Author: Estudiantes de la Universidad de Cantabria

Students of the University of Cantabria (Spain)
Studenti dell'Università di Cantabria (Spagna)
Estudiantes de la Universidad de Cantabria

Categories
Early Childhood Education

Installations IV

The installations are, according to Ecured’s definition (n.d.), those works that use as part of the composition the medium they are in (walls, floor, lights…), as well as different objects and materials. Likewise, the spectator is part of the work and it is not finished until the subject itself moves or interacts with the proposal (Lemarroy, 2004).

However, Abad and Ruiz de Velasco (2014) go further, and show that the installations are a space where an idea or a message is intentionally represented. Furthermore, they believe that not all of them are made in order to be transformed by the spectator, but that they have to allow the spectator to “enter into the game” by interpreting and questioning the work in different ways.

On the other hand, we can say that installations in the educational context enhance the development of creativity in children, their capacity for play, imagination and collaborative work (Lapolla et al., 2017). In addition, they are spaces that arise from the union of an aesthetic proposal and a pedagogical foundation (Abad y Ruiz de Velasco, 2014). The children arrive at the proposals, play, interact with the elements offered in the installation, explore, transform the space and the objects, leaving a new space when they leave (Abad and Ruiz de Velasco, 2014). These proposals have to provoke the children, invite them to interact and offer them the opportunity to experiment, transform, relate, build… while allowing them to move around, play, etc., which makes the installations a great source of learning (Toca, 2019).

Source

Art installations have their origin in contemporary art when certain artists began to problematize the limits of the work of art (Leiva, 2020).

Furthermore, as Abad and Ruiz de Velasco (2020a) state, “they are playful environments that propose to go beyond the purely manipulative, perceptive or sensory to the symbolic, narrative or relational. In these works, art and play come together to promote

culture and relationship, allowing the perception and analysis of reality from different perspectives (Abad y Ruiz de Velasco, 2020a)

Characteristics of the installations

Based on authors such as Lemarroy (2004), some of the main characteristics of the facilities are

The installations are inspired by the ready-made technique, which consists of taking an everyday object out of its usual context and placing it in another context to give it a more aesthetic use and usage.

They are based on free play, since they are developed in an environment where no instructions or rules are given to follow, but the experimentation is what regulates and makes the proposal is developed in relation to the needs, interests and rhythms of students.

They must be exposed for a short period of time. The installations have a determined duration in order to maintain its novel and striking character, then these are dismantled and can only be remembered through documentation, however, the objects or style of the installation can be reused.

The installation allows the children to be the protagonists of their own learning, since they are created to participate and be part of it. For this reason, the installations should not be repeated nor be the same as others, since the subjects are the ones who interpret and complete them depending on what they transmit to them.

The creativity and imagination of the children should be encouraged, so it is essential to offer multipurpose elements, spaces that are ambiguous and surprising, etc. That is to say, that they allow different types of interpretations.

In the art of installation, any medium or everyday object can be used for children, offering diverse possibilities of action in addition to those allowed by

its predetermined use. In addition, these must be sufficient in order to avoid possible conflict situations among children.

Characteristics of the materials

Authors such as Leiva (2020) mention the importance of thinking and reflecting on the types of materials and objects we can offer in an installation:

  • Unstructured objects, that is, objects that do not have a single possibility of action, but offer a great variety, such as bottles, cardboard, plastic, paper, etc.
  • Objects that children can find in their daily lives, such as glasses, boxes, balls, fabrics, etc.
  • Different materials from a natural context, such as leaves, sand, sticks, etc.

On the other hand, Leiva (2020) refers to the fact that the choice and combination of materials is fundamental to give an aesthetic sense to the proposal, so it has to be taken into account:

  • The space where we present the installation must be empty of other stimuli that can distract the students from the moment of play, with the aim that they discover, exchange and experience the selected objects.
  • We must take care of the natural or artificial lighting and the sound of the environment, since from these we will manage to create an atmosphere that encourages more exploration and curiosity.
  • The objects must allow a link between them to complement each other, so that they can be introduced on each other and for their performance, so they must show a diversity in their shape, color, texture, structure, size, etc.
  • We must pay attention to the disposition (creating geometric forms, series, etc.) and the location (on the floor, hanging, on the ceiling, etc.) of the objects in the space.
  • The amount of materials offered must be in accordance with the number of children who experience the proposal, since there must be enough material for them to manipulate them individually or in groups.
Time or phases of the proposal

The authors Abad and Ruiz de Velasco (2020) mention different pedagogical moments in the development of the facilities:

Design

In this phase the teacher creates, designs and carries out a previous organization of the installation, for which he or she has to analyze the recipients and their context, the theme, the times, spaces and materials to be proposed.

