Dr Tanya Richardson

My research interests lie within the field of Early Childhood.  I am particularly interetsed in how young children's speech and langauge develops, and the influence of the environment on that area of development.  My PhD study focused on whether the quality of the play/learning environment has an impact on the quality of a child's speech and language.  This involved troubling the concept of quality.  The research has led me to develop a Trasnferable Quality Assessment Framework (TQAF), which is a research tool to assess the quality of environments and is transferable between indoor clasrooms, outdoor classrooms and natural environments (such as forest schools).  As my research progresses I hope to test this TQAF and research this further, with the aim of it becoming an assessment aid for use within Early Years settings loking to enhance childrens' speech and language.

Due to the nature of my work I am also interested in ethical approaches when researching with young children.

My work as a senior lecturer in Early Childhood Studies provides an interest in researching student's aspirations, transitions and employability and this forms part of my daily work within this area.