'Learning through play' has long been the key phrase in nursery education. Now, there's concern that a government review could see children pushed into formal lessons too soon.
By Sarah Cassidy Thursday, 4 November 2010
(…)It may look as though the three- and four-year-olds at St Matthew's are just having fun making marks in the sand, posting letters in a pretend post office or dressing up as animals in the garden. But for the pre-school staff, all these activities present learning opportunities. Learning through play has long been the buzz phrase in early years. But St Matthew's has put enormous effort into making it happen. Staff interact with children, playing alongside the youngsters, observing their progress or engaging them in activities.
Tabinda Ul-Hassan, the manager of St Matthew's pre-school, run by the Pre-school Learning Alliance, says: "We do everything through play. It is not, 'You must sit down and do your ABC now or do these worksheets'. Boys in particular do not respond to this. We look at imaginative ways to involve boys, who generally are more attracted to physical activities."
But some campaigners are concerned that this play-based approach could be under threat from the Government's review. Others are already opposed to the current framework and fear that the review will only make things worse.
The introduction of the EYFS in 2008 sparked a furore that, to some extent, still rages among early-years experts. Most controversially, it demands that early-years practitioners monitor children's progress against no fewer than 69 "early-learning goals" and more than 500 development milestones. At five, each child will be given a score, which is passed to the Department for Education. These scores, most recently published last month, are frequently used to bemoan the standards being achieved by five-year-olds.
The fierce debate over the EYFS went to the heart of how the youngest children should learn. Should three- and four-year-olds be taught to read and write? Or should they be left to play in the sand? Is it actually possible to do both? Labour had pledged to review the EYFS to see how it had bedded down after two years. But the Coalition Government launched a more wide-reaching review just eight weeks after coming to power, arguing that it wanted to make the EYFS less bureaucratic and more focused on young children's learning and development. (…) (To read the complete article go to the next link : http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/schools/should-underfives-be-taught-to-read-and-write-2124637.html )
MY PERSONAL POINT OF VIEW.
After reading this long article about the controversy of the contents that must be taught in pre-school stage Im sure that in Spain there are different opinions about this matter; On the one hand the teachers of early years( educación infantil) don’t consider necessary that the children finish this key stage with a knowledge of reading and writing as they focus these years on playing didactic games, helping them to get a personal autonomy development, to be socialized etc. On the other hand, nevertheless the First Cycle primary education teachers hope that their new pupils have already acquired these skills. Even though I don’t have yet a very clear idea on this topic I think that five-years-old children ( without any learning difficulties) can be prepared to developed the writing and reading skills in order that it wouldn’t supposed a great effort for them.
First of all, I want to say that this article is very interesting because the subject concerns us directly as future children teachers. What's more, all of us know that the final aim in education is learning and we want that children are interested in it, so if we made the classes easier, children would learn more and better. In conclusion, I agree with the author of this article; I don't want any bored students in my class but happy children who wish to learn while playing or who wish to play while learning.
I agree with both Luna and Isabel, as this article could serve us all to learn more about the situation of our smaller nursery school level. From my point of view is a little shocking the high level of learning that are required for child children education, which previously was much lower. This may be on the one hand an advantage, because learning is faster and safer. But there will be some children can not reach that level and are displaced from the rest of the class, and that is not quite right.
I think this article contents different interesting opinions about the education. In my opinion when the children are between 3 and 5 years old, they have to discover other things that aren't reading or writting, is obvioulsy that primary teachers prefer to have children with that knowledge but not in all the cases it can be posible. They should be tought to write and read when they are 5 and 6 years old, but this is only my opinion.
I’m agree with Luna because the topic of this article is a very important and difficult. It’s true that children should finish Infant Education like happy and complete students in all of their areas. However, increasingly the teachers of Primary Education require that their children are more and more prepared in handwriting and lecture. So, I think that the equilibrium is a combination of both ways to make children a blessed and full people in all of the fields of their education.
I agree with Luna because the article contains different views about how children should complete the second cycle of infant education. It is true that learning by play is a good way to encourage children, to develop their abilities. However, we should start teaching writing and reading to children from 5 years because they are to reach a basic knowledge of these skills for his beggining in primary.
First of all i should say that learning by "game" is really good for children because they learn better and quicker when they are kind of playing. This technique in my opinion it´s a great one that we should use when we will all become teachers.
I also think, according with the debate about if three-year-old children should or should not know how to write and read, that it depends of the children, because there are some children that with three years are prepared to know how to read or write but there are also some children about that age that are not prepared at all.
In my opinion children aren't able to read and write in pre-school, because they have to learn basic things after these, but I'm agree with Luna in the case that five-years-old children can become writting and reading but in an eassy way, because is possitive for them and they should do it because is a help for them in the future. In the otrher hand i think that children in pre-school must learn playing because they are little and they don't have to know writting and reading because isn't necessary for them yet.
I think this article is very interesting and also very controversial because presents different views on education at youngest ages. In my opinion la educacion en children between 3 and 5 years should be based on understanding of their environment, themselves and the rest through games. In preschool children should learn colors, shapes, numbers or letters and I think that doesn’t read and write is not a necessity for them yet.
I agree with Luna. I believe that children with 4 or 5 years are ready to begin reading and writing. Also according to my point of view, I think in the last year of children, teachers should introduce them to reading and writing. Because of this, then when they do primary, is more easy that children adapt and assimilate better.
In my opinion if children under 5 don't have the psycological developement to star learning and written we can force them to know how to write or read, between 0 to 6 the children must discovered hs enviroment and understan it.
SHOULD UNDER –FIVES BE TAUGHT TO READ AND WRITE?
ReplyDelete'Learning through play' has long been the key phrase in nursery education. Now, there's concern that a government review could see children pushed into formal lessons too soon.
