The Voice of Early Childhood – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Too often we have a reactive over a proactive approach to mental health, focusing on mental ill health rather than on thriving. Matt Bawler shares his work around this, including establishing strong foundations and providing children with the tools and agency to be able to thrive in life.

Read Matt’s article here:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/proactively-promoting-positive-mental-health/

Listen to more:

If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like: 

Matt’s previous episode and article around Growth mindset in early childhood - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/growth-mindset-in-early-childhood/

Dawn Jone’s episode and article on Problematising behaviour management systems - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/problematising-behaviour-management-systems/ 

Dr Mine Conkbayir’s episode and article on Self-regulation, co-regulation and mental health - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/self-regulation-co-regulation-and-mental-health/

Maureen Hunt’s episode and article on Self-efficacy in young children - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/self-efficacy-in-young-children/

Episode break down:

00:00 – What do we mean by proactive mental health?
05:00 – Reverse engineering and going ‘upstream’
07:00 – Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
08:00 – A deep belief of not being lovable
10:00 – Falling over to get back up again
12:00 – What is behind the behaviour?
17:00 – Watching the language you use
23:30 – ‘I am, I can and I will’ framework
27:30 – What’s wrong with affirmations?
31:00 – High self-esteem vs positive self-esteem
34:00 – Growth over happiness & reclaiming resilience
37:00 – Threat vs challenge
41:00 – ‘What’s right with you’ vs ‘what’s wrong with you’
41:20 – 24 character strengths
42:00 – ‘Use your tools’
43:00 – Moving away from sticker culture
44:00 – Moving away from ‘othering’
48:20 – Using stories to explore challenges
50:45 – Embodied agency
53:00 – Matt’s current projects
57:00 – Book recommendations

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

How does Montessori practice embed sustainability? Montessori Consultant Sarah Cummins explains that social development sits alongside academic learning, children are supported in building a sense of ownership of their community and environmental stewardship is embedded early on. We also discuss some misconceptions around Montessori practice as well as how we can support higher education students in becoming passionate educators and sustainably minded advocates for the planet.

Read Sarah’s article:

Montessori for sustainability –

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/Montessori-for-sustainability/  

Listen to more:

If you enjoyed this episode you might also like: 

Essential skills for social sustainability with Carmela Garcia Manas - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/essential-skills-for-social-sustainability/ 

Life skills over academic achievement with Zanna Clarke and Carmela Garcia Manas -  

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/life-skills-over-academic-achievement/ 

Telling hopeful stories of advocacy, agency and rights in ECEC with Dr Jo Albin-Clark and Dr Nathan Archer - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/advocacy-agency-and-rights-in-early-childhood/

 Episode break down:

00:00 – Why are we talking about sustainability?  
01:40 – Sustainability starts from early childhood
04:00 – The Montessori lens – focusing on community
06:45 – Peaceful conflict resolution – restorative practice
07:45 – The classroom is the child’s, not the adult’s
08:20 – Cultural awareness – global perspectives
12:00 – Equipping children with self-expression
14:25 – Trusting the child’s interest
16:22 – Freedom within limits
17:45 – Mixed-age environments 
22:00 – Preparing children for the future or focusing on this moment?
24:45 – Protecting children’s individuality

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

In this episode Sarah Mason from The Hill Primary School, Astrea Academy Trust, shares with us the journey she and her team have been on in developing their learning environment in line with understanding the way children’s brain develops. This was part of the Brain-SET Learning Environments project which Astrea Academy Trust embarked on, looking at classroom design through the lens of children's brain development.

This year-long project focused on enabling children to feel emotionally secure and ready for learning, by looking at classroom design in terms of lighting, noise, the use of colour, furniture layout and more. The overall aim was to really bring calm into children's lives, which is particularly important for areas of disadvantage which Astrea Academy Trust schools work within. 

To find out more about the project, see videos and photos of the environments and hear practitioner interviews, visit: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/projects/astrea-academy-trust-project

Episode break down:

00:00 – Understanding the Brain-SET project
03:50 – The effect of lighting on the children
05:05 – Being in tune with the environment
06:20 – Aligning the environment with the needs of the brain
10:30 – Understanding the ‘why’ behind your practice
14:20 – Are we providing enough calming zones outdoors?
18:10 – What is ‘way-finding’
21:00 – Sustained focused play
24:00 – Intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation
26:00 – The impact of the project on educators

For more episodes visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

In this episode Dawn Jones shares findings on a project closely working with children in gaining their reflections on spaces and places within shared worlds. In this 1st episode and article, in the 3-part series, Dawn shares how the findings relate to sustainable development goals, and poses some of the following reflections and questions:

• Co-collaboration on learning can lead to so many more avenues around sustainability beyond the ‘3 R’s’.
• Children value quiet spaces and time to think...
• We have too much of a harsh approach of rushing our children…
• Are we brave enough to listen to children?
• Children can be far more engaged through an open and flexible approach

