Investigating Forest School's Support for Communication and Language

This literature review investigates the potential of Forest School to support children's communication and language development, a popular learning approach in primary schools in England. It aims to identify the impact of forest schools on children's learning by critically reviewing existing literature and analyzing forest school practices. The review highlights the benefits of outdoor activities, emphasizing that language use is significantly greater outdoors compared to indoor settings. It discusses how Forest School provides opportunities for teamwork, social interaction, and exploration of the natural world, fostering communication skills and vocabulary development. The review contrasts this with mainstream schools, which often focus on teacher-led or technology-based learning, limiting children's interaction with nature. Ultimately, the research advocates for promoting forest school learning to enhance children's communication and language abilities through hands-on experiences in a natural environment.

Level 6 Research Module Plan (859/837)
Topic/Subject Area
Forest School
INTRODUCTION
Forest School is a popular form of learning in primary schools in England. However,
school sessions are led by qualified and trained staff in aspects of child development. Forest
schools are nature-based learning environment. This can impact on children positively for
lifelong. This will support children to increase their experiences through hands -on learning in a
natural environment. They cover the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guidelines as well
through everyday interactions with the real world around them. Forest schools provide a new
dimension to teaching and learning. They, allow children to improve communication and
language, they would not learn in a classroom setting.
Aim
To investigate how forest school can support children’s communication and language
development.
Objectives.
1. To identify the impact of forests school on children learning.
2. To critically review the literature surrounding children’s communication and language
development.
3. To analyse the forest school practice and its impact on language and communication.
4. To draw a conclusive result based on the arguments and make the possible
recommendations.
Rationale:
Forest schools are becoming more popular and beneficial for children in England because they
allow children to develop communication and language skills as well as confidence and self-
esteem through different practical activities (Knight, 2013). Various pieces of literature have

been published in different time scales regarding the role of forest schools in children’s
communication and language development with different opinions and arguments (Harris, 2017).
Forest School is becoming increasingly popular in the UK and globally, but little is known about
its effects on learning for children or how alternative methods inform learning in traditional
settings (Coates and Pimlott‐Wilson, 2018). There will be an ongoing debate on the Forest
School approach towards children’s communication and language and overall learning during
Forest School (Leather, 2018).
This research had to be given life-based experiences to children as the children learning
and education should be based on nature and education both (Knight, 2011). Following research
shows that young children learn best from the experience by consciously rather than passively
using their senses and it is from these interactions learning remain with us into adulthood. So, by
doing these children can get the chance to explore their surrounding while getting the
knowledges towards their development (Turtle, et al., 2015). On the other hand, mainstream
schools are based on teacher-led learning or technology based, so this does not allow the child to
understand about the natural materials as they are busy learning about books topic or digital
learning and children do not get a chance to go outside the classroom to explore their
surroundings (Cummings, et al., 2010). Also, the other reason, mainstream schools’ teachers are
not allowing children to go outside is that they do not want them to make their hands dirty or
clothes due to parent’s pressure, as parents do not want their children to get dirty (Cummings, et
al., 2010). While forest school can allow them to get their hands dirty and help them to practice
manageable task to extends children communication and language development (Duarte and
Freeman, 2017). So, the purpose of this research will be on how to promote forest school
learning as it will also make them aware of the need to care for each other and for the
environment and this help them towards their learning as this method is equally important as
mainstream school but it helps them to have natural contact with environment while gaining
educational knowledge (Duarte and Freeman, 2017). As forest school curriculum take place
outside the boundaries of four walls, without the distractions of electronic devices and
unnecessary supervision, children can explore and discover at their own speed while interacting
with the natural world (Cummings, et al., 2010).

