Remembering childhood Do our memories and experiences influence our understanding of early childhood and our practice with young children?

Students on the Early Childhood Studies degree programme at the University of East London were asked to reflect on their childhood memories and how these have shaped their understandings of early childhood and practices with young children. Students’ rich and varied accounts reflect the diversity of...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Management in education Vol. 28; no. 4; pp. 175 - 179
Main Authors: Horsley, Karen, Penn, Helen
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.10.2014
Subjects:
Biographies
Child Development
College Students
Cultural Differences
Discussion (Teaching Technique)
Early Childhood Education
Early Experience
Educational Practices
Electronic Mail
Foreign Countries
Governance
Group Discussion
Individual Differences
Influences
Leadership
Memory
Reflection
Semi Structured Interviews
Student Journals
Transcripts (Written Records)
United Kingdom
Young Children
United Kingdom
Early childhood
memories
child development
practice
practitioner
culture
ISSN:0892-0206, 1741-9883
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Students on the Early Childhood Studies degree programme at the University of East London were asked to reflect on their childhood memories and how these have shaped their understandings of early childhood and practices with young children. Students’ rich and varied accounts reflect the diversity of largely non-traditional students from countries on every continent. Recurrent themes persist, but what remains constant is that memories are inescapably grounded in the sociocultural contexts of the times and places in which students grew up; a world away from traditional, reductionist ‘ages and stages’ or milestones. Drawing on Rogoff, differences and cultural influences, in the UK and elsewhere, on childhood and practice are worth exploring in developing many possible interpretations of the requirements of working with children and families. Inter-disciplinary conversations may help to identify and unpick complex relationships between childhood memories and every day work with young children, in the various practice settings students encounter.
ISSN:0892-0206
1741-9883
DOI:10.1177/0892020614550469