The work of L.S. Vygotsky was popularised in the West between two great waves of educational thought: constructivism and cognitivism. Reception was therefore colored by three metaphors introduced by Jerome Bruner: 'construction', 'scaffolding' and 'narrative'. Narratives were to be characterized by features we call SELF: Subjects, Expectancy and…

Toddlers' peer conflicts offer meaningful opportunities for toddlers to learn social-emotional skills, including learning to understand another's perspective and learning how to regulate emotions. This study explored 31 teachers' self-reports of their roles, teaching practices and the conditions that influenced their pedagogical responses to…

In this review of research, we offer a meta-analysis of young children's learning and development within and across psychology, education, and linguistics. Engaging with Soja's concept of "Thirdspace," we mapped young children's learning and development transdisciplinarily, seeking to (re)conceptualize early childhood teaching in ways…

Childhood emotional and behavioural problems can indicate a higher risk of developing mental illness in adolescence and beyond. Schools provide an appropriate setting in which to deliver universal preventions to improve well-being and protect against early risks for mental health disorder. However, interventions can often be difficult to implement…

At the heart of the nineteenth-century educational soundscape lies a paradox. Whilst "modern" classrooms generally strived for orderly silence, the goal of its educational practices was the production of competent "citizens". Middle-class boys in particular were expected to acquire a voice fit for business, the professions, or…

Purpose: The purpose of this theoretical essay is to discuss recent scholarship in sociocultural studies of literacy -- including two recent books by Peter Smagorinsky (2011) and Luis Moll (2013) and recent articles by Gutierrez and Engestrom -- and to synthesize ideas from this scholarship into a coherent lens for understanding innovations in…

This article characterizes the changes that occurred and are occurring in the didactics of primary school as an effect of L.S. Vygotsky's psychological ideas. It underscores the characteristic features of the step-by-step convergence of psychology and pedagogy and discloses the reasons psychological knowledge is not used sufficiently to organize…

In this paper, we identify ways in which the learning of very young children can be supported by practitioners developing a schematic pedagogy which focuses on structures of children's thinking. First, we provide a critical overview of relevant literature on schemas and schematic approaches to pedagogy. We then outline an original study undertaken…

Both of these toddlers struggle with communication. Parents and practitioners working with very young children often struggle to find ways to enhance their toddlers' communication skills. They may question: When do I teach? What should I teach? Where do I teach? How do I teach? This article will provide suggestions and techniques to support the…

The prevailing discourse of quality in early childhood education in Australia and internationally supports the idea that everyone, from families to educators, policymakers, researchers and politicians, wants high-quality early childhood education programs for all young children. This dominance is so pervasive that it becomes difficult to think…

Walter Benjamin wrote about pedagogy from the start of his writing life to its close. He was also an activist in the youth movement in Germany. This essay explores the importance of childhood, play, toys and education to his wider body of work--including his interests in photography, literary form, language acquisition and use, modern art. The…

"Our primary concern is not that the child learns to do something without mistakes. Our real concern is that the child does what he needs, with interest." The reaction of so many adults to the mistakes of children is to correct, immediately and directly, says Joosten. To truly aid the child in development, we must learn to control our…

This article focuses on the "Relational Agency Framework" (RAF), an analytical tool developed for an Australian review and evaluation study of an early years' policy initiative. We explore Anne Edward's concepts of "relational expertise", "building common knowledge" and "relational agency" to explore how…

Understanding place value is a critical and foundational competency for elementary mathematics. Classroom teachers who endeavor to promote place-value development adopt a variety of established practices to varying degrees of effectiveness. In parallel, researchers have validated models of how young children acquire place-value understanding.…

The dreaded blank stares, looking down at a phone, or the student who falls asleep. University instructors know students who demonstrate these behaviors and have watched them disengage during class. Students might wish to engage, but may not know how. The purpose of this article is to examine the use of contribution strategies with undergraduate…