The Parent Trap

Yesterday saw the publication of <a href="http://www.smf.co.uk/assets/files/publications/SMF%20The%20Parent%20Trap.PDF" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Parent Trap: Illustrating the Growing Cost of Childcare</span></a>. This report from the Social Market Foundation examines the different forms of childcare support which are available, and how the amount that families have to pay for formal childcare is likely to change over the coming years. A summary of the report's main points are provided by the author in <a href="http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/1106797/Childcare-becoming-dangerously-unaffordable/?DCMP=ILC-SEARCH" target="_blank">this <span style="font-style: italic;">Nursery World</span> article</a>.

The Parent Trap

Yesterday saw the publication of The Parent Trap: Illustrating the Growing Cost of Childcare . This report from the Social Market Foundation...

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Digital Education Resource Archive (DERA)

Following several recent requests about obtaining official documents, today's post is a reminder about the <a href="http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/" target="_blank">Digital Education Resource Archive (DERA)</a>. This site is hosted by the Institute of Education at the University of London, and offers free access to governmental reports. As a lot of government websites have been reorganised in recent years (particularly since the 2010 General Election), it's a very useful source for tracking down reports which no longer seem to be available.<br /><br />At present DERA contains over 5000 items, although more are being added every week.

Digital Education Resource Archive (DERA)

Following several recent requests about obtaining official documents, today's post is a reminder about the Digital Education Resource Ar...

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Ofsted Annual Report

The latest Ofsted annual report has been published today, and contains information on schools, children's centres, teacher education and more. Press reaction to the report has been mixed; the BBC highlights some points about <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-15829233" target="_blank">coasting schools</a>, while <span style="font-style: italic;">Children & Young People Now</span> has chosen to focus on <a href="http://www.cypnow.co.uk/go/news/article/1105362/childrens-services-successfully-addressing-weaknesses/" target="_blank">improvements across children's services</a>.<br /><br />The different section of the report and various supporting resources are available from <a href="http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/annualreport1011" target="_blank">this link</a>.

Ofsted Annual Report

The latest Ofsted annual report has been published today, and contains information on schools, children's centres, teacher education and...

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Children Who are Read To Just Know More!

We were discussing in our reading class this week how research indicates that children who are read to on a regular basis simply know more when they get to school.  Besides preparing the child to be a reader, being read to increases vocabulary and allows for more discussion and conversation. Combine that with the regular model of reading fluency from the adult and you have a prescription for a successful reader. We also know that children must be explicitly taught reading kills. Having the language background of hearing and participating in stories provides a wonderful foundation for those reading skills to make sense. It also provides a connection between print, reading and talking. That connection is not automatic with many children. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQKTx690PpfeYpGOs9LB4j1qxa4cIbBiqkNs8ZoC5sElTP__5vS7IImWReF8Tz-SO9aipqd3_WC5VQf-3k2xVpNTgKDDV3KRVRqYpFmLxD06_jG0ATFo78Rdw2qKX9hcxzLce2VC2k574/s1600/Trent.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQKTx690PpfeYpGOs9LB4j1qxa4cIbBiqkNs8ZoC5sElTP__5vS7IImWReF8Tz-SO9aipqd3_WC5VQf-3k2xVpNTgKDDV3KRVRqYpFmLxD06_jG0ATFo78Rdw2qKX9hcxzLce2VC2k574/s200/Trent.JPG" width="150" /></a></div> We don't know for sure what type of a world our child will have in 15 years. One way we can help him is to arm him with skills he will need no matter what the world looks like. Reading is one of those skills.

Children Who are Read To Just Know More!

We were discussing in our reading class this week how research indicates that children who are read to on a regular basis simply know more w...

