The authors of this study examined the relationship between motor imitation behaviors and social communication behaviors in 15-18-month-old infants, using a quantitative correlational research design. Imitation behaviors have been shown to be an index of later social cognition and language development, and a critical mechanism in language learning…

Research shows an association between mother-infant shared reading and children's language and literacy development. Educators in early childhood education and care (ECEC) centres frequently interact with groups of similar-aged infants, yet infant-educator shared reading has received little attention. This naturalistic observational study…

In recent years the interest in preschool mathematics has increased. However, studies seldom focus on children under the age of three and research is scarce on the early use of mathematics observed in natural settings. This article reports a study of mathematical possibilities during diaper changing in a preschool setting. A diaper change can be a…

This naturalistic, qualitative study examines the nature of child- and adult-led interactions in a children's museum. Using dialogic learning as a theoretical framework, the study examines how children and adults engage in interactions while learning at a museum. Findings suggest that children and adults are almost equally likely to lead…

The exploratory study focused on describing typical routines of preparing for winter outdoor play with preschool children and their teachers. Naturalistic observations, interviews and photographs resulted in extensive examples of children's development in cognitive understanding of winter and winter-related concepts. Observations of teachers and…

Explains the shadow-study observation record of a child's daily actions in an educational environment, describing the processes involved in the shadow-study technique. Suggests that the shadow study is suitable for use in any early-childhood classroom for a variety of purposes, providing valuable information to teachers and researchers. (JPB)