Dr Bradley's buzz:
This article looks at a drama programme introduced to children between the ages 6.5-7.6 in a small Australian school. It takes a case study approach gathering data from observations, child made artefacts and researcher reflections.
The authors highlight an increasing focus on testing that is leading to the further disappearance of emotional competence in the early years. The strong link between emotional engagement and brain development (particularly memory) is identified, and the idea of process drama as a means of developing emotional inteligence is put forward.
Process drama involves children and teachers pretending together in teacher led pretexts (such as a particular story or set of events). Children draw on their own lived experience to empathise with the situations that characters find themselves in (e.g., Goldilocks doing something she shouldn't and being caught). Through process drama children are able to engage their imagination to construct emotional empathy with others, as well as work through their own emotions and model different forms of expression. According to the authors, emotions allow children to explore the space between fiction and reality. Process drama offers a way for children to do so in a safe and supported manner.
The authors argue that when children begin to identify with characters they are developing the ability to identify with others and how they are feeling - this in turn is a powerful tool for the development of social competence. The article goes on to report on a particular event where children act out parts in a researcher constructed story. Much of the data in the article is derived from researcher reflections but there were also some good ideas about linking domains such as art, literacy, and technology to the dramatic experience. This reminded me a little of a project approach.
Children's interactions in the story, their engagement with themes and their developing empathy with the characters were well reported. I thought that the article looked a little like an entry in a reflective journal, but it provided a good articulation of the impact of emotional state on subsequent thinking, speaking and writing/drawing. I would have liked to see a gender break down as the project and its framing on relationship, verbal articulation and empathy may have engaged girls more than boys. It may not have, but it would have been nice to know.
Thursday, 25 October 2012
Wednesday, 17 October 2012
Carter, D., & Pool, J. (2012). Appropriate social behaviour: teaching expectations to young children. Early Childhood Journal, 40, 315-321.
Dr. Bradley's buzz:
This article does not muck around when it comes to behaviour guidance. The approach taken is teacher led and not really inclusive, but it could be modified to include children as agents in the development of positive behavioural expectations.
The programme reported on is Positive Behaviour Interventions and Supports. The programme is designed as a method of systematically teaching appropriate behaviour, but it also creates a shared language that teachers and parents can use to discuss challenging behaviour. The key to the programme is consistency and predictability - which is similar to most behaviour modification programmes.
There are three phases of the programme: creating support links with parents and caregivers, explicit instruction of social skills, and individualised intervention when needed.
Once a reciprocal relationship has been built with parents/caregivers the programme begins with the definition of expections. This is split into two steps: step one involves creating broad expections in a language children can understand e.g., 'we take care of each other.' There should be no more than 5 expectations. The second step involves providing examples of what the expectation looks like in different settings or routine times, as well as examples of what not meeting the expectation looks like. Teachers can then draw up a behaviour expectation matrix which lists what expectations look like in practice.
Teachers then devise specific lessons for each part of the matrix. When teaching, it is best to move into the setting to give instruction. The article then introduces a four step approach to teaching behaviour expectations: "1. Tell children what the expectation is, what it looks like and why it is important. 2. Show children what it looks like to display the expectation in the target setting or routine and what it looks like to not meet the expectation. 3. Create opportunities for children to practice implementing the expectation in the target setting or routine. 4. Provide feedback to children for both meeting the expectation and not meeting the expectation in natural contexts" (Carter & Pool, 2012, p. 318.
This article was an easy read aimed at providing a structure for the intentional teaching of behavioural expectations. It challenges early childhood teachers to formulate lesson plans around behaviour modification but also reiterates throughout that consistency is the key.
This article does not muck around when it comes to behaviour guidance. The approach taken is teacher led and not really inclusive, but it could be modified to include children as agents in the development of positive behavioural expectations.
The programme reported on is Positive Behaviour Interventions and Supports. The programme is designed as a method of systematically teaching appropriate behaviour, but it also creates a shared language that teachers and parents can use to discuss challenging behaviour. The key to the programme is consistency and predictability - which is similar to most behaviour modification programmes.
There are three phases of the programme: creating support links with parents and caregivers, explicit instruction of social skills, and individualised intervention when needed.
Once a reciprocal relationship has been built with parents/caregivers the programme begins with the definition of expections. This is split into two steps: step one involves creating broad expections in a language children can understand e.g., 'we take care of each other.' There should be no more than 5 expectations. The second step involves providing examples of what the expectation looks like in different settings or routine times, as well as examples of what not meeting the expectation looks like. Teachers can then draw up a behaviour expectation matrix which lists what expectations look like in practice.
Teachers then devise specific lessons for each part of the matrix. When teaching, it is best to move into the setting to give instruction. The article then introduces a four step approach to teaching behaviour expectations: "1. Tell children what the expectation is, what it looks like and why it is important. 2. Show children what it looks like to display the expectation in the target setting or routine and what it looks like to not meet the expectation. 3. Create opportunities for children to practice implementing the expectation in the target setting or routine. 4. Provide feedback to children for both meeting the expectation and not meeting the expectation in natural contexts" (Carter & Pool, 2012, p. 318.
