ORCID Profile
0000-0003-3835-6283
Current Organisations
Charles Sturt University
,
Macquarie University
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Research Topics
In Research Link Australia (RLA), "Research Topics" refer to ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes. These topics are either sourced from ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes listed in researchers' related grants or generated by a large language model (LLM) based on their publications.
Top 5 Research Topics
ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)
Education Systems | Early Childhood Education (excl. Māori) | Public Policy | Teacher Education: Early Childhood | Rehabilitation And Therapy: Hearing And Speech | Developmental Psychology And Ageing | Clinical Sciences | Psychology | Policy and Administration | Teacher Education and Professional Development of Educators | Mental Health | Health Promotion | Special Education
ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)
Early childhood education | Pedagogy | Families | The professions and professionalisation | Special education | "Occupational, speech and physiotherapy" | Management and Leadership of Schools/Institutions | Youth/child development and welfare | Learner and Learning Processes | Government and politics not elsewhere classified | Learner Development | Assessment and Evaluation of Curriculum | Education policy | Resourcing of Education and Training Systems | Mental health | Other social development and community services |
Related Links
Publications
Early childhood educators’ conceptions of infants’ capabilities: the nexus between beliefs and practice
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 20-05-2015
Transition to work and the career destinations of double degree nurses
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 08-2013
DOI: 10.5172/CONU.2013.45.1.64
Abstract: Abstract One third of undergraduate nursing students in Australia are studying nursing concurrently with another undergraduate degree. This study examined the career preferences of double degree (DD) nursing students and the career destinations of graduates to gain an understanding of the reasons why nursing is chosen or not chosen. The design was a sequential mixed methods explanatory study. Questionnaires and interviews collected information during the final year of the DD, on commencement of work, and after 2 years in the workforce. Results revealed less than half of final year students indicated a preference for nursing, but 60-73% were employed in nursing after graduation. Career decisions were influenced by intrinsic and extrinsic rewards unique to nursing but also the other discipline. Practicum experiences and location of work were also important factors. Strategies are needed to avoid losing potential nursing graduates to other disciplines at a time of nursing staff shortages.
Investigating multi-tasking and task rotation as aspects of the complexity of early childhood educators’ work
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 10-06-2022
Applying the World Report on Disability to children's communication
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 11-09-2014
DOI: 10.3109/09638288.2013.833305
Abstract: The World Report on Disability is an important milestone in the recognition of people with disabilities however, the Report acknowledges that people with communication difficulties may be underrepresented in estimates of disability. Consequently, this article applies the nine recommendations from the World Report on Disability to supporting children's communication skills. Australia is similar to most Minority World countries since it places high regard on articulate and literate communication. Recent large-scale Australian studies of children with speech, language and communication needs were reviewed to determine prevalence, impact and associated environmental and personal factors. Studies of met and unmet need were reviewed and discussed in relation to legislation and policies. Recent years have seen improvements in the collection of and access to disability data about children's communication, including the involvement of children in research about the impact of communication difficulties on their lives. The prevalence of speech and language impairment in children is high and is associated with poorer educational and social outcomes at school-age. Significant unmet need for services was noted, and there were differences in health, education and disability policies regarding access to services. Updated legislation, policies and practices are needed to more effectively support access to services to support children's communication across health, education and disability sectors. Implications for Rehabilitation There is a high prevalence of speech and language impairment in Australian children. Childhood speech and language impairment (and associated communication disability) can impact educational, social, behavioural and occupational outcomes throughout life. Many Australian children do not have sufficient access to targeted services (including speech-language pathology) to ameliorate the impact of their communication disability. Formulation of a national strategy to support children children's communication is required.
Family day care educators: An exploration of their understanding and experiences promoting children's social and emotional wellbeing
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 09-2012
Supporting multidisciplinary networks through relationality and a critical sense of belonging
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-07-2016
Using a socio-ecological framework to understand the career choices of single- and double-degree nursing students and double-degree graduates
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 17-07-2012
DOI: 10.5402/2012/748238
Abstract: Untested changes in nursing education in Australia, such as the introduction of double degrees in nursing, necessitate a new research approach to study nursing career pathways. A review of the literature on past and present career choice theories demonstrates these are inadequate to gain an understanding of contemporary nursing students’ career choices. With the present worldwide shortage of nurses, an understanding of career choice becomes a critical component of recruitment and retention strategies. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how an ecological system approach based on Bronfenbrenner’s theory of human development can be used to understand and examine the influences affecting nursing students’ and graduates’ career development and career choices. Bronfenbrenner’s socioecological model was adapted to propose a new Nursing Career Development Framework as a way of conceptualizing the career development of nursing students undertaking traditional bachelor of nursing and nontraditional double-degree nursing programs. This Framework is then applied to a study of undergraduate nurses’ career decision making, using a sequential explanatory mixed method study. The paper demonstrates the relevance of this approach for addressing challenges associated with nursing recruitment, education, and career choice.
Parent Perspectives of Ear Health and the Relationship with Children’s Speech and Language in the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 14-01-2023
Abstract: Health and well-being are holistic concepts that are perceived to be inseparable for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We examined relationships between parent-reported ear symptoms for 787 Indigenous children at two time points (age 2–3 years, age 4–5 years) and two parent-reported speech and language outcomes one year later (age 5–6 years). Most parents (80.2%) reported no concern about their child’s expressive language and (93.8%) receptive language. Binary logistic regression models examined ear health as a predictor of children’s expressive and receptive speech and language adjusting for sociodemographic and health covariates. For children without parent-reported ear symptoms, there were lower odds of parental concern about expressive speech and language (aOR = 0.45 95% CI 0.21–0.99) and receptive language (aOR = 0.24 95% CI 0.09–0.62). Parents were less likely to have concerns about the child’s expressive speech and language if their child was female, lived in urban or regional areas, had excellent or very good global health, or had no disability when aged 2–5 years. Since parent-reported ear health and speech and language concerns were related, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children could benefit from culturally safe, strength-based, and family-centered integrated speech, language, and ear health services.
