There's More Than One Answer

While teaching a creativity workshop recently, the discussion turned to how important <em></em>divergent<em></em> thinking is to problem solving skills. Divergent thinking allows children to look at a problem and explore the many ways it can be solved. I dislike scenarios where there is only one answer. I know that 2 + 2 will always equal 4, but for problems that offer the possibility of multiple answers, we should give children that opportunity.<br />I am a big believer in classroom meetings and introducing problems to children. Teachers often try to solve all the problems and make all the decisions. Parents do the same at home. I often use one example from my own classroom. In exasperation one day I noticed that the art center was a mess after we 'cleaned up' the room. I could have lectured or told the children how disappointed I was in their lack of follow-through. Instead, I drew the students' attention to the art center and asked if they could identify what was wrong. Of course they knew the center was not cleaned up properly. I asked for volunteers to clean the center. After it was appropriately cleaned I drew attention to how it should look after clean up. I then asked the children what we were going to do about the problem of having centers left in disarray. They had a variety of ideas, which we adopted as our procedures, and the problem of messy learning centers improved 100%.<br />Lecturing to the children was one ineffective approach to the problem. However, using several suggestions from the children solved the issue. Divergent thinking can rule the day!

There's More Than One Answer

While teaching a creativity workshop recently, the discussion turned to how important divergent thinking is to problem solving skills. Divergent thinking allows children to look at a problem and explore the many ways it can be solved. I dislike scenarios where there is only one answer. I know that 2…

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Unsure About Sure Start

Anyone with an interest in the children's sector should take the time to listen to the latest episode of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Analysis</span> series on Radio 4, which investigates <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-14079117" target="_blank">what the Sure Start programme has achieved for children</a> in the 12 years since it was set up. The programme was initially broadcast last night and is due to be repeated on Sunday 17th July at 9:30pm, or you can listen via iPlayer for the next couple of weeks by <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b012fc5q" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.<br /><br />For further information about the debate surrounding the success or otherwise of Sure Start, try looking at <a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.com/2010/12/sure-start-success-or-not.html" target="_blank">this previous post</a> or the DfE's November 2010 report <a href="https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DFE-RR067.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Impact of Sure Start Local Programmes on Five Year Olds and their Families</span></a>.

Unsure About Sure Start

Anyone with an interest in the children's sector should take the time to listen to the latest episode of the Analysis series on Radio 4, which investigates what the Sure Start programme has achieved for children in the 12 years since it was set up. The programme was initially broadcast last night an…

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Bumper Crop of New Research

There have been several new reports in recent days which may interest visitors to this site, so without further ado:<br /><ul><li>The Cabinet Office has today published <a href="http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/earlyintervention-smartinvestment.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Early Intervention: Smart Investment, Massive Savings</span></a>. This is a report from Graham Allen MP which calls for more money to be spent <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-14009261" target="_blank">improving the lives of children from deprived backgrounds</a>.</li><li>New DfE research has concluded that a shortage of high quality childcare could <a href="http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/rss/1078132/Shortage-high-quality-childcare-hamper-rollout-free-places-disadvantaged-two-year-olds/" target="_blank">disrupt the roll-out of free places to disadvantaged two-year-olds</a>. The full report for the study can be accessed by <a href="https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/RSG/AllPublications/Page1/DFE-RR131" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.</li><li><a href="http://www.grandparentsplus.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/GP_OlderGrandparentsOnline.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Too Old to Care?</span></a> is the title of a new report from the Grandparents Plus charity, which argues that many social workers consider grandparents over the age of 65 <a href="http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/rss/1078120/Grandparents-too-old-care/" target="_blank">too old to raise their grandchildren</a>.</li><li>The latest report from the EPPSE Project is entitled <a href="https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/RSG/AllPublications/Page1/DFE-RR128" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Performing Against the Odds</span></a>, and examines how parents of disadvantaged children can play a role in helping their achievement.</li><li>The DfE has also just published <a href="https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/RSG/AllPublications/Page1/DFE-RR134" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Investigating the Role of Language in Children's Early Educational Outcomes</span></a>, which examines the impact of the early communication environment in the first two years of a child's life.</li></ul>Finally, it's <a href="http://www.mendcentral.org/aboutus/mendin2011/moveitweek" target="_blank">National Childhood Obesity Week</a>. To mark the event, research carried out by the University of Worcester has found that <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jul/03/obesity-children-exercise-parents" target="_blank">many parents are overestimating the amount of exercise that children take</a>.

Bumper Crop of New Research

There have been several new reports in recent days which may interest visitors to this site, so without further ado:The Cabinet Office has today published Early Intervention: Smart Investment, Massive Savings. This is a report from Graham Allen MP which calls for more money to be spent improving the…

Read more »