ISSUE 1 - 28/02/2020

Welcome to the first edition of our new, updated newsletter, hosted here on the website. We hope you like the new look and that you’ll enjoy being able to choose how to interact with it. Please let us know in the comments sections if you have any suggestions or feedback for us.

From the Editor

As a voluntary organisation, the commitment of our team members is invaluable and much appreciated. Speaking personally, although it may be a juggle to fit this into a busy life, it’s also a great privilege, bringing us into contact with so many dedicated and knowledgeable ‘Piklerians’ from around the world…

Guest Article

Bringing Joy to the Everyday - Rosie Stocks writes candidly about her experience of caring for an adult with dementia, applying what she has learned from Dr Emmi Pikler. It’s a thoughtful and touching article showing the far-reaching applications of this approach to care with great inspiration and sensitivity…

Chair’s Update

It’s been a busy twelve months during which we laid on five major events to bring fresh enquiry and more depth to the Pikler approach for any who are interested. This report will bring you up to date and give you some insight into what we have achieved, including feedback from some of those who have attended…

Regular Features

Take a fresh look at our online shop with a featured product on special offer this March. We’ll bring you up to date with our next events and you can get to know the team. In this edition, we spotlight Julia Manning-Morton, the most recent addition to our voluntary committee and leading lecturer in early years…

Scroll down to read more…

Editorial

Welcome!

It’s been too long since you last received any real news from Pikler UK and so I’m going to start by explaining some of the association’s aims and updating you on some of the work that we’ve been doing over the last year.

I’m Rachel Tapping and I am the current chair of the Pikler UK Association.

On the front page of our website we state the following:

The Pikler approach is based on a respectful relationship between an adult and infant, through choreographed tender care moments, a naturally-paced motor development, free self-directed movement and uninterrupted play.

Those who founded the association were intent on sharing the work and approach of Emmi Pikler in order to positively influence those caring for the youngest element of society - those between birth and three years - whether they be parents or professionals. The association’s pioneers were up against it as the Pikler approach was slow to reach the UK. Over the last six months, we have realised that, as more and more people are searching for answers to their childcare questions, interest has grown and we are getting an increasing number of enquiries about our trainings, workshops and conference events.

But what of the position of the Pikler approach in the UK?

As you may know, there are a very limited number of Pikler pedagogues in the English-speaking world. Currently, we are only aware of two British pedagogues, only one of whom is actively sharing the approach at this time. Dorothy Marlen was responsible for the first UK Pikler training, held in York, and has just received her Pedagogue status. On behalf of the association, which Dorothy set up more than seven years ago, we want to publicly congratulate Dorothy and thank her, once again, for the immeasurable contribution that she has given and continues to give to this work.

Successful events

As I write this, we are reflecting on what has been a very successful training week in London, with Zsuzsa Libertiny and Jutka Kelemen from the Pikler House in Budapest. This was the second Basic Level Pikler Training course that we have organised and it was so gratifying to have a full cohort of twenty-four students from around the world.

Over the last year, the association has delivered two weekends of CPD, with Peggy Zeitler and Ute Strub, exploring sensory awareness and the work needed to find our inner balance. We also held our annual conference, bringing the Piklerian angle to the kindergarten model, with Karsten Czimmek, and put on the first of what will be regular Introductory Workshops, this one presented by Dorothy Marlen, to bring new and interested people a first taste of what they might gain from engaging with the Pikler approach.

We are also very grateful for the new partnership with Early Education, a charitable organisation that stands for better education and opportunities for those working in the early years sector.

Moving Forward

There is a lot more in the pipeline. Our new look website is up and running with new elements being added over time. Our new Membership platform is under construction and will offer members a forum for gathering and sharing resources and questions, as well as being a hub for the latest members-only offerings. We will be holding regular study group sessions and CPD for our Associate Members (formerly Full Members) and keeping a database of all those studying and working with the approach.

Our calendar for this year is full to bursting! Our AGM is in a few short weeks. All Associate Members are welcome and we will be using the opportunity to hold a study group in the afternoon.

