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...

Read more »

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 ...

Read more »