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Plus... Jean Gross
on talking to babies

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 Hello...
…and welcome to 2017 – if it’s
anything like 2016, it’s sure to be
interesting. As you return to your settings,
whether refreshed and raring to go, or
feeling that, actually, the squirrels have it
right and a brief period of hibernation may be
in order, what’s occupying your thoughts?
For many involved in early years, self-reflection is an
ongoing commitment, but perhaps this is the time of year you
choose to take stock and assess your priorities. What could you
do better? What’s in need of improvement? If you’re looking
to work on your learning environment, keep in mind that now’s
the moment to give your growing areas some TLC – gardening
might not seem a priority in darkest January, but your children
will reap the benefits come the spring (see page 52).
Maybe you’re more concerned with your children’s health
and wellbeing, both of which are under threat thanks to a
growing epidemic of inactivity and the ever-increasing stresses
of modern life. Christine Dukes and Maggie Smith have some
helpful suggestions regarding the former (page 46), while
the ease with which Alexia Barrable’s advice on the latter
(page 20) can be implemented belies the positive impact
of
s an issue
it could have. Don’t mis – tu rn to
Or maybe this is the year you plan to take your Yea rs
T each Early you
setting into the digital age. If you’re looking for a ils of h w
o
p a g e 56 for deta is su e s for
model of effective ICT use, you’ll find none better
t th e n ext four
than Bentley Manor Childcare Centre (page 64). can g e ive FREE
st £ 13 .3 5 , and rece
ju om
Whatever your focus in 2017, good luck – we’ll be here to umbers fr
Weaving N
help you on your way! h £29.9 ! 5
TTS wort
Jacob Stow - Editor

19 Another fine mess 40 Turn them around

6 Nursery now
Your update from the early years.
11 New thinking
Research and resources to improve
your practice…
13 “What’s in a name?”
It’s time we found a job title that sums up
what every early years practitioner does –
teach, says June O’Sullivan.
15 “It takes two”
Good communication development
requires high-quality interactions, says
Jean Gross.
Creating a little localised chaos is all part of
growing up, but so is learning to tidy away
afterwards, says Sue Cowley.
26 Critical corner
Richard House speaks to mother Skeena
Rathor about ‘accelerationism’ and
screen time.
32 “Do what you can!”
All great early educators aspire to
create the perfect learning environment,
but don’t beat yourself up about the
things you can’t change, says
Sophie Blackwell.
39 Here’s an idea!
Laura England shares three snapshots from
her setting.
Sensitively redirecting a special child
can transform negative behaviours into
positives, explains Adele Devine.
51 Use your influence
Don’t forget to teach your kids to love
planet Earth, says Juno Hollyhock.
54 Book club
Inspiring titles to share with your 0–5s.
60 Have you seen
TEY’s round-up of the latest early years
tools, toys, books and activities…
74 The Secret Practitioner
It’s natural to fall out with our colleagues
sometimes. It’s how we manage it
that matters…

Teachwire.net/early-years 03
The experts...
JUNE
O’SULLIVAN
CEO of
the London
Early Years
Foundation.
20 Happy habits
The foundations of positive wellbeing can be laid in
the early years, says Alexia Barrable.
TEACHING IN
JEAN GROSS
Former
government 23 Reading between the lines
Communication
Champion
for children.
Anjali Patel explains how to harness children’s inner
drive to engage with print.
RECEPTION?
This issue, read about...
28 Inspiring reads l Quick ways to boost
Hilary White shares another selection of literary wellbeing, p20
ANJALI PATEL
Early years learning activities.
and primary l Engaging early readers, p23
advisory teacher 31 Talking apps l Child-led learning – why it’s
at the CLPE. Technology can support communication skills, if
you use it correctly, says Mandy Grist.
okay to compromise, p32
l SEN – redirecting negative
36 Engage their senses behaviours, p40
Sarah Ockwell-Smith explains why every setting
needs a multisensory room. l Five iPad apps to enhance kids’
MARC FAULDER
Foundation Stage learning, p43
teacher and Apple 46 Supporting healthy homes
Distinguished It’s time to share the facts about food and physical
Educator. FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF
activity with parents, say Christine Dukes and
Maggie Smith.