I hope we’ll see you there!

Warmest wishes,

Rachel Tapping

Chair’s Update

This last twelve months, we have been through some changes in personnel, delivered some great events, and begun to develop our website and membership offerings in order to fulfil the aims and intentions of our founders and current committee.

Before telling you more of what we are planning for the coming months, I would like to take this opportunity to once again thank Dorothy Marlen for the years of dedication she has given to the forming and growth of this association. Having stepped down as Chair and from the committee at our last AGM, we are grateful that she is still available to represent the association, delivering Introductory Workshops on our behalf as well as her own independent work. We also offer our heartfelt congratulations to Dorothy on achieving her Pikler Pedagogue status.

Events in 2019

What a busy year! As I said in my editorial, we ran five events during the last twelve months, including a National Conference, two CPD trainings and, just this month, our second Basic Level five-day Pikler Training. We’ve had a lot of encouraging feedback from each event and have based our forthcoming events calendar on what we think our members and new followers are interested in most.

Here’s some more detail.

Ute Strub and Peggy Zeitler both presented weekend workshops, offering a deepening of the Pikler work for those interested in taking things to the next level. Our firm belief is that those working with children benefit greatly from this added level of work, focusing as it does on self-experimentation, leading to observation and processing of our own experiences. This additional work offers us a wider view of the child, by taking us within to remember or identify with our own inner childhood experience and being.

Ute’s work is firmly grounded in Piklerian principles as well as those of another great teacher, Elfriede Hengstenberg, friend and colleague to Emmi Pikler. (1) Ute’s experiments take a playful view, creating a great atmosphere of calm, joy and depth. She is an expert at maintaining a safe environment for those she works with, allowing us to share our experiences with confidence and reach as deeply as we are happy to go.

Peggy works without props, creating a serious but supportive environment from the start. Her work takes us onto the floor, to experiment with various positions, demonstrate our modern disconnect with our bodies, and bring us into a state of immediate presence. In her work is a kind of mindfulness of the body to match that of the mind, bringing both into alignment. This Sensory Awareness work was first brought together by Elsa Gindler and Heinrich Jacoby, then by Charlotte Selver, who took it to America and gave it its name. Peggy was a student of Charlotte’s and has been instrumental in continuing the connection between Sensory Awareness training and Pikler training. (2)

As an association, we will continue to invite teachers such as Ute and Peggy, hoping that in doing so, we will be able to support you in your continued professional development.

(1) Both Pikler and Hengstenberg, believed that, ‘by the law of nature, that with which we are endowed will, given the opportunity, always strive to realise itself.’ This underpins both Ute’s and Peggy Zeitler’s work, too.

(2) For more information, please look HERE, which will lead you to more sources.

— Conference 2019

Our conference was an unusual one, in that we had the wonderful Karsten Czimmek come and speak about his work in the Montessori Kindergarten, Niederseeon, near Munich, of which he has been Director since 1996. This was unusual as our main focus is on children in the first three years and Karsten works with children of five to seven. But his work is firmly based on that of Emmi Pikler and his talk and photographs were highly inspirational.

The question posed by Karsten was this. What can we do to provide an environment in which every individual child develops their unique interests while preserving the joy of doing?

In the afternoon, Dorothy Marlen held a sand play workshop, inspired by Ute’s work in her Strandgut Playroom in Berlin, and Karsten shared more of his experience and answered questions. We asked delegates to share what they thought best about the day and these are some of the comments:

The beautiful respect and ability to honour the children and call out their gifts that Karsten has for the children
Well spread out workshops and talks - time to think/talk/reflect and lunch
Hands on element of playing and overall Karsten's experience and explanation of his kindergarten
Enjoyed all/especially photo evidence , video and sand
Fun, laughter, opportunity to chat to others
Amazing kindergarten, thank you for sharing your ideas and enthusiasm with us
Excellent talk! Informative and influential
Immersive and a great chance to see things through the eyes of the child

— Pikler Training in London

Just last month (February 2020), we held our second, five-day Basic Level Pikler Training in London, taught by Zsuzsa Libertiny and Jutka Kelemen from the Pikler House in Budapest. Zsuzsa is director, pedagogue, trainer and parent-child group leader and Jutka is pedagogue, trainer and long-time carer in both the infants’ home, as was, and the current daycare.