To design an installation, it is necessary to take into account the diverse characteristics and experiences of both students and teachers, since these will influence the development of the installation. On the other hand, the theme on which the proposal is designed is essential, since from this one or other materials that invite experimentation and exploration will be selected.

As for the spaces in the artistic installation, it is fundamental to decide the location of the proposal, since depending on this, movement, individual and group play, duration, etc. will be favored or not. In addition, the space must be delimited, so it is necessary to attend to the organization of the materials. The time of experimentation is another element that influences the different possibilities of play that can be offered, since it is the children who best define the end of their utility. Finally, the materials of the proposal must present different characteristics, such as choosing them depending on the characteristics, offering different possibilities of action, that the quantity is sufficient, the organization of these, etc.

Presentation to the students

Before the start up it is necessary that the teacher presents the students with the artistic installation that is offered to them, leaving them time to observe and analyze it, for

which the teacher can initiate a dialogue from questions in order to generate curiosity in the children. In addition, although the installations are a proposal of free play, they have some basic rules of respect towards the peers during the development of the installations that will have to be exposed to the children.

A time for experimentation

In this phase the children are invited to interact with the materials. At first, the infants make a general observation of all the objects they have and make an approach to them. As time passes, they begin to manipulate, experiment and play with the elements and their peers in space.

During this time, the role of the teacher should be that of an observer, being able to intervene if necessary or if conflicts arise.

Documentation of the proposal

Before concluding the installation, the children are proposed to collect and reorganize the material that has been used, with the help of the teacher, thus promoting their responsibility and autonomy. Finally, the last phase of an artistic proposal is the documentation of it, with the aim of, as Hoyuelos (2007) mentions, leaving an aesthetic record. This can be done graphically, for example with a drawing, or orally, through conservation. This should be done just when it is finished, with the aim of reproducing what they have experienced and felt during their development.

References 

Abad, J. y Ruiz de Velasco, A. (2014). La propuesta de las instalaciones. Recuperado de http://www.edu.xunta.es/centros/cfrcoruna/aulavirtual/file.php/249/BLOQ UE_1/LA_P  ROPUESTA_DE_LAS_INSTALACIONES_Javier_Abad_2014.pdf

Abad, J. y Ruiz de Velasco, (2020). Las instalaciones de juego: metáforas de la vida de relación. Recuperado de: https://consejoescolar.educacion.navarra.es/web1/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/2319.pdf

Abad, J. y Ruiz de Velasco, (2020). La propuesta de las «instalaciones de juego»: metáforas del encuentro y la vida de relación. Recuperado de: https://arqa.com/actualidad/colaboraciones/la-propuesta-de-las-instalaciones-de-juego-metaforas-del-encuentro-y-la-vida-de-relacion.html

Alsina, Á., & León, N. (2016). Acciones matemáticas de 0 a 3 años a partir de instalaciones artísticas. Educatio Siglo XXI, 34(2 Julio), 33-62. ECURED (s.f.) Instalación artística. Recuperado de http://www.ecured.cu/index.php/Instalaci%C3%B3n_art%C3%ADstica

Hoyuelos, A. (2007) Documentación como narración y argumentación. Aula de Infantil, 39, pp. 5-9.

Lapolla, P., Mucci, M. y Arce M.A. (2017) Experiencias artísticas con instalaciones. Trabajos interdisciplinariosde simbolización y juego en la escuela infantil. Ediciones Novedades Educativas, Buenos Aires.

Lemarroy González, M.S. (2004) Lü: El cuerpo efímero. Tesis de maestría, Universidad de las Américas Puebla,México.

Leiva, C. (2020) Instalaciones de juego, simbolizar a través del arte. Cultura de infancia.  https://culturadeinfancia.com/instalaciones/

Toca, S. (2019) Jugar, experimentar y relacionarnos: las instalaciones artísticas en un aula de 4 años (trabajo finde grado). Universidad de Cantabria, España.

Authorship

María Argumosa Roíz y Paola Escolano Cossio, 2020.

Categories
Early Childhood Education

Hygiene II

Personal hygiene is the care that every human being requires to keep the body in a positive and healthy state. Moreover, personal hygiene is understood as actions by which people attend to out cleanliness and our appearance. Taking care of hygiene is a big responsibility, and each person has to take care of his own. Because of this, the family is the first nucleus where the child learns to know about hygiene and cleanliness habits.

Hygiene has an essential place in our lives, and thanks to it we create good health habits and prevent diseases. For this reason, it is important and necessary that children are taught personal hygiene tasks from a very early age, with the aim of making this personal cleanliness a fixed moment in their daily live. Furthermore, by acquiring some habits of hygiene, it Will help them to know their own body and to give them security and a sense of independence.

The World Health Organization (1999) gives a very relevant and appropriate definition of Health Education in our society: “Health education comprises consciously created learning opportunities that involve a form of communication aimed at improving health literacy, including improving people´s knowledge of health and developing personal skills leading to individual and community health.

