What is slow pedagogy?
Slow pedagogy is all about:
- valuing the present moment
- being attentive to children’s pace, rhythm and interests
- enabling children to revisit their ideas and creations, places and stories
- creating opportunities for children to go deeper in their learning
- supporting time for observation, listening, reflection and documentation
- encouraging unhurried everyday routines with time for wonder and care.
At Ballerup slow pedagogy is a key principle of our practice and we support children through nurturing, calm and loving interactions.
Slow pedagogy prioritises time for play, learning and relationships. It is relevant to a range of pedagogies that emphasize an unhurried approach to the relationship between children and adults and a valuing of care and creativity. Froebel advocated for the importance of childhood in its own right, not as a preparation for the next stage in life and he placed play centre stage. Froebelian educators ensure rich first-hand experiences and develop relationships with families, carers and the wider community. Froebelian pedagogy is a slow pedagogy.
Slow Pedagogy is:
The Central importance of play
Play is part of being human and helps children to relate their inner worlds of feelings, ideas and lived experiences taking them to new levels of thinking, feeling, imagining and creating and is a resource for the future. Children have ownership of their play. Froebelian education values the contribution of adults offering ‘freedom with guidance’ to enrich play as a learning context.
Knowledgeable and nurturing educators
Early childhood educators who engage in their own learning and believe in principled and reflective practice are a key aspect of a Froebelian approach. Froebelian educators facilitate and guide, rather than instruct. They provide rich real life experiences and observe children carefully, supporting and extending their interests through ‘freedom with guidance’. Find out more about a Froebelian approach to early childhood education at froebel.org.uk
Engaging with nature
Experience and understanding of nature and our place in it, is an essential aspect of Froebelian practice. Through real life experiences, children learn about the interrelationship of all living things. This helps them to think about the bigger questions of the environment, sustainability and climate change.
Creativity and the power of symbols
Creativity is about children representing their own ideas in their own way, supported by a nurturing environment and people. As children begin to use and make symbols they express their inner thoughts and ideas and make meaning. Over time, literal reflections of everyday life, community and culture become more abstract and nuanced.
