Piaget brought about the theory which was accepted that the under fives did most, if not all, their learning through freely chosen and self directed play. Practitioners were asked to intervene in children's play and talk to them more to develop their language. Even Froebel believed that effective learning was achieved through play and talk, a view also shared by Susan Isaac and Tina Bruce among others. These principles and skills are evident in the Curriculum Guidance for The Foundation Stage (QCA 2000).which suggests that “During the Foundation Stage many aspects of learning are brought together effectively through playing and talking”.
The foundation stage, introduced in 2000, also emphasises learning and teaching, where children lead the way and the teaching is "indirect".
Professor Bruce says that adults should not take over play so that it becomes over structured." Then it isn't play any more. It becomes an adult task". (Bruce, 2004). A good practitioner should recognise the fine line between supporting and extending play without taking control using the EEL approach. According to Jerome Bruner, “Play is not wasted time but rather time spent building new knowledge from previous experiences.” (Bruner, 1972)
Professor Kathy Sylva of Oxford University states that play is an important medium for children, and will continue to develop if they are left to play in a rich environment. But children having language problems or special needs might benefit if theirs a teacher or an adult who could provide a good balance to extend or develop children’s activities.
A human being is the only species that can understand language. Children learn to talk by listening to voices and sounds. Bristol University did a research about 12 years ago where they took babies from different countries used ‘Phonemes’ and realised that babies selected all the phonemes that they could hear and selected out words they did not hear. Skinner said that if the baby made a sound and the parent complimented it or made a big fuss the baby would try to repeat that word again and again. But Chomsky did not agree with this concept and his theory states; language is purposive “in that there is nearly always in human speech a definite intention of getting something over to somebody else”.
(Noam Chomsky, date unknown)
From 1 – 2years children start putting words together which turn to short sentences called telegraphic speech and then very rapidly progress to a good conversation. They can learn two or more languages at the same time at a very early age without confusing one with the other, but as they get older children take longer to learn a new language. Putting a child in front of the television is a tremendous disadvantage as there is lack of communication. Spending time with a child and engaging in the activity is a good way to develop communication skills.
Vygotsky's theory was an attempt to explain consciousness as the end product of socialization. For example, in the learning of language, our first utterances with peers or adults is for the purpose of communication but once mastered they become internalized and allow "inner speech". The development of language is a very important experience for young children. Practitioners should encourage children to listen to adults as well as other children in conversation, which will help the young learners to talk confidently and also develop early literacy skills. This area between what the subject can do unassisted and what they can do if prompted, Vygotsky calls the “Zone of Proximal Development”. By building on the child’s experience and providing moderately challenging tasks teachers can provide the ‘intellectual scaffolding’ to help children learn and progress through the different stages of development.
However, Piaget held that development leads learning that is children can only learn what is possible for their given stage of development, which is possible for their given state of development, which originates from an innate program of developmental stages. Vygotsky on the contrary, held that learning leads development, that is, being presented with challenges and assisted in overcoming these challenges induces the development of new abilities. (QCA, 2002)
Parents should be encouraged to help their children as stated in the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage as they are the children’s first and most enduring educators and when parents and practitioners work together in early years settings, the results have a positive impact on the child’s development and learning.
The curriculum at the Foundation Stage develops an environment and a range of new tools allowing building and sharing stories that augment children’s fantasy and imagination.
Babies are born with the desire to communicate and understand the whole repertoire of intonations, facial expressions, bodily movement’s mannerisms and games of the adults who care for them. They are learning all the time to tune into the conversations going on around them, to use their smiles coos and babbles in conversational exchanges with adults who are ready to tune into them, and their contributions.
(Bureau, 2003)
And lastly, the environment plays a significant role in children’s learning that develops children’s capabilities and interests. In Reggio Emilia the environment is referred to as the ‘third teacher’ and is central to learning and teaching.
“ We place enormous value on the role of the environment as a motivating and animating force in creating spaces for relations, options, and emotional and cognitive situations that produce a sense of well being and security”.
(Loris Malaguzzi, 1996)
Maria Montessori also believed that a rich and stimulating environment enhanced learning where the teacher must pay attention to the child, rather than the child paying attention to the teacher. The child proceeds at his own pace in an environment controlled to provide means of learning. In a Montessori classroom, you would get the impression of "controlled chaos" because each child would be quietly working at his private encounter with whatever learning task he or she chose. (Montessori, 1966). Montessori often reminded teachers in her course, "When you have solved the problem of controlling the attention of the child, you have solved the entire problem of education"
(Kramer, 1976).
