Comments on: Petition http://openeyecampaign.wordpress.com The campaign for an Open Early Years Education Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:27:50 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Viv Channing http://openeyecampaign.wordpress.com/about/open-eye-petition/#comment-16 Viv Channing Thu, 17 Jan 2008 14:10:07 +0000 http://openeyecampaign.wordpress.com/open-eye-petition/#comment-16 FE teachers in all subject areas often work with those who find reading and writing difficult and unenjoyable. Performance target will only aggravate this. FE teachers in all subject areas often work with those who find reading and writing difficult and unenjoyable. Performance target will only aggravate this.

]]> By: mary kirk http://openeyecampaign.wordpress.com/about/open-eye-petition/#comment-14 mary kirk Sat, 12 Jan 2008 13:46:33 +0000 http://openeyecampaign.wordpress.com/open-eye-petition/#comment-14 The increased emphasis on teaching academics to the under fives and stimulating cerebrums as early as possible is misguided. Under fives should be learning through exploratory play, every day life activities, creative activities, social role playing and music and movement. Placing too much emphasis on seated activities requiring fine motor control and promoting cerebral development before other skills are fine tuned such as gross motor, postural control, attention, social skills and sensory integration may result in kids who over rely on their cerebrums but who lack body awareness, understanding of the world and their place in it and whole language comprehension and expression. Steering children to perform a skill they are not developmentally ready for can be detrimental for self esteem and adversely effect future responses to learning opportunities. They may learn to anticipate that the task will be ‘too hard for them’, producing feelings of inadequacy. Children should be allowed to develop at their natural pace and teachers should be guided by the child’s observable readiness. They should not to have their curriculum be dictated by government imposed performance standards. Teachers should instead be empowered to teach using a variety of approaches to suit the learning needs of each individual child. If the teaching method is imposed by government then: a/ parents will lose the right to choose the teaching environment to suit the needs of their individual child. b/ children with a dominant right brain learning style (the creative child who needs kinesthetic and visual approaches) will not achieve to their fullest in a very left brain environment such as the traditional classroom with emphasis on reading writing and arithmetic (left brain environments appeal to logic, language and auditory verbal learners). Most kids need a combination of right and left brain activities. If performance standards are imposed by the government then: a/ Teaching will become academic outcome focused and process may become secondary to the end result b/ academic achievement will take precedence over lifeskills, social skills and creative and freeplay c/ Art, music and movement activities will be reduced on programmes. These are key activities at this early stage of development when body and sensory systems are still immature. d/ kids will be required to sit at desks for longer than their bodies and minds are ready for I hope that government reconsiders this legislation and amends to allow for parental choice. Parents should have the right to choose that their children learn through play rather than be pressured academically at this early stage in their development. The increased emphasis on teaching academics to the under fives and stimulating cerebrums as early as possible is misguided. Under fives should be learning through exploratory play, every day life activities, creative activities, social role playing and music and movement. Placing too much emphasis on seated activities requiring fine motor control and promoting cerebral development before other skills are fine tuned such as gross motor, postural control, attention, social skills and sensory integration may result in kids who over rely on their cerebrums but who lack body awareness, understanding of the world and their place in it and whole language comprehension and expression.
Steering children to perform a skill they are not developmentally ready for can be detrimental for self esteem and adversely effect future responses to learning opportunities. They may learn to anticipate that the task will be ‘too hard for them’, producing feelings of inadequacy.

Children should be allowed to develop at their natural pace and teachers should be guided by the child’s observable readiness. They should not to have their curriculum be dictated by government imposed performance standards. Teachers should instead be empowered to teach using a variety of approaches to suit the learning needs of each individual child.

If the teaching method is imposed by government then:

a/ parents will lose the right to choose the teaching environment to suit the needs of their individual child.
b/ children with a dominant right brain learning style (the creative child who needs kinesthetic and visual approaches) will not achieve to their fullest in a very left brain environment such as the traditional classroom with emphasis on reading writing and arithmetic (left brain environments appeal to logic, language and auditory verbal learners). Most kids need a combination of right and left brain activities.

