Literature Review - Spirituality

GD411 v14.1 Early Childhood Research 20140413 Amanda Edwards

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Literature Review:

“Creating spaces for children’s spirituality”

Making spirituality visible in everyday practice.

Introduction:

For many people, the term ‘spirituality’ is a “delicate word” (Batchelor,

Hedges & Hay, 2012, p.42), and “most of us are uncomfortable about openly

expressing a commitment to spiritual development” (Wilson, 2008, p.2). This

is largely due to the historical belief that spirituality and religion go hand in

hand. However, contemporary research suggests otherwise: religion can

provide a pathway toward spirituality, but spirituality can develop apart from

religion (Trousdale, 2005, cited in, Baumgartner & Buchanan, 2010).

Meehan (2002) supports this idea with the notion of ‘secular

spirituality’ which “seeks to find meaning and purpose in universal human

experience rather than the religious experience, per se” (p.292, cited in

Grajczonek, 2011, p.24). Dowling (2010) reminds us, however, that although

“spirituality should not be confused with ‘the religious’ [despite sharing]

elements of sacredness, morality, humility and reflection … as educators we

do have a duty … to accept the spiritual and religious beliefs of children and

families in our settings” (cited in Jovanovic, n.d., p.4).

Grey (2010) tells us that the moral, ethical and spiritual domain (how

faith and ideals shape identity) is a recent inclusion in the holistic approach to


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human development which historically has been dominated by Western

thought requiring knowledge to be ‘observable, verifiable and provable’.

However, morality and spirituality (concepts hard to define, see and prove)

are now considered to be important aspects of culture and identity (Ratcliff

and Nye, 2006, cited in Grey, 2010).

Spirituality is not a new idea in early childhood education. Froebel,

founder of the Kindergarten movement, focused on “respecting the inherent

nature of the child, which he believed was deeply spiritual” and believed

education was all about unfolding the divine essence within the child (Miller,

1977, cited in Wilson, 2008, p.1). Both Steiner and Montessori laid their

“foundation of childhood education on human spiritual development” (Lin,

2014, p18). Steiner Education is “an explicitly spiritual approach, [where] the

teacher nourishes the soul of the child through story, art, music and

movement” (Lawrence and Coady, 2002, p.18; cited in MacNaughton and

Williams, 2009).

But how do ‘mainstream’ early childhood centres provide

opportunities to develop the spiritual side of a child?

Purpose

This Literature Review does two things. Firstly, it pulls together

different discourses on ‘matters of the spirit’ and attempts to define what it is

in ways that connect all cultures, beliefs and ways of being, rather than in

ways that separate us, make us uncomfortable, or create misunderstandings.


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Bone, Cullen and Loveridge (2007) acknowledge spirituality in early

childhood centres is often confined to the celebration of festivals that teach

us to value and respect difference, but goes no further. Rather, they believe,

we need to recognise “Everyday spirituality,” which expresses an

“appreciation of aspects of daily life that are often taken for granted” (p.344)

and brings back the aspect of wonder that we see in a child’s eyes, but have

forgotten ourselves – that is, recognising “the extraordinary in the ordinary”

(p.344). Grajzconek (2011) explains that the earliest research on people’s

spiritual (or religious) experiences came from the research of Alister Hardy

(1965) and carried on by Edward Robinson (1977) who found that childhood

was the time most spiritual experiences occurred, and rather than “rare and

extraordinary, were ordinary and commonplace” (p.25).

Antoine de Saint-Exupery writes in his novel, Little Prince, “The

essential is invisible to our eyes” (1943, p.76, cited in Baumgartner &

Buchanan, 2010); and Samoan early childhood educator Meripa Toso (2011)

speaks of spirituality as something mysterious that cannot be seen or

touched, nor “separated but [rather] integrated with all other values of

Samoan culture” (p.34). She suggests “spirituality as a philosophy of practice

is complex” (p.34) and “an important concept in understanding ways that

Samoans relate to one another and the world” (p.34). Rita Walker (2008) tells

us “the child is an emotional, spiritual being, “Te wairua o te tamaiiti” (p.7),

who, according to Mead, (2003) “is heir to several spiritual attributes that are


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fundamental to the spiritual, psychological, and social well-being of the self”

(p.60, cited in Walker, 2008, p.7).