Read Dawn’s article:

What do children have to say about their environment? - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/what-do-children-have-to-say-about-their-environment/ 

Listen to more:

If you enjoyed this episode you might also like:

Education for social sustainability through sociodramatic play with Carmela Garcia Manas - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/contributors/carmela-garcia-manas/

The therapeutic nature of the outdoors with Jenny Smillie - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/the-therapeutic-nature-of-outdoor-play/

Episode break down:

00:00 – Listening to the voices of Reception aged children
02:00 – Top level findings of the research
04:30 – Recognising and following the child’s knowledge
06:00 – Children’s understanding of complex issues around sustainability
08:20 – The same findings across different schools
10:00 – A less ‘hurried space’ was a recurring theme
12:00 – We make children do too much waiting
12:45 – Slow pedagogy and children as co-researchers
18:00 – Are we brave enough to step back and not intervene?
22:00 – Being an innovative and open-minded educator
23:00 – Harness children’s curiosity, awe and wonder and embed this into the curriculum
24:30 – Consider the language you use – is it helpful?
27:30 – Experiences vs activities
29:15 – Linking research to practice
32:30 – ‘Fanning the sparks of wonderful practice’
34:00 – Upcoming episodes – behaviour charts and methodological tools
35:00 – Summary of the episode

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

Leadership, management, psychological safety, difficult conversations, priorities, education or care, leading with love…Lewis Fogarty and Angelica Celinska discuss a range of thought-provoking topics, which all stemmed from the conversation of the need to stand up to your manager.

This episode relates to anyone interested in leadership, workplace culture and self-development beyond educational settings.

Read Lewis’ article:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/professional-confidence-finding-the-confidence-to-speak-out/ 

Listen to more:

If you enjoyed this episode you might also like: Yes spaces with Carla Ward -  

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/what-are-yes-spaces/ 

Supporting educator wellbeing with Enya Last - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/articles/wellbeing/

Episode break down:

00:00 – Not everyone is a good manager
03:30 – Good educator doesn’t mean good leader
05:00 – Stepping out of your comfort zone can turn into stress
06:27 -  The boy, the mole, the fox and the horse…
06:59 – I want my team to stand up to me as a leader
08:07 – The 4 pillars at ‘Always Growing’
09:15 – Curiosity over judgement
09:45 – Education or care?
11:40 – Love languages of both your children AND your team
12:40 – Leading with love
15:20 – Opening your team to criticism
16:10 – Anyone can be a leader without the title
17:20 – The power of diverse thinking
18:40 – Not everything has the same priorities
20:18 – Constructive disagreements and tensions are good!
20:48 – Rotated neglect
23:50 – ‘Clearing the debris’
26:40 – If you have more than two priorities you don’t have any
28:40 – Psychological safety
30:55 – INSET days for CPD and team development
33:55 – Challenging conversations: Encouraging them in the workplace
36:15 – Preparing for difficult conversations: Practically and mentally
40:00 – Being kind doesn’t always mean being nice…

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

Astrea Academy Trust embarked on the Brain-SET project looking at classroom design through the lens of children's brain development.

This year-long project focused on enabling children to feel emotionally secure and ready for learning, by looking at classroom design in terms of lighting, noise, the use of colour, furniture layout and more. The overall aim was to really bring calm into children's lives, which is particularly important for areas of disadvantage which Astrea Academy Trust schools work within. 

In this second episode of the project series Dr Sue Allingham (Early Childhood Consultant, Author and Trainer) and Nicky Turner (National Lead for EY for Astrea Academy Trust) share with us the way the project is running, the training carried out and the reflections and impact so far.

To find out more about the project and listen to more episodes visit: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/projects/astrea-academy-trust-project

Episode break down:

00:00 – What is Brain-SET?
02:30 – Being available for learning
05:50 – The project’s impact on educators’ thinking and practice
06:55 – Natural lighting, reduced noise and increased learning
12:30 – Classroom flow: Eye-lines and way-finding
16:50 – Familiar and homely spaces and resources
22:00 – Developmental rather than judgemental  
26:30 – An ongoing long-term project
29:50 – Re-creating empty and purposeless spaces  
28:00 – Working with developing brains: Researching and trying things out
35:00 – Giving educators permission to make good decisions
38:00 – Designing ‘thinking spaces’
41:00 – Classrooms developing with the needs of children
44:45 – Brain-SET for adults as well as children
52:00 – Having permission to step back and think
54:00 – Re-calibration spaces 
57:00 – Educators sharing their work and journeys

For more episodes visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

In this episode Carla Ward and Angelica Celinska unpick what are ‘yes spaces’, and in doing so they address children’s agency, risky play, knowing your limits, leadership and workplace culture, teaching children to respect boundaries, feeling control over your life, giving children the autonomy to know and feel who they are and so much more…

