Getting Started

Initial Ideas about the Independent Study were concerned with children, play and education, specifically within Nurseries. I had worked with children for the past two years and over the summer my interest in the matter grew. I was surprised to learn that children who attend nurseries are actually taught and care workers have to follow a certain curriculum. In the beginning, questions arose such as:

• Should nursery school children be taught?
• How are they being taught?
• What is this certain curriculum?
• Does this method work?

As time progressed over the Summer, I was able to look at a 'Birth to Three Matters' policy document that states what is expected of the child, the worker and why they use this particular framework. The four components that make up this document are:

• A Strong Child
• A Skillful Communicator
• A Competent Leader
• A Healthy Child

Within each of this headings, there is an explanation into why these titles were chosen in the aid to develop a child. From here, my ideas began to develop as well, other questions were emerging:

• Where did this particular document come from?
• Is it used in all Nurseries?
• Is it effective?
• Do children actually need this type of organised structure at such a young age?

I was concerned into whether any of this was actually helping a child to learn. I had always believed that nurseries were about fun and having somewhere for the child to be kept safe and cared for, whilst his/her parents were at work. Towards the end of the Summer, I read another framework that was going to be put into use within nurseries. This contained six stages and discussed more the importance of education within a nursery.