Spirituality therefore, cannot be allowed to remain “invisible” or

hidden in our everyday practice. It must be made “conscious”; intentionally

nurtured to help our children become “healthy in mind, body and spirit” as

our curriculum document, Te Whāriki, (Ministry of Education, [MoE], 1996,

p.9) desires our children to be. How this happens, or what it looks like, is up

to individual services.

So how do we “create spaces” (Baumgartner & Buchanan, 2010) or

opportunities for children’s spiritual development to occur? How do we make

spiritual learning ‘visible’ in our practice? What ‘language’ do we use? How do

we nurture our children’s spirit to help their inner being shine? Addressing

such questions is the second purpose of this review as we examine how the

ordinary can indeed be made extraordinary in the eyes and heart of a child.

A definition

The research of Batchelor, Hedges & Haigh (2012) investigated ways in

which teachers interpreted the aspiration of Te Whāriki (MoE, 1996) to help

children grow up ‘healthy in spirit’ and how they believed their own practice

supported it, but did not provide a ‘definition’ of spirituality or what ‘healthy

in spirit’ meant. However, it was clear in their findings that the collaborative

discussion between teachers as they described their own beliefs and practices


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was a good way to develop shared understandings about spirituality

(Batchelor, Hedges & Hay, 2012).

The origin of the word ‘spirituality’ comes from “spirare” or the

‘breath of life’ (Bone, Cullen & Loveridge, 2007). Ryan (2006) explains the

connection between spirituality and breathing - “the idea [that both] are

essential aspects of life; breathing [being] the thing that gives life to the

individual” (p. 8, cited in Baumgartner & Buchanan, 2010, p.69) and

spirituality being the “spark of life” (Burn, 2013, p12, cited in Bone, 2008,

p.348). Tilly Reedy, influential in the development of the bicultural curriculum

Te Whāriki, also speaks of children as a “divine spark” and “acknowledges the

sacred aspect of teaching young children” (Bone, Cullen & Loveridge, 2007, p.

345).

In Māori tradition, the breath links to a ‘divine presence’ or spirit that

runs through all things. For Māori, Io Matua (the ‘Creator of all things in the

universe’) is “regarded as the presence and breath of everything” (Pere, 1991,

p.7). Aroha, the Māori word for love is formed from two words: ‘Aro’,

meaning presence, and ‘ha’ meaning breath (Pere, 1991). For many cultures;

‘unconditional love’ (love that is non-judgemental) and a ‘divine presence’, or

spirituality, are synonymous. Love, alongside reciprocity, collaboration and

respect, are Samoan cultural values identified by Toso (2011) that “support

spirituality as a philosophy of practice for early childhood educators” (p.37).


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According to Montenaro, 1999, (cited in Joranovic, n.d.), love is “an essential

part of a person because our soul is in danger of starving without it” (p.10).

Relationships and Connectedness

Burn (2013) believes that in early childhood education spirituality is

mostly “concerned with relationships and connectedness” (p.12) and cites

Bone (2008) who says it “connects people to all things, nature and the

universe” (Burn, 2013, p.12). This resonates with the Maori concept of

‘mauri’; a life principle difficult to define in English, but which “helps one to

relate and care for everyone and everything across the universe” (Pere, 1991,

p.13). According to Pere, “each individual has a mauri that remains

throughout his or her existence … and … all living things, lakes, rivers, the sea,

the bush and buildings have a mauri that should be respected” (p.13).

Connecting with Nature

Lloyd (2014) tells us the bush can be a sanctuary for children and

adults alike and “foster connections to the earth that nurture the spirit and

the soul and leaves us feeling more balanced” (p.16). Sanderson (2011)

laments how many children are isolated from the natural world and urges us

to “impress them with a sense of wonder, joy and discovery through real life

encounters with Nature” (p.26).

Rachel Carson (1956), founder of the modern environmental

movement, urged parents (and adults in loco-parentis) “to introduce their


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children to the wonders of nature all around them and to nurture a child’s

innate sense of innocence and beauty” (cited in Kelly & White, 2013, p.19).