Related to our field, Early Childhood Education, at this stage health education is a major axis for the formation of students.

Likewise, Gómez (2002) emphasizes that in the moment of elaborating educational programs that are dedicated to health, it is essential that teachers take advantage of daily moments to learn and reflect on health.

To this end, schools should put this topic first, since many illnesses require adequate hygiene habits for the health of the person and, furthermore, for their contagion.

Authorship

Elena Pérez Bengochea y Naiara Ruisoto Lavín, 2020.

Categories
Early Childhood Education

Workshop III

The proposal of the workshops is very relevant in the infantile stage, because they are “a pedagogic strategy that tries to improve the conditions that make possible the participation of the child in the construction of his knowledge” (Torio, 1997, p. 7).

In addition, they provide infants with the opportunity to do things, both individually and in small groups; “they incite reflection on what they are doing: they play, investigate, explore, they can be curious, try and try again, look for solutions, concentrate, act calmly without the obsession of obtaining immediate results at all costs” (Laguía and Vidal, 2008, p. 17). Likewise, the workshops are going to favor children, because the activities carried out in them promote experimentation and social relations (Laguía and Vidal, 2008).

Below, we will describe some of the general ideas that Torio (1997) puts forward about the workshops:

The objective of the workshops is to create something new, that is, to make innovative creations. Therefore, in this proposal we learn procedures, because the activities that are carried out are systematized, they have a certain order and time.

As for the role of teachers in this process, before carrying out the workshops, they meet with the rest of theteachers to decide the topic on which the proposal will be based, planning the spaces where they will be held, either inside or outside the classroom, to organize and plan the activities; as well as to decide what materials will be needed,since thanks to the workshops they will have the opportunity to bring other tools and objects that are not usually in the classroom. So, once the workshops start, the teacher will have a total intervention, observing the process, designing and organizing the spaces and materials.

Regarding the role of the students in this process, before starting the workshops they will be informed of what is going to happen. Thus, later on they carry out the different activities of the workshops, where they play, manipulate, experiment, relate to other students, besides learning strategies on how to do certain things, which, is beneficial for them, since they are going to obtain a greater autonomy.

In conclusion, we believe that the workshops are an innovative way of working with children, since they provide them with a great variety of knowledge, skills and learning, while serving to promote the development of their autonomy.

References 

Laguía, M.J. & Vidal, C. (2008). Rincones de actividad en la escuela infantil. Barcelona: Graó.

Torio, S. (1997). “Talleres y rincones en Educación Infantil: su vigencia psicopedagógica hoy”. Comunicación presentada en el Congreso de Córdoba. Córdoba, España.

Carrascosa-Molina, S. (2009). Los talleres en el aula de Educación Infantil. Revista Digital Innovación y Experiencias Educativas (14), 1-9. https://bit.ly/2UN9Bgm

Authorship

Alexandra Lobera Gil y Carlota Rincón Fanego, 2020.

Categories
Early Childhood Education

Workshop II

“The workshops understood as spaces for growth guarantee the children the possibility of doing things and, at the same time, encourage reflection on what they are doing. The workshop is a specialised place where thoughtful activities take place”. (Borghi, 2005)

This methodology presents some objectives according to the Federación de Enseñanza de CC.OO. de Andalucía (2010, p.1 & 2)

  • Develop the socialization of children.
  • Encourage habits of respect, sharing and order.
  • Acquiring different techniques
  • Improve relations between equals.
  • Make use of the objects produced in the workshops.

As for the characteristics of the workshops, we can highlight the following:

In order to carry out the workshops, the interests of the students must be kept in mind, since it is preferable thatthe starting point of the workshop begins with what the students want to do.

These workshops help to develop the autonomy of the children, both space and time will be considered for their planning, trying to allow the student to follow his or her own learning pace.

The students can access the materials through different types of expressive languages.

In these projects not only teachers and students participate, families must also join together in order to collaborate.

One of the objectives is to connect the knowledge that the students already have with the activity to be carried out by adopting a constructivist model.

References 

Borghi, B. Q. (2005). Los talleres en educación infantil: espacios de crecimiento (Vol. 12). Graó.

Federación de Enseñanza de CC.OO de Andalucía (2010, p.2) https://www.feandalucia.ccoo.es/docu/p5sd7011.pdf

Federación de Enseñanza de CC.OO de Andalucía (2011, p. 1) https://www.feandalucia.ccoo.es/docu/p5sd8641.pdf

Los talleres en el aula de infantil. (2011, septiembre). Temas para la educación, 16, 1-6. https://www.feandalucia.ccoo.es/docu/p5sd8641.pdf

Universidad de Córdoba. (s. f.). Los talleres en Educación Infantil. uco.es. http://www.uco.es/docencia/grupos/aulaexpei/Docs/MetodoTalleres.pdf

Authorship

Patricia Martínez Martínez, Adrián Pérez Arce, Cristina Revuelta Guerra y Adriana Temiño Martín, 2020.