Mapping the leap: differences in quality improvement in relation to assessment rating outcomes
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 14-06-2023
DOI: 10.3389/FEDUC.2023.1155786
Abstract: Australia’s National Quality Standard (NQS) outlines the criteria to assess the quality of early childhood services. A four-point rating scale: (i) Exceeding NQS (ii) Meeting NQS (iii) Working Toward NQS and (iv) Significant Improvement Required is applied to services following a regular assessment and rating process. Settings rated as Working Toward are reassessed within 12 months. Most settings achieved a one-step improvement in this Time 2 reassessment, moving to a Meeting rating but some settings made a two-step improvement, moving to an Exceeding rating. The QIP is a key document used by authorities to assess the quality of a service. A grounded theory, data driven approach was taken to deepen understanding of quality rating improvements in long day care services in Australia of quality rating improvements by early childhood education and care [ECEC] services in Australia. This study, part of the second phase of a three phase study involved a document analysis of the Time 2 Quality Improvement Plans (QIPs) of a representative s le of Long Day Care (LDC) services (n = 60) from all Australian states and territories to determine what factors may have contributed to these different levels of improvement, with a focus on Quality Area 1 (QA1) (Educational programs and practices) and Quality Area 7 (QA7) (Governance and leadership). The study utilized the semantic analysis tool Leximancer 4.5. Leximancer 4.5 statistically analyses the semantic relationships between concepts in documents by measuring word proximity and correlation. The software creates visual maps of concepts and their connections to each other in texts. Concepts located near one another on the map are more likely to be contextually related. This tool is particularly useful when there are multiple, complex documents to analyze, reducing the potential biases that can arise from documents that use language with which these researchers are very familiar with. The analysis found clear differences between the Time 2 QIPs of services who had made a two-step rating improvement and those who made a one-step improvement. Two-step (Exceeding NQS) category improvers for QA1 placed attention in their QIPs on improvement to the program and overall practice, with an orientation to the role of the educational leader. Two-step (Exceeding NQS) category improvers for QA7 seemed to be more oriented to a systemic view of the processes encompassed by QA7 how the management of the service and information supports the work of educators, with stronger links made between leadership roles (the manager and nominated supervisor) and the work of educators. The QIPs demonstrated how the intentional and systemic processes in these quality areas related to practice, management, and leadership.
The relational agency framework as a tool for supporting the establishment, maintenance, and development of multidisciplinary networks of professionals
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Date: 2017
Can teacher–child relationships support human rights to freedom of opinion and expression, education and participation?
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 07-12-2017
DOI: 10.1080/17549507.2018.1408855
Abstract: This study explored how teacher-child relationships change over the early school years, in terms of closeness and conflict, whether these trajectories differ in type and frequency for children with typical development and children with speech and language concern (SLC), and whether the trajectories are associated with school outcomes at 12-13 years. Participants were children, parents and teachers in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Parents identified 2890 children with typical communication and 1442 children with SLC. Teacher-rated teacher-child closeness and conflict were collected biennially over six years. Academic and social-emotional outcomes were reported by teachers and children. Growth mixture modelling was conducted to generate teacher-child relationship trajectories and Wald's chi-square analyses were used to test the association between trajectories and school outcomes at 12-13 years, after controlling for a range of covariates including child's sex, language background, Indigenous status, age and socio-economic position. In both groups, the majority of children had teacher-child relationship trajectories with sustained high closeness and low conflict that predicted positive outcomes at age 12-13, but the SLC group was more at risk of less positive trajectories and poorer school outcomes. Close, less conflicted relationships with teachers may provide a supportive context for later language, literacy and social-emotional development. This study highlights the role of teachers in supporting children in their development of communication and academic skills that will optimise their capacity for freedom of opinions and expression, education and participation, as enshrined in Articles 19, 26 and 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Current approaches in quantitative research in early childhood education
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Date: 2018
Child care predictors of infant-mother attachment security at age 12 months
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 1997
Family, child and location factors and parents’ reasons for multiple concurrent childcare arrangements in the years before school in Australia
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2014
Utilisation of Early Childhood Education and Care Services in a Nationally Representative Sample of Australian Children: A Focus on Disadvantage
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 06-2014
Early Shared Reading, Socioeconomic Status, and Children’s Cognitive and School Competencies: Six Years of Longitudinal Evidence
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 25-06-2018
Language development in the early school years: The importance of close relationships with teachers.
Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)
Date: 2015
DOI: 10.1037/A0038540
Abstract: This longitudinal study examined developmental links between closeness in teacher-child relationships and children's receptive language ability from the end of the preschool years into the early elementary years, while controlling for changes in peer interaction quality and child behavioral functioning. The s le included children and their parents and teachers (N = 4,983) participating in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) at ages 4-5, 6-7, and 8-9 years (3 waves). Teachers reported on levels of closeness in relationships with in idual children. Independent assessments of receptive language were employed. Parents and teachers reported on peer interaction problems and child conduct problems. Results indicated reciprocal associations between close teacher-child relationships and receptive language development above and beyond associations with peer interaction quality and child behavioral functioning. However, the effects were only modest.
Working with teachers’ pedagogical strengths: The design of executive function activities for play-based programs
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 12-2017
Abstract: EVIDENCE FOR THE PREDICTIVE effect of executive functions (EF) on school readiness and later school achievement has been noted. However, some studies show that EF activities are not sustained beyond the study period due to limited engagement by teachers and children. In light of this problem, this paper presents the pedagogical outcomes of a pilot study where teachers used ‘playworlds’ (Lindqvist, 1995) to embed EF into their programs. Five preschool teachers and five assistant teachers participated in the study over 10 weeks. Focus group interviews of all participants were conducted. A cultural-historical analysis showed that teachers developed motivating activities that promoted the sustainable development of EF in contexts of high child-engagement and motivation. The pedagogical features and implications for early childhood education are reported.
Implicit theories and naïve beliefs: Using the theory of practice architectures to deconstruct the practices of early childhood educators
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 24-07-2016
Abstract: This article proposes utilising the theory of practice architectures to uncover and make explicit the beliefs and implicit theories of early childhood educators, as well as to examine the conditions out of which they have emerged. The beliefs and implicit theories of early childhood educators influence many early childhood practices and play a significant role in guiding the pedagogical experiences of children. Aimed at identifying elements of practice that constrain and enable praxis, the theory of practice architectures has been effectively applied in tertiary, secondary and primary education, but has had limited use in early childhood education contexts. The article explores its potential for helping educators better articulate their practices and applies the theory to examine a number of discursive, material and social influences that shape (and are shaped by) early childhood practice. Implications for early childhood educators’ praxis are framed in the context of contemporary challenges of early childhood education.
Measuring early childhood educators’ time at work using an electronic random time-sampling approach
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 10-10-2022
The hidden complexity of early childhood educators’ work: The Exemplary Early Childhood Educators at Work study
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 06-2020
Abstract: A considerable body of research suggests that knowledgeable and skilled educators are key to the quality of early childhood services. However, the skills and knowledge of educators is subject to being underestimated and contested. In response, the Exemplary Early Childhood Educators at Work Study has been designed to bring to light the distinctive nature of the work of early childhood educators and its complexity. The study draws its s le from centre based early childhood services that are rated as high quality by the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA).
