Forest School is undoubtedly beneficial to children’s development and well -being, enabling them to become physical, imaginative and creative beings in a space that has no beginning or end, but does the learning that takes place really prepare them for the future?
We are living in a technologically obsessed world and there is so much emphasis on ‘school readiness,’ it does pose this question.
Ofsted recently held back on rating a Forest School Nursery as “Outstanding” because children were not provided with enough opportunities to use and operate technological equipment. (Barkham, 2014)
Else (2009, pg. 60) argues “children do no need technological toys if they have access to a good environment especially one that is natural and has plant or animal life.” So what is the answer? Should we be providing children with maximum opportunities to use the outdoor environment or should we be exposing them to even more technology?
Ofsted (2014) also recently published a report on school readiness, stating there are too many children who are lacking key skills in literacy and numeracy and are starting school without the range of skills they need. However, do these skills have to be taught within the classroom?
Else (2009, pg.60) believes, “When there is enough space for children to move around and enough materials for them to explore, all we need to do is let the children play: themes and ideas will emerge naturally.” Isn’t the outdoor environment the perfect place to allow this to happen?
Bruce (2011, pg. 41) implies that play is process that needs to flow and it enables children to make sense of their lives, “play helps children dare to learn, even when they are uncertain what will happen. It creates an attitude of mind which is curious, investigative, risk taking and full of adventure.”
Forest School allows children to make decisions, take risks, develop their independence, self-esteem, and social skills and develop the use of all their senses. (Cummings, 2010)
McKinney (2012) agrees with Cummings, (2010) as she believes Forest Schools entitles children to play and it enables them to make their own choices in an environment which they feel responsible in, this then allows them to explore and develop their capacities.
If this is true, do children not need to be exposed to these environments in order to be ‘ready’ for school?
The Ofsted ‘Are you ready?’ report (2014) also identifies three common areas of developmental delay in children: “social and emotional development, physical development and communication delay.” Do Forest Schools not give children the opportunity to develop these areas and acquire such skills?
There is significant research and evidence that supports outdoor play and learning and how it promotes children’s development. Davy (2012, pg.27) stated how children became more physically and emotionally confident, calmer and listened more attentively in a Forest School environment. McKinney (2012) also argues that children who access Forest Schools have a “more sophisticated written and spoken language” due to the sensory opportunities they experience.
Britto (2012, pg.10) states that in order for children to be deemed as ‘school ready’ they need to have “attitudes towards learning, such as task persistence, attention, creativity, initiative, curiosity and problem solving.”
Do Forest schools not provide children with the opportunities to develop these skills?
References
Barkham, P. (2014) Forest schools: fires, trees and mud pies. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/dec/09/the-school-in-the-woods-outdoor-education-modern-britain (Accessed: 2 October 2015).
Britto, P. R. (2012) School Readiness: a conceptual framework. Available at: http://www.unicef.org/education/files/Chil2Child_ConceptualFramework_FINAL(1).pdf (Accessed: 2 October 2015).
Bruce, T. (2011) Learning Through Play: For Babies, Toddlers and Young Children. 2nd edn. London: Oxford University Press.
Cummings, A. (2010) ‘EYFS Best practice: All about … Forest schools’, Nursery World, 2010(5). doi: 10.12968/nuwa.2010.4.5.1094543.
Davy, A. (2012) Forest Schools Resurgence & Ecologist (November/Decemeber 2012 ). Available at: http://www.exacteditions.com/print/307/308/33595/3/29 (Accessed: 2 October 2015).
Ofsted (2014) Are you ready? Good practice in school readiness. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/are-you-ready-good-practice-in-school-readiness (Accessed: 2 October 2015).
McKinney, K. (2012) ‘Adventure into the Woods: Pathways to Forest Schools’, .
Else, P. (2009) The Value of Play. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group.