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5. Conclusion
Our review of the international evidence suggests four conclusions with regard to questions about the distinctiveness of an early years phase in education and the benefits to be derived from this provision.
- There is international recognition for early years as a distinct phase of education for children from about three to six years of age.
- Particular features of and expectations for early education will vary with cultural and socio-political conditions in society.
- There is widespread support for early years education as an intervention that can make a difference in the lives of disadvantaged children.
- There is a body of evidence to suggest that early years education makes a difference to the cognitive and social/behavioural development of children and to some aspects of academic attainment and social behaviour in the first years of school.
However, the evidence is also clear that it is not early years educational provision per se that makes a difference to children's learning and development trajectories but the nature of that provision and the practice of the adults in each setting. There is no evidence to suggest that one curriculum is superior but widespread support for some features of early years education as crucial for children's learning:
- a holistic view of learning and the learner
- active or experiential learning
- respect for children's ability to be self-motivating and directing
- valuing responsive interactions between children and adults as crucial for learning.
Transition between any two phases of education poses challenges, particularly when it involves structural discontinuity ( e.g. changes in provider or institution) and shifts in curriculum. In some circumstances there can be tension between offering educational experiences that are appropriate for children's current needs and the expectations of others that children will be move to the next phase in the education system prepared to learn in different ways. This tension can be addressed (i) by valuing alternative modes of learning ( e.g. experiential learning, mediated through action or de-contextualised learning, mediated through language and symbols); (ii) developing ways of easing transition from one dominant mode to another and (iii) promoting children's metacognitive understanding.
- Studies of transition suggest that past attempts to change practice have had limited value and that there is a need to focus on matching provision with the needs of young learners.
- Children's experience at the beginning of early years education would benefit from more attention to the way in which they are inducted into the new learning environment and more explicit attention to their learning and development before transition into an early years setting.
- A period of pedagogical continuity offers the prospect of smoothing transition by introducing new curriculum content in ways that are both familiar and developmentally appropriate. Such an approach is likely to be particularly helpful for young learners who are just beginning to be able to think about their own learning and for whom the responsive pedagogy typical of early years settings would offer sensitive support for the new learning challenges of primary education.
- There are likely to be considerable individual differences in cognitive and social development when children move to school but current ways of assessing 'readiness' are of limited validity and differentiating learning experiences within the new setting is more likely to be effective in facilitating learning.
- Age can be used an eligibility criterion for the move to another institution but should not imply that the child is ready for curriculum changes or reduce the need to ensure developmentally appropriate educational provision.
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