Involving Parents in their Childrens Learning: Listening to Parents

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Involving Parents in their Childrens Learning
Listening to Parents
25 years of developing practice at the Pen Green
Centre for Children and their Families

• Dr Margy WhalleyMonday 5th January 2009

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Pen Green Centre for Children and their Families

• In every small community there should be a
  service for children and their families. This
  service should honour the needs of young children
  and celebrate their existence. It should also
  support families, however, they are constituted
  within the community

Pen Green 1983
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Pen Green Centre for Children and their Families

• Early Years Education
• Extended hours, extended year provision to
  support children and families
• Inclusive, flexible, education with care for
  children in need and children with special
  educational needs
• Adult community education
• Family support services
• A Focus for voluntary work and community
  regeneration
• Professional Development and Support for early
  years services and Primary practitioners and
  leaders
• Practitioner Research

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• A Centre with Comprehensive Provision for Young
  Children and their Families
• Pen Green Nursery School Provision for children
  2-5yrs
• Pen Green Baby Nest Baby and Toddler Provision
  1-3yrs
• Nurture Group For vulnerable children from 1-3yrs
• Creche Provision For 100 children a week 0-5yrs
• Childminder Network for children from 0
• After school services and holiday play schemes
  for all local children from 4 - 11
• Parent - Infant Support Groups including Growing
  Together groups, Infant and Toddler massage
  sessions, groups for parents with adult mental
  health issues, drop-in community groups, adult
  learning groups

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The Baby Nest
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Extended Provision across centre
The Discovery Area
The Snoezelen
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2008Nursery Schools, Childrens Centres and
Extended Schools engaging with parents - the
governments perspective.
a double-barrelled strategy a win win
approach

• attack poverty
• equalize the cognitive stimulus received by
  children in their early years
• Esping-Anderson
• Feinstein
• Blanden
• ensure children receive the emotional support
  they need from the important adults in their
  lives
• The Primary Review Children, their world, their
  education 2007
• UNICEF 2007

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Nursery schools, childrens centres and extended
schools can support parents as their childs
first and enduring educators through

• exemplifying good practice
• providing information about current research
• offering appropriate parent education and
  professional support
• helping parents to develop and sustain their
  sense of self-esteem and self efficacy
• - Athey 1990
• - Shaw 1991 - Easen 1992
• - Ball 1994
• - Meade 1995
• - Chrispeels 1996
• - OECD 1997

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A principled approach

• eschew - pragmatism
• - eclecticism
• - rhetoric
• equal and active partnership
• recognizing parents own proper competencies
• acknowledging parents deep commitment to their
  childrens learning and development

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Pen Green A Centre with a strong value base

• Parents and children both have rights
• Being a parent is a complex and difficult role
• Parenting is a key concern for both men and women
• The belief that parents are deeply committed to
  their children
• That early years educators need to recognise
  parents roles as their childs first and most
  consistent educators
• That we must create a culture of high
  expectations in our early years centres and
  services

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Engaging with parents in Nursery Schools,
Childrens Centres and School based
settingsThree approaches

• action for children
• action for parents
• action for others (citizenship, community
  capacity building)

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1 Action for children

• When the focus is on childrens learning and
  development
• When parents are encouraged to watch their
  childrens learning at home and in the setting
• When parents become actively involved in
  supporting and extending their childs learning
• When parents develop shared dialogue with their
  childrens early years educators and teachers
• When parents sustain this commitment over time,
  working towards qualifications as Early Years
  educators or becoming increasingly involved in
  their childrens learning, development and
  schooling

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A Centre that encourages children, parents and
staff to be all that they can be

• our image of the child is rich in potential,
  strong, powerful, competent and, most of all,
  connected to adults and other children.
• Loris Malaguzzi

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Developing evidence-based practiceresearching
what parents do and building on their strengths

• Develop an effective dialogue with parents about
  their childrens learning at home and in the
  setting
• Develop a style of working with parents, that
  empowers rather than de-skills
• Develop a greater understanding of how parents
  were encouraging their children to learn at home
• Compare and contrast the styles that staff and
  parents adopt when engaging children in learning
  experiences, and
• Produce materials to assist parents to get
  actively involved in recording and understanding
  their childrens development

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At Pen Green Parents and Practitioners share
knowledge and theoretical frameworks

