magazine of the professional associationfor for Childcare childcare and | april/may 2013 Magazine of the Professional Association andearly Earlyyears Years | Winter 2014/15
BRAND NEW FACE
SUPPORTING WELCOME TO YOUR NEW LOOK PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION FAMILIES EARLY YEARS FUNDING
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The importance of being curious
Michael Rosen, the poet, broadcaster and former children’s laureate, speaks to Victoria Flint about his life, work and views on how children learn best while having fun.
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Who do you have to thank for your love of learning? I was very lucky to have parents who were keen on introducing me to the wonderful world of books. My mum and dad both read to me – and my brother, too. I remember my dad reading out loud these popular science books and the next moment quoting from some Russian or Latin book. But at the same time, my dad loved talking to people who weren’t educated in this way, but who knew stuff. I remember him talking for hours to farmers or plumbers, or the bloke next door who was a gardener. That taught me the importance of being curious; that all knowledge is worth it; and don’t be defensive about what you know. Society is bedevilled by the belief that there are incremental levels of worthiness. The implicit message was: never think you’re not entitled to go and learn things and never think that you can’t do things because you’re not ‘posh enough’.
Interview by Victoria Flint
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Who were your literary heroes as a child? I loved the Beatrix Potter books. My mum was a teacher and would bring back all sorts of books from other countries. My favourite was a book called Raff the Jungle Bird. I also loved historical fiction – Rosemary Sutcliff was one of my favourite authors – and books by the French author René Guillot who really brought the world of animals to life – Kpo the Leopard, Grishka and the Bear.
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Was it your interest in animals that brought you to write We’re Going on a Bear Hunt? I’ve always been interested in animals and how they interact with their environment. But the idea for the book came from a traditional song about a bear hunt. I was fascinated with the idea that there is something you long for, but when you get there you run away because it’s so scary.
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Did you have any idea that it would be as successful as it is? Not at all. I came up with the draft shape and then had an idea for illustration. It was based on the idea of a circus and I had someone playing the role of the bear and then revealing at the end. The publishers were very clear from the start who they wanted to illustrate it. Helen Oxenbury’s work is simply marvellous. I have had so many comments about that last plate of the mournful bear – that was totally her idea and it would be a very different book without it.
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What’s the best way of involving pre-school children in reading and writing? Simply this: enjoy books together. It isn’t about poking and pointing to words on a page. Find a book that they enjoy. Don’t bombard them with questions, but give them the space to say what they feel about the book. Take whatever they say totally
seriously and don’t judge, belittle, or downgrade the importance of their opinion. But most importantly, allow them the space. It’s in that space that they will make meaning and interpret. And that is at the heart of learning and
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understanding about the world. If you encourage them to explore that space – and make it fun and non-judgemental – they will want to do it more because it’s exciting. In my recent book Good Ideas, I focus a lot on the importance of
If you were Secretary of State for Education what would you do? I would stop this relentless focus on academic achievement – on letters and numbers. What education should be about is looking at birds, going for a walk in the park – exploring, connecting, observing and interpreting what’s going on around you. What upsets me is this idea that if you can’t measure it, then education isn’t happening. Education isn’t about scoring and markers; it should be about educating for life. I meet so many passionate teachers, but they struggle because there is a sense that there is this mountain of knowledge to be gained. But in a knowledge-
based curriculum, you can’t keep up. It’s not a fixed and finite body of knowledge; it is out of date even as you’re talking about it. The point about the world is that it is not static and knowledge cannot be controlled. The world is changing all the time and by locking down our children to acquiring a fixed body of knowledge, we are eliminating open and free experimentation. I would want to see us liberating children and I question why we are testing and failing so many children at such a young age. Children taking the phonics screening test at as young as 5½ years old know that they are being assessed and will have a sense of whether they have done well, or failed. Where is the liberation in that?
