Healthy happy bairns.
New resources from Support from the Start – Readiness to learn & Play
How Do Children Learn. A short leaflet explaining readiness to learn concept and how parents can support childen to be ready
Why is Play Important for learning ? A short leaflet on the entral role of play in supporting children’s learning
The Parent Early Education Partnership was started in 1995 and has developed a five-year programme offering developmentally appropriate support for parents and carers. It covers the period from their child’s birth to starting school. Already well established in Midlothian this programme is relatively new to East Lothian, and Support from the Start has sponsored training for around 30 practitioners to bring this programme to more parents and children in East Lothian. The cluster champions groups that have got going so far have all identified PEEP as one of the resources they would like to bring into there communities.
PEEP Programme Aims
- To promote parents’ and carers’ awareness of children’s very early learning and development through making the most of everyday activities and interactions.
- To support parents/carers in their relationships with their children, so that the children’s self-esteem will be enhanced.
- To affirm the crucial role of parents/carers as children’s first educators.
- To support parents/carers in the development of their children’s literacy and numeracy.
- To support parents/carers so that they can encourage the development of positive learning dispositions.
- To promote and support parents’ and carers’ lifelong learning.
Maureen Black family, engagement worker, has been runnig a PEEP group for babies and their parents in partnership with the Musselburgh Burgh Primary school using the schools community room. The sessions are very popular with parents as this recent feedback suggests
We’re really enjoying these Wednesday afternoons with you. The sessions are really relaxed and fun for the wee ones (and us big uns) and you are so welcoming.
For more information on PEEP and the evidence base for the programme visit www.peep.org.uk
Another great report on the value of outdoor play opportunities for children. This one by the Forestry Commission on a project at Merrylees School in Glasgow. Thanks to Judith Wood for high lighting this report.
Lots of East Lothian schools and nurseries are thinking along these lines often initiated or prompted by parents. It is something parents can really help schools achieve Its fun – its healthy – and its good for the birds and beasties and if that’s not enough reason then it also helps children’s learning. So if you like what you read – get your parent council interested and get stuck in!
Natural Play Study_Forestry Commission_100811[1]
Overview
Natural Play: Making a difference to children’s learning and wellbeing
presents the findings of a longitudinal study of the pioneering partnership between Forestry Commission Scotland, Glasgow City Council and Merrylee primary school in Glasgow. It provides evidence to show that children’s engagement with a natural play space within school grounds has a multitude of positive impacts on their learning and physical and emotional wellbeing. The study also provides a value for money assessment, concluding that the cost of developing natural play spaces is comparable with those of building traditional tarmac playgrounds. In view of the benefits outlined in the report, it is argued that the provision of a natural playspace within school grounds represents excellent value for money.
Whitecraig primary made a short video about their experience as a exemplar for the nature, play and nurture training held at the school earlier this year. This involved the nursery class working with Aline Hill from Big World training and Ros Marshall a nursery teacher and forest school leader, to run an outdoor learning programme. The programme included sessions that could be observed by staff taking a three day course in Nature Play & Nurture. Stobhill Primary in Gorebridge is currently hosting this training and acting as the exemplars. A further course will be available in the spring.
Getting through my ‘to read file’ – this time going back to the fascinating parliamentary review by the finance committee of early years interventions
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/finance/reports-11/fir11-01.htm
The committee members had quite a challenge to absorb the depth of information / evidence provided verbally and in writing to the committee. Reviewing some of the evidence offered to the committee really make you ask the question – Are we getting it right for children in Scotland. Scandinavian countries have been in the news a lot for the wrong reasons in the last few weeks – but their investment in children clearly pays off in improved outcomes. For example
Sweden’s strong focus on prevention starts at the very beginning of life with emphasis on breastfeeding (98% of Swedish mothers begin breast-feeding and 72% have maintained this at 6 months vs 79% and 22% in the UK). In addition long periods of maternity and parental leave support attention to the needs of the child in its earlier months. 100% of hospitals have BFHI (baby-friendly) status (compared with less than 10% in the UK) and early parent training is provided for a high proportion of the population.
