Enclosure evolution?

Here's some art by Isabelle. She brought home this first piece a few weeks ago. I see curves, and enclosed spaces - very much in keeping with some of the art she has been doing over the past year or so.







Then the next piece brought home this week. This one is using similar enclosures, but is slightly more angular. The use of different art materials (pastels rather than paint) adds to the angular feel, as you can see the individual strokes used to fill out each shape with colour.







Number three in the series seems to develop the technique of filled-in enclosures to make a "realistic" art work. Isabelle has used pastels again. The art work is: "a snake in the water and sunset and that's all". The sunset is symbolic rather than realistic. It is low down over the water and is rainbow-like. The orange at the top is reminiscent of sunsets we have seen. But there is still a sun in the top right hand corner of the picture (something that is in most of Isabelle's scenes at the moment).


I just read out this post to Isabelle and asked her what she thought. She said "good!" - which I take to mean that she agrees!

I think it's interesting that, although Isabelle is now in the stage in her art development where she is depicting things in a way recognisable to others, she still works in more abstract stages as she explores specific ideas. I think the ideas she's examining here relate to an enclosure schema and investigations about shape. No doubt it is influenced by the ubiquitous colouring-in that makes up an apparently large part of the school "creative" curriculum!

On the colouring-in thing: I think Pennie Brownlee is right when she says "Children learn the skill of colouring-in their own drawings when they are ready to" (Magic Places. Auckland: NZ Playcentre Federation. 2004: 45). And I also think that, as a Playcentre colleague argued the other day, filling defined spaces with blocks of colour (a.k.a colouring-in) can be a particularly fascinating activity for children with an enclosure schema.

And finally, I couldn't resist including the certificate we were awarded last week. Check out the cool joined-up writing signature!

What I've been reading: Sarah-Eve Farquhar

I've posted this elsewhere but thought I would add it here too.

I'm not saying that this author has all the answers, nor that I agree with everything that is said in the full article. But I think it is worth reproducing her overview which you will find in that link (with my emphases) here:

Early childhood education/childcare policy in New Zealand is based on ideology and not on evidence of what is best for children. In other words our ECE policy is not evidence-based. In September 2002 the government released a 10 year plan for ECE and the New Zealand Council for Educational Research Competent Children, Competent Learners study was drawn on to justify the values underpinning the plan and ECE policy. But the study had limited findings relating to ECE effects and quite major methodological problems. Policy development and implementation proceeded without a clear understanding and knowledge of positive and negative childcare/ECE effects. A systematic review (in difference to a general review of the literature) of the best evidence, independently conducted by Childforum Research, using a set of criteria for selection was carried out. This first working paper outlines the major pieces of evidence and discusses these in the light of current ECE policy considerations and directions in New Zealand.

The best evidence points to parents/family having a far greater impact than the childcare/ECE experience on children’s developmental outcomes. This suggests that effort put towards supporting families to provide great home learning environments for children and allowing parents to make child-rearing arrangements that are best for their child and for family well-being would pay off. Such efforts would more likely make a greater difference to children’s immediate and long-term developmental outcomes than simply encouraging parents to make more use of non-parental childcare as present ECE policy does.

Children attending full-time ECE/childcare as compared to part-time (around 12.5 hours per week or 2.5 hour sessions) do not have significantly better developmental outcomes. In other words there is no advantage to be gained for children attending non-parental ECE for longer hours than parents require for childcare. This suggests that the way ECE policy financially incentivises early childhood services to increase the length of sessions and to promote 20 hours or 6 hour days as an optimal minimum, is unnecessary in terms of any added benefits for children. (It may also be at the cost of children not accessing formal ECE still not being able to access it).

The evidence also points to ECE/childcare having both developmental risks and benefits. While there may be cognitive gains (at least in the short-term) there can also be negative outcomes for children’s health, mothers’ sensitivity in interaction with their children, problem behaviours and aggression in children. Public policy that emphasises telling parents about the benefits of formal ECE and not about risks and other childcare options may increase the risks for children further. Enabling parents to be informed and to make informed choices would put parents in the position of being able to better manage risks and understand the size of potential benefits of ECE in interaction with home factors and later schooling choices and experiences.