By Sarah Cassidy
Thursday, 4 November 2010
(…)It may look as though the three- and four-year-olds at St Matthew's are just having fun making marks in the sand, posting letters in a pretend post office or dressing up as animals in the garden. But for the pre-school staff, all these activities present learning opportunities. Learning through play has long been the buzz phrase in early years. But St Matthew's has put enormous effort into making it happen. Staff interact with children, playing alongside the youngsters, observing their progress or engaging them in activities.
Tabinda Ul-Hassan, the manager of St Matthew's pre-school, run by the Pre-school Learning Alliance, says: "We do everything through play. It is not, 'You must sit down and do your ABC now or do these worksheets'. Boys in particular do not respond to this. We look at imaginative ways to involve boys, who generally are more attracted to physical activities."
But some campaigners are concerned that this play-based approach could be under threat from the Government's review. Others are already opposed to the current framework and fear that the review will only make things worse.
The introduction of the EYFS in 2008 sparked a furore that, to some extent, still rages among early-years experts. Most controversially, it demands that early-years practitioners monitor children's progress against no fewer than 69 "early-learning goals" and more than 500 development milestones. At five, each child will be given a score, which is passed to the Department for Education. These scores, most recently published last month, are frequently used to bemoan the standards being achieved by five-year-olds.
The fierce debate over the EYFS went to the heart of how the youngest children should learn. Should three- and four-year-olds be taught to read and write? Or should they be left to play in the sand? Is it actually possible to do both? Labour had pledged to review the EYFS to see how it had bedded down after two years. But the Coalition Government launched a more wide-reaching review just eight weeks after coming to power, arguing that it wanted to make the EYFS less bureaucratic and more focused on young children's learning and development. (…)
(To read the complete article go to the next link :
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/schools/should-underfives-be-taught-to-read-and-write-2124637.html )
MY PERSONAL POINT OF VIEW.
After reading this long article about the controversy of the contents that must be taught in pre-school stage Im sure that in Spain there are different opinions about this matter; On the one hand the teachers of early years( educación infantil) don’t consider necessary that the children finish this key stage with a knowledge of reading and writing as they focus these years on playing didactic games, helping them to get a personal autonomy development, to be socialized etc.
On the other hand, nevertheless the First Cycle primary education teachers hope that their new pupils have already acquired these skills.
Even though I don’t have yet a very clear idea on this topic I think that five-years-old children ( without any learning difficulties) can be prepared to developed the writing and reading skills in order that it wouldn’t supposed a great effort for them.
Luna García Caballero
Guys I apologise for the lateness but I couldn't post it earlier... the TICs and me aren't very close friends.. lol
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I want to say that this article is very interesting because the subject concerns us directly as future children teachers.
ReplyDeleteWhat's more, all of us know that the final aim in education is learning and we want that children are interested in it, so if we made the classes easier, children would learn more and better.
In conclusion, I agree with the author of this article; I don't want any bored students in my class but happy children who wish to learn while playing or who wish to play while learning.
Isabel Pérez Holgado
I agree with both Luna and Isabel, as this article could serve us all to learn more about the situation of our smaller nursery school level. From my point of view is a little shocking the high level of learning that are required for child children education, which previously was much lower. This may be on the one hand an advantage, because learning is faster and safer. But there will be some children can not reach that level and are displaced from the rest of the class, and that is not quite right.
ReplyDeleteI think this article contents different interesting opinions about the education.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion when the children are between 3 and 5 years old, they have to discover other things that aren't reading or writting, is obvioulsy that primary teachers prefer to have children with that knowledge but not in all the cases it can be posible. They should be tought to write and read when they are 5 and 6 years old, but this is only my opinion.
I’m agree with Luna because the topic of this article is a very important and difficult. It’s true that children should finish Infant Education like happy and complete students in all of their areas. However, increasingly the teachers of Primary Education require that their children are more and more prepared in handwriting and lecture.
ReplyDeleteSo, I think that the equilibrium is a combination of both ways to make children a blessed and full people in all of the fields of their education.
I agree with Luna because the article contains different views about how children should complete the second cycle of infant education. It is true that learning by play is a good way to encourage children, to develop their abilities. However, we should start teaching writing and reading to children from 5 years because they are to reach a basic knowledge of these skills for his beggining in primary.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all i should say that learning by "game" is really good for children because they learn better and quicker when they are kind of playing. This technique in my opinion it´s a great one that we should use when we will all become teachers.
ReplyDeleteI also think, according with the debate about if three-year-old children should or should not know how to write and read, that it depends of the children, because there are some children that with three years are prepared to know how to read or write but there are also some children about that age that are not prepared at all.
In my opinion children aren't able to read and write in pre-school, because they have to learn basic things after these, but I'm agree with Luna in the case that five-years-old children can become writting and reading but in an eassy way, because is possitive for them and they should do it because is a help for them in the future. In the otrher hand i think that children in pre-school must learn playing because they are little and they don't have to know writting and reading because isn't necessary for them yet.
ReplyDeleteI think this article is very interesting and also very controversial because presents different views on education at youngest ages. In my opinion la educacion en children between 3 and 5 years should be based on understanding of their environment, themselves and the rest through games. In preschool children should learn colors, shapes, numbers or letters and I think that doesn’t read and write is not a necessity for them yet.
ReplyDeleteMarta V:
ReplyDeleteI agree with Luna. I believe that children with 4 or 5 years are ready to begin reading and writing.
Also according to my point of view, I think in the last year of children, teachers should introduce them to reading and writing.
Because of this, then when they do primary, is more easy that children adapt and assimilate better.
In my opinion if children under 5 don't have the psycological developement to star learning and written we can force them to know how to write or read, between 0 to 6 the children must discovered hs enviroment and understan it.
ReplyDelete