Abstract
Ritual is a fact of school life and is enacted by teachers in their everyday classroom activities. This paper explores the various forms of ritual as they are played out in preschool settings. A key finding is that rituals have both variant and invariant qualities. The invariant order of ritual provides the stable framework that has become part of the school system, whereas rituals with high levels of variance are responsible for a more personalized and flexible approach to teaching. Classroom rituals have the potential to act as a tool through which teachers structure a particular form of practice that carries a rational pedagogical purpose for teachers.
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In this study preschool denotes the noncompulsory year of schooling immediately before children enter formal schooling. Children in this setting turn 5 years of age between January and December. Formal schooling in Western Australia begins in the year the child turns 6 years of age (January to December). The Montessori Pre-School catered to children from 3–5 years in keeping with the founder’s philosophy of mixed age groups.
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Maloney, C. The role of ritual in preschool settings. Early Childhood Educ J 27, 143–150 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02694227
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02694227