Play and Learning in Early Childhood Settings: International Perspectives

ISBN-13: 9789048178933 / Angielski / Miękka / 2010 / 195 str.

Springer

Opis

This book represents the outcome of the joint activities of a group of scholars who were concerned about the lack of international research in play for children from birth to 3 years. The authors are members of the Organisation Mondiale pour l Education Prescholaire (OMEP). For further information, see http: //www.om- ong.net/. The idea of carrying out a research project internationally was born at the OMEP s World Congress in Melbourne, Australia 2004. All member countries were invited and 10 countries decided to participate, of which three have withdrawn d- ing the process. The reason for this might be that in these countries only one person was working with the project, while other seven countries have been working in a team of two or more persons. The countries that have carried out research and contributed to this book with a chapter each are Australia, Chile, China, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden and USA (Wisconsin). For more information about the p- ticipating countries and their corresponding addresses, see Appendix I. This book project started in Melbourne with a discussion about what is general in early childhood education globally, and what is culturally speci c. The discussion was inspired by one of the keynote speakers, Nazhat Shameem (2004), judge in the supreme court in Fiji, when she said: If we all think we are so different and speci c in each culture, the role of human rights has no value anymore. We formulated three questions: "

Spis treści

Chapter 1: A cultural-historical perspective on play: Play as a leading activity across cultural communities Marilyn Fleer Chapter 2: Play and learning in Aotearoa/New Zealand early childhood education Jayne White, Fiona Ellis, Amiria O’Malley, Jean Rockel Sue Stover and Meripa Toso, Aotearoa/ New Zealand Chapter 3: Play and learning in Australia * Marilyn Fleer, Holli A. Tonyan, Ana Cristina Mantilla and C. Patricia Rivalland, Australia Chapter 4: Play and learning in Chile Verónica Aedo, Leonor Cerda, Patricia Dintrans, Mirna Pizarro, Silvia Redón and Verónica Romo, Chile Chapter 5: 'Eduplay': Beliefs and practices related to play and learning in Chinese kindergartens Nirmala Rao and Hui Li, Hong Kong, China Chapter 6: The meaning of play and learning for 0-3 years old children in Japan Mari Mori. Akiko Nezu, Chikage Samizo, Tomomi Naito and Mamiko Ishizuka, Japan Chapter 7: Play and learning in Swedish early childhood education * Ingrid Pramling Samuelsson and Sonja Sheridan, Sweden Chapter 8: Play and learning in Wisconsin Lenore Wineberg and Louis Chicquette, Wisconsin, USA Chapter 9: Commonalities and distinctions across countries Ingrid Pramling Samuelsson and Marilyn Fleer Appendix I

Blurb

This book provides the first ever cultural-historical study of the play of children from birth to 2 years of age in their early childhood education and care settings across 7 countries. Researchers from New Zealand, Australia, Chile, Hong Kong China, Japan, Sweden and USA present their investigations of the play activities of infants and toddlers in their early childhood settings. They examine the cultural construction of play in these different contexts through a cultural-historical analysis.

The book presents a review of the literature, drawing upon Vygotsky’s (1966) work to frame the review, followed by a critique of research and theory on play within the field of early childhood education. It provides case examples of play within specific countries, mostly using Barbara Rogoff’s (1998) 3 planes of analysis as a common approach for framing and analysing the data generated. It further examines how play has been enacted across countries and offers suggestions for future directions.