This research was carried out to evaluate the awareness of forest school. The results of this
research highlighted the value of forest schools to children and provided ample evidence that
forest schools improve the academic, communication and language of children when attended for
a long time (Nawaz and Blackwell, 2014). This also helps to strengthen the link between
children and nature and leads to their positive attitudes towards the environment (Nawaz and
Blackwell, 2014). So, these benefits must be communicated well as may lessen the
misconception and myths related to forest school (Cummings, et al., 2010). Hence, research is
needed to evaluate the practices of forest school and how it is shadowing mainstream schools in
terms of more efficient communication and language learning abilities (Cummings, et al., 2010).
Already the research has been done in communication and language development of forest
school but there is a scarcity of articles that specifically focused over communication and
language development in forest school. The consolidated research focusing on benefits and
practices that help children in communication and language development will be published in
international journals that will help the academics and pupils to get encouraged and to promote
forest school education in a wider context. Up till now, only the physical advantage of forest
school is focused on most of the researchers (Austin, Knowles and Sayers, 2013). So, the
following research will highlight the benefits, environment and practices of forest schools that
will assist in the communication and language development of a child.
This research will be based on traditional approach.
Literature review
This literature review aims to present, analyses and compare literature on the subject of
Forest School sessions in Early Years settings. The outdoor activities in the Forest School will be
reviewed and the impact that will have on children's communication and language. This will
show the evidence and availability of the resources as to how to use to enhance children’s
communication and language development. This literature review will be focused on the
communication and language development, benefits and environment in regards to forest school.
Benefits.
Early Years Matters (2016) suggests that children participate in outdoor activities is much
greater than indoor activities and as a result, the use of language by doing outdoor activities is
five times greater than indoor activities. House of Commons Select Committee on Education and

Skills (2005) confirmed the Forest school method adopted by some schools was remarkable and
provided children hands-on learning in the natural environment. Knight (2011) acknowledges
that Forest School provides many opportunities for teamwork, which can support children’s
communication skills, particularly if the child often struggles to work with others. O’Brien
(2009) suggested that the teachers were interviewed and they describe the Forest School
experience as being of great benefit to the children who take part. This will make children
confident and independent to socialize with others by sharing their feelings and thoughts
regarding the activities. O’Brien and Weldon (2007) also recognise that various schools in the
United Kingdom emphasize while sharing, helping others and comforting others where social
skills are present. Nevertheless, in the Murray and O’Brien report (2005) the benefits to
communication and language in social contexts are established. As a result, Ridgers et al.,
(2012) note that Forest school sessions provide opportunities for children to participate in
activities such as constructing shelters, using campfires, using real-life resources an identifying
different wildlife area. Vygotsky also mentioned through the Zone of Approximal Development
that children’s learning cannot be extended by themselves as they are most likely to achieve the
goals with the support of an adult. As a result, with the support of an adult, they will be able to
accomplish their goals and they will help children to pronounce properly and help them to
enhance their vocabulary (Basawapatna, et al., 2013).
Pioneers like Froebel and Pestalozzi have pointed to the importance of play in children's
development (Samuelsson and Pramling, 2014). However, McMillan’s open-air nursery school,
for example, was centered on a carefully designed garden in which children were encouraged to
make use of the wide range of resources and equipment including authentic tools: this was a
natural, real-life environment (Grenier, 2017). As they use natural materials as sensory play in
describing and storytelling activities by using fresh and dried flowers, rice, plastic bottles, pasta,
sand, stones, leaves, branches and fresh vegetables by describing how they look, feel and smell
to enhance children’s learning (Harris, 2015). These opportunities will be helped them to
frequently use familiar words, explore new concepts and expand vocabulary in a real sense
outside the classroom. This context did not include traditional reading and writing teachings
although some of the kids often used large sticks to make marks in mud and soil.

As a result, Children's experiences in nature are related to types of learning constructivist,
Waldorf, and Reggio-Emilia, which emphasise that children learn better by having direct
experiences rather than just being taught by an adult, thus allowing them to play freely and
helping them learn new words and understand the importance of nature(Arseven, 2014).
Children's experiences with nature are linked to forms of constructivist learning, Waldorf, and
Reggio-Emilia, which emphasise that children learn best by getting direct experiences rather than
only being taught by an adult, thereby allowing them the ability to play freely and help them
learn new vocabulary and appreciate nature's meaning, ensuring language was meaningful
(Arseven, 2014). Children learn more through online teaching and by technology-based devices,
such as audiobooks and child-friendly apps (Edwards, 2016). However, Forest School
opportunities enabled them to use the familiar language regularly, to revisit new concepts and to
extend vocabulary beyond the classroom in a real context (Constable, 2017).
Environment:
The outdoor environment was characterised as a unique setting for instruction to build up
children’s communication and language development to explore their surroundings. Teachers
and teaching assistants should be interested as much as they want to support children while they
are playing. This could be a rare opportunity to just stand back and enjoy seeing the children in a
natural environment or to observe individual child while they are playing. As a result, Chomsky
believed that children are born to inherited learning language through play as he believes every
child has a language acquisition device and children have to learn new vocabulary through
experience or play (Da Cruz, 2015). To facilitate this, forest schools provide sufficient
opportunities for children in the area to learn practical conversational skills, learn discussion of
interests / activities, promote social talk such as negotiation and planning, develop basic
vocabulary for the natural world such as names of animals / tools, etc. However, increased use of
digital technology in schools nowadays is making children depend on digital learning more than
physical experience; therefore, forest school environment will help change the current practices
as forest school’s curriculum is children-led and play-based. Alongside traditional forms of
schooling, forest school may provide children with the opportunity to transfer their skills into
daily life. The emphasis is on reconnecting children with their local outdoor setting, allowing
them the freedom to discover, play, explore and learn in a real, outdoor setting. Forest School