If performance standards are imposed by the government then:

a/ Teaching will become academic outcome focused and process may become secondary to the end result
b/ academic achievement will take precedence over lifeskills, social skills and creative and freeplay
c/ Art, music and movement activities will be reduced on programmes. These are key activities at this early stage of development when body and sensory systems are still immature.
d/ kids will be required to sit at desks for longer than their bodies and minds are ready for

I hope that government reconsiders this legislation and amends to allow for parental choice. Parents should have the right to choose that their children learn through play rather than be pressured academically at this early stage in their development.

]]> By: HANNAH JACKSON http://openeyecampaign.wordpress.com/about/open-eye-petition/#comment-13 HANNAH JACKSON Mon, 07 Jan 2008 22:42:54 +0000 http://openeyecampaign.wordpress.com/open-eye-petition/#comment-13 Please let children enjoy their childhood and learn about the world through play! Please let children enjoy their childhood and learn about the world through play!

]]> By: Michael http://openeyecampaign.wordpress.com/about/open-eye-petition/#comment-12 Michael Mon, 07 Jan 2008 20:53:54 +0000 http://openeyecampaign.wordpress.com/open-eye-petition/#comment-12 Children develop differently, at different stages and any attempt to classify this development in some sort of typography will lead to some being held back and others being advanced erroneously. It will also lead to children being unneccessarily pressurised as child care workers badger them to do things to ensure that government targets are adequately met. Anyone who diagrees needs only to look at the stress under which children are currently in mainstream schooling which appears to value quantifiable results over qualifiable development. EVERYONE should fight the EYFS with every fibre of their being. It is not only detrimental to childhood development, but the pressures it will lead to will qualify as little more than state approved child abuse. Under no circumstances should the EYFS be implemented as anything other than a set of state approved guidelines for child development. Development cannot and should not be measured by tick boxes. Any attempt to do so is as misguided as it is unethical and wrong. Children develop differently, at different stages and any attempt to classify this development in some sort of typography will lead to some being held back and others being advanced erroneously. It will also lead to children being unneccessarily pressurised as child care workers badger them to do things to ensure that government targets are adequately met. Anyone who diagrees needs only to look at the stress under which children are currently in mainstream schooling which appears to value quantifiable results over qualifiable development.

EVERYONE should fight the EYFS with every fibre of their being. It is not only detrimental to childhood development, but the pressures it will lead to will qualify as little more than state approved child abuse. Under no circumstances should the EYFS be implemented as anything other than a set of state approved guidelines for child development. Development cannot and should not be measured by tick boxes. Any attempt to do so is as misguided as it is unethical and wrong.

]]> By: Demelza Rouncefield http://openeyecampaign.wordpress.com/about/open-eye-petition/#comment-11 Demelza Rouncefield Sun, 06 Jan 2008 10:49:14 +0000 http://openeyecampaign.wordpress.com/open-eye-petition/#comment-11 I agree to sign the petition agaisnt the government enforcing 3year olds to start reading. May childhood remain! I agree to sign the petition agaisnt the government enforcing 3year olds to start reading. May childhood remain!

