“Nytråkk” i gamle spor. Retrospektivt blikk på hverdagslivet i en småbarnsgruppe.

The purpose of this study is to enable children to express how they experienced everyday life at an ECEC centre (0-2 years) two years after they left the centre.

The two different research methods provided two different types of results. During the tours of the ECEC centre (0-2 years), the children focused on ‘the walk-through content’ at the ECEC centre (0-2 years), and during the visual tour of the 'memory book’, the children focused on ‘time-specific content’. The walk-through content included the things that were part of everyday life through play, routines and everyday activities. Many of these things were centred on group activities, which often do not get much attention in didactic plans. Time-specific content included content that is much more visible in pedagogical plans and that is traditionally used for the purpose of documentation.

The results of the ‘walk through’ were (1) recognition and memories of play, (2) community and friendship and (3) routines and changes. The results of the 'memory books' were (1) special events and days, birthdays, carnivals, parties and excursions, (2) relationships, community and friendship, (3) ‘big-little’ and (4) the children's own arts and crafts.

Recognition and memories of play were a central part of the ‘walk through’. The children recognised the rooms and the artefacts that they connected with special activities. For example, many of the children paused by a window in a separation wall which they connected with playing ‘house’. Community and friendship were also apparent during the walk through as the children began to use words such as ‘we’ and ‘us’. The researchers experienced a strong sense of a collective ‘we’ among the children. This was also apparent when going through the 'memory book' where children often reflected on past relationships - for example ‘that was my best friend. Routines and changes were a central theme for the children as there had been many changes at the ECEC centre (0-2 years) since the children had left - for example, the sofa where they used to read had been moved. As the children went through the 'memory book’, they described special events and days, birthdays, carnivals, parties and excursions. The 'memory-books' primarily contained documentation about special and obviously planned content of the ECEC centre (0-2 years). The children reflected on the relationship between big and little in the pictures which can be exemplified by statements such as ‘Jane was little then’ and ‘that looks like my little brother, but it's me’. The children lingered by their own artwork in the 'memory books' and they enjoyed reflecting on their skills. They felt that they had created some very pretty things.

The researchers conducted two different types of retrospective talks with 4- and 5-year-old children (three girls and one boy). During the first ‘interview’, the children walked through their former ECEC centre (0-2 years) in the company of a researcher and talked about their everyday experiences during their time there. The 'walk through' with the child as a guide, lasted about half an hour and was filmed. During the second interview the children, along with the researcher, went through their ‘memory-books’ from their time at the ECEC centre (0-2 years). This visual 'walk through' with the children was also designed so that the child acted as a guide for the researcher. The 'memory books' contain drawings by the child, as well as photos taken at the ECEC centre (0-2 years) or during excursions, that showed specific events or special days, such as birthdays. The staff had added a short description to most of the photos.

Winger, N. & Eide, B.J. (2015). “Nytråkk” i gamle spor. Retrospektivt blikk på hverdagslivet i en småbarnsgruppe. Nordisk Barnehageforskning 9(4), 1-22.