The driving force for this study was firstly to gain insight into young children's understanding of their rights and responsibilities in democratic South Africa. Secondly, to identify whether the participating learners were educated about and had insight into their rights and responsibilities. Thirdly, I explored gaps in participating learners' knowledge of their rights and responsibilities and determined areas that can be improved by the education policy and practice related to children's rights. The main purpose of this research was to contribute to the growing body of knowledge and in so doing, improve the education of the young child in general. The aim of this research was to assist and guide educators and all adults working with children on all levels to transform education related to the rights and responsibility of the young child. Fourthly, I to give children a voice in society. Empowering them with knowledge could ultimately assist adults working with children to raise strong, well-adjusted learners through knowing and understanding their rights. It was imperative for this study that I closely listen to and heard the participant children's voices. Giving children the opportunity to be heard empowers them to be participating citizens rather than being passive and reliant on others. The right to be heard can be referred to as a self-improving or self-regulating right. Children are knowledgeable regarding their own lives and their rights to self-expression, citizenship and their sense to fit in. Being knowledgeable makes children experts in their life-world. This is why it is very important to know how the South African child understands his or her rights and responsibilities. South Africa became a democracy in 1994. The children in this study live in South Africa and were born into the democracy of South Africa. The participant children were accustomed to living in democratic South Africa and voiced their opinions contextually and accordingly. This research design is of a qualitative nature, utilising case study as a method and took place in the natural environment of the participants where data was collected. Multiple case studies were utilised and viewed from an interpretivist perspective. This enabled the researcher to provide a construct of young children's understanding of their rights and responsibilities in democratic South Africa. The research context was the school grounds as well as the classroom of the participants. Data concerning the understanding that young children have of their rights and responsibilities was gathered through observations, interviews, discussions, artefacts made by the participants, photographs taken by the participants, stories and narratives in the form of text written by the participants and analysed by the researcher. The analysis of visual artefacts was instrumental in gathering data for this study. Data gathering took place in a Grade 3 classroom. The 17 research participants for this study were selected via convenience sampling. I examined the data collected to find and discover young learners' perceptions of their rights and responsibilities. I chose an independent school where the participants had diverse backgrounds regarding language, ability, socio-economic background, race and religion. This independent school had a high standard of education. According to the UNCRC children's ages ranges from birth to 18 years of age. The general age of Grade 3 children is nine years. This is right in the centre of childhood and therefore considered it an appropriate age to obtain an understanding of what the child has come to know and understand as his or her rights and responsibilities. A conceptual framework was developed during this study for children's rights and responsibility. By combining the social constructivist theory, the three p's and the ladder of participation, it assisted me in understanding the phenomenon under study. My findings are that the participant children had a certain amount of insight and possessed promising potential in participating. However, misperceptions occur and inadequate knowledge disappoints children to participate at their full potential. Rights education is crucial, as it will assist our children to understand their rights more clearly in order to become future citizens that will have the ability to participate in democratic processes. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Early Childhood Education / MEd / Unrestricted

Purpose: The purpose is to create an understanding of parents of young children's attitudes to hidden marketing when buying children's clothing and to investigate how parents of young children experience the design of product presentations in hidden marketing. Theoretical reference frame: The theoretical framework of this study is based on different theories and concepts that concern the field of study. Those theories are: Theory of planned behavior, Word-of-Mouth and Electronic-Word-of-Mouth, Attitude toward advertising and Trust to companies on social media. Methodology: The study uses a qualitative method which is based on 15 semi-structured video interviews. The informants have been selected using a non-probability sample. All interviews were conducted by FaceTime and Skype. Conclusion: The conclusion clearly showed that there are three different attitudes to hidden marketing, positive, negative and impartial. Informants with a negative attitude proved to bemore critical of the sources, while the informants with a positive attitude spread positiveword of mouth by recommending products to their acquaintances. The impartial group findsit difficult to trust the various marketing techniques.

Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM) due to under nutrition is a major public health problem among children in Africa and other developing countries. Sorghum and bread wheat, which are important dietary staples in the semi-arid tropics of Africa, are suitable vehicles for delivering proteins to alleviate PEM. Formulation of foods from these low-lysine staples fortified with legumes is a sustainable approach to improve the protein nutritional quality of foods for young children. Biscuits offer a valuable vehicle for fortification as they are nutrient dense, ready-to-eat, have a long shelf-life and are popular. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of complementing sorghum and bread wheat with defatted soy flour on the nutritional and sensory quality and consumer acceptability of biscuits. Biscuits were formulated and developed by compositing sorghum and bread wheat flours with defatted soy flour at different ratios. To establish the nutritional characteristics of biscuits, proximate composition, lysine and reactive lysine contents and in vitro protein digestibility were determined. Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER), Food Efficiency Ratio (FER) True Digestibility and Biological Value (BV) of sorghum biscuits were determined using Sprague Dowley weanling male rats. The sensory characteristics of biscuits were evaluated using a descriptive panel and instrumental texture analysis. Acceptability was evaluated using eight to nine year old school children. Compared to the 100% cereal biscuits, sorghum-soy and bread wheat-soy composite biscuits in a 1:1 ratio had at least double the protein, mineral and crude fibre contents. The lysine contents of biscuits increased by 500-700%. For the sorghum-soy biscuits, in vitro protein digestibility increased by 170% and Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) was 8 times higher. Two such biscuits of 28 g each could provide 50% of the recommended daily protein intake for 3 to 10 year olds. In the animal study, PER and FER for sorghum-soy biscuits were equivalent to the reference casein. True Digestibility was high for all diets, 85 to 95% and BV of sorghum biscuits was higher than sorghum-soy diet by 20%. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed that 61% and a further 33% of the variation in sensory properties was due to the type of cereal and concentration of soy in biscuits, respectively. Maximum stress increased by 39% and 34% in sorghum-soy and bread wheat-soy biscuits, respectively at 1:1 ratio. Spread factor of biscuits increased by 7 to 32%. Biscuits were darker in colour (reduced L* value) by 14 to 56% and hardness increased by 84% in sorghum biscuits. Positive hedonic scores by 8 to 9 year old school children for fortified biscuits were sustained above 80% through 8 consumption occasions. This data shows that fortifying with defatted soy flour imparts positive sensory characteristics associated with biscuits to sorghum and bread wheat biscuits and the acceptance of such biscuits may be sustained over an extended period of time. This study indicates that soy fortified sorghum and bread wheat biscuits have high nutrient density, protein quality, positive sensory properties and high acceptability if consumed over an extended period. Hence, the biscuits have great potential as protein-rich supplementary foods to alleviate PEM among children and to provide an income to small holder farmers in rural African communities through purchase of grain for the Home Grown School Feeding Programme. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Food Science / unrestricted

"Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Occupational Therapy Department, College of Health Care Sciences, Nova Southeastern University." Attachment and sensory modulation are two processes that co-occur in early development and that have an impact on the future development of the child. Attachment difficulties occur when the child cannot, for whatever reason, use the primary caregiver as a secure base from which to experience the world. Sensory modulation disorder (SMD) is characterized by maladaptive responses to sensory input. Although the literature and current research in the separate areas of attachment and sensory modulation have some parallels with regard to behavioral sequelae, relation to stress, and impact on participation, the relation of the two processes has not been the focus of published research. This research examined the relation between attachment and sensory modulation in 68 children ages 3 to 6. Two assessments were administered during the course of a home visit with each participant and primary caregiver: the Attachment Q-Set (3rd edition; AQS) and the Short Sensory Profile (SSP). There were significant correlations between the AQS security criterion (AQS-S) and the SSP as well as the AQS dependency criterion (AQS-D) and the SSP providing evidence for a relation between attachment and sensory modulation. Significance was found in simple linear regression with the SSP total score and SSP section scores for tactile sensitivity and visual/auditory sensitivity predicting AQS-D scores. Multiple regression calculations were significant for AQS-S and AQS-D predicting SSP as well as SSP section scores predicting AQS-D. These findings support the view of a dynamic model of interaction between attachment and sensory modulation development as well as among the child, the caregiver, the child-caregiver dyad, and the environment.

Engagement is the active involvement in experiences which allows for development. For children with severe mobility impairments however, challenges arise in accessing experience which can lead to learned helplessness. Due to these challenges powered mobility has been suggested as a mechanism for the provision of self-initiated access to experiences. However, powered mobility is out of reach of the majority of children with disabilities in South Africa hence a non-powered alternative has been sought. This study sought to determine the effect of non-powered, self-initiated mobility on the engagement of young children, with severe mobility impairment, in play. A multiple probe design across participants was used. Four participants, aged 2 years 10 months to 6 years 9 months with severe mobility impairment (Gross Motor Function Classification Scale (GMFCS) level V) underwent a minimum of 5 baseline sessions, followed by 8 intervention sessions. Engagement was measured during each session using the Individual Child Engagement Record –Revised (ICER-R). The data was analysed using visual graphic and statistical analysis. All participants demonstrated an improvement in engagement in play with the introduction of non-powered, self-initiated mobility. A reciprocal deterioration in non-engagement was also recorded. A decrease in engagement in play at the start of intervention was attributed to the focus of engagement being on mobility skills as the device was introduced but this reverted as the participants spent more time on the mobility device. Functional abilities were identified as having a greater role in engagement than age. The introduction of non-powered, self-initiated mobility correlated with the improvement of engagement of young children with severe motor impairment. Non-powered, self-initiated mobility is a viable, cost effective mechanism for mobility at a young age. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) / PhD / Unrestricted