‘We’re not useless, we know stuff!’ Gathering children’s voices to inform policy
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 18-11-2023
DOI: 10.1177/18369391221139912
Abstract: ‘We’re not useless, we know stuff!’, said a four-year-old when asked why adults should ask him what he thinks about his experiences at his early learning centre. This paper describes the literature and methods used to gather children’s voices in early childhood and education (ECEC) settings across Stage 1 and 2 of the 3 stage national Learning Frameworks Update project. Asking children about their ideas and experiences was undertaken by familiar educators using research tools designed and supported by the research team. The methods of dialogic drawing, talking circles and visual elicitation were described and further explained to enable educators to gather children’s perspectives on their learning experiences in ECEC contexts. We reflect on the efficacy of these methods, approaches and strategies to support meaning-making from a erse representation of children and how this can influence policy decision-making.
Teacher Education: A Diluted Environmental Education Experience
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 2006
DOI: 10.1017/S0814062600001658
Abstract: This paper presents the findings of a small-scale research project about student teachers' perceptions and experiences of environmental education. The context of this study is a pre-service teacher education faculty in rural New South Wales, Australia. A combined methods approach was applied, with a survey designed from rich data elicited through focus group interviews. The focus of this paper is on the findings of the survey, revealing that prospective teachers' preparedness in environmental education is diluted by their teacher education experience and that such experiences are not providing a stimulus for novice teachers to practice environmental education.
Does Child Care in the First Year of Life Pose a Risk for Concurrent and Future Ear Infections?
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 08-01-2019
Multilingualism and speech-language competence in early childhood: Impact on academic and social-emotional outcomes at school
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2016
Enhancing longitudinal studies by linkage to national databases: Growing up in Australia, the longitudinal study of Australian children
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-2007
School choice and parent involvement among Australian children starting school
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 2017
Readability and beyond - Health literacy and numeracy and COVID-19 communications in early childhood education: Are we communicating effectively?
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2023
A longitudinal population study of literacy and numeracy outcomes for children identified with speech, language, and communication needs in early childhood
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2019
The construction of a taxonomy of early childhood educators’ work
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 09-2015
DOI: 10.1177/183693911504000311
Abstract: DESPITE CONSIDERABLE RESEARCH ON the impact of early childhood education (ECE), there is little empirical evidence about what the everyday work of educators entails. This paper reports on the development of a tool to capture generalisable data on the everyday work of educators so as to inform effective workforce policy. This tool—a taxonomy of early childhood educators' work—was developed by drawing on the expertise of six early years' experts from Australia and the United States of America (USA) and includes time-use diaries, focus groups and interviews with 21 early childhood educators working in long day care and preschool services. The taxonomy, which we present here, consists of 10 domains, each with a number of sub-classes. We propose that this taxonomy is a useful codification system for ascertaining the everyday work tasks, activities and actions of early childhood educators in erse early years' settings. It is anticipated that the taxonomy will prove a valuable tool for subsequent research investigating the early childhood workforce.
The influence of being ready to learn on children's early school literacy and numeracy achievement
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 08-2011
The role of digital technologies in supporting quality improvement in Australian early childhood education and care settings
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-02-2023
DOI: 10.1186/S40723-023-00107-6
Abstract: This national study explored the role of digital technologies in early childhood education and care settings and whether they could contribute to quality improvement as reported by educators and assessors of quality in Australia. In this paper, data from Stage 2 of the Quality Improvement Research Project were used, which comprised 60 Quality Improvement Plans from educators linked with 60 Assessment and Rating reports from the assessors who visited early childhood centres as part of the administration of the National Quality Standards by each of Australia’s State and Territory jurisdictions. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory ( Bronfenbrenner, U. (1995). Developmental ecology through space and time: A future perspective. In P. Moen, G. H. Elder, Jr., & K. Lüscher (Eds.), Examining lives in context: Perspectives on the ecology of human development (pp. 619–647). American Psychological Association. 0.1037/10176-018 Bronfenbrenner & Ceci, Bronfenbrenner and Ceci, Psychological Review 101:568–586, 1994) was adopted to facilitate a systemic and dynamic view on the use of digital technologies in these 60 ECEC settings. References (e.g. comments/ suggestions/ ex les) made by the educators about the implementation of digital technologies were counted and thematically analysed. Results revealed the strong role new technologies (e.g. documentation and management platforms, tablets, apps, etc.) play in the majority of ECEC settings and especially in relation to three of the seven Quality Areas: Educational programme and practice (Quality Area 1) Collaborative partnerships with families and communities (Quality Area 6) and Governance and leadership (Quality Area 7). Future directions for research are suggested and implications for embracing a more holistic, integrated and broad view on the use of digital technologies are discussed.
Children’s drawings of student-teacher relationship quality: examining change over the first year of school.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 16-03-2023
Lived spaces of infant-toddler education and care
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Date: 2014
Playgroups as sites for parental education
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 24-09-2017
Abstract: There is widespread international interest in parental education as a means of promoting educational equality through improving educational outcomes for young children. The research in this area suggests an association between the home learning environment and children’s educational outcomes and highlights the importance of parental education for supporting young children’s learning through play. This article reviews the international literature around parental education initiatives (or ‘interventions’) in early childhood and then considers playgroups as potential sites for parental education. The article identifies the universal features of playgroups that make these sites appealing for the implementation of parental education initiatives and discusses the complexities associated with the design of interventions aimed at meeting the erse needs of parents attending playgroups. It concludes by providing a case for community playgroups as cultural contexts, to be considered sites for parental education through curriculum aimed at supporting parents to actively engage in their children’s learning and development through play.
Expectations and experiences of accessing and participating in services for childhood speech impairment
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-05-2011
DOI: 10.3109/17549507.2011.535565
Abstract: Speech impairment (speech sound disorder) is a high prevalence condition that responds well to early intervention provided by speech-language pathologists (SLPs). However, not all children in Australia are able to access necessary speech-language pathology services. The aim of this research was to investigate Australian parents' experiences of accessing and engaging in speech-language pathology services for their children with speech impairment. Two studies were conducted to achieve this aim. In Study 1, questionnaires were completed by 109 parents of pre-school children who had been identified with concerns about their speech. Only a third (n = 34, 31.2%) of the parents had previously accessed speech-language pathology services for assessment of their children's speech and just 29 of these (26.6% of the entire s le) reported their children had received intervention. Two thirds (n = 68, 62.4%) of the parents had not sought speech-language pathology services and half of these (n = 35, 32.1% of the entire s le) reported that "services were not needed". There was a small number of parents (n = 7, 6.4%) who had attempted to access services but had been unsuccessful. Parents identified teachers, family, friends, and doctors as important sources of information about their children's speech. In Study 2, interviews were conducted with 13 of the parents to discuss their experiences of speech impairment and service delivery in greater depth. Parents expected that others would make them aware of their child's speech impairment and that they should be able to access speech-language pathology services when required. Consequently, there is a need to raise awareness about speech impairment and speech-language pathology services to ensure appropriate identification, referral, and service provision for children at risk.
