Findings

Further to staff who responded to the questionnaire it would appear that practitioners were conscious of Froebel’s named principle Freedom with Guidance and how it underpins early years. However is this always reflected in daily practice as in my experience there can sometimes be a disjoint between what has been said in the questionnaire to the daily practice in the setting. This shows there is a willingness but staff’s personal anxieties can be a barrier to fully embracing this principle.

Practitioners said, “This is a vitally important principle as it gives each child the freedom to explore, learn and challenge themselves independently while offering support, guidance and challenge.” “Allowing children to lead their own learning with practitioners observing and supporting children to facilitate their own learning.”

When asked how we ensure our own anxieties do not restrict children’s learning opportunities and play, practitioners shared, “Shared understanding about safety and risk allows staff to operate in an environment where expectations are made clear.” “Take a step back, try not to interfere and disrupt play.” “I try not to express my own anxieties, have a calm approach and offer support if needed, be there to discuss any potential risks with the child.” When discussing how we are providing Freedom with guidance whilst being mindful of the individual child, staff shared, “It’s about knowing the individual child, their need, developmental stage and where they may need support or challenge.” “Supporting individuals, scaffolding for those who need more support.”

By discussing these findings with my team, I found staff were becoming more engaged in developing this principle and more openly willing to share any barriers, concerns and anxieties. We were able to acknowledge each person’s own anxieties or obstacles and support each other as we travel on this joyful journey together. This ensures we are more eager to embrace this as a team, helping us as we choose resources, plan and evaluate in our early years setting.

We are aware we still have work to do as a team, for example, we have pre existing arrows on the bike track directing the children which way to travel. However it has been observed some staff members will ask the children to adhere to the arrows, where other members of staff are allowing the children the freedom to explore and use equipment as they choose in their play allowing the play to flow in a more natural way. The adult is then encouraging independence, creativity, imagination and curiosity enabling the children to engage in self-directed play and learning experiences. We need to share a more flexible innovative approach to these situations to prevent conflicting signals for the children. As stated in My Creative Journey, sometimes we need to overcome our own fears and barriers as practitioners in order to empower children.

Freedom with Guidance makes certain we have a shared understanding of our setting’s vision, values and aims and how we connect these with our Froebelian pedagogy. This practice underpins:

• Our learning, which as I have mentioned is reflected in our vision; to inspire, play, grow and thrive.
• Our values; kindness, respect and inclusion.
• Our aims; to shape our curriculum around a pedagogy of play, to enable our children to be autonomous learners and lead the consultative planning process, to ensure our children and families voices are listened to and respected.
• This also reinforces the child’s right to develop interest and talents; I have the right to lead my own play. I am encouraged to keep going even when I find a task challenging. The adults that care for me observe me as I play and make plans to help develop my interests and extend my learning, as stated in the UNCRC Article 29.

Conclusion

This enquiry into Froebel’s principle Freedom with guidance has helped my early years setting appreciate how important the role of the adult is when sensitively observing, interacting and supporting our children in our daily practice. This has made all staff more aware and remind us of a Froebelian environment. It is vital that a child’s play is not interrupted or taken over by adults. We have also been discussing the impact of using language in a positive way and how this can impact on the child’s play, for example, that’s a good idea, why don’t you try it, let me know if you need me, rather than saying, no it’s not safe.

As a team we are aware there is still room to develop this principle further for example, by revisiting Froebelian literature and current guidance.  We are also hoping to dedicate continued professional development time to this principle, to enable us to become more responsive, supporting each other, reflecting on our practice as we collaborate and communicate together.

“Tune in to child initiated activity and sensitively intervene to extend children’s inquiry, problem solving and thinking skills”. (Realising The Ambition: Being Me).  We will continue to share any anxieties, experiences and explore ways around any barriers as a team ensuring we can foster a consistent approach as we strive to implement Freedom with guidance.