Kathy Goouch

Creativity and writing: developing voice and verve in the classroom

This clear yet authoritative book affirms the vital role of creativity in writing and considers and encourages flexible, innovative practices in teaching. Importantly, the book reflects upon teachers imaginative and artistic involvement in the writing process as role models, collaborators, artists, and as writers themselves. Arguing that childrens creative use of language is key to the development of language and literacy skills, this book focuses on the composition process and how children can express their own ideas. In addition, the authors consider the many forms of creative language that influence the inner and outer voice of children, including reading, investigating, talking and engaging in a range of inspiring activities. Illustrated throughout with many examples of childrens writing and drawing, this book also provides suggestions for classroom activities and is a source of inspiration and practical guidance for any teacher looking to deepen their understanding of literacy theory and practice.

Understanding playful pedagogies, play narratives and play spaces

This paper is a tentative attempt to unwrap and understand one aspect of playful practice and the influences which determine its existence in early years settings. ‘Storying’ events, those occasions when teachers and children together ‘make up’ stories or parts of stories, develop roles or co‐construct fantasies, occur moment by moment in some settings and with some teachers. Understanding the place of such playful pedagogies at a moment in history when both curriculum content and teaching methods are the focus of considerable political dominance is also important. This paper will consider both the nature of storying events and the nature of the practice in which storying is allowed to occur. Influences on teaching will be examined, including architecture and play spaces, politics and policy, as well as the idea that storying with children is possibly intuitive practice. The notion that teachers own values and principles have a key role to play in making and shaping pedagogical choices will also be considered. The term ‘teacher’ has been used in an inclusive way to encompass all those adults working in educational settings with young children.

Connecting drama and writing: seizing the moment to write

This paper outlines research which examined the relationship between drama and writing, detailing the method of enquiry, theoretical foundations and emergent findings. The study sought to understand the nature of the support that drama offers children as writers and to identify features of writing which regularly surfaced in drama-related writing. The pilot study trialled two approaches to connect drama and writing: ‘genre specific’ which involved working towards a particular text type during drama, and ‘seize the moment’ which offered spontaneity and choice. The main study employed the latter approach and identified some elements of drama that impacted upon and supported childrens writing. The research demonstrates that drama has much to contribute to the composing life of the primary classroom.

Cultural Constructions of Childhood and Early Literacy

This paper is based on the findings of two research teams, working collaboratively, between 1998 and 2000 in four countries: Australia, Singapore, France and England (see David et al 2000). Taking an ecological stance (Bronfenbrenner 1979), both teams adopted a cross-cultural approach in order to gain a better understanding of the contexts in which young children become familiar with literacy. The team led by Bridie Raban worked in Singapore and Australia, that led by Tricia David in France and England. Early years practitioners in all four countries responded to questionnaires, were observed in action and interviewed. (Information about their training and about entry to primary school in each of the countries is given in the endnote.) In addition, the research teams carried out document analyses on Governmental, research and training literature and teachers’ plans, and discussed their findings with others in positions to be able to ‘authenticate’– or refute – findings. Further data were obtained through group interviews with parents of children attending selected settings involved in the research. n n n nHere we provide some of the evidence about the different views expressed by practitioners, our observational findings and analysis of the different pressures relating to literacy experienced in early childhood education and care settings. In each case the learning experiences practitioners provided for children were influenced by a range of factors, such as the contested role of preschools as preparation for schooling. In some settings this preparation was not explicit and practitioners often emphasised the importance of the ‘here and now’ nature of young children’s experiences. Rosenthal’s (2000) framework for exploring ‘collectivist’ and ‘individualist’ cultures in relation to their valued educational practices was applied to our findings, in order to identify how the cultural assumptions about literacy, learning and young children influenced the teaching approaches selected.

Whose hand rocks the cradle? Parallel discourses in the baby room

This article explores the practice narratives of a group of 25 caregivers who work with babies in daycare settings in England and seeks to illustrate awareness of, resistance to and compliance with powerful discourses. It is argued that multiple voices exert an influence over baby room practice, disempowering the caregivers and reducing their capacity to practise in ways that meet the ‘babies’ best interests’. Yet there may also be ways in which they collude in their own oppression. Opportunities to engage in professional dialogue, reflection and critique as a means of conscientizaçāo (conscientization or ‘dialogic cultural action’ as described by Freire in Pedagogy of the Oppressed [London: Penguin, 1970], 141) are rare. When offered, these may simultaneously increase participants’ awareness of discourses of performativity and inadequacy and heighten feelings of powerlessness, but may also offer a space in which to nourish professional knowledge and understanding and the self-confidence to challenge and resist privileged voices that sustain a hegemony.