Editor: Jacob Stow, 01206 505 113, 48 Newborns in nature

jake@teachearlyyears.com It’s never too early to take infants outdoors,
Advertising manager: explains Angela J. Hanscom.
Samantha Law, 01206 505 499,
samantha@teachearlyyears.com 52 Growing green fingers
Group advertising manager: Have you been cultivating your charges’ gardening
Richard Stebbing skills? It’s easy, says Samantha Tennant.
Art editor: Chris Ashworth
Designer: David Haddington
Group editor: Joe Carter
Photography: CliQQ Photography,
Technology special
www.cliqq.co.uk 16 Using 43 Apps to 64 Integrating
Accounts: 01206 505 995 educational tech enhance learning technology
Subscription enquiries: 0844 245 6924 The careful use of digital Touch-screen devices can TEY profiles the Natural
Subscription department: devices can enrich learning lend a new dimension to Childcare Company’s
Lisa Harvey, 01206 505 922, across the curriculum, says early education, as Marc innovative and award-winning
lisa.harvey@aceville.co.uk Kathy Brodie. Faulder demonstrates. Bentley Manor setting.
Publisher: Helen Tudor
Published by: Maze Media (2000) Ltd,
25 Phoenix Court, Hawkins Rd,
Colchester, CO2 8JY
Tel: 01206 505 900
The views within this magazine are not necessarily those of l The benefits of online learning journeys – p67
the publisher. Every effort is made to ensure the veracity and
integrity of the companies, persons, products and services l Reflecting on body language – p68
mentioned in this publication, and details given are believed
to be accurate at the time of going to press. However, no l Promoting positive behaviour training – p69
responsibility or liability whatsoever can be accepted for any
consequence or repercussion of responding to information or l Preparing for business rate changes – p71
advice given or inferred. Copyright Maze Media (2000) Ltd.
l Q&A: Quality improvement – p72
l Sustainability: Preparing for 2017 – p73

04 Teachwire.net/early-years
 For Kids. For Parents.
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News and views from the early years
In brief...
A Nottinghamshire
primary is grading its
parents on how well they
support their children.
Mums and dads receive an
A to D based on their
involvement. The scheme
is designed to improve
children’s performance.
Educators are among the
most trusted
professionals, according
to an Ipsos-Mori poll. An
impressive 88% of the
public trusts teachers to
tell the truth, beating
scientists and even judges.
Politicians languish at 15%.
Parents of children
attending a primary
school in Worcester
reacted angrily after being
asked to pay £1 to watch
the annual Nativity. The
school planned to invest
funds raised in resources
for KS1 and early years.
06 Teachwire.net/early-years
Nursery Now.indd 1
News
Childcare Works
As the introduction of
the 30 hours childcare
offer draws closer, Mott
Macdonald and Hempsall’s TWEET
have been appointed by the
DfE to support Childcare
TALK
Works – a new project
designed to implement
@teachwire
the extended entitlement.
5 things I learnt after
The organisations, which successfully partnered to
returning to school from
deliver the ‘Achieving Two Year Olds’ initiative, will
maternity leave
work directly with providers, LA early years teams
http://buff.ly/2d1xzBH
and central government. Charity Action for Children
has also joined the Childcare Works delivery team,
@SaveOurEarlyYrs
offering additional expertise. The programme will be
#EarlyYears is facing a
targeted at areas most in need of support, and focus
major crisis + Government
on addressing barriers to implementation.
must act now! Bringing
back #FunctionalSkills is
“We know such reforms the immediate solution
bring many challenges; @SurreyEYCS
Useful video with
however, we are a team educational consultant
Professor Cathy Nutbrown
experienced in finding explaining what schemas
are & how to spot them
solutions.” ow.ly/ES1x3074Gch
JAMES HEMPSALL OBE, NATIONAL
PROGRAMME DIRECTOR, CHILDCARE WORKS
Closures
accelerate
156
SURE START CENTRES THAT
SHUT IN ENGLAND IN 2015
– NEARLY DOUBLE THE
NUMBER RECORDED IN 2014.
16/12/2016 10:58
 News