Our topic was The Autonomous Play Activity and twenty-four students, including three committee members and several from as far away as New Zealand and Argentina, engaged with great enthusiasm. The level of teaching was outstanding, as always, and expertly interpreted when necessary by Szidonia Barakso, formerly resident in the UK but now back in Budapest and working at the Pikler House.

Autonomous Group Play and Exploration - February 2020

Here are some comments from the students:

Very useful video observations and practical experiments.
A lot to take in but lots of connections with familiar theories - thinking about how to usefully disseminate.
I think the delivery of the training was excellent and enjoyed the opportunity for pedagogical discussion and further exploration on the approach.
I found the practical experiences crucial for my understanding of play of the young child. I also appreciated the deep respect that all the trainers showed to everyone on the course and when speaking about interactions with others; parents, colleagues, etc.
It was lovely to share all the knowledge and experience of Zsuzsa and Jutka. Very precious wisdom. Great translator. The films underlined the words beautifully.
I really appreciate all the organising and coordinating this takes and I am eternally grateful for all your efforts. Keep it up!
Just grateful for the opportunity and how well it was run/organised. Thank you!
This was an absolutely excellent course, it was a real privilege to attend and gain such wonderful insight into the world of Pikler.

Events 2020

…Which brings me to our plans for the coming year.

We have just as much to offer this year, if not more. There are still some details to iron out, but we are excited to be able to bring you more of the same great quality, as well as some added value intended just for our members.

— AGM & Study Group

This event is fast approaching. With all the busyness of the last months, our statutory requirement for an AGM has crept up. We’re looking forward to the opportunity to meet with friends and supporters, adding on the first of this year’s study sessions for those who want to grow and share their understanding of the Pikler approach.

We are meeting from 12:00 for a short business meeting - AGM - followed by a shared lunch. Study will begin at 14:00 and we aim to be finished by 16:30.

This is an event for Associate Members only (formerly Full Members). If you know anyone who may like to join us, or your own annual membership is coming to an end, please take a look at our Membership Page and share it where appropriate.

For more details about the day, please CLICK HERE.

— Introductory Workshop with Dorothy Marlen

Following the success of the last one in November, Dorothy has kindly agreed to do another, creating a safe space for finding out more about the Pikler approach for those who are newer to it. As a member, you already have this basic knowledge, but if you are keen to share it with colleagues, friends or other professionals and parents, we would be delighted if you would share the details.

Date and venue (tbc at time of publication) HERE.

— Other Events

We will offer at least one more study group session, currently scheduled for Saturday July 4th, in London, and our Annual Conference will be on Saturday October 18th. We also have plans to regionalise some events, making it less of a burden for those colleagues and friends who live such a great distance from London.

Talks are in progress about the next Basic Level Pikler Training, in conjunction with those at the Pikler House in Budapest. We anticipate having news of the next opportunity very soon and will share it as soon as we do.

And Finally…

…And importantly, we have updated our Membership Packages. While the Pikler approach is still relatively new to the UK and the wider English-speaking world, we feel that building our community via online platforms, such as our website, and with regular events, is vital to create strong networks and to disseminate information and education. We hope you agree.

In order to do this, we need the help and financial support of our members. We also need you to feel valued and supported in your work and life, and for that reason, we have created more ways in which to do that.

Now, if you have already completed some Pikler training, you will have access to Associate Membership:

free study group sessions, as mentioned above,
discounts on most events and shop stock,
support from the team and from each other,
opportunities for specialised CPD at least once every year,
and access to our termly journal.

As part of our efforts to be as inclusive as possible, we now offer a monthly payment plan as well as an annual one, to make paying more affordable.