The Ngahere Project, an eighteen month long research project in New

Zealand involving a number of early childhood services (mostly kindergartens)

tested out this age old belief in the power of Nature, by sending teachers and

children alike into the bush for prolonged periods of time, where they

discovered “the luxuries of unhurried time, ‘wild’ open spaces and fewer

distractions …” (p7). This led to spiritual practices such as mindfulness, being

fully present, recognising more (noticing); all achieved through slowing down

(Kelly & White, 2013).

Penny Brownlee likens our relationship with the bush to a “love affair

… [which] like any other deep love, takes time to grow and develop … children

need countless opportunities to explore mother earth and her treasures”

(Brownlee, 2007, p.12, cited in Kelly & White, 2013, p.15).

Connecting through Relationships

Burn (2013) draws together key researchers in explaining the nature of

relationships and how ‘care moments’ with babies and toddlers can become a

spiritual practice. Bone (2008) suggests that by “respecting the agency

(competency) of the child, one is also recognising and cherishing the spirit

within the child” (Burn, 2013, p16). Rockel (2009) talks about a pedagogy of

care, where task-based routines such as nappy changing and feeding babies

become relationship-focused; an opportunity for “the young child and the


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teacher [to] experience a spiritual connection, intimate moments where the

spirits can ‘touch’” (Burn, 2013, p16). Brownlee (2005) calls this a ‘partnership

dance’ where love thrives and grows between teacher and child, “hence

nurturing the spiritual development of the infant and toddler” (Amitunai-

Toloa, 2009; Hughes, 2010, Burn, 2013, p.16).

Supporting each child’s spirit.

Baumgartner and Buchanan (2010) suggest there are three main

tenets of ‘spiritual education’; a sense of belonging, respect for self and

others and an awareness and appreciation of the unknown. They believe that

by cooperating, sharing and helping one other, children will “directly

experience their value as a member of a community, [and] this enhances a

sense of belonging to something larger than oneself – a critical component of

the spiritual self” (p. 91). They explain how spiritual needs are met by

“teachers who respect children and encourage them to respect one another;

help children to resolve conflict peacefully; [and who acknowledge] a child’s

strong emotions by accepting them and reflecting them in words” (p.92).

Within New Zealand’s context, “spirituality is also closely linked to the

notions of well-being and belonging,” recognised in Te Whāriki (Bone, Cullen

& Loveridge, 2007, p345). Toso (2011) would agree, from a Samoan

perspective, that a sense of belonging within the learning environment “is

crucially important for [infants and toddlers]” (p. 37).


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Thirdly, encouraging children to question and be curious, to “wonder”

about the unknown and move beyond that to make new sense of the world

(transcendence), is also a critical component of spirituality (Baumgartner &

Buchanan, 2010; Hay, 1998).

Other ways of knowing

Wilson (2008) suggests that one of the best ways of fostering spiritual

development is to respect a child’s “gift of primal seeing” (Sebba, 1991) which

is about experiencing the “magic” or “essence” of things in the world around

them. This way of ‘knowing’ or seeing is experienced most intensely in

childhood and thus should be “honoured and celebrated” (Wilson, 1997, p.6).

Like Froebel, she believes that ‘play’ is a spiritual activity, and respecting

children’s play and allowing them free play (the freedom to choose), is a way

for a child to intuitively nurture their own spirit (p.6). Gisenburg, 2009;

Roberts, 2006; (cited in Joranovic, n.d.), talk about the importance of joy in

helping children grow healthy in spirit; seen in a child’s face when they are

“deeply engaged in an activity that they have self-selected, and in the

challenges they are faced with and succeed in” (p.10).

Lastly, practising “gratitude” – being thankful - in a world that focuses

on largely materialistic wants and perceived needs is essentially a spiritual

practice. (Wilson, 1997).


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Conclusion

This literature review has brought together a number of voices that

care deeply about the spiritual development of our tamariki and provide

numerous ways to help teachers ‘grow children healthy in spirit’. Many of

these spiritual practices are already imbedded in our pedagogy, but are not

necessarily seen to be ‘spiritual’ as such.