• The roles of professional experience and
  parents everyday experience are seen as
  complementary but equally important. The former
  constitutes a public (and generalised) form of
  theory about child development, whilst the latter
  represents a personal theory about the
  development of a particular child. An interaction
  between the two theories or ways explaining a
  childs actions may produce an enriched
  understanding as a basis for both to act in
  relation to the child. Only through the
  combination of both types of information could a
  broad and accurate picture be built up of a
  childs development progress.
• (Easen et al, 1992)

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Parents and staff share Key Concepts

• Well-being (Laevers)
• Involvement (Laevers)
• Schemas (Athey)
• Adult Pedagogic Strategies (Whalley Arnold)
• Containment (Bion)
• Holding (Winnicott)
• Attachment (Bowlby)

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Nursery schools, childrens centres and extended
schools recognize the importance of working with
parents as co-educators

• We know that young children achieve more and are
  happier when early years educators work together
  with parents and share ideas about how to support
  and extend childrens learning (Athey Meade)

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What worksParents as Advocates

• Nothing gets under a parents skin more quickly
  and more permanently than the illumination of his
  or her own childs behaviour. The effect of
  participation can be profound.
• (Athey, 1990, p66)

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Sharing Observations

• Filming the children at baby nest, nursery or in
  groups
• Keeping a diary
• Filming the children at home
• Applying theory to the observations
• Making portfolios about childrens interests

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Outcomes

• Support for children and parents is offered
  during all critical transitions
• Staff, parents and children share knowledge and
  develop a respectful dialogue that supports the
  childrens development
• Documentation becomes a tool for sharing
  information and developing multiple perspectives
• Parents and workers become more aspirational
• Workers and parents develop their advocacy skills
• Early and deep level involvement impacts on the
  relationships parents have with their childs
  educators at nursery and subsequently at school
• Study groups (action learning sets) are embedded
  in early childhood settings and local schools
• Parents undertake adult education, professional
  development
• Parents and staff become more reflective and more
  effective educators

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Joe
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• So what was it that Joe was exploring?
• 11 correspondence
• Matching
• Mental arithmetic
• Addition adding to his own pile of cards
• Subtracting taking cards from my pile
• Classifying (Hearts, Diamonds, Spades, Clubs)
• Measuring the depth of the cards
• Counting (accurately to 40 and then to 13)
• Counting on in 2s
• Recognising significant letters, J is for
  Jack, J is for Joe, A is for Asda
• Making up his own rules and changing them when
  he wanted to
• Enjoyment / self esteem at competing and
  winning against an
• adult
• Humour / teasing / joking
• How to develop and sustain relationships with
  adults
• How to have fun through learning and
  relationships

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Joe gains mastery on the computer
Joe is typing out the names of the Supermarkets
he is familiar with. Joe understands that
although the letters on the keyboard are upper
case they appear as lower case on the screen.
Joe is interested in the font and the font size.
He is very confident and competent in using the
computer and he is able to send documents to
print. Joe is really pleased with himself as he
holds up the finished result.
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Writing letters
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• So what has the pedagogical team (parents and
  staff) done to support Joe at nursery?
• Recognised and supported his home learning
• Created a positive learning environment
• Listened to what Joe has to say
• Built on his interests and cognitive concerns
• Worked together as a pedagogical team to be
  co-constructors on Joes learning
• Recognised that there needs to be a balance
  between Joes cognition and his personal, social
  and emotional development
• Constantly asked ourselves the question not only
  about Joe but about all the children. Do we let
  you fly? (Carr, May and Podmore et al, 2002)

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2 Action for parentsListening to parents

• When the focus is on parents need for support
  and personal development
• When the focus is on the parents own learning
  (clarify their right for education/training
  second time around).

