A new book examined the development of early years education from the late 1990s onwards. It looked at how child, family, and home learning environments interacted with pre-school and primary schooling to shape children's development.
Source: Kathy Sylva, Edward Melhuish, Pam Sammons, Iram Siraj-Blatchford and Brenda Taggart (eds.), Early Childhood Matters: Evidence from the Effective Pre-school and Primary Education Project, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2009-Dec
A report by a committee of MPs said that he government's focus on early literacy interventions and phonics-based teaching was based on the best available evidence. But there were 'worryingly low' expectations regarding the quality of evidence required to demonstrate the relative effectiveness and, in particular, the cost-effectiveness of different programmes.
Source: Evidence Check 1: Early Literacy Interventions, Second Report (Session 2009-10), HC 44, House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee/TSO
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Dec
A literature review examined evidence in respect of the process of development for children from birth to age five, and sought to link the findings to the objectives of the early years foundation stage.
Source: Maria Evangelou, Kathy Sylva, Maria Kyriacou, Mary Wild and Georgina Glenny, Early Years Learning and Development, Research Report RR176, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Nov
An article examined the recent history of early years provision and critically explored the extent to which the government had been effective in unifying services, raising the status of early years practitioners, addressing underfunding, and challenging disadvantage and social exclusion.
Source: John Wadsworth and Rosalyn George, 'Choosing the right approach: New Labour and the care and education of young children', FORUM: for promoting 3-19 comprehensive education, Volume 51 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Oct
The results were published of achievement outcomes at the end of the early years foundation stage in England in 2009. The majority of children continued to work 'securely within' the early learning goals in each of the 13 assessment areas.
Source: Early Years Foundation Stage Profile Results in England, 2008/09, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report | DCSF press release | PSLA press release | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Oct
A report summarized research into the factors involved in inter-professional working in multi-purpose children's settings (in particular as these applied to extended schools and children's centres), based on a comparative study of England and Sweden. The structure of services in early childhood education and care and schools in England was more complex and diverse, with a more hierarchical workforce, than in Sweden. Swedish social and educational policy favoured 'working together': in England, in spite of goodwill on the part of staff and explicit government policy, this was more difficult because the 'facilitative underpinnings' for working together were not in place.
Source: Claire Cameron et al., Working Together in Extended Schools and Children's Centres: A study of inter-professional activity in England and Sweden, Research Brief RBX-09-10, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Brief
Date: 2009-Aug
Researchers examined parents' childcare arrangements, and their views of both particular childcare providers and childcare provision in general. Use of formal childcare and early years provision in term-time had increased in 2008 compared with 2007, largely due to a greater take-up of out-of-school services.
Source: Svetlana Speight, Ruth Smith, Ivana La Valle, Vera Schneider and Jane Perry with Cathy Coshall and Sarah Tipping, Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents 2008, Research Report RR136, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report | Brief | Telegraph report
Date: 2009-Jul
Researchers examined a pilot for disadvantaged children at age 2, which provided free early years education with the aim of improving children's social and cognitive outcomes. Overall, the pilot did not significantly improve the children's development, their parent-child relationship, or the home learning environment (relative to a matched comparison group). But parents felt that the setting had positively affected their ability to parent, together with their physical health and mental well-being; and had provided them with opportunities for self-improvement.
Source: Ruth Smith et al., Early Education Pilot for Two Year Old Children: Evaluation, Research Report RR134, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report | Brief | DCSF press release
Date: 2009-Jul
A new book said that a raft of target-driven initiatives, and a 'fierce' regulatory structure, had led to an oppressive set of demands being placed on children in their early years.
Source: Richard Eke, Helen Butcher and Mandy Lee (eds.), Whose Childhood Is It? The roles of children, adults and policy makers, Continuum International Publishing (020 7922 0880)
Links: Summary | UWE press release | Telegraph report
Date: 2009-Jun
A new book examined how children aged 3-11 were educated, in the context of the 'Every Child Matters' agenda. Separate chapters were dedicated to each of the five ECM outcomes: being healthy; staying safe; enjoying and achieving; making a positive contribution; and achieving economic well-being. Issues discussed included: social justice; diversity and inclusion; the child in society; and working with families.
Source: Gianna Knowles, Ensuring Every Child Matters, SAGE Publications Ltd (020 7324 8500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2009-May
An article examined how different forms of childcare at an early age played a role in the production of cognitive skills and the behavioural development of young children (measured at age 3). The results showed that formal group care was positively associated with school readiness test scores. But no association was found between formal group care and problem behaviour. Grandparent care was shown to be positively associated with vocabulary test scores: but also positively related to problem behavioural scores.
Source: Kirstine Hansen and Denise Hawkes, 'Early childcare and child development', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 38 Issue 2
Links: Abstract | CLS press release | IOE press release | Voice press release | Telegraph report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Apr
A report used data from the first three waves of the Growing Up in Scotland study to explore children's cognitive ability. Large variations in cognitive scores were evident at age 34 months, with children from less advantaged families outperformed by their more affluent counterparts.
Source: Catherine Bromley, Growing Up in Scotland: The impact of children's early activities on cognitive development, Scottish Government (web publication only)
Date: 2009-Mar
An article examined contextual issues in assessing value-for-money in early years education. There were a number of tensions, not only in relation to how and for whom value was assessed, but also with regard to the marginalization of the economic position of early years education providers and emerging evidence of both hidden and masked costs within the sector.
Source: Verity Campbell-Barr, 'Contextual issues in assessing value for money in early years education', National Institute Economic Review Volume 207 Number 1, National Institute for Economic and Social Research (020 7654 1901)
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Feb
An article used data from the Millennium Cohort Study to consider whether, in an era of near-universal provision, receipt of early years education still led to better outcomes for children (compared with those not receiving it), and whether different characteristics of provision produced better outcomes.
Source: Rebecca Hopkin, Lucy Stokes and David Wilkinson, 'Using foundation stage profile assessments to assess outcomes from early years education', National Institute Economic Review Volume 207 Number 1, National Institute for Economic and Social Research (020 7654 1901)
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Feb
A report evaluated the extended flexible entitlement pathfinder (introduced as part of the government's commitment to increasing the length and flexibility of the free early years entitlement for children aged 3-4 from 12.5 to 15 hours per week over 38 weeks by September 2010). Parents were overwhelmingly positive about the impact on their child resulting from the time they spent in early years education and care.
Source: Charlotte Clarke, Michael Frearson, Kate Hills, Claire Celia and Christine Stephen, Extended Flexible Entitlement for Three-and Four Year Olds: Pathfinder Evaluation, Research Report RR080, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report | Annexes | Brief
Date: 2009-Feb
The government published a strategy document designed to further improve the quality, affordability, and flexibility of childcare and early learning. It included commitments to: consider making it a legal requirement that every childcare professional was qualified to A-level equivalent standard; enable parents to extend the free childcare offer to cover holidays; pilot a programme to attract the best graduates into the sector; and develop a price-comparison website to help parents find the best-quality childcare in their area to suit their budget.
Source: Next Steps for Early Learning and Childcare: Building on the 10-year strategy, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260) and other departments
Links: Strategy | Summary | Hansard | DCSF press release | NDNA press release | PSLA press release | Daycare Trust press release | Voice press release | EDCM press release | Telegraph report
Date: 2009-Jan
