Association for Professional Development in Early Years Undertaking a Reflections paper offers you the chance to have a short paper web-published and responded to by like minded professionals. These are a popular part of our website and we always welcome more papers. Please contact Rory McDowall Clark with your thoughts, ideas or draft/completed papers. How to write your reflections article – information here.
Papers submitted to the ‘Reflecting on Early Years Issues’ section:
2019 Reflections
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But what if they don’t ask the right questions? Problems of power and control in researching with children – Carla Solvason and Johanna Cliffe
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‘Chit-chat’ every day helps with work, rest and play:supporting parents to develop young children’s language skills – Linda Withey
2018 Reflections
- Two birds with one stone:how putting the value back into mealtimes can improve children’s communication and long-term health – Rachel Hingston
- Listening to children creates Better Beginnings – Megan Taddeo
- Beyond Ephgrave: Reflecting on the implementation of ‘In The Moment Planning’ in a rural day nursery – Joanne Smith
- How do we ensure a seamless transition into Year 1 for children who have experienced a play-based curriculum? – Sue Quirk with Victoria Pettett
- Moving from Inadequate to Outstanding – Victoria Pettett with Sue Quirk
- We don’t play guns at nursery – why we need to talk about weapon play – Amy Perkins
- Being Bold in 2018 – Di Chilvers
2017 Reflections
- Trade Unionisation of Ireland’s Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Workforce – Colette Saunders
- Embracing the neurodiversity movement – Jaime-Lee Knight
- Placing trust in play – Emma Bailey
- ‘You’ve got a secret smile and you use it only for me’: infants’ intentional communication within the home – Caroline Guard
- When we look, what do we see? – Linda Withey
- Getting its Act Together: Why we need stronger EU leadership in developing a common EU framework for Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) – Bronwen Cohen
2016 Reflections:
- Who owns the ‘rights’ to early development – Gareth Betts-Davies
- Using Rhizomatic Thinking in Early Childhood Pedagogy to Avoid Making Other into Same – Johanna Cliffe and Carla Solvason
- Literacy through music – Maria Kay
- Screening the word learning of bilingual toddlers: A first guide – Dr. Allegra Cattani
- Entitlement or commodity? Tensions between universalism and marketisation in English early childhood education – Nathan Archer
2015 Reflections: 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005
- The impact of Early Years Teachers upon quality: views of managers and Early Years Teachers – Paige Alim
- Reflections on Quality in Early Years – Penny Webb
- Children’s Rights in Early Childhood Provision: A Comparative Study – Aline Cole-Albäck
- Food for Thought – Linda Withey
- Childcare: a Business? – Jemima Murray
2014 Reflections: 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005
- Continuing professional development for teaching assistants: encouraging competence or ensuring performance? – Dr. Sally Neaum
- The significance of relational pedagogy to young children’s speech, language and communication in early years settings – Dr. Caroline Blackburn
- Are we there yet? – Helen Parkins
- Making reflective practice more effective practice – Hilary Smith and Lucy Driver
- Child’s Play? Does ‘subject’ learning having a role in pretend play? – Maulfry Worthington
- Children as Experts in Infant School transitions – Megan Taddeo
- Supporting children with chronic medical conditions in the Early Years Foundation Stage: a case for discrimination? – Dr. Jackie Musgrave.
- Crossing Continents – Dr. Kathy Goouch and Dr. Sacha Powell
- The McMillan Sisters and the ‘Deptford Welfare Experiment’ – Dr Pam Jarvis
2013 Reflections: 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005
- Supervision and Adult Attachment – Geoff Taggart and Jo Elsey
- Seeking Froebel’s ‘Mother Songs’ in Daycare for Babies – Dr Sacha Powell, Dr Kathy Goouch and Louie Werth
- The phonics check for Year 1 children in England: unresolved issues of its value and validity after two years – Professor Margaret M Clark OBE
- Margaret McMillan’s Ideals for Early Years Teacher Education: The Impact on Contemporary ITE Teacher Development – Dr Betty Liebovich
- Research Brief: working in partnership with parents to create inclusive environments for children, aged 0-3 years, with chronic health conditions: parents’ perspectives – Jackie Musgrave
- Valuing languages of spirituality: listening to two- and three-year olds in a day nursery in England – Dr. Gill Goodliff
- ‘Between the time that you are born and the time that a man goes into childcare…at what point is he influenced towards it?’ The values, beliefs and reported practices/experiences of six male practitioners within early childhood education and care in England – Charlotte Jones
- Can using transitions story guides support parents and children in understanding their transition journeys? – Sue Johnson
- Supporting the Development of Reflective Dispositions for Professional Practice – Dr. Karen Hanson
- Recontextualisation in the ‘region’ of early years professional knowledge – Jim Hordern
- An exploration of practitioners’ perspectives of promoting sustained shared thinking in an early childhood setting……a case study – Anne Purdon
- Embedding Ethicality within Student Practice-Approaches and Dilemmas – Carla Solvason
- Quiet undertones to promoting literacy in early years: a reflective experience – Lisa Fairclough
