‘What’s time got to do with it?’: The relationship with time in early childhood practice and research

This article discusses the relationship with time in early childhood practice and research. It is based on a 2-year study, Slow Knowledge and the Unhurried Child (2020–21). The study was underpinned by a concern about time pressures, testing, and measurement within the early childhood education and care sector and a desire to seek alternative narratives. This article explains the background to this research before outlining the concept of a slow pedagogy. Two main aspects of the study are discussed. First, “What do ‘slow practices’ look like?”, using the relationship with the natural environment and documentation as examples. Secondly, questions are raised about what slow and patient research can look like.