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Young Children Playing

Relational Approaches to Emotional Learning in Early Childhood Settings

  • Book
  • © 2016

Overview

Authors:
  1. Sophie Jane Alcock

    1. Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

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  • Foregrounds real-life events in interesting ways, prioritising practice while solidly grounded in relational theories
  • Addresses play and playfulness as attitude and process
  • Addresses complex analyses in separate sections through narrative events
  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

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Table of contents (10 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xiv
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  2. Introduction and Methods: Relating and Feelings at the Heart of Play

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
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    2. Framing: Young Children Relating and Playing

      • Sophie Jane Alcock
      Pages 3-21

    3. Research Methods: Observing Experience in Two Projects (Parts II and III)

      • Sophie Jane Alcock
      Pages 23-43

  3. Young Children Being Playful in Three Early Childhood Care and Education Settings: Connecting and Communicating

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 45-45
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    2. The Intersubjective in-between-ness in Young Children’s Playfulness

      • Sophie Jane Alcock
      Pages 47-60

    3. Words Connecting Children Playfully Together

      • Sophie Jane Alcock
      Pages 61-77

    4. Becoming Selves Relationally

      • Sophie Jane Alcock
      Pages 79-96

    5. Imagining While Playing

      • Sophie Jane Alcock
      Pages 97-113

    6. Feelings Felt in Bodies

      • Sophie Jane Alcock
      Pages 115-135

  4. Infants and Toddlers Relating and Playing: Layers of Holding

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 137-137
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    2. A Holding Environment

      • Sophie Jane Alcock
      Pages 139-157

    3. Relational Fields and Context

      • Sophie Jane Alcock
      Pages 159-176

  5. Implications for Teachers: Observing Subjectively, Reflectively, Relationally and with Feeling

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 177-177
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    2. Implications: Teachers Being Relationally Aware

      • Sophie Jane Alcock
      Pages 179-194
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Keywords

About this book

The subject of this book is young children’s emotional-social learning and development within early childhood care and education settings in Aotearoa-New Zealand. The focus on emotional complexity fills a gap in early childhood care and education research where young children are frequently framed narrowly as ‘learners,’ ignoring the importance of emotional functioning and the feelings with which children make sense of themselves and the world. This book draws on original data in the form of narrative-like framed events to creatively illustrate the complexities in children’s diverse ways of feeling, thinking, playing, being, and becoming. Events illuminate the feelings and meanings of observed experiences in holistic and contextualised gestalts. Awareness of unconscious processes, the feeling of feelings, and cultural dimensions of development and meaning-making are addressed. The book emphasises the emergent and psychodynamic nature of children’s development and learning with strong links to the role of play and playfulness in the events, drawing on two ethnographically inspired research projects that present theory, experience and practice in real-life events.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

    Sophie Jane Alcock

About the author

Dr Sophie Alcock has been involved in early childhood care and education for many years as a practitioner, university lecturer, professional development facilitator, and researcher. Her research focuses on the relational nature and social-emotional-spiritual-cultural dimensions of children’s learning and development in play. Sophie’s interest in children’s play is reflected in her creative approach to understanding the complexities in play. She is a senior lecturer in the School of Education, Te Puna Akopai, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

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