The aim of this study was to examine children with special needs (CSN) were supported, and clarify the role of the nursery school. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the nursery school director, and the data were analysed using Modified Grounded Theory Approach (M-GTA); the results showed that an inadequate relationship between the mothers and the nursery school was identified as the main factor related to unsuccessful support. Childcare teachers’ interventions to address this issue helped better understanding of CSN and their parents, established trust from the mothers. The competence of management helped positively influences mothers’ feelings and acceptance of the disability. In order to support the families of CSN, it is essential not only to promote CSN’s growth and development, but also to expand the perspectives and expertise of the director and enhance a nursery school organization. Moreover, trust in the director, in addition to leadership and skills as a manager, is the basis for proactive support by childcare teachers.

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The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the characteristics of parental behavior as active playmates and examine the implications of parental behavior for parent–child play and relationships. Through observation of parent–child play at home, we analyzed cases in which parents showed concentration and enjoyment when parents and children played on an equal footing. The results showed that 1) parents became active players in a situation in which skill difference between parents and children was easily reduced while enjoying the competition, 2) parents were sometimes attracted to the play itself and intentionally immersed in the play some other times, and 3) parents openly expressed their own diverse feelings and requests for the play. It was suggested that such parental behavior could enhance the parent–child relationship and the scope of play.

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This study aimed to elucidate how caregivers discuss concerns that parents recorded about child-rearing in a contact book with other caregivers and provide appropriate support to the parents. Participatory observation of childcare practices in a class of one-year-olds and interviews with caregivers were conducted. Results showed that discussions between caregivers about the parents’ concerns were held not only in the nursery room but also in the caregivers’ lounge and staff room. Furthermore, a variety of caregivers, including the head teacher, director, and other classes, were involved in the discussions beyond a single classroom. This study found that child-rearing support was provided via cooperation throughout the entire facility. The support was enforced with caregivers’ acknowledgment of what was important to the concerned parents and their children and with the provision of assistance in their respective capacities.

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The purpose of this study was to clarify an approach taken by facilitators of case-conferences of children with special needs (CSN). Nursery school and kindergarten teachers (N=8) who had experience as facilitators of case-conferences were interviewed. The verbatim records were analyzed using a modified Grounded Theory Approach. As a result, it was found that facilitators (1) encouraged active discussion among participants in case conferences of CSN and (2) emphasized the importance of case provider’s positive attitude toward their own childcare practice. These facilitators’ actions were observed before, during, and after the case conferences and the daily consideration of the management team on childcare practice was the foundation of effective facilitators.

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The purpose of this study was to examine factors that may affect childcare workers’ help-seeking behavior in the workplace focusing on a collaborative climate as an environmental factor, help-seeking intention as an individual attitude factor, and internal self-attribution and evaluation by others as situational cognitive factors. Questionnaire results of childcare workers (N=64) were analyzed. A structural equation modeling analysis showed that when the internal self-attribution of childcare workers was low to moderate, a collaborative climate helped suppress the internal self-attribution and the hesitation to consult with helpers, consequently encouraging them to seek assistance from colleagues. In addition, a collaborative climate alleviated workers’ concerns about obtaining negative evaluations by managers, resulting in ease of requesting assistance from managers. These results suggested that a collaborative climate is an important factor in promoting childcare workers’ help-seeking behavior.

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This study aimed to clarify 1) actions of a mother for kindergarten admission of her child with highly sensitive child (HSC) symptoms and 2) difficulties that she faced and factors that caused the difficulties. We interviewed a mother raising an infant. The results showed that reasons why the infant failed in admission were that was exhausted both physically and mentally in child-rearing and isolated from society. The study also identified that difficulties faced by the family deteriorated their daily lives due to mental instability of the child with HSC symptoms, causing social isolation. Furthermore, the lack of knowledge of HSC among family members, as well as the lack of understanding about HSC by society and caretakers, may cause barriers to rearing HSC.

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This paper evaluated, by focusing on Finland, the early childhood education and care (ECEC) system in Europe, which has been promoting high-quality ECEC to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs), and discussed institutional reforms over a period of 30 years from the 1970s. The materials used in this research were based on Finnish literature, showing that the Finnish childcare system was formally established by introducing the Act on Children’s Day Care in the 1970s. However, confusion arose in the ECEC community after the government guidelines emphasized early childhood education in the 1980s. When this undesirable outcome was recognized in the 1990s, an effort was made to return to a more ideal, children-centered education and care. ECEC has been related to pre-primary education since 1986, and as a result of the curriculum development based on the information steering policy in Finland, the national core curricula for ECEC and pre-primary education were implemented in the 2000s, leading to the development of continuous education from ECEC to elementary schools.

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In this study, we considered three roles that kindergarten teachers mainly assume after mid-career: (1) kindergarten teacher (practitioner), (2) preschool organizer, and (3) family member, and clarified the career development process and difficulties from mid-career onward. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three teachers who had a minimum of 16 years of experience as kindergarten teachers. Factors that supported career development were examined. The career development process and difficulties of each teacher were visualized Trajectory Equifinality Modeling.The results elucidated that career development after mid-career was supported by the following three factors related to roles (1) (2) and (3), respectively: "opportunities to learn and realize personal growth as a practitioner," "change in awareness of position and role within the preschool organization," and "experience of reaffirming oneself as a family member.”

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This paper aimed to clarify the training curriculum of kindergarten teachers at national universities in the early post–World War II period. I examined how the research on childcare content began by addressing the discussions at Instructor Workshops at the Faculty of Teacher Training held at Okayama University in 1955. The following findings were identified. At the workshops, no conclusions were reached on the details of course credits. Considering the characteristics of kindergarten education and the concept of six content areas, workshop participants decided that the general theoretical remarks must be included in the training course, and the contents was determined. They also decided to discuss contents that should be included in each of the six areas as a compromise, and the contents was determined. Although no conclusive decision about the details of course credits was made at the workshops, the policy that offering new courses in each area, which had not been obvious before the workshops, was strengthened by this workshops.

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This study reviewed previous studies related to the term “understanding children” and summarized the issues related to its concept. Furthermore, the study sought to confirm that this term has real meaning. By examining how this term was regarded in each of the previous studies, there were eight interpretations and three usages. It was consequently clarified that “understanding children” has become universal due to its use as a proxy for the actions of caregivers. The growing interest in and the accumulation of research on “understanding children” encouraged its self-explanatory use and strengthened its usage as a common concept in childcare and early childhood education.

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The purpose of this study was to clarify the process by which Japanese-learning children in a preschool demonstrate their individuality as members of a class while using their native language. We conducted an observation of a child, for 20 months, who entered a preschool with no knowledge of Japanese. We focused on the language they used in the preschool and analyzed the observation data using the Trajectory Equifinality Model and the Three Layers Model of Genesis. The results indicated that it is not necessary to think that they should avoid using their native language because they cannot communicate in it, it is rather important to feel that they are accepted as a whole person by peers even if using their native language. Taken together, the study suggested that a class in which Japanese-learning children feel positive about their own native language may encourage their independent action.

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