Education secretary Ed Balls recently announced some welcome re-thinking of the Government's national literacy and numeracy strategies. It is a cause for celebration that the Government is now acknowledging both the mounting research evidence and the body of professional opinion in this area.

We continue to hope that the inappropriate statutory aspect of the EYFS for learning and development can have its compulsory nature relaxed to that of 'professional guidelines'.

OpenEYE has been contacted by Sebastion Suggate, a researcher from the Department of Psychology at the University of Otago in New Zealand who has been investigating the effectiveness of early reading instruction. His studies have involved comparisons of children beginning formal reading instruction at age 5 (or earlier) and around age 7.

Across three quantitative studies, the findings converged
to suggest that by age 10 to 11 there is no difference in reading achievement. In his opinion this provides a very powerful argument for why there is little point in beginning reading instruction, at least before age 6. Moreover, he has found via meta-analysis that reading interventions are
more effective for older children, around year 4.

One of these papers has been published and the others are under review. Sebastion has also written a new theory of reading development that explains why early reading skills wash out.

OpenEYE considers this powerful new evidence confirming that introducing literacy to children at an early, developmentally premature age has no long-term benefits.

Read the published research here

Early Years specialist Wendy Ellyatt discussed the English focus on measurement and results in an article published on the 1st August by Early Years Educator magazine.

'Certain features of early years education are recognised worldwide as beneficial to children's learning:

• A holistic view of learning and the learner

• active or experiential learning

• respect for children's ability to be self-motivating and directing

• valuing responsive interactions between children and adults

Research evidence about the impact of curricular experiences, however, tends to be limited to quantitative and easily measurable outcomes for children in particular circumstances, or for literacy and numeracy, with little or no focus on the more holistic qualitative areas such as intrinsic motivation, flow, empathy, artistic expression, contact with nature or simple happiness.

In my opinion this is a serious weakness in the provision of early childhood research, especially if this research is underpinning subsequent government policy-making. The fact that these things are difficult to measure in no way excuses the lack of emphasis that is given to them. In the same way there is an avoidance of undertaking rigorous research studies into the impact and benefits of alternative provision, despite the fact that many parents clearly value what these settings have to offer. It may be that it is the very holistic nature and curricular qualities of these settings that we most need to find ways to examine.

Simply creating impressive curricular outlines that talk about these things does not mean that teachers' and children's day to day experiences within pre-school and reception classes truly reflect them. The English preoccupation with individual achievement and measurement by results has already produced a generation of deeply unhappy children and we have an urgent responsibility to establish research studies that can underpin a new, and more balanced, way forward.

Access the full article here

Wendy also had an article in Nursery World looking at the impact of overly rigid goals and outcomes on nursery settings.

"There are certain things that happen as soon as we alter a free-flowing, spontaneously creative environment to become one that is controlled, however well-meaning, by targets and outcomes.

1. The adults in the environment immediately have their focus and deep engagement with the children eroded. Instead of fully 'being in the moment' with the child, their attention is split between the child and a possible outcome that can be ticked.

2. The adults, both consciously and unconsciously, send both verbal and non-verbal messages to the children about what has priority in the classroom.

3. The children start to move from their own natural, free-flowing areas of interest to those that they feel will make the adults happy.

4. The children 'dumb down' to expected norms, rather than freely developing their unique capacities.

5. The children increasingly equate self-worth through externally imposed levels of achievement, rather than their own natural mastery of the environment.

6. The adults increasingly equate self-worth through the achievement of ongoing targets and outcomes rather than the joy of social relationship and the excitement of mutual creativity.

7. Poorly trained practitioners accept the targets and outcomes as an accurate view of what children should achieve, and use them as checklists.

8. Experienced practitioners are demotivated by paperwork and bureaucracy that they know serves neither themselves nor the children.

In other words, both adults and children become extrinsically, rather then intrinsically, motivated. They look to what they 'should be achieving' rather than following their innate instincts - and that changes everything."

Read the full article (Please note that the table at the end has been distorted in the online version)

Nursery World ran an informative article by Steiner expert Lynne Oldfield examining the way in which Steiner schools approach early learning and their concerns about some aspects of the EYFS.

From its earliest beginnings, the Steiner kindergarten movement has, among other things, resisted moves to prematurely intellectualise, and over-stimulate, in early years childcare. It has also been determined to base all decisions on an understanding of child development. The following three points concisely yet comprehensively define the intentions of a Steiner kindergarten teacher:

1. To protect and respect the boundaries of childhood, which we define as extending to the child's seventh birthday

2. To develop practice based on an understanding of child development in those years

3. To be awake to the possible damage caused by intellectuality that is introduced too early.

With these intentions, and in the light of the Early Years Foundation Stage, the Steiner Foundation Stage is notably unhurried.