The saga continues....

So, this morning we were happily engaged at play inside, when a yowling and a howling was heard from the side of the house.

Bully cat!

I raced to the rescue, pausing momentarily at the sink to fill a bowl with water.

Bully cat was down the side of the house, having just seen off the neighbour's cat. The neighbour's dog was barking excitedly.

I ran towards Bully cat, hissing and brandishing my bowl. Bully cat stood his ground and hissed back. I threw the water and yelled, but Bully cat was unmoved. I refilled my bowl and threw another load. Bully cat shook himself and trotted a couple of steps.

Suppressing (on animal welfare grounds) the very strong desire to apply foot to fur, I ran to the hose, connected it and aimed:

"Take that, Bully cat!"

My hose spluttered impotently, released a couple of drips then disconnected itself from the tap.

Curses! Undone by technical incompetence! Round one to Bully cat.

Bully cat crept into the bushes as I reconnected the hose. I gave the general area a good blast, but I fear it was to little effect.

Meanwhile, Houdini dozed on our bed in the sun.

(Word from the hood is that Bully cat was captured one morning, having spent a lovely evening sleeping on a neighbourhood couch. There is a phone number on his collar, which was duly rung. Apparently the conversation was not a happy one. So I don't think I'll be approaching the owner about keeping BC in at night).

Your "tax cut"

And while we're talking about the wisdom of academics, here's a quote:

When governments adjusted the nominal tax bands upwards to offset inflation this used to be portrayed as a cut in income tax or increased government generosity. We now see this is pure inflation illusion. The adjustments are required to merely maintain the real burden of income tax unchanged....And the press no longer hails as income tax cuts the increases in tax bands that are necessary purely to keep up with inflation.

Begg, Fischer Dornbusch (1984) Economics. McGraw-Hill: London. pp. 630

I'm glad the press were "no longer" doing that. In 1984....

Just elaborating a bit...

...on that qualifications thing I mentioned below.

Do I think that the qualifications I have done through Playcentre have made me a better parent and a more skillful practitioner? Yes. But only relative to my former self. Just because I have reached a certain level doesn't mean that I am more effective than someone at our Centre who has a smaller number beside their name. Early childhood stuff doesn't come naturally to me. I'm passionate about it at the moment because I am mother to three small people. But I have no doubts that there are people with less training than me who would do (and do do) an equal or better job of it.

So while I have great respect for training (and academic training), it can give such an incomplete picture.

If only assessing competence were as simple as following the equation of qualifications times years experience....

But the research shows that this is GOOD for children - doesn't it?

Yesterday I went to an early childhood education symposium. There were about 700 delegates there from many parts of the sector - Playcentre, kindy, creches, daycares, academics, Montessori, Steiner etc. So here are my impressions.

First, I was fairly amazed at the low quality of some of the research supporting early childhood policies - or possibly, to be more kind, use of the research in an inappropriate way. Sample sizes of five children? Only observing children doing structured, adult-led tasks? Failure to observe what I would have thought were some fairly basic research methodologies (use of controls, level of proof to determine causal relationships, sample size (again), non-random and/or non-representative selection of research subjects). The famous quote "the plural of anecdote is not data" came to mind. This might not be a problem if the research was carefully reported and used in appropriate contexts (for example, as interesting case studies) or even maybe as explorations of research methods. But millions and millions of taxpayer dollars are being spent right now with some of this research presented as evidence for why these policies are such great ideas. This strikes me as somewhat important....

Second, much of the stuff surrounding the use (or over-use) of non-parental ECE for under 2s pretty much reinforced my personal prejudices. (Or maybe I only took in the information that agreed with my biases!). The importance of solid attachments, relationships and stability in primary carers was emphasized often. I thought there was great evidence for one speaker's description of having under 2s in all-day care as "a public health issue" given that half of the attendees seemed to have hacking coughs and runny noses!