Categories
Early Childhood Education

Workshop I

Food experimentation workshop

Workshops are “systematized and very directed activities, with an ascending progression of difficulties, to achieve that the child acquires diverse resources and knows different skills that will later be used in a personal and creative way in the corners or spaces of the classroom” (Fourcade, 2009, p. 4). One of the main objectives of the workshops is to create an object or a product, in other words, it is a place where things are done and where people think about the process that is carried out to achieve that product. Furthermore, holding workshops brings a large number of benefits that promote the integral development of children in the classroom, above all their autonomy, since, as has been indicated, the workshops provide a series of strategies and techniques that allow children to do things for themselves. On the other hand, the workshops are a space for socialisation, where the children meet others, as well as the different objects offered to them (Torio, 1997).

As Quinto Borghi (2005) points out, from the point of view of organisation and use, there are different types of workshops, more specifically three. Firstly, there are the workshops held within the infant school, known as internal workshops. Inside a school there can be two types of spaces in which workshops are held, on the one hand a specific classroom, a specific space where only workshops are held and, on the other hand, the workshops can be held in multi-purpose spaces, that is to say, they are the same spaces in which other types of activities are carried out (classroom, school canteen, etc.). The second type of workshops that can be found are those that take place outside the classroom, known as external workshops. Within this section there are different spaces or contexts in which these activities can be carried out. On one hand, the workshops can be held in the school space, outside the building, but inside the school premises, for example, in the playground. On the other hand, workshops can be held outside the school, such as in the neighbourhood or the city. And lastly, workshops can be held that are linked to an institution, which are carried out in different spaces such as museums, theatres, etc. Finally, the last type of workshop mentioned by this author is the workshop in a suitcase. This consists of carrying all the necessary materials for a specific workshop in a suitcase, facilitating their transport to different places and spaces, both in the school and outside it.  

On the other hand, when carrying out a workshop in the classroom a series of decisions have to be taken, such as, for example, the materials to be offered to the children, which have to be polyvalent, so that the children can carry out different activities with them and develop different skills. Another aspect to take into account is what kind of teachers will be in the workshop, whether they will be specialists in the subject or not. On the other hand, you have to take into account the groupings that you are going to make, this will depend on the activity that you are going to carry out. Finally, you should think about the space in which the workshop is going to be held, the atmosphere that is going to be created, the furniture, etc. (Ceballos, 2018)

On this occasion, in particular, an experimental workshop will be held. As mentioned by Morillas (2014), experimentation and manipulation play a very important role in children’s learning, as it helps them to develop mental activities, contributing to increasing their knowledge. On the other hand, during these moments, not only is learning through manipulation, but also through observation and relationships with other classmates. In other words, manipulation is a tool that helps children to get to know the world around them.Finally, in order to relate the activity to one of the most important moments in the daily life of a school, food, it has been decided that the workshop carried out will consist of experimenting with food and different instruments that will be offered to the children. The aim of this activity will be to make the pupils aware of the different characteristics of food through all their senses. From the sense of taste, tasting the different foods; going through the touch, discovering the different textures; the sight, observing the different colours and shapes; to the smell, discovering the thousands of different smells that these foods can have. In addition, as indicated above, the aim is for the children to establish a relationship, to comment on what they are feeling with each of the foods, to show each other what they are discovering, to play with each other… In conclusion, the aim is for the workshop to be a fun space that allows the children to get to know the world around them and to establish relationships with others.

References 

Ceballos, N (2018). Los talleres en Educación Infantil [Material de aula]. Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Cantabria. Recuperado de https://www.dropbox.com/sh/3qzn101ggp2yvf3/AADfBASFIZXORk_AZvc2pw4Ya/Bloque%204/Presentaciones/ok.Los%20talleres%20en%20educaci%C3%B3n%20infantil.pdf?dl=0

Fourcade, A. (2009). Los talleres en Educación Infantil. Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Comunidad Valenciana. Recuperado de https://rua.ua.es/dspace/bitstream/10045/12189/1/Talleres_EI.pdf

Morillas, V (2014). La manipulación y la experimentación en Educación Infantil (Trabajo de Fin de Grado). Universidad de Cádiz, Cádiz, Andalucía. Recuperado de https://rodin.uca.es/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10498/16622/tfg%20final.pdf

Quinto Borghi, B. (2005). Las características metodológicas del taller. En B. Quinto Borghi, Los talleres en Educación Infantil: espacios de crecimiento (pp. 57-76). Barcelona: Grao.

