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Article published In:
Interactions and Language Acquisition in Non-Family Settings
Edited by Caroline Masson
[Language, Interaction and Acquisition 15:1] 2024
► pp. 95–129

Engaging children in activities and interactions

What strategies do educators use in early childhood education and care?

| Université Sorbonne Nouvelle
| Université Sorbonne Nouvelle
| Institut national supérieur de formation et de recherche pour l’éducation inclusive (INSEI)
| Université Sorbonne Nouvelle
| Université de Lorraine
| Université Sorbonne Nouvelle
In early childhood education and care (ECEC), children do not participate in the same way and to the same extent in various kinds of interactions. One of the challenges for educators is to succeed in involving every child in the proposed activities, thereby enabling them to benefit from these experiences for language acquisition. The present exploratory study was conducted through video recordings of educator-child interactions in French ECEC contexts. The analysis focused on sequences where one or more children either withdrew or stayed in the background of the ongoing activities. The sequences were categorised according to the type of activity, the educators’ language strategies, and their outcomes in terms of the children’s participation. By focusing on the role and impact of language practices, our discussion re-examines the notion of involvement/engagement, its achievements in ECEC, and the effects of the educators’ moves on child involvement.
Keywords: early childhood education and care, child involvement, adult responsiveness, pragmatics, educators’ language strategies
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Engaging in interactions
    • 2.1Defining the concept of involvement/engagement in focused interactions
    • 2.2Engagement and language use in early childhood education and care
      • 2.2.1Educator-toddler interactions in ECEC
      • 2.2.2Child engagement and adults’ strategies during activities
    • 2.3Aim of the current study
  • 3.Method
    • 3.1Data
    • 3.2Selection criteria
    • 3.3Analysis criteria
  • 4.Results
    • 4.1Types of child disengagement and educator (re)engagement moves
    • 4.2Status of children’s focus of attention
    • 4.3Modalities and interactional moves of the educators
  • 5.Qualitative analysis
    • 5.1Engagement in communication during booktime
    • 5.2Engagement in the activity and communication during structured play
    • 5.3Engagement in the activity during free play
  • 6.Discussion
    • 6.1Engagement in relation to the educator’s strategies
    • 6.2Engagement in relation to the type of activity
    • 6.3Questioning the issue of involvement in ECEC
  • 7.Limitations and future directions
  • 8.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 14 November 2024
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/lia.00023.mas
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