Introduction

Contexts of learning refers to the environment, surroundings and way children learn. Whether it be inside the formal classroom setting, outdoors in the environment, on a school trip or through play. It is important to create the best environment for children to learn making sure they are getting involved with the task, understanding and constantly engaged. Most teachers and practitioners today are aware of the many ways in which a child can learn but it important that it is put into practice within schools for a child to receive the best education and opportunity to continue learning lifelong skills.

Throughout my blog I will look and assess various contexts of learning and will look at the work of different theorists related to the contexts of learning that I chose to investigate and discuss.

Learning away from the Classroom

Learning is vitally important both in the formal classroom and away from the school environment. Previously in my blog, I have looked at forest schools which is a form of learning outside the classroom and it has been proven that children learn substantially even in the outdoor setting.

The Department for Education and Skills (2006) state, "We believe that every young person should experience the world beyond the classroom as an essential part of learning and personal development, whatever their age, ability or circumstances."

As a child I went on school trips to Museums, Techniquest and National Parks. These trips provided me with excitement as well as a new field of knowledge regarding interesting topics. Also with learning outside the classroom I felt physical benefits along with social and emotional benefits.

Reference List

The Department for Education and Skills (2006) Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto. Nottingham: The Department for Education and Skills

Play

Play is an essential part of a child's life, it needs to be fun and exciting. Children need to be actively involved in their learning in order for them to make sense of the world around them. (Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, 2008). In Early Years settings many different types of play occur. If the environment is structured appropriately children will learn through investigating and exploring.

The Rumbold Report's beliefs on play still remain in place today . They suggested that when play is well planned and pleasurable it helps children to think, to increase their understanding and to improve their language competence. (Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, 2008).

The Welsh Government focus on the purpose of play in the Foundation Phase and they underline many benefits of play. Play is said to enhance language and communication skills, develop concentration and also develop positive attitudes. Play can also encourage friendships and help children learn to respect one another as they will work together in order to solve a problem.

Work from theorists such as Lev Vygotsky are still highly regarded today and he believed that learning does not happen when a child is alone, learning happens in a group of children, listening, working together, sharing, discussing experiences and ideas through social interaction. Jerome Bruner another theorist who links in with play supported this and believed that other children and adults supported the learning. (Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, 2008). 

Parten suggested that there are five stages of play which a child would go through. Between 0-2 years the child will go through the solitary stage, between 2 and 2 years 6 months a child is said to be a spectator, 2 and a half to 3 years is called the parallel stage of play, 3-4 years is the associative stage and the final stage is 4 years onwards and is called the co-operative stage.

Reference List

Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (2008) Play/Active Learning Overview for 3 to 7 year olds. Cardiff: Welsh Assembly Government

Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (2008) Learning and Teaching Pedagogy. Cardiff: Welsh Assembly Government

Forest Schools

Forest Schools are an example of Outdoor Education. Forest schools were originated in Scandinavia in the early 20th century as a way of teaching about the natural world. In Forest Schools children will pay visits to woodlands and forest in order to improve their knowledge of the outdoors. Although only some schools are located closely to woodland areas, many schools will organise trips to the woodlands or forests as regularly as possible. 

Forest Education Iniative (2010) says, "Forest School is a long term developmental programme that takes place on a regular basis, typically once a week, for a minimum of 6 sessions, but usually longer." Forest schools are becoming more widespread throughout Wales and England and they are believed to have an holistic approach to education. For example, children will not focus on one single subject but will focus on a number of other skills that will help them achieve and grow in the future. Examples of these skills are personal skills such as teamwork and problem solving. Elements such as mathematics can also be included in the woodland environment which means the National Curriculum is also included. Forest School Wales (2013) state, "The Forest School ethos fundamentally acknowledges individual learning processes by supporting participants at their own pace and following their lead as they explore a safe and stimulating environment full of sensory diversity and variability." 

Forest schools are an example of child led-learning whereby the children are left to their own devices and have their own responsibilities within the woodland area. Forest schools also have elements of risk taking and as result this enhances the confidence of the child. Many schools across the UK are now adopting ideas of forest schools and are developing their own woodland areas within the schools grounds. Pupils tend to find outdoor learning more enjoyable and the experiences gained from forest schools promote the child's learning. The forest school experience encourages children to respect the outdoors and they are able to gain a further understanding of the world we live in. 

Also Margaret McMillan's theory of the outdoors was to promote healthy children in under privileged areas and underlined the importance of time and space for children to explore. (Bilton, 2010).

References

Bilton, H. (2010) Outdoor Learning in the Early Years 3rd Edition. New York: Routledge.