Researching Young Children's Perspectives
Publisher: Routledge
Date: 08-03-2011
Making research relevant in preservice early childhood teacher education
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 09-2006
Feasibility and initial psychometric properties of the observe, reflect, improve children’s learning tool (ORICL) for early childhood services: A tool for building capacity in infant and toddler educators
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 16-08-2023
DOI: 10.1177/18369391231194374
Abstract: Child observation is a critical component of quality pedagogy in early childhood education and care (ECEC). The ORICL (Observe, Reflect, Improve Children’s Learning) tool was co-designed by ECEC researchers, policymakers, leaders, and practitioners to support this work. Educators rate the experiences of in idual children, and responses of educators and peers on 118 items across five domains. In this study of the utility of ORICL, the tool was used by 21 educators across 12 ECEC services for a total of 66 children. Descriptive statistical analyses were used to determine how educators used the full range of the ORICL rating scale, and the psychometric properties of the tool were explored. Findings suggest that the ORICL items can be readily observed and rated by educators for children aged under 3 years, the rating scale is appropriate, and there is early evidence to support the domain structure of the tool.
Infants draw on ‘emotional capital’ in early childhood education contexts: A new paradigm
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 12-2017
Abstract: Research about infants’ capacity to communicate using cries, smiles and sophisticated emotional strategies to connect with adults in their lives has predominantly emerged from the field of developmental psychology, with relatively limited attention to how babies enact such communicative practices with key adults in naturalistic settings. This article examines the emotional communicative practices infants use with educators in early childhood education and care contexts. Drawing on data from a study about educators’ conceptions of infants’ capabilities, the article frames babies’ intentional use of emotionally evocative communication as ‘emotional capital’. Transcripts of digital videos, pictures and written observations are used to illustrate how infants actively draw on reserves of emotional capital to guide the course of their relationship with educators, affording a view into how these efforts to communicate emotional messages are understood and met by their educators. Drawing on the theory of practice architectures, implications for the relationships that develop between infants and their primary carers/educators are discussed. Concluding thoughts acknowledge infants’ agency and active contribution to the dynamics within those relationships.
A systematic review of the association between childhood speech impairment and participation across the lifespan
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 2009
Discourses of professionalism in family day care
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.2304/CIEC.2013.14.2.112
Abstract: Family day care in Australia is currently undergoing rapid ‘professionalisation’ within a national reform agenda that seeks to raise and standardise early childhood service quality. Included within this reform is a requirement that all family day care workers obtain formal qualifications and that workers are referred to as ‘educators' rather than ‘carers’. This study drew on focus groups and interviews with family day care workers, management, government and industry representatives collected as part of a larger study into family day care workers' capacity to promote children's social and emotional wellbeing. Our analysis identified three discourses of professionalisation within family day care that provide important insights into the sector at a time of significant change. Management promoted workers as ‘educators' aligned with a neo-liberal, masculine understanding of professionalism and the objective measures used to assess service quality. This discourse excluded what ‘carers' felt were important, subjective and maternal aspects of their service delivery. To reconcile these discursive extremes, some workers took up a discourse that emphasised the requirements of their ‘job’ and the standards of professionalism required by management. In conclusion, we contend that the take-up of educational discourses in family day care produce and reproduce tensions between ‘women's work’ and ‘masculine professionalism’ that undermine the sector's attempts to increase their status and recognition.
Maternal Employment and Infant-Mother Attachment Security at 12 Months Postpartum
Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)
Date: 2002
Spending time with others: A time-use diary for infant-toddler child care
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Date: 2014
Applying the tavistock method of observation and group reflection to the study of babies and toddlers in centre-based childcare
Publisher: Springer Singapore
Date: 2017
Infant and toddler play
Publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd
Date: 2014
Understanding the work of Australian early childhood educators using time-use diary methodology
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 20-08-2019
Structures and systems influencing quality improvement in Australian early childhood education and care centres
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-01-2023
Introduction
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Date: 2014
Macro-structural predictors of Australian family day care quality
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 18-05-2023
DOI: 10.3389/FPUBH.2023.1114256
Abstract: This study explores the predictive power of macro-structural characteristics on quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) outcomes of Family Day Care (FDC) services in Australia. The dataset consisted of 441 FDC National Quality Standard (NQS) ratings from all Australian states and territories, with overall ratings of Exceeding NQS, Meeting NQS, Working Towards NQS, or Significant Improvement Required. Multinomial logistic regressions confirmed that management type, community socioeconomic status (SES), level of urbanization, and government jurisdiction explained 6.9 to 19.3% of the variation in QRIS outcomes. Results indicated that lower FDC NQS ratings were more likely for (1) private for-profit vs. not-for-profit (2) low-SES vs. high-SES area and (3) regional or remote area vs. metropolitan. State/territory jurisdiction also influenced NQS ratings. These findings imply the need for policy attention to inequalities in FDC quality associated with systemic and organizational differences. Greater effort is needed to promote equality and equity in FDC services.
Free play predicts self-regulation years later: Longitudinal evidence from a large Australian sample of toddlers and preschoolers
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2022
Knowing, having, doing: The battles of childhood speech impairment
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 16-01-2012
Abstract: This study describes the experience of childhood speech impairment (speech sound disorder) from the perspective of two young men and their mothers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the four participants, with questions framed around the International classification of functioning, disability and health (ICF WHO, 2001 ) to gain a holistic understanding of life with speech impairment. Phenomenological analysis of the interviews revealed that the experience of speech impairment was associated with three key themes: (1) knowing, (2) having, and (3) doing. A core theme of ‘battles’ was common to all three themes (i.e. the battle for knowledge, the battle of having speech and associated difficulties, and the battle to do something to minimize the impact of the difficulties) however, the nature of the battles was different for participants, and was related to other life factors. This qualitative research provides valuable insights into the experiences of those living with speech impairment, and shows the importance of considering such information alongside quantitative research when making decisions in clinical practice.
