St Helens Denmark Visit - Time To Grow

Newly returned from a study tour of Denmark's pre-schools, St Helens Early Years team share some of their thoughts.

Picture the scene. A low white thatched roof cottage at the end of a stony track in a forest clearing. Children sitting outside at pine benches, despite intermittent drizzle, eating pack lunches. As they finish they move off in a relaxed way to pursue their own interests. A few go inside the cottage to sleep.

Inside the cottage is homely with a big wood-burning stove where bread is baked on a daily basis. Lighted candles give a welcoming glow. Furniture is adult sized and made from attractive wood. Many natural materials and a few commercial games and toys stand on the open shelves. A cat stretches luxuriously in her basket on a top shelf, safe from the children's caresses as she sleeps. The love of nature is apparent in this room and a glass cabinet houses the treasures children have found, like a bird's wing, a dead butterfly, a beautifully shaped stone etc.

Moving outdoors a few children play around the building but are too involved to take much notice of strangers as they creatively work with their natural materials. Free access to a hosepipe and sand and soil proves spell bindingly interesting to some young scientists.

At a short distance from the cottage goats live in a purpose built pen with quality housing. They are fat and clean and friendly, comfortable with their lives and confident that they are only going to receive love and affection. Yet another shed houses a group of lop eared rabbits. No isolated lonely rabbit here in an inadequate hutch but rabbits with an exciting run to the outdoors where they can dig and hide and play. The rabbits show the same confidence as the goats. They feel valued and respected.

As we move further away into the forest we find a wealth of challenges set amongst the trees. A huge slide which three children could come down together, rope ladders, tyre swings, little huts to rest and play in; a magical playground camouflaged by the way it is set into the woodland area. Here children can practice their physical skills, take risks, test themselves, discover their limits and get to know themselves.

A long walk up a forest path with an adult and a couple of children allows us to see the skills of the pedagogue as she points out and explains the wonders of nature to the children-a baby snail the size of a pin-head, a group of ladybirds hidden on the underside of a leaf, autumn fruits, sometimes edible, rare flowers. The children confident and relaxed show us crosses on trees, which represent their boundaries in the forest - well out of sight and earshot of adults, but here the children are trusted and the confidence invested in them pays off well.

We return to the cottage grounds and find children identifying and replanting saplings, which they hope to grow in their cottage garden. Laminated charts of flowers and trees help the children identify and learn about the flora and fauna of their forest world. They chat animatedly around the charts.

A car arrives and a child happily runs off to greet a parent who has come to collect her child anxious only to know that she has enjoyed her day.

On leaving this magic world I am caused to reflect on my experiences and I am left with some very uncomfortable thoughts about the way we provide for and treat our children. In Denmark children are trusted and respected as competent learners who come to know themselves and their abilities and limitations. All individuals are respectful of the uniqueness of others and there is little conflict either between children and children or children and adults. Children are honing their social skills for life ahead and learning in all areas of the curriculum in a natural and meaningful world.

As the week progresses and we visit more settings my enthusiasm for the Danish pre-school system increases and I think we have to reflect very seriously on what we are doing to our young children, fully accepting that what we sow we reap. I leave Denmark feeling depressed and guilty about our inadequacies and the words of Susan Isaacs come to haunt me -"Children's most urgent need is freedom to grow and think"

 

Points in the Danish Early Years System worthy of note are -

• Settings are homely, comfortable places where children "live" together.

• Candles, tea-lights, ovens and open fires are part of everyday living even for the youngest children. They respect danger and there are no accidents.

• Staff is usually mature, degree level pedagogues who are competent and confident in dealing with life and children.

• Outdoor areas range from vast surrounding forests to generous barriered outdoor spaces where children have "space" to live outdoors and nature is considered an important vehicle for learning.

• Children access the outdoors in all weathers and all wear suitable wet weather clothing.

• Settings have clothes drying cupboards and wellington dryers in cloakrooms.

• Children are taught to use dangerous instruments e.g. saws, whittling knives.

• Children do not always have to be in sight of an adult but move around freely respecting the barriers often only given "verbally" eg you can go as far as you want as long as you keep the setting in sight.

• Physical challenges are built into the outdoor environment e.g. trees to climb, rope swings, vast amounts of sand to dig etc.

• Children are not discouraged from taking risks and are infact encouraged to get to know their own limits.

• Parents and staff whilst making risk assessments are not overprotective.

• There are few or no rules only values.

• Because of adequate space and time to pursue self-chosen interests and skills children do not become frustrated and there is little reason for conflict between children or adults and children.

• Children play in depth using their own imaginations or play representationally using sticks, sloppy mud, grass, leaves etc.

• Space is left indoors; sometimes rooms are left empty, for children to move around in a physical way.

• The atmosphere in settings is always calm, relaxed and unpressurised.

• Children are seen to be valued throughout; they are valued as competent learners and childhood is celebrated.

• The Danish philosophy is about developing inner strength.

• Danish pre-school education is heavily subsidised as everybody is expected to work.

• Children do not commence formal education until seven and any formality before that is disparaged by practitioners and parents alike.

Of paramount importance is the fact that Denmark has a predominantly a middle -class crime -free society where everybody is at least bi-lingual.

The official Danish pre-school curriculum implemented in 2004 covers six areas of learning:

• The child's all round personal development
• Social development
• Language
• Body and movement
• Nature and natural phenomenon
• Cultural expressions and values

And within these areas are included four learning processes:

1.To be able to;

• develop physical skills
• develop positive self-image
• "test" oneself
• self regulation

2. To experience:

• the wonderful
• the frightening
• joy
• oneself
• fellowship

3. To enjoy;

• sensory experiences
• rhythm

4. To understand;

• ethics and morals
• close relationships
• communication

Children's skills and competencies within this curriculum are developed through predominantly using the outdoor environment and research is showing that children who spend significant amounts of time outdoors -

• Have better motor skills
• Are more creative
• Have fewer infections
• Are less stressed
• Have fewer conflicts
• Have well developed social skills
• Are less obese
• Have fewer allergies
• Have healthier hearts

As a result of my new experiences and learning I can only wonder that so little regard is given to European and Scandinavian knowledge in the area of early years provision. What must we do to give childhood back to children?

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