Natural Childhood

The National Trust is behind a new report entitled <span style="font-style: italic;">Natural Childhood</span>, which examines the decline in the amount of time which children spend playing outdoors. The report forms part of the Trust's <a href="http://outdoornation.org.uk/" target="_blank">Outdoor Nation</a> project, which aims to organise a national summit on the subject of children playing in natural environments later this year. Some of the issues raised by the report are summarised in <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/mar/30/national-trust-children-playing-outdoors" target="_blank">this <span style="font-style: italic;">Guardian</span> article</a> and <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17495032" target="_blank">this BBC item</a>.<br /><br />To read the full text of <span style="font-style: italic;">Natural Childhood</span>, <a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/servlet/file/store5/item823323/version1/Natural%20Childhood%20Brochure.pdf" target="_blank">click here</a>. Readers may also be interested in this <a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/sowing-seeds.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>, which mentions a similar recent report from Tim Gill, a leading advocate of outdoor play.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SWE6EOmXLZM" width="420"></iframe>

Natural Childhood

The National Trust is behind a new report entitled Natural Childhood, which examines the decline in the amount of time which children spend playing outdoors. The report forms part of the Trust's Outdoor Nation project, which aims to organise a national summit on the subject of children playing in na…

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New EYFS

Is today the day that many in the early years sector have been looking forward to? Or dreading? They've certainly been waiting for it anyway...<br /><br />The Department of Education has just published the new <span style="font-style: italic;">Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage</span>. These are the new guidelines which will take effect from September for all those working with young children. There's a lot to get to grips with in the full document, but among the main points are a reduction in the number of early learning goals from 69 to 17, and an increased focus on the main areas of learning.<br /><br />The new framework is freely available and can be <a href="https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/EYFS%20Statutory%20Framework%20March%202012.pdf" target="_blank">accessed here</a>. A summary of some of the main points is also listed in <a href="http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/1124318/Revised-Early-Years-Foundation-Stage/?DCMP=ILC-SEARCH" target="_blank">this <span style="font-style: italic;">Nursery World</span> article</a>.<br /><br />For further background information, there's a <a href="http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/1014512/BIG-ISSUE-Review-Early-Years-Foundation-Stage/" target="_blank">dedicated area</a> on the <span style="font-style: italic;">Nursery World</span> site (most but not all of the articles there are freely accessible), or you can read all the previous posts on this site relating to the EYFS by <a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Foundation%20Stage" target="_blank">clicking here</a>. There's also a <a href="http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/early-years-foundation-stage-2012/" target="_blank">u</a><a href="http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/early-years-foundation-stage-2012/" target="_blank">seful page</a> on the <span style="font-style: italic;">Foundation Years</span> website which is updated with information on a weekly basis in preparation for the September launch of the new framework.<br /><br />STOP PRESS: Since I first posted this a couple of hours ago some more useful information has become available. <span style="font-style: italic;">Development Matters</span> is the title of a guidance booklet intended to support practitioners in implementing the statutory requirements of the EYFS - you can <a href="http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Development-Matters-in-the-Early-Years-Foundation-Stage.pdf" target="_blank">access it here</a>. The National Children's Bureau has also produced a 'know how' guide to provide advice on the new check at age two, which is intended to identify possible development needs at an earlier age - <a href="http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/A-Know-How-Guide.pdf" target="_blank">click here</a> to look at the guide.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4mE1J_pDChPEaEl7iqA3NkJ50GAhCRu1tKZTmBZBiDRHP6kt2OOD_UBPkWPR3_140yRuBBthrAEzSe1NnRqbemWGPKI6JvzARsudh_0wN-zdT8W_fkPRWxbZZOcsBq5c7mjb-vrW0Q/s1600/Holly%2526FreyaPark.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724560301871467522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4mE1J_pDChPEaEl7iqA3NkJ50GAhCRu1tKZTmBZBiDRHP6kt2OOD_UBPkWPR3_140yRuBBthrAEzSe1NnRqbemWGPKI6JvzARsudh_0wN-zdT8W_fkPRWxbZZOcsBq5c7mjb-vrW0Q/s200/Holly%2526FreyaPark.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 160px;" /></a>

