Developmental Education for Young Children

Developmental Education for Young Children International Perspectives on Early Childhood Education and Development Volume 7 Series Editors Professor Marilyn Fleer, Monash University, Australia Professor Ingrid Pramling-Samuelsson, Gothenburg University, Sweden Editorial Board Professor Joy Cullen, Massey University, New Zealand Professor Yukiko Mastsukawa, Rak-Rak University, Japan Professor Rebeca Mejı́a Arauz, ITESO, Mexico Professor Nirmala Rao, University of Hong Kong, China Professor Anne B. Smith, Formally from the Children’s Issues Centre, University of Otago, New Zealand Professor Collette Tayler, Queensland University of Technology, Australia Associate Professor Eva Johansson, Gothenburg University, Sweden Professor Lilian G. Katz, Ph.D. Professor Emerita of Early Childhood Education, University of Illinois, USA Early childhood education in many countries has been built upon a strong tradition of a materially rich and active play-based pedagogy and environment. Yet what has become visible within the profession, is essentially a Western view of childhood preschool education and school education. It is timely that a series of books be published which present a broader view of early childhood education. This series, seeks to provide an international perspective on early childhood education. In particular, the books published in this series will: • • • • • • • • Examine how learning is organized across a range of cultures, particularly Indigenous communities Make visible a range of ways in which early childhood pedagogy is framed and enacted across countries, including the majority poor countries Critique how particular forms of knowledge are constructed in curriculum within and across countries Explore policy imperatives which shape and have shaped how early childhood education is enacted across countries Examine how early childhood education is researched locally and globally Examine the theoretical informants driving pedagogy and practice, and seek to find alternative perspectives from those that dominate many Western heritage countries Critique assessment practices and consider a broader set of ways of measuring children’s learning Examine concept formation from within the context of country-specific pedagogy and learning outcomes The series will cover theoretical works, evidence-based pedagogical research, and international research studies. The series will also cover a broad range of countries, including poor majority countries. Classical areas of interest, such as play, the images of childhood, and family studies will also be examined. However the focus will be critical and international (not Western-centric). Bert van Oers Editor Developmental Education for Young Children Concept, Practice and Implementation 123 Editor Dr. Bert van Oers Department of Theory and Research in Education VU University Van der Boechorststraat 1 Amsterdam Netherlands ISBN 978-94-007-4616-9 ISBN 978-94-007-4617-6 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-4617-6 Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg New York London Library of Congress Control Number: 2012940733 © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2012 This work is subject to copyright. 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However, policy makers often do not shine in their educational imagination and seem to believe that direct instruction and norm-referenced standardised measurements of learning outcomes will finally provide the solution to the problem of achieving academic excellence in all pupils. Apparently they seem to hope that this will subsequently guarantee a good position in the international competitions of the knowledge economy. In the past decades, however, a number of educators have been deeply worried about this exclusively economy-based approach to the education of the upcoming generation. Of course, they agreed that it is important that schools contribute to the formation of well-informed citizens, but they also saw that much more is required (at the level of loyalty to the community, fairness, personal sense, creativity, moral position, democratic attitude, etc.) to face the future problems of our world community and our planet. Schools also have duties in fostering what Hannah Arendt has called amor mundi. It is this critical “love for the world” that enables future generations to live their lives as morally and intellectually responsible citizens, and to see life – using Vygotskij’s words – as an essentially creative endeavour. In the Netherlands, a small community of educationalists addressed the problem described above as an essentially pedagogical problem and as an issue of meaningful learning. From a Vygotskian perspective they developed both theory and examples of good practice for promoting cultural learning in play contexts within the school. This resulted in an approach embodied in an evolving play-based curriculum for the primary school. A large number of highly engaged teachers, teacher trainers, curriculum innovators, and academics succeeded in turning this ideal into an effective interdisciplinary collaboration for the realisation of innovated classroom practices. Our presentations of this approach and its outcomes for young children, both at