We hear a great deal nowadays about following children's interests, child-initiated learning and play and sustained shared thinking. EYFS Principles into Practice card 3.2 notes: 'Every child's learning journey takes a personal path based on their own individual interest, experiences and curriculum on offer' (Enabling Environments - Supporting Every Child).
But what does it all mean? How do we make sure that a child's interest forms a significant part of our daily work with them? What do children's interests look like and how can we possibly manage a nursery or reception class of 30-plus children if they all have different interests? Above all, how can we be sure that children are going to develop and learn if we hand the planning over to them?
At Early Days Children's Centre, in the north-east of Sheffield, we wanted to explore some of these questions and find out what happened to young children's thinking and learning when practitioners followed their interests.
As part of a CWDC practitioner research project (see box, page 21), we followed the interests of five children aged between three and four years over a nine-week period. The children's interests led the planning and direction of the curriculum and mainly revolved around a preoccupation with trains and tracks, as well as messy play materials, cars and music. The practitioners observed, supported and extended the children's shared interests and fascinations. It became clear that these very young children were engaged in deep levels of thinking and learning. Our main aims were to:
- look at thinking and learning from the children's perspectives
- look at how children can take responsibility for their own learning
- look at what practitioners do to support and develop the children's interests.
KEY TERMS
There were three key terms which were central to the research and needed some unpicking:
- child-initiated learning
- sustained shared thinking
- Possible Lines Of Development (PLODS).
We often hear and use these terms but as they can be foggy and unclear, it was important to explore them and find out what they actually looked like in practice.
Child-initiated learning
Put simply, this is where the child/children:
- decide what they will do, based on what they are interested in
- initiate activities that enable them to learn from each other and the adults around them.
In practice, however, it is a much more complex process, which the revised EYFS documents, published in May this year, recognises in the emphasis it places on a balance between activities planned by the adult and those initiated by the child/children. A balance means creating a partnership in who decides the learning journey.
The EYFS (2008) describes this process in several ways. For example: 'Staff who are committed to the development of sustained shared thinking by offering encouragement, clarifying ideas and asking open questions which support and extend children's thinking and help them make connections in learning, while ensuring a balance between adult-led and child-initiated activities' (Practice Guidance for the EYFS, page 9).
And, 'Creativity involves children in initiating their own learning and making choices and decisions' (Practice Guidance, page 106).
Our research with the children at Early Days certainly demonstrated that the most effective way to engage children in sustained shared thinking was through what interested them.
Sustained shared thinking
Sustained shared thinking was identified in Researching Effective Pedagogy in the Early Years (REPEY 2002) as happening in situations where children's level of thinking is 'lifted' and becomes much deeper. This usually takes place when the child/children have initiated (started) something themselves with another child, group of children or adult. The child/children's thinking is extended through interaction with others and built up as they play, talk, practise and experiment with their ideas.
'Sustained shared thinking involves the adult being aware of the children's interest and understandings and the adult and children working together to develop an idea or a skill' (Learning and Development 4.3 - Creativity and Critical Thinking).
Possible Lines of Development (PLODs)
Possible Lines of Development is a model of 'planning' originally from the Pen Green Centre for Children and Families in Corby. We adapted the PLOD model to record what children are interested in and map out where the interest can be supported and developed (with the children). Comments are added as the interest develops. It becomes a map or 'story' of the children's thinking and learning.
This documentation is based on observations, which are discussed with the children, practitioners and parents, and ultimately forms ongoing recording, assessment and planning. It should be displayed on the wall along with the child/children's ongoing comments, pictures, writing, photographs, etc to show the progress of the thinking and learning.
It helps to think about these three key terms through the children's stories and the context of their play, so that we can see what they look like in practice.
JOE'S STORY - THE TRAIN ENTHUSIAST
It was easy to identify what interested Joe (3.9 yrs) - anything about trains. He came into nursery every day with something to say about trains or the tracks, and was eager to recreate his ideas using pieces of material and disposable cloths.
He particularly wanted to create the tracks and was fascinated by what he called the 'clunks' and 'bobbles' because 'they make the train dazza dizza' on the track. Joe would rummage in the craft corner for long thin pieces of material to make the tracks and toilet rolls to make the 'funnel' on the train.
It was important to tune in to where Joe was with his thinking and ideas, and then support and extend them. So, Carly, his key worker, observed Joe's play, writing down what he said and did, taking photographs, videoing him and making close links with his mother, who was also keen to support his interest in trains.
Other children began to join in, attracted by Joe's enthusiasm and leadership. This was difficult for Joe at first, as he preferred to play by himself, but gradually he handed over some of his ideas and welcomed the others. Craig became a great partner, so Carly encouraged them to plan together what they were going to do. The three of them constructed a plan and decided on the PLOD for their shared interest.
