caregiver-child joint engagement. Results revealed that autistic children who exhibited higher durations and velocity of movement were, on average, younger, had lower cognitive abilities, greater autism-related features, spent less time attending to the caregiver, and showed lower levels of joint engagement. After adjusting for age and nonverbal cognitive abilities, we found that children who remained in close proximity to their caregiver were more likely to engage in joint engagement that required support from the caregiver. These findings suggest that video tracking offers promise as a scalable, quantitative, and relevant measure of autism-related behaviors.

Educators who work with playful approaches in teaching often use methods inspired by art-based learning. The aim of the study was, therefore, to investigate how pedagogics of art-based learning can contribute to the pedagogics of playful learning in a way that neither compromises essential values of art, nor the values of play. The study included two steps. First, we analyzed 70 didactic designs developed and tested in 2021 and 2022 in the in the Danish Playful Learning Project (PL). Second, we conducted a collaborative in-depth analysis of 6 additional playful learning designs, also developed and tested in the PL project. The study indicates that art-based skills are an important prerequisite in order to realize the potential of art-based learning as well as playful learning. However, a focus on art-based skills can lead to a more entrenched perspective that interferes with the focus on open-ended processes and experimentation that are found within playful learning.

This paper follows an earlier report of young children's object play activities investigated in a cross-sectional sample of 289 typically developing children. Thirty-minute videotaped observations were taken of children at 8, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48, 54, and 60 months of age in their homes. Forty-nine percent were boys. Children were identified as White (70%); mixed racial/cultural backgrounds (14%); Asian (7%); Black (6%); and Latinx (3%). This study reports patterns of cognitive development based on mastery scores derived from frequency and variety of activities in the 27 categories identified in the earlier study. Mastery scores afforded evaluation of the robustness of certain play categories, and the retention and reduction of others, yielding a final set of 14 to describe and assess developments in play. Discussion centers on the value of differentiated categories along with scores that yield a standard for an assessment of children's play.

The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a multi-component intervention on cooperative behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this study, three dyads comprising six boys aged between 4.5 and 7 years with ASD participated, following a randomized multiple baseline design. The participants were asked to construct models together using toy sets. The visual analysis and randomization test (p < 0.01) showed that the intervention increased cooperative behaviors for all six participants, and improvements were maintained after the intervention components were terminated. Four participants in two dyads demonstrated generalization to three new toy sets. For the remaining two participants, the interdependent group contingency was reintroduced in order for them to demonstrate cooperative behaviors.

While previous research has highlighted the significance of pedagogical approaches such as story, embodiment, and play for young children's science learning, limited attention has been given to how these three approaches can be integrated into a learning environment to support science learning for young children. Accordingly, this study designed a learning environment, "story-driven embodied play," by integrating story, body movements, and guided play to encourage children's agency in investigating a science phenomenon. Video data were collected for three iterations of the activity with preschool-age children (aged 3-5) at a local children's science museum and local preschools. Employing a sociocultural perspective on science learning through story, embodiment, and playful learning, the study found that the story-driven embodied play activity promoted children's agency by positioning them as protagonists when they investigated the science phenomenon through guided play. Furthermore, the results suggest that children, as embodied learners, used their bodies to interact with and figure out the science phenomenon during guided play. These findings extend our understanding of how to integrate story, embodiment, and play to generate synergy and promote young children's agency in science learning.

This study examined the direct and indirect relationships between playfulness (social and cognitive spontaneity), executive functions, convergent thinking, divergent thinking, and academic skills in Hong Kong Chinese kindergarten children. Participants were 181 second-year (4 to 5 years) kindergarten children (45.9% boys) and their parents. Parents reported demographic information and children's playfulness and executive functions through a questionnaire. Children were administered behavioral assessments of convergent thinking, divergent thinking, Chinese word reading, and number word comparison at their kindergarten. Results from a path analytic model revealed the mediating roles of convergent and divergent thinking in the relationship between playfulness and number word comparison. In contrast, convergent thinking mediated the link between playfulness and Chinese word reading. Executive functions were positively related to playfulness but unrelated to children's academic skills. The findings suggest that playful children might develop better creative thinking processes, supporting their academic skills. Practically, the findings underscore the importance of play-based learning in developing children's creativity and academic skills in the early years.

