The natural environment and holistic development
A natural environment provides children with enjoyable experiences where adults are able to provide a safe environment to support development (Klein et al, 2015).
Under the guidance of the Early Years Foundation Stage (2014), practitioners should be considering children’s individual needs and interests when planning as they can challenge children through enjoyable experiences (DfE, 2014). Susan Isaacs (1885-1948) saw the importance of play as children would be able to make sense of the world by themselves, with little guidance from practitioners (Pound, 2006). A forest school provides children with this opportunity because they are able to actively engage in their natural environment and discover new elements of an environment that can benefit their play and learning. This is why play is essential for children’s holistic development because they are able to build their confidence whilst exploring the natural environment, encountering problems and learning how to solve them, but also they are able to communicate with their peers (DfE, 2014). As practitioners we know that there are seven areas to the EYFS (2014) and how each area can work together to help support children in their learning and holistic development. For example, children may be creating their base camp for forest school by running around, picking up sticks, stones and leaves and rolling logs to go around the camp fire. This is not only benefitting their fine and gross motor skills, an element of physical development, but their language and personal, social and emotional development as they are forming relationships and working as a group to achieve a desired goal of forest school. Likewise, forest schools allow practitioners to see where children are currently in their holistic development. For example, practitioners are able to see children’s current levels of self-esteem and their preferred learning style (Knight, 2011). This can relate back to their personal, social and emotional development because practitioners will be able to evaluate children’s individual needs in order to tailor activities that will benefit the physical and emotional learning of the individual and the whole group (Knight, 2011). Although the focus of this example is on personal, social and emotional development, it is evident that such a task can benefit children’s physical and language development, as the natural environment allows children to work in groups and form relationships with others. Can you see the areas of the EYFS within Forest School? Is children’s development effected by lack of contact with the outdoors? According to Louv (2010) there is no other time in history where children have become so separated from nature and indoor air pollution is one of the countries number one threats to children’s health, with it being two to ten times worse than outdoor air pollution. With this statement in mind, we as practitioners need to encourage children to spend time outdoors for their holistic development because alienation from the natural environment cannot only effect children’s physical health, but their senses and attention can become effected, along with a higher rate of physical and emotional illness (Louv, 2010). Not only can indoor air pollution effect children’s holistic development, but lack of being outside in nature can cause implications for children socially, psychologically and spiritually (Louv, 2010). This is why it is important to encourage more outdoor learning for young children because practitioners can use elements of the outdoors to further children in their development. For example, on a study weekend, a group of University students had to make letters of the alphabet, only using natural resources. This was beneficial as it opened up their eyes, as to what practitioners can do with natural resources and shows that settings don’t need technology or plastic to help move children on in their development. Also, research has suggested that nature can be used as a form of therapy, where children and adults can be supported through depression, obesity and attention deficit disorder, but there is also evidence that children’s concentration can be improved (Louv, 2010). How does this make you feel about children being indoors? Being in an outdoor environment can impact on each child differently, with them behaving differently or doing things they wouldn’t normally do within the classroom (Bilton, 2010). However, we as practitioners need to remember that an environment can impact some children more than others. Bird (2009, cited in Bilton, 2010) indicates in their research that by spending time in a natural environment, children can become less hyperactive leading them to have better concentration levels and greater balance as they become more independent. However, in order for them to connect with nature, children need to play freely in the outdoors before the age of 12, otherwise the effect can diminish (Bird, 2009, cited in Bilton, 2010). According to Slade et al (2013) forest school can provide children with life experiences that they will not gain anywhere else, as the approach helps to further children’s motivation and attitude to learning. This is beneficial to their holistic development because the children are able to take more risks which will benefit their physical and cognitive development because their gross motor skills will develop, as they are provided with opportunities to initiate their own learning, allowing them to problem solve. A report carried out by O’Brien and Murray (2006) on Forest Schools in England highlighted that there were six themes that impacted children from experiencing the natural environment. These six themes are: - 'Confidence - Social skills - Communication - Motivation - Physical skills - Knowledge and Understanding' (O'Brien and Murray, 2006, p.24). This research indicates that a