Papers by Tanya Richardson
Language, Learning, and Disability in the Education of Young Bilingual Children
This book attempts to combine four extremely pertinent issues: language, learning, disability and... more This book attempts to combine four extremely pertinent issues: language, learning, disability and bilingualism. It does so remarkably well. Although the book claims to “address the pervasive challe...
Children as communicators: peers and others
This chapter will consider the importance of children becoming competent communicators (Bercow, 2... more This chapter will consider the importance of children becoming competent communicators (Bercow, 2008; Field 2010) and will examine how children learn to communicate; looking at speech and language development but also exploring other means of communication. Theories will be compared and contrasted to allow the reader to ponder the nature (Chomsky, 1965) versus nurture (Skinner, 1957; Tomasello 2003) debate within this area and activities provided to allow the reader to apply theory to practice to develop their own pedagogical approach to this area of development. The chapter will look at the impact of environments on the way that children communicate (Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Richardson, 2014), and will consider the social and cultural influences of what, and whom, is around the child. Consideration will be given to the impact of family environments (Hart & Risley, 1993) and peer involvement (Hughes, 2010) as well as how the community in which the child is based can influence the devel...
Polish Journal of Educational Studies, 2019
This paper reports on a small-scale practitioner enquiry undertaken with 17 work-based learners s... more This paper reports on a small-scale practitioner enquiry undertaken with 17 work-based learners studying on a two-year Early Years Foundation Degree programme in a higher education institution in England. The first aim of the enquiry was to identify the perspectives of a cohort of work-based Early Years Foundation Degree students on teaching strategies they experienced at a higher education institution in the English midlands. The second aim was to identify how the findings could be applied to curricular and andragogic enhancements for future students. Beliefs and attitudes questionnaires were administered to the students half way through their programme. Findings indicate that students valued strategies that included the direct input of the lecturers they regarded as ‘more knowledgeable others’ (Vygotsky, 1978), yet they rated peer support as less effective for their learning. Findings indicate that early years students’ applications of learned theory to work-based practice may nee...
Early Child Development and Care, 2016
Within English early childhood education, there is emphasis on improving speech and language deve... more Within English early childhood education, there is emphasis on improving speech and language development as well as a drive for outdoor learning. This paper synthesises both aspects to consider whether or not links exist between the environment and the uality of you g hild e 's utte a es as part of their speech and language development and if so, the nature of those links. In a small-scale case study, data were captured in a natural environment and in indoor and outdoor classrooms. The quality of utterances was analysed using Type/Token Ratios (TTR) analysis. Findings indicate that participa t's spee h uality diffe ed a o di g to e vi o e t. Child e 's lexical diversity was richer in a natural environment than in indoor and outdoor classrooms, which produced mirrored outcomes. The findings suggest that within the natural environment, where learning is child-initiated, the quality of utterances manifest in ways not found in indoor or outdoor classrooms, where learning is adult led.
SAGE Research Methods Cases, 2014
Within England, there is an emerging increase in the number of Forest School sites that are avail... more Within England, there is an emerging increase in the number of Forest School sites that are available for children to access from early years settings. This research, as part of a BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Studies, studies a forest school environment and analyses what impact the natural environment had on a group of 3-and 4-year-olds' speech and language. Although much research exists on how children develop in the outdoors physically, and imaginatively, very little independent research exists as to the benefits of such an environment on speech and language development. A group of children were selected, and their development was noted prior to attending forest school sessions. After attending sessions for 8 weeks, their development was reassessed. During the research, it was discovered that there was a strong emphasis on self-esteem levels within the natural environment, and investigations were carried out to ascertain whether there was a correlation between the two areas. What was discovered was that all children benefited: speech and language skills improved, but most surprising was a significant improvement in children's levels of self-esteem and sense of personal power. When dealing with young children, ethics is paramount, and this case discusses ethical considerations. Learning Outcomes By the end of this case study, you should Have a better understanding of the ethical issues involved when researching young children Be able to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different methodological approaches Understand the impact of a forest school environment on a group of children Speech and Language Development in the Outdoors: Project Overview and Context The purpose of this research was to establish whether access to a natural environment could benefit children's speech and language development. This research was undertaken in a day nursery setting, situated in a village location. The provision is set in the centre of the village, in a converted warehouse. The nursery is open from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m., 51 weeks of the year, and takes children from the age of 3 months up to the age of 5 years. Parents and children access the setting from a distance of up to 15 miles away. This means that the demographics of the users differ vastly. Saying that, however, the setting did not have any children in attendance who had English as an additional language, or had a statement for special educational needs.
European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 2018
It is widely documented that young children participating in research should be protected from ha... more It is widely documented that young children participating in research should be protected from harm and that ethical considerations should be applied throughout a research project. What this paper strives to assert however, is that protecting these participants is insufficient. A research project into children's speech and language development, using audiovisual methods, highlighted that children who are non-participants, those on the periphery of the research, can also be affected by the research process. It is acknowledged throughout this paper that although ethical procedures were adhered to whilst undertaking a specific research project, this was insufficient. It is therefore argued that all children within a research environment, whether participatory or not, should be given equal consideration with regards to ethical protection when undertaking research. It is asserted that "why haven't I got one of those", or the equivalent, is a phrase to be avoided at all costs when undertaking research with children.
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Papers by Tanya Richardson