Funding concerns persist

“NDNA is clear
that if enough
funding can’t be Has the government finally convinced given the level of funding to allow them
found to plug the sector’s many sceptics that the 30 to deliver 30 funded hours sustainably,”
hours offer is sustainable? Well, firstly, said NDNA’s Chief Executive, Purnima
the gap, then it has come up with more money. Tanuku OBE. “While it’s welcome
nurseries must Early years minister Caroline Dineage that the government has listened to
announced in December that an concerns, looked at the principle of a
be allowed to additional £30 million had been found minimum level of funding and allocated
treat government to support the introduction of a new more money to address the lowest-
minimum funding rate of £4.30 per funded local authorities, the small uplift
funding as a hour, with average hourly funding rates in funding doesn’t go far enough. Many
contribution for three- and four-year-olds rising will still question how they
from £4.56 to £4.94. Local can extend their offer of
to the cost authorities will be required to funded hours and remain
of a place.” give providers at least 93% of sustainable.”
this funding over the course On top of this, concerns
PURNIMA TANUKU OBE, of 2017–18, a figure that will have been raised over the
Chief Executive, NDNA then rise to 95%, while government’s decision
additional funding has not to review early years
also been earmarked funding annually: “If rising
for children with business costs aren’t matched
SEND. by increases in funding,
The verdict? providers will
The government have to choose
still has work between
to do. “Many increasing the

WIN!
people in cost of paid-
the nursery for hours or
sector will going out of
nursery
A trudy t Easel remain bitterly business,” noted
Ar disappointed that
wooden r £500, the Pre-school Learning
h o v e they will be not be Alliance’s Neil Leitch.
wort
e s y of Hope
court o
n. Turn t
Educatio 38!
page

Reception review
announced
Early Excellence has launched a review of the
22% RISE IN EARLY
Reception year, seeking to offer expert views YEARS SETTINGS
on policy and teaching practice. Dubbed JUDGED ‘GOOD’ OR
‘The Hundred Review’ – as it will call upon ‘OUTSTANDING’
the experience of hundreds of Reception BY OFSTED SINCE
practitioners – it has been timed to coincide with 2012 – BUT THE
policy-makers’ focus on the status and content
of Year R. It is planned that the review will also
NUMBER OF EARLY
draw upon research evidence from school leaders, YEARS PLACES
school improvement partners and inspections to HAS FALLEN BY 4%
ascertain how best to secure good outcomes in SINCE 2009.
Reception; what constitutes good teaching; and
what is preventing attainment.

Teachwire.net/early-years 07

Nursery Now.indd 2 16/12/2016 10:58

 News

Brothers & NEXT

sisters ISSUE
Providing opportunities for siblings * Creative learning special –
Coming up... to learn together can help you connect Mark making, play-dough
with families, says Judit Horvath... and more!
13 March * Neuroscience –
Talk to Your Offering activities that involve a child’s younger or older Why we need training to
siblings is one of the best ways to engage with families understand its impact.
Baby 2017
The National Literacy – and the benefits of doing that are well known. Siblings This and much more in issue
Trust’s conference returns, enjoy better relationships when they share activities 7.2, on sale February 24th
they both enjoy, too, but it can be tough for parents to
chaired by Jean Gross
identify those activities at home, especially if there’s
CBE, with speakers an age or interest gap. However, when activities are
including Professors Elena
Soundb
routinely offered by your setting, siblings seem to show
Lieven and Kathy Sylva. more interest in engaging with each other, regardless
www.literacy
trust.org.uk
of the activities’ nature and theme.
That said, different children, even siblings, “We nee ite
don’t naturally settle into mutually enjoyed d to recr
train an uit
14 May
activities, so getting them playing together
requires you to provide open-ended approach and d retain ,
National Children’s flexible, fun tasks. more me
Day UK 2017 You might like to try reading, singing JO WAR
IN
n.”
, senior
Educatio lecture
NCDUK is all about the and acting: telling a story is usually enjoyed n
writing a at Lancaster U r on
by all age groups, and different roles can be bout the niversity
importance of a healthy that pers larg ,
appointed (older children to read the story, younger ists in nu e gender gap
childhood, and protecting See bit.l rsery te
kids to act it out, etc.). Movement, e.g. dancing y/2hsC2 aching.
children’s rights. You f5
or gymnastics, can also be fun and connecting, and
can get involved via the provide autonomy at different levels.
website below. Water, sand and foam play is soothing and
www.nationalchildrens inspiring all at once, with many opportunities to expand
dayuk.com and shape, while messy art allows children to engage
individually, in the manner of the own choosing.
Finally, why not offer project work – e.g.
create a forest (draw pictures for the walls, create clay
animals, etc.), have a cake stand, or wash cars for charity
together? Whilst insuring safety, let the children work
together to do the planning and execution of the work.
Judit Horvath is a nursery management adviser.

