Parents and Playgroups: A Study by the Pre-school Playgroups Association

Parents and Playgroups is a collection of three reports that examine the role of playgroups and Mother and Toddler groups in Britain in the 1980s. It was published to mark the twentieth anniversary of the Pre-school Playgroups Association and explores questions such as the development of the movement, parental involvement, and the impact on mothers and children. The studies provide an introduction to the association's thinking and highlight the importance of playgroups as a positive force in society.

Format: Hardback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 21 November 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Originally published in 1981 to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the birth of the Pre-school Playgroups Association, Parents and Playgroups brings together three comprehensive reports that explore the role, underlying philosophy, and significant contributions of playgroups and Mother and Toddler groups to the lives of thousands of mothers and children across Britain at the time.

Formed in response to a letter to the Guardian in 1961, the PPA, along with its sister organization, the Scottish PPA, had a membership of approaching 16,000 playgroups, serving nearly half a million children. However, until 1975, there had been minimal research into the workings of the movement. This changed when Barclays Bank funded a significant research project, resulting in the publication of three reports: Parental Involvement in Playgroups, Mother and Toddler Groups, and Patterns of Oversight in this volume.

The many questions explored and debated in these reports include:

How should the playgroup movement evolve in the 1980s and beyond?

What do parents contribute to playgroups, and what do playgroups and Mother and Toddler groups offer in return?

Should Social Service Departments take over the running of playgroups and Mother and Toddler groups? Do local authorities provide sufficient support to playgroups? Or does statutory "oversight" inhibit flexibility and imaginative development?

Are playgroups and Mother and Toddler groups too middle-class oriented, and do they work equally well in different kinds of neighborhoods?

How do playgroups compare with nursery schools?

As Lady Plowden writes in her Foreword, "the three studies will serve as an introduction to the developed thinking of the association, and point to further areas of research. They describe something increasing."

These reports provide valuable insights into the playgroup movement's history, philosophy, and impact on the lives of mothers and children in Britain during the 1980s. They shed light on the role of parents, playgroups, and Mother and Toddler groups in fostering socialization, education, and child development. The debates and discussions raised in these reports continue to be relevant today, as playgroups continue to play a significant role in early childhood education and support for families.

Weight: 698g
Dimension: 216 x 138 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032343761