Forest Education Iniative (2010) What is Forest Schools? Retrieved April 19th 2013 from www.foresteducation.org/woodland_learning/forest_schools/ 
 
Forest School Wales (2013) Benefits of Forest School Retrieved April 19th 2013 from www.forestschoolwales.org.uk/ysgol-goedwigforest-school/benefits-of-forest-school/

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrDkTm8eqAg

Montessori Schools

Maria Montessori was an Italian educator who lived between 1870-1952. Maria Montessori had a passion for learning and her work began in San Lorenzo in 1907 where she set up her first Children's House. Maria Montessori chose to introduce new equipment and focused her work on play within the Children's House. Maria Montessori's principle aim was to support all aspects od the child's personal and social development. (Pound, 2006)

Montessori believed children learn through their senses developing skills of understanding, observing and exploring. Activities in a Children's House include care of the environment, preparing food, washing dishes and also cleaning away. Through these such task the children are able to develop muscular co-ordination enabling movement and exploration of their surrounding. (The International Montessori Index, 2013)

Montessori schools have a rich language environment which allows children to express themselves through conversation skills, poetry and stories. These three are all vitally important to human development. The Montessori theory is that the child learns to read through the symbolic approach, building cognitive skills through touching, seeing, smelling, tasting, listening and exploring their environment providing rich, meaningful experiences to support their development. (Moyles, 2005).

The Foundation Phase supports the Montessori philosophy in that the teacher or facilitator only guides the child, they do not teach them. This allows the child to become an active learner. Children learn through being actively involved allowing them freedom to play and develop individually through child led activities which will give them confidence and empathy resulting in the child being able to socialise with their peers. (Montessori Society AMI UK, 2013)

Montessori quoted, "the child can only be free when the adult becomes an acute observer. Any action of the adult that is not a response to the children's observed behaviour limits the child's freedom." (Pound 2006, p.30) Montessori's principles in the way children grow are called the 'planes of development'. As a child progresses through these stages they are physically and psychologically different therefore will have different developmental needs. Adults need to support the natural development of the child at each plane and this will then optimise the development for the whole human being. It is vitally important that these opportunities are not missed. (Montessori Society AMI UK, 2013)

Montessori is a strong believer that education begins at birth and the parents are the first educators of the child. Therefore, Montessori believed that the environment must be designed to cater the child's needs an the parents must understand their natural stages of development.

Reference List

Montessori Society AMI UK (2013) Retrieved 22nd April 2013 from Infant Programmes http://www.montessorisociety.org.uk/montessori/infant-programmes

Montessori Society AMI UK (2013) Retrieved 22nd April 2013 from Montessori Principles http://www.montessorisociety.org.uk/montessori/montessori-principles

Moyles, J. (2010) The Excellence of Play Third Edition. England: Open University Press.

Pound, L. (2006) How Children Learn. London: Practical Pre-School Books.

The International Montessori Index (2013) Retrieved 22nd April 2013 from Montessori Materials and Learning Environments. http://www.montessori.edu/prod.html

Foundation Phase

In 2003 The Learning Country, Department for Training and Education (DTE) consultation documentation provided a system for learning in Wales with a proposal to set out a statutory rich, flexible curriculum, appropriate to meet the needs of young children aged 3-7 years known as the Foundation Phase (DTE, 2003). The document built on strengthening what was current good practice in Wales from the Desirable Outcomes and to provide a balanced, flexible curriculum based upon areas of learning rather than separate subjects (DTE, 2003).

The Welsh Government (2012) states, "The Foundation Phase is a play based statutory curriculum for all 3 to 7 years old children in Wales in both maintained and non-maintained settings." The Foundation Phase essentially encourages the children to be creative and tries to makes a child's learning experience more enjoyable focusing on the child's individual stage of development. The introduction of the Foundation Phase has placed emphasis on the child learning through first  hand experiential learning and by doing. The Foundation Phase just like Forest Schools, focuses on the holistic development of the child as well as working towards the National Curriculum. The Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (2008) says, " We have seven core aims for children and young people developed from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. These will underpin all the activities of The Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS)." (p.3) One of the aims underlined is that all children and young people have a flying start in life and the best possible basis for their future growth and development.

The Welsh Assembly Government (2012) highlight the seven areas of learning within the Foundation Phase which include; Personal and Social Development, Language Literacy and Communication Skills, Mathematical Development, Welsh language Development, Knowledge and Understanding of the World, Physical Development and Creative Development. The Foundation Phase emphasises the importance in using the outdoor environment as a resource for the children's learning. Children are then tested in order to monitor their progress throughout the Foundation Phase.

As mentioned, the Foundation Phase aims to develop a child's personal and social, well-being and cultural diversity. The Foundation Phase will support children for them to gain confidence and for them also to become independent thinkers and learners. Developing the children's well-being, personal and social skills takes priority over the curriculum. Theories from Reggio Emilia, Te Whariki and Denmark are implemented within the foundation Phase.
 

The Foundation Phase uses the work of Lev Vygotsky and Jerome Bruner whereby scaffolding plays a vital part in the learning progress. The Foundation Phase will impact a child's reading and writing and abilities which will essentially make the transition to Key Stage 2 easier.
         

Reference List

Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (2008) Framework for Children's Learning for 3 to 7-year-olds in Wales. Cardiff: Welsh Assembly Government. 

Department for Training and Education (2003) The Learning Country: Foundation Phase 3-7 years. Consultation Document. Cardiff: Welsh Assembly Government

The Welsh Government (2012) Foundation Phase Retrieved April 22nd 2013 from http://wales.gov.uk/topics/educationandskills/earlyyearshome/foundation_phase/?lang=en

The Welsh Government (2012) Seven Areas of Learning Retrieved April 22nd from http://wales.gov.uk/topics/educationandskills/earlyyearshome/foundation_phase/parentscarers/childlearn/sevenareas/?lang=en