‘Playing the game called writing’: children’s views and voices

Abstract Teachers’ perceptions of their changing practice in the context of the National Literacy Strategy have been well documented in recent years. However, few studies have collected pupils’ views or voices. As part of a collaborative research and development project into the teaching and learning of writing, 390 primary pupils’ views were collected. A marked difference in attitude to writing and self-esteem as writers was found between Key Stages 1 and 2, as well as a degree of indifference and disengagement from in-school writing for some KS2 writers. A strong desire for choice and greater autonomy as writers was expressed and a preference for narrative emerged. This part of the research project ‘We’re Writers’ has underlined the importance of listening to pupils’ views about literacy, in order to create a more open dialogue about language and learning, and to negotiate the content of the curriculum in response to their perspectives.

Teaching early reading and phonics: creative approaches to early literacy

This book supports teachers using phonics in their teaching of early reading. The authors show how important it is to ensure that children acquire a wide range of reading strategies, while also setting out practical pointers which will enable teachers to translate the theory into effective practice. Readers will learn: how to plan phonics within a rich, interactive and playful literacy pedagogy; how to construct relationships with the young readers in their classes and the texts around them; and how to embed the teaching of phonics in carefully selected high quality materials - particularly in childrens literature. Written for practicing teachers, student teachers on initial teacher training courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, the book will also be useful for advisors working on continuing professional development. Dr Kathy Goouch and Dr Andrew Lambirth are based at Canterbury Christ Church University in the field of early and primary education and literacy.

Early literacy teaching: The ‘third way’

Engaging children in literacy learning ever earlier in life continues to be a contested area. This article reviews relevant research and reports on some of the evidence on English Foundation Stage (3 to 6 years old) group settings, from a cross-cultural project exploring the assumptions, understandings and practices in four countries about early literacy. Many English educators reported that fear of inspections caused them to abandon play as the most appropriate vehicle for early learning and to resort to formal literacy teaching. Other practitioners provided a model of teaching true to their play-based philosophy, capitalising on ‘literacy events’ in childrens play — the ‘third way’.

Babyroom Workers: Care in Practice

What are we are asking of the young women employed in baby rooms in daycare settings? Globally, baby room workers find themselves in the unenviable position of having limited training, low status, poor pay and conditions but extraordinarily high levels of responsibility for babies for most of their waking (and sleeping) lives during the working week. Through a series of six research and development projects carried out between 2009 and 2015 in early years setting for under-3 year olds in England, evidence has emerged that baby room employees are concerned to increase and develop their knowledge but remain predominantly driven by the fulfilment of functional tasks. Using an interpretive, exploratory approach within a critical feminist paradigm, the projects identified the problematic expectations faced by people employed to ‘care’ for babies and young children within a policy context that devalues that care and accords baby room workers very little status in society. The chapter argues that the ‘value’ applied to babies and young children (and consequently to those who care for them) is currently not very high and the increased urgency to ‘professionalise’ childcare might be leading to an international side-stepping of the apparently contentious issues of affect, intimacy and nurturance, leading to uncertainty about the very nature of care for babies.

Politics and power in the babycare business – Structural aspects of childcare provision

Die Betreuung von Babys und Kleinkindern ist ein emotionsgeladenes Thema dessen sich seit Jahrzehnten Philanthropen, Eltern, Entscheidungstrager, Betreuer und Forscher annehmen. Da die Betreuung von Kleinkindern auserhalb der Familie in vielen Landern immer mehr kommerzialisiert wird, ruckt die moralische Auseinandersetzung oft in den Hintergrund und wird von einer mikro- und makrookonomischen Argumentation verdrangt, die sich uber wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse rechtfertigen will. Dadurch steht die neoliberale Sorge um die Finanzierbarkeit, Verfugbarkeit und die strukturellen Dimensionen der Angebotsqualitat fur Eltern im Vordergrund. Kleinkinder und ihre Betreuer werden zu Kunden und Dienstleistern, wobei die letzteren den Auswirkungen des dynamischen Marktes ausgesetzt sind und derer, welche die Macht haben, die Marktbedingungen zu diktieren: Politiker, Aufsichtsbehorden, Arbeitgeber und Kunden (Eltern). Dieses Kapitel geht der Frage nach, wie Macht und Machtausubung die Beziehung zwischen Kleinkindern und ihren Betreuern beeinflussen kann. Es grundet auf Forschungsarbeiten in privaten und staatlichen Kindertagesstatten im Sudosten Englands im Jahr 2008.