international conferences and in journals, sparked much interest among many colleagues, especially with respect to how we implement this approach in the context of everyday classrooms. This interest led to the conception of this book Developmental Education for Young Children. We are grateful to the series v vi Preface editor Marilyn Fleer who encouraged us to embark on this ambitious enterprise. We hope that this book can satisfy for the moment the interest that has been expressed in the approach, even though it remains one that is ever-evolving. Composing and editing a book like this, with the collaboration of so many overcommitted people, is no small thing. The engagement of everybody to contribute and make time for this project is in itself a sign of the deep personal engagement of the members of this interdisciplinary community. For the fact that the book could finally be published I must thank all contributors and especially two persons who have patiently and effectively supported me in the final stage of the project: Frea Janssen-Vos and the publisher’s agent Astrid Noordermeer. Amsterdam Bert van Oers Acknowledgements Pictures in the book were taken by: Anneke Hoogenberg: 4.7a, b; 4.8a, b Ester van Oers: 4.6a, b Hanneke Verkley: 4.1.a–e; 4.3, 4.4, 4.5a, b; 4.9a, b Lieke Roof: 9.1, 9.2, 9.3 All photographers have given their written permission for publication. All photographed persons have given their consent for publication. vii Contents 1 Introduction .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bert van Oers Part I 1 Developmental Education: Core Issues 2 Developmental Education: Foundations of a Play-Based Curriculum Bert van Oers 13 3 Responsible Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Willem Wardekker 27 4 Developmental Education for Young Children: Basic Development .. Frea Janssen-Vos and Bea Pompert 41 Part II Good Practices of Developmental Education 5 Learning to Communicate in Young Children’s Classrooms . . . . . . . . . . Dorian de Haan 67 6 Assessing Vocabulary Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Renata Adan-Dirks 87 7 Dynamic Assessment of Narrative Competence . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Chiel van der Veen and Mariëlle Poland 8 Promoting Abstract Thinking in Young Children’s Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Bert van Oers and Mariëlle Poland 9 Teaching Arts: Promoting Aesthetic Thinking . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 Lieke Roof 10 Every Child Is Special: Teaching Young Children with Special Needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 Barbara Nellestijn and Isabel Peters ix x Contents 11 Fostering the Teacher-Parent Partnership . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 Frea Janssen-Vos and André Weijers Part III Implementing the Play-Based Curriculum of Developmental Education 12 Coaching the Transition Towards Developmental Education: Exploring the Situation with Teachers .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 Lorien de Koning 13 Creating Knowledge and Practice in the Classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207 Bea Pompert 14 Evaluation of Learning and Development . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223 Ester van Oers 15 Teaching Reading by Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239 Bea Pompert 16 Learning to Communicate About Number . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 Niko Fijma 17 Developmental Education Schools as Learning Organisations .. . . . . . . 271 Hans Bakker 18 Conclusion: Actual and Future Consequences of Implementing and Researching Developmental Education .. . . . . . . . 289 Bert van Oers Index . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297 List of Figures Fig. 4.1 Fig. 4.2 Fig. 4.3 Fig. 4.4 Fig. 4.5 Fig. 4.6 Fig. 4.7 Fig. 4.8 Fig. 4.9 (a) In the check-in zone self made labels are attached to the luggage. (b) The passengers (children and teacher) hand over their documents to be checked. (c) In the cabin the stewardess is serving snacks and drinks. (d) In the cockpit the pilot is checking the instrument panels. (e) Mechanics are trying to repair the engine .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The circle diagram representing the aims of Basic Development . Two boys are delightfully messing about with sand balls . . . . . . . . . . In the doctor’s corner nurses and doctors are exploring all kinds of interesting objects .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (a) After the teachers’ reading a story about a sick bear, all children want to play doctor. (b) The (play) plasters and needles make them feel, act and talk like real doctors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (a) One of the gym’s customers, Cas, makes his own sports pass with the gym’s name (the hamster) on it, and writes his own name on the front. (b) On the back he writes his age, height and heart rate . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (a) The front of the building. (b) The back and the right-hand side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (a) A concrete representation of the hospital, showing the different floors and the blue lights of the trauma helicopter. (b) A more schematic representation of the different floors and the trauma helicopter on the roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (a) When the group is talking about planes and things that can fly, the teacher makes a word-field of the children’s ideas. (b) Afterwards the group’s conversation is about where the children would like to fly to . