Fostering toddlers’ emotion knowledge through storybook reading and collaboration with whānau : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Education (Early Years) at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand

Abstract

Emotion knowledge develops rapidly throughout the early years and is an integral part of the emotional competencies required as a foundation for all future learning. Toddlerhood is a particularly important time for emotion knowledge as toddlers begin to notice, name, and make sense of feelings in themselves and others. Multiple strategies can be used to strengthen toddlers’ emotion knowledge. These include teachers’ use of intentional and responsive pedagogy and high-quality parent–teacher relationships in which emotion learning is supported at home and in education settings. Effective interventions must be responsive to toddlers’ diverse learning trajectories, engage toddlers’ interests and be feasible for teachers and families to implement. Tiered intervention models, such as Te Tūāpapa o He Pikorua, that help inform universal, targeted and tailored strategies, can support equitable outcomes and educational success. Prompted by this understanding, this study explored how a tiered storybook reading intervention that uses shared reading (universal), dialogic reading (targeted) and social story reading (tailored) across toddlers’ early childhood education (ECE) setting and homes supports emotion knowledge learning and influences parent–teacher relationships. Situated in the toddler room of an ECE setting in Aotearoa New Zealand, this study used a single group mixed methods intervention design. A range of data was collected to explore toddlers’ emotion knowledge, parent–teacher collaboration and parents’ and teachers’ perceptions. Findings suggest that toddlers’ emotion knowledge was supported by continuity and cohesiveness through bridged environments, and a structured yet flexible approach to intervention. The intervention was guided by a range of assessments to determine the use of specific and responsive strategies, ultimately supporting positive outcomes for all participating toddlers. Additionally, parent teacher relationships and communication were supported through a shared focus on learning. A ripple effect that extended to other whānau and children was identified in the data. The study offers a unique demonstration of tiered storybook reading intervention guided by Te Tūāpapa o He Pikorua. Drawing on this single-site demonstration, key mechanisms that influenced toddlers’ learning and parent–teacher collaboration are explored, and implications for future practice, policy, and research are discussed. Importantly, the research highlights positive learning for toddlers, parents, and teachers when an intentional, collaborative and responsive approach to learning is provided.