Exploring Early Years educators' ownership of language and communication knowledge and skills: a review of key policy and initial reflections on Every Child a Talker and its implementation

Abstract

This article examines four significant policy documents that have informed the Department for Children School and Families (DCSF)' s Every Child a Talker (ECaT). The analysis focuses on where the ownership of knowledge in relation to communication and language lies as part of policy implementation and training processes. The article then progresses to focus on ECaT, exploring whether it contributes anything new to promote a sustainable development of communication and language for educators and young children. It focuses on the development of educators' specialist knowledge and skills supported by critical reflection on relevant theory and research. In doing so, European perspectives on pedagogy are explored. The article concludes with discussion of possible implications for ECaT and its implementation.

Keywords:

• ownership
• knowledge
• pedagogy
• communication
• implementation
• critical reflection