There are no conflicts between intentional teaching and play-based learning. However, educators find it challenging to establish the pedagogical relationship between them as they struggle to conceptualise and enact their role in the play-based context. In particular, educators' confidence level is not enough to teach science and engineering in a play-based context. However, there is an increasing demand to integrate teaching practice for STEM learning in early childhood settings. Play is a pleasure and a leading source for children's learning and cultural maturation process as part of their social and cultural experiences, and adults' support can enhance children's STEM learning process in a play-based context. This paper investigates how educators' intentional teaching plan can support children's small science and engineering learning process in culturally valued play. A total of 50 h of video data, representing 64 children aged from 10 months to 5 years, were collected through digital video observation over a period of seven weeks in an early childhood centre in Australia. This paper uses the dialectical interactive approach to analyse a 95-min video clip of children's (3 to 5 years of age) play in a cultural context. It is argued that educators progress their learning and confidence to teach science and engineering in play-based settings when they could choose the activity from their community culture or centre-based practice. The findings of the study provide a pedagogical model for educators, which provides a conceptual framework for STEM-based learning in a culturally valued play.

This study explores the captivating world of toy unboxing videos as a space for emergent bilingual children to engage in translanguaging practices. Through the lens of translanguaging, which encourages the unrestricted use of full linguistic repertoires, this research examines the experiences of two five-year-old immigrant and emergent bilingual children, who employ linguistic repertoires from both English and Korean, within toy unboxing play. Toy unboxing play is not exclusive to these children alone but extends beyond as a shared phenomenon of new play among children across the globe. This ethnographic case study seeks to understand when and how translanguaging is employed in their toy unboxing play and explores the possibilities it opens for fostering inclusive views on linguistic practices among emergent bilingual children. In our findings, we argue that toy unboxing play can be a way of creating translanguaging space facilitating the deployment of children's linguistic repertoires and contributing to their meaning-making and learning processes. The translanguaging practices exhibited by the children in their toy unboxing play demonstrate linguistic flexibility across three key domains: (1) playful interaction with toys and self, (2) emotional interaction with families and intimate others, and (3) transcultural interaction with peers and virtual audience. The study contributes valuable insights into the potentialities of translanguaging within the context of children's play. Translanguaging emerges not only as a linguistic phenomenon but as a holistic approach to communication, reflecting the multifaceted nature of emergent bilingual children's identities and experiences. The hybridized approach observed in their play underscores the importance of recognizing translanguaging as a way of being and belonging for children and families with transnational and transcultural backgrounds. By shedding light on the intricate interplay between language, culture, and play, this research deepens our understanding of inclusive and liberating translanguaging spaces for emergent bilingual children.

In recent years, Conversational Analysis (CA) has seen an increasing interest in longitudinal studies (Deppermann & Pekarek Doehler, 2021). The recurrent experience of interactional practices leads interactants to develop routines that may sediment into entrenched patterns over time (Dreyer, 2022). Longitudinal CA thus aims to track the emergence and sedimentation of interactional practices over time. In this contribution, we analyse interactional practices of participation in play-situations. Participation in joint activities is a universal form of human sociality (Goodwin & Goodwin, 2005). Here, we focus on how children perform their own agentive participant's work and how mothers support their children in doing so. Investigating a longitudinal data set of mother-child play-interactions at ages 1 and 5, we ask whether participation patterns emerge as early as in the first year and are sedimented in the fifth year, as well as whether the synchronisation of embodied action provides crucial resources for the achievement of active participation in joint activities.

Teacher-facilitation of play is proposed as an effective method for supporting early literacy learning, however, educators remain uncertain how to balance child-autonomy in play while also directing play toward explicit academic objectives. In response, this study sought to understand how kindergarten teachers can successfully facilitate play to support early literacy development. Classroom observations and semistructured interviews were gathered and qualitatively analyzed to identify key perspectives and classroom practices that lead to the educators' successful facilitation of play to support literacy. Results of this study showed how different core literacy skills can be supported through different types of play, with each offering unique and critical opportunities for learning. Results also demonstrated how a multitude of core literacy skills can be supported through guided approaches to play, and begin to illustrate how teachers are facilitating a continuum of guided play to support literacy learning.

The global growth of makerspaces, focusing on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) disciplines, supports participatory child-centred learning and fosters essential skills in areas such as creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. We argue that establishing a makerspace pedagogy in schools fosters children's engagement in digital/technological learning in a way that is in-keeping with the creative practices of the early years. This paper reports on findings from a research project that took place in one local authority in the north of England focusing on the educational implications of makerspace participation for young children and teachers. The project explored children and teacher engagement with a 'MakerBox' containing a story sack, language and maths activities and maker activities in 17 early years classrooms (Nursery and Reception). As a way of recording children's learning we devised the Makerspace Learning Assessment Framework (MLAF) based on the Characteristics of Effective Learning (CoEL). This framework has been developed as a way of supporting teachers to assess children's skills, knowledge and understanding when participating in makerspaces in a child-centred and holistic way. Through interviews with teachers, we explored their perception of the educational implications of makerspaces for children's learning and their own professional development. Our findings indicate that engagement in makerspaces enhances children's learning experiences as evidenced by the CoEL and positively impacts teachers' STEM knowledge and practice. We conclude that makerspaces offer an holistic, child-centred approach to learning and skill development, aligning with early years creative practice and teacher professional growth.

