Highly Effective Leadership in Children’s Centres

The NFER have just published a new report which may be of interest to many site visitors. <a href="http://www.nfer.ac.uk/nfer/publications/ELCC01/ELCC01.pdf" target="_blank"><i>Highly Effective Leadership in Children's Centres</i></a> was commissioned by the National College for School Leadership, and contains both a literature review and case studies. Eight core behaviours of effective leaders are identified.

Highly Effective Leadership in Children’s Centres

The NFER have just published a new report which may be of interest to many site visitors. Highly Effective Leadership in Children's Cent...

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Save Childhood

The Save Childhood Movement is an organisation which announced its official launch yesterday. There's no definitive mission statement on their website (at least as far as I can see) but essentially they're concerned with ideas about the erosion of childhood in the modern world, and the affect that this can have on children's wellbeing. This article - <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/shortcuts/2012/jun/27/why-british-children-so-unhappy" target="_blank"><i>Why are British Children So Unhappy?</i></a> - summarises some of the issues that the organisation aims to highlight and confront.<br /><br />The Save Childhood Movement is backed by a number of well known names in the early years sector, so I suspect that it'll be mentioned quite a lot in the press over the coming months. You can read more about it and related research on <a href="http://www.savechildhood.net/" target="_blank">their website</a>.

Save Childhood

The Save Childhood Movement is an organisation which announced its official launch yesterday. There's no definitive mission statement on...

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Suggested Reading for Students