Building the capacity of family day care educators to promote children’s social and emotional wellbeing: Results of an exploratory cluster randomised-controlled trial
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 05-2015
DOI: 10.1177/183693911504000208
Abstract: THIS PAPER PRESENTS THE results of an exploratory cluster randomised-controlled trial that was used to pilot Thrive, a capacity-building program for family day care (FDC) educators. Participants were educators and coordinators from one FDC service in Melbourne, Australia. Data collection consisted of a survey including information on costs, an in-home quality of care observation and process evaluation. Data was collected over 12 months (2011–2012), at baseline and one, six and 12 months post-intervention. Positive caregiver interaction scores increased over time for the intervention group: F (3, 51.69) = 3.08, p 0.05, and detached interaction scores decreased over time: F (3, 51.19) = 2.78, p 0.05. Educators' knowledge and confidence in children's social and emotional wellbeing showed no significant change. Thrive gives important information about the challenges FDC educators face and is relevant to implementing changes in their education and support. For a program like Thrive to be successful in engaging educators, a stronger framework for supporting additional learning activities at both the FDC organisational and scheme level is warranted.
Children's Perspectives on their First Year of School
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 2005
The combined effects of teacher-child and peer relationships on children's social-emotional adjustment
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.JSP.2016.09.003
Abstract: Teachers and peers represent two important dimensions of the classroom social ecology that have important implications for children's social-emotional adjustment. This study examined the combined effects of teacher-child relationships (TCR) and peer relationships for 6-7year-old children on their social-emotional adjustment at 8-9years. The s le was comprised of children and their teachers participating in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (n=2857). Teachers reported on TCR, peer relationships, and children's emotional well-being, and children provided self-reported self-concept and school liking during a face-to-face interview. The analytic approach extends previous research by modeling TCR and peer relationships in combination, using cluster analysis to understand the nature of 6-7year-old children's social relationships in the classroom. Five distinct profiles of children were identified: adaptive, teacher-oriented, teacher-child conflict prominent, non-adaptive, and invisible. The adaptive profile had the best outcomes on all three aspects of social-emotional adjustment at age 8-9 the non-adaptive profile had the poorest outcomes, and the invisible group was mid-range. The teacher-oriented and teacher-child conflict prominent groups had mixed outcomes for social-emotional adjustment. Implications for school psychologists and teachers are discussed.
Building the capacity of family day care educators to promote children's social and emotional wellbeing: an exploratory cluster randomised controlled trial
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-11-2011
Child Care Quality Matters: How Conclusions May Vary With Context
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-2003
Abstract: Three studies examined associations between early child care and child outcomes among families different from those in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Early Child Care Research Network study. Results suggest that quality is an important influence on children's development and may be an important moderator of the amount of time in care. Thus, the generalizability of the NICHD findings may hinge on the context in which those results were obtained. These studies, conducted in three national contexts, with different regulatory climates, ranges of child care quality, and a ersity of family characteristics, suggest a need for more complete estimates of how both quality and quantity of child care may influence a range of young children's developmental outcomes.
Quality of Child Care Using the Environment Rating Scales: A Meta-Analysis of International Studies
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-01-2016
Education versus care for infants and toddlers: the Australian early childhood challenge
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 16-10-2021
Early predictors of escalating internalizing problems across middle childhood.
Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)
Date: 06-2018
DOI: 10.1037/SPQ0000218
Abstract: The objective of this study is to examine the trajectory of internalizing problems across middle childhood among a population s le of Australian children, and to understand the timing of explanatory factors related to children's development of internalizing problems, by using multiple-indicator latent growth curve modeling. Participants were children, parents, and teachers in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) Kindergarten (K) cohort (n = 3,153). Mothers reported on children's internalizing problems at 3 time points (6-7, 8-9, and 10-11 years). Explanatory factors included gender, emotional regulation skills, externalizing problems, peer relationships, parenting behaviors, socioeconomic status, and maternal mental health reported by mothers and teachers at 2 time points (4-5 years and 6-7 years). Growth modeling identified an increasing trajectory of internalizing problems over time. Initial levels were predicted by concurrent (6-7 years) emotional dysregulation, externalizing problems, angry parenting, and maternal mental health problems, as well as earlier (4-5 years) peer problems and maternal mental health. Escalation in internalizing problems was predicted by externalizing problems, peer problems, maternal mental health at 4-5 years, and emotional dysregulation and peer problems at 6-7 years. Girls had both higher initial levels and faster escalation of internalizing problems than boys. The findings provide ecological and developmental evidence and insights for effective intervention. Identifying and addressing early problems with peers may be particularly important to avoid the risk of escalating internalizing problems. Professional development sessions for educators to promote and support children's emotional regulation and peer interaction skills are likely to have a positive impact on children's well-being. (PsycINFO Database Record
Insider perspectives on developing Belonging, Being and Becoming
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 12-2009
DOI: 10.1177/183693910903400402
Abstract: IN JULY 2009, THE COUNCIL of Australian Governments approved for immediate implementation, ‘Belonging, Being & Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia’ (EYLF), Australia's first national framework for guiding curriculum and pedagogy in all early childhood settings. In this article, several core members of the Charles Sturt University-led Consortium contracted to develop and trial the EYLF outline the political and policy context that has shaped its development the intent and approach of the Consortium and some of the many ‘decision points and dilemmas’ (Westbury, 2007) they encountered. The article concludes with reflections on lessons learned and implications for early childhood curriculum development.
Family day care educators' knowledge, confidence and skills in promoting children's social and emotional wellbeing: Baseline data from Thrive
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 09-2014
DOI: 10.1177/183693911403900309
Abstract: THIS PAPER PRESENTS BASELINE data from Thrive, a capacity-building program for family day care educators. Educators completed a self-report survey assessing knowledge and confidence in promoting children's social and emotional wellbeing. An in-home observation was used to assess care quality. Twenty-four educators responded to the survey (40 per cent response rate). They had an average of nine years' experience and 82 per cent held childcare qualifications. Educators reported knowledge of, on average, three early signs of social and emotional problems in children, three risk factors and two protective factors. Using a scale from 0–10, mean educator confidence levels ranged from an average of 6.69 to 7.25. Quality of care ratings were moderate. Although educators had a good understanding of children's social and emotional wellbeing, the study identified opportunities for significant changes in the quality of the educators' interactions with children in their care and their professional development.