If your current membership has lapsed, please go to our Membership Page to renew and create your new account.

We also offer Supporter Membership and Group Membership, and you will find the details of those too, on our Membership Page.

Thank You

Thanks are due to all the members of the Pikler UK Association committee. We are all dedicated to making the work of Emmi Pikler more prominent in both society as a whole and childcare provision specifically. The work can be challenging to fit around daily life, and as Chair, I would like to express my enormous respect for and appreciation of the rest of the team.

Thank you, Catherine, Julia, Karolina, Maria, Sam and Tom.

And to you.

Warmest wishes to you all,

Rachel Tapping

Maria, Tom, Sam and Rachel at the Pikler Symposium, Budapest 2018

Guest Article

Bringing Joy to the ‘Everyday’ - Rosie Stocks

This article aims to describe how I have brought attention to my relationship with Kristine (not her real name), an adult living with advanced dementia, using the ‘approach to care moments’ described by Dr Emmi Pikler.

After WW2, Hungarian paediatrician, Dr Emmi Pikler, looked for a house in which she could create a healthy environment for an infant care home.

High on Rose Hill, Budapest, a house was found; a house that became a home for young children to receive a special kind of care, known today by many as Lóczy.

Dr Pikler learned that ‘care moments’ are an opportunity to build healthy relationships. She observed how paying thoughtful attention to the relationship with the child, tuning in to how they are doing in the moment, communicating about each step of the care and inviting participation, and allowing them to move freely and be a little playful, helped build safe and secure relationships between the children and their caregivers.

In addition, she recognised how the foundation of secure relationships supported the innate capacity of the children to explore themselves and their environment. The house, with its large balcony and pine shaded garden, offered plenty of space for the children’s self-initiated, undisturbed play and their love of, and need for, free movement.

— • —

Dr Pikler’s work at Lóczy began in 1946 and involved careful observation and study of what really helped or hindered the development of the children, and the ‘approach’ of the caregivers was always adjusted accordingly. Today, as well as excellent day-care, the research continues and a serious programme of training opportunities welcomes students from around the world.

I have been one of those students since 2011.

I also care for a woman with dementia. Her name is Kristine.

— • —

Initially, I was her companion for an afternoon every week. There was always an element of care; providing cups of tea, ensuring her comfort – not too hot or cold, visiting the toilet, etc. All this alongside shared activity - perhaps a walk, sitting in the garden, reading to her, singing, and so on.

Four years later, her needs are developing and she is described as being in the advanced stages of dementia. Now, I am more involved in her actual care - greeting her as she wakes, helping her rise, shower and dress, followed by feeding her breakfast. These days, there is little time during my four-hour visits for ‘entertainment’.

Now, more than ever, I bring my experience and learning from Budapest.

— • —

I have always tried to approach her in a thoughtful way, doing my best to understand what helped her to engage with me or a task; to bring a sense of the positive and even humour to moments which challenged us both.

I wondered if the Pikler approach to care could make a helpful contribution towards enhancing the caring experience of adults? Perhaps challenges might be eased, and the caring experience could be supportive to the relationship and the cared-for adult’s feeling of well-being.

— • —

From a neuroscientific point of view, ideas around neuroplasticity have been explored by Bessel van der Kolk; he describes how neurons that ‘fire together, wire together’, creating a circuit.

‘When a circuit fires repeatedly, it can become the default setting - the response most likely to occur. If you feel safe and loved, your brain becomes specialised in exploration, play and cooperation, if you are frightened and unwanted, it specialises in managing feelings of fear and abandonment.’(1)

Although the brain in dementia is slowly deteriorating, could these ideas still be relevant? Could a continuing respectful and attuned approach to care support your continuing experience of feeling safe and loved despite your world feeling uncertain as the condition takes its course?

Steph Booth illustrates something of this idea as she describes her experience of her husband with dementia who returned to her care after a period away.

