Creativity in the Early Years

Simon Taylor is a Senior Lecturer with the Department for Education and Inclusion at the University of Worcester. Prior to this he worked in the arts and cultural sector for many years; as Head of Learning for Birmingham′s Ikon Gallery (2011-2015) and Education and Community Outreach Manager for The Making (2004-2011), an arts agency based in Hampshire.Originally a graduate of the University of Brighton, Simon started his career as a professional artist in the South East, teaching in a range of settings including Special schools, Children′s Centres, Prisons and FE colleges, and working with a diverse range of learners from adults to young people at risk from exclusion, children with special needs, prisoners and young offenders.Simon is married with two ‘grown up’ children, is a keen drummer, loves live music and is hoping his potter’s wheel is still waiting for him somewhere buried in the garage...

• Section One: Defining CreativityChapter 1: What is creativity? definitions and debatesChapter 2: The Value and Benefits of Creativity: Children’s Wellbeing and Development (Nicola Watson)Chapter 3: The Modes of CreativitySection Two: Creativity in PracticeChapter 4: Storytelling, imaginative and symbolic playChapter 5: Art and children’s drawings: making meaning and visual literacyChapter 6: Music and movement: communication and communitySection Three: Creativity, Policy and InclusionChapter 7: Creativity and the Policy ContextChapter 8: Global perspectives on creativity (Janet Harvell)Chapter 9: SEND, inclusion and creativityChapter 10: Social inclusion, creativity & global citizenshipSection Four: Creativity, Research and PedagogyChapter 11: Children as Researchers: supporting children’s natural curiosity through STEAMChapter 12: Creative Pedagogies: across all areas of learning (Nicola Watson)Chapter 13: The Creative & Reflective PractitionerChapter 14: Conclusions and Next Steps

An important and timely book that takes a deep delve into the world of creative education, starting out by offering different definitions of creativity using quotes and evidence from a range of commentators, including educational psychologists to household names such as Michael Rosen. This fascinating and easy-to-read book offers reflective questions at the end of each section, prompting the reader, or early years learner, to explore the topics in greater depth.  The book makes the case that the Early Years are part of the broader cultural eco-system and helps the reader to understand how everything is connected. This timely because at the same time as the book was released (June 2024) the Cultural Learning Alliance produced their Report Card 2024 which reveals some deeply worrying statistics about the state of creative education in the UK today; since 2010 there has been:an overall decline in arts subjects studied at GCSE of 42%; at A-Level of 21%, at degree level of 6%a 14% decline in art teachersa 21% fall in teaching hours for arts subjects between 2011/12 to 2022/23.We must come together to challenge the current erosion in value of creative education and fight for arts, creativity and culture to be properly supported, and funded because today’s children are tomorrow’s cultural audiences, creative thinkers and inspiring leaders.