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What would you say to childcare professionals about the importance of their role? You have an absolutely vital role to play. The wonderful thing about your role is that you can spend time thinking about books and about learning. Go to interesting places: go to the park and look at the ducks and have a special and magical time talking about them; take the child to a museum and tell their parents where you have been. Give them ideas and support for them to follow up and reinforce their child’s learning. That’s the incredible gift of your role – you are there to encourage the child to be curious and to be entitled to that sense of curiosity. You provide that continuity between time with you and time with their parents and that’s the most healthy route to enable a child to learn and thrive. n
Q&A
allowing children to browse. Take them to the library or children’s centre and let them pick one or two books that they like the look of. It is that process of choosing and comparing that provides a huge leap for young children as they learn that they can handle different kinds of text. We are so obsessed about giving children the ‘right book’ at the appropriate time, and that’s nonsense. When I was little, I loved reading my dad’s dictionary. I loved the idea that I could find any word and find its meaning. And it’s not about categorising books into levels on a reading scale. I want to instill a sense of wonder – that anything is possible and anything is accessible to them. All knowledge is valid and the act of discovering things (working it out, browsing through bookshelves or on the internet) is in itself learning.
Michael’s top tips for encouraging young learners l Don’t be afraid to say ‘I don’t know’. Have fun in finding out and learning together l Talk about everything and anything that is important to your child. And listen; don’t interrupt, belittle or judge. Magical connections happen when you can meet them where they are l Let your child browse. It enables them to learn how to sort, scan and build interests around something they care about l Make time and space for reading. The conversations that come during and after reading are the building blocks to enable children to think and learn l Get rid of any ideas of what children ‘should’ be reading at ‘this age’. Encourage them to read whatever they fancy – comics, telephone directories, cereal packets!
PROMOTION Make sure to visit MyPACEY today for a member exclusive discount on Michael Rosen’s new book, Good Ideas: How To Be Your Child’s (And Your Own) Best Teacher. The book is published in John Murray hardback, RRP £16.99 and is also available as an ebook
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Jane Comeau’s childminding setting
PACEY’s new Chair Jane Comeau balances her new role with her full-time childminding career. Here, Jane talks to Mel Parks about her setting and life as a childminder.
Jane’s busy childminding setting provides a warm, welcoming environment for 16 children aged between 11 months and 10 years old, and she works with her assistant, Em. Working with an assistant has enhanced Jane’s practice: “It is stimulating to have input from another like-minded person when working with the children, allowing me another way to reflect on my practice and continuously strive to improve,” says Jane. The paved back garden at Jane’s setting is partly sectioned off to become an outdoor play area, which can be used all year round. “I try to get outside as much as possible,” explains Jane. “If the activity can be done inside, I will also find a way to do it outside.” Around the edge of the play area are raised beds with a sensory garden including lavender bushes, chime mirrors and a water feature.
Sociable setting
Written by Mel Parks
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There is a large dining table which seats everyone for sociable meal and snack times. It is also the centre of any painting, cooking and craft activities. The living room is an open-plan space created by knocking three rooms into one. There is a quieter area where children can sit, relax and share books, as well as shelves stacked with toys that are rotated regularly. “I usually change the toys termly unless there is a reason for me to change it sooner,” says Jane. “This way, the children get good use out of the toys and can explore them in different ways.” Two tortoises, tropical fish and a Labrador Retriever add to
the homely feel of the setting, and provide an ideal introduction to how to care for animals. Jane says, “A couple of children that have come to me were scared of dogs, but after spending time with gentle, laid-back Smokey, their feelings have changed.”
Out and about
Outings are a central feature of Jane’s timetable, with time regularly spent at the local park,
soft play centre and library. “I’m also a member of the National Trust and English Heritage. They have made us feel really welcome including inside the houses. We live close to a fantastic deer park, too, which has fallen trees that the children love to climb on and build dens.”
Support
Jane has been an enthusiastic PACEY volunteer for many years
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FEATURE and was PACEY’s Vice Chair for three years before being elected as Chair. “Getting that work-life balance is difficult and I do catch up on paperwork in the evenings.” Jane also makes the most of quiet times during the day, for example, using afternoon nap time to read and keep up with childcare changes. She is used to fitting in extra work at times that suit her as she did her degree in Early Years with the Open University. Jane doesn’t work in isolation and knows when to ask for help. As well as support from a network of willing childminding volunteers, she also relies on her assistant and family. “Volunteering has been part of my life since my own children were small, but it is easier to do PACEY work involving overnight stays and evening commitments now they are grown up.”
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The support of the parents she works with is crucial, too. “I’m very conscious about my responsibility to parents and that I don’t let them down. When things come up at PACEY, I run it by the parents first to see how they would manage if I had to take a day off,” explains Jane.