The unhurried mood surrounds everything that we do - how we present activities, the structure of our day, the attention to detail, the caring for child and environment. This approach minimises stress in both child and teacher (and children of this age are particularly sensitive to stress in the environment). It also gives the educator the time to establish a true foundation for later formal schooling.

In a Steiner kindergarten we have the gift of time, and the child senses and responds positively to that mood.

Our Foundation Stage extends to the sixth birthday, with children in mixed-age groups, three to six years, ideally remaining with the same teacher throughout the three years before entering school. There are seldom more than 16 children within a group.

This gift of time together allows a valuable connection to be made between child and teacher, child and child, which finds a resonance in attachment theory.

It concluded with the following thoughts:

These Steiner 'foundation' intentions, when contrasted with the principles of the EYFS, leave us with certain questions:

- What is the rationale for ever-earlier introduction of reading, writing and ICT? What are the dangers?

- Why is it assumed that 'quality pre-school experience' requires this ever-earlier introduction to literacy targets? Do we need to redefine 'quality' in this context?

- Why is it also assumed that this will benefit disadvantaged children in particular? Surely reading and writing are the least of their problems? Surely these are the children who need the unhurried pathway - with socialisation, speech, attentiveness, perseverance, self-management, fine and gross motor skills, healthy relational experiences and the healing power of play - to be central to preparation for school?

- Do we need to clarify what is truly necessary as a 'foundation' for school entry?

Lynne is author of Free to Learn (Hawthorn Press) and director of the London Steiner Waldorf Early Childhood Teacher Training Course.

You can read the full article here

We were delighted to hear that The Conservative Party, if it wins the next election, is planning to encourage more diversity by state funding children who attend new independent schools, including those with alternative approaches like Montessori and Steiner. Both of these approaches take a very holistic view of a child's education and value natural developmental processes over the pursuit of externally focused goals and outcomes.

This support for alternative provision comes as part of a wider proposal to open up the school system. It follows international acceptance and evidence that such diversity is highly beneficial to the educational system as a whole.

Ross Watson, in Children and Young People Now magazine, reported on the first Steiner School exemption:

'A Steiner school in London has become the first early years setting in England to be granted exemptions from parts of the curriculum for under-fives, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

North London Rudolf Steiner School in Haringey received confirmation from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) last week. The school has been granted exemptions from all communication, literacy and language targets, and any goals related to the use of ICT. Exemptions from goals relating to number recognition were rejected on the grounds that the EYFS, which has been in operation for a year, will be able to incorporate the Steiner approach...

To date, the DCSF has received 19 applications for exemptions.

Read the full article

Wynstones Steiner School in Gloucestershire has now also had its requested exemptions and modifications related to literacy and ICT granted and those relating to the teaching of maths denied. Likewise, its request for exemption from the EYFS's assessment arrangements were rejected. 
 
'The school continues to have concerns about the target driven nature of the EYFS and in particular the assessment arrangements. It does not believe that the EYFS assessment arrangements are appropriate, particularly for children of this age. The school has not had the opportunity to
speak with the QCA yet before considering its next course of action.'

This was the OpenEYE response:

"Of course it's excellent news Steiner settings have been granted some exemptions from aspects of the learning requirements of the EYFS. However, Open EYE has always maintained that as a matter of equity, it is essential that any other settings which object philosophically or pedagogically to the statutory EYFS learning requirements can also be granted exemption.

In this regard, there is nothing particularly unique about the Steiner approach that means it alone deserves special treatment, for the Steiner movement's concern that the literacy, numeracy and ICT requirements are inappropriate is shared by many non-Steiner practitioners throughout the field."

Helen Ward, in the TES, has looked at whether nurseries are fully aware of the impending changes in nursery funding.

'Currently all three and four-year-olds are entitled to 12.5 hours of early education a week, but this is due to be extended to 15 hours a week from September 2010. As a result, all local authorities have been told to draw up an "early- years single funding formula", to be implemented from April 2010.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families published guidance this week on the lessons learnt from the 11 authorities that have already piloted the switch.

"Local authorities must ensure that their maintained sector providers are fully engaged, as there is some evidence that schools have not realised that the changes will affect them," it states.

If schools start taking children into their nursery classes earlier, private providers could be significantly impacted.

Read the TES article here

Philip Johnston's Telegraph article about the impact on small businesses.

Nursery World's analysis

Ross Watson in CYP Now discusses the Minister's defence of daycare closures.

'Figures released in the House of Commons in July showed the number of closures of settings offering full daycare has risen by around 200 each year over the last three years, to a peak of 1,700 in 2008.

However, the number of openings dropped by around 100 a year during the same period to 2,100 in 2008.'

With many privately run nurseries now worried about their financial viability these are figures that we all need to watch carefully.

See the full piece here