Torio, S. (1997). Talleres y rincones en educación infantil: su vigencia psicopedagógica hoy. Congreso de Córdoba. Recuperado de https://www.dropbox.com/sh/3qzn101ggp2yvf3/AAAYRwUocQI4LqC4_aVhioZua/Bloque%204/Talleres%20y%20rincones.pdf?dl=0

Authorship

Vanessa Molleda, Sara Ruiz y Ángela Sierra, 2020.

Categories
Early Childhood Education

Sleep II

The RAE states that the definition of “dream” is the act of sleep, and the definition of “sleep” is to be found in a state of rest that consists of the inaction or suspension of the senses and of all voluntary movement. 

Definition of ‘sleep’

The concept of sleep as stated by Pin (2010) is considered a physiological process highly organized where both the necessary maturity of the central nervous system and the singular and self-adaptation of each child in their family context intervene. 

sleep is a fundamental physiological need for our health (Albares, Alonso, Canet, Cano, Cubel, Estivill, … Villalobos, 2010).

Main ideas: observation, interpretation and visibility of sleep 

A teacher should learn to observe and be able to listen to the movements of the children between 0-3 years to understand their actions and act in consequence with the best professional response to achieve the optimal evolution development in students. 

As said by Albares, Alonso, Canet, Cano, Cubel, Estivill, … Villalobos (2010), both the progenitors and the education professionals should know a series of guidelines that provide the children with emotional and physical stability when falling asleep. 

  • During the baby’s first months of life, most of their day is spent sleeping. while they sleep, they can make involuntary movements or spasms. These movements are normal, and we should not wake the baby up. 
  • It is very important that while the baby is eating, he/she is awake, so they distinguish sleep from food.
  • After the hygienic cares, the baby will be left alone in their crib, so they learn to sleep by themselves and that the last thing they remember before falling asleep is the crib. 
  • We have to establish routines before putting the baby to bed, follow the same steps every time so they interiorize the process of sleep 
  • When the baby is 5 or 6 months old, we will put a stuffed toy in their crib to make them feel accompanied. 
  • If the baby wakes up at night, we should not pick them up or turn the light on. We will soothe him with caresses and affectionate words
  • The room has to be peaceful, dark, and quiet. 
  • We have to make sure that before putting the baby to sleep, he is calm. If he is calm, he will sleep and rest better
  • In order for the baby to have a deep, relaxed, and unaltered sleep, the professional has to know the type of foods that are adequate for that age once they can ingest solid food, like chocolate, or fizzy drinks 
  • Children between 2 and 5 years old should always take a nap, otherwise, they will fall asleep in the middle of the afternoon because they need it, and this will alter their sleeping pattern

Conclusion 

To finish, as we can review, the children take naps after lunch in all schools where we have practiced. Even though there are differences between them, like having beds so children can take a nap in them and in others, they have to take their own sleeping bag and sleep on the floor.

Another difference is the space destined for this activity. One has a separate space, other adapt spaces. Because of this, we want to highlight that sleep is one of the most important procedures in the evolution of the child. It is something we should all observe, know how to interpret it and document it.

References

Albares, J.; Alonso, J.; Canet, T.; Cano, M.; Cubel, M; Estivill, E.; … Villalobos, P. (2010): Informe del Grupo Pediátrico de la Sociedad Española de Sueño (SES) y del Grupo de Sueño de la Sociedad de Pediatría Extrahospitalaria y Atención Primaria (SEPEAP): “Medidas preventivas de los problemas del sueño desde el nacimiento hasta la∫ adolescencia”. Acta Pediátrica Esp. (La Coruña). 2010; 68(4): 00-00. https://www.adolescenciasema.org/usuario/documentos/14_-Higiene%20de%20sueno%20en%20la%20infancia%20adolescencia.pdf

Cádiz, Emilia (2013). Hábitos del sueño infantil en el seguimiento de 0-3 años en Rocafort (Valencia). Pautas educativas. [Tesis doctoral, Universidad de Valencia] https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/71018455.pdf

REAL ACADEMIA ESPAÑOLA: Diccionario de la lengua española, 23.ª ed., [versión 23.3 en línea]. <https://dle.rae.es> [17 noviembre 2020].

Vlog No Copyright Music. (27 de enero de 2017) Fredji – Happy Life (Vlog No Copyright Music) [archivo de video] YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzQiRABVARk

Authorship

Almudena Parra, Nuria Renedo y Cristina Salcines, 2020.

Categories
Early Childhood Education

Sleep I

“Sleep is a biological state present in animals and human beings that is defined by behavioral and physiological characteristics” (Bernardo, 2018, p.9). In the first years of life, in relation to the first cycle of Infant Education, sleep corresponds to a biological need that allows infants to develop on a cognitive (mental processes), physical (metabolism) and emotional level. 