‘It was interesting how, as I eased him back into being at home, his sense of connection with people and his surroundings would also improve – probably because he was getting individual, focused care.’ (2)

When I applied the principles of the Pikler Approach to my caring, I learned that, as well as facilitating the care experience, it helped me to maintain my attention, particularly as sometimes the responses from Kristine can now can be more subtle; it would be too easy to simply try to get the ‘job’ done.

Sadly, there isn’t a recipe to follow, however there are some helpful principles, perhaps more useful, as we can apply them to our own personal set of circumstances.

— • —

The following describes what our interaction and care activity look like as I attempt to use what I have learned from the Pikler training and subsequent work with children and families.

Making connections:

greeting and naming her as I approach
confirming who I am and my intention
recognising and describing how the situation appears to be
reflecting how this might be for her, e.g. what her needs appear to be despite my intention
looking for her response; is she connecting with me?
waiting for her to connect with me
inviting her to join me
revisiting all or some of this, adding gestures of invitation or touch to underline the first task to work on together

Paying attention/observing/tuning in:

throughout my interaction I am checking in with her
how is she doing?
where is her attention?
is she ‘with me’, do I need to connect again?
what else can I do to ‘bring her with me’?

‘With’ not ‘to’:

refraining from treating her like a doll to be moved or dressed
if she initiates anything, ‘sitting on my hands’ to prevent me interfering and taking away this opportunity to move and feel herself engaging. E.g. when I am helping to put on her slippers, as the slipper closes over her foot there is still an automatic wriggling of the foot and adjustment of the heel which emerge. I need to pay attention and then I’m more likely to notice and stop while she continues.
I try to ‘let go’ and allow every initiative I see

— • —

I try to ensure I’m not simply being polite: I really am inviting her participation and giving time for her to respond, even if it is simply expressed in the softening of the muscle in her arm as she prepares to negotiate the sleeve.

I explain at each stage what we are about to attempt: e.g. putting on her vest. I hold it up and say something about the vest - it is soft and will be cosy - and what I intend to do first. I continue in this way at each stage, always stepping back if my intentions or activity invite a practical response and re-connecting again if she seems lost.

I think that, as the dementia progresses, we will have to look carefully at practical tasks as her ability to participate lessens. E.g. the position she is in because of where she is seated or the type of clothing we are attempting to dress her in. However, the aim will always be to do it ‘with’ rather than ‘to’.

— • —

I use respectful touch - a lot. If I ask her to raise her foot and nothing happens, I look to see where her attention is and invite her back to the task, probably acknowledging how or where she is in this moment. If attention is still somewhere else, I might comment on ‘the somewhere else’ and remind her of the task. I might ask if I can put my hands on the calf of the leg which needs to be raised to put on the sock. I look for a response, sometimes an actual ‘yes’, more often a look in my direction. I gently place my hands on her calves, applying a gentle pressure, and repeat my invitation to raise her leg a little. Sometimes I can feel the ‘release’ or softening in her muscle and I can gently lift her leg enough to dress her foot; often, she still lifts her leg for me. I am able to continue, trying to remember to stay tuned in to how she is doing and bringing her ‘back to me’ as I proceed.

Dr Pikler reminds us to be very aware of the quality of our touch; it needs to match our good intention, our hands need to be as kind as our words; our approach needs to be one of inviting cooperation and our hands need to wait just a little longer for the response.

Respectful and sensitive touch can be a means of connection, a means of experiencing the different areas of the body; it can give a sense of ‘I am present in this moment’, and can be reassuring.

— • —

Playfulness! Yes – and, of course, not in a patronising way. For me, I interpret this in my work as, ‘it is a pleasure to be with you.’ I am trying to make each task enjoyable - an experience filled with warmth and connection - ‘there’s nowhere else I’d rather be’.

When we meet difficult moments, I often make reflective comments about the challenge for her in that moment, and sometimes I remind her of our shared past (we have known each other for 30 years). I say things like, ‘I wonder what we would have thought then if we had known we would be sharing such intimate moments now,’ and there is often a smile in response.

