Pen Green Research Articles

Being curious

Internationally renowned centre Pen Green has a model of research-led practice with practitioners leading the way. By Gemma Goldenberg

When I studied at Pen Green Children's Centre

Former Pen Green student Samantha Berridge reflects on their time completing both their Foundation Degree and BA (Hons) at Pen Green from 2016-2019.

‘Virtually Pen Green’: developing a synchronous teaching response for adult learners studying early childhood degree programmes during COVID-19

ABSTRACT This article explores an idea the researchers are calling Andragogical Isomorphism. The idea being that adults who are motivated to learn become academic when in non-linear relationships with other learners and their tutors. When all are able to be curious, vulnerable and confident shifts in academic capabilities occur. The global pandemic COVID-19 in 2020 brought with it exceptional challenges in education across the globe. Adaptations to teach virtually were expected almost immediately, educators needed to facilitate learning experiences in an unfamiliar, virtual world with little or no previous training. Research was conducted to gather feedback to capture how the recreation of face-to-face teaching online impacted female, undergraduate early years students. The researchers spent time reflecting on the principles that underpin their practice of working with mature learners. Essential elements of social constructivism alongside the critical nature of highly effective andragogical practice and the importance of practice wisdom/life experiences are explored. The benefits of reflection and gaining academic recognition are considered, as are the implications of these within the sector. The results suggest a principled synchronous teaching approach that attends to emotional and cognitive needs, could lead to internalising an altered sense of self in academia – Andragogical Isomorphism.

TRAINING TODAY: Do it yourself

How can settings realistically put together a long-term, in-depth programme of CPD and not break the bank? Pen Green shows how it can be done. By Annette Rawstrone

We've explored…: rockets

Early years practitioners from Pen Green Children's Centre in Corby, Northamptonshire report on recent rocket play at their setting

Exploring young children’s levels of involvement with numeracy and literacy – do schemas make a difference?

ABSTRACT Supporting children’s schemas in play-based activities and curricula are a valued and embedded part of early childhood practice in many education systems (Meade, A., and P. Cubey. 2008. Thinking Children, Learning About Schemas. Berkshire: Open University; Nutbrown, C. 2011. Threads of Thinking Schemas and Young Children’s Learning. 4th ed. London: Sage; Arnold, C. 2013. “Drawing Our Learning Together from the Case Studies.” In Mairs, K. and The Pen Green Team. Young Children Learning through Schemas, edited by Cath Arnold, 169–174. London: Routledge; Atherton, F., and C. Nutbrown. 2013. Understanding Schemas and Young Children. London: Sage; Constable, K. 2013. Planning for Schemas Play in the Early Years. Oxon: Routledge. This study takes place in South East Wales in the current early years’ curriculum, the Foundation Phase (FP). Currently FP practitioners are provided with little guidance on supporting children’s schemes, with limited references to schemes within FP policy documents. Therefore, this research provides empirical data comparing children’s levels of involvement in literacy and numeracy activities between those planned for schematically and those planned for non-schematically. This paper focuses on the use of the Leuven scale (Laevers, F. 1997. A Process-Orientated Child Follow-Up System for Young Children. Leuven: Centre for Experiential Education) as a tool to measure children’s involvement in literacy and numeracy activities. It is part of a wider project focusing on exploring the value of schemas with Foundation Phase (FP) early years’ practitioners in Wales.

A way into a child's world

Nursery WorldVol. 2015, No. 12 PracticeA way into a child's worldCath ArnoldCath ArnoldSearch for more papers by this authorCath ArnoldPublished Online:25 Jun 2015https://doi.org/10.12968/nuwa.2015.12.23AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail View articleAbstractNew research is challenging our understanding of repeated patterns of action, or schemas. Dr Cath Arnold, consultant at the Pen Green Centre, looks at how we can refine our approach FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails 15 June 2015Volume 2015Issue 12ISSN (print): 0029-6422ISSN (online): 2059-9358 Metrics History Published online 25 June 2015 Published in print 15 June 2015 Information© MA Education LimitedPDF download

‘Pedagogic Strategies’: a conceptual framework for effective parent and practitioner strategies when working with children under five

This article traces the development of adult Pedagogic Strategies with children aged 0–5 years at the Pen Green Centre for Children and Their Families in England. Pedagogical Strategies are a conceptual framework of effective strategies both practitioners and parents already have to support children's learning. The methodology was participatory with parents and practitioners analysing video observations of adult–child interactions. The 2012–2013 research group repeated a previous process of 1997 in order to extend from working with three- to five-year-olds to work also with children below the age of three. Two new strategies emerged: acknowledging the presence of children; and the use of touch and the body, an embodied pedagogy. The implications for practice are that what constitutes effective pedagogy can be identified and owned at the setting level, by each educational community.

