Dette bidraget har bakgrunn i en casestudie av barns overgang og opplevelse av sammenheng mellom barnehage og skole. Samarbeid og sammenheng mellom barnehage og skole er i dag et prioritert område nasjonalt (Kunnskapsdepartementet, 2008-2009) og internasjonalt (OECD, 2001; 2006). Barn skal oppleve sammenheng mellom institusjonene (Kunnskapsdepartementet, 2011). Undersøkelser viser at de ansatte i barnehage og skole har lite kunnskap om hverandre og at kommunikasjonen mellom dem er mangelfull (Rambøll, 2010; Broström, 2009). Dersom de ansatte har lite kunnskap om de andre institusjonenes tradisjoner, mandat og arbeidsmåter, kan det bidra til å svekke samarbeidet mellom institusjonene. Med dette som bakgrunn undersøkes pedagogiske lederes, førsteklasselæreres og sfo-lederes prioriteringer av tiltak for å gi barn opplevelse av sammenheng i overgangen fra barnehage til skole og skolefritidsordning (sfo). De ulike tiltakene diskuteres i lys av fire former for kontinuitet mellom institusjonene; filosofisk, fysisk, sosial og kommunikasjonsmessig kontinuitet (Broström, 2009; Fabian, 2007). Resultatene viser at det er en særlig utfordrende oppgave å sikre kommunikasjonsmessig kontinuitet. Den kommunikasjonsmessige kontinuiteten er samtidig av avgjørende betydning for barns medvirkning og opplevelse av fysisk, sosial og filosofisk kontinuitet i overgangen fra barnehage til skole og sfo.

Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) places value and benefits on children’s play in nature-based outdoor spaces. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding teachers’ support of play in environments with rugged terrains and natural materials. Therefore, this systematic review aims to locate, present, and discuss research literature on how teachers in ECEC settings can support children’s play in nature-based outdoor spaces. According to the review, teachers’ support of children’s play was described in the literature as encouraging children’s free and unstructured play through facilitating actions addressing the children’s perspectives and the opportunities offered by the physical environment. Furthermore, teacher support was also described as teacher-led and teacher-guided interactions where teachers and children communicate or collaborate in playful situations. Differences and overlapping elements of types of teacher support are discussed, and implications for researchers, practitioners, and ECEC teacher education are provided.

This review concerns how quality in ECEC is thematized and examined in Norwegian research published in 2010–2021. The review contributes to developing relevant professional knowledge and insight into what quality in ECEC is, should be or can be. A systematic scoping review includes 97 empirical studies of quality in the Norwegian ECEC context. The results show an increase in studies addressing quality after the year 2017. Most studies use interviews and observations, i.e., qualitative data. Research based on quantitative studies mainly applies to questionnaires, whereas multi-method designs occur with the third greatest frequency. The majority of the studies are descriptive or explore relationships. A few studies concern method development, interventions or reviews of the literature. ECEC staff and ECEC teachers are the most common informants. Two-thirds of the studies included were published in English, and only one-third were published in Norwegian. Thematically, process quality emerges as the most studied dimension of quality, dominated by investigating the aspect of staff–child interactions. About one-third of the studies investigate structural quality, with most attention paid to the physical environment and the organization of the ECEC provisions. Less research is directed at result (outcome) quality and curriculum quality. This overview contributes to increased knowledge about how quality is understood and used in research, as an essential prerequisite for creating a safe and sound everyday life for children in ECEC.

This study explored longitudinal associations between student-teacher closeness in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) at 5 years of age and children’s externalising problems at 3, 5 and 8 years, and its potential dependency on teachers’ perceived competence regarding children’s behavioural and social problems. We applied structural equation modelling to data from 7478 children (50.2% boys) from the Norwegian Mother Father and Child Cohort study. Results show that teachers’ reports of close relationships in ECEC are beneficial for reduced externalising problems at 8 years, as reported by mothers. Yet, early externalising problems at 3 years compose a risk for low closeness in ECEC. Insufficient competence among teachers about children’s social and behavioural problems increases this risk, especially in the presence of student-teacher conflict. When teachers perceive their competence as sufficient, the risk of low closeness is reduced for these children.

This article explores variations in development of everyday motor-life-skills in 661 children (329 girls and 332 boys) in Norwegian kindergartens of ages 2:9 (T1) and 4:9 (T2) years:months. The particular focus is on children at risk for problems in motor development (the 10% weakest children in the sample). The methodological approach chosen is authentic assessment, applying the Early Years Movement Skills Checklist (EYMSC). All correlations between motor-life-skills at ages 2:9 and 4:9 are statistically significant (p < 0.01), varying between r = 0.26 to 0.38 for the four section scores of EYMSC (Self-help skills, Desk skills, General classroom skills and Recreational and playground skills) and r = 0.39 for the EYMSC total score. The group composition of children assumed to be at risk for motor difficulties changes considerably between ages 2:9 and 4:9. Approximately, two-thirds of the 10% weakest at T1 do not belong to the 10% weakest at T2. Logistic regression failed to identify children at risk at T1 being among the 10% weakest at T2. However, for two sections of EYMSC (Self-help skills; Recreational and Playground skills), it was possible to distinguish between stable and flux groups.

This study provides a comprehensive overview of trends in Scandinavian early childhood education (ECEC) research from 2006 to 2021, based on the Nordic Base of Early Childhood Education and Care’s (NB-ECEC) annual reports. The study reveals a notable increase in empirical studies in Scandinavia, particularly in Sweden and Norway. The rise in English publications is attributed to international collaborations and political guidelines. Dominant thematic areas include pedagogical practices and teaching and learning, while economics and classroom management receive less focus. Qualitative research prevails, with a shortage of quantitative methods like randomised controlled trials and longitudinal designs. The study emphasises the importance of diversifying research methodologies, acknowledges positive developments in research quality, and notes an increasing trend in international peer-reviewed journal publications.