New EYFS

Is today the day that many in the early years sector have been looking forward to? Or dreading? They've certainly been waiting for it anyway...The Department of Education has just published the new Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. These are the new guidelines which will take…

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Nutbrown Review

In <a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/nutbrown-interim-review.html" target="_blank">a post last week</a> I wrote about the <a href="http://education.gov.uk/nutbrownreview" target="_blank">Nutbrown Review</a> into qualifications and career pathways in the foundation years, following the publication of an <a href="https://media.education.gov.uk/MediaFiles/F/D/4/%7BFD4DFC0E-5B6E-4B15-BB43-CF760009FA5F%7DNUTBROWN%20INTERIM%20REPORT%20FINAL%20%281%29.pdf" target="_blank">interim report</a>. The final report is not due until the summer, so it was a bit of a surprise to find that the Review has been making headlines today.<br /><br />Essentially the row is about the skills which childcare students are expected to display to achieve their qualifications, particularly regarding literacy and numeracy - I'm sure that many of this site's readers will have something to say about that! For a flavour of the coverage, try <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17496323" target="_blank">this BBC article</a> and <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/mar/24/nursery-staff-skills-nutbrown-review" target="_blank">this <span style="font-style: italic;">Guardian</span> article</a>. The issue was also covered this morning on Radio 4's <span style="font-style: italic;">Today </span>programme, and a clip of the discussion <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9708000/9708664.stm" target="_blank">is available</a>.

Nutbrown Review

In a post last week I wrote about the Nutbrown Review into qualifications and career pathways in the foundation years, following the publication of an interim report. The final report is not due until the summer, so it was a bit of a surprise to find that the Review has been making headlines today.E…

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Encyclopedia on Early Child Development

As I've had a number of requests for information on child development in recent days, it's worth posting a reminder about one of the best free resources I've ever come across ...<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Encyclopedia on Child Development</span> website is an ongoing project from the <a href="http://www.excellence-earlychildhood.ca/" target="_blank">Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development</a>, which is based at the University of Montreal. In total the Encyclopedia covers 47 topics relating to the psychosocial development of children, with numerous articles on each. In addition, all articles are authored by one of a panel of international experts, so you can be sure of the quality and reliability of the information that you find.<br /><br />If I've one criticism of the site, it's that it's occasionally a little difficult to navigate. My personal preference is for hovering over the 'List of Topics' button on the homepage, then selecting a subject from the menu and finally clicking on 'Complete Folder' to view all articles on that topic. However, there are other ways to navigate the site which you may find that you prefer.<br /><br />To visit the <span style="font-style: italic;">Encyclopedia on Early Child Development</span> now, <a href="http://www.child-encyclopedia.com/" target="_blank">click here</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pn_CjN_hl0s/T2tXz69kInI/AAAAAAAAAF8/KOCYxFqodE8/s1600/Encyc.gif"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722764301016769138" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pn_CjN_hl0s/T2tXz69kInI/AAAAAAAAAF8/KOCYxFqodE8/s200/Encyc.gif" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 65px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 213px;" /></a><br /><b></b>

Encyclopedia on Early Child Development

As I've had a number of requests for information on child development in recent days, it's worth posting a reminder about one of the best free resources I've ever come across ...The Encyclopedia on Child Development website is an ongoing project from the Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Deve…

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IOE EPrints

<a href="http://eprints.ioe.ac.uk/" target="_blank">IOE EPrints</a> is a repository which collects together the work of researchers from the <a href="http://www.ioe.ac.uk/" target="_blank">Institute of Education</a>, so that it is freely available. This includes material such as journal articles, conference papers, technical reports and more. To date the collection includes over 6000 items, and a simple search of the site produces some promising looking material for most topics. This site is well worth bookmarking and visiting on a regular basis.<br /><br />The Institute of Education is also responsible for the DERA Archive - see <a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/digital-education-resource-archive-dera.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> for details.