Below, we highlight some of the main ideas that Garcia (2015) has taken up: 

  • Firstly, although the sleep state apparently has a passive role, it has great relevance at a functional level in the organism, both in mental and physical processes.
  • Secondly, it allows them to recover energy for the activities they carry out in the second part of the morning. 

As indicated by Garcia (2015), the school must follow guidelines to make this moment possible:

  • Firstly, since it is an activity that is carried out in the school environment on a daily basis, it needs to be organized temporarily within the school day. Therefore, a certain amount of time is dedicated to the development of this moment in the classroom. However, the moment of sleep depends on the needs of each child, so you must be flexible with it. In case the children have very different needs, a common time interval will be set during which the children will sleep what they need.
  • Secondly, in order for the child to have an adequate moment of sleep, we must take into account the spatial organization of the context in which the sleep will take place. It will have to be a comfortable place, where there is no noise, excess light, or distractions (computer sounds, toys with sound on…). It must be a space with windows that facilitates the process of ventilation and natural lighting, as well as having a pleasant temperature. In addition, it must meet safety conditions (decorated with few furniture, avoid plugs within reach of children …). In this way, it seeks to provide optimal moments of rest. 
  • Thirdly, the school must have the furniture (cradles for children of months of age and sleeping pads for children of three years) necessary for the moment of sleep, varying the place and resources according to the age. 
  • Finally, the importance of teachers in the moments of rest will be highlighted. To anticipate the moment, the teacher will play relaxing music, lower the blind to diminish the natural light, and try to reduce the appearance of stimuli. Depending on the age, the children will be accompanied more or less time.
References 

Bernardo, M. (2018). Aprendiendo a dominar el sueño en Educación Infantil (trabajo de fin de grado). Facultad de Educación de Segovia, Castilla y León, España. Recuperado de:  https://uvadoc.uva.es/bitstream/handle/10324/30477/TFG-B%201110.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

García, M.D. (2015). Importancia del hábito del sueño en la etapa de Educación Infantil. Innovación y experiencias educativa, 63, pp: 1-13. Recuperado de: https://archivos.csif.es/archivos/andalucia/ensenanza/revistas/iee/Numero_63/M-DOLORES-GARCIA-RUIZ-03.pdf

Authorship

Lorea Aranguren Márquez y Fran González González, 2020.

Categories
Early Childhood Education

Interpersonal relationships

Interpersonal relationships
in the 0 – 3 stage

We understand interpersonal relationships in the stage of 0 – 3 years as a fundamental part of children’s development in their first years of life. We think that they’re not given the importance it has in the classroom and they’re not paying enough attention to it.

We consider that from the observation of the different relationships that are established in the classroom between equals, we can obtain a great deal of information about the personality of our kids, their preferences, etc.

Based on this information, we can introduce dynamics in the classroom to include less integrated children, encourage the establishment of relationships between those who normally don’t play together, enhance the feeling of belonging to the group, etc.

Relationships at this stage go far beyond words; we must observe the contact, the looks, the smiles, the games, the complicity between the children, the voluntary groups, etc. Paying attention to all these factors will make it easier for us to understand and analyze the relationships that are established in our classrooms.

Authorship

Marta Alvarado Jiménez y Lucía Fernández Gutiérrez, 2020.

Categories
Early Childhood Education

Equal relationships

Equal relationships 0-3 years

The human being is formed throughout his life and develops certain aspects that make him unique. One of the most important aspects for human development is the way you learn to relate from birth. During the early months, interpersonal relationships play  a fundamental role in the development and psychological well-being of human beings (Amar, 2004).

Peer relationships are essential for favourable social interaction. These relationships are developed with the main caregivers, the family and the environment, and later, with the companions and teachers in the school, all promote social  adjustment. As a result of this interaction, children experience an increase in social behavior and are immersed in an environment of social organization with dominant  and cohesive networks in which they strive to reach an agreement (Federación de Enseñanza de CC. OO. de Andalucía, 2010).

The age at which boys and girls come into contact with other children in their lives outside the home (for example, when they are at school) is getting younger. Vigotsky’s approaches (cited by Campo, Estrada, Ochoa, Pérez & Rodríguez, 2011), maintain that children’s intellectual and cognitive growth is stimulated by different aspects related to the environment in which they develop, as well as by the people with whom they spend most of their time. Therefore, the parents are not the only social  media with which the child interacts, but the school context and their peers.

As Ternera (2014) says; “Through the relationships that the boy and the girl experience with the objects in their environment and the interactions with the people around them, they progress in the knowledge and appreciation of themselves and, consequently, in the formation of self-concept and self-image, which play such an important role in child development”. The nature and quality of peer relationships also favour overcoming egocentricity and the feeling of belonging to a group. Therefore, healthy peer relationships are essential for social, emotional and intellectual development.

