Theories and Practice in Child Development

Theories and Practice in Child DevelopmentAfter reading the document produced by tomcat Burkard and Tom Clelford, Cutting the Childrens Plan which gives an insight of why the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) should be scrapped. It states that the Statutory Framework EYFS which was launched in 2007 should be scrapped to yet 315 million. However the authors do not state which beas of the EYFS they want scrapped, which causes concern. The EYFS is a large framework for enforce and assessment and is the umbrella under which only the children aged 0 5 years who receive distribute and education. It has been a great impact within the early years establishments as easy as having influences of various theorists to oppose the childrens learning and development. Before thinking of scrapping the EYFS alin concert the authors should consider looking through the framework and see what the positives and negatives are as some aspects of the EYFS dont work for some whereas different aspec ts are of great use. As it mentions in Pugh.G et al (2010100) There are also those who think it goes too far and is too perspective. (Open Eye, 20072008).Within the document it is mentioned that the EYFS is an encroaching(prenominal) attempt to micro-manage all 0 5 childcare establishments as well as dictating best practice including parents. Within the EYFS it does not specify that the parents should do as they are told neither does it specify how practitioners should work with the children. whence Pugh.G et al (2010105), states that It requires the practitioner to differentiate to understand each child as an individual and personalize the comput optioner program content to match their needs and interests. However practitioners should have an in depth knowledge of their severalise children, so that they can use the EYFS Framework to support and attend plan opportunities and activities. These will then enhance childrens learning and encourage the individual childrens developme nt in a way that will interest them.The EPPE Project (Sylva et al, 2004 Chapter 4) set the importance of a form of fundamental interaction between children and adults, that they call sustained shared thinking in promoting childrens learning and development which is now as vary of the EYFS. On the other hand working in partnership with parents is essential as it helps all children to achieve their full potential. As stated in The time (2008), The EYFS is rough responding to the individuality of each child, in the context of loving and capture relationships and creating a stimulating and enabling environment that will promote age assign experiences for learning and development. Furthermore, Nurse A.D (200773) states that Children can be said to prefer to learn through the enactive mode as their ability to represent images and use symbols is less well developed. In this Bruner agreed with Piaget that active, first hand experiences are an appropriate way to present new knowledge to young children.The document also questions whether the EYFS encourages good practice. fit in to Pugh.G et al (2010105) we need to focus the curriculum on what is important for the children, the things that they need to be doing at this stage of their development. By looking at the research and practice the most important things are Being Social, Being Positive, Being a Communicator, Being Creative and Being Healthy and Safe (ECM2003). By introducing reading and piece of writing at an early stage it could be argued that it can lead to complications later on and also delaying phonic work, therefore the EYFS recommends that practitioners use their professional judgement with introducing phonics. On the other hand the authors are claiming that children who come from a less stimulating disadvantaged environment waste an entire year falling further rear their middle class peers in learning (e.g reading), whose parents generally know better than to delay reading instruction. This is not entirely true, Gaunte (2010) clarifies that Parents with the support of the wider family, are childrens primary educators. What parents do at star sign with young children has the most impact on all aspects of their development social, emotional, intellectual and physical.Nevertheless it could be alleged that children who have strong home learning environments are ahead socially and intellectually by the age of three, which is continued into schooling. Bronfenbrenners ecological model of human development emphasises the role of the wider environment and the childrens interaction within it. Bronfenbrenner and Caci (1994) proposed that the environment was the main influence on childrens development. Bronfenbrenner produced systems which included the following Microsystems, Macrosystems and Exosystems. The following diagram illustrated below shows how these systems are interacted and impact on the childs learning and development. (Smith et al 2003). Bronfenbrenner also led the Head Start programme in America which required helping disadvantaged children overcome their poor beginnings.The EYFS recognises the importance of the wider environment both(prenominal) in working in partnership with parents and the ethos of the EYFS, providing equality of care and education for all. Research has shown that good quality early education and care has wide ranging benefits for all children. Being provided across nurseries, reception classes, pre schools, childrens centres and childminders, it enhances social and cognitive skills and is of particular benefit to disadvantaged children (N.A 2010). However other curriculums have also the quality input that the EYFS has, for pattern the High Scope Curriculum, Montessori etc. It could be argued that children who have an intellectually and physically stimulating environment will maintain a more complex network of synapses in the brain (Bee 1997). These biological changes in nature can have implications for practice, the EYFS however has a variety of suitable activities planned for those at different ages and stages of development. This is a prime example of how nurture can influence nature.Additionally Bowlbys (1907 1990) research found that babies/children succeed if they receive care from one main caregiver which is unremarkably the mother. They are also more likely to make secure attachments and then initially grow up into being well balanced adults. (OHagan et al 1993). Therefore modern researchers have disputed the fact that only the mothers can perform this task (Smith et al 1993), regardless the debate of working mothers, it still remains that the childrens emotional and cognitive development are best when there is that continuity of care available. When in care children under the age of 5 should each be allocated key workers so that children can form key attachments with this person, this is where secondary attachments are formed. The key person is a key to developing relationships with the children that are assigned to them as swell as sharing and collecting information by working in partnership with parents of the key children allocated. The EYFS reflects this by stating that Each child with early years care and education should be allocated a key person (EYFS 2007). By having a key person allocated to the children it enables them to develop an attachment with the practitioner on a secure basis knowing that they can rely on the key person.Lastly the authors stipulate that despite the ambitions of the EYFS, childminders have not been able to see the practical launch of this. It could be argued that there is too a good deal paperwork involved for them within the EYFS. However there is evidence that most childminders have developed knowledge and understanding of how to put the EYFS into practice and use it to identify, plan and provide foe individual childrens needs in their care. On the other hand galore(postnominal) childminders have given up their jobs due to this and others who are thinking of this. On one forum a childminder writes her views on the EYFS Curriculum and how she feels about it which can be accessed onThe childminder statesI, like many other childminders, gave up an enormous amount of personal time just to prepare for my Ofsted. I spent weeks compiling my Portfolio, cataloguing my Toys, books, games, puzzles and equipment compiling cleaning rotas, putting together endless policies, parent information booklets, files for training, files for resource collections, working out a system for recording each childs development, the list goes on and on. I still cared about and loved the children, I still provided the caring environment, and I still try to help each of my little ones to blossom and flourish, to feel loved and cared for, to be certain of the needs and feelings of others and to know that each one is recognised as being unique and valuable. Yes it should be obligatory for childminders to attend relevant courses and k eep up to see with current thinking and procedures, in order that they can prepare to do the job effectively, but the burden of delivering EYFS in a childminding setting is too much for many childminders, and this needs to be reviewed.Mrs R Richardson, Registered ChildminderTherefore it could be argued that the EYFS should not be scrapped but reviewed again. Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association argues that We are receiving clear signals about the positives of the EYFS and recommend that the Government focuses on refining and improving the EYFS rather than introducing radical change.