About this session

Friday, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

The Role of the Natural Environment of Children’s Development

Time in the natural world is important for children’s growth and development. Not only are there numerous benefits associated with spending more time in nature on children’s physical development, cognitive functioning, and academic performance (Chawla, 2015), but time in nature allows children to develop environmental stewardship and care for the environment. Utilizing qualitative and quantitative approaches, this symposium leverages diverse perspectives and data from four different research groups to examine the impact experiences in nature has on children’s holistic development. This symposium begins by exploring the role nature-based early childhood education has on a variety of domains. The first presentation examines preschool educators’ beliefs and barriers to implementing play-based science and how these beliefs and barriers different based on type of preschool (i.e., forest preschool, Head Start, etc.). The next presentation analyzes children’s development of early literacy and numeracy skills in nature-based kindergarten and first grade programs compared to more traditional programs. The third study explores how nature-based programs foster a connection to nature for young children and supports their socio-emotional development. The final presentation examines parent-child interactions in nature and associations between parental beliefs and attitudes about nature and children’s language, physical activity, and executive functioning during time outdoors. Panelists and attendees will discuss promising avenues for supporting children’s experiences in nature both in the home and classroom setting and consider future directions for research on the role of nature in children’s development.

Paper #1
Title	Science in Play: Exploring Play-Based Science Learning Across Different Preschool
Presenting author	Kathleen Mahoney, University of Massachussetts Amhers

Paper #2
Title	Academic Outcomes from Nature-based Kindergarten and First Grade Classrooms
Presenting author	Dr. Arianna Pikus, Texas A&M University, United States

Paper #3
Title	The Social Roots of Child-Nature Connectedness: Examining Social Influences in an Outdoor Preschool
Presenting author	Stacey Marie Alfonso, M.Ed., University of Washington

Paper #4
Title	Associations among Parental Science and Nature Beliefs, Language Reciprocity & Child Physical Activity and Inhibitory Control
Presenting author	Dr. Sarah Pedonti, Ph.D., Western Carolina University, United States

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Session chair
Dr. Arianna Pikus, Texas A&M University, United States

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