Aim: To understand and identify schemas as a tool to scaffold the interests and learning of young children.
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. To raise questions, new possibilities, to regard an old problem from a new angle requires creative imagination and makes a real advance in science.”
Albert Einstein
The EYFS Statutory Framework states:
“Practitioners / childminders need to decide what they want children in their setting to learn, and the most effective ways to teach it. Practitioners / childminders must stimulate children’s interests, responding to each child’s emerging needs and guiding their development through warm, positive interactions coupled with secure routines for play and learning.”
“A schema is a pattern of repeatable behaviour into which experiences are assimilated and that are gradually co-ordinated. Co-ordinations lead to higher level and more powerful schemas.” Chris Athey Extending thought in young children: a parent-teacher partnership (1990)
“Early patterns of behaviour seen in babies become more complex and more numerous, eventually becoming grouped together so that babies and young children do not perform single isolated behaviours but coordinate their action. Toddlers work hard collecting a pile of objects in the lap of their carer, walking to and fro, backwards and forwards, bringing one object at a time. They are working on a pattern of behaviour which has a consistent thread running through it.” Cathy Nutbrown quoted in Understanding schemas in young children again! again! (2013:p.13)
The work of Chris Athey (1924 – 2011) on schemas, has played a significant role in supporting adults to understand the value of repetition in children’s learning. Here she expanded on Piaget’s theories about how children learn through experience to create understanding.
Schemas are frequently referred to as children’s fascinations and represent an essential milestone in their development of themselves and the world around them. Since every child is unique, some may exhibit multiple schemas while others may not present any at all.
"A child will have an area in which they are mainly interested at any one time. To learn about how this aspect of the world works they will repeat an action over and over again until they understand this in different contexts. In addition to repeating an action a child will look for other ways to explore their interest. If you are aware of schemas, when you observe children you may see these sorts of behaviours repeated regularly.
It is important to remember that children may be working with more than one schema at a time, and that if you want to plan for children based on their schemas you should observe involved behaviour regularly – fleeting interests are not schemas." Schemas.pdf (birth to 5 matters)
“Educators who watch children closely are in a position to identify what children are currently paying attention to, and consequently to match curriculum content to children’s overriding interests.”
Cathy Nutbrown Threads of thinking, schemas and young children’s learning (2011:p.145)
Further information and websites:
Babies and toddlers | Shropshire Learning Gateway (shropshirelg.net) with a link to the Know how guide working with 2-year-olds
Early years foundation stage statutory framework
Louis S. and Featherstone, S. (2013) Understanding schemas in young children again! again! (2nd revised ed.) London, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
Nutbrown C. (2011) Threads of Thinking, schemas and young children’s learning. (4th ed.) London, Sage Publications Ltd.
The importance of schemas in every child's learning