IOE EPrints

IOE EPrints is a repository which collects together the work of researchers from the Institute of Education, so that it is freely available. This includes material such as journal articles, conference papers, technical reports and more. To date the collection includes over 6000 items, and a simple…

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Improve Quality of Child Care

<div style="text-align: justify;">Providing High Quality Child Care will assure that children in your program will receive the highest quality of care. Moreover, your childcare business will stand out from the rest and your staff will be provided with professional standards.<br> <br> What is Quality Care? As I browsed all of my early childhood resources and searched the internet for a definition of quality care, I discover that there were many definitions of Quality Care. However, the Webster's Dictionary defined Quality as a degree of excellence with high social standing.<br> <br> To assure that you have a High Quality Child Care program that consists of excellent practices, here are 3 ways to assure and improve the quality of care in your childcare business:</div>

Improve Quality of Child Care

Providing High Quality Child Care will assure that children in your program will receive the highest quality of care. Moreover, your childcare business will stand out from the rest and your staff will be provided with professional standards. What is Quality Care? As I browsed all of my early childho…

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Twitter @UCBLibrary

If you're a regular Twitter user and a UCB student, you might want to start following our new UCB Library Twitter feed, which will contain regular news / information / updates about our services. You can find us <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/UCBLibrary" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PwaKlbQqp1rkhZcHp2xZz2CvfMbto1eg0qa1xuwDWNt13E92ZhcDCCzk0tDqyOrEk8XMNvQGlhsrjfSB3qDxqmgw_9IyWvraTQlcxZXJ8ABKnpeNjjmsLHv8Rz-eKS5l3YsmQ7RcUg/s1600/Twitter.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720168854733451762" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PwaKlbQqp1rkhZcHp2xZz2CvfMbto1eg0qa1xuwDWNt13E92ZhcDCCzk0tDqyOrEk8XMNvQGlhsrjfSB3qDxqmgw_9IyWvraTQlcxZXJ8ABKnpeNjjmsLHv8Rz-eKS5l3YsmQ7RcUg/s200/Twitter.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" /></a>

Twitter @UCBLibrary

If you're a regular Twitter user and a UCB student, you might want to start following our new UCB Library Twitter feed, which will contain regular news / information / updates about our services. You can find us here.…

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Improve Quality of Child Care

<div style="text-align: justify;">Providing High Quality Child Care will assure that children in your program will receive the highest quality of care. Moreover, your childcare business will stand out from the rest and your staff will be provided with professional standards.<br /> <br /> What is Quality Care? As I browsed all of my early childhood resources and searched the internet for a definition of quality care, I discover that there were many definitions of Quality Care. However, the Webster's Dictionary defined Quality as a degree of excellence with high social standing.<br /> <br /> To assure that you have a High Quality Child Care program that consists of excellent practices, here are 3 ways to assure and improve the quality of care in your childcare business:<br /> <br /> 1. Strive to get your child care program Accredited with a National Association or local association in your state. Having accreditation will assure that you provide the highest quality of care. Here is a list of Accreditation Programs to get you started on your Journey to providing Quality care.<br /> <br /> National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and Education Programs<br /> National Association for Family Child Care<br /> National Association for the Education of Young Children<br /> <br /> 2. Now it is time to develop a plan to maintain the quality of care. Your plan must include the strategies that you will take to implement a quality program. Your plan could include the following:<br /> <br /> • Create a written plan that lists how you will implement Accreditation/ Quality practices in the program and how the practices will be monitored<br /> • Define what your quality practices and post them<br /> • Train staff on Quality Practices<br /> • Hold weekly/ Monthly meetings on Quality practices<br /> • Issue memos as reminders of Quality Practice<br /> • Post Quality Care Signs as a reminder for staff<br /> <br /> 3. Assessing the Quality care practices in your childcare business is a sure way to hold your staff accountable and for training purposes of your staff. Another way to assess the quality of care is by getting feedback from parents. A great way to assess quality practices is by observing the staff, discussing the observations and creating a plan of improvement if needed.<br /> <br /> Now that you have the steps to creating and maintaining a quality childcare business, you have the first steps to operating a Quality childcare business. I wish you much success with your childcare business and Thank you for all that you do for young children!</div>

