Providing consultation, advise and coaching in the field of education. Focusing on early childhood (0-8) and bilingual/bicultural education. Research specialty in children's spirituality. Experienced services provided on qualitative methodologies in program design and evaluation.
Abstract
This study explores in-service early childhood educators’ understanding of children’s spirituality. Utilizing the recently validated instrument, Early Childhood Educators’ Spiritual Practices in the Classroom (ECE-SPC), responses to the question, “What do you understand children’s spirituality to be?” were analyzed. Participants included 318 educators working in secular educational settings with children ages zero to eight years across 36 U.S. states. Findings reveal a multilayered understanding of children’s spirituality. Through a grounded theory approach to data analysis using in-vivo codes in initial and axial coding, participants’ responses were organized in a response framework comprised of three main categories of understanding spirituality: (1) as Essence in itself (f 208), (2) as its place of Origin (f 122), and (3) as Actions in relation to others or as ways in which it is practiced (f 86). This framework contributes to constructing a shared understanding of children’s spirituality to build efforts toward promoting holistic development and intentionally nurturing the spiritual domain.
ABSTRACT
In an attempt to provide holistic education and care, expand the view of young children’s development to include the spiritual, and make connections with the found benefits of play for all areas of development, this article looks at 33 surveyed U.S. early childhood educators’ perceptions on nurturing spirituality through open-ended and free play. Data collected from the open-ended questions of an online survey were analyzed looking at 22 mentions of play as a mean to support spirituality. Findings show that 45.5% of surveyed teachers mentioned play as a way intentionally used in the classroom to nurture children’s spirituality. It is posed that developmentally appropriate approaches to early childhood education would be enhanced by including spirituality in their understanding of the child, as well as intentionally nurturing spirituality in educational settings, by providing free, child-centered, child-directed play and opportunities for children to experience spiritual moments, defined as feeling wonder, awe, joy, and inner-peace.