Notice Board Notice Board Notice Board

Nominations for the Towergate
Care Awards 2017 are open now
until 21 February. There are prizes
up for grabs for Nursery School
Worker of the Year and Volunteer
of the Year, and the presentation
ceremony will be hosted by Denise
Van Outen. Visit bit.ly/2gCkDn4
TV presenter Anna Williamson
took part in a paediatric first aid
training session delivered by Busy
Bees Training Academy, in support
of its Child Safety First campaign.
Figures suggest 140,000 lives
could be saved each year by basic
first aid training.
Childbase Partnership has been
named a National Champion at
the European Business Awards,
and has now been shortlisted for
a European Business of the Year
award. “We are very proud to be
representing our country,” said
CEO Mike Thompson (pictured).

Teachwire.net/early-years 09

Nursery Now.indd 4 16/12/2016 10:58

 Introducing... Early Years

EXCELLENCE Brand new for 2017, Early Years Excellence

is Teach Early Years’ industry award
scheme. Set up to celebrate the breadth
and quality of our sector’s educational and
professional development resources, it offers
suppliers, manufacturers, publishers and
service providers the chance to have their
most innovative and effective products and
publications recognised by the sector.

This year Early Years Excellence features
13 categories covering key areas of learning
and development, different age groups
and learning environments, as well as
continuing professional development, special
educational needs and picture books. To
ensure only the most-deserving resources
triumph, entry is completely free!

Get involved!
Do you create or supply educational or
professional development resources for the
early years sector? You can nominate your
products and publications online now at
www.teachwire.net/eyexcellence

The judges...
Our expert panel will be revealing their verdicts in issue 7.3.

STEVE ANTONY KIRSTINE BEELEY KATHY BRODIE SUE COWLEY

Award-winning children’s Independent early years Early Years Professional, Experienced educator,
author/illustrator. trainer and author. trainer and author. writer and presenter.

SAM DIXON JUNE O’SULLIVAN MBE KIDDI CARU LISA SNELL SARAH STEEL
Teacher, composer and CEO of the London Early Provider of outstanding early Early Years Director at Managing director of the
musical educator. Years Foundation. years education and childcare. Busy Bees. Old Station Nursery group.

10 Teachwire.net/early-years

Awards promo.indd 1 16/12/2016 10:48

 News

Research and resources to improve your practice...

Pointers on identify babies’ ‘showing’ and ‘giving’

communication
Much attention is paid to babies’ first
words, but research from the
University of Manchester
suggests that early
gestures are just as
important, as they
reveal insights into how
children’s communication
skills are likely to develop.
Previously, studies have focused on
babies’ ability to point, a behaviour that
develops at 10–12 months; on this
occasion, earlier behaviours were
analysed. Having videoed how
behaviours, and ‘micro-behaviours’
that might indicate what they were BOOKSHELF
‘trying to say’. They then examined Early Childhood
caregivers’ responses. and Neuroscience
They discovered that ‘showing’ and (Bloomsbury, £19.99)
‘giving’ behaviours are strong predictors Mine Conkbayir’s
of how often infants used pointing later practical guide to
on, and that how caregivers understanding the
respond to their charges challenging subject
relates to the frequency of neuroscience and
of pointing behaviours its application in
exhibited. Unfortunately, early years practice
features clear explanations of key
they also found that caregivers are often
terms and theories, illustrative
puzzled by babies’ intentions – important
case studies of cutting-edge
since adults who engage in language-rich research, and reflective discussion
interactions with infants about the things questions to help practitioners