Improve Quality of Child Care

Providing High Quality Child Care will assure that children in your program will receive the highest quality of care. Moreover, your childcare business will stand out from the rest and your staff will be provided with professional standards. What is Quality Care? As I browsed all of my early childho…

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Why Child Care is So Important to American Families

<div style="text-align: justify;">The tangled, uneven, and ever-changing growth of child care throughout the world has been consistently tightly interwoven with the role of women in society, the economy, a new understanding of early childhood development, national interests, and human rights.<br> <br> It is not surprising that the ways we care for children has changed dramatically over the years as our understanding of a woman's role in society has evolved. As society's interest and support for women's expanding role waxes, new educational models have been developed, refined, discussed and eventually discarded or utilized for specific populations. As society's interest has waned for women's expanding role, support for child care models has languished.<br> <br> We no longer live in the same world as the 1950's or even the 1960's. Lassie and Leave it to Beaver as well as Father Knows Best are now fondly remembered reruns that no longer reflect today's family.<br> <br> Today, more than half of all mothers of infants are in the work force employed outside of the home. As a nation, we have more than five million children, under the age of 3-years-old who require some form of daycare. Many parents opt to use family based care while others opt to use more organized center based care. It's estimated that perhaps as many as one in four children in America live in a single parent home. This change in family composition has been attributed to an upward swing in the divorce rate and an increase in many women deciding to be single parents. This means there are many, many women who are solely responsible for the care and financial security of their children.</div>

Why Child Care is So Important to American Families

The tangled, uneven, and ever-changing growth of child care throughout the world has been consistently tightly interwoven with the role of women in society, the economy, a new understanding of early childhood development, national interests, and human rights. It is not surprising that the ways we ca…

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Children's Lives in Birmingham

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-JYS3-wXDwO4X0gwK7-U4Ao1x5AFQ6a9G8yXuy53okKhdZDSGF0-WLxqzM3ll7KGCwm_bZj28QTwzWyTgufm-6NoZcbAgbg-aup9Mu5cnPcyJPfrT2aRiFIb0xUJmIovh2X9GjyWzw/s1600/childrenslives2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719353445695833986" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-JYS3-wXDwO4X0gwK7-U4Ao1x5AFQ6a9G8yXuy53okKhdZDSGF0-WLxqzM3ll7KGCwm_bZj28QTwzWyTgufm-6NoZcbAgbg-aup9Mu5cnPcyJPfrT2aRiFIb0xUJmIovh2X9GjyWzw/s200/childrenslives2.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 122px; height: 183px;" /></a>A local flavour to this post - <a href="http://www.bmag.org.uk/events?id=1734" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Children's Lives</span></a> is the title of an exhibition which is opening on 24th March in the Gas Hall in Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. The exhibition will cover from the 18th Century up to the present day, and will include photographs, documents, costumes and more.<br /><br />You can get a taste of what will be included from this fascinating <a href="http://birminghamchildrenslives.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">project blog</a>, which has already been running for some time. An <a href="http://www.connectinghistories.org.uk/childrenslivesinfo.asp" target="_blank">accompanying website</a> is also due to launch very shortly.