From the first months of life, children show interest in their peers, actively seek attention and initiate communication through behaviours such as touching, vocalizing, looking, and smiling. Later, the interactions of young children progress from the moment they focus on objects, they react to the behaviours of their peers trying to regulate them with action-reaction episodes, to reach true social exchanges at 18 months of age. Those who seek to influence their peers, take turns and adopt complementary roles in games.

From the age of 2, children begin to feel attracted to their peers who are most similar to them in age, sex, race and behaviour (Hartup, 1992). They also choose as friends children who have prosocial behaviours (they help, share, cooperate), while they reject those who show unpleasant behaviours (take away toys, fight or quarrel). At these ages, different levels of acceptance or isolation within the group begin to emerge, although it will be later that it becomes more stable and filled with content (García Pérez, 2014).

Each child is at the center of a more or less broad social network to the extent that himself creates (or is helped to create) relationships with his peers and to the extent that he is sought out by others. The interpersonal relationships that are created in this way define their personal role within the group. (Cagliari, Castagnetti & Giudici, 2017). In subsequent years, the role of peers as socialization agents is consolidated.

To encourage the establishment of relationships between equals, the teacher  must be attentive, since they can perceive the development of bonds and relationships that go from simple knowledge to friendship, passing through different stages of affinity. These relationships are not born only of selective affinities and can transform into rivalry and hostility. The very absence of relationships has its importance and meaning: the isolated child, ignored or rejected by others represents a case that needs to be seriously addressed (Cagliari, Castagnetti & Giudici, 2017). These moments constitute privileged occasions for observation, early detection of possible behavioral inhibitions and, thus, establish interventions and moments that attenuate possible socialization problems and / or subsequent disorders (Méndez, Espada &  Orgilés,  2006).

We must bear in mind that adult-child relationships are essentially complementary, while child-child relationships are based on reciprocity. In addition, children who have had difficulty relating to their peers are more likely to have adjustment problems (Coie & Dodge, 1988).

In contrast, those children who have positive relationships with their peers “have experienced higher levels of emotional well-being, have a secure conviction of themselves, value forms of prosocial behaviour, and their social interactions are  stronger and more adaptive (Wentzel, Baker & Rusell, 2009, cited by Lancuza, 2010).

All the arguments exposed above suggest that the school must facilitate and take care of the spaces, materials and times where the kids have opportunities for interaction among equals. For Reggio Emilia, the environments are considered as the “third  teacher” (Strong-Wilson & Ellis, 2007). Thus, spaces should be considered as places where relationships are permanently built and rebuilt and where opportunities for experimentation, encounter, communication and action are configured. It is from this consideration  that  we must  ask  ourselves as  teachers:  how can  we improve relations between equals in Nursery School? The answer to this question brings an opportunity to modify the educational relationships and processes that take place in it.

As Loris Malaguzzi says about the different ways of expression of the little ones: “The child has a hundred languages, (and in addition one hundred one hundred one hundred), but they take off from them ninety-nine (…) And they say that one hundred does not exist. The child says: “on the other hand, the hundred exists” (Appendix 1).

Authorship

Estefanía Damalia Diéguez, Alicia Gándara Quiles y Almudena Moja Larrinaga, 2020.

Appendix 1

Poem by Loris Malaguzzi about the different ways of expression of the little ones:

«The hundred languages of children»
The boy
it is made of a hundred.
The boy has a hundred languages
a hundred hands, 
a hundred thoughts
a hundred ways of thinking to play and to talk
one hundred always one hundred ways of listening
to be surprised, to love one hundred joys
to sing and understand
a hundred worlds to discover 
a hundred worlds to invent
a hundred worlds to dream of.

The child has a hundred languages
(and in addition to a hundred hundred hundred)
but they steal ninety-nine.

School and culture
the head is separated from the body.

They say:
to think without hands to act headless
to listen and not speak to understand without joy to love 
and be surprised only at Easter and at Christmas.

They say:
to discover the world that already exists
and out of a hundred they steal ninety- nine.

They say:
to discover the world that already exists
and out of a hundred they steal ninety- nine.

They say:
that play and work reality and fantasy science 
and imagination the sky and the earth reason and dream
they are things that do not go together And they say
that one hundred does not exist.

The child says: "on the other hand the hundred exists."

Loris Malaguzzi.

References 

Amar, J. J. A. (2004). Desarrollo infantil y construcción del mundo social. Universidad del Norte. (pp 33). Recuperado de: https://books.google.es/books?hl=es&lr=&id=wP-wwpNejy0C&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=desarrollo+infantil&ots=uJ29T_oZ-W&sig=S9sZtKVFIkfnXOJdqDuatz9wOac#v=onepage&q=desarrollo%20infantil&f=fa lse

Cagliari, P., Castagnetti, M., & Giudici, C. (Eds.). (2017). Loris Malaguzzi y las escuelas de Reggio Emilia. Ministerio de Educación (pp 94).

