Its taken some time but the new website is live and after 4 years of principles, pedagogy and practice (bit of a mouthful) I have now morphed into WatchMeGrow. It's hard finding a new name that captures what I do but having started my work with children a long time ago by training as a Nursery Nurse (NNEB), where observation was (and still is for me) the starting point of everything, it seemed sensible to call the new website WatchMeGrow.
It's a real privilege to watch children as they play, explore, think , talk, discover and grow. It's also a real challenge as we try to understand what they are doing and why and then help them. Watching learning unfold in a truly creative and unique way where every child is different and you are never quite sure what will happen next.....it's the unexpected that makes working with young children so inspiring.
Have a look at the following story unfolding.... what do you think is happening as Jalilah plays with the bread crates?
Out early this morning to join the children at Te Puna as they go out for a day on the mountain - 'Maunga'! There are quite a few of these in Auckland and NZ as they are all created from many, many dormant volcanos - this one was a 'pa' or village/town for a Maori community hundreds of years ago - so its a special place.
We spent a great time with the children - from 2years old, all with their waterproof dungarees on and shletering under the huge trees in the rain. The 2 year olds keep up with the older children and tramp their way in wellies through the long grass - resilience is strong and they keep up. Everyone knows to keep in sight of the adults (those who don't only get told once and they are taken back to Te Puna!) and the children make their own decsions about what to do in the spaces - it involves a lot of rolling down hills and then discovering that you can slide down them really well in the nylon wet weather gear.
I watched Te Awhiorangi at 2 years old looking very serious as he kept up with the older children - he watched them rolling down the hill and joined in. As he pulled his way back up he lost his grip and went rolling down again laughing and smiling - his serious face lit up and he got up and climbed the hill again! We stopped for 'morning tea' and he ploughed his way through crisps and a jelly chew and then followed the others as they ran and jumped on Hugh who was one of the teachers. He was annoyed when he had to stop for a nappy change but let Lovely his teacher do that and put a friendly arm around her neck afterwards - she said that he needed to be patient with her as she changed his nappy - which I thought was a great perspective to share with him - we usually say that the children have to be patient!
The teachers and parents are all speaking to the children in Maori, they sing their greetings, songs (one of the children showed me how to do the movements) and thank-yous for food together and then sing me the Maori anthem!
Needless to say that the two little ones in the car with Lovely and I fell asleep on the way back!
Will put some pictures of the Maunga on the Blog in a bit - my battery is running low so have to plug in!!
Aroha mean 'love' in Maori - along with Tumanako which is 'hope' and Matauranga which is 'knowledge'.
Have been at two inspirational centres over the last couple of days - Kids Domain and Tots Corner both in Auckland and both weaving the principles of Reggio Emilia pedagogy into the rhythms and flow of their philosophy...they really have captured the essence of listening to children following and supporting their creative thinking - its a joy to see.
The teachers (everyone is called teacher) have been asking some deep and tricky questions about 'love' and how this is translated through practice to the children. The teachers call this a 'big concept' and it is..they initially think together about how they can communicate and support this with the children - from the babies to the older ones. They aim to explore this 'big concept' with the children by asking questions like ;
Q. What is Aroha to us here?
The teachers start by thinking about their own thinking...and talking together about how 'love' is communicated by the children and the adults.They document "Our infants are so loved by each other and by our toddlers. They look out for and look after each other with such care and compassion. The toddlers love taking care of the infants, taking them their bottles, giving gentle hugs and always greeting them when they are around"
This happens because the teachers completely trust the younger children, they have given them a great deal of independence and autonomy and they know what they should do and they do it in a caring and reciprocal way. These children are not completely dependent on the adults to show them or 'tell' them what to do - they respond to others in ways that are friendly, supportive and sometimes challenging..but they work it out. Adults are there observing, listening and interacting as they need to but above all taking the lead from the children.
Its an empowering way of working both for the children, whose ideas, emotions and actions lead the way and the adults who have to think hard about what is happening and how to support and extend what the children are doing.
As a result children's thinking travels to new and knew depths.....
Here's what Charlotte had to say about 'love' "It's all about my family. I love my family'
What I have noticed is how well the teachers understand the children and how to support them in extremely thoughtful and deep ways - in turn the children's level of thinking and their well being is truly nurtured. These children are confident, happy and at ease with themsleves and their environments - for them anything is possible. The adults are as well - its the perfect mix!