The plan included looking at the 'Thomas book', making the tracks, making a train from boxes and painting it blue, drawing the train and making its funnels.
Joe's hypothesis was 'we need stones to make it move'. The thinking behind the plan was discussed together; they made their own decisions and negotiated what to do in a collaborative partnership. Their concentration, engagement and motivation was remarkable - Joe and Craig were now on a quest to fulfil their plans.
As we observed and documented their play, we saw how their thinking deepened, going beyond the superficial and into real depths of finding out, researching and problem solving. They asked significant questions like 'How does the train turn around when the tracks are straight?' and frequently used the language of thinking - 'I've got a good idea ...' and 'That's good thinking'.
Other children joined in the interest about trains and contributed to the 'box train' by painting it blue, creating the wheels and thinking about how it would work. The children's ideas became more complex and creative as they went along, but above all they had a real feeling of enthusiasm about learning. Joe became 'the expert' and couldn't wait to come into the nursery each day so he could do some more 'work'. He would run in and hug the 'box' train, then set about the next bit of his PLOD.
What did we learn from Joe's and Glen's stories?
The stories of Glen (see left) and Joe tell us so much about their thinking and learning, while at the same time engaging all of us in some stimulating and exciting discussion.
The rich potential of the children to construct their own learning and engage in deeper levels of thinking was a reminder to us that children require exciting and challenging environments with responsive adults who can give them the space and support they need.
We also need to trust children more and listen to their thinking and their ideas - they often have better ones than the adults!
Observation is critical here, to find out what children are thinking and then frame the right questions to ask in order to extend the learning. In Reggio Emilia, early years philosopher Loris Malaguzzi (1920-1994) often used the metaphor of a table tennis game to illustrate our conversations with children and the way in which learning is constructed together. It is a useful image to hold in your mind as you work with the children, as it describes the role of the practitioner very well.
The table tennis game is taking place between two people, you and the child/children (or a child and child). The ball can be batted first by either of you, but in the case of Joe, he went first in showing his interest in trains. Your job is to bat the ball back, by responding in such a way that Jack wants to and can hit it back to you. So, you listen to what the child is saying, doing or thinking, and you pose your question or activity to extend their thinking and you bat it back.
Carly batted the ball back to Joe by responding to his interest and engaging him in discussion, as well as asking him what he wanted to do with his ideas. The 'ball' moves backwards and forwards between the children and yourself in a series of exchanges which build or construct ideas, thinking and understanding.
The important thing is for you to make sure that the ball is batted back to the child with the right amount of speed and spin so that the child doesn't drop it. That requires a great deal of skill from you, as you have to watch carefully, listen and respond, using all your knowledge of the child and how they learn best.
If you can keep the game going, it's very likely that the exchanges you have will lead to deeper levels of sustained and shared thinking. Loris Malaguzzi expressed the outcome of this 'game' very well when he said, 'Once children are helped to perceive themselves as authors and inventors, once they are helped to discover the pleasures of inquiry, their motivation and interest explode.'
The role of the adult is crucial as you tune in to children's interests and thinking, as well as being open to other possibilities. This means creating an enabling environment where children have some freedom to follow their interests independently, with materials at hand (good continuous provision) and uninterrupted time to become absorbed and engaged in their plans.
The EYFS supports this in the statutory framework: 'All areas must be delivered through planned, purposeful play, with a balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities' (Statutory Framework for the EYFS, page 11).
We found that the children were more than capable of planning and constructing the curriculum in partnership with the practitioners. In fact, allowing them to do this raised their self-esteem, confidence and well-being, and demonstrated just how competent they were. The children's interests were shared with each other, which led to more collaborative play, discussion and collective PLODs.
Glen was interested in other children's ideas and thinking and wanted to join them. In this way, children's interests were grouped together in clusters, which makes following them in a class of 30 much easier.
We met regularly to discuss and reflect upon what we had seen the children involved in, their interests and how we could support and extend them. It was a powerful process for us, as we saw what happens when you let children take the lead in their learning. We had to unpick the evidence from our observations and present it in a way that would honour and respect the children and make their voices heard.
The result was the creation of a children's charter for thinking and learning (see page 19) which identifies, from the child's perspective, just what children need in order to be able to think deeply, freely, creatively and innovatively.
Di Chilvers wrote this piece while senior lecturer in early childhood at Sheffield Hallam University. She is now an EYFS regional adviser for the National Strategies. Research at Early Days Children's Centre also involved: Carly Redgate and Mandy Strong, early years practitioners and key workers at the children's centre; Nancy Farrow, early years consultant based at the children's centre, and Kath Priestley, early years consultant who has developed the work on PLODs.