natural environment is beneficial to children’s holistic development, as it is clear that all aspects are covered whilst learning in the outdoors. Similarly, it is inevitable that children need contact with nature to benefit their development, as without this environment their development can suffer. Black (2012) reports that children are suffering from nature-deficit disorder and the National Trust believe that children are becoming dissociated with their natural world, which will impair their learning through real-life experiences. Should practice change so children spend more time outside? Overall, it is evident that a natural environment does impact children’s holistic development because children are able to learn through experiences that are not available from an indoor environment, such as learning about the weather and change of seasons (Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, 2009). Also, the outdoors can extend children’s imagination, nurture their creativity and further their problem-solving skills (Council for Learning outside the Classroom, 2009). It is essential that we, as practitioners ensure children have access to their natural environment, in order their developmental needs to be met. Reference List Bilton, H. (2010) Outdoor Learning in the Early Years: Management and Innovation. Third Edition. London: Routledge. Black (2012) ‘Nature deficit disorder ‘damaging Britain’s children’. BBC Science & Environment, 30 March, BBC News. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17495032 (Accessed: 14 October 2015). Council for Learning Outside the Classroom. (2009) Benefits for Early Years Learning Outside the Classroom. Available at: http://www.lotc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Benefits-for-Early-Years-LOtC-Final-5AUG09.pdf (Accessed: 14 October 2015). Department for Education (2014) Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage: Setting the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five. Available at : https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2 (Accessed: 19 September 2015). United Kingdom. Klein, T.P., Wirth, D. and Linas, K. (2015) Play: Children’s context for development. Available at: http://www.communityplaythings.co.uk/learning-library/articles/play-childrens-context-for-development (Accessed: 19 September 2015). Knight, S. (2011) Forest School for All. London: SAGE Publications. Louv, R. (2010) Last Child in the Woods. [Online] http://www.outdoorfoundation.org/pdf/LastChild.pdf (Accessed: 3 October 2015). O’Brien, L. and Murray, R. (2006) A Marvellous Opportunity for Children to Learn: A participatory evaluation of Forest School in England and Wales. Available at: http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/fr0112forestschoolsreport.pdf/$FILE/fr0112forestschoolsreport.pdf (Accessed: 20 September 2015). Pound, L. (2006) How children learn: from Montessori to Vygotsky – educational theories and approaches made easy. London: Practical Pre-School Books. Robertson, J. (2008) I Ur Och Skur "Rain or Shine" : Swedish Forest Schools. Available at: http://creativestarlearning.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Rain-or-shine-Swedish-Forest-Schools.pdf (Accessed: 15 October 2015). Slade, M., Lowery, C. and Bland, K. (2013) ‘Evaluating the impact of Forest Schools: a collaboration between a university and a primary school’, Support for Learning, 28(5), pp.66-72.
2 Comments
natalie lynn
10/15/2015 02:08:36 am
During one of the forest school projects that I was involved in promote forest school to the head teachers of Torbay. We had one child (a boy) who in the setting was not interested in role play or mark making and very rarely listened or joined in conversation. Over the course of the project he began to engage with the other children and he took a particular interest in story telling when we created puppets with clay, and things from the environment. Woody the wood dragon and Harry the hedgehog became a feature of his play both in the setting and the woods. during the last 2 sessions we introduced woodland books and a markmaking den. the same boy spent over an hour of the session in the den creating his own story with pictures, and marks. He then shared his story with his peers and took it back to the setting. It really opened up different areas of interest for him and gave the setting a way to support his development in areas that he was not so secure in. I think Forest School and its approach is a brilliant way of engaging with children on different levels, if teachers could only see some of their so called 'problem' children in this natural environment they may see a child who can be engaged in learning and can achieve, listen and engage with others in a constructive way.
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Harriet
10/15/2015 10:24:09 am
Thank you for your comment Natalie. I agree with you, having children in a natural environment does allow practitioners to see a different side to them, especially when looking at the areas of development. From your experiences it seems that forest school is benefitting your practice, especially for those children who may have barriers to their learning and development. Your one example of creating characters for the one child, reminds me of Gosta Frohm's concept 'Skogsmulle', where 'Mulle' is the character that helps children to learn to love and care for nature, by capturing their imagination (Robertson, 2008). Forest School and the natural environment is definitely worth while to children's learning.
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Author This page was written by Harriet Smith. 'The outdoor area is a complete learning environment, which caters for all children's needs - cognitive, linguistic, emotional, social and physical. It should be available every day' (Bilton, 2010, p.1).
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