Early Childhood Folio vol. 20 no. 2 (2016)

Despite making major advances in educational provision, Māori and Pasifika children continue to lag behind other groups, in New Zealand, achieving disproportionately lower results on national averages. Key to educational success for Māori and Pasifika children is the acknowledgement that they are culturally located and the recognition that effective education must embrace culture. Early childhood education has an important role in building strong learning foundations for young children,… Read more

A growing number of 2 year olds are now attending early childhood education (ECE) services nationally and internationally. However, New Zealand has been slow to address the specialist provision and needs for high quality ECE for 2 year olds. The current survey of 248 New Zealand ECE services examined the effect of this lacuna on practice and provision. The results show a lack of adequate funding for provision and emphasise the importance of optimal child–teacher ratios for 2 year olds.… Read more

In the Hebrew story, King Solomon was asked to decide which of two “harlots” was the mother of an infant. His proposal to divide the baby between them revealed who could recognise the child’s best interests. This ancient story has resonance for early childhood education, for although our curriculum holds the wellbeing of children at its core, the wisdom of Solomon is needed to navigate the inconvenient truth that early childhood education can be detrimental to the health of young children.… Read more

Teachers understand the importance of whānau (family) involvement for children’s learning. This understanding comes from their own experience as teachers, from an extensive published research base, and, in Aotearoa New Zealand from the national early childhood education curriculum, Te Whāriki. Early childhood teachers also know that finding acceptable ways to engage whānau on a regular and equal basis can be challenging. This article reports on the pilot stage of a new perspective on… Read more

This article has arisen from a study involving teachers in an early childhood centre and their responses to being introduced to schema learning theory. As a former practitioner in early childhood education and in my current role in initial teacher education, I have an interest in cognitive constructivist learning theories from both developmental and sociocultural pedagogies and how these theories have changed and adapted over time. While some would suggest schema learning theory and… Read more

This article has two aims. First, it conveys the results of a questionnaire and focus-group study. This study asked parents of 3- to 5-year-old children what they would like to help support their children’s development toward the transition from early childhood services to primary school. Second, it describes the process of university researcher interaction and consultation with the early childhood community in planning and carrying out this study. Resulting budding relationships between… Read more

Early Childhood Folio is seeking articles for this special issue. The issue will honour eminent childhood studies scholar, Emeritus Professor Anne B. Smith.
This issue seeks articles focused on children as social actors and understandings of childhoods in contemporary times. It promotes a multi-disciplinary childhood studies approach, emphasising the social construction of childhoods and relationships with culture, geography, and history. The issue… Read more