This article was an easy read aimed at providing a structure for the intentional teaching of behavioural expectations. It challenges early childhood teachers to formulate lesson plans around behaviour modification but also reiterates throughout that consistency is the key.
Sunday, 14 October 2012
Gross, C. (2012). Science concepts young children learn through water play. Dimensions of Early Childhood, 40 (2), 3-11.
Dr. Bradley's buzz:
This is a fantastic practice focused resource that offers language and concept for learning through water play. It builds on children's natural curiousity and interest in water and goes beyond the initial pouring schema that occupies many children from the outset. The overall theme of this article is that - play IS investigation.
This article highlights the links between water play and physics (flow, motion), chemistry (solutions), biology (plant, animal life) and mathematics (measurement, volume). Science is defined as an activity where children can build their ideas of the world through a process of experimentation and revisitation. Examples of scientific enquiries with water include: how and where puddles form; how to make whirlpools; how a drop of water behaves on different surfaces.
Teachers are encouraged to facilitate science through providing materials, encouraging observation, prediction, description and theorising. Teachers can also encourage thinking by posing problems or asking questions. Other things teachers can do are creating time and space for exploration, using the environment as the third teacher, engaging children in meaningful conversation, and documenting and assessing children's progress.
The article then links science concepts with common play themes:
For sinking and floating
Concept = buoyancy Method = choosing different items Question = why do you think that happened?
Concept = displacement Method = make a small boat and predict how many items it will take to fill and capsize it Question = What happened to the water when the boat sank?
For bubbles
Concept = sphere Method = make bubbles with different objects Question = what kind of shaped bubble do you think the object will make?
Concept = dissolve Method = provide a variety of ingredients for children to mix with water Question = Where did the mixed item go?
For solutions
Concept = suspension Method = fill containers with oil, vinegar, water and mix in different ingredients Question = Why do you think that some mix and some don't mix?
Concept = absorption Method = use mops, sponges, paper towels to mop up water Question = Which one do you think will hold the most water?
Children are also cited as learning valuable social skills from water play - concentration, turn-taking, self-regualtion, collaboration, as well as key physical skills - precision in puring, hand-eye coordination, balance and building muscle strength.
This article has many other ideas to bring science alive, as well as many other scientific concepts, and is an excellent resource for teachers who wish to extend and build upon science and scientific understandings.
This is a fantastic practice focused resource that offers language and concept for learning through water play. It builds on children's natural curiousity and interest in water and goes beyond the initial pouring schema that occupies many children from the outset. The overall theme of this article is that - play IS investigation.
This article highlights the links between water play and physics (flow, motion), chemistry (solutions), biology (plant, animal life) and mathematics (measurement, volume). Science is defined as an activity where children can build their ideas of the world through a process of experimentation and revisitation. Examples of scientific enquiries with water include: how and where puddles form; how to make whirlpools; how a drop of water behaves on different surfaces.
Teachers are encouraged to facilitate science through providing materials, encouraging observation, prediction, description and theorising. Teachers can also encourage thinking by posing problems or asking questions. Other things teachers can do are creating time and space for exploration, using the environment as the third teacher, engaging children in meaningful conversation, and documenting and assessing children's progress.
The article then links science concepts with common play themes:
For sinking and floating
Concept = buoyancy Method = choosing different items Question = why do you think that happened?
Concept = displacement Method = make a small boat and predict how many items it will take to fill and capsize it Question = What happened to the water when the boat sank?
For bubbles
Concept = sphere Method = make bubbles with different objects Question = what kind of shaped bubble do you think the object will make?
Concept = dissolve Method = provide a variety of ingredients for children to mix with water Question = Where did the mixed item go?
For solutions
Concept = suspension Method = fill containers with oil, vinegar, water and mix in different ingredients Question = Why do you think that some mix and some don't mix?
Concept = absorption Method = use mops, sponges, paper towels to mop up water Question = Which one do you think will hold the most water?
Children are also cited as learning valuable social skills from water play - concentration, turn-taking, self-regualtion, collaboration, as well as key physical skills - precision in puring, hand-eye coordination, balance and building muscle strength.
This article has many other ideas to bring science alive, as well as many other scientific concepts, and is an excellent resource for teachers who wish to extend and build upon science and scientific understandings.
Duhn. I. (2012). Places for pedagogies, pedagogies for places. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 13 (2), 99-107.
Dr. Bradley's buzz:
This is a bit more of a theoretical paper. In it Duhn argues for a post-humanist perspective on early childhood studies. What this means is the development of a perspective on place that includes the non-human world of animals, insects and inanimate objects.