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Developing our theorising

• Understanding andragogic principles (Malcolm
  Knowles Paula Allman)
• Education is opportunity, it is also a painful
  memory. To fail to understand the pain of past
  failures is also to fail to understand working
  class life. It is essential then to combine both
  in your curriculum structure and pedagogy
• (Armstrong, 1986)

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A Community Development Approach

• Childrens centres are concerned with children,
  staff, parents and the wider community
• Developing the individuals capacity to be self
  directing
• Helping individuals to gain more control over
  their lives
• Raising self-esteem
• Promoting learning as a lifelong experience
• Working towards equal opportunities
• Pushing boundaries
• Encouraging constructive discontent - not having
  to put up with
• things the way they are
• Encouraging people to feel they have the power to
  
• change things
• Developing self-fulfilment

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A Community Development Model
Parents get involved in supporting their own
childs learning and development
Parents engage in adult community education
Parents get involved in devising or delivering
services for other parents
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Building on parents strengths a community
development approach


Learning about Children
Adult Learning
Active Citizenship


Volunteer in the nursery Writers group
Running after-school club OU
Pre-school Child Group Assertiveness training
Chair parents group OU
Childhood 5-10 group Health Choices OU
Parent Manager Schema study
group All about Eve/Womens group
Chair Save our Site Action Contact/conciliatio
n group School governor
GCSE Sociology English
Group worker A Level English
Co-Leads a National Visiting
European Parents as
Educators
childcare centres
conference


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Community Education Opportunities At Pen Green

• GCSE English or equivalent
• GCSE Maths or equivalent
• Introduction to Computing
• Computer Literacy and IT (CLAIT)
• Sign Language City and Guilds Stage 1
• Creative connections overcome barrier to
  writing
• Family Literacy/Numeracy
• Communication Skills
• Crèche Workers Course (NOCN)
• Homestart (NOCN)
• NVQ in Early Years and Education L2 and L3/ NVQ
  Playworkers
• Counselling Skills Course
• Between ourselves
• Confident Parents/Confident Children (NOCN)
• Introducing Childminding Practice
• Making Choices
• Sewing/Crafts Group
• Protective Behaviours

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PEN GREEN AS A LEARNING ORGANISATION
PhD Early Years Leadership
MA Early Years Education with Care

Research/Tutorial studies MA Leadership
Management
Advanced Module in Leadership
Management Advanced Module in Observation
Assessment Advanced Module in Gropwork Advanced
Module in Action Research

BA Distanced Learning (LMU) Group tutorials at
Pen Green Advanced counselling Training A Level
English Psychology GCSE Maths, Psychology Open
Learning Courses EYPs Professional Development
and Support
Open University Access Course Living in a
Changing Society Massage Training
NVQ Level 3 Children Families NVQ3
Playworkers Open University Community Education
Courses
Homestart Training NOCN NVQ Level 2 Children
Families
Basic Skills funded Numeracy Literacy
Programmes Family Learning
NOCN credit for courses at levels 1 2 e.g.,
Crèche Work Training, Confident
Parents/Confident Children Involving Parents in
their Childrens Learning Parents as Researchers
Group Work Training (basic)
Parents Support Groups Discussion Groups
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3 Action for others (citizenship)

• When parents co-ordinate groups and activities
  that help other people
• When parents take responsibility for managing and
  running the services
• When parents become researchers identifying what
  is needed and reviewing the quality of what is
  offered

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Childrens Centres Challenge Our Professional
Practice A rebalancing of power relationships
between citizens professionals
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Parents at Pen Green

• 1983-85 Parents conceptualising services
• Parents appointing staff
• Parents as volunteers
• Parents sharing power
• 1985-87 Parents as service providers
• Parents engaged in their own learning
• 1987-90 Parents as group leaders
• Parents as community activists

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Parents at Pen Green

• 1990-97 Parents as co-educators
• Parents as paid workers
• 1997-08 Parents as trouble shooters
• Parents as policy makers
• Parents as co-researchers
• Parents as co-constructors of local
  and national policy

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In childrens centres professionals have to
engage parents in a different way

• Othering Equal and active
  partnerships

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In nursery schools, childrens centres and
extended schools staff have to develop a dialogue
and deepen the dialogue

• Perceive our own ignorance and give up the idea
  that we are the exclusive owners of truth and
  knowledge.
• Identify with others and recognise the fact that
  naming the world is not the task of an elite.
• Value the contribution of others and listen to
  them with humility, respecting the particular
  view of the world help by different people.
• Get in touch with how much we need other people
  and have no fear of being displaced.
• Be humble have faith in others and believe in
  their strengths.
• (Paulo Freire 197071)

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Lessons from indigenous peoples

• Take what people offer and build on it
• Pride matters never humiliate never blame
• Find reciprocal ways of working
• Look to your elders for help
• Insist on complexity
• If youre seen as trouble take it as a
  compliment
• Seize the day and leave no-one behind

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Communities Owning Local Services

• Working together everyone and listening (facs)

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Turning the curve on parental involvement/engageme
nt

• A whole community strategic approach to parent
  involvement must be embedded in childrens
  centres and extended schools teaching and
  learning strategies
• Professionals will need to challenge their own
  practice and traditional ways of working if they
  are to develop an equal and active partnership
  with parents

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The Challenges Access for all Parents are not
hard to reach services are hard to access

• The 9 families we didnt engage in the Parents
  Involvement in their Childrens Learning project
• The parents who say we arent the kind of
  parents who go to baby massage
• Those who still find it hard to access childrens
  centre services do we even know who they are?

