Early Years Learning and Development - Literature review Example

How Forest Schools Promote Exploratory Behaviour and Appropriate Risk Taking and the Impacts on Early Years Learning and Development Literature Review 1.0. Principle of Forest Schools Scholars have reached consensus that the concept of Forest Schools is premised on the work of different educational theorists who have investigated the role of environment, play and nature on exploratory behaviours and risk taking attitudes among children (Little et al. 2011; O'Brien 2009). What these studies advocate for is that Forest Schools provide holistic learning that ultimately helps them achieve some of the basics they miss in class. While these studies are concerned with holistic approaches that achieve learners’ exploratory behaviorus, principle of Forest Schools should be concerned about successful learning. That is, Forest Schools should incorporate programmes that address the diverse needs as well as aptitudes of different learners as well as respecting their dignity and spontaneity. This view has been supported by Wood (2010) who noted that the link between forest schools and early years of learning and development should be narrowed by integrating different principles of forest schools to an extent that children are allowed to study in nature, where emphasis should be placed on learning through child’s sensory stimulation as well as images in the environment rather than allowing teachers to fuse instructions in Forest Schools. The approach Wood (2010) suggests directly relates to the aspect of exploratory behaviours, appropriate risk taking and early years learning and development in the sense that it will provide an opportunity for learners to independently interact with the environment and learning through doing thus exploratory knowledge. Studies such as Waite (2010) have conceptualized principles of Forest Schools by integrating different theories of learning. The author found that Locke’s theory of empiricism and scientific method is a significant step towards understanding principle of forest schools and their effects towards child’s years learning and development. Locke’s theory stressed on the significance of having a positive social and physical environment such as fresh air, recreation, play and exercise as such will promote learning and development in children. The conclusion that these studies make is that principle of Forest Schools is about creating programe that allow children to explore. As a matter fact, their principles are anchored on Piaget’s theory of cognitive psychology regarding the importance of incorporating environmental exploration as a tool that facilitates learning and cognitive development in children. As children explore their environment, they are natured to take risks as they become architects of their own cognitive development. In as much as Piaget stressed on giving personalized details and instructions regarding the environment, Davis (2009) on the other hand, recognizes that for early years learning and development to be attained, Forest Schools should encourage informal learning environment as one of its principles so that children can experiment, explore and manipulate objects in the environment and discover about their environment. The urge to discover will ultimately inculcate the behavior of exploration and risk taking as they grow up (Wyver et al. 2010). The extent to which Forest Schools promote exploratory behaviour and appropriate risk taking can be understood best by incorporating the principle of forest school as explained by Maria Montessori. Montessori (2004) developed a principle of forest school that placed great emphasis on the effects of prepared environment on children’s learning towards exploration and risk taking. According to the principle, the best way to let Forest Schools help children explore and attain appropriate risk taking behaviors is to create conducive environment as children’s inner drive will automatically allow them interact without the need of teachers ordering them around by seeking to reward them or tell them how a given exercise will help them develop. Based on these studies and theoretical underpinnings, this review finds that the best way Forest Schools can attain exploratory behaviours, appropriate risk taking and impact on early years learning and development is to design curriculum that places emphasis on three critical areas; formal skills and studies, practical skills and sensory skills. Studies such as Little (2010) have already incorporated the three areas in their researches and found that to attain the desired skills, the curriculum need to stress on repetitive exercise, routine and movement which are main components of forest school programmes. Accordingly, this study integrates findings from Waite (2011) as it set out boundaries and limits for physical and social dimension. 2.0. Forest Schools and Impact on Exploratory Behaviours Studies have documented different ways in which Forest Schools promote exploratory behaviours among children. These findings remain significant, following revelations that learners’ involvement in outdoor experiences continues to decline greatly especially in developed countries, with learners in countries such as Canada, Australia and United States recording an average of less than twenty minutes of outside play daily (Rodger 2016; Jindal-Snape et al. 2013; Waite 2009). Davis and Barry (2013) are among studies that demonstrated ways in which Forest Schools promote exploration among children. According to Davis and Barry (2013), Forest Schools help children experiment with different activities as well as natural objects which in turn help them become exploitative since they are free of trying things in the environment without being criticized for being untidy or noisy. This view has been supported by Littledyke (2007) who noted that forest schools have positive impact on children as it provides learners with adequate space of moving freely. Accordingly, these studies link Forest Schools with exploratory behaviours by asserting that free movement as it is the case with Forest Schools significantly contributes positively in the development of critical physical and psychological attributes that are necessary for trying new things in the environment. Aspects such as agility and psycho-motor coordination are promoted through forest schools; elements that are essential in exploratory behaviours. Hack et al. (1991) found that free environment as attributed to Forest Schools significantly contributes to child’s development of critical mental and psychological attributes like psycho-motor coordination, especially with regard to the development of more refined motor control that help them explore other options in their environment. Studies that took cases on five different Forest Schools sessions in Canada between 1999 and 2005 found that forest and free natural space as attributed to forest schools enabled the children to be creative in the process of developing their learning, designing their designs, creating their fantasy games, especially among young boys and girls who were more aggressive in exploring new fantasy games that included superhero roles, running and mocking flights and chasing in a real setting (Lindon 2011; Roy et al. 2014; Lennox 2013). Accordingly, these studies agree that learning undertaken in Forest Schools give an opportunity for children to be agile, explore and invent so as to satisfy their human need for challenge and thrill. In research study that examined children’s behaviorus towards discovery and exploration found that children’s desire for extending their psychological and mental abilities are enhanced in a forest school setting. In a research study that examined different behaviours of children Cevher-Kalburan (2015) found that one factor that enhanced children’s exploratory behaviours was their