One step at a time
It has been a long and winding road towards becoming Chair of PACEY for Jane. The turning point for her came about 10 years ago when she was considering a change in direction and decided to commit to a quality assurance scheme, thinking it would benefit her future job prospects. This opened up her self-reflective process: “The more I put into my childminding career, the more I got out of it. I found myself looking
at my role and setting with new eyes and, bit-by-bit, I renewed my interest. If you are committed to yourself, your practice and your families, it does show.” Jane’s first volunteering role in childminding was for Kent Childminding Association. “I was the newsletter editor and learned a new skill – word processing. I also found a warm community of volunteers sharing their experiences. Anyone can do it and learn on the job.” The other thing that increased Jane’s commitment and confidence was her degree. She says, “I wouldn’t have had the confidence to apply to be on the Board if I hadn’t gained my degree. Even if you question the point of doing it, you’ll be surprised at the directions studying will take you!” n
VOLUNTEERING FOR PACEY Have you ever thought about becoming a PACEY volunteer? To find out about volunteering opportunities, email Lauren or Sarah at lauren.sampson@pacey. org.uk sarah.edwards@pacey. org.uk
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Written by The PACEY Local team
Governance update Over the past two years, PACEY has been reviewing its volunteer structure and considering how we can better engage with members in the future. Since PACEY’s Regional Policy Forums were first set up in 2006, there have been huge changes that have altered the way in which we communicate with our members. The widespread use of Facebook and other social media platforms as well as online survey tools means that we can gather opinions much more rapidly and effectively. Our growing network of PACEY Local groups also provides a really effective way of gathering views on new products and publications being developed by PACEY. The Governance Advisory Group was tasked with looking at the most effective way of gathering feedback from members. National Policy Forum (NPF) members were involved in these discussions and their proposals were agreed at our Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the beginning of November. Our last Regional Forums in October signified the end of an era and we would like to thank every NPF and regional committee member who has volunteered
their time and enthusiasm to gather member feedback and organise such great Regional Forums over the last eight years.
New PACEY Advisory Group
One of the exciting new developments that we are delighted to let you know about is the introduction of a new PACEY Advisory Group which will be of vital importance in shaping our future work. The group, which we hope will include members and other people from a wide range of professional backgrounds, will work with us to share their views on planned policy changes, use their expertise to build the profile of PACEY and share their thoughts and ideas in a range of ways, for instance through guest blogs on our website that showcase the expertise of our members. If you’d like to share your expertise and develop your skills as a member of PACEY’s Advisory Board we’d love to hear from you. Application forms are available online now, so visit www.pacey.org.uk/advisory_group to join us on the next exciting stage of our journey.
New PACEY Local video
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If you want to be inspired and discover more about the great networking and development opportunities that being a part of
PACEY Local can offer, check out our video today. PACEY Local offers online and face-to-face peer support – a great
way to feel less isolated in your role, meet new friends and share great tips. Visit www.pacey.org. uk/local_video now!
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Conferences 2015 We have planned a series of lively and inspiring conferences that will take place next year. Our aim is to provide you with a unique networking opportunity to meet other members, be inspired by our expert speakers – including our President Penny Tassoni – and gather some practical ideas for your practice. This is a very exciting time for PACEY members
and we want to ensure that your 2015 conferences include as many of your ideas as possible. We invite you to have your say on what you would like from the conferences – let us know your thoughts on location, content and also the type of stalls you’d like to see. We know that shopping is often a big part of these events! Visit www. pacey.org.uk/conferences for more information.
LOCAL MAKE
– the way forward Where and when? The �irst event will take place in London on Saturday, 16 May 2015. Further dates and venues are yet to be �inalised. Put the date in your diary now – we’d love to see you there!
Your stories D ro p - in
NCB event
s e s s io n s
Our Portsm outh Facili tator Kara Jewell hold s regular d ro p-in sessio for childm ns inders and n a nnies and monthly e vening me etings for childcare all profession a ls. To �ind more, log out into local. pacey.org .uk
es and Facilitators Georgina Jon CEY Sue Smith met with PA Edwards Volunteer Of�icer Sarah chael and children’s author Mi ld he nt eve t en Rosen at a rec the of s ces suc to celebrate the out led rol ots REAL training pil u. rea Bu ’s by National Children
Training day in
Birmingham
Meet our Facilit ators! We recent ly held a training day fo r our PACEY Lo ca l Facilitators in Bi rmingham whe re we enjoyed some tim e to network, sh ar e feedback on PA CEY’s new web si te de sign and provide up dates on the EY FS.
All this and more at local.pacey.org.uk
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