Children's Lives in Birmingham

A local flavour to this post - Children's Lives is the title of an exhibition which is opening on 24th March in the Gas Hall in Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. The exhibition will cover from the 18th Century up to the present day, and will include photographs, documents, costumes and more.You can…

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Nutbrown Interim Review

Last October (see <a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.com/2011/10/nutbrown-review-of-early-education-and.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>) I wrote about the Nutbrown Review, a review from the Department of Education which is looking at education and childcare qualifications in the UK. While the final report is not due until the summer, today has seen the publication of an <a href="https://media.education.gov.uk/MediaFiles/F/D/4/%7BFD4DFC0E-5B6E-4B15-BB43-CF760009FA5F%7DNUTBROWN%20INTERIM%20REPORT%20FINAL%20%281%29.pdf" target="_blank">interim report</a> outlining the progress made so far. A summary of the main talking points is available in <a href="http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/rss/1121898/Nutbrown-review-interim-report-spells-key-messages-qualifications-reform/" target="_blank">this <span style="font-style: italic;">Nursery World</span> article</a>.<br /><br />Readers may also be interested in a presentation with <a href="https://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/n/workforce%20mapping.pdf" target="_blank">Supporting Information on the Workforce</a>, which provides a simple breakdown of staff in the early education and childcare sector by gender, ethnicity, workplace, salary and more.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VeyS7gwuPfk" allowfullscreen="" width="504" frameborder="0" height="284"></iframe>

Nutbrown Interim Review

Last October (see previous post) I wrote about the Nutbrown Review, a review from the Department of Education which is looking at education and childcare qualifications in the UK. While the final report is not due until the summer, today has seen the publication of an interim report outlining the pr…

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Au Pairs As an Affordable Childcare Solution

<div style="text-align: justify;">Affordable childcare can be really difficult to find, especially when both parents are out at work or when there are two or three small children at home and additional assistance is required. Many parents dislike having to rouse their children from sleep early in the morning and drop them off at a childcare facility on their way to work, before collecting them again, exhausted, at the end of the day.<br> <br> "Au pair" means "on par" or equal. The title comes from the French term, meaning "on a par" or "equal to", indicating that the relationship is intended to be one of equals. Au pairs are international visitors who travel to a new country to acquire a better understanding and appreciation of life in that country while living with a host family. The intention is that they become a member of the family, albeit a temporary one, rather than a traditional domestic worker.<br> <br> Typically, they will take on a share of the family's responsibility for childcare as well as some housework, and receive a small monetary allowance for personal use. The type of housework that they will do includes tidying the children's toys, making beds, preparing the children's meals and ironing their clothes.<br> <br> In Ireland au pairs receive a minimum of Euro 85 per week pocket- money for 35 hours of childcare and light housework. She will require a room of her own and meals. Usually they are entitled to 2 days off per week but this can be structured around times that suits the family, flexibility is one of the key benefits of this particular childcare solution.</div>

Au Pairs As an Affordable Childcare Solution

Affordable childcare can be really difficult to find, especially when both parents are out at work or when there are two or three small children at home and additional assistance is required. Many parents dislike having to rouse their children from sleep early in the morning and drop them off at a c…

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After Care

A new report published by Ofsted / the Children's Rights Director for England investigates the young people who have been in care. Over 300 young people were interviewed, with a majority stating that they felt that they were <a href="http://www.cypnow.co.uk/go/news/article/1121604/care-leaves-looked-after-children-better-off-study-finds/" target="_blank">better off for having been taken into care</a>.<br /><br />A link to the full text of <span style="font-style: italic;">After Care</span> is <a href="http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/after-care" target="_blank">available here</a>.

