Rebeca Mejía-Arauz

A Cultural Paradigm--Learning by Observing and Pitching In.

We discuss Learning by Observing and Pitching In (LOPI) as a cultural paradigm that provides an interesting alternative to Assembly-Line Instruction for supporting childrens learning. Although LOPI may occur in all communities, it appears to be especially prevalent in many Indigenous and Indigenous-heritage communities of the Americas. We explain key features of this paradigm, previewing the chapters of this volume, which examine LOPI as it occurs in the lives of families and communities. In this introductory chapter, we focus especially on one feature of the paradigm that plays an important role in its uptake and maintenance in families, institutions, and communities-the nature of assessment. We consider the power of the dominant paradigm and the challenges in making paradigm shifts.

Collaboration or negotiation: two ways of interacting suggest how shared thinking develops

This paper contrasts two ways that shared thinking can be conceptualized: as negotiation, where individuals join their separate ideas, or collaboration, as people mutually engage together in a unified process, as an ensemble. We argue that these paradigms are culturally based, with the negotiation model fitting within an assumption system of separate entities-an assumption system we believe to be common in psychology and in middle-class European American society-and the collaboration model fitting within a holistic worldview that appears to be common in Indigenous-heritage communities of the Americas. We discuss cultural differences in childrens interactions-as negotiation or collaboration-that suggest how these distinct paradigms develop.

Early Childhood Education and Development in Latin America

This section presents the state of the art of early childhood education and development through history and to date in several countries in Latin America. Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru give us an idea of the specifics as well as their shared problems and developments regarding how they provide attention, care, and education to their young children. The authors of the different countries and chapters that follow, offer historical accounts on how early childhood has been framed, how social and educational policies have developed, and the challenges they still address and face. They also discuss main research in this area and the research that is still needed.

Early Childhood Education and Development in Mexico

This chapter discusses the current research agenda in early childhood education in Mexico and reviews research pointing to the pedagogical challenges the country faces at the present time. A historical account of early childhood in Mexico is also discussed to unpack the educational institutions in which families, children, and educators participate in. The curriculum models currently used in early childhood are further analyzed within a historical frame to better grasp what the society in Mexico has valued. These values are translated into children’s development of cognitive skills, as is the case, for example, of oral traditions. Throughout the chapter it is discussed how language and communication has been a strong emphasis in early childhood education, in specific in the preschool years. However, there are still relevant situations that have not been thoroughly studied, such as cultural variations in language or how to make connections between home and schools to increase children’s oral language development. Another finding discussed in this chapter is the role of play in Mexican early childhood education. Some of the challenges found are how educators can develop pedagogical strategies that can be used to improve literacy development and how play can be seen as an important strategy for children’s learning. All these dimensions also need to be considered when studying a very complex society in Mexico’s diverse rural, urban, and indigenous communities.