need to extend their physical abilities and independence to new discoveries. This observation was associated was linked to children’s inclination to talking different levels of risks and eagerness to learn ways in which to deal with problems, hazards which the study understood to be the important life skills as far as exploration is concerned. Different studies that have attempted to link Forest Schools and appropriate risk taking behaviours have done so by assessing attributes such as confidence, resilience and wellbeing (Sheppard 2006). However, in assessment of these studies, it is essential to examine the meaning of confidence, resilience and wellbeing to specific attributes of early year learning and development. To begin with, resilience is the ability of children to adapt to changes in the environment successfully and in a constructive manner (Kauffman et al. 2002). The link between resilience, forest schools and explorative behaviours is that children will at first be vulnerable to the environment but develop behaviours and traits that help them invent new ways of dealing with challenges. In children’s growth and development processes, transition from childhood to adulthood entails unique challenges and with forest schools children will develop resilience in new and dynamic environment to an extent that the only option they are left with is to device explorative methods that counter challenges the environment presents. Based on what presents, Forest Schools will improve children’s explorative abilities by equipping children with adequate skills that enhance their resilience thus making them more adaptable to the various challenges so that even if they become explorative, there is a limit to what they can independently handle. On wellbeing to specific attributes of early year learning and development, case studies have indicated that Forest Schools programs provide limitless opportunities for the development of learning and development in the sense that the environment promotes social, emotional, cognitive, creative, physical and vocational competencies that are further needed to enhance explorative behaviours (Lovell et al. 2010; Elliott and Chancellor 2014). What these studies argue about is that Forest Schools provide favourable environment that promotes discovery, nurturing of supportive and meaningful relationships with others, while at the same time, empowering every child to extend their knowledge by trying new things as they are seen in the environment. These views have been supported by a research that was conducted in United States on vulnerable children between the ages of 4 and 12 years (McMahon 2015). According to the research, children reported a 35 percent increase in their exploration of issues in their environment as a result of improved freedom, teamwork, cooperation with their teachers and peers, and enhanced conflict resolutions mechanisms. 3.0. Forest Schools and Appropriate Risk Taking A further benefit of Forest Schools to children is that it has the ability of promoting and satisfying children’s human need for challenges and excitement (Little 2015). Little (2015) maintains that children actually seeks out physical challenges during Forest Schools---in his study he acknowledged that Forest Schools was related to appropriate risk taking behaviours because they are allowed to explore what was restricted to them in classroom environment. Risk-taking behaviours as promoted by forest schools is a case where children are allowed to deal with risks. Giving example, Savery et al. (2016) talk about Forest Schools where children were given opportunity to jump across a river and slide down the valley in the process of playing. The study noted that while some children feared taking such risks, with time they developed the urge to try. According to this study, Forest Schools is seen as a part of children’s natural development and a step towards having behaviours that allow them to take positive risks; evaluate risks and benefits and make well informed decisions especially in scenarios where benefits outweigh risks. Studies agree that provision of small achievable tasks during Forest Schools is the best approach of attaining appropriate risk taking behaviors among children (Rodger 2016; Murithi 2016; Zamani 2016). Murithi (2016) maintained that while it is essential to identify appropriate and acceptable levels of risks, introducing forest schools without physical activities that ask for minor risks from learners will only result in children who grow up lacing confidence in their psychological, social and physical abilities. Murithi (2016) further pointed that without considering physical challenge that helps children to try regardless of inherent risks, they will always remain fearful. Findings from these studies insinuate that children’s development of confidence and acquisition of appropriate risk taking behaviours will only be necessitated by designing forest schools to have some physical activities that have some achievable levels of risks so that at the end of the lesson children shall have developed a feeling of competence and willingness to confront risks as faced in their lives. This view has been supported by Zamani (2016) who found that without introducing ‘achievable risks to children at early age there is high chance that children will have “less opportunity to assess their personal frontiers, and less opportunity to gain confidence and self-esteem through coping independently” (p. 42). Forest school therefore develops awareness in children regarding risks and their levels of confidence in risk management. One of the first activities children will often do at Forest Schools is to take a guided risk with their teachers showing them all activities they need to be careful about. These exercises help children to use their sense to feel, think, see, and share their perceptions of different risks in their environment. This approach does not only help learners have confidence in risk taking but impart in them learning and development among children. These studies agree that risk should not be regarded as abstract concept children in such environment are asked to conceptualise, instead it should be regarded by educational planners as something children approach with their whole and as such, can make a consideration as a direct experience before making a decision the option they will take. When children will be able to make their decision on the risk to take among presented play materials researchers agree that forest school shall have helped children to take risks appropriately and at the same time enhance their learning and development in different environment. Davis and Barry (2013) support this view adding that forest school is a holistic approach to learning to risk only that it is applied at a tender age to help children make their decisions at a tender age. According to his study learning and development is achieved among children as children learn tactics, confidence and ability to manage their risks as they grow. Davis and Barry (2013) concluded noting that, “learning and development is attained in children as to manage risk grows they are able to explore more independently and put into practice their own judgements, trying the consequences out for themselves.” (p. 83). Stressing on early years learning and development among children, it has to be noted that in education, the link between forest school, exploratory behaviour and appropriate risk taking is inherent in the ability of children to progress towards achievement of the anticipated normal parameters of academic performance and development. At forest school, programs have been designed and structured in a way that it will recognize specific learning and developmental needs of every child especially when they encounter challenges in their environment. 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