Literature Overview‘Encouraging quality in ECEC’

7th ECEC Network Meeting – 22nd June 2010

Ineke LitjensEducation and Training Policy DivisionDirectorate for Education

Parent and Community Involvement

Why does it matter?

The Importance of Parents and the wider community

All environments affecting children foster similar goalsFoster great communication with parents

Better parenting Increase parents’ understanding of appropriate educational practices

Better knowledge of child developmentBetter understanding of children by staff

Promote positive later achievement

Defining parental and community involvement

Child-focused Centre-orientedCommunicating Design effective forms of

school-to-home and home-to-school communications about school programmes and children’s progress

Volunteering Recruit and organise parent help and support

Parenting Help all families establish home environments to support children as students

Decision making Including parents in school decisions, developing parent councils and parent-teacher organisations.

Learning at home Provide information and ideas to families about how to help students at home with homework and other curriculum-related activities, decisions, and planning.

Collaborating with community

Identify and integrate resources and services from the community to strengthen school programmes, family practices, and student learning and development.

Evidence of its impacts of particular Type of involvement on child outcomes

Main Areas Details

Improving the home learning environment(HLE)

Provide activities and materials for parents and children to do togetherOffer parents tips on reading aloud to children and offering literacy learning kits

Home visiting Provide confidence in parents’ interactions with children’s education programmes Offer great knowledge in children’s developmentGain positive relationships with children and families for staffs

Parenting Education Empower parents to engage with their children’s learning Positive results on later school measures, regardless of family background or income

Active Involvement Focus on teaching children literacy skills concentrated on children and families creating meaningful self-authored texts

Collaboration with wider community resources

Key to children’s motivation for learning and development diminish development arrears

Combination of different approaches home visits by the pre-school teachers, provision of literacy resources, centre-based group activities, special events, postal communication

Encouraging parent and community involvement at system

level Establish a system of communication with and

participation of parentsEstablish mechanisms for community involvement in

support of staff and children

Set out goals/purposes

RequirementIncentives and support

Feasible within context

Implementation of effective curricula andpedagogical approaches

Perceived barriers (challenges) Key success factors

Language and cultural barriers

Stigmatisation

Insufficient knowledge about possibilities to engage or participate

Parents’ low education level

Attitudinal barriers

Time barriers

Ethos

Clarity of objectives

Pro-activeness

Staff education and training

Flexibility

Funding

Curriculum and Effective Pedagogy

The Importance of Curriculum and Pedagogies

Key-factors in the quality and effectiveness of the programClarifies development aims

Provides structureRespond adequately to children’s needs

Improve the status of early childhood workersEnsure an even level of quality across different provisions

Positive effect on children’s social and cognitive developmentPromote the well-being of young children

What pedagogical and curricular approaches are used in ECEC?

Main areas Perspectives of learning

Direct instruction curriculum input by the environment structured teaching-and-practice lessons discrete skills, frequent repetition and praise

Socialisation curriculum Montessori approach

child’s free learning directly through the materialsless teacher’s personal involvement

Constructivist curriculum Developmentally Appropriate Practice

balance of child-initiated learning and guidance from staff members

Experiential education

emphasis on the relevance of emotional well-being and child’s involvement

High/Scope curriculum

better learning by active experiences that express child’s interests

the Reggio Emilia approach

creative communication to develop thinking capacity and child’s own theories

Te Whariki Develop useful understanding attached to cultural and purposeful contexts

Swedish curriculum

nurture the child's need for exploration through play and social interactions with adults and peers

Evidence of its impact on child outcomes

Main areas Details

Curriculum content Early literacy print and phonological awareness

Mathematics numbers, problem-solving, reasoning skills

Science critical thinking, reasoning skills

Art improve children’s attention and cognition

Physical and health development

develop social skills and an understanding of social rules

Pedagogical approach Importance of interactions and play

develop child’s main sensory, cognitive, linguistic and social growth

Child-initiated and teacher-initiated activities and free choice

simulate child’s independent thinking and self-regulation

Warm and responsive staff behaviour and close child-staff relationships

impact on child’s attitudes toward learning

Factors that contribute to the effectiveness of curricula and pedagogical approaches

1. Cognitive + social development = complementary2. Sustained shared thinking3. Behaviour and discipline policies4. Balance of practitioner-initiated and child-initiated activities5. Differentiated learning environment6. Learning materials7. Appropriate learning intensity and duration8. Strong parent and community involvement9. Informative feedback 10.Good knowledge about curriculum and pedagogies11.Trained staff12.Low-staff turnover rate13.Positive work conditions

Implementing effective curriculum and pedagogy

Clear guidelines for the content Goals of early learning experiences Pedagogical approaches

Main consideration Challenging task

Child’s individual needs

Wide cultural variations in the experiences of young children

Determine relationship between the expectations of curriculum guidelines and specific age-related yearly accomplishments

Provide flexible descriptions of research-based learning trajectories or developmental practices

Implementation of effective curricula andpedagogical approaches

Perceived Barriers Key success factors

Insufficient knowledge about appropriate practices for a diverse group of children

Programme assessment

Insufficient curriculum content and pedagogical knowledge

Professional education and ongoing training

Positive and workable environment

Providing guidance or access to advice for staff

Involving relevant stakeholders

Professional Education and Working Conditions

Staff’s education, training, and their work environment :

Why does it matter?

Centre of children’s environment and experiences in ECEC

Increases knowledge on child development, curriculum content and pedagogical approaches

Create richer and stimulating learning environment Enhance optimum engagement for children

Promote the educational, physical, socio-emotional, and healthy development of children

Improving child outcomes through teacher and caregiver’s effectiveness

Main areas Details

professional development initial(pre-service) education level of formal education and qualifications

on-going (in-service) education and training

staff meetings, conferences and workshops, subject training, field-based consultation and training, supervised practices, mentoring

specialisation in ECEC earn higher degree

work conditions salary and benefits proper compensation

child-staff ratio positive, nurturing interactions

group size appropriate care-giving

professional support job satisfaction

physical, material resources active engagement

workload working hours, physical demands

[ personal characteristics mental health status high personal motivations, depression]

Implementation of effective professional development programmes and improving working conditions

A framework with professional (working) standards or guidelines

Policies that support staff

Involvement in curriculum design and flexibility in instruction

Qualifications for tasks descriptions

Pay scales and (financial) incentives

Induction, mentoring, evaluation

Equitable access and certification standardsAdequate work

environments

Implementation of effective professional development programmes and improving working conditions

Challenges Key success factors

restricted financial resources

no incentive to achieve higher qualifications or attend in training course

insufficient time

insufficient knowledge about appropriate curriculum content for professionals

unavailability of appropriate training opportunities

management support

inter-professional collaboration and coordination