The socialization of children of migrant parents during their first year in crèche.

In this contribution we will present the results of an action-research initiative, carried out in collaboration with the Department of Education of the Municipality of Pistoia, aimed at investigating the experience of young children of migrant parents during their first year of attendance at an Italian nido (crèche). A large set of observational data was collected. Activities and social behaviour of a group of children and adults during their everyday life in a nido were filmed. The videos were recorded from 8.30 to 13 once per month, from November 2013 to May 2014 for a total of 50 hours. We have analysed how children from migrant parents cope with the new context, socially, culturally and linguistically different from their domestic context, which difficulties they encounter, how their experience in the nido developed over the year and which conditions supported or impeded their participation in activities and in social interactions with peers and educators. The analysis showed that children of migrant parents experienced specific difficulties in participating in daily activities and social interactions with peers and teachers during their first period of attendance in the nido. It also depicted how children's participation in the social context of the nido increased over the year and which organizational and educational practices can support its development.