Duhn begins with the idea that space is a socially constructed concept before moving on to say that 'place' is often taken to mean 'human space' as opposed to 'wilderness' which is the space we share with the non-human. Duhn advances the idea of 'assemblage' as a way of talking about early childhood spaces as an intersection between human and non-human worlds.
She gives the example of an interaction between children where a table, the child and the water trough feature as key participants in the learning experience. She makes two key points in relation to these assemblages - place enables the formation of identity. This is important as children grow to be custodians of no only the human but also non-human worlds. There is therefore an ethical advantage of viewing space from the post-humanist perspecive.
The other point that Duhn encourages is viewing children not simply as individuals, or as individuals within the complex web of social settings, but to view them as entangled in relationships with the human and the non-human world.
This article is a good example of theory-making in the hope that people might begin to critically reflect on how they think of place and the social and historical reasons for that perspective, whilst opening the door to ideas of place that supercede the mere social.
For teachers this article is a challenge that asks 'just what does it mean to belong to a place? What does contribution to that place look like, and who is able to contribute? And, how is the non-human world percieved and how does that perception favour a social, rather than an integrated human/non-human perspective on place?
This is a bit more of a theoretical paper. In it Duhn argues for a post-humanist perspective on early childhood studies. What this means is the development of a perspective on place that includes the non-human world of animals, insects and inanimate objects.
Duhn begins with the idea that space is a socially constructed concept before moving on to say that 'place' is often taken to mean 'human space' as opposed to 'wilderness' which is the space we share with the non-human. Duhn advances the idea of 'assemblage' as a way of talking about early childhood spaces as an intersection between human and non-human worlds.
She gives the example of an interaction between children where a table, the child and the water trough feature as key participants in the learning experience. She makes two key points in relation to these assemblages - place enables the formation of identity. This is important as children grow to be custodians of no only the human but also non-human worlds. There is therefore an ethical advantage of viewing space from the post-humanist perspecive.
The other point that Duhn encourages is viewing children not simply as individuals, or as individuals within the complex web of social settings, but to view them as entangled in relationships with the human and the non-human world.
This article is a good example of theory-making in the hope that people might begin to critically reflect on how they think of place and the social and historical reasons for that perspective, whilst opening the door to ideas of place that supercede the mere social.
For teachers this article is a challenge that asks 'just what does it mean to belong to a place? What does contribution to that place look like, and who is able to contribute? And, how is the non-human world percieved and how does that perception favour a social, rather than an integrated human/non-human perspective on place?
Friday, 12 October 2012
Danby, Thompson, Theobald, Thorpe (2012). Children's strategies for making friends when starting school
Dr. Bradley's buzz:
This article offers a sociological perspective on transitioning to school, making the point that children are agents, that there is little research on children's perspectives of the transition, and that making friends is key to a successful transition.
Children who transition with or into friendships have more success in longterm outcomes, and enjoy school more than children who do not. This study takes place in Queensland Australia and uses data collected from 162 participants using video recording, children drawings, and recordings of small group conversations. Researchers aimed to identify children's interpretations of how they made friends.
This study found that children made friends in three key ways: through making requests of others, through engaging in shared activities (sometimes instigating those activities), and intervening to include those that appeared to be alone. Overall the children in the study highlighted that making friend is complex and time consuming.
The implications of this study for educators is that children tended to make friends on their own terms, outside the influence of the teacher; schools need to provide time and space for friendships to emerge, particularly early on in the transition; schools need to provide unstructured time and recognise that having a friend to play with is key to a good transition from a child's perspective.
This article challenges the New Zealand culture of sending children to school on their five birthday. It suggests that children transitioning with a group of peers is more beneficial to educational success than children transitioning alone.
This article offers a sociological perspective on transitioning to school, making the point that children are agents, that there is little research on children's perspectives of the transition, and that making friends is key to a successful transition.
Children who transition with or into friendships have more success in longterm outcomes, and enjoy school more than children who do not. This study takes place in Queensland Australia and uses data collected from 162 participants using video recording, children drawings, and recordings of small group conversations. Researchers aimed to identify children's interpretations of how they made friends.
This study found that children made friends in three key ways: through making requests of others, through engaging in shared activities (sometimes instigating those activities), and intervening to include those that appeared to be alone. Overall the children in the study highlighted that making friend is complex and time consuming.
The implications of this study for educators is that children tended to make friends on their own terms, outside the influence of the teacher; schools need to provide time and space for friendships to emerge, particularly early on in the transition; schools need to provide unstructured time and recognise that having a friend to play with is key to a good transition from a child's perspective.
This article challenges the New Zealand culture of sending children to school on their five birthday. It suggests that children transitioning with a group of peers is more beneficial to educational success than children transitioning alone.
Thursday, 11 October 2012
What its all about
Kia ora, hi there.
This blog is about education, well, it is about educational research. It is my take on some of recent articles that have found their way into publication.
This blog is about education, well, it is about educational research. It is my take on some of recent articles that have found their way into publication.
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