Quick Thread on how our culture thinks about language development.
25% of childrn aged 4-5 in England are showing delayed language acquisition compared to last year. I've just learned BBC Breakfast featured it. You can watch, starting 1.17. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000vl3y/breakfast-27042021

2. The feature had segments of children playing outdoors. And engaged in messy play.

3. But the written feature carried an image that was the most 'school-like' of all the settings in the TV feature: the one with children sitting quietly, legs folded, listening, whilst the adult talked. It LOOKS like school. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-56889035

4. In my chapter in Play is the Way, frm @UpstartScot , I offered observatns abt t images chosen in t media to talk abt education. They so often look like 'schooling'. The public isn't helped to think more widely abt HOW children learn. Narrow, traditional ideas are reinforced.

5. The key point of t story is accurate: Young childrn's language matters immensely. Communicatn problems early on can lead to a wide range of later problms. For ex, youth in t criminal justice system hv a high rate of language problms. @KeeganSmith_Law https://www.judicialcollege.vic.edu.au/sites/default/files/2020-10/Snow_2019_LSHSS_%20Youth%20offending%20epidemiological%20overview.pdf

6. And I'm delighted that some of the children who are struggling with language right now will get help. For ex, this piece highlights the 62,000 children enrolled in a specialist language programme. https://twitter.com/daynurseriesuk/status/1387089910167900160

7. But t problem w/ this solution is all t things it doesn't say. 1) See t small group of children sitting w/ a teacher? The piece describes her as 'specially trained to work closely with small groups'. Why can't ALL children have small groups? Why isn't this standard for educ?

8. And 2) see all the 'schoolification' stories that have been in the press all week, calling for all children to get more play? PLAY would help w/ language acquisition. They aren't separate things. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/apr/23/call-for-more-play-time-amid-schoolification-of-uk-childhood

9. And 3) guess which children are likely to have language difficulties? My guess is children where families are struggling in all sorts of other ways. Food? Poverty? Domestic violence? To pretend the language difficulty is somehow separate from the rest of life is denial.

10. My point is that ths kind of media coverage & educ solution segments children's lives into 'bits'. It says, "Oh, a language problm. Let me fix that one thing." It leads us, the public, to believe there is a silver bullet that can 'fix' things. It stops us thinkng systemiclly.

11. And it allows us adults to continue to believe we aren't part of children's problems. Here's another story from today. Here's a school already using isolation to punish children. Isolation?? Um-Pandemic??
Want solutions? Let's start with us adults. https://twitter.com/vikkilouise1985/status/1386962936846077952?s=20

12. This last year will have affected children's development for the long term - for good or for ill. They are carrying their experiences IN THEIR BODIES - for good or for ill. Where it was difficult, we have a chance to help right now. But not if we aren't thoughtful & wise.

13/end. So I just keep talking about it, tweeting about it, writing about it. The way we treat our children RIGHT NOW, as they return to school, is going to make a difference to THE WHOLE OF THEIR LIVES. This is the time for us to be creative & wise in our solutions.