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Sowing The Seeds

Readers with an interest in outdoor learning may want to take notice of a new publication from Tim Gill. The report, entitled <a href="http://www.londonsdc.org/documents/Sowing%20the%20Seeds%20-%20Full%20Report.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Sowing the Seeds</span></a>, examines the amount of opportunities that children from London have to spend time in natural green spaces, and argues that regular exposure to such environments is <a href="http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/1105007/Children-growing-disconnected-natural-world/" target="_blank">important for children's emotional and physical wellbeing</a>. Those with an interest in forest schools will also find plenty of useful material in the report.<br /><br />Tim Gill was also the author of the influential 2007 report <span style="font-style: italic;">No Fear</span>, about the importance of risk in childhood - see <a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.com/2007/11/child-safety.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> for details.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7KCYwgap2wUNmKAkX4QmjrXuCiIfqcSWOfZfdrma0LOAZAaA6swA49_oI8FLWhdrKFYpqIJuc85CIkh9_lJKSU0TMA7dWFPSaZD11vBzCPyOLTPdT5qPf7Q5jMqsB-Y-jrMu-BT5HqA/s1600/cutekids.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676330182262169026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7KCYwgap2wUNmKAkX4QmjrXuCiIfqcSWOfZfdrma0LOAZAaA6swA49_oI8FLWhdrKFYpqIJuc85CIkh9_lJKSU0TMA7dWFPSaZD11vBzCPyOLTPdT5qPf7Q5jMqsB-Y-jrMu-BT5HqA/s200/cutekids.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" /></a>

Sowing The Seeds

Readers with an interest in outdoor learning may want to take notice of a new publication from Tim Gill. The report, entitled Sowing the See...

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Safeguarding Children Across Services

<a href="https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DFE-RR164.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Safeguarding Children Across Services: Messages from Research</span></a> is a recent publication from the Department of Education. The report provides an overview of 15 separate studies carried out within England, and is aimed at professionals who engage with child protection in their everyday work.

Safeguarding Children Across Services

Safeguarding Children Across Services: Messages from Research is a recent publication from the Department of Education. The report provides...

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Anti-Bullying Week

Today is the beginning of <a href="http://www.antibullyingweek.co.uk/" target="_blank">Anti-Bullying Week</a>, an annual event supported by various charities and other organisations to raise awareness of the problems that bullying can cause. So it's with good timing that the NFER has just published <a href="http://www.nfer.ac.uk/nfer/publications/ASUR01/ASUR01.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Sticks and Stones May Break my Bones but Being Left on my Own is Worse</span></a> - this report covers the results of a survey which asked children whether they had experienced bullying over the last 12 months, and if so why they think they may have been bullied.<br /><br />To see a list of all previous posts on this subject, click on 'Bullying' in the 'Hot Topics' menu on the right of the page.

Anti-Bullying Week

Today is the beginning of Anti-Bullying Week , an annual event supported by various charities and other organisations to raise awareness of ...

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Missing Out

Today the <a href="http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/" target="_blank">Children's Society</a> has published <a href="http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/sites/default/files/tcs/Images/missing_out.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Missing Out: a Child Centred Analysis of Material Deprivation and Subjective Well-Being</span></a>. This is a study of what items and experiences children themselves think are necessary for a ‘normal kind of life’, whether lacking these items and experiences is related to their self-reported well-being, and which items or types of items seem to be the most important. A summary of the main points can be found in <a href="http://www.cypnow.co.uk/go/news/article/1102691/material-deprivation-harms-childrens-wellbeing/" target="_blank">this article</a>.

Missing Out

Today the Children's Society has published Missing Out: a Child Centred Analysis of Material Deprivation and Subjective Well-Being . Th...

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Investing in High-Quality Early Childhood Education and Care

The <a href="http://www.oecd.org/" target="_blank">OECD</a> has just published <a href="http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/0/28/48980282.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Investing in High-Quality Early Childhood Education and Care</span></a>. This is a briefing document which outlines the benefits of quality provision in the early years, and provides some comparisons between different social groups and countries.<span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);" class=" down" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link"></span></span>

Investing in High-Quality Early Childhood Education and Care

The OECD has just published Investing in High-Quality Early Childhood Education and Care . This is a briefing document which outlines the b...

