The research for Early Years, the organisation for children and young people, was commissioned by the Centre for Effective Education at Queen's University and funded by the Atlantic Philanthropies Foundation.
What was the aim of the research?
The purpose was to assess the developmental status of children aged two to three years old to give a better understanding of children's strengths and weaknesses. The sample included only children attending nurseries and Sure Start centres in Northern Ireland.
How were children's strengths and weaknesses assessed?
Children were observed doing play-based tasks related to cognitive, language and motor development. Practitioners rated the children using scales related to communication, emergent literacy, self-regulation, playfulness and social skills. Comparisons against US norms were made using the Bayley III, scales for infant and toddler development.
Why are children from Northern Ireland less physically developed than their American peers, but more advanced cognitively?
Compared to children in America, UK children, including those from Northern Ireland, have poorer gross motor development. This means they are less able to control whole body movements like maintaining balance, running and stopping, climbing and any physical activity which requires full body control and co-ordination. We can speculate that the reason behind this is related to children being engaged in less physical activity than their peers in America.
The children from Northern Ireland who took part in the study also came from relatively more middle-class backgrounds, which may account for their more advanced language development.
In light of the results, what would you recommend?
Specifically in relation to gross motor development, there is a need to extend the opportunities for physical activity within this age group. The findings also point to the importance of play and playful interactions with adults, to help children develop their social skills and capacity for emotional expression.
It is important also to realise that although the average for children may be higher than expected for those of the same age in America, the survey showed that there was wide variation between children of the same age. Practitioners should be cautious about thinking that there is a 'typical two-year-old'.