Supporting Parental Involvement in Children's Early Learning: Lessons from Community Childcare Centres in Dublin's Docklands

Recently in Ireland attention has been placed on the importance of parental involvement in early childhood care and education settings as seen in the Síolta Quality Standards and Aistear Curriculum Framework. Yet there is little Irish empirical evidence on parental involvement in childcare settings; on the involvement models being used, or on the benefits and limitations of efforts to involve parents. This paper reports on research in five Dublin Docklands community childcare centres where practitioners had been trained in the Pen Green Parental Involvement in Children's Early Learning programme (PICL). The research aimed to understand how practitioners were able to implement new parental involvement techniques as a result of their training, how the training impacted on centres' understandings of, and approach to, parental involvement; and barriers and facilitators to the implementation of a parental involvement model from a different cultural context in community childcare settings in Dublin. A participatory research strategy involved a stakeholder reference group; documentary analysis; interviews; and focus groups conducted with childcare practitioners, and with parents. Their involvement in PICL has benefited childcare workers in a variety of ways that include: improved image as professional childcare practitioners— (they are not just “babysitters”), the validation of existing practices, the introduction of new techniques and the confidence to communicate with parents. A number of structural issues impede practitioners' efforts to involve parents in their children's early learning. These include childcare regulations, short-term staffing, police clearance, resources, and dependence upon Community Employment Scheme staff. Involving parents in their children's early learning may also be constrained by attitudes about the role of child-minders and childcare centres. While there has been considerable practice change, there is still some distance to go in the Docklands childcare centres to develop the partnerships between practitioners and parents envisaged in the PICL framework. Consistent work is required to change parental values and attitudes about the role of the childcare practitioner, and to embed the idea of parents as partners in early education amongst both practitioners and parents.

The architecture of access: a grounded theory on the nature of access to early childhood services within a children's centre, derived from nine parent voices

This was a collaborative action research study by lead staff, researchers and parents at the Pen Green Centre for Children and their Families in England. The study focuses on the factors enabling access to children's services by nine parents from challenging family contexts. The critical questions were: What enabled some parents to overcome potential barriers (e.g. gender, ethnicity, language, additional needs) and to access services for their children? What was it about them personally? What was it about the Centre? And what was it about the relationship between them and the Centre that enabled access to be sustained? Using the parents’ own words, a grounded theory on the nature of access to early childhood services within a children's centre was developed. It is described as the ‘architecture of access.’

Pen Green children's centre - Standing the test of time

Since 1983 Pen Green has evolved as an outstanding example of all a children's centre should be. Margy Whalley and Barbara Riddell outline its achievements and make the case for continued support for children's centres

The voices of their childhood: families and early years' practitioners developing emancipatory methodologies through a tracer study

The Pen Green Tracer Study questions the difference we may or may not have made to children's lives. An initial cohort of young people, now aged between 11–20, revisited their nursery in 2010. Their stories prompted discussion on parental involvement and advocacy within the education system, key worker attachment, and children's sense of self. Our second cohort is composed of young people whose experience of the education system is characterised by difficulties and challenge. Using video within a groundbreaking new research methodology, our findings give us new insight into the child's voice, transforming our understanding of a child's world. We are questioning practice: Did our commitment to encouraging agency and autonomy work for every child? Did children experience disequilibrium on transition to school that inhibited their development? Did we engage effectively with their parents?

Supervision, part 4: How to embed an effective structure

Nursery WorldVol. 2012, No. 8 FeatureSupervision, part 4: How to embed an effective structureKaren JohnKaren JohnSearch for more papers by this authorKaren JohnPublished Online:4 Mar 2014https://doi.org/10.12968/nuwa.2012.17.8.1097237AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextView EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail View articleAbstractIn this final article, Karen John of the Pen Green Research Base focuses on the practicalities of introducing and implementing effective supervision within an organisation. FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails 1 August 2012Volume 2012Issue 8ISSN (print): 0029-6422ISSN (online): 2059-9358 Metrics History Published online 4 March 2014 Published in print 1 August 2012 Information© MA Education Ltd