Physical inactivity has become increasingly prevalent among young children in early childhood education and care settings. One promising way to intervene and promote physical activity in these settings is to develop children's physical literacy. Where most children spend their weekday in early childhood settings in the care of early childhood educators, the educators are viewed as 'change agents' and become responsible for developing children's physical literacy. Thus, early childhood educators must possess adequate skills, knowledge, and practices to promote such development. However, research has yet to conceptualize a theory which identifies the significant capabilities and competencies that make early childhood educators, what we propose, an "Effective Early Childhood Physical Literacy Pedagogue." Therefore, this paper draws on early childhood research regarding physical literacy, physical activity, and active play, to present a conceptual model theorizing an "Effective Early Childhood Physical Literacy Pedagogue." Within this model, we propose educators' professional identity and implementation of play-based pedagogy are essential characteristics of an "Effective Early Childhood Physical Literacy Pedagogue." Furthermore, educators' physical literacy capabilities (psychomotor, affective, social, and cognitive) are recognized as the vehicle that drives the aforementioned characteristics to be the "Effective Early Childhood Physical Literacy Pedagogue." This conceptual model provides implications for future research to appropriately assess and target physical literacy interventions towards early childhood educators.

The purpose of this study was to examine the involvement of early childhood pre-service students (PSSs) in children's constructive play and highlight how this involvement supported children's play skills towards advanced play behaviours as seen by previous literature. Drawing from the conceptual framework of the Zone of Proximal Development, as proposed by Vygotsky, and supporting adult involvement in children's learning, we specifically examine PSSs involvement in constructive play. Participants were four out of 26 PSSs participating in their school experience program phase III and 17 children of the ages 5-6 years. Data was collected through videos, 12 in total, of approximately 20 minutes each, during which the PSSs interacted with children while participating in constructive play. Also, data was collected through reflective journals reported after each video. Data analysis highlighted the different ways the PSSs employed to get involved in children's play, these being either using direct or indirect involvement. This study suggests that early childhood teachers' reflection can create a Zone of Proximal Action which refers to good fit direct and indirect involvement supporting children's mature constructive play behaviours.

Due to core challenges in social communication experienced by many young children with autism, children on the spectrum who are also dual language learners (DLLs) may benefit from developmentally-appropriate language supports in school settings. The current study examined whether home language status moderated the effect of a play-based intervention, JASPER, delivered in the classroom, in children with autism. Fifty-nine preschool children with autism received JASPER over eight weeks. Children who received JASPER improved significantly more in their language skills from entry to exit than children in preschool as usual. Home language status moderated the effect of treatment on receptive language where children of diverse linguistic backgrounds made greater gains in receptive language.

There are calls for developing ways to teach language that can inspire and motivate students to study additional languages. While previous research has pointed toward benefits of arts-based activities in language learning, combining language and dance has mainly been studied with younger language learners. Contextualized within the course "Dance with language," this study explores spoken word choreographies--word- and movement-based choreographies--that combine dance and the learning of Swedish as an additional language at a Finnish upper secondary school. The study engages with new materialist theories to understand languaging as an activity and relational, embodied, and material processes. Using diffractive analysis with comics-based research strategies, the analysis suggests that languaging-and-dancing become entangled through four doings: exploring, re-working, co-creating, and negotiating-and-switching. The spoken word choreographies offer a potentially valuable way to teach language in their move beyond students' potential restrictions of vocabulary, structure, and grammar in the language to emphasize playfulness and creative explorations as part of language-learning processes. In conclusion, the study proposes that dancing and spoken word, and the combination thereof, bring specific qualities to creating smooth languaging spaces that embrace wild, playful, creative, and unpredictable forces and movements in language-learning practices.

Play, which is both a context and process for children's learning, has become a pivotal pedagogical component in global early childhood education. The uptake of intentional teaching has contributed to the shift in understandings of play, from viewing play as a means of recreation and entertainment to a more socio-cultural perspective that advocates for educators' proactive and engaged roles in play. The recent update of the Early Years Learning Framework (2023) in Australia has included an emphasis on intentionality in play-based learning. However, there is little academic work on intentionality, and recent studies demonstrate educators' struggles in conceptualising their roles as intentional teachers. Drawing on the findings of a literature review, this discussion paper aims to conceptualise intentional teaching from two aspects: intentionality and decision-making. This paper argues that while educator and child intentionality are the starting point of intentional actions, the decision-making process enables educators to have ongoing intentionality behind their teaching practices. It concludes by advocating for a broader understanding of intentional teaching that focusses on the underlying thought processes behind educators' decisions and actions.