This week has been inspirational - visiting New Shoots centres that have carefully (meticulously) thought through what it is like to be a child in the space both indoors and outdoors. The care and respect for children is obvious in environments which are high quality, beautiful and engage all the senses. For example,
The smells! : As soon as you walk into these Centres you are met by drifting smells of scented candles and home cooked food! The kitchens are placed right at the front - often close to the entrance, they are the first things you see, looking homely and welcoming. They are usually a hive of activity as children's morning and afternoon tea is being created as well as some yummy recipes for dinner. I had some with the children who all tucked in with great pleasure......eating together is celebrated and a special time with the staff sitting alongside the children. For the babies....they sit on adults knees or lie cosy cushions to have their bottles - supporting their independence.
Entrances: Are bright and welcoming, often with sliding glass doors and always with inviting reception areas - all low level and with welcoming hosts who really want to know how you are (they always ask). Comfy sofas or chairs with plants create a homely feel and just invite you to sit and take a moment. Often the entrances..lead your eyes to the children's rooms which are visible through glass walls so that you can imediately see what is happening inside..and the children can see you.
Connections to the outdoors: The fundamental philosophy here is about children's (and adults) afinity and connection to the outdoors....there are sliding glass doors which open out onto a decked veranda....very reminiscent of Margaret MacMillans model of nurseries. The doors are always open and children are invariably outside in the sand, water streams or busy playing together. All the Centres have the most amazing outdoors..not overly planned but carefully devised to tune into the interests and ideas that children have. I loved the centre at Tauranga which had various water channels, a fire pit and a tree house - the children were very busy in there. Another centre had a maze...the first I have ever seen.
Imaginative materials: The philosophy is based on children having high quality, imaginative spaces and materials which support their ideas and imagination. Materials are open ended and there are plenty...rather than having lots of different materials to play with (lego, Duplo, mobilo, stickle bricks etc etc) there are plentiful amounts of wooden bricks (small and large), train track (lots of it so that you can make really long, collaborative creations), spades, barrows and buckets..... This really encourges children to work together and play collaboratively. When I looked around everyone was involved in something either together or independently...children taking time to become absorbed in books, eagerly looking at their learning journals or having a story with an adult.
All underpinned by observation and learning stories: adults observe children whilst they are playing with them..they all know their children well, really enjoy creating learning stories and interpreting the moments that children have as they play..all based on their interests and a real celebration of what they are busily doing at the centre....more on that later....
Will add some pictures of the environment in the next blog..hopefully you have managed to plough your way through this one...I am on a roll!!!!!
Well it had to happen and I couldn't think of a better place than being in such a wonderful centre - New Shoots at Papamoa!
I have been surprised by how the children have welcomed me on my visits as I do worry that a 'strange visitor' can upset the balance especially with babies and toddlers. However, on a visit to another New Shoots Centre I sat down on the bright orange soft rug and found myself being used as a climbing frame for the babies who were pulling themsleves up..they were happy to bring me into their world and positively beaming when we talked and smiled.
This tells me something about the Centre and the people who work in it. Mainly that they have created a nurturing, safe and settled environment where the children feel accepted, safe and they belong. The relationships between adults and children is strong, friendly and happy..so much so that children feel able to check out any adults who come into their space. Like they did with me!!!
So here is the Seminal Moment....the moment that I knew would always happen!! On my visits to centres and settings at home and in New Zealand I would be identified by the children as a 'mummy' (because of my age)...now I passed the threshold as Josh saw me and asked his teacher "Whose the Nana!!!!". I couldn't think of a better place to move from being a 'mummy' figure to a 'Nana' figure - but I better look for the wrinkle cream now!
Have spent the last two days visiting some wonderful settings with Michelle. All part of New Shoots (newshoots.co.nz) which has a wonderful philosophy of child centred learning...the environments are all eco friendly with lots of light, windows at child height and outdoor spaces which are carefully thought through. I saw my first maze for children with the Griselinia plant which is native to New Zealand with glossy leaves a bit like laurel - it bushes out and gives a feeling of being hidden whilst still being seen. The children were busy weaving themselves in and out of it!