— • —

Freedom to move: If Kristine needs to stand up and turn around or walk away, I facilitate that as long as she is safe, i.e. her movement is unhindered by clothing half on. I simply allow this to happen and then connect again in a few moments. I reflect what I see is happening, e.g. ‘you needed a stretch,’ followed by checking in. ‘I would like to continue with your cardigan, are you ready’?

As far as I can tell by observation, this is well received. When we have completed the task, she looks well and relaxed – beautiful, in fact – perhaps the way someone might look after a treatment or a massage.

I believe she has had something of the following experiences despite needing assistance:

An increased sense of her body - all the way to the extremities.
Life has been given sense and meaning during each moment of the care.
She has experienced respectful, thoughtful intention towards herself.

— • —

There is a beautiful video of one of Ute Strub’s experiments.(3) It shows how the novice is able to experience what it feels like to be cared for in this attentive way and the difference in the receiver’s experience of non-attention. I urge you to look it up and find someone willing to participate in the experiment with you. It is often used in the Pikler training and every time I participate (even though I know how it feels) the experience is profound.

The Pikler Approach has helped me carry out her care well. It reduces tension within me and helps me pace myself when whatever we’re trying to do just isn’t working. It supports me as I give time to each task, enabling me to keep her in mind - it doesn’t become a task to ‘get done’.

As the dementia advances, the responses can be less obvious. I’m certain that if I paid less attention the care would become more mechanical.

It brings a quiet and harmony to our time together.

If I can help Kristine have a joyful beginning to her day, I am satisfied and happy to be of service!

— • —

I do bring also some words of warning. I shared some of these ideas with the spouse of another adult living with dementia. I believe it was too much - it touched something inside which unsettled her rather than encouraging and supporting her.

The ideas in a home setting need to be handled with care!

— • —

An expression brought home from Budapest by a colleague is:

‘In the context of a loving family, the Pikler approach is the icing on the cake.’

It is enough if it inspires new thinking to develop the caring which already takes place, maybe only changing one thing. Perhaps this expression helps bring the right inner attitude.

However, in a care setting, where continuity and consistency are essential among the care team to create a feeling of security and, as Anna Tardos has said regarding the children in day care, ‘an experience of peace’, perhaps there is room for exploration of these ideas.

I hope sharing these principles can help us to be the carers we aspire to be.

— • —

Rosie Stocks - Play Therapist / Occupational Therapist / Pikler Pedagogue in training

I live in Wales and have worked as a Play Therapist for the NHS and led parent and child groups in Early Years Settings.

I have encompassed the Pikler approach into my work since 2011.

I am providing Pikler-inspired childcare in the child’s home setting; have run Parent and Child groups both indoors and outdoors; am creating workshops on specific areas of child development and parenting for parents and students; and am bringing the ideas to my work as a Family Mentor.

I have become particularly interested in the development of the relationship between the carer and child; how the Pikler approach concentrates on the necessity to provide the child with a consistent experience of being seen and feeling safe, thus providing the secure base essential for their healthy development.

I am currently exploring these ideas in my final piece of work in the Pikler Pedagogue training.

My work with dementia was something I said ‘yes’ to in order to support the husband of Kristine in their wish to provide continuing care at home. We are a small team of 3!

Working in the way I have described has helped me continue to examine care of others in a deeply respectful way.

Contact me at naturalbabyways@gmail.com

— • —

References:

(1) Bessel van der Kolk. The Body Keeps the Score - Mind, Brain and Body in the Transformation of Trauma. (UK. Penguin Books 2015)

(2) Steph Booth. Married to Alzheimer’s (Rider 2019)

(3) Gentle Hands for More Self-Esteem – An example from Beginning Well

Spotlight on…

Julia Manning-Morton

Hello, I am Julia Manning-Morton. I am an author, trainer and lecturer in early childhood. My career in the early childhood field spans 40 years and diverse roles as a practitioner, manager, adviser and inspector; working across a range of different types of settings mostly in London, UK.

Most recently I was a lecturer in Early Childhood Studies at London Metropolitan University, where I still sometimes have the pleasure of teaching our wonderful early childhood students on the BA and MA courses.

