Communication for the Early Years

A Holistic Approach

Julie Kent, Moira Moran, Julie Kent, Moira Moran

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9780815348603
• eBook ISBN: 9781351166423
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

Speech, language, and communication are key to young children's well-being and development. At a time when communication contexts and modalities are becoming increasingly complex and multifaceted, this key text considers how pedagogical approaches, environments, and interactions can be used to develop and harness the voice of the child in the early years.

Communication for the Early Years takes a broad, ecological systems approach to communication to present theoretical approaches and principles which map a child's communication experiences in the home, the early years setting, in the local community, through play, and engagement with digital media and the enabling environment, including the outdoor environment. Topics considered include:

• the role played by pedagogical leadership in the development of an effective communication environment
• aspects of the physical environment which encourage or inhibit communication
• effective communication in and between settings
• the importance of toys and resources
• developments in digital communication and their impact on the child

Chapters consider perspectives of the child, family, and practitioner to encourage a holistic and collaborative understanding of interaction and the role this plays in a child's development, while case studies, examples from practice and reflective questions inspire discussion, challenge thinking, and encourage the application of research in practice.

An in-depth exploration of the factors which impact on the development of a child's communication skills, this will be key reading for students and practitioners in the Early Years, as well as those involved in their training and continued professional development.

1	Introduction A theoretical and ideological basis for the discussion of communication in the early years Julie Kent

The communication context of children’s worlds is constantly changing and has probably never been more complex and multifaceted. Conversely, access to a vast range of modalities for communication has never been easier or more widely available. This book is aimed as a resource for early years educators and also teachers and tutors who work with students engaged in a range of study in early years and childhood. There are a number of theoretical approaches and principles, developmental, cultural, and organisational, which can be applied to children’s communication environments in their early years. A key question which this book hopes to explore is whether and how our “communication-rich” environments correlate with the provision and experience of a “language-rich” environment for the child where their own communication and development is enhanced and where the messages which they receive about themselves and the communication that we engage in about them is affirming and enhances their learning and development. The concept of child voice and how it is nurtured, listened to, and understood in the context of early years settings and the earliest communication relationships is fundamental to developing a holistic perspective on children’s communication in the early years and central to the author’s understanding throughout the text.

The ecological context

Bronfenbrenner (2004) proposed an ecological systems view of the environments in which human development occurs. If a child’s development is seen as a series of ecological transitions that encompass the child’s whole reality it is possible to demonstrate the centrality of communication in each of these systems, from the most personal and intimate early relationships in the home, through early educational experiences and community encounters to the impact of culture, policy, education, and society’s view. Although each individual has their own developmental trajectory, Bronfenbrenner’s socio-cultural theory states that human development occurs as the individual actively engages with the social environment that they live in, within the time period they exist in, and nowhere is this seen more clearly than in relation to the communication environment. The early years practitioner has a central role as a mediator in managing and supporting communication between the child’s systems.

Communication beyond the curriculum

Thus the book aims to move beyond the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) understanding of Communication and Language as one area of learning and development, albeit a prime area, to engage with the wider understanding of communication as a social justice concern and a key to children’s well-being (Brebner et al. 2016). Recent research findings demonstrate that their communication experience is fundamental to the well-being of children (Law et al. 2017). Roberts (2011) in her research, which was underpinned by her theoretical ABC model of well-being, identifies the centrality of communication in developing and supporting a child’s well-being and highlights the need for “companionable learning … whereby well-being develops” (p 33). Her research focuses on the micro-level of the child’s environment and the reciprocal dialogue between the child and their earliest companions, whether these are parents, carers, siblings, or peers. This view is grounded in social constructivist theoretical perspectives of Vygotsky (1978) and the attachment theories of Bowlby (1997) and is explored in relation to children’s communication, through theory, research, and practice in Ulanowsky’s initial chapter as she examines the developmental and current social context of a child’s early communication relationships and language learning opportunities.

Bruner came to view language development as a collaborative outcome of the curiosity of a highly sociable infant, engaged with loquacious story-making companions intent upon ritualizing and symbolizing the game of life.

(Bruner in Trevarthen 2015 p 39)

Practitioners, depending on when, where, and in what field they have studied, will have a varying view of children’s communication and how it develops. Some traditions support an understanding from the mechanistic view developed by Chomsky of the Language Acquisition Device, whereas others may hold a view which recognises the central role of individual cognitive development through pre-defined stages espoused by Piaget. This is particularly evident in current approaches which highlight the schematic nature of children’s learning through repeated behaviours and “questions” that children ask of the environment through their behaviour and activity. Many may have a social constructivist viewpoint, based on Vygotsky’s theoretical perspective of the communication system as a tool for learning and thinking which develops in the context of relationships and the modelling of the more knowledgeable other. This view, along with Bruner’s concept of the scaffolding of the knowledgeable practitioner, underpins many current approaches to early years education, particularly the EYFS where the adult role in positive relationships and providing the enabling environment is seen as central to the child’s learning and development. Many more may have embraced a more holistic view which encompasses a range and combination of all of the above.

The communication relationship

Alongside Robert’s (2010) concepts of “agency” and a sense of “belonging”, communication is described as a process of connection, echoing the bi-directional relationship identified by Bronfenbrenner, which underpins the child’s relationships and sense of self within these relationships. Roberts (ibid.) clearly emphasises the relational nature of communication, not only the vocabulary and “talk” that the child is exposed to. Children explore their world through the medium of communication and, as practitioners and teachers, the understanding of the bi-directional relationship between the child and the contexts or systems that surround them is a theoretical perspective which supports the way that professionals work with children and seek to develop pedagogical approaches to enhance children’s learning and development in this area (Bronfenbrenner 2004). In the EYFS, Communication and Language is one of the prime areas of learning and development and, in the ecological systems theoretical model, communication sits as central to the development of the child.