]]> By: Nick Godwin http://openeyecampaign.wordpress.com/about/open-eye-petition/#comment-9 Nick Godwin Wed, 02 Jan 2008 10:16:59 +0000 http://openeyecampaign.wordpress.com/open-eye-petition/#comment-9 As a former Steiner Waldorf teacher, and now a care manager at special needs college for 16+ year olds, I am dismayed at this panic driven measure devised by legislators with obviously no understanding of the developmental processes of young children, and the long term damage that will be inflicted on future generations of children if this measure is imposed on nurseries in the UK. There is ample evidence that formal schooling is most effective if it is introduce at stages that best suit the child rather than the economic ambitions of government. This is another exaple of the thinking that considers 'quantity', i.e. total years spent learning to read, as overriding 'quality', i.e. considering judiciously how a policy will impact on those who will be most affected by it - the children. My own prediction is that if this policy is enacted, we will reap a harvest in years to come of dramatically increased numbers of teenagers with learning and emotional difficulties from having been denied the opportunities to develop appropriately at the relevent age through play and imitation and, instead, force fed instruction they are simply not ready to digest or manage. As a former Steiner Waldorf teacher, and now a care manager at special needs college for 16+ year olds, I am dismayed at this panic driven measure devised by legislators with obviously no understanding of the developmental processes of young children, and the long term damage that will be inflicted on future generations of children if this measure is imposed on nurseries in the UK.
There is ample evidence that formal schooling is most effective if it is introduce at stages that best suit the child rather than the economic ambitions of government.
This is another exaple of the thinking that considers ‘quantity’, i.e. total years spent learning to read, as overriding ‘quality’, i.e. considering judiciously how a policy will impact on those who will be most affected by it – the children.
My own prediction is that if this policy is enacted, we will reap a harvest in years to come of dramatically increased numbers of teenagers with learning and emotional difficulties from having been denied the opportunities to develop appropriately at the relevent age through play and imitation and, instead, force fed instruction they are simply not ready to digest or manage.

]]> By: Jen DeSilva http://openeyecampaign.wordpress.com/about/open-eye-petition/#comment-8 Jen DeSilva Sun, 23 Dec 2007 00:41:00 +0000 http://openeyecampaign.wordpress.com/open-eye-petition/#comment-8 The increased emphasis on teaching academics to the under fives and stimulating cerebrums as early as possible is misguided. Under fives should be learning through exploratory play, every day life activities, creative activities, social role playing and music and movement. Placing too much emphasis on seated activities requiring fine motor control and promoting cerebral development before other skills are fine tuned such as gross motor, postural control, attention, social skills and sensory integration may result in kids who over rely on their cerebrums but who lack body awareness, understanding of the world and their place in it and whole language comprehension and expression. Steering children to perform a skill they are not developmentally ready for can be detrimental for self esteem and adversely effect future responses to learning opportunities. They may learn to anticipate that the task will be 'too hard for them', producing feelings of inadequacy. Children should be allowed to develop at their natural pace and teachers should be guided by the child's observable readiness. They should not to have their curriculum be dictated by government imposed performance standards. Teachers should instead be empowered to teach using a variety of approaches to suit the learning needs of each individual child. If the teaching method is imposed by government then: a/ parents will lose the right to choose the teaching environment to suit the needs of their individual child. b/ children with a dominant right brain learning style (the creative child who needs kinesthetic and visual approaches) will not achieve to their fullest in a very left brain environment such as the traditional classroom with emphasis on reading writing and arithmetic (left brain environments appeal to logic, language and auditory verbal learners). Most kids need a combination of right and left brain activities. If performance standards are imposed by the government then: a/ Teaching will become academic outcome focused and process may become secondary to the end result b/ academic achievement will take precedence over lifeskills, social skills and creative and freeplay c/ Art, music and movement activities will be reduced on programmes. These are key activities at this early stage of development when body and sensory systems are still immature. d/ kids will be required to sit at desks for longer than their bodies and minds are ready for I hope that government reconsiders this legislation and amends to allow for parental choice. Parents should have the right to choose that their children learn through play rather than be pressured academically at this early stage in their development. Jen DeSilva, Parent, Occupational Therapist and Certified Yogakids Teacher The increased emphasis on teaching academics to the under fives and stimulating cerebrums as early as possible is misguided. Under fives should be learning through exploratory play, every day life activities, creative activities, social role playing and music and movement. Placing too much emphasis on seated activities requiring fine motor control and promoting cerebral development before other skills are fine tuned such as gross motor, postural control, attention, social skills and sensory integration may result in kids who over rely on their cerebrums but who lack body awareness, understanding of the world and their place in it and whole language comprehension and expression.
Steering children to perform a skill they are not developmentally ready for can be detrimental for self esteem and adversely effect future responses to learning opportunities. They may learn to anticipate that the task will be ‘too hard for them’, producing feelings of inadequacy.