Although I have achieved a lot academically in life, I like my students and course participants to know that I dropped out of school as a teenager and started out on my career as a Nursery Nurse with an NNEB.

The professional mentoring I was lucky enough to receive, from people such as Elinor Goldschmied and Tina Bruce, and the study opportunities I was given as a mature student at the University of North London, opened the doors for me to progress to where I am now. This experience underpins my commitment to extending those same opportunities to practitioners whenever I can. It also underpins my strong belief that we should never stop learning and developing, so I am currently training to be a Pikler pedagogue and studying for my PhD!

I also believe in making connections between ideas, experiences and practices and across disciplines, so for example, although my MA is in Early Childhood Education with Care, my first degree was in Women’s Studies and Sociology, where I learned about ideas that still inform my thinking about children and childhood.

As a consultant and trainer, I am committed to enabling, empowering and enthusing practitioners to make positive contributions to the lives of babies, young children and their families. My aim is to promote a sense of professionalism in the early years field that embraces all practitioners, all children and all aspects of their care and learning: My personal and professional values include a strong emphasis on inclusion and anti-bias.

I have been focused on improving practice and provision for 0-3 year olds since the early 1990s; long before it was fashionable! And my research and writing is still focused on practice and provision that meets the needs of children from birth to three years old. In 2000 I led a 0-3s research project in L. B. Camden and produced the Key Times Framework in collaboration with practitioners. My work has also focused on the personal, social and emotional well-being of children and practitioners. Between 2009 and 2011 I was the lead coordinator of the LMU / NCB ‘Talking about Young Children’s Well-being’ project.

I also believe that we need balance in our lives, so I make sure that I finds time for family, friends, physical activity and creative, mindful pastimes. To maintain work-life balance (much more possible now I work independently!), I make stained glass panels, sing in a choir and practice yoga.

I am now an independent consultant and training group facilitator for ‘Key Times Professional Development’ and an associate trainer for Early Education. I am also a Froebel Tutor and a member of the Pikler UK Association Committee.

My publications include:

Manning-Morton, J (2017): Foundations of Being: Understanding Young Children’s Emotional, Personal and Social Development. London: British Association for Early Childhood Education.

Meggitt, C., Bruce, T and Manning-Morton, J (2016) (6 th Edition): Childcare and Education. London: Hodder & Stoughton.

Manning-Morton, J and Thorp, M. (2015): Two Year Olds in Early Years Settings; Journeys of Discovery. Maidenhead. OUP.

Manning-Morton, J (Ed) (2014): Exploring Well-being in the Early Years. Maidenhead. OUP.

Manning-Morton, J (2011): Not Just the Tip of the Iceberg: Psychoanalytic ideas and early years practice in Miller, L and Pound, L (2011) Theories and Approaches to Learning in the Early Years. London: Sage

Manning-Morton, J (2006): The Personal is Professional: Professionalism and the birth to three practitioner. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, Volume 7, Number 1, 2006pp. 42-52

Manning-Morton, J and Thorp, M. (2006): Key Times: A Framework for Developing High Quality Provision for Children from Birth to Three years. Maidenhead. OUP.

Manning-Morton, J and Thorp, M. (2003): Key Times for Play, The first three years. Maidenhead. OUP.

Featured Product

Here’s what we think you might be interested in. We’ll also highlight new products and innovations whenever we get them.

Gross Motor Development Chart

This poster was created exclusively for the Pikler UK Association. We offer it in either A4 or A2 format, ideal for your wall at home or for the staff room.

With the beautiful illustrations, drawn by Klara Pap at the request of Emmi Pikler, the poster describes clearly the basic stages of gross motor development of a child given space and time for free movement.

For the month of March 2020, we are offering members the opportunity to stock up on posters with no delivery cost.

Add code at checkout - MARCH-OFFER

A Look Ahead

A reminder of what the upcoming year looks like. Don’t forget to put the dates in your diary…

Pikler UK Association28 February 2020