“
caregivers and 24 infants aged 10 that interest them do most to support apply their knowlede to real-world
months communicated using a selection their language development. Read more contexts. Visit bloomsbury.com
of toys, researchers attempted to at bit.ly/2gJegKH
Early Childhood
Playgrounds
“Four-year-
Dads matter
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olds behave Those thinking of
in a simple New fathers’ attitudes to their parental role have
a major influence on whether or not their children
improving their
early years settings’ outdoor
and honest display behavioural issues before their teenage years,
according to research by Oxford University. It was
provision will find Prue Walsh’s
insights into planning outside
way; they found that factors including how fathers see themselves learning environments invaluable.
as parents, how much they value their role and how
say what they are able to adjust to it are of
Topics covered include planning
procedures and ideas for designs;
they think.” greater consequence than
the amount of direct
options for babies, toddlers and
children with SEN; and how to
Dr Sam Wass on involvement they provide challenging play. Visit
why children in the have in childcare or routledge.com
early years require a domestic tasks,
completely different when it comes to An Anthology of
model of behaviour achieving positive Educational
management to their outcomes for Thinkers
older peers. Read more their children. (Featherstone,
at bit.ly/2f8GKfO Read more at £19.99)
bit.ly/2gG6eWy
This new title from
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27%
Children with SLCN who
achieve a good level of
development age five.
SOURCE: Gov.uk
of educational thinkers and the
theories that have shaped today’s
early years practice – from
Montessori to Reggio Emilia. Visit
bloomsbury.com

Teachwire.net/early-years 11
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JUNE O’SULLIVAN
What’s in
a name?
It’s time we found a job title that sums up what
every early years practitioner does – teach!
I WAS RECENTLY REVIEWING A JOB
description for a standard head office role.
It was outdated and no longer fitted what I
expected of the post holder. What fascinated
me as I trawled through HR websites and read
articles and research was that job titles are
still important. People like them as a way of
describing what you do.
In July this year, NFER, the National
Governors’ Association and the Future
Leaders Trust published a report following
an investigation into the term ‘executive
headteacher’. The report had been
commissioned to illuminate the role given the
growing number of executive heads across the
UK. The report suggested that the title was
much more complex and covered a far wider
range of activities than first anticipated.
I wonder what the report would say about
the confusion of titles to be found across
the early years sector. It’s the only place I’ve
ever been where a staff member might be
introduced, “Hello, meet Rhia – she’s Level 3.”
I remember Cathy Nutbrown commenting in
amazement at this when we first met at the
Nutbrown Review. I think it was one of the
reasons she tried to introduce one title for one
role: the Early Years Teacher. Isn’t this right?
Shouldn’t our title describe what we do? Teach!
We’re all teachers
I think we should reclaim the title Nursery
Teacher and separate it from the qualification
debate. It’s what parents and children call
us (except when they’re cross, when we find
ourselves called many interesting things!). Why
does our qualification dictate our title? When
I meet a group of CEOs we all share the same
job description that identifies the skills, traits,
attributes and knowledge we need for the job.
It’s true that some CEOs will be more qualified
than others, but ultimately, what is expected by
the public is that a CEO does what a CEO does.
Now, I can feel the twitching across the
sector. Competitive grumblings about the
ranking of qualifications from Level 2 upwards,
June O’Sullivan MBE is the
references to the need for CEO of the London Early
qualifications to support quality Years Foundation. Visit
teaching. I have no problem with
us building a team of people leyf.org.uk, June’s blog at
with a range of qualifications. juneosullivan.wordpress.com
They are the platforms from or connect on Twitter
which we take what we’ve @JuneOSullivan
learned and put it into practice,
coached and supported by our
managers and colleagues. So
yes, it’s important we have qualified staff, but
that should not determine the job title. Let’s
take our job title out of the qualification box.
Let’s focus instead on what we need to be
able to teach. This is a much better focus than
qualifications. No one can rely on a qualification
to ensure high-quality teaching, especially
today when academies can choose to hire
staff without teaching qualifications and
instead focus on the skills and attributes
they require.
Qualifications do not drive fair and
consistent terms and conditions. In fact, by not
leading a debate about what we do, we have
suffered from ill-considered government policy.
It was easier to divide and rule and weaken the
debate. It resulted in a lack of a strong core
argument as every different group of qualified
staff had a slightly different take on the
argument, when actually the issue is
the same. The result is that teaching small
children remains low status, subject to
inadequate funding and at the back of the
“
education queue.
Furthermore, the confusion about what
we’re called does little to help parents. They
are ill-informed about what teaching looks like
for small children, and the push to school has
caused many parents alarm and distress. Our Shouldn’t
job is to help parents understand what good
teaching looks like irrespective of the setting
our title
(I am of course making an assumption that the
setting is high quality).
describe
What do you think? Should our title
describe what we do rather than describe
what we do?
our qualification? Teach!
Teachwire.net/early-years 13
 Photo: Jamie Baker/Save the Children

