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British Association for Early Childhood Education
Editorial and Contents of Autumn 2008 Journal
We are charting dangerous waters in this edition of the journal. This
reflects much of the national daily news we are bombarded with – hazards all
around. Yet there are many opportunities as well; opportunities for members
of Early Education to bring the voice of the child into all the
conversations, committees and contexts they work in.
Never before has your voice been needed more to ensure an informed
understanding of the objectives around quality for our youngest children.
Mary Jane Drummond uses the past to illuminate our present and the
children’s futures. She warns about the casual use of words such as
‘standards’ which can so easily be, ‘misapplied, misused and misunderstood’.
She agrees that it quite correctly challenges providers, trainers or leaders
of integrated services to make quality improvement a continuing focus for
our work.
Mary Jane concludes with a powerful evocation to us as ‘a professional
community’ to ‘define the standards, the services, the curriculum and the
quality that we aspire to for the young learners who are our most pressing
concern’.
In her new book reviewed here, Helen Tovey addresses a key part of
making the focus of our work the needs of the learners.
Not another 20 fun activities in the sunshine to apply without thought, but
a reasoned and informed debate about ‘risk and challenge’ playing outdoors.
As reviewer Jane Whinnett says: ‘decisions made reflect the values
and principles held’.
Lynne McKenna provides us with the benefit of hearing how to
effectively include fathers in the lives of young children. Her discussion
is thoughtful as it supports a shared understanding of ‘fatherhood’ and how
to engage with fathers in today’s communities. She warns against using the
generic term ‘parent’ in an unthinking way.
Our thanks to New Town for showing in some detail how to support men’s
parenting in an effective way.
Sarah Kingham also shares key evidence from her project to enhance
our understanding and so make practice in encouraging boys to write more
informed and effective. Sarah goes into detail on key aspects such as
transcription, ‘a child’s ability to hold a tool and make marks’ and
composition, how to capture what the child wants to say. The learning
stories of some ‘boisterous’ boys
illustrates the voices and ideas of the children and how these are captured
in valued story writing.
Sue Rogers gives us more to consider when thinking about practice
when four year old children are received into a school
community. Drawing out the special relationship between four year olds and
role play, she challenges us to think more deeply about the quality of play
and uninterrupted learning time in our settings.
It is so important to have the opportunity in this issue to hear from
Joyce Hughes about the ongoing developments in Northern Ireland. Early
Education gives us the opportunity to share and develop synergies in our
work across the United Kingdom. Like all ‘best’ practice and ‘good’
practitioners, underpinning understanding is what makes them effective – and
this takes a lot of time, training and dedication to the children. As Joyce
describes the journey of colleagues and ‘the enriched curriculum’ it helps
us all reflect that, just as we see children on a ‘learning journey’, we are
all on a professional journey ourselves.
So, as members of this organisation reading this journal, please continue to
share your knowledge, skills and understanding in an active and powerful way
as Mary Jane so eloquently urges; continue to meet in branches and
localities to gain strength from our collective determination to ‘promote
the right of all children to education of the highest quality’.
Jane Cole
Features
Warning: words can bite Mary Jane Drummond
The involvement of men: changing notions of fatherhood Lynne McKenna
Motivating early writers Sarah Kingham
Change takes time Joyce Hughes
KidSmart’s 10th birthday Carol Berry
Role play in reception Sue Rogers
Regulars
Editorial Jane Cole
Review Jane Whinnet
Diary dates
Early Education is the leading national voluntary organisation for early
years practitioners and parents with members and branches in England,
Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Early Education promotes the right of
all children to education of the highest quality and provides support,
advice and information for everyone concerned with the education and care of
young children from birth to eight years.
Early Education is published three times a year [ISSN 0960-281X]
Editor Pat Gordon Smith
Advertising officer Jenny Rabin
Cover photo Emma Hertzberg
Designer Sue Clarke for Expression, IP23 8HH
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