What Works in Early Years Education, a review of approaches to Early Years Education across the globe, cites two international comparisons of academic performance in English schools, in one case with Slovenia, in the other case with Switzerland. Though the Slovenian children started school two years later, within 9 months they had caught up on English mathematics attainment. The Swiss children started school a year later than those in England, yet the Swiss one year younger than English children performed better in maths. A study which addressed why this was the case identified the variable academic ability of children in the English reception class.
However, one report given to the committee as evidnece stood out for me because it chimed so strongly with the ethos of Support from the Start – It is a report from an organsation called the Wave Trust which has produced a comprehensive review of international evidence on violence reduction. It gives the following six success factors in improving social & health outcomes.
1. Those who prioritise investment in the earliest years secure the best outcomes
2. The quality of parenting/care is the key to a successful society
3. There could be a major dividend from focused commitment to ensure children arrive at school ‘school ready’
4. The impact of poor early care can be alleviated by the right experience during school years
5. Galvanising the community is the secret of success
6. Innovative approaches to social care can provide significant benefits at minimum cost
We know that many of Scotland’s closest neighbours are so much better at improving outcomes for its citizens, and this reports emphasises that, but it also give a clue about what can be done to change it. The success factors / key messages they outline are relatively simple but they need to be applied systematically and need relentless leadership in pursuing them. They also need Scotlands citizens to be engaged and demanding better services for children.
Steven Wray
Another one in my ‘too read file’ – and this one was really worth the effort. Its finding are quite hopeful in that it highlights that sometimes small changes in practise, culture and thinking can potentially have big impacts.
This is the report of a major study, released earlier this month, which examined how nurseries and other early years settings can better support parents wanting to develop their children’s learning at home.
The Family and Parenting Institute, in partnership with the Campaign for Learning, conducted the study to identify which strategies are most effective in supporting parents to give their child the strongest educational start in life.
The findings identify best practice, help quantify the benefits of support to parents, and offer suggestions about how to make best use of resources at a time of financial constraint.
The study, named Provider Influence on the Home Learning Environment, was commissioned by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (now the Department for Education) and released on July 4, 2011.
You can read the study here.
Thanks to Anne Rooney Planning Manager at Midlothian Council for highlighting this report
‘Music and Me’, a resource for Nursery staff, is the product of a process that began almost eighteen months ago in Preston Lodge High School. There, as part of a wider conference about ‘Learning, Emotions and Well Being’, Dave Trouton, a talented musician and composer, led a workshop presentation about using music to help develop emotional literacy in a teenage group. At about this time, too, the scoping of an ‘outcome pathway’ for readiness to learn in young children was being developed as part of the planning for ‘Support from the Start’. This process recognised that there was scope for further development of the role of music and rhythm to support language development in the early years. Sheila Laing, HT of Campie Primary School, and Education Department service champion for ‘Support from the Start’, then developed a proposal to pilot work in this area in a nursery setting and, if possible, develop a resource that could be used by all nursery staff, irrespective of their own perceived musical ability.
Many months later, a successful pilot of ‘Music and Me’ has been completed in the nursery classes of Wallyford and Whitecraig Primary Schools, and a second stage pilot in Campie and St. Martin’s nursery classes will start soon. Two key outcomes for ‘Support from the Start’ – improving readiness to learn (aspects such as active listening, concentration, turn taking), and improving emotional well being (for example developing self expression and emotional literacy) are addressed in the resource, as well as skills such as carrying out instructions, turn-taking and co-operation and collaboration. CPD in how to use the resource will be offered to nursery staff in all East Lothian primary schools early next session, alongside a roll-out to all primary schools. The resource has tried to address, among other things, real concerns on the part of the nursery children. Anxietyabout using the dinner hall, queuing, making choices, etc., when they moved up to P1 has been addressed through pupil involvement in a ‘Sound Story’ within the resource, and ‘Grandad Turnip’s Story’ helps children to discuss not only why it’s ok to feel sad sometimes, but also the importance of telling someone about it.
Discussion and active listening play a big part in the lessons. Feedback from the initial pilot has been very positive, not just from staff. ‘Is the music man coming back in?’ asked one pre-school pupil, just a few weeks ago.
Final word must go to Pat Holden, Principal Teacher of Primary Music Specialists, who, while delighted to have been involved in the production of this very practical resource that can be accessed by all nursery staff without requiring any specific musical skills, adds that he sincerely hopes ‘that this is aresource that will be well used and not just sit on a table in the music corner!’