Centre–parent communication about children’s learning

The context: New Zealand early childhood education New Zealand, for about 5 years, was in a unique situation when government grants were at a level that made it possible for education and care centres to employ 100 percent qualified teachers. The funding level was introduced in 2005 as part of a 10-year strategic plan for early childhood education (Ministry of Education, 2002). (The Funding Manual can be accessed at www.lead.ece.govt.nz.) Higher funding was made available to incentivise centres to reach the target of 100 percent qualified teachers. By 2010-11, the majority of centres had reached the 80 percent target, and a minority of centres met the criteria for 100 percent qualified teacher funding. In its Budget in May 2010, the Government announced that it would cease funding at the 100 percent level and the top subsidy would be that paid to centres with 80+ percent qualified teachers. When a study of teachers' work in education and care centres in the 100 percent qualified teachers funding band and centres with 50-79 percent qualified teachers was undertaken in 2011 by Te Tari Puna Ora o Aotearoa/ NZ Childcare Association (NZCA) (Meade et al., 2012), the researchers included a question about parent/whanau using measures to do with centre--parent communication. Some relevant literature A report by Early Childhood Australia (2009) states that qualified staff lift the quality of early education, inter alia, by the interactions and partnerships with parents. Other research literature shows that qualified teachers are associated with improved quality learning environments and positive outcomes for children (see, for example, Munton et al., 2002; Sylva, Melhuish, Sammons, Siraj-Blatchford, & Taggart, 2010). The United States National Institute for Child Health and Development (NICHD) (2003) longitudinal study found that all the elements of quality early education were associated with centres where staff held early childhood teacher qualifications. When parents and teachers collaborate in centres, both parties develop better understanding of the values and mores of (a) the centre and (b) the families' homes and community. Children's early education becomes more of a shared endeavour and learner centred; and a centre can become a community of learners (Te One, 2012). Children's competence ... also depends on how much the knowledge, skills and interests children acquire from their families and communities are recognised and valued by educators within EC settings (Ministry of Education, 2009, p. 7). Communication is a key factor in parent participation: for enhancing learning outcomes (Sylva et al., 2010) and children's and parents' lives (Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Whalley & the Pen Green Centre Team, 2001); and giving parents a sense of belonging (Meade et al., 2012). Barbara Rogoff (1998) coined the phrase of participation to describe sociocultural learning when people develop their thinking and behaviour through a shared activity in ways that shape their involvement in similar cultural (educational) activities in the future (Fleer & Robbins, 2006). Chris Athey (2007) talked about transformation of parents' this way: Nothing gets under the skin more quickly and more permanently than the illumination of his or her child's behaviour. The effect of can be profound. (p. 209) Parent Some of the principles and strands of Te Whariki (Ministry of Education, 1996) clearly point to the importance of staff connecting with family and whanau about their child's interests, learning and development: the Family and Community/Whanau Tangata and Relationships/ Nga Hononga principles woven through the Belonging/Mana Whenua and Communication/ Mana Reo strands. The introduction to the Family and Community principle states: The wider world of family and community is an integral part of the early childhood curriculum . …

Supervision, part 3: Why staff need to feel valued

Teams work most effectively when the strengths and emotional needs of individual members are recognised, says Karen John of the Pen Green Research Base.

Supervision, part 2: Achieving effectiveness

Nursery WorldVol. 2012, No. 6 FeatureSupervision, part 2: Achieving effectivenessKaren JohnKaren JohnSearch for more papers by this authorKaren JohnPublished Online:4 Mar 2014https://doi.org/10.12968/nuwa.2012.22.6.1097122AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextView EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail View articleAbstractKaren John, of the Pen Green Research Base, explains why establishing a balance between the functions of supervision and the inevitable tensions in the workplace is key to success. FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails 1 June 2012Volume 2012Issue 6ISSN (print): 0029-6422ISSN (online): 2059-9358 Metrics History Published online 4 March 2014 Published in print 1 June 2012 Information© MA Education Ltd

Supervision, part 1: Equipped to lead

In the first of a four-part series, Pen Green Research Base's Karen John explains why supervision is such an important focus of the revised EYFS and what it means for early years settings.

Positive Relationships: Working with parents - Single minded

Involving parents in their children's learning is the single most important factor in improving outcomes for children in less advantaged families. Kate Hayward, assistant director of Pen Green Research Base, Corby, explains how to make a difference

Work Matters: Studying for an MA in integrated Provision for Children and Families

Pen Green is currently recruiting for its next intake of MA students who will gain in-depth understanding of how theory links to practice and have the support of a vibrant learning community

Learning & development schemas: part 6: Observing … Jennifer

Nursery WorldVol. 2010, No. 2 FeatureLearning & development schemas: part 6: Observing … JenniferTerrie LambertTerrie LambertSearch for more papers by this authorTerrie LambertPublished Online:4 Mar 2014https://doi.org/10.12968/nuwa.2010.16.2.1094161AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextView EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail View articleAbstractFollow the line of one child's thinking with Terrie Lambert, a family worker at Pen Green Centre, Corby. FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited byMechanical Recycling of Packaging Plastics: A Review30 September 2020 | Macromolecular Rapid Communications, Vol. 42, No. 3 1 February 2010Volume 2010Issue 2ISSN (print): 0029-6422ISSN (online): 2059-9358 Metrics History Published online 4 March 2014 Published in print 1 February 2010 Information© MA Education Ltd