A CHILDREN'S CHARTER FOR THINKING AND LEARNING
- I make sense of my world in my own unique way through what interests me.
- I view myself as a competent thinker and learner.
- I am a different kind of thinker to an adult - what interests me is very different to what interests adults.
- I like to construct my learning together with the other children and adults around me.
- When I follow my interests I begin to think in a much 'deeper way'. I can 'unpick' my ideas and 'explore' through the activities I am interested in.
- I spend a long time at the activities that interest me. I concentrate for longer, become very involved and persist at what I am doing.
- When I am interested in an activity I want to keep coming back to it day after day. I get excited about my learning, it's fun and I enjoy it - I want to do more.
- I like my thinking and learning to be real and to be part of something interesting, like trains, messy play, people and music. I don't want my learning to be separated into pieces like literacy, numeracy, geography. I learn in a holistic way.
- When I can follow my interests and adults support me (and are interested as well), this makes me feel good. Then I feel confident, secure and happy. I trust people and make good relationships with them.
- When I follow my interests, my 'thinking language' becomes more creative. I will invent words like 'clunks' and 'bobbles' to explain what I mean and be very creative. I like to think out loud and I can do this through my talk. I can also do this through my non-verbal expressions, through my behaviour, through watching others and through my drawings, pictures and models. You just have to listen to me.
- When I follow my interests I can offer my own ideas and express them. I can build them up with other children and adults. I can sustain my thinking and share it with those around me.
GLEN'S STORY - THE PEOPLE PERSON
It was difficult to see what interested Glen (3.4 years), but that was because we weren't looking properly! This was a lesson in not making assumptions about children and keeping an open mind about what interests them. As Glen played we made observations, took numerous photographs and video film.
He spent much of his time in the home corner engaged in role play and seemed to be influenced in his choice of activity by who he wanted to play with, rather than the actual activity itself. In the end, we decided to give Glen a camera and asked him to take photographs of what interested him in nursery.
Amazingly, out of 24 pictures, 20 of them were of other children. Glen was interested in people and not things!
It seemed obvious, especially when we chatted to Glen's mother, who said it 'made a lot of sense' since he came from a very sociable family and 'loves playing out with the kids' and was affectionate and caring to his little sister too.
Mandy, Glen's key person, decided to talk with him about the photographs and why he had taken them. This would be a way of extending his interest, engaging him in discussion and building on his own experience. It was important that Glen led the discussion and was able to follow his thinking. Mandy needed to be ready to listen and respond without taking over and dominating the conversation.
Glen talked in depth about his photographs of the children and he sorted them into piles using his own criteria, such as 'I like them ...' or 'I don't like them ...'. The conversation then progressed and moved into levels of sustained shared thinking as the thinking and reasons behind his decisions was discussed.
CWDC PRACTITIONER-LED RESEARCH
Who are the Children's Workforce Development Council?
The Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) exists to improve the lives of children, young people, their families and carers by ensuring that all people working with them have the best possible training, qualifications, support and advice. It also helps children and young people's organisations and services to work together better so the child is at the centre of all services.
CWDC is an employer-led organisation. It acts as a partner and critical friend of the Government, helping to implement the Every Child Matters programme. It works closely with the Departmnt of Children, Schools and Families to determine the direction of workforce reforms and to identify shortages. You can contact CWDC via the website www.cwdcouncil.org.uk
What is practitioner-led reasearch?
The CWDC Practitioner-Led Research (PLR) programme funds small-scale research projects. The projects help CWDC learn more about the experiences of workers and young service users, and provide the opportunity for cross-sector working with professionals from a range of settings.
REFERENCES
- Supporting Young Children's Sustained Shared Thinking - An Exploration (2005), training materials, Early Education, www.early-education.org.uk
- The Early Years Foundation Stage - Setting the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five (2008) (DCSF)
- Researching Effective Pedagogy in the Early Years (REPEY) by Siraj-Blatchford et al (2002) (Research report 356). Available by calling 0845 60 222 60
- Edwards, C, Gandini, L, Forman, G (1998) The Hundred Languages of Children: the Reggio Emilia Approach - Advanced reflections. Ablex Publishing Corporation
LINKS TO EYFS GUIDANCE
- UC 1.1 Child Development
- PR 2.3 Supporting Learning
- EE 3.1 Observation, Assessment and Planning
- EE 3.2 Supporting Every Child
- L&D 4.3 Creativity and Critical Thinking
This article was originally published in October 2008.