Find Carla Ward at:

https://elfoundations.com/

Listen to more:

If you enjoyed this episode you might also like – Life skills over academic achievement with Zanna Clarke and Carmela Garcia Manas -  https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/life-skills-over-academic-achievement/

Episode break down:

00:00 – Why are we talking about ‘yes spaces’?
02:45 – What are ‘yes spaces’?
04:00 – A child hears ‘no’ 400 times per day!
06:00 – Encouraging children to take risks
08:00 – Judging risk and communicating risk
11:00 – Does the child feel control over their own life?
14:20 – Instead of ‘no’ ask ‘why’ – opening up conversations
16:00 – Fostering curiosity and independence by saying yes more
19:40 – Reflect on your own childhood – did you hear ‘no’ a lot?
21:30 – Guiding children through conflict
22:25 – ‘Yes spaces’ for adults
23:35 – Don’t let ‘no’ be your default answer
26:20 – ‘Yes but’ vs ‘yes and’
29:00 – Where can you find Carla Ward?

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

Peer exclusion is a major concern for preschool children. In this episode we explore research findings on the regular instances of both exclusion and inclusion in a nursery setting. We discuss children’s natural, biological need for belonging and dependence on the adult, how resourceful children can be, children not merely accepting exclusionary situations, adult guidance rather than teaching, the adult not having 100% control and much more…

To read and listen to the whole research series visit: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/articles/sustainability/

Episode break down:

00:00 – Series re-cap
01:40 – Exclusion as a routine concern for preschoolers
04:40 – The natural need to feel included and belong
07:30 – Children’s resourcefulness
11:25 – The effects of exclusion on later life
15:40 – Children challenging exclusion
21:40 – We need to stop solving conflicts and problems for children
26:20 – To support children we need to truly know them
33:00 – Sociodramatic play as a powerful tool in exploring challenging issues
36:00 – The need for educator training on complex issues
41:46 – Recommendations for practice
44:40 – Using books to explore complex topics
53:57 – Are you speaking their language? 100 languages of children 
59:54 – Imagine the brain like play-dough!
01:03:05 – The value for researchers in sharing their work

For more episodes visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

Early years is a key priority for Astrea Academy Trust, who strive to give each child the best start in life, focusing on developmental needs of the children and not just their academic achievement. Which is why Astrea Academy Trust embarked on the Brain-SET project looking at classroom design through the lens of children's brain development.

This year-long project addressed classroom design in terms of lighting, noise, the use of colour, furniture layout and more. The aim was to really bring calm into children's lives, which is particularly important for areas of disadvantage which Astrea Academy Trust schools work within. 

In this first episode Asma Maqsood-Shah (Primary Regional Director for Astrea Academy Trust and Strategic Lead for EY) and Nicky Turner (National Lead for EY for Astrea Academy Trust) share the background to the project and talk us through the impact on children, families, educators and leaders so far.

To find out more about the project and listen to more episodes visit: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/projects/astrea-academy-trust-project

Episode break down:

00:00 - Introduction to Astrea Academy Trust and the Brain-SET project
05:47 - Where did this project begin and why?
11:16 - Bringing calm into children's lives
14:07 - Supporting holistic development, wellbeing and life skills
16:58 - The different stages of the project
17:45 - The impact of ambient lighting on emotional states
20:55 - A common understanding between leaders and educators
23:40 - Getting all leaders and educators on board with the project
25:40 - Mentoring for practitioners and EY leads
28:00 - Understanding the science behind classroom environments
29:10 - A whole Trust strategy
33:40- Educators feeling proud of their learning environments
36:25 - The future of the project

For more episodes visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

This episode shares research findings around children's nuanced understanding of fairness, extending beyond material possessions and entering the complexities of equality vs equity. We discuss how to embed sustainability within the curriculum, the production, consumption and distribution of resources, sociocultural and economic influences on sharing, a multi-disciplinary approach to sustainability and much more.

To read and listen to the whole research series visit: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/articles/sustainability/

Tune into next week's episode on: Sense belonging and connection in early childhood education: A pathway to social sustainability

If you enjoyed this episode you might also like to listen to Carmela's previous episode with Zanna Clarke, Principal of Miss Daisy’s Nursery Schools, on 'Life skills over academic achievement' - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/life-skills-over-academic-achievement/ 

Episode break down:

00:00 - Does fairness mean equal sharing? 
06:00 - 'Modern tragedy of the commons'
07:50 - An adult's influence on fairness
12:00 - Compromising their own needs for others
17:09 - Sociocultural and economic influences on sharing
20:33 - Challenging unjust situations
22:53 - Developing a sense of fairness
26:23 - Production, consumption and distribution of resources
29:11 - A multi-disciplinary approach to sustainability
33:20 - Sustainability embedded within the curriculum
37:30 - Educator training in sustainability
38:00- Where sharing results in exclusion
41:15 - Final episode...

For more episodes visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com