Flourishing on the margins: a study of babies and belonging in an Australian Aboriginal community childcare centre
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 28-02-2017
International research utilizing the Early Development Instrument (EDI) as a measure of early child development: Introduction to the Special Issue
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2016
Drawing Talking: Listening to Children With Speech Sound Disorders
Publisher: American Speech Language Hearing Association
Date: 06-07-2022
DOI: 10.1044/2021_LSHSS-21-00140
Abstract: Listening to children using age-appropriate techniques supports evidence-based clinical decision-making. In this article, we test the Sound Effects Study Drawing Protocol, an arts-based technique, to support children with speech sound disorder (SSD) to express their views about talking. Participants were 124 Australian children aged 4–5 years in the Sound Effects Study. Their parents and teachers were concerned about their talking, and they were assessed as having SSD on the Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Phonology. Drawings and children's interpretations were elicited then analyzed using the (a) Who Am I? Draw-a-Person Scale and (b) Sound Effects Study Focal Points. Drawings were developmentally typical for 4- to 5-year-olds. The six Sound Effects Study Focal Points were identified across the 124 drawings: body parts and facial expressions, talking and listening, relationships and connection, positivity, negativity, and no talking. Participants portrayed talking and listening as an action requiring mouths and ears represented by symbols (letters, speech bubbles) or as an activity with a variety of people. Children typically portrayed themselves as happy when talking however, some portrayed negativity and some chose not to draw talking. In keeping with Articles 12 and 13 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, this research demonstrated that 4- to 5-year-old children with SSD can express their views about talking via drawing. Professionals may use the Sound Effects Study Drawing Protocol as a child-friendly technique to support children to express views to guide holistic, evidence-based, child-centered speech-language pathology practice.
Speech sound disorders in preschool children: correspondence between clinical diagnosis and teacher and parent report
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-01-2017
Commentary on chapters 15 and 16
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 2022
Validation and norming of the Intelligibility in Context Scale in Northern Viet Nam
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 14-04-2017
DOI: 10.1080/02699206.2017.1306110
Abstract: Vietnamese is one of the 20 most commonly spoken languages in the world however, there are no standardised tools to assess Vietnamese children's speech. This study aimed to validate and norm the Vietnamese version of the Intelligibility in Context Scale (ICS-VN). Data were collected from parents of 181 children (aged 2 -5 ) living in Ha Noi, Northern Viet Nam. The mean ICS-VN score was 4.43 (out of a maximum of 5), indicating that children were 'usually' to 'always' intelligible however, item-level scores demonstrated significant differences between communication partners. Children with parental concerns about speech and language had significantly lower mean scores than children without parental concerns. Scores also differed by children's age, parents' occupation and mothers' education level but not by sex of child or fathers' education level. The ICS-VN had good psychometric properties indicating it to be a valid tool for use with Vietnamese-speaking children in Northern Viet Nam.
Epidemiology of Speech and Language Impairment in a Nationally Representative Sample of 4-to 5-Year-Old Children
Publisher: American Speech Language Hearing Association
Date: 10-2009
DOI: 10.1044/1092-4388(2009/08-0085)
Abstract: To draw on multiple sources of information to determine prevalence of speech and language impairment in young Australian children. Information about 4,983 children (ages 4–5 years) from Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2007) was obtained via parent interviews and questionnaires, teacher questionnaires, and direct assessment. Data were statistically weighted to the Australian population of 253,202 children in the target age group. Parent-reported prevalence : 25.2% had concerns about how their child talked and made speech sounds (11.8% “concerned” 13.4% “a little concerned”), and 9.5% had concerns about how their child understood language (4.4% “concerned” 5.1% “a little concerned”). Parents who reported concerns identified “speech not clear to others” as the most frequent area of difficulty (12.0%). Teacher-reported prevalence : 22.3% of children were considered to be less competent than others in their expressive language ability (6.7% “much less competent” 15.6% “less competent”) 16.9% were considered to be less competent than others in their receptive language ability (4.0% “much less competent” 12.9% “less competent”). The match between parent and teacher identification was higher for expressive speech and language concern than for receptive language. Direct assessment : 13.0% of children were 1–2 SD s below the mean on the Adapted Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test–III (S. Rothman, 2003), and a further 1.7% were 2 SD s below the mean. Parent and teacher reports were significantly correlated with scores obtained via direct assessment. Period prevalence : Parents and teachers reported that 14.5% of children had accessed speech-language pathologist (SLP) services. 2.2% indicated that they needed but could not access an SLP. Multiple indicators of speech and language impairment in erse contexts confirmed the high prevalence of this condition in early childhood and a concomitant need for SLP services.
Is infant belonging observable?
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 05-09-2018
Abstract: This article evaluates the concept of infant ‘belonging’, central to several national curricula for early childhood education and care. Here, the authors focus on Australia’s Early Years Learning Framework. Four different meanings attach to ‘belonging’ in the Early Years Learning Framework, the primary being sociopolitical. However, ‘a sense of belonging’ is also proposed as something that should be observable and demonstrable in infants and toddlers – such demonstration being held up as one of the keys to quality outcomes in early childhood education and care. The Early Years Learning Framework endows belonging with two contrasting meanings when applied to infants. The first, the authors call ‘marked belonging’, and it refers to the infant’s exclusion from or inclusion in defined groups of others. The second, the authors provisionally call ‘unmarked’ belonging. Differences between these two meanings of infant belonging are explored by describing two contrasting observational vignettes from video recordings of infants in early childhood education and care. The authors conclude that ‘belonging’ is not a helpful way to refer to, or empirically demonstrate, an infant’s mundane comfort or ‘unmarked’ agentive ease in shared early childhood education and care settings. A better way to conceptualise and research this would be through the prism of infants’ proven capacity to participate in groups.
