Emotional support constructing high quality scaffolding in day care

Tässä artikkelissa ohjausvuorovaikutuksen laatua tarkastellaan tunnetuen näkökulmasta, koska tunnetuki on lapsen oppimisen ja hyvinvoinnin kannalta keskeistä. Tavoitteenamme oli kehittää systemaattinen havainnointimenetelmä syventämään ymmärrystä tunnetuesta vuorovaikutusprosesseissa. Tunnetukiluokittelu kehitettiin moniulotteisen Classroom Assessment Scoring System-menetelmän pohjalta käyttäen videoaineistoja neljän varhaiskasvattajan lukuhetkistä. Valmiin tunnetukiluokittelun avulla havainnoimme kahden varhaiskasvattajan tunnetukea keskustelevan lukemisen periaatteita noudattavan Jänistarinat-intervention aikana, tunnetuen vaihtelua yksittäisissä lukuhetkissä sekä tunnetuen tyypillisiä ilmenemismuotoja. Tutkimusaineistoksi valittiin molemmilta varhaiskasvattajilta kolme videota, jotka analysoitiin rinnakkaishavainnointina. Tulosten mukaan varhaiskasvattajat tarjosivat pääosin myönteistä tai neutraalia tunnetukea, kielteisen tunnetuen jäädessä vähäiseksi. Toisella varhaiskasvattajalla johdonmukaiset, oppimista tukevat ohjausjaksot olivat pidempiä ja niitä oli enemmän kuin toisella. Lukuhetkissä ilmeni myös epäjohdonmukaisuutta eli jatkuvaa vaihtelua myönteisen, neutraalin ja kielteisen tunnetuen välillä sekä ei-tavoiteltavaa johdonmukaisuutta, jolloin tunnetuki jumiutui kielteisen ja neutraalin vaihteluksi. Myönteinen tunnetuki ilmeni tyypillisesti eläytyvänä lukemisena, myönteisenä palautteena ja kannustavina ilmeinä. Kielteinen tunnetuki ilmeni tyypillisesti joustamattomuutena lasten näkökulmille. Tulokset korostavat keskeisiä tunnetukeen liittyviä ilmiöitä, joiden aikaisempaa vahvempi huomioiminen rakentaa laadukasta ohjausvuorovaikutusta.In this article, the quality of scaffolding is studied from the perspective of emotional support, because it is crucial for the children’s learning and well-being. Our aim was to develop a systematical observation method to deepen understanding of emotional support during interaction. Videos from four day care professionals were used to develop the emotional support categories based on multidimensional Classroom Assessment Scoring System. With categories developed, we observed the emotional support of two day care professionals across a dialogic reading intervention, variation of emotional support during single reading sessions and typical expressions of emotional support. Three videos from both cases were analyzed by two observers. Results show that day care professionals provided mainly positive or neutral emotional support and seldom negative emotional support. One of the cases provided more and longer consistent, learning supportive emotional support than the other. Also non-consistent emotional support and consistent variation between negative and neutral emotional support were observed. Positive emotional support was typically shown by engaged reading, positive feedback and encouraging facial expressions. Negative emotional support was typically shown by inflexibility to children’s perspectives. The results emphasize the need to pay increasing attention to the emotional support to construct high quality scaffolding

Emotional support constructing high quality scaffolding in day care

In this article, the quality of scaffolding is studied from the perspective of emotional support, because it is crucial for the children’s learning and well-being. Our aim was to develop a systematical observation method to deepen understanding of emotional support during interaction. Videos from four day care professionals were used to develop the emotional support categories based on multidimensional Classroom Assessment Scoring System. With categories developed, we observed the emotional support of two day care professionals across a dialogic reading intervention, variation of emotional support during single reading sessions and typical expressions of emotional support. Three videos from both cases were analyzed by two observers. Results show that day care professionals provided mainly positive or neutral emotional support and seldom negative emotional support. One of the cases provided more and longer consistent, learning supportive emotional support than the other. Also non-consistent emotional support and consistent variation between negative and neutral emotional support were observed. Positive emotional support was typically shown by engaged reading, positive feedback and encouraging facial expressions. Negative emotional support was typically shown by inflexibility to children’s perspectives. The results emphasize the need to pay increasing attention to the emotional support to construct high quality scaffolding.</p

Promoting spontaneous focusing on numerosity and cardinality-related skills at day care with one, two, how many and count, how many programs

