ABSTRACT
R. F. Dearden et al. suggest that the “unfolding” philosophy is the main influence on the nursery tradition. Being influenced by a particular philosophical framework is regarded nervously by policy-makers and leaders in the general field of education unless it develops into a ‘designer label’ resulting in the ability to speak in sound bites. Just as philosophical positions have failed to embrace all the facets of the nursery tradition, so no one developmental theory has succeeded in doing so. Within the nursery tradition there is an element of this kind of structuring to a lesser or greater extent. Empiricism has exerted some influence on the nursery tradition. In reality, the nursery tradition has not taken extreme stances, although it has looked to the theories which offer it most support. The nativism and empiricism orientations have influenced the nursery tradition. The early pioneers of the nursery tradition all emphasised the importance of the skilled adult.