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Apps for Children

Today's post isn't really about new research, but there's an interesting article on the <span style="font-style: italic;">Guardian</span> website which talks about the growing market for iPad and mobile <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/appsblog/2011/nov/02/kids-apps-leapfrog-sesame-street" target="_blank">apps which are aimed at children</a>. Most of the high profile apps to date contain a mixture of fun and educational content - speaking as someone with a four year old niece who's currently very keen on the <span style="font-style: italic;">Angry Birds</span> game, it does seem that this is an area that will continue to develop. If it's something that interests you, then you may find the <a href="http://www.bestkidsapps.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Best Kids Apps</span></a> website useful.<br /><br />Also interesting is the video below entitled <span style="font-style: italic;">A Magazine Is an iPad That Does Not Work</span>, in which a one year old child struggles to understand why she cannot interact with a printed page. Does this show how deeply technology will be embedded in the lives of future children?<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aXV-yaFmQNk" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="236" width="420"></iframe>

Apps for Children

Today's post isn't really about new research, but there's an interesting article on the Guardian website which talks about the ...

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Does When You Are Born Matter?

The issue of summer-born children is in the news again, with new research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) which claims that children born in the summer in England are at <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-15527145" target="_blank">an academic disadvantage throughout school</a>. By contrast, babies born in September are more than three times less likely to be viewed as "below average". You can read the full text of the report - entitled <span style="font-style: italic;">Does When You are Born Matter? The Impact of Month of Birth on Children’s Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Skills in England</span> - by <a href="http://www.ifs.org.uk/bns/bn122.pdf" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.<br /><br />This topic has been examined several times in recent years. For further reading try Cambridge University's <a href="http://www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/ca/digitalAssets/169664_Cambridge_Lit_Review_Birthdate_d3.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Birthdate Effects: A Review of the Literature from 1990-on</span></a>, the NFER's <a href="http://www.inca.org.uk/Relative_Age_Review_February_2009.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Influence of Relative Age on Learner Attainment and Development</span></a>, or the DfE's 2010 report <a href="https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DFE-RR017.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Month of Birth and Education</span></a>.

Does When You Are Born Matter?

The issue of summer-born children is in the news again, with new research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) which claims that chil...

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It's All Bones

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQfgSne7JLhbPAYK0UlM299Bp6GzAJhyphenhyphen3EsRTGHfVdtC8nx0eJe0zxpZqENfph6Y5UvgmGsqmcz0dQ-H7CGcu5OQXL5z9Ot9ea-WfnsyyKZFkqczjD0SnJPpIdL8b1r7BiGdGkUY0X-A/s1600/2011-10-21_12-07-38_953%255B1%255DAudrey+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQfgSne7JLhbPAYK0UlM299Bp6GzAJhyphenhyphen3EsRTGHfVdtC8nx0eJe0zxpZqENfph6Y5UvgmGsqmcz0dQ-H7CGcu5OQXL5z9Ot9ea-WfnsyyKZFkqczjD0SnJPpIdL8b1r7BiGdGkUY0X-A/s320/2011-10-21_12-07-38_953%255B1%255DAudrey+2.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>I was helping in my grandchildren's classrooms recently and was struck by the thought of how easily children will take control of their learning if given a chance.  One of the components of the HighScope curriculum, which I think is the most child-friendly approach to early learning, gives the child an opportunity each day to <em>plan</em> what she is going to accomplish within the guidelines of what is happening the classroom.  This opportunity to plan gives the child control of her learning and gives her a stronger sense of direction and purpose for the play and learning of the day.  I was assigned to help a kindergarten class make skeletons out of macaroni.  Although I did not have the opportunity to allow the children to plan everything they might do for the day, I decided to allow as much planning as possible.  I was given directions for a skeleton project, but decided to allow each child the opportunity to plan how to complete the project.  What great ideas they each had!  I was again reminded about allowing the child to take control of the project and not get caught up in <em>the directions </em> that we adults may want to give. After all, it should be her project, not a copy of what the teacher wants to see.  That is how I learned that penne pasta makes pretty good ribs on a skeleton.

It's All Bones

I was helping in my grandchildren's classrooms recently and was struck by the thought of how easily children will take control of their ...

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