After Care

A new report published by Ofsted / the Children's Rights Director for England investigates the young people who have been in care. Over 300 young people were interviewed, with a majority stating that they felt that they were better off for having been taken into care.A link to the full text of After…

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZ9Y701Cqf4uM3aq6R_RlfVgklXiuJmGpjNgrkn8kDY8pNlc1W9BRtq6eSJw4FOLNaR2DBnnQW-CbJgPxxV7-RUoJNuV4gUUBREZbU3KdlzO-uJ9fEBSltmKeF-pTXxQafCU7oz2vj30/s1600/IMG_0008.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718262544247701778" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZ9Y701Cqf4uM3aq6R_RlfVgklXiuJmGpjNgrkn8kDY8pNlc1W9BRtq6eSJw4FOLNaR2DBnnQW-CbJgPxxV7-RUoJNuV4gUUBREZbU3KdlzO-uJ9fEBSltmKeF-pTXxQafCU7oz2vj30/s200/IMG_0008.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" /></a><br />I had the distinct pleasure of attending a gallery stroll for a 6 year-old boy the other day. We had been invited by his father, who collects art, to see his son's exhibit. They had scheduled a local small gallery in one of our malls and we arrived to see the art that Nathan had created. I guess I went on the assumption that the reason for the stroll was because there was an amazing 6 year-old artist. He ended up being much more than just amazing. His art was the art of a 6 year-old child. However, his thought processes, his explanations, and the creativity he displayed through his art were the most incredible things of all. He was dressed in a suit, his art was arranged in a fabulous array of displays, and there were even refreshments. I was astounded by the planning and preparations that his family had gone through to produce a wonderful evening. Nathan was elated and played the part of an amazing host. As I was watching this scene unfold in the gallery I thought how fortunate he was to have a family who makes such a great effort to support his interests and budding talent. Wouldn't it be wonderful if every 6 year-old child could feel that level of support, encouragement, and love. It did make me start thinking about what else I can do to support my grandchildren....

I had the distinct pleasure of attending a gallery stroll for a 6 year-old boy the other day. We had been invited by his father, who collects art, to see his son's exhibit. They had scheduled a local small gallery in one of our malls and we arrived to see the art that Nathan had created. I guess …

