Naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention is an emerging class of interventions for young children with autism spectrum disorder. The present article is a meta-analysis of outcomes of group-design studies (n = 27) testing interventions using naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention strategies. Small, significant positive effects…

Taking place within the Science Through Technology-Enhanced Play (STEP) design-based research project, this paper describes how first- and second-grade students use their bodies to imaginatively become microscopic particles inside of a collaborative simulation of state change (e.g., liquid to gas) and within two distinct play spaces: a…

Although most early-childhood educators agree on the value of play in child development, they find it increasingly harder to advocate for play given today's pressure for academic achievement. Using the theoretical work of Lev Vygotsky, the authors discuss how make-believe play among children helps them develop skills critical for success in school…

The purpose of the current study was to examine the associations between child characteristics (i.e. gender, age, enjoying outdoor) and familial characteristics (i.e. parent education and income), and Turkish children's biophilia (innate tendency to connect with nature). In addition, the current study also attempted to examine the association…

The study examines the concurrent and longitudinal associations between ratings-based measures (parents, secondary caregivers, and observers) and performance-based measures of focused attention in toddlers aged 30 (n = 147), 36 (n = 127), and 42 months (n = 107). Parents and secondary caregivers rated focused attention behaviours using the…

In this article we propose that educational game design should work to create games as objects-to-think-with--games that engage players in the exploration of and experimentation with personally interesting questions around domain-relevant representations. We argue that this design focuses on developing tools and interactions that the player can…

The article presents a review of research that has sought to capture the perspectives of poor children on their experience in Brazilian public childhood education institutions, emphasising two themes: interactions and play. The voices of the children heard in these studies indicate the predominance of the transmissive teaching model, centred on…

Autonomy is one of the core motivators of children's creativity and (non)compliance. But it is less known how children's (non)compliance links to later creative potential and how maternal parenting behaviors contribute to those links. This article, as part of a longitudinal study, tested whether preschoolers' committed compliance and…

Drawing on kindergarten teachers' and University departments' reactions to the Greek government's initiative to adopt an integrated Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) system, the present study aimed to explore how various ECEC professional groups working in the two main preschool programs operating in Greece define different aspects…

The current early years emphasis on ensuring young children achieve 'school readiness' has contributed to a context of academic pressure in early years settings in England. The debated term 'school readiness' is vaguely expressed in England's early years curriculum as 'Children reaching a good level of development in the prime areas of literacy…

Young children on the autism spectrum have minimal social interaction with their peers in inclusive preschool settings, thus limiting opportunities to build social relationships. Research indicates that explicitly training peers how to interact with classmates with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can increase the likelihood of peer-directed…

Game-based learning has received significant attention in educational pedagogy as an effective way of increasing student motivation and engagement. The majority of the work in this area has been focused on digital games or games involving technology. We focus on the use of traditional game design in improving student engagement and perception of…

This paper applies a cultural-historical approach to researching the perspective of academic pedagogy teachers on good, campus-based teaching practices in the arena of play following the reform of Norwegian early childhood teacher education. The research material comprises over three world café conversations with a total of 13 pedagogy teachers.…

The Experience, Represent, Apply (ERA) heuristic is an innovation of the Early Learning STEM Australia (ELSA) project. It provided educators with an approach that embeds digital technologies in play-based learning in such a way that the focus of the learning remains on the child and not on the device. This paper reports on the experiences of early…

Theatre for Early Years (TEY) audiences is a relatively new and growing area of practice. This article arises from empirical research with a group of children aged three and four, who made repeat visits to watch TEY performances at Polka Theatre in London. Drawing on literature from education studies, theatre studies and cultural geography, this…