There are resonances here with the social pedagogical approach to working with children where the practitioner “sees (themselves) as a person, in relationship with the child” (Cameron and Moss 2011 p 9). Relationship and communication are central themes within social pedagogical practice and has echoes in the holistic view of the “whole child” which is strong in good early years practice. Social pedagogues value the whole community as well as the educational setting, as being central to providing an environment where the child’s well-being and learning is developed (ibid.). Gripton, in her chapter on communicating children’s perspectives, takes the position of a social pedagogue as she considers the child as an active participant in wider society, emphasising the centrality of listening to the child’s voice and challenging practitioners to really consider how they might reach a full and open understanding of what this might be and how it might be heard.

Communication and long-term outcomes

A significant image within this pedagogical approach is the diamond model of the individual (Holthoff and Eichsteller 2009 in Cameron and Moss 2011) with one of its key facets of well-being and happiness having a basis in positive experiences throughout the lifespan. Clearly this foundation of positive experiences begins in the early years, moving from the initial home relationships, into the setting and the wider community. It is likely that the setting itself will be a reflection of the community in which it is situated and this is of relevance, particularly in areas of social disadvantage. Bronfenbrenner would suggest that communication is about identity formation and will situate the individual within a community through the communication relationships which take place.There is an increasing body of research in the area of child well-being and there is also a growing sense across disciplines that supports the view that the communication environment is in no small way connected to the well-being of the child (Manning-Morton 2014). Recent Ofsted reports (2015 and 2016) have highlighted the need for prioritisation of speech, language, and communication as a “cornerstone of leaders’ work” with disadvantaged children, especially funded two-year-olds and have noted that “around one quarter of disadvantaged children were unable to communicate effectively because they lacked the concentration, vocabulary and listening skills to focus their attention and understand what others were saying” (p 16).

It is impossible to escape the fact that disadvantage and associated delays in early language acquisition are significant predictors of achievement, well beyond the early years (Law et al. 2017) and it is noteworthy that previous research has also suggested that early years practitioners have had low levels of confidence and skills in the area of identifying children’s communication difficulties (Mroz and Hall 2003; Farley et al. 2016). Hobson and Farley in their chapter take a wide view of the communication experiences of children in an early years provision. They reflect on the learning of staff based on their research into the learning journey that challenged and supported the setting staff team to develop their own communication skills and consequently their own confidence and skills in creating a language-rich environment in which children’s holistic communication was prioritised and communication between staff in the setting enabled the establishment and ongoing development of the setting communication environment . This chapter identifies the pedagogical leadership approaches that support the needs of learners in the implementation and embedding of a setting-wide communication project into practice and reflects on how learning in the adults within the setting led to a community of practice with an improved communication environment for staff and children alike.

As previously noted, Trevarthen (2015) in his studies makes a link between communication and child mental health, and current research in the area of baby brain development now provides a strong neurological context which supports the understanding of the role of attachment in sharing meaning and understanding (Ulanowsky and Periera-Gray 2015). His concept of intersubjectivity is an essential one for anyone involved in creating, supporting, or engaging in the child’s earliest experiences. The concept of attachment (Bowlby 1991) fits well with Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory which emphasises the interconnectedness between the child and their environment, the most significant of which is the immediate microsystem formed by the earliest and closest relationships in the child’s world and experience. Early years practitioners are in the position of not only needing to understand the child’s microsystem but also to recognise that they are a key part of the child’s communication world.

The influence of ideological views of communication

The ecological systems approach to a child’s learning and development provides a framework for understanding that, as well as theoretical influences on the practitioner’s understanding of communication, the early years is also a field within which professional and cultural ideology and policy decisions are played out with significant consequences for the child at the centre. Early years practitioners may be caught up in trying to deliver the best care and education that they can, based on their own knowledge and skills and understanding of theory in practice within the constraints of a wider political agenda which does not always culminate in the best outcomes for the child. Returning to the previously mentioned Ofsted reports, which clearly identify the significance of the implications for children in the early years with poor communication skills in terms of their educational outcomes, there is no doubting the level of concern and the recognition of the need to take action in this area. However, the response to this can be not to return to theoretical principles but to take a pragmatic and policy driven approach to provide for these children more formalised learning and teaching in the areas of language, in particular literacy, rather than considering the underpinning relational elements within the child’s microsystem where the wider picture of communication in all its forms could be addressed. Although there is a clear link between children’s literacy development and their language skills (Roulstone 2011), the discussion so far would suggest that these skills cannot easily be taught without the rich and stimulating environment which is provided within reciprocal communication relationships. Practitioners within the early years may find themselves at the centre of balancing the needs of the child within the microsystem against the demands o...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Preface by Julie Kent and Moira Moran
• About the contributors
• 1 Introduction: a theoretical and ideological basis for the discussion of communication in the early years
• 2 Let’s begin at the beginning…
• 3 Communicating children’s perspectives
• 4 Communication and learning dispositions: A formula for success
• 5 Collaborative practice in communication for the early years: The learning from a research project
• 6 Communicating through the environment
• 7 A child’s image and their toys
• 8 Supporting communication via the outdoors
• 9 Digital media in early years settings
• 10 Conclusions
• Index