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 44 49 49 50 52 54 54 59 xi xii List of Figures Figures/Photos 4.1a-e; 4.3, 4.4, 4.5a, b; 4.9a, b are made by Photography Hanneke Verkleij Figure/Photo 4.6a, b are made by Ester van Oers Figures/Photos 4.7a, b; 4.8a, b are from Anneke Hoogenberg Fig. 5.1 Fig. 5.2 The teacher’s roles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roles of the teacher, percentages of utterances .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 76 Fig. 6.1 Fig. 6.2 Comparison of RTVAT and CITO scores at De Leonardo . . . . . . . . . 100 Comparison of RTVAT and CITO scores at De Pool .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Fig. 7.1 Standardised and interactionist DA integrated in a sandwich format .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 Fig. 8.1 Fig. 8.2 Fig. 8.3 Fig. 8.4 The building design of St. Nicholas’ ship . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . St. Nicholas’ ship drawn by Maudy .. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The map: the schematisation of the accident location .. . . . . . . . . . . . . Another schematisation of the accident location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 127 131 132 Fig. 9.1 Talk about painting .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 Fig. 9.2 Painting flowers like van Gogh’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Fig. 9.3 Fire .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Pictures in this chapter were taken by the author. Fig. 11.1 Fig. 11.2 Fig. 11.3 A small size circle .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168 The three layers of the communication wall . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 One of the mothers helps in the class’ kitchen ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 Fig. 13.1 Fig. 13.2 Evaluation triangle for Basic Development .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 Diagram for organisational options . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214 Fig. 14.1 Fig. 14.2 Fig. 14.3 Fig. 14.6 Fragment of the preparation form for themes and activities . . . . . . . The completed web model of the “The garden centre”.. . . . . . . . . . . . A screenshot from the HOREB-programme (see www. HOREB-po.nl) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The square model of the logbook.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A fragment of an evaluation form after the first 3-months-period .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A fragment of the transfer form for literacy . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fig. 15.1 Fig. 15.2 Fig. 15.3 Scheme of literacy activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 Main objectives for reading activities . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247 Main objectives for writing activities . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247 Fig. 16.1 Fig. 16.2 Example of a teacher’s planning in the book of activities. . . . . . . . . . 263 “Rekenrekje” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 Fig. 17.1 Engeström’s activity system triangle .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274 Fig. 14.4 Fig. 14.5 226 228 232 233 235 236 List of Tables Table 5.1 Table 5.2 Table 5.3 Table 5.4 Play orientation of teachers and children; percentages of utterances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Type of narrative utterances. Percentages of utterances of teachers and children . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Teachers’ roles and narrative structures. Percentages and absolute number of utterances.. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Input of words. Absolute number of frequent words of teacher Erika per play interaction .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 82 82 84 Table 7.1 Dynamic assessment of narrative competence: some elements from the score sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Table 12.1 Table 12.2 Stages in thematic activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 Working schedule in the first year of implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 Table 13.1 The five didactical impulses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 Table 14.1 Table 14.2 The completed matrix for the theme “The garden centre”.. . . . . . . 226 Example of an activity planned in the logbook, including the reflection and the follow-up plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230 Table 17.1 The conditions linked to the activity system components . . . . . . . . 