A regular enquiry from new Early Childhood or Early Years students is what books they should be buying when starting their course. So what follows is a collection of titles that you might want to consider obtaining if you're beginning your studies this September, although purchasing them all may be a little ambitious!<br /><br />This isn't a comprehensive list as students are expected to read around each topic they cover, and also different students will cover different subjects depending on which options they select during their course. The links I've put in all point towards the Amazon website, but other booksellers are available... :-)<br /><br />Some sort of generic early years textbook is usually a good idea as it will be of use to you in most areas that you cover. Two suggestions for useful titles include <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Early-Childhood-Studies-Principles-Practice/dp/140583532X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340806807&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><i>Early Childhood Studies</i></a> (Johnston & Nahmad-Williams) and the similarly titled <i><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Early-Childhood-Studies-Rod-Parker-Rees/dp/1844453510/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1340807449&sr=8-2" target="_blank">Early Childhood Studies</a></i> (Parker-Rees et al).<br /><br />Many of the enquiries that I deal with from first year students are tied up with child development. There are literally dozens of titles available in this area, but some that you might consider include <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Child-Development-Theory-Practice-0-11/dp/1405821272/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340806519&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><i>Child Development: Theory & Practice 0-11</i></a> (Doherty & Hughes), <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Understanding-Child-Development-Linking-Practice/dp/1444167189/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1340806550&sr=8-4" target="_blank"><i>Understanding Child Development 0-8 Years</i></a> (Lindon) or <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Understanding-Childrens-Development-Peter-Smith/dp/1405176016/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1340806891&sr=8-2" target="_blank"><i>Understanding Children's Development</i></a> (Smith, Cowie & Blades). In particular, students often ask about different theorists who are associated with child development - a very useful book that deals with most of these (Piaget, Vygotsky, Skinner etc) is <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fifty-Thinkers-Psychology-Routledge-Guides/dp/0415167752/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340806982&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><i>Fifty Key Thinkers in Psychology</i></a> (Sheehy), which gives a brief overview of the ideas of various important figures.<br /><br />Another area that you will be covering is the idea of professionalism in your field - <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/THE-NEW-EARLY-YEARS-PROFESSIONAL/dp/1843124238/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1340807260&sr=8-2" target="_blank"><i>New Early Years Professional</i></a> (Nurse) and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Leadership-Early-Years-Professionalism-Practice/dp/1444144243/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340807981&sr=1-2" target="_blank"><i>Leadership and Early Years Professionalism</i></a> (Lindon) are two fairly recent titles which contain information that will be useful to you.<br /><br />Recommending books that cover the area of childhood policy is a little trickier as the sector has experienced so many changes in recent times, and is continuing to evolve. However, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Policy-Issues-Early-Years-Critical/dp/0857029630/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1340807125&sr=8-3" target="_blank"><i>Policy Issues in the Early Years</i></a> (Miller & Hevey) and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Contemporary-Issues-Early-Years-Gillian/dp/1847875939/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340807354&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><i>Contemporary Issues in the Early Years</i></a> (Pugh & Duffy) are two titles which are still relatively up-to-date and address some of the current political changes and debates.<br /><br />Regarding child protection and the various processes involved, you could do worse than get hold of <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Multi-agency-Working-Early-Years-Opportunities/dp/1847875289/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340808258&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><i>Multi-Agency Working in the Early Years</i></a> (Gasper) or the more recent <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Safeguarding-Babies-Young-Children-Professionals/dp/0335234089/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340808577&sr=1-4" target="_blank"><i>Safeguarding Babies & Young Children</i></a> (Powell & Uppal).<br /><br />And a few others that deal with topics that students regularly enquire about: for information on observations, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Observation-Learning-Research-Theodora-Papatheodorou/dp/1405824670" target="_blank"><i>Child Observation for Learning and Research</i></a> (Papatheodorou & Luff) is worth a read, while <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Understanding-Childrens-Behaviour-Development-Learning/dp/144417097X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1340806550&sr=8-3" target="_blank"><i>Understanding Children's Behaviour 0-11 Years</i></a> (Lindon) is an accessible book covering different behaviour issues. At some point you're certainly going to have to write about play, so try taking a look at the most recent edition of <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Excellence-Play-Janet-Moyles/dp/0335240941/ref=pd_sim_b_12" target="_blank"><i>The Excellence of Play</i></a> (Moyles). Books on the brand new EYFS are still a little thin on the ground, but the imminent <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-EYFS-Practical-Students-Professionals/dp/1444157418/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340808725&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><i>The EYFS: a Practical Guide for Students & Professionals</i></a> (Hutchin) looks like it'll be very valuable if the summary is anything to go by.<br /><br />Of course, by your final year you'll be thinking about writing your dissertation, in which case <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Doing-Early-Years-Research-Project/dp/1849205205/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340807524&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><i>Doing Your Early Years Research Project</i></a> (Roberts-Holmes) should be very helpful. Also, while <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Doing-Your-Research-Project-Researchers/dp/0335235824/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1340807524&sr=8-3" target="_blank"><i>Doing Your Research Project</i></a> (Bell) is not specifically aimed at early years students, it's still a very accessible, easy-to-use book for undergraduate researchers.<br /><br />That should give you plenty of food for thought! If you think I've missed something, feel free to share your suggestions by leaving a comment. And to find out about useful online information and the latest developments in the sector, you'll just need to keep visiting this site...

Suggested Reading for Students

A regular enquiry from new Early Childhood or Early Years students is what books they should be buying when starting their course. So what f...

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Nutbrown Review - Final Report

