This is a new series of booklets making links between research, Froebelian principles and practice in early childhood education today.
- Why are emotional attachments so important in group settings such as nurseries and kindergartens?
- How can we help young children to develop self-regulation?
- How can a relationships approach inform curriculum making?
These questions – and many others – are all addressed in the first three booklets in a new series of Research Highlights now available for free from the Froebel Trust website.
Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852) was the inventor of kindergarten and a pioneer of early childhood education and care. He was a strong advocate of the importance of a well-trained, well-informed workforce, able to draw on knowledge from both practice and research. This new series reflects and builds on this advocacy, in making links between research, Froebelian principles and practice in early childhood education today.
The intention is to support practitioners in their everyday work with young children in all kinds of schools and settings. As Sacha Powell, CEO, Froebel Trust has said, ‘In early childhood education it can be tricky to make connections between practice and theories or evidence from research’. At the same time, making these links is vital in helping to ensure that what is offered to children and families is high quality, and reflects current knowledge and understanding. Accumulating evidence shows how valuable the integration of research with practice in early childhood is in supporting high quality, and positive outcomes for young children (Farley et al., 2018; OECD, undated).
The emphasis in each highlight is on looking at an important topic in early childhood and in making current research and thinking accessible and relevant to educators. Each booklet explores ways in which Froebelian principles are so relevant to modern early childhood education.
The booklets are downloadable and interactive, useful for individual practitioners, but also for discussion around areas of practice identified by teams of practitioners as important for continuing professional development. As Schacchi (2021) found in her Froebel Trust-funded study of practitioners in the UK and Italy, continuing professional development that starts from ideas and needs identified by practitioners themselves is not only important in supporting high quality care for children and families, but is also vital for practitioners’ mental and emotional wellbeing and resilience.
The first three publications are:
- 'Nursery attachments and the Key Person role' by Dr Peter Elfer (Honorary Research Fellow, Early Childhood, at University of Roehampton)
- 'Finding the self in self-regulation' by Dr Sue Robson (Honorary Research Fellow at University of Roehampton)
- 'Curriculum making with young children' by Dr Liz Chesworth (Lecturer in Early Childhood Education at University of Sheffield).
We are currently planning further booklets in this series, looking at areas of current interest and importance to practitioners in all types of early childhood settings.
Dr Sue Robson is an Honorary Research Fellow at University of Roehampton. She is the Series Editor of the Froebel Trust Research Highlights
References:
Farley, K.S., Brock, M.E., & Winterbottom, C. (2018) ‘Evidence-Based Practices: Providing Guidance for Early Childhood Practitioners’. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 32:1, 1-13, DOI: 10.1080/02568543.2017.1387205
OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) (undated) Encouraging Quality in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Research Brief: Research in ecec matters. Available online: https://www.oecd.org/education/school/49322754.pdf
Schacchi, V. (2021) Reconceptualising Professional Learning and Development Through a Froebelian Lens: early childhood educators’ perspectives on professional development in the UK and Italy. Available online:
About the Froebel Trust:
The Froebel Trust funds research into children's learning from birth to eight years and champions early childhood education. Find out more at https://www.froebel.org.uk/