A nationally representative study of the association between communication impairment at 4-5 years and children's life activities at 7-9 years
Publisher: American Speech Language Hearing Association
Date: 10-2011
DOI: 10.1044/1092-4388(2011/10-0155)
Abstract: To examine the longitudinal association between communication impairment (primary or secondary diagnosis) and children’s Activities and Participation (International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health—Children and Youth [ICF–CY] World Health Organization [WHO], 2007). Participants were 4,329 children in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC Australian Institute of Family Studies [AIFS], 2009): 1,041 (24.0%) of these children were identified with communication impairment at 4–5 years of age, and 3,288 (76.0%) of these children were not identified with a communication impairment. At age 7–9 years, Activities and Participation (WHO, 2007) outcomes across 5 ICF–CY domains were provided by (a) teachers (Academic Rating Scales [National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 2002], Approach to Learning Scale [Gresham & Elliott, 1990], School Progress Scale (AIFS, 2009), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire [SDQ Goodman, 1997], and Student–Teacher Relationship Scale [Pianta, 2001]) (b) parents (School-Age Inventory of Temperament [McClowry, 1995] and SDQ) (c) children (Marsh Self-Description Questionnaire–III [Marsh, 1992], School Liking [Ladd & Price, 1987], and Bullying [Kochenderfer & Ladd, 1997]) and (d) child assessment (Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test—III: Adapted Rothman, 2003). Children identified with communication impairment at age 4–5 years performed significantly poorer at age 7–9 years on all outcomes. Parents and teachers reported slower progression in reading, writing, and overall school achievement than peers. Children reported more bullying, poorer peer relationships, and less enjoyment of school than did their peers. Analyses of covariance tests confirmed significant associations between communication impairment and outcomes, over and above the effects of sex, age, Indigenous status, and socioeconomic status. Consideration of the breadth and longevity of Activities and Participation outcomes reveals the potential extent and severity of communication impairment and directs future research and practice.
Building a knowledge base about the impact of early learning frameworks for infants and toddlers
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 08-09-2018
Feasibility and Potential Benefits of the Observe, Reflect, Improve Children’s Learning (ORICL) Tool: Perspectives of Infant–Toddler Educators
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 27-06-2023
DOI: 10.1177/18369391231186169
Abstract: This article discusses infant–toddler educators’ perspectives of using the Observe, Reflect, Improve Children’s Learning tool (ORICL) in practice. ORICL is a new tool informed by implementation science and co-designed with Australian early childhood education and care policy-makers, practitioners, and service providers. It aims to support infant–toddler educators to observe, reflect on, assess, and improve the quality of in idual children’s learning experiences. Twenty-one educators working in Australian long day care and family day care services participated in the study, with a total of 66 ORICLs being completed for children ranging from 7 to 33 months of age. Educators also participated in an interview to share their experiences of using ORICL in practice. Findings show that ORICL enhanced educators’ understandings of infants’ and toddlers’ learning, development and wellbeing, and educators’ critical reflection. ORICL also helped educators to notice interactions, document and plan for children’s learning, and communicate children’s learning to others.
Using metaphor to illuminate quality in early childhood education
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 21-04-2020
Abstract: This paper reports on a study in which educators from four early childhood centres used metaphor to discuss their provision of high-quality early childhood education. Qualitative mining of focus group data confirmed ‘quality’ to be complex, multi-dimensional and value-laden. Findings contribute to understandings of quality in early childhood education through four key themes: ‘quality’ as a synergetic flow the facilitative stance and impact of leaders in the enactment of leadership children as active contributors to quality and the role of love. Metaphor is shown to be a valuable tool that can highlight tangible and intangible quality contributors, how these contributors link together and the contextual specificity from which quality in in idual early childhood education settings emanates.
Conceptualising the education and care workforce from the perspective of children and young people
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 31-07-2023
DOI: 10.3389/FEDUC.2023.1167486
Abstract: Children are significant stakeholders within education and care settings. Their views can be invaluable in thinking about what matters to conceptualising, assessing and improving quality in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) and Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) settings. As stakeholders, children’s views are rarely listened to by Australian policy makers to assess what constitutes quality and how the quality can be improved. In the process of updating two nationally approved Australian Learning Frameworks (ALFs): Belonging, Being and Becoming : The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia 2.0 and My Time Our Place: Framework for School Age Care in Australia 2.0 , children’s responses provided meaningful insights into their perceptions of the practices of the educators. The children’s perspectives were gathered in a combination of research methodologies of talking circles, dialogic drawing, and visual elicitation. Their responses about experiences in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) and Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) contexts were analysed to provide a deeper understanding about the characteristics of their experiences in the settings. The research process delivered information about children’s perspectives about pedagogical principles and practices that describe the Australian children’s education and care workforce and environments. The process of gathering the children’s perspectives is not without limitations, however the information is invaluable in considering the assessment and improvement of quality in children’s services.
Mental health promotion in childcare centres: Childcare educators' understanding of child and parental mental health
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-2012
Literacy, numeracy, and learning in school-aged children identified as having speech and language impairment in early childhood
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 2009
Why nursing? Applying a socio-ecological framework to study career choices of double degree nursing students and graduates
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-10-2013
DOI: 10.1111/JAN.12029
Abstract: To report a study that investigated the career development, aspirations, and choices of undergraduate students and graduates of nursing double degree programmes. Over one-third of Australian undergraduate nursing students study by double degree mode. Their career destinations will have an impact on the availability of graduates in a time of nursing shortages, but little is known about why nursing students choose double degrees or take up a career in nursing vs. the other specialization. A qualitative study using two longitudinal methods. The study was conducted in 2008-2009 with 68 participants from an Australian regional university offering double degrees in nursing. A time series method involved interviews with 12 first year students followed by focus group interviews with 22 final year students. A longitudinal method involved repeated interviews with 34 graduates. Interview transcripts were analysed thematically. Enrolment in a double degree was influenced by advice from significant others previous experiences of health care and the anticipated rewards associated with a choice of two careers. Career development and decisions of undergraduates were influenced by intrinsic and extrinsic rewards distinctive to each area of specialization and marketing and job availability. For graduates, the impact of workplace experiences such as prior practicums and past and present workplace support were foremost. This study provides previously unknown information about double degree nursing students' and graduates' career development and career choices over time. A socio-ecological framework adapted to nursing enabled a broad understanding of the many environments and contexts that confirm or discourage a nursing career.
Intrapersonal and interpersonal influences on school transition
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Date: 24-08-2014
Using a multidisciplinary, multi-method and collaborative research design to investigate the health communication power of the early childhood sector
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 15-08-2022
DOI: 10.1177/18369391221120958
Abstract: This paper details the research design of a multidisciplinary, multi-method, collaborative research project investigating health communication from the experiences of the early childhood education (ECE) sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the rapidly evolving pandemic, the ECE sector was instantly tasked with expanding their required health practices to prevent the spread of infection. It was evident that the sector needed a system to communicate health advice in a timely, consistent and effective manner. Founded on a partnership model based on ‘knowledge brokering’ theory, this project demonstrates the value of a multidisciplinary research team collaborating with stakeholder organisations to investigate how COVID-19 health information traversed through complexities of organisational layers and erse communities of families and staff. Detailing our data collection and analysis protocols, we conclude by outlining how our innovative research design is generating actionable and impactful recommendations for both the ECE and health sectors.