The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to investigate early childhood teachers’ perceptions of how technology integration contributes to the development of young children’s literacy. I sought to understand their perspectives on the differences between traditional and digital literacies, the benefits of using technology for this purpose, and how they perceived their role in planning and implementing technology-integrated literacy activities. Finally, the study examined how teachers’ perceptions, beliefs, teaching experiences, and technology knowledge influenced their classroom practices. The study drew from sociocultural and multimodal perspectives that view children’s use of digital devices as tools to make meaning and engage with multimodal texts as social practice influenced by their interactions and conversations with teachers and peers in classrooms. Ten early childhood teachers from three different elementary schools agreed to participate in the study. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews and reviews of lesson plans and instructional PowerPoints. The data were analyzed through two cycles of coding that generated four overarching themes: 1) teachers’ beliefs and understanding of digital literacies, 2) digital literacy experiences in early childhood classrooms, 3) teachers’ roles in technology-enhanced instruction, and 4) facilitators and barriers to digital technology integration. The study found that participating teachers recognized the importance of integrating digital technologies into their traditional literacy instruction in moderation with the exception of pre-K teachers who asserted that digital technology was inappropriate in pre-K classrooms. The teachers tended to conceptualize digital literacies as the absence of physical aspects and materials and the consumption of digital texts. In addition, teachers observed common benefits related to technology integration including providing audio and visual modes to supplement print-centric literacy, maintaining students ‘attention by projecting stories and letters on an interactive whiteboard, and facilitating individualized learning using apps that assess students’ reading levels. The teachers provided opportunities for students to watch videos about letters and sight words and play literacy games on tablets and Chromebooks. With guidance and modeling, most teachers encouraged the students to read e-books and play literacy games. The findings suggest implications for teachers, administrators, teacher educators, policymakers for effective integration of technology in early childhood classrooms and to overcome obstacles that teachers might encounter. The findings could be used to guide professional development based on teachers’ perspectives and classroom experiences to better meet their needs because they are the key to more productive technology integration. Such support is needed to help teachers realize the potential of digital technology to transform literacy learning and prepare young children to be literate in the 21st century.

No description available.

USA Infant Court is a multisystem, trauma-focused approach designed to address the complex needs of infants, toddlers, and their parents involved in the child welfare system and to improve outcomes. Infant mental health values and principles as well as knowledge areas such as the impact of trauma on early brain development, attachment theory, and trauma -informed care are integrated into the practice of infant courts. The core components of evidenced informed infant and early childhood courts will be reviewed. Presenters will describe two pilot infant court projects and the expansion of infant courts statewide through legislation.

We conducted a study to evaluate the effectiveness of Mom Power, a multifamily parenting intervention to improve mental health and parenting among high-risk mothers with young children in a community-based randomized controlled trial (CB-RCT) design. Participants (N = 122) were high-risk mothers (e.g., interpersonal trauma histories, mental health problems, poverty) and their young children (age <6 years), randomized either to Mom Power, a parenting intervention (treatment condition), or weekly mailings of parenting information (control condition). In this study, the 13-session intervention was delivered by community clinicians trained to fidelity. Pre- and post-trial assessments included mothers’ mental health symptoms, parenting stress and helplessness, and connection to care. Mom Power was delivered in the community with fidelity and had good uptake (>65%) despite the risk nature of the sample. Overall, we found improvements in mental health and parenting stress for Mom Power participants but not for controls; in contrast, control mothers increased in parent-child role reversal across the trial period. The benefits of Mom Power treatment (vs. control) were accentuated for mothers with interpersonal trauma histories. Results of this CB-RCT confirm the effectiveness of Mom Power for improving mental health and parenting outcomes for high-risk, trauma-exposed women with young children.

The object of this research was to investigate young children's mathematical spatial reasoning in a Montessori classroom. Spatial reasoning is an important part of children's mathematical learning and development; however, opportunities for rich spatial reasoning are not readily available in the classroom. Rather, there is a focus on numeracy at the expense of geometry where activities for spatial development are usually found. Montessori designed a sensory curriculum around children's development, yet spatial reasoning in a Montessori classroom has not been fully investigated. This was a qualitative study using some tools of ethnography. The theoretical framework was Radford's sensuous cognition (2013, 2014) which allowed for an understanding of human development as cultural with the body essential to that development. The data, captured by video, were the children's semiotic traces (Bartolini Bussi and Baccaglini-Frank (2015, p. 393) which are the visible productions of the children's spatial reasoning such as their movements, text, drawings, and speech. The analysis found that the children had ample opportunities for engaging in challenging mathematical problems which required their spatial reasoning. These engaging activities resulted in the children using a wide range of spatial skills as they reasoned mathematically. The children's movement, the main semiotic trace generated by the children, was crucial to their spatial reasoning. This investigation concluded the pedagogical practices created a rich and dynamic environment for the children's spatial development. Practices included the use of well-designed mathematical manipulatives, engagement in the manner of guided play, co-operative learning with peers of mixed ages, extensive time for activities, and assessment based on observations of individual children.