Play

Improved play provision for SEN

scameron — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:50:23 +0000

Pathfinder projects which will eventually see the government invest £235m in play spaces over the next three years are under way. Will the new facilities be fully inclusive? Early indications are positive, although projects are still at the planning and consultation stages.

The EYFS principles: a breakdown

scameron — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 15:47:52 +0000

We have such a long tradition of excellence in nursery education in this country, reaching back to the McMillan sisters at the turn of the last century and before. Our nursery schools were once the envy of the world; and in 1978, Margaret Donaldson, describing children totally absorbed in their learning in a school garden, wrote:

Positive psychology in the classroom

scameron — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:17:54 +0100

Positive psychology brings scientific tools to the study of what makes people flourish, and the impact upon them of experiencing positive emotions. Good teachers have always known that cheerful children learn more effectively; now there are scientific studies that show this to be true.

Playful science

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:21:00 +0100

Letting children play as part of their mental and physical development has, until recently, always been taken for granted, but in today’s society it seems to be becoming more and more restricted. A combination of parental anxiety mixed with excessive legislative demands placed on teachers has forced some schools to move away from play-based activities and turn towards a more formal (and some would say, in terms of science teaching, more boring) approach to teaching.

Creating an outdoor learning environment for the early years

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:50 +0100

‘A rich and varied environment supports children’s learning and development. It gives them the confidence to explore and learn in secure and safe, yet challenging, indoor and outdoor spaces’
(Statutory Framework for the EYFS commitment 3.3)

Meeting the challenges of outdoor provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:49 +0100

‘A secure, safe and happy childhood is important in its own right, and it provides the foundation for children to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up.’
(Statutory Framework for the EYFS, 2007)

Risk and challenge in the early years

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:38 +0100

A philosophy of empowering children
Southway Early Childhood Centre is an 80-place multicultural children’s centre situated in an ethnically diverse area close to Bedford town centre. Children attending Southway come from a variety of ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. The centre is in the top 10% of deprived areas nationally.

Developing pencil control and mark-making

ewtemp — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:19 +0100

Children will imitate adults, grasping writing tools and making marks on paper or any other available surface as soon as the opportunity arises. These early scribblings need to be nurtured and guided in order to develop a confident and evolving hand, as they form the basis for the handwriting which will develop.

As in any other area, children vary in their rate of development, and it is important for practitioners to be aware of the stages as children pass through them, offering activities to master each level and progress onwards.

The developing stages of pre-writing:

Drama in the early years

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:59 +0100

Role-play occurs in all early years settings and forms an obvious route to the achievement of the early learning goal, ‘Use language to imagine and recreate roles and experiences’ (Communication, language and literacy).

Within Key Stage 1 there is an expectation that children will have opportunities to take part in drama activities as part of their development in the speaking and listening element of the curriculum for English.

Managing writing in the early years

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:46 +0100

Managing children's writing is dependent on high-quality planning, assessment and evaluation. It is also about the way that young children learn. Theirs is still a world where practical experiences outweight theoretical thinking and they respond with the whole body as well as the mind. The life experiences of some may be limited, and their vocabulary and grammar under-developed. We need to keep this very much in mind.

What is writing?

It is a representational way of:

Primary classroom management strategies

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:43 +0100

King or queen for the day?

FUNdamental movement ideas

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:14 +0100

A significant amount of research has been undertaken into the importance of establishing health and fitness principles in the early years. As the Choosing Health white paper puts it, 'People's patterns of behaviour are often set early in life and influence their health throughout their lives.'