In order to provide a “holistic programme that caters for the mind,

spirit and soul of the child … kaiako [teachers] must use strategies that

motivate a yearning and a passion to learn” (Walker, 2008, p.8). All the senses

must be tapped into and children allowed to express their ideas and explore

their world freely, in order to connect with the universe (Walker, 2008). The

way we achieve this as educators, the way we support our tamariki to be

healthy in spirit, is up to us, within our own unique centres and communities.

But in order for this to be conscious, intentional practice, we need to openly

discuss our own beliefs, values and pedagogical practices, and not be afraid to

use the language of spirituality as a framework for learning.

We owe it to ourselves, and to our tamariki, to embrace what makes

us fully human; to connect with all people and things, and re-kindle in

ourselves and others that “spark of life” that turns the ordinary into

something quite extraordinary; to create spaces or opportunities that help us

to dance in partnership and allow our hearts and souls to touch.


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References.

Batchelor, S., Hedges, H., & Haigh, M. (2012) Supporting young children to grow up healthy in spirit: The importance of spirituality in relationships. The First Years: Ngā Tuatahi. New Zealand Journal of Infant and Toddler Education, 14(2) pp.39-42.

Baumgartner, J., & Buchanan, T. (2010) Supporting each child’s spirit. Young Children, 65(2) pp.90-95.

Bone, J., Cullen, J., & Loveridge, J. (2007) Everyday Spirituality: An aspect of the holistic curriculum in action. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 8 (4) pp.344-354.

Burn, S. (2013). Spirituality: The neglected element of holistic infant-toddler pedagogy. The First Years: Ngā Tuatahi, New Zealand Journal of Infant and Toddler Education, 15 (1) pp.11-16.

Grajczonek, J. (2011) Belonging, being and becoming: The early years learning framework for Australia: Opportunities and challenges for early years religious education. Journal of religious education, 59 (3).

Grey, A. (2010) Developmental theories in Early Childhood Education. In B. Clark and A. Grey (Eds.). Ata kite a te pae – Scanning the horizon, pp.46-47. Auckland, New Zealand: Pearson.

Jovanovic, J. (n.d.) Spirituality. Flinders University. Retrieved 17/10/2015 from: http://flo.flinders.edu.au/pluginfile.php/743000/mod_resource/content/1/ wk%2014%20-%20Spirituality%20%28S1%202013%29.pdf

Kelly, J., & White, J, E. (2013). The Ngahere Teaching and Learning Possibilities in nature settings. Wilf Malcolm Institute of Educational Research. Retrieved: 10/10/15: www.waikato.ac.nz/_data/assets/.../Ngahere-project_3-2013-03- 14.pdf.

Lin, Y. (2014). Spirituality in Early Childhood Education. He Kupu. 3(5) pp.16-22.

Lloyd, V. (2014). Forest Walks: Uniting the Spirit and Soul in Education. The Space. 36 (Winter) pp.14-15.

MacNaughton, G., & Williams, G. (2009). Techniques for Teaching Young Children, Choices for Theory and Practice (3rd Edition). Australia: Pearson.

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He Whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa. Early Childhood Curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media.

Pere, R. (1991). Te Wheke: A celebration of infinite wisdom. Gisborne. New Zealand: Ao Ako Global Learning


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Sanderson, L. (2011). The Nest: A place to grow. Swings and Roundabouts. Summer. p.26.

Toso, M. (2011). Spirituality as a philosophy of practice with implications for very young children. A Samoan perspective. The First Years: Ngā Tuatahi. New Zealand Journal for Infants and Toddler Education. 13 (1) pp.34-38.

Walker, R. (2008). The Philosophy of Te Whatu Pokeko: Kaupapa Maori assessment and learning exemplars. The First Years: Ngā Tuatahi. New Zealand Journal for Infants and Toddler Education. 10 (2) pp.5-9.

Wilson, R. (2008). Developing the whole child. Celebrating the spirit of each child. Early Childhood News. The Professional resource for teachers and parents. Retrieved 17/10/15 from: http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspy?Arti cleID=545

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Literature Review - Spirituality