Finally - a little story from the day. Orla (with Brendon and Aidan) came in to see me for a breastfeeding appointment during the lunch break. Orla toddled around exuding cuteness, smiling and making eyes at people. I was suddenly struck with how funny it was that at a day devoted to early childhood, that there were not any actual children around! Then I thought that if I needed to put Orla into daycare, then I would choose the people who, out of their work setting, made eye contact with her as she walked around, mirrored her expression and greeted her with their body language, rather than the ones who ignored her and continued their conversations. Because despite the research that tells us that teacher training is important for quality in an early childhood setting, I can't help but feel that the most important things are having a strong interest in young children, an empathy for them, understanding of their family context and a warm and loving approach. This cannot be learnt in books, but can only be nourished while working alongside those children themselves.

Oh yeah, the research that tells us the importance of qualifications...actually having done some reading today, that's not on such solid ground either.....

What I've been doing lately

Nothing deep here, just what I've been up to over the past couple of days.

Today was Playcentre drop off day. Orla got into the paints shortly after arrival, had a swing, and was finally convinced to leave with me. Aidan got busy in the sandpit and required a full change of clothes before morning tea. He came home with a wetbag full of sodden clothes and shoes, and a face, neck and throat blackened with face paint. We had a sausage sizzle for lunch (because Isabelle was having one at school) with Iris, who came to play. We went to the school assembly and watched Isabelle sing, show her art and wield poi. Iris and Aidan sat together in the front row, until they decided to play outside. I caught most of the show - Orla made it clear that she would prefer to run around on the stage than sit quietly and watch, but with the help of the sling we came to a compromise.

Isabelle wanted to play schools when we came home. I find it interesting that having spent most of her waking hours actually at school, that she needs this additional time to process the experience. I was allocated the role of teacher which I intermittently played according to her expectations. Actually I believe I learn a lot about what really goes on at school during these dramatisations.

Yesterday Aidan, Orla and I caught the bus to the shops (primarily to buy sausages for today's sizzle). Aidan wore a pink cape and leaped around the bus stop in heroic fashion.
"Have we been up that road before?"
"Yes, we visited some people up there once".
"Can we visit them again?"
"No, they don't live there anymore".
"Oh. Did they die?"
"No no, they just moved away".

We saw people we knew at the shops and saw Ruth on the bus. We ate brezels and disappointed the butcher by buying only 4 sausages.

Creating community

We're at the supermarket and I see a new Playcentre family loading up their car on the other side of the window. I hold Aidan up and we wave.

The little girl in her mother's arms isn't even two yet. But when she sees us, her eyebrows rise and her eyes brighten in recognition for a moment. She waves too.

Nice.

Criteria for a good party

When I went to pick Aidan up from a party yesterday, he was naked, wet from head to foot, covered and sand, racing around and laughing .

All signs of a pretty good party really!

Delicious contrasts

Isabelle, ready for ballet, dressed prettily in pink. Floaty skirt, leotard, ballet slippers, ballet bun. And a large pirate tattoo on her forearm.

Aidan pushes a pink doll stroller. Containing his "sawn-off shotgun".

There is no crisis

Being both obedient and a consumer, I start my dryer and dishwasher after 8.00 pm.

How much carbon was that?

Let's see....

One way trip Wellington-Christchurch by air. One hour of my life. $59

One way trip Wellington-Christchurch by rail and ferry. Ten hours of my life. $154

Decisions, decisions.....

Baby R

Baby R has left Playcentre! Well, that probably gives the wrong picture. She didn’t just leave, but graduated to school. And she is far from a baby now.

But Baby R was just that when we started. Little Isabelle, at merely 9 months older, was very much her senior. Isabelle watched Baby R, stroked her gently, saw her playing on her mother’s lap and slowly learnt the skills that she would need in a few short months when she would become a big sister herself.

My next strong image is one from Aidan’s portfolio. Now it is Aidan who is the baby, sitting happily on R’s mother’s lap. And it is toddler R who is the “big sister”, looking down at the baby, a hand reaching out to stroke him gently.

And so we grew together. R’s big sister graduated to school and suddenly, all the big girls were gone. My little Isabelle was suddenly in their place, one of the big girls, being followed rather than following.