Children should be allowed to develop at their natural pace and teachers should be guided by the child’s observable readiness. They should not to have their curriculum be dictated by government imposed performance standards. Teachers should instead be empowered to teach using a variety of approaches to suit the learning needs of each individual child.

If the teaching method is imposed by government then:

a/ parents will lose the right to choose the teaching environment to suit the needs of their individual child.
b/ children with a dominant right brain learning style (the creative child who needs kinesthetic and visual approaches) will not achieve to their fullest in a very left brain environment such as the traditional classroom with emphasis on reading writing and arithmetic (left brain environments appeal to logic, language and auditory verbal learners). Most kids need a combination of right and left brain activities.

If performance standards are imposed by the government then:

a/ Teaching will become academic outcome focused and process may become secondary to the end result
b/ academic achievement will take precedence over lifeskills, social skills and creative and freeplay
c/ Art, music and movement activities will be reduced on programmes. These are key activities at this early stage of development when body and sensory systems are still immature.
d/ kids will be required to sit at desks for longer than their bodies and minds are ready for

I hope that government reconsiders this legislation and amends to allow for parental choice. Parents should have the right to choose that their children learn through play rather than be pressured academically at this early stage in their development.

Jen DeSilva, Parent, Occupational Therapist and Certified Yogakids Teacher

]]> By: Ashley Ramsden http://openeyecampaign.wordpress.com/about/open-eye-petition/#comment-7 Ashley Ramsden Fri, 21 Dec 2007 23:51:58 +0000 http://openeyecampaign.wordpress.com/open-eye-petition/#comment-7 This contravenes the free actions that belong to any parent. Please take notice of the damage done by other counties and bodies who once advocated this approach This contravenes the free actions that belong to any parent. Please take notice of the damage done by other counties and bodies who once advocated this approach

]]> By: Mary Dawson http://openeyecampaign.wordpress.com/about/open-eye-petition/#comment-4 Mary Dawson Mon, 17 Dec 2007 22:44:02 +0000 http://openeyecampaign.wordpress.com/open-eye-petition/#comment-4 Please allow our children to be children and learn through play and exploring. We should take a look how other countries provide care and education for their young ones and stop putting presure on them to learn at such and early age. Please allow our children to be children and learn through play and exploring. We should take a look how other countries provide care and education for their young ones and stop putting presure on them to learn at such and early age.

]]> By: Tom Shea http://openeyecampaign.wordpress.com/about/open-eye-petition/#comment-3 Tom Shea Thu, 13 Dec 2007 15:00:37 +0000 http://openeyecampaign.wordpress.com/open-eye-petition/#comment-3 Please let us know when the petition goes live. The whole concept of being descriptive NOT prescriptive is being constantly undermined by a set of increasingly difficult regulations and strategies that defy any kind of joined up logic. The best provision is a shared community (not deprived or special needs or any other form of seperatism) in a mixed economy - led by expert practitioners who know the importance of learning not teaching - high challenge low risk - respect and open support - child like not childish. And a real strategy is one which would bite difficult bullets - close poor provision - only financially support people who are paying good salaries to good staff teams - share resources - not compete. Please let us know when the petition goes live. The whole concept of being descriptive NOT prescriptive is being constantly undermined by a set of increasingly difficult regulations and strategies that defy any kind of joined up logic.

The best provision is a shared community (not deprived or special needs or any other form of seperatism) in a mixed economy – led by expert practitioners who know the importance of learning not teaching – high challenge low risk – respect and open support – child like not childish.

And a real strategy is one which would bite difficult bullets – close poor provision – only financially support people who are paying good salaries to good staff teams – share resources – not compete.

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