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Historical Childhoods

Today's post is a little different to usual - it's quite lengthy and is in response to a specific request for freely available information on different historical aspects of childhood. So if this is a topic that interests you, then read on...<br /><br />Perceptions of childhood have changed over time, and a brilliant starting point is Philippe Aries' book <span style="font-style: italic;">Centuries of Childhood</span> (yes we have a copy in our library!). On the Web, the <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.representingchildhood.pitt.edu/index.htm" target="_blank">Representing Childhood</a> site from the University of Pittsburgh summarises some of the different historical approaches to childhood, and provides suggestions for further reading. You can also read an essay entitled <a href="http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/childhood/" target="_blank">'The Philosophy of Childhood'</a> which forms part of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy</span>, and a short essay called <a href="http://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/history/re-inventing-childhood" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Re-Inventing Childhood</span></a> by Professor Hugh Cunningham. More recent ideas are explored in an article by Martin Woodhead entitled <a href="http://core.kmi.open.ac.uk/display/799" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Changing Perspectives on Early Childhood: Theory, Research and Policy</span></a>, while if you've got a whole day to devote to this area, then the <a href="http://www.museumofchildhood.org.uk/" target="_blank">V&A Museum of Childhood</a> could be worth a visit!<br /><br />Closely linked to the above topic is the different attitudes over time that have governed children's education. To begin investigating these ideas you could visit the International Bureau of Education's <a href="http://www.ibe.unesco.org/en/services/online-materials/publications/thinkers-on-education.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Thinkers on Education</span></a> page, which contains full text articles about some of the people whose ideas have influenced educational delivery, including Montessori, Piaget, Vygotsky and many more. Closer to home, Derek Gillard's <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.educationengland.org.uk/" target="_blank">The History of Education in England</a> provides very detailed information, including the full text of many landmark reports and relevant Acts of Parliament. Or for a more gentle introduction, try this 2002 journal article: <a href="http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v4n2/kwon.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Changing Curriculum for Early Childhood in England</span></a>.<br /><br />It isn't just attitudes to children themselves that have altered though - the nature of the family has also been subject to change. In 2009 the Family and Parenting Institute published <span style="font-style: italic;">Family Trends</span> (yes the library has copies...) which examined changing family structures in the UK since the 1950s - a <a href="http://www.familyandparenting.org/our_work/future-families/Family-Trends/Quick-Facts-from-Family-Trends" target="_blank">summary of the main points</a> is freely available. The Institute was also responsible for <a href="http://familyandparenting.web-platform.net/Filestore/Documents/publications/10_Years_of_Family_Policy_WEB_FINAL.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Ten Years of Family Policy 1999-2009</span></a>, which examines more recent developments. And only recently a new report entitled <a href="http://www.centreformodernfamily.com/Portals/0/Images/pdfs/SW_Report_Family_SP.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Helping to Understand the Modern British Family</span></a> explores contemporary attitudes towards the changing shape of the family unit.<br /><br />Another area that has seen huge changes has been the issue of children's rights; as far back as 1796, the English radical Thomas Spence had penned an essay entitled <a href="http://thomas-spence-society.co.uk/4.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Rights of Infants</span></a>. However, any recent discussion of the issue must mention the 1989 <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm" target="_blank">UN Convention on the Rights of the Child</a>, which is the most universally accepted human rights instrument in history (a summary is <a href="http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf" target="_blank">available here</a>). Other related conventions dating back to the 1920s can be viewed in full in the <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://childrensrightsportal.org/" target="_blank">Children's Rights Portal</a>, and a history of child protection measures in the UK can be found in <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2005/may/18/childrensservices2" target="_blank">this article</a>. For contemporary information, try the websites of the <a href="http://www.crae.org.uk/" target="_blank">Children's Rights Alliance for England</a>, and the <a href="http://www.crin.org/index.asp" target="_blank">Child Rights International Network</a>.<br /><br />Something that has seen a huge shift (in the UK at least) is the use of child labour. The National Archives' website provides information about <a href="http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/citizenship/struggle_democracy/childlabour.htm" target="_blank">child labour during the 19th Century</a>, and the topic is given much more 'academic' attention in <a href="http://www.galbithink.org/child.pdf" target="_blank">this 1994 paper</a>. Though of course it's not purely an issue that's confined to the past - this <a href="http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_126685.pdf" target="_blank">brief ILO factsheet</a> lists some key dates in the history of child labour, and also provides a snapshot of the global situation today.<br /><br />And a final area that I've been asked to cover... children's television hasn't been around as long as the issues covered above, but it's still been with us long enough to have built up a rich history. Serious analysis is provided by Sonia Livingstone's article <a href="http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/36987/1/Half_a_century_of_television_in_the_lives_of_our_children_%28LSERO%29.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Half a Century of Television in the Lives of our Children</span></a>, while information about and clips from UK programmes are provided by the BFI's ScreenOnline website - you can either take an <a href="http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tours/childrens/tourchildrens1.html#" target="_blank">interactive tour</a> or simply read through <a href="http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/445547/index.html" target="_blank">this collection of articles</a>.<br /><br />I'm bound to have missed some good links - if you're aware of something that would go well in here, post the link as a comment below...

Historical Childhoods

Today's post is a little different to usual - it's quite lengthy and is in response to a specific request for freely available information on different historical aspects of childhood. So if this is a topic that interests you, then read on...Perceptions of childhood have changed over time, and a bri…

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Let's Play Fair

If it's a slow news day then it must be retro film time again... Below is <span style="font-style: italic;">Let's Play Fair</span>, a 1949 Coronet instructional short film which tries to teach children the importance and basics of sharing and taking turns. It may be over 60 years old, but these rules still apply today, don't they?<br /><br />For similar items, click on the 'Educational Films' link at the bottom of this post.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.archive.org/embed/LetsPlay1949" frameborder="0" height="360" width="480"></iframe>

Let's Play Fair

If it's a slow news day then it must be retro film time again... Below is Let's Play Fair, a 1949 Coronet instructional short film which tries to teach children the importance and basics of sharing and taking turns. It may be over 60 years old, but these rules still apply today, don't they?For simil…

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