Presentation: 21st Century Children – the State of Play, Growing Up Wild conference, November 2016

st 21

Century Children: the state of play Sue Palmer, November 12th 2016

Guardian 3-11-16

Independent, 1/9/16

Guardian, 3-10-16

Independent, 31-10-16

Physical, emotional, social, cognitive development

10-11-16

Focusing attention

Empathy and social skills

L Language

2006

Diet Activity and play Sleep Communication Family structures Childcare Education Media use Marketing Parenting/society Updated 2015

Global consumer culture

Guardian, 22-8-16

Natasha Devon

Telegraph, 4-2-16

BBC Online, 28-10-16

Nature: the biological systems that underpin life and learning Nurture: the unique environmental experiences that shape our understanding and emotional responses www.savechildhood.net

Nurture

Nature

freely chosen, personally directed, intrinsically motivated behaviour that actively engages the child

Creativity Problem-solving skills Communication and social skills A love of learning Self-regulation Resilience

The capacity to cope with stress and adversity

• Positive relationships • Positive self-concept / confidence in one’s own strengths and abilities • Communication and problem-solving skills • Ability to manage strong impulses and feelings • Ability to make realistic plans and follow them through (adapting as necessary to fit circumstances)

’ Active, creative, outdoor play is being squeezed out of children’s lives...

by the twin forces of ‘cool’ and school.

The brain areas with longest periods of organization are related to‌ self-regulation problem-solving

language/communication social bonding

The first seven years Greece.... Rome...

‘The first seven years are for play.’

The prophet Mohammed ‘The first seven years are the gods’ domain.’

Japanese proverb ‘Give me a child till he is seven years old, and I will show you the man.’

Jesuits

Education ranking of western nations OECD , 2015 1. Finland

7

2. Estonia

7

3. Switzerland

7

Play-based kindergarten stage between 3 and 7

School starting ages around the world 4/5 years

12%

6 years

66%

7 years

22%

The UK countries have the earliest school starting ages in the world.

Only 12% of countries send their children to school before the age of 6 and they’re all ex-members of the British empire!

‘Early school entry was associated with - less educational attainment - worse midlife adjustment - increased mortality risk’.

'Early educational milestones as predictors of life-long academic achievement, mid-life adjustment, and longevity'

by Margaret Kern and Howard S Friedman in Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 2008

‘Back to basics’ for the under-sevens: ‘Bottom-up support’ for individual development (as opp ‘top-down’ group or class teaching) Nurture-based care (as opp curriculum-based teaching) Contact with the natural world (e.g. forest school activities) Stories, songs, rhymes, art & craft, music, investigations...

Plenty of self-directed play – especially outdoors Holistic developmental approach (no specific goals/targets)

a kindergarten stage between 3 and 7, based on the Nordic model – thus ring-fencing early childhood for developmentallyappropriate, play-based education Floris Books, June 2016

Upstart supporters include: David Baxter consultant community paediatrician, Highlands Region Jackie Brock CEO Children in Scotland David Cameron, educationist and one of the architects of Curriculum for Excellence John Carnochan, co-founder, Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, Glasgow Theresa Casey President, International Play Association John Davis, Professor of Childhood Inclusion, University of Edinburgh Marguerite Hunter Blair, CEO Play Scotland Pat Kane, Musician, writer, broadcaster Cathy McCulloch, Director, Children’s Parliament Anne Prior CEO Scottish Parent Teacher Council Maggie Simpson CEO Scottish Childminding Association Colwyn Trevarthen Emeritus Professor of Child Psychology, University of Edinburgh Suzanne Zeedyk, Research scientist, Dundee University