281 xiii About the Contributors Renata Adan-Dirks (M.Sc. in Education), has taught at various Dutch primary schools in the area of Amsterdam and is currently a pre-kindergarten teacher at Amsterdam International Community School (www.aics.eu). Hans Bakker (M.Sc. in Education), teacher and teacher trainer, Christian University of Professional Studies, Ede (CHE), the Netherlands. Faculty of Education (Teacher Training College). Additionally teacher/tutor in the Master training “Educational Leadership” and the Master training “Education and Innovation”. Dorian de Haan (Ph.D.), professor in Developmental Education, Inholland University of Applied Sciences, Haarlem, Faculty of Learning, Education and Philosophy of Life. Assistant Professor in Developmental Psychology, Utrecht University. Lorien de Koning (M.Sc. in Education), works as an educational developer and teacher trainer at “De Activiteit,” National Centre for Developmental Education. Additionally, she also works as a primary school teacher. Niko Fijma (M.Sc. in Education), educated as a primary school teacher and educationalist. Currently, teacher trainer and managing director of “De Activiteit,” National Centre for Developmental Education (Alkmaar). Expert in early childhood education, particularly mathematics in primary school. Frea Janssen-Vos started as a kindergarten teacher. After studying educational theory she dedicated her work to improving curricula and practice in early childhood education in several institutes. Since 1990 she and her project group in the APS (Dutch institute for educational innovation) are broadly acknowledged as the founders of the approach Basisontwikkeling, based on the cultural-historical activity theory. Barbara Nellesteijn (M.Sc. in Education), editor-in-chief of Zone, a journal for Developmental Education, De Activiteit, Alkmaar, The Netherlands. Isabel Peters (M.Sc. in Education), Researcher, “De Activiteit Alkmaar.”. xv xvi About the Contributors Mariëlle Poland (Ph.D.), educational and pedagogical consultancy, Wieringerwerf, the Netherlands. Main function is coaching of high-sensitive children and their parents/teachers, in educational institutions and at home. Bea Pompert (M.Sc. in Education), educated as a primary school teacher and educationalist. Currently, teacher trainer and managing director of “De Activiteit,” (Alkmaar). Chair of the “Academie voor Ontwikkelingsgericht Onderwijs” (the Dutch association for Developmental Education). Expert in early childhood education, literacy, and language in primary school. For many years she has been involved in the nation-wide implementation of Developmental Education through a joint activity of teachers, trainers, and researchers in the direction of sustainably transformed classrooms. Lieke Roof (M.Sc. in Education), teacher at the primary school “De Groote Wielen” in Rosmalen, The Netherlands. Chiel van der Veen (M.Sc. in Education), lecturer and Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Theory and Research in Education, VU University, Amsterdam. Teacher trainer at “De Activiteit.”. Bert van Oers (Ph.D.), professor in VU University, Amsterdam, Faculty of Psychology and Education, Department Theory and Research in Education. Ester van Oers (M.Sc. in Education), teacher coach at the primary school “De Archipel” in Amsterdam and member of the editorial board of Zone, a journal for Developmental Education. Willem Wardekker (Ph.D.), professor of Quality of Education (retired), Windesheim University of Professional Studies, Zwolle, Netherlands, and assistant professor of Education, VU University, Amsterdam, Netherlands. André Weijers, primary school teacher. Currently working as educational developer and teacher trainer at “De Activiteit,” National Centre for Developmental Education. He also works as teacher trainer at “Bureau Inzet,” an organisation for starting teachers. About the Editor Bert van Oers (1951) is professor in Cultural-Historical Theory of Education at the Department of Theory and Research in Education in the Faculty of Psychology and Education of the VU University Amsterdam. He was trained as a psychologist, specialising in the theory of learning and developmental psychology at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. Since the mid-1970s he has been engaged with Vygotskij’s cultural-historical theory and defended his dissertation “Activity and Concept” (in Dutch) in 1987 at the VU University Amsterdam. In the 1980s, he focused his research activities on early childhood education from a Vygotskian point of view and contributed to the elaboration of the concept Ontwikkelingsgericht Onderwijs (“Developmental Education”). In conjunction with many teachers, curriculum innovators, teacher trainers, and academics he collaborated in the nationwide implementation of Developmental Education in the Netherlands. For his work on early childhood education he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Jyväskylä in Finland. His research interests are in play as a context for learning in the primary school (all grades), concentrating particularly on the development of mathematical thinking, literacy, and aesthetic thinking. Some of his English book publications are: The transformation of learning. Advances in cultural-historical activity theory (co-edited with Wardekker, Elbers and van der Veer; Cambridge University Press, 2008), Narratives of childhood (Amsterdam: VU Press, 2003), and Symbolizing, Modeling and Tool Use in Mathematics Education (co-edited work: Gravemeijer, Lehrer, van Oers, and Verschaffel; Dordrecht: Kluwer, 2003). He is a member of several editorial boards of journals on early childhood education. See: www. bertvanoers.nl. xvii