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Examples of Good Practice stuff we got right

• Deep respect for and pleasure in engagement with
  the important adults in the childs life and the
  child (children)
• The capacity to hold families in mind in a
  sustained way and to seek them out and follow
  them up
• Speed and decisiveness of response
• Resourceful friendship over time
• Celebrating parents right and desire to support
  transitions and stay and play alongside the child
• A constructivist and differentiated pedagogical
  approach knowledge sharing and a good match
  between the pedagogy in the nursery and the
  pedagogy in the traveller community
• Shared beliefs about how children learn and
  develop best
• A liberal approach to risk assessment

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Challenges to our practiceWhere we created
obstacles/barriers to access and joined up working

• Rigid rules and boundaries Absolutes arent
  helpful e.g. the concept of full
• Great untapped energies of the parents what
  they can offer goes unrecognised or isnt fully
  taken up
• Services may be available but are not easily
  accessible e.g. laundry
• A rather rigid and unimaginative response to the
  parents adult learning needs
• Timely information sharing across agencies didnt
  always happen

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Traveller Advocacy
Success for Angela Drury In the case of Angela
Drury - v - the Secretary of State for the
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 2004 EWCA
Civ 2000, Angela, her three children and several
other Travellers had been encamped in April 2003
on woodland in the Northamptonshire area owned by
the Forestry Commission. The Forestry Commission
comes under the Department of the Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs. As is their usual
practice, the Forestry Commission took possession
action not only seeking possession of the woods
in question but also of other woods in a very
large radius around the encampment. In this case
they sought possession of 30 other areas of
woodland in a 20 mile radius. At Northampton
District Registry the Order for all the areas of
woodland was granted. We appealed against that on
the basis that the Civil Procedure Rules for
possession actions did riot entitle possession to
be granted against areas that were not trespassed
upon. The matter went to the Court of Appeal and
on 26th February 2004 the Court of Appeal gave
their Judgement granting Angela's appeal and
quashing the Order as far as it related to the 30
other areas of woodland. Mr Justice Wilson
stated "It follows that the inclusion in a
Possession Order of an. area of land owned by the
Claimant which has not yet been occupied by the
Defendant should be exceptional. Although it
would be foolish to be prescriptive about the
nature of the necessary evidence, it seems safe
to say that it will usually take the form either
of an expression of intention to decamp to the
other area or of a history of movement between
the two areas from which a real danger of
repetition can be inferred or...of such
propinquity proximity and similarity between
the two areas as to command the inference of a
real danger of decampment from one to the other".
In other words such wide orders can only be made
where there is very strong evidence that the
Travellers might move to those other areas and
you will note that such Orders will be
"exceptional". There was insufficient evidence
that Angela and the other Travellers would move
to the other areas and thus her appeal was
granted. Congratulations to Angela. We trust
that the Forestry Commission and other land
owners will now not normally seek to obtain such
wide Possession Orders.
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Issues of transferability of knowledge and
understanding Travellers are not a homogenous
group
Traveller Friendly Services
Travellers not welcome
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What real joined up thinking might look like
avoiding grandiosity
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Unresolved Stuff

• Evictions huge discontinuities for health and
  education
• Water electricity toilets
• Transitions cross county boundaries, across
  school phases
• CPD for all staff
• Short term develop the concept of match
• Long term develop a sustainable approach thats
  people proofed
• Additional resources for traveller children e.g.
  ICT, different play spaces in nursery and school
  that honour the needs of the child, different
  adult spaces and services that honour the needs
  of adult travellers

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Dr Margy Whalley

• Director of Pen Green Research Base
• Telephone [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• Email mwhalley_at_northamptonshire.gov.uk
• Website www.pengreen.org