Supporting children’s social and emotional well-being in the early years: an exploration of practitioners’ perceptions

Children’s social and emotional well-being can be supported through their experiences of early years education to promote positive life-long outcomes. This study explored the views of 10 early years practitioners in relation to supporting children’s social and emotional well-being. Data was gathered using semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. Themes were explored in relation to practitioners’ understanding of ‘social and emotional well-being’ as well as their views on training opportunities in this area. The findings identified how early years practitioners conceptualize social and emotional well-being and highlighted the complexities and intricacies of the parent-practitioner relationship in the early years. The emotional well-being of staff was also pertinent to early years practitioners’ views. It is proposed that future research and practice focuses on opportunities for reflective discussions for early years staff and on the development of relationships

‘We’ve got a few who don’t go to PE’: Learning support assistant and special educational needs coordinator views on inclusion in physical education in England

Britain’s 1981 Education Act stimulated a partial migration of pupils from special to mainstream schools. The onus has since been on teachers to meet the needs and capitalise on the capabilities of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in mainstream school settings. The research analysed learning support assistant (LSA) and special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) views on inclusion in physical education (PE). Individual interviews were conducted with 12 LSAs and 12 SENCOs working in mainstream schools in North-West England. Open, axial and selective coding was performed on interview transcripts to identify reoccurring themes. The research found that SENCOs and LSAs considered PE to be an inclusive subject, the conceptualisation of which was left to them. However, developing PE provision that met the needs and optimised the capabilities of pupils with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and supporting pupils with SEND during team games and competitive sports, were identified as key challenges to inclusion in PE. This may be of concern to some educationalists given that these types of curriculum activities have recently been repositioned at the heart of PE in England. A key challenge for all those involved in educating pupils with SEND in PE, especially teachers and LSAs, is to plan and teach team games and competitive sports in ways that meet the needs of and stretch all pupils, in particular those with ASD

From evidence-base to practice: implementation of the Nurse Family Partnership programme in England

The aims of this article are to highlight the issues that are relevant to the implementation of a rigorously evidence-based programme of support, the Nurse Family Partnership programme, into a national system of care. Methods used are semi-structured interviews with families in receipt of the programme in the first 10 sites, with the nursing staff, with members of the central team guiding the initiative and with other professionals. Analyses of data collected during programme delivery evaluate fidelity of delivery. The results indicate that the programme is perceived in a positive light and take-up is high, with delivery close to the stated US objectives. Issues pertaining to sustainability are highlighted - in particular, local concerns about cost set against long-term rather than immediate gains. However, local investment is predominantly strong, with creative methods being planned for the future. Overall, the study shows that within an NHS system of care it is possible to deliver a targeted evidence-based programme

The relationship between the phonological strategies employed In reading and spelling

This paper summarises a longitudinal study which examined the relationship between the abilities of young children to read and spell phonologically. Empirical evidence of Bryant and Bradley (1980) and Cataldo and Ellis (1988) to show that children acquire the ability to use a phonological strategy for spelling before the ability to use an equivalent strategy for reading is confirmed. Implications for the teaching of reading are discussed.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73266/1/j.1467-9817.1991.tb00011.x.pd

From Marginalized to Maximized Opportunities for Diverse Youths With Disabilities: A Position Paper of the Division on Career Development and Transition

Current secondary education and transition practices have created differential education and employment outcomes by gender, race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and disability classifications. These differential outcomes result in economic and social marginalization of far too many students with disabilities. Transition education practices need to respond to these differential outcomes and provide targeted, systematic, and long-term opportunities for all students to attain individually and family-determined postschool goals. This position paper recommends an ecological framework for considering the multiple systems that influence transition education and postschool outcomes for diverse youths with disabilities. The authors argue for educators, researchers, and policy makers to attend to social, political, economic, educational, and cultural contexts in developing effective interventions and improving postschool outcomes.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

A different head? Parental agency and early intervention

This paper considers the agency and identity of parents of children with Down syndrome within early intervention. It draws upon semi-structured, conversational interviews with nine parents and the reflections of one of the authors upon their experiences within early intervention programmes. It considers how representations of the deficit model permeate the participation of the parent in this process. It explores the multiple identities of the parents and links these to notions of parental participation within the current policy context of early intervention in England. The notion of parental agency is an implicit driver within the current early intervention programmes, yet it appears to be compromised by the nature of those programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR

Why is parental involvement in children's mathematics learning hard? Parental perspectives on their role supporting children's learning

This article focuses on parents’ experiences and practices supporting children’s mathematics learning. We employ a conceptual framework that makes a distinction between school-centered and parent-centered approaches to parental involvement in children’s learning. We review literature showing that aspects of both school-centered and parent-centered approaches can be problematic, and explore this further in a group interview study. Group interviews were conducted with parents of children in 16 primary schools in a city in the southwest of England. Topics of discussion included parents’ level of confidence and perceived ability in mathematics, their experience of doing mathematics with their children out-ofschool, and their interactions with school about mathematics. Findings revealed some specific negative effects of school-centered approaches, and suggested that school-centered approaches may in fact restrict parents’ understanding of how they can support mathematics learning in the home. However, the analysis also adds useful depth to our understanding of opportunities associated with a parent-centered approach to parental involvement in mathematics learning

‘Just Google It?’: Pupils’ Perceptions and Experience of Research in the Secondary Classroom

While numerous studies examine perceptions of research held by university researchers, studies examining perceptions held by school pupils are rare. To address this gap and following analysis of questionnaire data (N = 2634, KS3/4/5 pupils), we conducted 11 group interviews with 100 pupils in England to investigate their experiences of research during schooling and their perceptions of how research is conceived, conducted and where its utility and significance lie. Thematic analysis of the interview data – informed by Angela Brew’s 4-tier descriptor of perceptions of research (domino, trading, layer, journey), Jenni Stubb's and colleagues' elaboration of this descriptor, Jan Meyer's and colleagues' conceptions of research inventory (CoRI) and Diane Bills’ distinction between Research and research – led to seven themes. Here we elaborate the most significant of these themes: fact finding as research; who formulates and owns a research question; and the friction between uninformed opinion and informed view. We conclude that secondary pupils’ experiences and perceptions of research, while overall relatively rich, vary across different disciplines. We also conclude that pupils would benefit substantially from more comprehensive engagement with research processes, and we observe the role that qualifications such as the Extended Project Qualification can play in fostering said engagement

Secular trend in neonatal mortality in the mountain states

Reviewing trends in neonatal mortality from 1957 to 1967, it is clear that neonatal and infant mortality has declined faster in the mountain states than in the low altitude states. Accordingly, the increased neonatal and infant mortality at high altitudes or in the mountain states cannot be attributed to high altitude hypoxia alone. Furthermore, the decline in neonatal mortality in the mountain states has not been accompanied by a decrease in the frequency of low birth weight (below 2500 gm) and is therefore not a product of increasing body size in the neonate.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/37503/1/1330330114_ftp.pd