Research has proven that a gender gap is evident. Language development in boys is slow compared to girls. Boys do better in maths and girls in language. Boys are a little difficult to teach as they can’t sit in one place for long periods of time and show discipline problems. Gurian says the female brain has a “learning advantage “because it is more complex and active, although the male brain does excel at abstract thinking and spatial relations and hence boys do better in maths, measuring, mechanical design, geography and map reading. Girls tend to have better verbal abilities whereas boys rely on non verbal communication.
“Girls have in general, stronger neural connectors in their temporal lobes than boys have. These connectors lead to more sensually detailed memory storage, better listening skills and better discriminating among the various tones of voice”
( Gurian & Stevens, 2004)
The two projects that enhance children’s learning are the Effective Provision of
Pre School Education (EPPE) and the Effective Early Years (EEL) where EPPE researchers found out that children did better if they attended pre-school at least from 3years where part time attendance benefited them as much as full time. Disadvantaged children benefited significantly from good quality provision especially in mixed socio-economic pre-schools and it also helped children with additional needs and children with EAL as it provided high quality teaching that incorporated autonomy, sensitivity and stimulation.
The Effective Early Years Project (EEL) project (Pascal and Bertram) suggests that the child who is an involved learner is experiencing a quality curriculum and it builds on what young children learn and how this learning may be most effectively supported by the adults surrounding them, helping practitioners incorporate this into their practice. The project draws fundamentally upon Vygotsky’s work on the importance of the social context of children’s learning which has three levels or zones of development at any one time.
- The Zone of Actual Development(ZAP)
- The Zone of Proximal development (ZPD)
- The Zone of Future Development (ZFD).
It also identifies the three core elements in a teachers style which is; sensitivity, stimulation and autonomy where sensitivity means warm and affectionate behaviour of the adult towards children. Positive body gestures, eye contact, a lot of praise, listens and responds to children and empathises with children’s needs and concerns. Stimulation is when the adult understands and interprets children’s thoughts and actions in order to create a positive environment that responds to children’s interests and promotes their development.
And lastly, autonomy is where the adult gives children the freedom to make their own decision and choice and encourages thinking skills.
The government has realised that the first five years of life are critical in children’s development and high quality provision can help children achieve their potential and support parents and families. High quality provision requires a well- trained, well supported and highly motivated workforce and this is the reason why the government’s aim is to have EYPs in all children’s centres offering early provision by 2010 and in every full day-care setting by 2015. Early Years Professionals (EYPs) are key to raising the quality of early year’s provision. They are ‘change agents’ to improve practice and will lead the Early Years Foundation Stage by supporting and mentoring other practitioners and model the skills and behaviours that safeguard and support children.
This essay has identified and evaluated a number of philosophies based on learning and interaction. It has emphasised the importance of play and how children make sense of the world through first-hand experiences. Children learn to communicate by listening and imitating. The role of the adult is crucial where adults should value children’s work by giving praise and listen to children’s ideas as they can be positive role models who influence children in a warm and loving manner using different approaches. Children strive in a stimulating and vibrant environment which helps them function in a variety of forces that influence their development helping them with skills necessary to become lifelong learners and hence “a child whose well being is high will feel like a fish in water”
(Leavers, 1995) is indeed true.
References
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Abbot & Langston (2004) Birth to Three Matters. London DFES publications
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(Author unknown)A Head Start For all Early Years Professional Status. Handout, Children’s Workforce Development Council (2006).
(Author unknown) The Bristol Standard-a self evaluation for Early Years, September 2002.
Bruce, T (2003) Learning through Play, Babies, Toddlers and the Foundation Years.
Britton, L (1992), Montessori Play and Learn: A Practical Guide for Parents and Children, Vermilion.
Bureau, (2003) Quality in Diversity in Early Learning (Handout given on 29th September 2006)
Chomsky, N (date unknown) Philosophy
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Dowling, M ((2000), Young children’s Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Paul Chapman Publications.
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Hurley, J (2005) www.talk toyourbaby.org.uk
Pascal and Bertram (2001) Effective Early Learning Case Studies in Improvement, Paul Chapman Publishing
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Vygotsky, L.S, (1978). Mind in Society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