can be used for children of all ages; traditional and children for specific special needs. Children
who are not known to focus well in class are encourage to come to forest school and excel in
practical/hands-on activities. Better social skills, greater peer participation, improved
relationships and better problem-solving skills all help forest school participants. At Forest
School, no child can fail; they all try to take something good or new from the experience. As
outdoor play provides many opportunities towards sensory play that cannot be acceptable in the
indoor environment, such as children will get the opportunity to run, freedom to scream, be
messy, feel the freash breeze, feel the heat of the sun and cold of the snow (Duarte and Freeman,
2017). These sensory experiences are essential for their growth and development and for their
imagination stress (Pinto, Pessanha and Aguiar, 2013).
Early Years Outdoors (2009) acknowledge that some children’s communication and language
increase by outdoors playing. Early Years Outdoors (2016) indicate that this is because of
providing them with the outdoor space and independence. In contrast, children have to adhere to
rules and regulations that apply indoor, such as certain levels of noise and that does not apply
during forest school activities. The Theory of Froebel (1887) explores how the child learned and
get motivated through the play. Adults disrupt the play and learning of children by being too
dominant. Tassoni and Hucker (2000) it provides clinicians with an opportunity to develop many
ways to improve the social communication skills of the children. So this involves children's play
practitioners to promote dialogue and provide children with the tools and learning environment
to communicate with each other.
Similarly, Montessori's approach to child-driven portrays adults as facilitators, providing
children with the resources and atmosphere to support their learning (Isaacs, 2018). Miller et al.
(2005) it also explores the influences of children's learning environment and indicates that the
numerous tools, events and structures within that environment can have an impact on holistic
learning and growth for children. However, O'Brien (2009) indicates that children ought to be
more interested in the natural environment because it positively influences holistic learning.
Murray and O'Brien (2005) have put emphasis that the forest school style sessions and outdoor
learning require less parental involvement and activities led by adults, thereby promoting
independence and well-being for children. In comparison, Bruce (2005) recognises that the
supply of material is essential to an effective learning environment and that the materials

generated are just as important as natural materials. Murray and O'Brien (2005) dispute this,
saying that one session of forest school per week is adequate interaction with the natural
environment for children to become comfortable and secure within the environment. However, it
does not matter if the children are in Forest School or the Mainstream School, as Maxwell (2007)
stresses the value of free-flow play between indoor and outdoor settings, allowing children to
move in and out of resources and establish a sense of control over themselves.
Also, literature such as Murray and O'Brien (2005), Ridgers et al., (2012) and Knight (2009)
stress the importance and benefits of outdoor play to children's learning and development in a
natural environment. The creation of social contact for children is closely related to the
independence and freedom of children, which then interacts with the ideology of the Forest
School (Murray and O'Brien, 2005). Children’s social contact with adults and peers is more
likely and successful in smaller groups, such as one-to-one interactions (Doherty and Hughes,
2014). It then implies that creating a stimulating learning atmosphere for children, which will
promote and encourage the positive growth of children, is part of the role of the adults (Rose,
2009).
Communication and language development.
Language and play both are inextricably related to each and other. Play provides an
important opportunity to use vocabulary and culture to understand and affirm (Knight, 2011). As
the knight's work explicitly states, playing in an outdoor setting offers a rich arena of verbal
interactions. Indoor room of areas is frequently restrictive to exploration to movement and
outside voices interacting with squeals and multilingual chants (Knight, 2011). Playground such
as these also fosters the perception of form, and colours incorporate the principles of preposition
(Duarte and Freeman, 2017). It will help the children as they will listen and say words. Through
using rocks, sticks, blocks and leaves, children learn construction skills often gives children
opportunities to clarify questions and also practice age-related grammatical concepts such as
prepositional phrases (Fan, et al., 2015). While they may not attach words as grammatical
concepts but they will start to use nouns, verbs, and even adjectives at an early age to have a
better understanding (Fan, et al., 2015). In contrast to this, children in classroom use electronic
devices or the use of stationary and this makes them stagnant and not explorative (Hysing, et al.,
2015). Spending time outdoor discussions in a variety of styles can improve comprehension and