What strikes me is the level of knowledge and understanding of the practitioners - they know their child development and can articulate what they see children doing very well. Here's an example from a Learning Story about Abbie and Noah as they play together in the sand, Siobhan the key worker evaluates it like this...
"Conflict is a normal part of any healthy relationship. After all, two people cant't be expected to agree on everything, all the time. Learning how to deal with conflict - rather than avoiding it - is crucial. When conflict is mis-managed, it can cause great harm to a relationship, but when handled in a respectful, positive way, conflict provides an opportunity to strengthen the bond between to people"
The Learning Story that Siobhan wrote about Abbie and Noah tells the unfolding story of what happened as they played together (well sort of) - Noah wanted what Abbie had and she had some quite sophisticated ways of dealing with that...its a story that no doubt will end up with them being best mates!!!
Lots to share from some wonderful practice here especially in relation to observation and documentation......
Have been wandering around Auckland to acclimatise and check out the way of life....its a great place. What strikes me is that its such a long way from England yet it still feels like home....but much more chilled out. Have seen loads of children walking in bare feet, including toddlers, happy to run, walk and paddle...must be a great feeling of freedom...never really see that back home. Am looking forward to seeing the early years settings.....have quite a few visits planned in and around Auckland.
I have linked up with the New Zealand Reggio Emilia organisation - www.reanz.org - and making some visits to their centres as well as getting together to talk about practice in NZ, Reggio and England. Am also sharing some thoughts on the 6th March in a presentation called 'A window into children's creative thinking' - so looking at how children develop their creative and critical thinking through following their own ideas and interests....
Will post some thoughts from my visits on the Blog...hopefully some pictures as well. Its taking me ages to upload things but thats more about my skills than the IT!!
I started reading about New Zealand quite a few years ago as I have always had an interest in other philosophies and perspectives on early childhood education. What struck me about Te Whariki, which guides pedagogy and practice in NZ, was the complete focus on the child and family and looking at children's learning through their dispositions. It is a respectful view point - which really sees children's potential and acknowledges the imaginative depths of their thinking and learning. The nearest equivalent that we have in England would be the Characteristics of Effective Learning. Our previous EYFS Curriculum Guidance had some links to Te Whariki particularly in the Themes and Principles (which are still statutory) but this has been even more marginalised in the revised EYFS.
The similarities are mainly with the Themes and Principles of the EYFS - have a look at the following:
Te Whariki EYFS Themes and Principles
Well - Being Unique Child and Positive Relationships
Exploration Unique Child and Learning and Development
Communication Unique Child and Learning and Development
Contribution Unique Child and PositiveRelationships
Belonging Unique Child and Positive Relationships
This is a bit of a rough comparison as in reality all these themes and principles are interlinked and woven together in fact that is what Te Whariki means. It is a Maori word meaning 'woven mat' .....so a metaphor for children's thinking, learning and lives. Malaguzzi explained this in typical style by saying that children's thinking and learning was like 'spaghetti' with everything tangled and intertwined.......thats how we need to think of children's development, especially their thinking..anyone who has worked with (and understands) young children will know that it is not a neat tidy process......so trying to put children's learning into boxes is not a natural or helpful thing to do.....unfortunately we live in an educational world (in England) that does just that! More on that later.......
Am now in Singapore before flying on to New Zealand tomorrow..its very hot, sunny and a bit humid but very interesting. Saw a lovely statue today which celebrates all the children who used to play in the river years ago when Singapore was a developing city in the 1800's....the statue is a series of bronze figures of children jumping off the pier side into the water....probably not very safe especially in view of the fact that the river must have been very polluted! Apparently they only jumped in and swam at high tide as it wasn't as dirty!! Doing a risk assessment on that would be a nightmare.....but they were okay. Will try and learn how to attach a picture so that you can see it!!
I have always wanted to visit New Zealand and see their early years philosophy in action - having read loads about Te Whariki, listened to my gurus Margaret Carr and Wendy Lee at various conferences in the UK and read as much as I can about Learning Stories....I cant wait to visit. So what I am aiming to do is...
And probably lots more.....but that will do for now!
Think my next post will be about how I became interested in Te Whariki........