Campo, L., Estrada, N., Ochoa, L., Pérez, C., & Rodríguez, D. (2011). Procesos psicológicos vinculados con el aprendizaje y su relación con el desarrollo personal-social en niños de la ciudad de Barranquilla. Revista Duazary, 8(2), 175-189.

Ceballos-López, Noelia, Susinos-Rada, Teresa, & García-Lastra, Marta. (2018). Espacios para jugar, para aprender. Espacios para relacionarse. Una experiencia de voz del alumnado en la escuela infantil (0-3 años). Estudios pedagógicos (Valdivia), 44(3), 117-135. Recuperado de: https://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0718-07052018000300117

Federación de Enseñanza de CC.OO de Andalucía. (2010). Relaciones entre el grupo-clase. Principales conflictos y estrategias para su resolución pacífica. Temas para la  educación (Nº6). ISSN: 1989-4023. Dep. Leg.: GR 2786-2008. Recuperado de: https://www.feandalucia.ccoo.es/docu/p5sd6802.pdf

García  Pérez,  M.  D.  M.  (2014).  Análisis  de  los  libros  de  texto  en  2º  de      Bachillerato. Recuperado de: https://teleformacion.murciaeduca.es/pluginfile.php/4370/mod_resource/content/1/Mate riales/cap5_3.pdf

Hartup, WW (1992). Amistades y su importancia para el desarrollo. Desarrollo social infantil: perspectivas contemporáneas, 175-205.

Lacunza, A. B., Contini, E. N., & Castro Solano, A. (2010). Las habilidades cognitivas en niños preescolares. Un estudio comparativo en contexto de pobreza.

Méndez, F., Espada, J. P., & Orgilés, M. (2006). Intervención psicológica y educativa con  niños y adolescentes. Estudio de casos escolares. Madrid: Pirámide.

Strong-Wilson, T. y Ellis, J. (2007). Niños y lugar: el entorno de Reggio Emilia como tercer maestro. La teoría en la práctica, 46 (1), 40-47.

Ternera, L. A. C. (2014). El desarrollo del autoconcepto en niños y niñas y su relación con la interacción social en la infancia. Psicogente, 17(31). Recuperado de: http://revistas.unisimon.edu.co/index.php/psicogente/article/view/1470/1455

Wentzel, K., Baker, S. A. N. D. R. A., & Russell, S. (2009). Peer relationships and positive adjustment at school. Handbook of positive psychology in schools, 229-243.

Categories
Early Childhood Education

Educational couple

The educational couple
in school 0-3 years

We will base our documentation process on the educational couple. We consider this aspect as relevant because it is distinctive of the 0-3 school, where, as stated in Article 92 of Organic Law 2/2006, of May 3, on Education, “1. The direct educational attention to children in the first cycle of early childhood education will be carried out by professionals who have the title of Teacher with specialization in early childhood education or the equivalent Bachelor’s degree and, where appropriate, by other personnel with the appropriate qualifications to care for girls and boys of this age. “

Likewise, based on what Hoyuelos (2004) says in Salamanca (n.d.), there are two people in the same professional category, with the same calendar, the same functions, and a similar salary who work with the same group of boys and girls during the longest part of the working day and that they share responsibility for the relationship with minors and families, having the same decision-making power.

This combination gives rise to virtues among which we find joint decision- making, which implies constant support between both teachers, an improvement in the educational process and the teaching practice arising from a double observation of the situations, of the children and of their own teachers improving day by day, a richer relationship with boys and girls, providing them with more reference figures and richer ideas arising from the complementation of the contributions of both teachers (Salamanca, nd).

However, it must also be borne in mind that it is a work between peers in which conflicts and disagreements may arise, it is a necessary confrontation in which possible ways of doing education are openly discussed. Teams are richer, as it includes more models, more socio-cognitive conflicts and more ideas (Civarolo & Pérez, 2013).

In conclusion, we consider this aspect of the 0-3 school important due to the exclusivity of its presence at this stage and the effectiveness it generates in the educational process of the youngest children.

References 

BOE (2/2006). Artículo 92 de la Ley Orgánica 2/2006, de 3 de mayo, de Educación, https://www.boe.es/buscar/pdf/2006/BOE-A-2006-7899-consolidado.pdf

Civarolo, M. & Pérez, M. (2013). 1+1 = pareja educativa. Rollos internacionales / Argentina. Vol. 4, nº (34), pp. 14 – 24. https://revistas.pedagogica.edu.co/index.php/NYN/article/view/2277/2145

Salamanca, C. (s.f.) Dos docentes, dos miradas: la pareja educativa. Tarbiya. (42). https://revistas.uam.es/tarbiya/article/view/267/253

Authorship

Natalia Sáez González y Lucía Barca Rodríguez, 2020.