It's a big day for the Early Years sector... today sees the publication of the final report of the Nutbrown Review (see <a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/nutbrown-review-of-early-education-and.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> for details), which was launched by the Department of Education in October last year to examine qualifications and pathways in the Early Years. The Review has already made the news a couple of times in the intervening months, following the publication of an interim report in March and speculation about what the final report might contain.<br /><br />Well now you can make up your own mind by reading it for yourself - the report's formal title is <i>Foundations for Quality</i> and it can be accessed in full by <a href="http://media.education.gov.uk/MediaFiles/A/0/9/%7BA098ADE7-BA9A-4E18-8802-D8D4B060858D%7DNUTBROWN%20FINAL%20REPORT%20-%20final.pdf" target="_blank">clicking here</a>. You can also get a flavour of its contents from <a href="http://www.cypnow.co.uk/cyp/news/1073613/all-staff-level-qualified-urges-nutbrown?WT.rss_f=News&WT.rss_a=Nutbrown+calls+for+all+early+years+staff+to+hold+Level+3+qualification" target="_blank">this article</a>, while the official <a href="http://www.education.gov.uk/nutbrownreview" target="_blank">Nutbrown Review website</a> contains other supporting documentation which you may find useful. And all of this on the same day that the government has announced a <a href="http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/rss/1136989/Childcare-commission-consider-cutting-ratios-out-of-school-care-cut-costs/" target="_blank">new childcare commission</a>!<br /><br />Update: you can read about the response to the final report in this <i>Nursery World</i> item - <a href="http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/rss/1137143/Nutbrown-Review-sector-reaction-recommendations/" target="_blank"><i>Nutbrown Review: Sector Reaction to Recommendations</i></a>.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="284" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gcmiB3tSONk" width="504"></iframe>

Nutbrown Review - Final Report

It's a big day for the Early Years sector... today sees the publication of the final report of the Nutbrown Review (see previous post f...

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Persistent Poverty and Children’s Cognitive Development

Another day, another child poverty report... This time it's been published by the <a href="http://www.ioe.ac.uk/" target="_blank">Institute of Education</a> and draws on data from the <a href="http://www.cls.ioe.ac.uk/page.aspx?&sitesectionid=851&sitesectiontitle=Welcome+to+the+Millennium+Cohort+Study" target="_blank">Millennium Cohort Study</a>. The research argues that poverty affects children's educational abilities in two ways, in that it limits their access to resources, but also <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jun/13/poverty-impact-children-study" target="_blank">hampers parents' ability to help</a>.<br /><br />The report is entitled <i>Persistent Poverty and Children’s Cognitive Development</i>, and can be accessed in full by <a href="http://www.cls.ioe.ac.uk/shared/get-file.ashx?itemtype=document&id=1436">clicking here</a>.

Persistent Poverty and Children’s Cognitive Development

Another day, another child poverty report... This time it's been published by the Institute of Education and draws on data from the Mil...

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Ending Child Poverty by 2020

The <a href="http://www.cpag.org.uk/" target="_blank">Child Poverty Action Group</a> (CPAG) has just published a major new report which explores the progress made in ending child poverty by 2020, a pledge which all the major political parties have backed. The overall conclusion of the report is that major progress has been made towards reducing child poverty, but that changes in UK welfare policy <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-18374710" target="_blank">risk reversing this trend</a>.<br /><br />You can read the full text of <i>Ending Child Poverty by 2020: Progress Made and Lessons Learned</i> by <a href="http://www.cpag.org.uk/sites/default/files/CPAG-Ending-child-poverty-by-2020-progress-made-lessons-learned-0612.pdf" target="_blank">clicking here</a>. Don't forget that for previous posts on this topic, you can use use the 'Child Poverty' link in the 'Hot Topics' menu on the right hand side of this page. Or take a look at my <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/davidrenfree/childpoverty" target="_blank">child poverty bookmarks</a>.

Ending Child Poverty by 2020

The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) has just published a major new report which explores the progress made in ending child poverty by 202...

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Social Bookmarking

I've just contributed my first 'guest blog' to another site. Kathy Brodie is an Early Years Professional and Trainer who runs an <a href="http://www.kathybrodie.com/" target="_blank">excellent website</a> which contains plenty of useful information and tips for students and professionals who work within the early years sector. The site is well worth a visit if you've got a few minutes, as you're likely to find at least a couple of items of interest!<br /><br />Kathy kindly invited me to write an article on the topic of social bookmarking - what it is, and how it can be useful to you in your research. You can read it now by <a href="http://www.kathybrodie.com/articles/social-bookmarking-an-essential-tool-for-dissertation-students/" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3vM-FZmyy6Jjh3vrucWf6jwXJpNh1CCvHKrG1OfcZx71AYRGo62zEg7fOb6GDL5aq4VnqdI6KrwRmT9SY_W_fWQ3LBIY6FrtYrXJfE5y2Tmlso1ZvmqDoi54Eu1t2QAYJt3huKl3wTw/s1600/FreyaPic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3vM-FZmyy6Jjh3vrucWf6jwXJpNh1CCvHKrG1OfcZx71AYRGo62zEg7fOb6GDL5aq4VnqdI6KrwRmT9SY_W_fWQ3LBIY6FrtYrXJfE5y2Tmlso1ZvmqDoi54Eu1t2QAYJt3huKl3wTw/s200/FreyaPic.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />

Social Bookmarking

I've just contributed my first 'guest blog' to another site. Kathy Brodie is an Early Years Professional and Trainer who runs an...

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Hospital School

A few years ago I spent a lot of time helping a student who was trying to research the topic of children learning while they were in hospital - it was one of the more tricky subjects I've been asked about, and to be honest we struggled to find plenty of suitable material. But it's hardly a new area of learning - the film clip below dates from 1945, and shows how children were treated and rehabilitated in a Hospital and College in Hampshire.<br /><br />The clip is courtesy of the <a href="http://film.britishcouncil.org/" target="_blank">British Council film website</a>. You can find a free collection of other vintage films on various topics by <a href="http://film.britishcouncil.org/british-council-film-collection" target="_blank">clicking here</a>. Or for further similar items on this site, use the 'Educational Films' link in the 'Hot Topics' menu on the right hand side of this page.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/38856081?title=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe>

Hospital School

A few years ago I spent a lot of time helping a student who was trying to research the topic of children learning while they were in hospita...

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Balancing Act

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifUN-v3C266Kx6NeinDTJLD0t5v7EI6m_4pUHYcnAeJBCmNvLgpRI4cVGg6z2kNAEXTa1wln_2jwIfAn9vjR1Vp5zanjxjrhcLKhlTImVK2-SFAkBvRR6VVETgPhNrb8sYWGh-UGFHOto/s1600/Audrey+2012+-+gymnastics+2.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5751108557598060658" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifUN-v3C266Kx6NeinDTJLD0t5v7EI6m_4pUHYcnAeJBCmNvLgpRI4cVGg6z2kNAEXTa1wln_2jwIfAn9vjR1Vp5zanjxjrhcLKhlTImVK2-SFAkBvRR6VVETgPhNrb8sYWGh-UGFHOto/s200/Audrey+2012+-+gymnastics+2.JPG" style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div>Being a classroom teacher is often a balancing act. Teachers are often bombarded with the latest curriculum or teaching strategy that will solve all of their problems. In my effort to create a developmentally appropriate (DAP) classroom, I evaluated Creative Curriculum, Reggio Amelia, HighScope, ECRS & ITRS, and RTI to name a few. As I have looked at all of these approaches, it is evident that there are enriching portions in each strategy. It can be confusing for an early childhood teacher to decide which is best. Although I believe the HighScope approach may be the most 'child-friendly', there are still strong facets in the other programs. As a classroom teacher, I always tried to use the best of everything I had available for teaching the children in my care. Research tells us that even the best teaching strategies don't work with every child. Because of this we should look for all of the positive content that we can find and add it to our treasure chest of knowledge. Like a balancing act, the trick is to stay on the beam. Even when our programs choose a set curriculum we should enrich it with materials and good ideas from all credible sources.</div>

Balancing Act

Being a classroom teacher is often a balancing act. Teachers are often bombarded with the latest curriculum or teaching strategy that will s...

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Early Years Professional Status

Just a quick post today - the Teaching Agency has just published the new standards which those who are looking to achieve Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) will have to meet. The standards are applicable from September and can be read by <a href="http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/r/eyps%20standards%20from%20september%202012.pdf" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.

Early Years Professional Status

Just a quick post today - the Teaching Agency has just published the new standards which those who are looking to achieve Early Years Profes...

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