Memorandum submitted by Dr Kathy Ring, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Education and Theology, York St John University

 

Executive Summary

 

1. It is important that Creative Partnerships are underpinned by a real understanding of the child as a competent learner and that the role of all adults is to recognise and engage with that competency and support the child in moving forward. Are many adults working with children with a deficit model of children and childhood?

 

2. Recognition of the child as a competent learner and active researcher has ramifications for our understanding of curriculum. Is it something we fit children into or we build around the child?

 

3. Vygotsky (1995) recognises creativity for the very young child as being 'syncretistic creativity' i.e. unable to be separated "Children draw pictures and tell a story at the same time; they act a role and create their lines as they go along." (Lindqvist, 2001:8). Is creativity artificially separated into subject areas by adults and has this led to children not being able to apply skills across the curriculum?

 

4. In order to support children as creative learners across the curriculum, ITE trainees and those who support them in both schools and universities need to feel confident in how to go about this. Can the staffing of ITE programmes, where there is often a separation of pedagogy and knowledge to be taught, and the current lack of confidence of teachers working with for example art and music really meet trainee needs in relation to creativity across the curriculum?

 

5. Is it the case that creative partnerships work in schools where commitment to them is huge and where all parties are strong in their beliefs and willing to 'thrash out' best practice in relation to engaging with children's creative development - particularly in relation to children's rights? Anecdotal evidence of artists working very inappropriately with young children abound. More worrying would be where artists are working inappropriately with children but teachers/ practitioners cannot recognise this.

 

6. Differing interpretations of 'Foundation Stage Guidance' (QCA, 2000) has lead to many 'one off' interventions or provisions in relation to art materials or blanket provision of too many art materials. It is important that children have time to immerse themselves in a smaller range of well chosen materials in order to develop expertise and the ability to use them fluently in the expression of ideas. It is also important that practitioners develop knowledge and understanding of the properties and possibilities of key art materials and how children can best be supported in working with the materials as tools for thinking. Has the emphasis on literacy and numeracy in relation to the funding of CPD training programmes neglected the arts?

 

 

Dr Kathy Ring, Senior Lecturer, York St John University

I lecture across the undergraduate and post-graduate programmes with particular expertise in Early Years' Education. I am currently heavily involved in the University's new PGCE M Level.

My research interests are in the area of early years' education, early years' art education; young children's use of drawing and the development of image-based research methodology. I am currently researching the role of the adult in supporting young children's use of drawing for making meaning. This research takes forward and builds upon the findings of my doctoral research published in 'Making Sense of Children's Drawings' (OUP, 2004), co-authored with Professor Angela Anning of Leeds University. My current research project is ongoing and has been running for three years. It has involved me in working with a two cohorts of twenty practitioners from a wide range of Local Authorities in Northern England. Three settings taken from the initial cohort have been followed through as case studies.

· Case study 1 is a nursery, situated in an area of some deprivation, working closely with Creative Partnerships. The influence of having an artist as part of the curriculum team is being evaluated as part of the research project.

· Case study 2 is of a nursery setting where twelve languages are spoken. In this setting the impact of a mixture of differing approaches to the education of young children, brought into the nursery by the Head Teacher and Lead Practitioner e.g. Reggio Emilia, (Northern Italy); High-Scope (America); learning stories, (New Zealand); is being evaluated.

· Case Study 3 is a foundation stage classroom, covering 3-5 age-range, which is using drawing as a key tool for children making sense of experience. Planning follows identification of children's interests and there is much self-initiated small group work. The emergence of self-initiated writing from drawing is being documented.

 

July 2007