Barnehagens relasjonelle verden: Små barn som kompetente aktører i produktive forhandlinger.

The purpose of this study is to examine play among the youngest children at daycare centre and analyse how this play unfolds. The study focuses on the issues children negotiate in their play, how this negotiation is expressed, and what strategies are used in these negotiations.

The study shows that toddlers negotiate both verbally and non-verbally, and combine the two negotiation methods. When toddlers negotiate nonverbally, they imitate, copy or recreate the various movements of other people. Toddlers' use of verbal and/or nonverbal language varies depending on whether the starting point of their interaction is agreement or disagreement. Nonverbal language seems to be mostly used in games where the children basically agree. Toddlers' negotiation strategies can be divided into appropriate and inappropriate strategies. The appropriate strategies most often result in the children achieving a consensus and getting along with each other in their relationship. The result of the inappropriate strategies is that the game is brought to a halt.

Video footage was made of 24 children at daycare centres, including 13 girls and 11 boys, aged two to three years. Eight hours of video footage of children's play has been transcribed and analysed in relation to childhood psychological and sociological theories (Sommer, 1997; Corsaro, 2002).

Alvestad, T. (2010). Barnehagens relasjonelle verden: Små barn som kompetente aktører i produktive forhandlinger. Göteborg: Göteborgs universitet, Institutionen för pedagogik och didaktik.

Alvestad, T. (2012) Små barns forhandlinger i lek. Oslo. Cappelen Damm akademisk.
ISBN: 9788202275617.