Written by Mary Howie
The following link has a short vdeo of a Music & Me seesion with a voiceover commentary by at Pat Holden
I have been following the learning of the amazing P2P class at Sanderson’s Wynd who have published their own e-book. Its a re-telling of the Jack & the Beanstalk story and I think their version is better than the original.
In public health at the moment there is a lot of talk about the ‘assets model’ – basically building on and supporting what helps people stay healthy in a community. Assets that support children to have positive experiences, to explore the world in a variety of ways and to be proud of themselves, their peers , their families and communities have got to be amongst some of the most important community resources. Following the class blog gives you no doubt that the children of P2P are the beneficiaries of such assets. Whilst I am sure there is lots of work going on in schools and communities that is just as positive, this is a story we can all share by promoting and even purchasing the book. The children have decided to donate the funds they raise to Save the Children for a project in Malawi.
This is an asset everybody can afford to invest in by buying their book at the princely sum of 71p at this link:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jack-And-The-Giant/dp/B004NNVWIE/ref=sr_1_…
P2P have alsobeing out in the woods for forest school – for some really joyful photos visit the Sanderson’s Wynd Forest School blog https://www.edubuzz.org/sandersonswyndforestschool/
Dr Rosemary Geddes from the Scottish Collaboration for Public Health Research and policy has completed an ‘Environmental Scan’ of interventions aimed at promoting cognitive and social development in early years children. Rosemary has previously given presentations to the planning board for Support from the Start and was one of the speakers at a 1/2 day session on readiness for learning (see earlier posts).
I have to admit I wasn’t familiar with the term ‘environmental scan’. It turns out that it is management speak for getting a very smart person like Dr Geddes to rapidly but systematically review evidence for what works in a policy area at the same time as making an assessment of what is actually being delivered.
The definition given in the report is
Environmental scan – In management terms, an environmental scan is the internal communication of external information about issues that may potentially influence an organisation’s decision-making process. Our environmental scan refers to the process of rapidly scoping the literature for evidence of what works, reviewing the current policy landscape and interviewing key informants to determine which programmes are currently being delivered.
The document is a weighty read at 169 pages, but gives a very clear review of the research in this area, including brief overviews of different programmes that met the criteria to be included in the scan, and the range of Government policy and strategy that has bearing on children’s early development .
Interventions for Promoting Early Child Development for Health
Frank Field MP was commissioned by the British Prime Minister in June 2010 to provide an independent review on poverty and life chances by the end of the year. The aim of the review is to:
• generate a broader debate about the nature and extent of poverty in the UK;
• examine the case for reforms to poverty measures, in particular for the inclusion of non financial elements;
• explore how a child’s home environment affects their chances of being ready to take full advantage of their schooling; and
• recommend potential action by government and other institutions to reduce poverty and enhance life chances for the least advantaged, consistent with the Government’s fiscal strategy.
His report is now available and although it is a UK government document it is well worth a read you can download it here TheFoundationYears1 The following is a quotation from the introduction on the findings of the review
We have found overwhelming evidence that children’s life chances are most heavily predicated on their development in the first five years of life. It is family background, parental education, good parenting and the opportunities for learning and development in those crucial years that together matter more to children than money, in determining whether their potential is realised in adult life. The things that matter most are a healthy pregnancy; good maternal mental health; secure bonding with the child; love and responsiveness of parents along with clear boundaries, as well as opportunities for a child’s cognitive, language and social and emotional development. Good services matter too: health services, Children’s Centres and high quality childcare. (Page 7 The Foundation Years 2010)
Can’t disagree with that – but this is not just another report weighing the evidence on the importance of early years. In chapter four he describes a very practical vision for ‘Building Foundations Years Services’ the principles of which which I think many practitioners in Scotland would find very positive.
Perhaps one of the key things for me in this report is that he puts parents at the centre of his thinking – not in a patronising way – but making it clear that improving outcomes for children cannot be achieved by services alone.
What parents do is the most important factor in children’s development. Services need to be better at engaging parents and building on their strengths. More opportunities to learn parenting skills should be provided, including through the school curriculum.