Empowering Toddler Voice: A Three-Year Research Roadmap

At Edgington Early Learning Co, we are on a mission to bridge the gap between educational policy and the lived reality of the nursery environment. We believe high-quality practice is built on a foundation of evidence that prioritises the toddler’s right to express their agency.

Our Commitment to You: Partnership & Compensation

We believe that research is a truly collaborative effort. We deeply value the time, expertise, and commitment of our partners. Every nursery and childminder who joins our research journey receives:

  • For the Setting: A complimentary, on-site full-day training session tailored to your team’s current goals, alongside a comprehensive resource pack containing three sets of our most recent books, main character plushies, and interactive storytelling props.
  • For the Children: Every child participant receives a bespoke Sensory Tray Kit, specifically designed to support their ongoing exploration and independent play.
  • For Parents/Guardians: A £20 voucher per child as a gesture of appreciation for their participation and support of this project.

The Research Roadmap: A Multi-Phase Inquiry

Our project is structured as a progressive three-year roadmap, designed to build a complete picture of non-verbal agency. We are currently collecting evidence across three primary phases:

Phase 1: The Empirical Foundation (Observation)

This phase captures the authentic "voice" of the toddler in their natural habitat.

  • Communication Trajectories: We are mapping the specific range of non-verbal signals—including gaze, gesture, and posture—used by children aged 18–36 months to initiate interaction and signify intent.
  • Micro-Conflict & Negotiation: Our data explores how toddlers assert agency during spontaneous peer-to-peer interactions, focusing on how they challenge boundaries without the need for verbal language.
  • Environmental Influence: We are investigating how different physical layouts, resources, and room designs in both nursery and home-based settings facilitate or inadvertently stifle a child's ability to communicate.

Phase 2: Theoretical Synthesis (Analysis)

Here, we translate observational findings into new scholarly frameworks to influence the wider Early Years sector.

  • Redefining Agency: We are challenging traditional definitions that equate "voice" solely with verbal speech, proposing a broader model that centres somatic, body-based expression.
  • Citizenship Perspectives: By applying citizenship theory, we frame toddlers as active, capable members of their communities, not just "pre-citizens" waiting to develop language.
  • Policy Bridging: We are reviewing current statutory frameworks (like the EYFS) to identify gaps and argue for a policy shift that recognises non-verbal competence as a valid and essential form of participation.

Phase 3: Applied Practice & Professional Transformation (Impact)

The final stage focuses on equipping you with tangible tools to transform your daily practice.

  • The Agency-Informed Toolkit: We are developing a practitioner-friendly observation framework that allows staff to document and interpret non-verbal cues in real-time, even in high-pressure environments.
  • Professional Development: Through collaborative case studies, we provide training that empowers practitioners to "listen with their eyes," fostering environments where non-verbal communication is celebrated rather than misinterpreted as disruptive behaviour.

Our Methodological Approach: Triangulated for Rigour

To ensure our findings are robust and ethically sound, we employ a triangulated methodology that honours the child’s perspective:

  1. Immersive Video Analysis: We utilise 360-degree cameras to capture the full scope of interactions, allowing us to review moments of play from the child’s perspective without disrupting the natural flow.
  2. Structured Observation Tracking: Real-time tracking identifies chronological physical actions, bridging the gap between momentary non-verbal cues and larger play themes.
  3. Reflexive Journaling: Our researcher maintains a formal audit trail to challenge "adult-centric" biases, ensuring our interpretations are grounded in the toddler’s intent, not our own assumptions.

Safeguarding, Ethics, & Professional Integrity

We maintain the highest standards of professional and ethical integrity to protect all participants.

  • Informed Consent: We facilitate face-to-face briefings for parents, staff, and management, providing accessible information to ensure everyone understands their rights.
  • Ongoing Assent: We respect the child as an active participant. If a child disengages, moves away, or seeks comfort, we interpret this as a withdrawal of assent and immediately stop data collection.
  • Data Protection & Privacy: We are fully GDPR-compliant. All collected data is anonymised, stored on password-protected and encrypted devices, and access is strictly limited to the lead researcher.
  • Professional Standards: Our lead researcher holds an enhanced DBS certificate and conducts research in accordance with the ethical guidelines set out by the British Educational Research Association (BERA).
  • Co-Production: We believe in the power of professional collaboration. We involve Key Persons in our post-analysis discussions to ensure our final interpretations honour the child's original intent.

What Partnership Looks Like: Participation Details

We have designed our data collection to be as seamless and non-intrusive as possible. We are committed to capturing the authentic, daily reality of your setting, not a staged performance. Below is the breakdown of what is required from our partner settings:

  • Participant Group: We are looking to observe 3–5 children per setting, aged between 18 and 36 months, who are well-settled in your environment.
  • Building Familiarity (Pre-Visits): To ensure our presence is as unobtrusive as possible, our researcher will conduct a series of pre-visits before formal data collection begins. These visits are designed to help both the children and your staff become comfortable with our presence, with each visit lasting 40 minutes. There will be 2-3 visits.
  • The Observation Environment: We will be observing natural, outdoor, self-directed play. It is vital that you do not change your daily routine, pedagogical approach, or environment in any way. We want to capture your setting exactly as it is—including standard interactions, transitions, and routine requests, such as tidying up.
  • Researcher Positioning: Our researcher will set up the 360-degree camera and then station themselves behind a window to observe. While children may be aware the researcher is present if they look, the researcher will pretend to be engaged in quiet tasks—such as administrative work—to ensure they are not actively watching the children, which minimizes the observer effect.
  • Session Structure: We will conduct 3 observation sessions per setting, with each session lasting 40 minutes. This frequency ensures we capture enough high-quality data to reach "saturation" without disrupting your nursery’s capacity.
  • Collaborative Insight: Following our research sessions, you will have a brief sit-down with our researcher to review the collected observations. We value your professional expertise; you will have the opportunity to add your own thoughts and context on what certain behaviours may have meant. These insights are an essential part of our data, as they help us interpret the children’s actions through the lens of those who know them best.

Join the Research Journey

We are actively inviting settings that prioritise child agency to partner with us for the observation phase. We work with you to develop a bespoke timeline that fits your staff’s capacity and the children’s routine.