The changes in the professional standards for initial teacher training have implications for the development of early years teachers. In addition, greater clarity around the new Masters in Teaching and Learning is emerging, leading me towards a plea or two.
The voice of the early years has been heard, to a small extent, in the framing of the new standards. They reference 'curriculum areas' as well as 'subjects' and identify a need for 'related pedagogies', implying teaching is more than the transmission of knowledge. They still, however, speak substantially of 'lessons'.
Standard Q18 is perhaps the biggest nod to early years philosophy, stating: 'Understand how children and young people develop and that the progress and well-being of learners are affected by a range of developmental, social, religious, ethnic, cultural and linguistic influences' - a substantial standard by a teacher in training, or indeed by an experienced teacher.
Page 22 references 'learning through play in the early years'; however, this section is a 'note on terminology used in the standards'. The word 'play', or any related conceptual engagement, is absent elsewhere.
The debates around the Masters in Teaching and Learning are important; initially it seemed this would be predominantly subject focused, but this may be changing.
My plea? Let early years teachers (or even all teachers) examine playful learning collaboratively as their focus for professional development, if they wish. This might relate to 'subjects' and/or 'curriculum areas', to pedagogy and to formative assessment. It would certainly deepen their knowledge of learning processes and related pedagogies.
With a birth to five curriculum underpinning some of the training for early years teachers, a requirement for teachers in children's centres and a recognition that young children are entitled to a high-quality learning environment, isn't it time an early years phase was established at national policy and strategic levels?
It should no longer be an afterthought. It's time to radically re-think teacher education in the early years.
Pat Broadhead is professor of playful learning at Leeds Metropolitan University and chair of TACTYC (www.TACTYC.org.uk).
