Database of the Welsh
of Children 3-7 Years of Age

Data

 

Ages Numbers of files Hours of recording
about ½ hour per recording
Numbers of children Names of the files Size of files
Three 25 12.5 hour 42 c3001 - c3025 418kb
Four 31 15.5 hour 63 c4001 - c4031 498kb
Five 39 19.5 hour 77 c5a001 - c5a039 859kb
Five 'a' 44 22 hour 87 c5001 - c5044 855kb
Six 48 24 hour 96 c6001 - c6048 1.00mb
Seven 52 26 hour 104 c7001 - c7052 1.14mb
Totals 239 119.5 hour     4.66mb

There are two cohorts: children from three to five, and children from five to seven. The first digit in the names of the files which make up the database gives the age of the children. The file names of the five year olds of the younger cohort are distinguished by the letter 'a' after the first digit. The remaining digits number the files within the age group.

The basis of the data is a collection of audio recordings of some half to three quarters of an hour each. A large number of children between three and seven years of age were recorded in schools throughout Wales. 

There are two cohorts: 3-5 and 5-7 years of age. The children were recorded once a year for three years - but losses and additions occurred as children missed a recording session and others came into the original project for the first time. 

The recording sessions were undertaken in the children's schools. A standard play situation was used: a large box full of sand which also contained various toys, a wheel into which sand could be poured to turn it, and containers which could hold sand. There were some exceptional occassions early in the life of the original project which collected the data when other play situations were used (a farm or building set). 

A researcher supervised the recording session in situ. But the aim was to obtain spontaneous interactions between the children, and there was no use of standard elicitation techniques. The investigator only spoke with the children: a) for normal social reasons, b) to engage with shy or quiet children, or to encourage a flagging conversation, and c) to discourage unruly behaviour.