CONTRIBUTORS


Praise the young and they will flourish


Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí-- an old Irish proverb


This month, in our ongoing collaboration with Edge Hill University curated by ALICIA BLANCO-BAYO, Early Years Lecturer and WTEY Programme Leader at the University’s Faculty of Education, we’re delighted to hear from SUE MULLIN, Associate Tutor in the EYE Department in the FoE at Edge Hill University.


A Nurture group is a provision for children experiencing social, emotional and/or behaviour issues. They were established in the 1960’s by an educational psychologist Marjorie Boxall, working in London who was working with children, “who came into school from harsh social circumstances showing all the signs of having missed out on essential learning experiences” (Bennathan & Boxall, 2000:vi). After having the privilege of


working within a Nurture base environment for ten years (2001/2011), the proverb above speaks volumes. As praise, encouragement, support and a safe base were all an integral part of our ethos in creating a nurturing environment. Our Nurture base was established on similar characteristics but differed from the traditional model as we took children from a range of schools. Unique at its time, the Nurture base was formed through tri-part funding; Health, Education and Social Care. All providing equal amounts and taking an active role in ensuring a high quality provision was available and accessible for children aged 4 to 7 years. This was a Local Authority based provision and children accessed the Nurture base from numerous schools across the authority, through a robust multiagency referral process. During the ten years of operation we had the opportunity to work directly


with many of the parents/carers and guardians as well as the children. We had a strong belief that in order to work effectively and efficiently with the children, forming strong reciprocal relationships with those around them was crucial to having a successful outcome. Therefore, by widening our scope valuing and incorporating these relationships on a daily basis, it was very much a mutual partnership. Being open, honest and non-judgemental were all critical features of our whole team, and it was very much a team approach. Creating a secure, safe and homely nurturing environment for


parents/carers and guardians was fundamental in our daily practice, as they often needed a safe space to talk, express themselves through being valued, respected and supported by being listened to and their voice heard. They had access via an open-door policy, which was vital and tremendously valued by them and this facility assisted in strengthening partnerships and establishing trust. Therefore, a holistic approach was central to our daily regime and a flexible approach was essential for both the children and families who accessed our provision.


I believe this is one of the many reasons as to why it


was such a success. As reflected in Maslow hierarchy of needs (1949), by providing the basic needs and then psychological needs, children and families could progress further together. Once trusting relationships had been formed with the families, we could


then offer additional training and support for them to access. Either through their local Children Centres, Parenting 2000, and/or both formal and informal sessions we provided. Therefore, it is essential that these relationships are formed, sustained and


developed across our daily practice within early years settings. Surely this can be beneficial for all; the child, the parents/carers/guardians and those working within the early years. These approaches can be adapted for any provision, providing nurturing for all! Clearly, that by providing praise and encouragement in a nurturing environment; anyone, not only the young can flourish.


18 www.education-today.co.uk Teaching using the origins


of words In her regular column this month, STEMtastic! founder KIRSTY BERTENSHAW discusses how the origins of words can help motivate students and engage their curiosity.


It can be difficult to motivate students when teaching them something they cannot make a real-life connection to, or something they view as unnecessary to their own career choices. Concepts often involve language that seems unfamiliar, such as Latin terms. I find it helpful to explain where the terminology comes from, as this means there is at least a reason for using the terms and perhaps even a link between these terms and future concepts in learning.


History


The origin of the word history itself comes from the Greek histōr, meaning a ‘learned and wise man’, which in Latin became historia, meaning to find out, an inquiry, a narrative. So, history tells a story of the past which we can learn from. Greek and Roman history has influenced the world right through to modern day in the language which we speak. When looking at a specific era in history see if there are language links to the modern world.


English Britain has been invaded many times, leading a to a language with mixed roots. It’s not just invasions that have influenced the language we use, but also colonialism, the empire and even wars – all have brought new words to the language. Spice up a spelling test by using words from a similar origin, for example you could have a Persian-themed spelling test including words such as pyjamas, veranda, bungalow and jungle. Viking words include ransack, blunder and slaughter can be used as examples of how the spellings came to be familiar.


Algebra Algebra comes from the Arabic al-Jabr, meaning the reunion of broken parts. So, if you imagine an algebraic expression as a jigsaw that’s ‘broken’ or has missing parts, the aim of algebra is reunite the pieces and locate the missing piece, or rather the missing number represented by a letter.


Latin and Greek roots of scientific terms Hypertonic, hypotonic, and isotonic solutions are really quite confusing terms. If the Latin or Greek origin of the words is explained, it’s easier to relate to the meaning. Hyper means above – hyperactive above normal activity levels, hyper speed is faster than normal speed in films, hypertonic greater concentration of solutions. Hypo means below – a hypodermic syringe is a small needle, hypoallergenic, low chance of allergy, hypotonic, lower concentration of solutions. Iso means same – an isosceles triangle has two sides the same length, isotonic solution is the same concentration of solutes.


Abbreviations Commonly misused or misspelled, explaining the origin of common abbreviations can help the correct usage. Et cetera comes from Latin, and literally means ‘and the other parts’. The abbreviated substitute of ‘for


example’ is e.g. which is from the Latin exemplī grātiā meaning ‘for the sake of example’. When explaining a point further ‘i.e.’ may be used, which is again from Latin, the abbreviation of ‘id est’ which means ‘that is’.


Cross-curricular learning Project based learning is popular, with weeks dedicated to ‘The Romans’ for example, but so much more can be included in projects. Examine how the Roman gods have influenced astronomy, or take a look at how the Romans and Vikings spread their languages across the countries they conquered, and how those countries incorporated their languages afterwards.


Kirsty is the founder of STEMtastic, an education consultancy with a focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths www.stemtastic.co.uk


Further information: https://www.dummies.com/education/science/biology/common-latin-and-greek- roots-in-biology-vocabulary/ https://www.etymonline.com/ https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/how-has-greek-influenced- english-language https://matinee.co.uk/blog/what-languages-have-influenced-english-and-why- part-2/ https://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2015/10/10-words-we-got-from- the-vikings


December 2020


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