Mathematics is, universally, considered the heartbeat of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematical (STEM) education. Accordingly, the learners must be equipped with strong mathematical proficiency very early in life. This behoves mathematics practitioners to use various impactful pedagogical strategies. The bigger action research from…

Purpose: This short article takes the play and passion of children's literacy as its focal point. Rather than orienting reading and writing around what should be taught or how children should respond and understand written text, in this short reflective essay we aim to explore the play and passion inherent in children's literacy practices. We do…

The study adopts a multimodal perspective, looking at adults' use of gestures in variation sets (VS; i.e. sequences of partial self-repetitions occurring in successive utterances of varying form) addressed to Spanish-learning toddlers in adult-child interactions. We seek to address the following question: Do adults make simultaneous use of VS and…

Contrary to previous studies, the present qualitative ethnographic study focuses on free play during primary school recess with an emphasis on the significance of the interaction between play and the socio-cultural environment and the active role of the children in their play. The aim of the study was to investigate children's perspectives about…

Parents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience a unique set of contextual challenges that may limit the effectiveness of traditional parenting interventions. Identifying effective adaptations to existing evidence-based parenting interventions to address the needs of this vulnerable population is critical for maximizing…

Background: Limited knowledge exists regarding the effectiveness of training programmes for individuals with Down syndrome, particularly innovative approaches like tele-coaching. Our pilot study aimed to improve strength and balance using tele-coaching sessions in children with Down syndrome. Materials and Methods: We enrolled 18 children and…

Teaching Computer Science concepts, such as graph theory, is often challenging. This study proposes an approach for teaching graph theory using an unplugged game ("GraphGame") developed through a participatory design process that includes usage observation, clarifying meaning, prototyping, and implementation. This process was carried out…

Mathematics is a core component of cognition. Unfortunately, most young children and teachers cannot access research-based early childhood mathematics resources. Building on a quarter-century of research, we are developing and evaluating an innovative, integrated, intelligent, and interactive system of technologies based on empirically validated…

Africanised play is a pedagogical transformation that stresses integrating play pedagogies, African culture and digital learning within the mathematical curriculum. This transformation contributes to learners developing problem-solving, mathematical, digital skills and appreciating culture. Given that, there still needs to be more knowledge on the…

This study investigates the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning experiences of Chinese primary school students, aiming to conduct a comprehensive comparison between the impacts of playful pedagogical activities and traditional review, practice, and recitation methods. A total of 80 fourth-graders from two classes taught by the same…

The host of the internationally popular early childhood podcast "That Early Childhood Nerd" provides a framework for understanding the importance of free play. Free play is disappearing from the lives of too many young children, leaving them vulnerable to negative effects on their physical and mental health, social and emotional growth,…

"Baby schema" refers to physical features perceived as cute, known to trigger attention, induce positive emotions, and prompt social interactions. Given the reduced visual attention to social stimuli observed in individuals on the autism spectrum, the current study examines whether the sensitivity to baby schema is also affected. We…

Joint engagement involves a child coordinating their attention between a person and a shared event. Children with autism present with impaired joint engagement. Playdates are a common way that children socially engage yet have been largely overlooked in the social skills literature. Requesting skills have been conceptualized as pivotal, producing…

This qualitative study investigated teachers' beliefs about the availability of play materials in the physical indoor environment of early childhood education and care (ECEC). The empirical data were gathered from fieldwork in eight child groups in ECEC institutions across Norway and comprised 13 semistructured interviews with teachers. The…

This article considers Bolton based community drama group, Melodramatics, and the ways in which their practice helps illuminate forms of relational activity that confront the nihilism of the resilient subject. If we accept resilience as a normative force that restricts the ability of the political subject to 'become otherwise', we are invited to…