http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/letters/9064521/Helping-children-to-develop-in-their-early-years.html
Letter to the Editor
Helping children to develop in their early years
An alternative curriculum for under-fives
Daily Telegraph, 07 Feb 2012
6 Comments
SIR – We welcome the Government’s attempts to simplify the Early Years Foundation Stage
curriculum, for children from birth to the age of five, but there is widespread concern about
the direction of the current revision.
There is a need to consider the central place of imaginative, spontaneous play, and of young
children’s physical development in the curriculum.
We must also look at the “schoolification” of early childhood, with its over-assessment and
excessive monitoring. Controversial “early learning goals” are putting premature emphasis on
cognitive learning.
Parents are under undue pressure to prepare children for formal schooling, according to a
system too inflexible to cater for the highly diverse developmental needs of young children.
Many feel disquiet about commercial influences and the statutory imposition of inappropriate
computer experience on young children.
There should be ways to pursue equality without imposing an indiscriminate compulsory
framework upon all children, irrespective of their needs.
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Today we are launching Early Childhood Action, with the support of around 50 major figures
and organisations, to form a coalition of those in the early years sector. We will be drafting
an alternative curriculum document to build on the positive aspects of the Early Years
Foundation Stage, while addressing its key shortcomings.
Dr Richard House
University of Roehampton
Philip Pullman
Sue Palmer
Baroness Greenfield
University of Oxford
Kim Simpson
Montessori teacher and counsellor/coach
Grethe Hooper Hansen
Ex-president, Society for Effective Affective Learning
Dr Jayne Osgood
London Metropolitan University
Ed Mayo
Co-author, Consumer Kids
Philip Parkin
General Secretary, Voice
Penelope Leach
Birkbeck College, London
Agnes Nairn
EM-Lyon Business School and co-author, Consumer Kids
Professor Emeritus Janet Moyles
Early Years and Play Consultant
Pie Corbett
Literacy specialist and author
Sue Gerhardt
Psychotherapist
Dr Aric Sigman
Child health education lecturer
Linda Pound
Early Years Consultant and writer
Dr Maria Robinson
Author, Understanding Behaviour and Development in Early Childhood
Robin Balbernie
Infant mental health specialist
Sally Goddard Blythe
Director, Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology, Chester
Dr Andrew Lockett
Early Years Consultant
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NORTHUMBRIAUS
45 minutes ago
Turn off the TV and the sloping forehead music.
Computer access 30mins/night max.
Bring out books-prose plus illustrations, including poetry.
Read to and with and be read to.
Participation in physical exercise as appropriate
Sentences will lengthen, civility will ensue, social intelligence as well as the other intelligences will,
not suprisingly, rise.
Child will be able to survive the flood of diligent, qualified Asian kids which will arrive in Europe
before very long. Recommended by 2 people
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chilternian
Today 08:46 AM
Nappy Curriculum is just tick-boxing. Previously, the local authority inspector looked at the whole
package of appropriate childcare plus safe environment.
The Ofsted inspection consisted of just sitting & observing and then inspecting the paperwork.
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danielfg
Today 08:46 AM
Nursery schools should be nothing more than a place where children play and interact with one
another. The only inspections necessary should be to do with the safety of the children.
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Flashwork
Today 07:26 AM
Try going back to the schooling methods of fifty years ago, problem solved. Recommended by 8
people
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magjay
Today 07:48 AM
50 years ago the majority of children didn't start formal schooling until they were 5 years old. Very
few children attended nursery or any form of pre-school setting for more than a few hours a day.
They were allowed to be children and do childish things.
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Flashwork
Today 07:58 AM
My point was there was a well rounded education for all back then.