Advances in Measuring the Intersection of Talk and Contextual Features on the Early Childhood Playground
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| Title: | Advances in Measuring the Intersection of Talk and Contextual Features on the Early Childhood Playground |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Dwight W. Irvin (ORCID |
| Source: | Topics in Early Childhood Special Education. 2026 45(4):252-263. |
| Availability: | SAGE Publications and Hammill Institute on Disabilities. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 12 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Early Childhood Education |
| Descriptors: | Early Childhood Education, Playgrounds, Playground Activities, Child Development, Interpersonal Communication, Discourse Analysis, Young Children, Teacher Student Relationship, Developmental Disabilities, Developmental Delays, Sensory Aids, Technology Uses in Education, Measurement, Interaction |
| DOI: | 10.1177/02711214251324615 |
| ISSN: | 0271-1214 1538-4845 |
| Abstract: | Outdoor play environments such as playgrounds provide opportunities for children to develop language, social-emotional, cognitive, and motor skills through interactions with peers and adults. Traditionally, direct observation has been used to measure child and teacher talk on the playground. In this proof-of-concept study, we used sensing technology tools, namely the Ubisense and the Language ENvironmental Analysis (LENA), to capture and examine talk among young children and educators on a U.S. early childhood center playground. We collected over 28,000 1-s speech-audio and location data points with toddlers (n = 11). Descriptive results indicate that children with developmental disabilities/delays (DD/D) experienced more talk from educators and peers compared to those with typical development in specific areas of the playground. The use of sensing technology represents a groundbreaking advancement for understanding variations in talk between teachers and children in an outdoor play environment. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1496922 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Outdoor play environments such as playgrounds provide opportunities for children to develop language, social-emotional, cognitive, and motor skills through interactions with peers and adults. Traditionally, direct observation has been used to measure child and teacher talk on the playground. In this proof-of-concept study, we used sensing technology tools, namely the Ubisense and the Language ENvironmental Analysis (LENA), to capture and examine talk among young children and educators on a U.S. early childhood center playground. We collected over 28,000 1-s speech-audio and location data points with toddlers (n = 11). Descriptive results indicate that children with developmental disabilities/delays (DD/D) experienced more talk from educators and peers compared to those with typical development in specific areas of the playground. The use of sensing technology represents a groundbreaking advancement for understanding variations in talk between teachers and children in an outdoor play environment. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0271-1214 1538-4845 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/02711214251324615 |