- By-passing the debate: beyond the ‘technology question’ in the early years – Associate Professor Suzy Edwards- Response – Rory McDowall Clark | Response – Natalia Kucirkova
- What in the world is happening to babies? A critical perspective of research and support for baby room practitioners in England – Dr Sacha Powell and Dr. Kathy Goouch
- Is there space for the child in partnership with families? – Rory McDowall Clark | Response – Dr. Margaret Simms
- Seeking a successor: who can light up this dark world? – Sandra Smidt
2012 Reflections: 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005
- Pretend play and mathematics – informing the ‘school readiness’ debate – Maulfry Worthington
- Music matters in early years’ settings – Mary Fawcett
- Research and the Early Years Practitioner-Researcher – Carla Solvason
- Payment By Results – what is the impact on practitioners, researchers, parents and children? – Anita Soni
- The Diverse Communication Needs of Young Children in the Foundation Stage Reflecting on Policy to Practice Issues – Carolyn Blackburn
- A Summary of Critical Commentary on Reforming the Early Years Foundation Stage (the EYFS): Government Response to Consultation – Richard House
2011 Reflections: 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005
- The Baby Room Project – Dr. Kathy Goouch and Dr. Sacha Powell
- Magnificent Sunrise: Critical Writing Explained – Dr. Margaret Simms
- Reading for Reflection: how reading and critiquing a research paper can stimulate personal reflection – Elizabeth Appleton
2010 Reflections: 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005
- Transistion from Kindergarten to School in Estonia – Kerstin Kööp
- “It’s hard for me, I move a lot”: Designing and implementing a one-year Pilot Project to Support Service Children at Halton School during periods of Mobility and Parental Deployment – Joy O’Neill
- On Learning from the Research Successful: how do teacher educators ever become established researchers? – Jean Murray
- ‘Practitioners’ Experiences’ – what difference has the EYFS made? – Dr. Liz Brooker
- Dance for young children can provide so much more than physical exercise. Could Early Years practitioners be the key to extending this learning opportunity to more children? – Mandy Fouracre
- Making sense of Swedish practice: is it that different from practice in Wales? – Alyson Lewis
- Supply – but no demand? – Amanda Thomas
- Reclaiming Our Children’s Rights from the Jaws of School Effectiveness – Jane Murray
2009 Reflections: 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005
- Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL): Panacea or Pandora’s Box? – Dr. Sue Bingham
- ‘Research’ in early childhood settings: a pause for thought – Prof. Angela Anning | Response from Michelle Garcia Diaz | Response from Laura Ashton
- ‘Key Group Time’ is a time for Intimacy: ‘Circle Time’ is a time for group thinking – Why They Must be Different – Dorothy Y. Selleck | Response from Estelle Martin
- Can Forest School Act as a Spur to Better Quality Outdoor Experiences? – Sara Knight | Response from Mallika Kanyal
- The play’s the thing: redefining and rethinking play –
Sandra Smidt | Response from Michelle Garcia Diaz, with feedback from Sandra Smidt and comments from Janet Moyles | Response from Karla Roberts | Response from Cate Mawby
2008 Reflections: 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005
- How can young children’s mental health be promoted in the early years within the Early Years Foundation Stage? – Anita Soni
- Understanding Racism – Jane Lane
2007 Reflections: 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005
- Early Years in Crisis? Reflecting on the past ten years, hoping for the future – Margaret Edgington
- Creativity and Possibility in the Early Years – Anna Craft
- Summer-Born Children Deserve Equal Opportunities – Jane Payler and David Whitebread | Response from Joanne Williamson
- Early Years Professional Status (EYPS): The joys of assessing! – Jane Payler | Response from Margaret Simms
2006 Reflections: 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005
- The rights and wrongs of parenting programmes – Elizabeth Brooker
- Dimensions of early years professionalism – attitudes versus competences? – Avril Brock
- Recruitment and Retention of Early Years and Childcare Practitioners in Private Day Nurseries – Margaret Simms
- What is meant by ‘synthetic phonics and what impact will the Rose Report have on our teaching of reading before formal school age? – Sue Vermes | Response from Hilary McEvoy
- The Rose Report in context: What will be its impact on the teaching of reading? – Professor Margaret Clark
- Seeing the Wider Picture. Reflections on the Reggio Emilia Approach – some evidence from research – Theodora Papatheodorou
2005 Reflections: 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005
- Reflecting on creativity and cognitive challenge: visual representations and mathematics in early childhood – some evidence from research – Maulfry Worthington | Response from Torill Hindmarch
- Writing Up Research Involving Child Participants: some Reflections by Ian, aged 5 years – Deborah Albon
- Children, Food and Jamie Oliver! – Kate Wagner
- Children, Divorce and Family Relationships – Jayne Woodhouse
- SureStart, Families and Debt
Amanda France - Playing: the Reading Game and Phonics – Dominic Wyse | Response from Marian Whitehead | Response from Lyndsay Johnston
- Leadership: an essential ingredient or an optional extra for quality early childhood provision? – Jillian Rodd | Response from Margaret Simms
- Early mathematics achievement in the context of the National Numeracy Strategy – Carol Aubrey
- Analysing and Understanding Research Findings: practitioner/researcher interaction – Hilary Fabian | Response from Simon Jones