The Speakers

In an era of globalization when families are moving from their own countries or places of birth in search of new life opportunities, bilingual children who use minoritized languages in their homes find themselves in early childhood classrooms with adults that do not speak their language. There, they encounter learning opportunities different from those they previously experienced in their homes and communities. Early childhood teachers can be the first non-familiar adults they encounter. As such, their relationship with their teacher can be an important springboard for taking the risk of engaging in new experiences and relating to peers and other adults. Teacher-child relationships build from ongoing interactions between children and their early childhood educator. Positive relationships between teachers and young children have been found to be related to positive children’s identity, social relationships with other adults and peers, and learning. In this presentation I explore early childhood teachers’ relationships with young bilingual children and their implications in language learning. I begin with a review of studies that examine early childhood teachers’ perceptions of their relationships with children that do not look and speak like them. These perceptions are often influenced by the language ideologies present in the different settings in which children, teachers and families participate. I then explore ways in which teachers promote positive relationships with bilingual children and the influence of these relationships on the bilingual child’s peer connections. Finally, I examine the associations between teacher-child relationships and bilingual children’s language learning.

In this presentation Cristina will discuss the importance of building a shared vision for the education of young children; open, mutual and frequent communication between families and early childhood programs; and culturally and linguistically sustaining teaching and curriculum to create authentic home-school partnerships.  She will also discuss potential barriers that might emerge as early childhood programs make attempts to build authentic partnerships with families from minoritized groups.

We drafted and introduced a "Quality Assessment Scale for Early Childhood Education Practices" (hereinafter, the "Quality Assessment Scale Draft") that incorporates the findings of worldwide quality assessment scales—particularly the "Sustained Shared Thinking and Emotional Well-being (SSTEW) Scale", which focuses on process quality—and aligns with the culture and context of early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Japan and the National Curriculum Standard for Kindergartens. The Quality Assessment Scale Draft was developed and improved by conducting interviews with ECEC leaders and staff and simultaneously implementing it with worldwide quality assessment scales (ECERS-3 and SSTEW) in field trials at several centers.

The Quality Assessment Scale Draft comprises 112 indicators across 9 items. The assessment was conducted in a target class of 3- to 5-year-old children­—in both indoor and outdoor locations where children could come and go—by several trained assessors who spent about three–four hours observing the practices and interviewing the staff. The assessment was based on a 7-point scale.

Characteristically, the Quality Assessment Scale Draft focuses on process quality—consistent with the culture and context of ECEC in Japan—and focuses on "children's agency-based involvement," "children's social emotional development," "emergence of children’s learning," and so on. Additionally, although we aim for the scale to be used for research purposes, when used in ECEC settings, it is intended not only for rating but also as a perspective for capturing and reflecting on ECEC practices in training. In the in-house training workshops, we aim to use the indicators of one item of interest as a starting point to discuss ECEC practices and use them to improve and enhance their practices.

Although the Quality Assessment Scale Draft is at a utilizable level, issues to be considered—such as the fact that it does not cover the aims and contents of all five areas—still remain. Therefore, we plan to continue this scale’s further consideration and improvement in cooperation with ECEC settings. 

There are two frameworks relevant to guiding early childhood educators’ practices in Singapore – the Early Years Development Framework (EYDF) and the Nurturing Early Learners (NEL); and revised versions of both frameworks were published in the last two years.  

This presentation aims to provide an overview of the key changes in both frameworks and suggests ways to (re)consider playful yet authentic learning opportunities that would support: a) children as agents of their own learning, and b) their natural curiosities about the social and physical world. 

Framed by socio-constructivist theories and cultural studies thinking, this presentation will highlight possibilities for more child-centric, inclusive and socially equitable practices to support children’s learning as participating citizens in today’s society.