fluency (Duarte and Freeman, 2017). Props may serve as symbols for real things, such as using a
stick to represent a magic wand, thus promoting more detailed language (Weisberg, et al., 2013).
As use of magnifying glasses, holes in binoculars for observation of natural phenomena give rise
to a more figurative use of the language (Duarte and Freeman, 2017). On the other hand, indoor
environment is totally different as children use the materials as toys, video games or phonics and
this do not provide them the understanding of natural materials that could expand their learning
further and it will help them later on in their life by the use of vocabulary they did during forest
school (Rojas and Villafuerte, 2018). First written communication for children starts with
pictures and scribbles, as they write letters on rocks and this makes a rock garden (Duarte and
Freeman, 2017). When they grow older, they can use their writing skills in dramatic play
scenarios as well as oral language as they act in several roles.
Secondly, forest school helps to enhance their educational knowledge according to their subjects
that children gain indoor but they help them to increase knowledge while doing practical
activities. Although, the practical learning along with activities like telling story’s, learning new
vocabulary through naming flora and fauna, using the nature in poetry can enhance the
knowledge of English. Children are given several chances to use and develop their written
language skills (Duarte and Freeman, 2017). As early as a infant, they can hold objects in their
hands, draw pictures with chalks, finger paints and scribbles or start making lines and curves
which eventually turn into letters and words (Duarte and Freeman, 2017).
The final phase of language developments is Pragmatic language, for example, that refers
to the social language skills which children use in their everyday interactions with others (Duarte
and Freeman, 2017). Pragmatic skills are very essential as it will allow the child to express their
emotions with their peers as pragmatic skills are usually observed in a natural setting. Some
children may have low analytical skills, as they often interrupt other communicative intent and
find it difficult to respond appropriately, either verbally or non-verbally (Duarte and Freeman,
2017). However, through play their conversational skills across their language development will
observed (Duarte and Freeman, 2017). As they will observe when they are turn taking or when
they maintain eye contacts. This also take place when children are introducing new roleplay or
words, sharing new ideas or making applicable contributions to the play through language
(Davies and Hamilton, 2018). Pragmatic language often includes children asking for clarity and

it is by language change that bilingual children discuss contact and comprehension with each
other (Davies and Hamilton, 2018). Nevertheless, during the development of language the
receptive phase of language comes earlier as receptive language helps to understand and process
the language spoken around them (Barbosa, Jiang and Nicoladis, 2019).
Moreover, as children use oral language in their play, they use a range of other communication
techniques, including facial expressions, body language and voice intonation (Fan, et al., 2015).
In addition to this, sometimes children with outdoor play use distance and personal space as
contact style in their gaming and playful peer-to-peer overtures (Sobel, 2015). For example,
games as peek-a-boo, hide and seek and these games will interact children with others. Also, it
will help them to improved cognitive skills may help children improve the abilities of
interpretation that are thought to be important in successful communication (Duarte and
Freeman, 2017). On the other hand, Children can develop communication by pointing, making
sounds or gestures, babbling, speaking non sense words or phrases, expressing themselves or
learn sign language (Cummings, et al., 2010).
Research Methodology
Research methodology is the process which is used to collect data and information for
making business decisions. It may include interviews, surveys, publication research and other
research techniques. It could have also included both historical information and present.
Researches can use different methods of methodologies to collect and to use it in an appropriate
manner (Flick, 2015). The most suitable framework to discuss various kinds of research
methodologies is research onion. It has six sub-parts, each discussed below.
Research philosophy-
Research philosophy consists principles and beliefs about interpretation and data. It
reflects the crucial assumptions of researcher about opinions and views. It has two main branch-
interpretivism and positivism which often used by the researchers. The former deals with
meaningful human nature towards life and people's participation in life. The latter one is related
to formation of hypothesis which enable descriptions that can be tested. In this regard,
interpretivism philosophy is mainly utilized by the researchers because of its high dependence. It
is more appropriate approach in understanding the actions of individuals.