In this study we investigated the effects of two naturalistic 2- to 4-year-old children's intervention programs aimed at promoting children's Spontaneous Focusing On Numerosity (SFON) and early numerical skills. The study consisted of a quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest design with a delayed posttest and an active control group participating in the Let's Read and Talk program. All conditions had 6 weeks of intensive training followed by a 4-month rehearsal phase, when intervention activities were integrated into normal day care. The results of both numerical interventions in the whole group level show positive, small- to medium-sized long-term effects on cardinality-related skills from pretest to delayed posttest. The SFON tendency increased more from pretest to posttest in both studies but the group differences vanished in the delayed posttest. The children in the Count, how many programs developed more in SFON tendency from pretest to posttest, while the better development of SFON from pretest to posttest was significant only for the low group in the One, two, how many programs. There were no group differences in vocabulary or story comprehension skills. Educational implications suggest that combining SFON and cardinality-related skill training at day care results in developmentally effective activities for early educators and children

The Effects of a SFON-Based Early Numeracy Program on Multilingual Children's Early Numeracy and Oral Language Skills

In this quasi-experimental study we examined how the Count How Many (CHM) intervention program can support multilingual children's early numeracy and oral language skills. The program is aimed at promoting spontaneous focusing on numerosity (SFON) and early numeracy skills in 3- to 5-year-old children who attend day care. We examined the effects of the CHM intervention with existing, but unanalyzed data, of16 multilingual children who participated in the intervention, which consists of 6 weeks of intensive training followed by a 5-month rehearsal phase. We matched two monolingual participants with each multilingual participant by age, SFON, and cardinality-related skills for each multilingual child. One of the matched children participated in the CHM intervention, while the other took part in an early literacy program, Let's Read and Talk. Children's early numeracy and oral language skills were measured at pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest. Multilingual children's SFON tendency, cardinality skills, number sequence production abilities, and story comprehension skills developed at a similar rate as monolingual participants during the follow-up period. The results suggest that it is possible to enhance SFON tendency and cardinality-related skills in multilingual children before school age. Furthermore, the time spent supporting early numeracy skills does not take away from language learning. However, more research is needed in larger populations to determine the applicability to broader segments of national and global societies.</p

Varhaiskasvatuksen työntekijöiden lukemisvuorovaikutusosaamisen kehittäminen: Luetaan jutustellen -interventio

Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on tarkastella lapsiryhmän ja työntekijän välisen lukemisvuorovaikutuksen kehittymistä sekä kunkin työntekijän taitoa soveltaa keskustelevan lukemisen periaatteita. Keskustelevan lukemistavan on osoitettu olevan yhteydessä lasten kielelliseen kehitykseen. Tutkimuskohteena oli Luetaan jutustellen -interventio, jossa ohjattiin varhaiskasvatuksen työntekijöitä koulutuksen, työnohjauksen ja lukemisohjeiden avulla keskustelevaan lukemistapaan. Kuudessa lapsiryhmässä videoitiin kolme lukutilannetta. Videoaineistosta analysoitiin tarinaan liittyvä ja liittymätön vuorovaikutus, lasten ja työntekijän aloitteet, lasten osallisuutta sekä kielellistä ja päättelyn kehitystä edistävä vuorovaikutus. Vuorovaikutus kirjanlukutilanteissa oli pääasiassa tarinaan liittyvää ja perustui useammin lasten kuin työntekijöiden aloitteisiin. Lukemisvuorovaikutus oli kielellistä kehitystä edistävää kaikissa kirjanlukutilanteissa, mutta lasten osallisuutta ja päättelyn kehitystä edistävässä vuorovaikutuksessa havaittiin työntekijöiden kehitysprofiileissa vaihtelua. Tulosten perusteella suositellaan Varhaiskasvatussuunnitelman perusteissa määritellyn laaja-alaisen osaamisen tukemiseksi työntekijöiden kirjanlukutilanteiden lukemisvuorovaikutusosaamisen kehittämistä Luetaan jutustellen -intervention mukaisella toimintamallilla

The Effects of a SFON-Based Early Numeracy Program on Multilingual Children's Early Numeracy and Oral Language Skills

In this quasi-experimental study we examined how the Count How Many (CHM) intervention program can support multilingual children's early numeracy and oral language skills. The program is aimed at promoting spontaneous focusing on numerosity (SFON) and early numeracy skills in 3- to 5-year-old children who attend day care. We examined the effects of the CHM intervention with existing, but unanalyzed data, of16 multilingual children who participated in the intervention, which consists of 6 weeks of intensive training followed by a 5-month rehearsal phase. We matched two monolingual participants with each multilingual participant by age, SFON, and cardinality-related skills for each multilingual child. One of the matched children participated in the CHM intervention, while the other took part in an early literacy program, Let's Read and Talk. Children's early numeracy and oral language skills were measured at pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest. Multilingual children's SFON tendency, cardinality skills, number sequence production abilities, and story comprehension skills developed at a similar rate as monolingual participants during the follow-up period. The results suggest that it is possible to enhance SFON tendency and cardinality-related skills in multilingual children before school age. Furthermore, the time spent supporting early numeracy skills does not take away from language learning. However, more research is needed in larger populations to determine the applicability to broader segments of national and global societies.</p