This is the second of a four part series that is looking at how we can support the emotional and physical wellbeing of young children using effective and informed observation as a tool to support developmentally informed practice and provision.
The focus of this second part is Communication and Language, which is the second Prime Area. It is important to realise that unless these are a core focus of practice and provision, then teaching the Specific Areas will be problematic.
THE LASTING IMPACT OF COVID
The Statutory Overarching Principles and Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning will thread through this article, just as they must through practice and provision. So how can these inform the work we do with Communication and Language?
We are constantly faced with headlines about the effect of the lockdowns on our youngest children. There are several accounts of this, most recently Casting Long Shadows(see More information). And a BBC News report from November 2022 tells us that ‘Covid restrictions affected some children's development by limiting socialising and new experiences, which helps them learn new words’. This sentence gives us a clear direction to inform our work with the phrases ‘development’, ‘socialising’, ‘words’.
In the first part of this series I said that we need to proactively look, listen and notice, otherwise we will not be able to really understand what makes each unique child ‘tick’. We do this through forming positive relationships, with the child and the family. We have to understand the ‘cultural capital’ that the children and families bring to us so that we can use it to inform our practice.
However, we are constantly met with a deficit model of what children cannot do, rather than all the skills and knowledge that actually have.
The latest scores on phonics tests show both a fall in children achieving expected levels at the end of year one, and an increase in the disadvantage gap. In 2018, the UK Government set an ambition to reduce by half the percentage of children who do not achieve at least expected levels across all goals in the ‘communication and language’ and ‘literacy’ areas of learning at the end of the Reception year in England. If unaddressed, the impacts of the pandemic will make it harder to achieve this goal (1001days.org.uk).
This then leads to children being labelled or as having a ‘need’. This is not always developmentally informed as judgements have been made too quickly and against artificial ‘expected levels’. It is vital that we think of children in terms of the months they have been alive and the wide range we have in our settings (including school).
We know that the periods of lockdown have had an impact on everyone. But we have to guard against assumptions and labels.
I use the two case studies a lot in my work as I was the observer on both occasions. Both involve language that reveals knowledge.
QUESTIONS
- What do you notice?
- What do you find out about the provision? The Enabling Environment?
- What do you notice about practice? Unique Child? Positive Relationships?
- How do you see the Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning used?
- Reflect on the three areas given above – development, socialising and words. In the case studies, Ricky was four-and-a-half years old and the little boy in nursery was three. So in terms of developmental stages they are across Ranges 5 and 6 (Birth to 5 Matters).
It is important to realise the breadth of a stage of development in the Prime Areas as each child will be unique. And this will inform how we move ahead with teaching. The fourth Overarching Principle is called ‘Learning and Development’ because it builds on the other three.
- How are words used? New vocabulary?
- Reflect on the areas of Learning and Development for Communication and Language as described in Birth to 5 Matters – listening and attention; understanding; speaking.
- If you were the observer in either of these studies, what would you have noted? Why?
- How would it inform what you do next?
TAKING TIME TO LISTEN
To remind yourself of the nuances of child development, it is important to avoid assuming deficit as this can be encouraged by checkpoints and lists. Sheridan and Sharma et al (2022) note about speech, language and communication that as with other aspects of development, there is considerable variation in the age at which children reach specific milestones (Mary Sheridan's From Birth to Five Years).
The effect of lockdown has caused a variation, how can we help with this?
The key words here are listening and time. In both the case studies the children shared conversation about things because the adult was not forcing it. When nuggets of information were offered, the adult asked genuine questions; not ones that she already knew the answers to. Time was given to listen to the and take in what children were saying. This technique is called ‘observe, wait, listen’, also known as ‘owl’.
Real pondering and wondering questions such as ‘What does that mean?’, ‘I wonder what would happen if…’ or ‘How did that happen?’, and recognising when a child is more knowledgeable than you about something, are important strategies. They are provocations for ‘serve and return’ interactions where both parties are equal partners. By talking about and resourcing their interests, opportunities to develop new vocabulary will be relevant and meaningful in context – like trophies and racing cars.
Although published in 2008, the National Strategies document Every Child a Talkerremains a really useful resource to reflect on practice.
SHARING WITH PARENTS
Quite rightly, parents are worried about headlines that talk about how the pandemic has affected language development, and it is part of our role to support them. All the strategies listed above can be shared with parents and cost nothing
Effective communication and language, including body language, are key contributors to wellbeing and personal and social development. As in part one, the aim of this part is to use proactive observations to avoid making assumptions. There is currently a culture of intervention programmes that involve removing children from the group to work through specific ‘lessons’ to develop language. While these may or may not be appropriate, they are not developmentally informed to suit the unique children in our settings.
If such programmes are used, then we must be sure that our practice still supports communication and language in a way that is informed by our families and children.
CASE STUDIES
Trophies
I was visiting a school nursery in a high-rise estate. I was sitting on the floor by myself, not distracting the children, I was playing with some cars. A little boy came across to me and started playing alongside. I waited to see what would happen as I did not want to speak and spoil the moment.
In his own time, he said, ‘I have trophies at home.’ My response was to be excited and interested so he then told me that his dad and big brother played football for a local team, and they had a shelf of trophies.
Formula One Racing
Ricky was in my Reception class. We did not have a nursery at my school so our children came from various settings as well as straight from home. Ricky was one who came straight to school. He was a quiet little boy, but I had taught his sisters so I had a way into conversation. One day I was working alongside him in the workshop area when he suddenly started talking about the Formula One race that had been on at the weekend. I know nothing about motor racing, but he could answer all my questions. So I found out about the drivers, their names, where they were from in the world, and what make of car they drove. This resulted in looking at maps and the globe, and motor racing magazines.
ABOUT THIS SERIES
Part 3 will focus on Physical Development. The article will also contain a case study, and will develop ideas that can be shared with parents for home learning.
MORE INFORMATION
