Our Reflection papers have been going since 2005 and contain a rich insight into the history of Early Years research from a wide range of key thinkers across all stakeholders.
Navigate through this vast store of work here:
2015 - Beyond the Numbers: Rights, Relationships and Realities in Early Years
The 2015 TACTYC reflections offer a rich, critical, and passionate set of practitioner voices grappling with pressing questions about children’s rights, professional identity, and the purpose of early years education. Aline Cole-Albäck’s comparative study between England and Sweden calls for stronger leadership and explicit rights-based pedagogy, while Paige Alim explores the impact—and confusion—surrounding the new Early Years Teacher (EYT) qualification. Penny Webb brings an authentic and relatable voice, questioning our obsession with measuring quality and urging a more meaningful, child-centred lens. Jemima Murray’s deeply personal account contrasts the tensions between care and profit in private settings, arguing for policy that treats early education as a public good. Finally, Linda Withey highlights the importance of nutrition in learning and development, making a compelling case for addressing food insecurity as part of holistic care. Together, these papers shine a light on the systems, values, and everyday realities shaping children’s early experiences—and call for change from the inside out.
2014 - Care, Complexity and the Child’s Voice: Reclaiming Early Years Practice
The 2014 TACTYC reflections bring together a deeply thoughtful and wide-ranging set of perspectives exploring the meaning of care, learning, and professional identity in the early years. Dr. Carolyn Blackburn’s research highlights the central role of relational pedagogy in supporting speech, language and communication, especially for children with additional needs. Meanwhile, Dr. Sally Neaum questions whether professional development for teaching assistants is building genuine competence—or just ensuring compliance. Across continents, Goouch and Powell raise powerful questions about how we define and value "care" in baby rooms around the world. Maulfry Worthington and Hilary Smith with Lucy Driver each call for more meaningful, reflective and play-based approaches to learning and planning, grounded in children's lived experiences rather than adult agendas. Other papers, such as Helen Perkins’ exploration of early years student identity, and Megan Taddeo’s research on children's voices during transition, foreground the learner’s journey—from trainee to young child. Finally, Jackie Musgrave raises a critical concern around policy gaps for children with chronic medical conditions in the EYFS. Together, these papers offer a call to protect and strengthen the care, complexity, and child-centred values at the heart of early education.
2013 - Challenging the Status Quo: Critical Voices in Early Years Practice
The 2013 TACTYC reflections bring together a powerful and questioning set of voices, each challenging the status quo in early years education while reasserting the values of care, creativity, and critical engagement. Margaret Clark critiques the validity of the national Phonics Screening Check, raising concerns about its effects on children’s confidence and development. Sandra Smidt reflects on a narrowing educational landscape, calling for a return to inspiration and respect for cultural and individual difference, through the lens of thinkers like Malaguzzi and Vygotsky. Suzy Edwards and Natalia Kucirkova open up the “technology debate,” urging educators to move beyond fear and embrace children’s real-world digital experiences with critical insight. Rory McDowall Clark raises important questions about partnership with families, highlighting how well-intentioned frameworks can still marginalise children’s voices. Meanwhile, Carla Solvason explores the role of ethics in student research, and Powell and Goouch ask what is happening to babies in daycare, reminding us of the political and professional silence around infant care. Together, these papers challenge us to reflect, resist, and reimagine—with children, not just for them.
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