Research approach-
It has several steps which includes broader assumptions comprehensive methodologies
linked with analysis, interpretation and data collection (Fletcher, 2017). In research onion
framework, there are two kinds of approaches, which includes deductive and inductive approach.
Former approach means, to first create a hypothesis based on theory which already exists and
after that design a strategy to cross check the hypothesis. While the latter one means, it starts
with observations then theories are proposed in the end of research as an outcome of
observations. Some approach in this study is inductive as they are the appropriate way to perform
research systematically.
Research strategy-
Research strategy is a systematic function which facilitates path for the researcher to
make them perform systematically within a fix span of time to meet quality outcomes.
Systematic literature review, experimental research, interviews surveys, action research, case
study etc. are the various strategies of research which are utilized by the researchers to collect the
adequate data. To gather the data over this particular subject, systematic literature review is used
as it is based on the currently available evidence that can help researcher in giving definitive
answer over the specific question (Attia and Edge. 2017).
Research choice-
There are three kinds of research choices, quantitative, qualitative and mixed method
which are used by the researchers in the research. The method researchers choose is completely
based on the nature of study. In quantitative method, the numerical data is collected with the use
of statistical tools. In qualitative method, there is no involvement of numerical data. While mixed
method is the combination of both the methods i.e. qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative
research method is the most appropriate method for this study. A very good advantage of
qualitative research is the potential of deeply probe and to obtain rich sort data through
structured interviews, studies and observation, cultural immersion for instance about social
phenomena.
Time horizon-

Time frame consist of imitation and completion of research in time is known as time
horizon. Cross sectional horizon and longitudinal are the two kinds of horizon under the
research. When all observations done at the same point of time is called cross sectional time
horizon. Whereas, the observations of specific variable available- days, months, years or quarters
are called longitudinal time horizon. In this specific research, researchers use cross sectional time
horizon for measuring the individual aspect at a point (Cope, 2015).
Data collection method-
In data collection method, data is collected on a specific topic in research. Two ways are
there to collect the data in study. Those two ways are primary and secondary data collection. In
primary data collection method, fresh data or first hand data is collected, it's purely new never
existed before. It is more reliable as it is original in nature and found out directly by the
researcher itself. Manuscript material and archives, audio recording, films, photographs, video
recording, journals, diaries, speeches etc. are some examples of primary data. Secondary data
collection method, is the data already exists before, not new data and already used by researchers
before and published previously (Taylor, Bogdan and DeVault, 2015). Secondary data collection
is the tool utilized by researchers in this study. Secondary research has many advantages like it
can do a longitudinal analysis. It provides detailed information to the researcher. It also provides
reliable data which helps researches to draw a better outcome. Secondary data is easily available
which helps researches in collecting a lot of data in less time. Research reports, censuses,
interviews, reference books, government reports, weather reports, organizational records etc. are
some examples of secondary data.
Ethical issues:
There are some ethical issues which research should consider.
• Validly - research design should address some specific research questions. Therefore,
conclusions of study just go together with the questions and results.
• Confidential - it is the issue of the research which is important to be considered by researchers.
Researches should know that it important to maintain confidentiality about data and it must not
disclose. However, sometimes it is limited. For instance, if a person is at risk, researcher must
protect him and this might require to disclose the information (Hadi, and Closs, 2016).

• Risk of harm - while initiating the study, researchers should ensure the protection of
participants. Researches should do everything possible to make sure participants security. And to
ensure that, researchers should focus on the benefit to risk ratio. If there is any possibility of risk,
researchers should abandon the study or to redesign it.
Inclusion criteria: The articles and journals use in this research are written in English
only. The articles which are pertaining to forest school are included in it. All the used articles are
published between 2000 and 2020 are included. Peer- as well as non-peer-reviewed publications
are considered in this report. It involves different methodologies which are used to conduct the
study in systematic manner.
Exclusion criteria: In this research, Non-English language publications are excluded.
Apart from this, the articles which are older than year 2000 are not included in this study.
Moreover, some of the methodologies are not utilize as those are not appropriate to study.
Finding and analysis
The result for this research have been gathered from the qualitative data that was
undertaken on the children’s communication and language development in forest school. This
research used three different literature themes to enhance children’s communication and
language development and also to explore the environment to supports children’s social
communication most effectively.
The finding of this study will be presented under the following headings.
Environment:
It has been found that the outdoor environment helps the children to develop their
language and communication to explore their environment. This can be an opportunity which is
rare that to just stand back as well as enjoy seeing a child in natural surrounding or to see them
while playing. This result in child is born to inherited language of learning by play as a child has
a device for language acquisition and they have to learn new vocabulary by experience or play.
In order to facilitate this learning, adequate opportunities are provided by forest School for
children to learn discussion of interest, conversational skills, promote social talk, develop basic