Earlier this year I observed R. She played intently and kindly with Orla and an even smaller baby, crouching down to their levels, offering toys, smiles, sisterly guidance, care and undivided attention.

On what was to be the last time I saw her on session, R painted on one side of the easel, and Orla on the other. R painted in 4 year old style – an identifiable (to an adult) smiling face in purposeful colours. Orla’s style was more impressionist, and further down on the canvas! They worked in comfort alongside each other. R smiled gently at my positive noises about her work. I have no idea if she was genuinely pleased or if she was merely humouring me! (These adults say the darndest things!).

Somehow it feels that with R’s departure, a whole generation has come and gone. Despite past experience, I just can’t quite imagine little Orla smiling benevolently down at an as yet unborn baby, teaching, showing, learning, trying on a different role. But I know that we will be lucky that despite her position in the family, she will have a strong experience of a mixed-age environment and the opportunity to learn from different angles – as the baby, as the experienced leader – and as the experienced learner.

We missed R’s last day due to the frailness of the human condition. (Actually I had a podiatrist appointment, but that sounds far too down to earth). Of course, she’s not gone as in vanished. We’ll see her again at a Veterans’ session perhaps, out and about in the community, maybe at the shops. But we will miss her, and notice that what she brought to our sessions is now absent. And as you can never remove the child from their family context, there will be a void where her whole family stood.

Voids like this are never filled, they merely change until the whole system assumes a new shape. And so on we move, until one day when I’m suddenly aware that it is Orla reaching out to stroke the little hand of a new baby friend.

Newspaper angst

Well, it is true. This blog is filled with little anecdotes about my children (gorgeous, cute and talented, of course) rather than insightful analysis of social issues and informed opinion. Actually I write my best analytical commentaries in the shower each morning, but I haven't perfected multitasking to the extent of making use of any of that.

So, to compensate, here is a sample of my usual essays of high-powered intellectual criticism, the arguments fully informed by research and consideration rather than prejudice, half truths and half the information. Ahem.

Shake newspaper.

"What, Tonks Ave historic precinct a haunt of drunks, druggies and prostitutes?! What's new! Surely it was like that in the 1800s. Those by-pass protestors should be happy at retention of historic culture!"

Shake newspaper. Turn page.

"Celebrate their lives. Celebrate their lives! What's wrong with being in mourning? Are we not allowed to grieve anymore? Isn't there a season for everything? Humph".

Shake. Shake shake shake.

"Well humph! No, Mr Police Officer, No! It is certainly NOT just an accident that could happen to anyone. It is NOT just an unfortunate take-my-eyes-off-for-one-minute thing. Dangerous dogs and toddlers do not mix and this was ENTIRELY preventable".

SHAKE. SHAKE SHAKE.

"Oh why even bother interviewing the Sensible Sentencing guy".

Flick. Smooth.

"Oooo permaculture".

Turn page gently.

"Well what's with that? Elderly woman living on her own. In a new house described as "compact". Which is larger than ours which is home to five people. Next to comment that it is the young who expect vast acres of house space. Who writes this stuff?"

Oh well, keeps me busy in the morning. And I still have some of the paper in reserve, unread for tomorrow...

Birthday fun

Here is the making of the cake! Aidan and I made it on Thursday. Aidan, Isabelle and I iced it on Friday afternoon. The children couldn't agree on a design, but did agree to me doing a line down the middle and then each doing their own thing either side. Aidan chose black icing, Isabelle dark greeny-blue. We finished off by icing Girl Guide biscuits for additional decorative and maximum sugary effect.

Spoils of the day from the immediate family:

• A police gun
• A chocolate letter B
• A white chocolate teddy bear
• A framboise lambic beer (chosen by Aidan - "get the pink one!")
• A Thomas Hardy ale - I haven't seen this one for a while, so nabbed its reincarnation while I saw it. We still have original Thomas Hardys in the pantry which are cellaring away in the pantry.
• Shihad cd and matching black t-shirt.
  

We ate cake and laughed at our black mouths, teeth and tongues.