Researching early intervention and young children's perspectives – developing and using a ‘listening to children approach’

This article, by Alice Paige‐Smith and Jonathan Rix, considers the current context of early intervention in England from the perspective and experiences of two families and in particular focuses on two young children identified as having Down syndrome. This case study research has emerged from previous research conducted by the authors, both of whom are Senior Lecturers at the Open University and have a wealth of experience across all phases of education. Their previous research involved interviews with parents of children diagnosed as having Down syndrome, which raised further questions about early intervention and the pedagogical relationship between the parent and the child, and recognised that ‘early intervention’ can be more than structured activities led by professionals. The research in this article, which has been funded by the British Academy, used ethnographic methodology to understand the process of early intervention with two young children with Down syndrome and their families. The methodology developed to include narrative first‐person observation of the child and photography. In addition to this a method of reflecting on the process of early intervention developed that included the researchers, the parent and the child. The development of this research methodology is considered in detail in this article.     

Education policy and the ‘ideal learner’: producing recognisable learner-subjects through early years assessment

This article examines how education policy, in the form of a statutory assessment system used in the first year of primary schools, defines the ‘ideal learner’. This ideal model is important because it prescribes the characteristics and skills a child needs to display in order to be recognisable as a learner. An analysis of the content of the assessment itself is used alongside ethnographic data from classrooms where the assessment is conducted, to demonstrate how the values inherent in the assessment and its associated practices reflect neoliberal discourses. Rational choice, self-promotion and individual responsibility for learning are all valued within this framework, and children’s transitions into recognisable student-subjects are dependent on their adoption of these values. It is argued in conclusion that this restrictive notion of what a ‘good learner’ looks like can work to systematically exclude some children from positions of success.     

Engaging Middle-Grade Students to Learn in a Caring Community

Middle-level students have unique emotional and academic needs. As a result, it is important for middle-level educators to realize these needs when creating a caring and engaging classroom climate that results in successful student achievement. This article describes the Caring Community Teaching Model (CCTM), which is a synthesis of affective teaching as well as learning practices tailored to meet the unique needs of middle-grade students. The CCTM is designed as a program with a two-function approach to enhance student engagement: (1) caring relationships and (2) instructional strategies. The authors describe the theoretical framework that underpins the CCTM as well as the emerging literature that creates its needs. Additionally, the CCTM is highlighted through the lens of a case example in which the authors provide concrete examples of CCTM being used in a middle-level classroom.     

Rainbows,Faeries, and Sandcastles: A Differentiated Approach to Literature for the Gifted and Talented from Montgomery County,Maryland

Research suggests that the world is no longer predictable and linear but rather is increasingly characterized by unrelenting volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. The convergence of these disruptive currents threatens the sustainability of contemporary classroom teaching and learning strategies. When an envisioned future and the present are in conflict, fundamental change must necessarily occur to create a new story. The dance of change in classrooms of the future will redefine the traditional role of “teacher as leader” to that of “teacher as enabler.” In tomorrow’s classrooms, the nature of students’ daily work will focus increasingly on skills and tasks that advancing technology cannot do well: higher-order critical thinking, problem solving in novel situations, creative and innovative thinking, and instructional activities that require high emotional engagement with others.     

Approaches to Inquiry Teaching: Elementary teacher's perspectives

Learning science through the process of inquiry is advocated in curriculum documents across many jurisdictions. However, a number of studies suggest that teachers struggle to help students engage in inquiry practices. This is not surprising as many teachers of science have not engaged in scientific inquiry and possibly hold naïve ideas about what constitutes scientific inquiry. This study investigates teachers' self-reported approaches to teaching science through inquiry. Phenomenographic interviews undertaken with 20 elementary teachers revealed teachers identified six approaches to teaching for inquiry, clustered within three categories. These approaches were categorized as Free and Illustrated Inquiries as part of an Experience-centered category, Solution and Method Inquiries as part of a Problem-centered category, and Topic and Chaperoned Inquiries as part of a Question-centered category. This study contributes to our theoretical understanding of how teachers approach Inquiry Teaching and suggests fertile areas of future research into this valued and influential phenomenon broadly known as ‘Inquiry Teaching'.     

Early intervention: parental involvement,child agency and participation in creative play

Early intervention activities for very young disabled children are frequently linked to developmental targets and goals. A key challenge for parents and practitioners involved in early intervention programmes is to encourage their child to play and develop creatively through enjoyable, everyday childhood experiences. This paper reports on a small-scale ethnographic study involving two young children identified with Down syndrome participating in early intervention programmes and whether and how their creative process was supported through their play and activities with parents and professionals. The ‘in-the-picture’ method used within this ethnographic study was developed from a listening to children paradigm. This article provides examples of the ways in which early intervention that recognises child agency can support children’s play and self-directing ‘little c’ of creativity.