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When drawing becomes writing….

Professor Cathy Nutbrown

An audio power point of a talk originally given at the

Early Years Coalition ‘Birth to Five Matters Spring Festival March 2022. ‘Spiders, sunshine and bicycle wheels: Looking closely at young children's learning’

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Spiders, sunshine and bicycle wheels:

Looking closely at young children's learning

Professor Cathy Nutbrown

Thursday 31^st March 2022

8-8.45am

Birth to 5 Matters Spring Festival

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Craig’s map

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Athey defines a schema as: ‘ patterns of behaviour and thinking in children that exist underneath the surface features of various contents, contexts and specific experiences’ (p. 5) and, ‘patterns of repeatable actions that lead to early categories and then lead to logical classifications’

(Athey 2007 p. 49)

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Athey discusses children’s learning and development in terms of dynamic movement and positioning:

vertical;
back and forth/side to side;
circular;
going over and under;
going round a boundary;
enveloping and containing space;
going through a boundary.

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David’s drawing of the playtunnel

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Rosie-Anne’s computer

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Andrew’s ‘Intestines’

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If we think of learning as part of growth, and if we are concerned with the quality of growth and fulfilment of growth, we must define our purpose in terms which relate to these ideas and use words which relate to our thoughts. Our thoughts are always imprisoned within the words we use to express them, and we cannot solve a problem if we use the wrong language. We have need to use the language not of building and mechanics but of biology – roots, nourishment, growth – since we are concerned not with machines but with living, growing beings. If we think in terms of how children grow roots, into what they grow roots, and how these roots can best be nourished, we must use words which express such ideas.

Christian Schiller

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From drawing to writing…

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Annie’s book

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Knowledge emerges only through invention and re-invention, through the restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world, and with each other .

Paulo Freire, 1970.

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The individual who has a question which being really a question to him instigates his curiosity, which feeds his eagerness for information. Whatever initiative and imaginative vision he possesses will be called into play . (sic.)

Dewey, 1916

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‘Wisdom begins with wonder’

Socrates