In Italy, although the number of children of migrant parents in ECEC services has been increasing dramatically, studies on their experiences in the services have not been frequent.
Several authors (Brougère, Guénif-Souilamas & Rayna, 2008; Favaro, Mantovani & Musatti, 2008; Vandenbroeck, 2005) claimed that linguistic and cultural diversity of migrant families and their children's plural identity should be taken into account by educational practice in ECEC services.
When children of migrant parents attend an ECEC service, they are exposed to language within two linguistically and culturally different contexts (at home and at the ECEC service) just in the period in which they are acquiring verbal communication. How do these children cope with the experience in the new educational context?
We will present the analysis of the experience of two 31 and 34 month-old children of Albanian parents during their day in an Italian nido. The analysis, which is based on 20 hour filmed observations, considers the children's involvement in the nido life, their participation to social processes and play activities and their communicative exchanges with adults and peers.
We refer to the ethical considerations presented in Communication from the European Commission on EU Policy Plan on Legal Migration (COM n. 66/2011).
The analysis showed which difficulties these children encountered during their daily life in the nido and which elements of the educational context could support the children's process of integration in the group of peers.
Discussion of results provides useful suggestions for improving educational practices in ECEC services.