Communication development
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Date: 2017
Children's drawings provide a new perspective on teacher-child relationship quality and school adjustment
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2007
Stress, coping and wellbeing in kindergarten
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-10-2015
Spatial perspectives on babies' ways of belonging in infant early childhood education and care
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Date: 06-2019
Abstract: In this article, we endeavour to think spatially about the texture of infants’ everyday lives and their ways of ‘doing’ belonging in the babies’ room in an Australian early childhood education and care centre. Drawing on data from a large, multiple case-study project, and on theorisations of space that reject Euclidean notions of space as empty, transparent, relatively inert containers into which people, objects practices and artefacts are inserted, and instead emphasise space as complex, dynamic and relational, we map the navigating movements (Massumi, 2002) of baby Nadia. Through the telling of ‘stories-so-far’ (Massey, 2005), we convey how Nadia, as part of a constellation or assemblage of human and non-human beings, found ways to intensify space and to mobilise new vantage points, thus expanding the spatial possibilities of what we initially took to be a particularly confined and confining space.
Speech sound disorders in a community study of preschool children
Publisher: American Speech Language Hearing Association
Date: 08-2013
DOI: 10.1044/1058-0360(2012/11-0123)
Abstract: To undertake a community (nonclinical) study to describe the speech of preschool children who had been identified by parents/teachers as having difficulties “talking and making speech sounds” and compare the speech characteristics of those who had and had not accessed the services of a speech-language pathologist (SLP). Stage 1: Parent/teacher concern regarding the speech skills of 1,097 4- to 5-year-old children attending early childhood centers was documented. Stage 2a: One hundred forty-three children who had been identified with concerns were assessed. Stage 2b: Parents returned questionnaires about service access for 109 children. The majority of the 143 children (86.7%) achieved a standard score below the normal range for the percentage of consonants correct (PCC) on the Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Phonology (Dodd, Hua, Crosbie, Holm, & Ozanne, 2002). Consonants produced incorrectly were consistent with the late-8 phonemes (Shriberg, 1993). Common phonological patterns were fricative simplification (82.5%), cluster simplification (49.0%)/reduction (19.6%), gliding (41.3%), and palatal fronting (15.4%). Interdental lisps on /s/ and /z/ were produced by 39.9% of the children, dentalization of other sibilants by 17.5%, and lateral lisps by 13.3%. Despite parent/teacher concern, only 41/109 children had contact with an SLP. These children were more likely to be unintelligible to strangers, to express distress about their speech, and to have a lower PCC and a smaller consonant inventory compared to the children who had no contact with an SLP. A significant number of preschool-age children with speech sound disorders (SSD) have not had contact with an SLP. These children have mild-severe SSD and would benefit from SLP intervention. Integrated SLP services within early childhood communities would enable earlier identification of SSD and access to intervention to reduce potential educational and social impacts affiliated with SSD.
Listening to children with communication impairment talking through their drawings
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 10-2009
Abstract: Including children as research participants is an important new direction in early childhood research. However, it is rare for such studies to include the voices of children with significant communication impairment. This article suggests that drawing may be an appropriate non-verbal method for ‘listening’ to these children’s ideas and recording their perspectives. Three areas of inquiry are reviewed: (1) the use of drawings as a method of listening respectfully to children (2) approaches to the analysis of children’s drawings and (3) the analysis of drawings completed by children with communication impairment. We identify six aspects of children’s drawings — facial expressions, accentuation of body features (e.g. mouth and ears), portrayal of talking/listening, colours used, conversational partners, and sense of self — that are potentially pertinent for children with communication impairment.
Changing patterns of parent-teacher communication and parent involvement from preschool to school
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 07-11-2015
‘Belonging’ in Australian early childhood education and care curriculum and quality assurance
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 03-09-2018
Abstract: This article considers opportunities and risks arising from the prominence of the belonging motif in Australia’s Early Years Learning Framework and, more implicitly, in the National Quality Standard, against which the quality of the early childhood education and care services is assessed. A vignette constructed from case study data generated in the babies’ room in an early childhood centre in an Aboriginal community in rural Queensland is used to illuminate some of these opportunities and risks.
Sahaja Yoga Meditation as a Family Treatment Programme for Children with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 10-2004
Abstract: The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as a treatment for children diagnosed with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is widespread, but little is known on the effectiveness of many such therapies. This study investigated meditation as a family treatment method for children with ADHD, using the techniques of Sahaja Yoga Meditation (SYM). Parents and children participated in a 6-week programme of twice-weekly clinic sessions and regular meditation at home. Pre- and post-treatment assessments included parent ratings of children’s ADHD symptoms, self-esteem and child–parent relationship quality. Perceptions of the programme were collected via parent questionnaires and child interviews. Results showed improvements in children’s ADHD behaviour, self-esteem and relationship quality. Children described benefits at home (better sleep patterns, less anxiety) and at school (more able to concentrate, less conflict). Parents reported feeling happier, less stressed and more able to manage their child’s behaviour. Indications from this preliminary investigation are that SYM may offer families an effective management tool for family-oriented treatment of childhood ADHD.
The impact of speech impairment in early childhood: Investigating parents' and speech-language pathologists' perspectives using the ICF-CY
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2010
DOI: 10.1016/J.JCOMDIS.2010.04.009
Abstract: To explore the application of the Activities and Participation component of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health - Children and Youth (ICF-CY, World Health Organization, 2007) as a framework for investigating the perceived impact of speech impairment in childhood. A 32-item questionnaire based on six ICF-CY domains was distributed to (a) a national s le of speech-language pathologists (SLPs n=205), and (b) parents (n=86) of preschool children identified with speech impairment. Factor analysis of the SLP data revealed six coherent factors with moderate-high internal reliability: Verbal communication (e.g., Conversation, Speaking), Advanced learning (e.g., Learning to read/write), Interpersonal interactions (e.g., Relating with strangers, Informal social relationships), Basic learning (e.g., Copying, Rehearsing), Applied learning and general tasks (e.g., Focussing attention, Handling stress), and Non-verbal communication. The first five factors were also confirmed by the parent data. Both SLPs and parents rated the first two factors, Verbal communication and Interpersonal interactions, as the most difficult activities for children with speech impairment. The ICF-CY Activities and Participation component is a useful framework for considering the breadth of activities that may be impacted by speech impairment in childhood. (1) Discuss the potential use of the ICF-CY in speech-language pathology (2) Describe the breadth of activities that may be difficult for children as a result of speech impairment and (3) Recognize that SLPs and parents may have different perspectives regarding the impact of speech impairment on children's activities and participation.
Identifying high-quality centre-based childcare using quantitative data-sets: what the numbers do and don't tell us
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-2010
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