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Muddy Puddle Walk A4 Advert V13.indd 1 12/12/2016 15:06

 JEAN GROSS CBE IS A FORMER GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATION CHAMPION FOR CHILDREN.
“It takes two”
We need to spell out the fact that good communication
development requires high-quality interactions between
parents and children, says Jean Gross…
WE ALL KNOW THE LYRIC “IT TAKES
two, baby”; it’s one of those earworms
that stick in your brain. I’ve used it as
the theme of this article because it
reminds us that good communication
and language development in young
children is the outcome of high-quality
face-to-face interactions between an
adult and a child.
Other forms of input – TV, DVDs,
iPads – just don’t do the business.
How do we know this? Well, a study by
Professor Patricia Kuhl at the University
of Washington compared how many
Mandarin sounds babies from English-
speaking families learned to discriminate
when they either interacted with native
Chinese-speaking tutors who played
with them and read to them, or heard
the same Mandarin-speaking tutors
through a video or audio presentation.
The researchers found that children
exposed to the language through
face-to-face interactions were able to
discriminate between similar Mandarin
sounds as well as native listeners.
But the other babies – regardless of
whether they had watched the video
or listened to the audio – showed no
learning whatsoever.
In another study, scientists tried to
teach toddlers new words, either by
giving them a special DVD to watch
alone or with their parents, several
times a week over four weeks, or
just by telling the parents the list
of words and asking them to
include them in their everyday
interactions with their child.
Guess which group learned most
words? Yes, the everyday parent-
child interaction group.
Why might this be? It’s not
about technology as such; it’s about
the idea of ‘contingency’ – research
that shows children learn language best
when an adult talks about what a child is
looking at, pointing at, or talking about.
That is, adults take their lead from the
child in a responsive way that video or
DVD generally doesn’t.
I’ve never forgotten a session I
once watched in a Plymouth Children’s
Centre, in which babies of six months
up were given a basket of objects
to explore, while their parents were
asked to get down on the floor with
them and mirror the baby’s actions,
providing a running commentary
on what the child was doing – for a
whole 15 uninterrupted minutes. It was
magic, contingency in action; there
was no crying or fussing, and lots
of ‘conversations’. Evaluation of the
programme, which was devised by
a speech and language therapist,
showed very good communication
and language outcomes.
Of course there are other
factors that matter in early language
development, like the number of words
children hear and whether adults sing
nursery rhymes, share books and
reminisce about
events. But contingency is vital, as is
making sure children’s speech, language
and communication are on track in their
very earliest years, preferably before
they are two. Research has shown that
the capacity to learn language peaks
at about 18 months, and that language
development at two strongly predicts
children’s school readiness; if children –
particularly disadvantaged children – are
behind in their language at two, they are
likely to stay behind.
Even before children say their first
word, there is a lot of language learning
going on. We tend to notice and focus
on ‘speech’, but really speech is just the
end product of essential underpinnings
that speech and language therapists
call the language learning pyramid (see
bit.ly/2gzM0cO). In order for a child to
have the tools to communicate well,
most of these skills and processes have
to be put in place very early.
Is “It takes two, baby” still ringing
in your ears? Good, because we need
to drive the message home that
good communication and language
development in young children
is the outcome of high-quality
face-to-face interactions
between parents and their
children. With this in mind, I’m
very pleased to be hosting the
National Literacy Trust’s annual
‘Talk to Your Baby’ conference
on 13 March 2017. With a host
of incredible speakers lined up,
the conference is renowned for
its in-depth and engaging reviews
of policy, research and practice,
and for highlighting the key role
communication and language can
play in improving the life chances of
our youngest children. But don’t just
take my word for it, find out more at
literacytrust.org.uk/talk_to_your_baby.
I look forward to seeing you there!
Jean is the author of the bestselling
book Time to Talk (Routledge, 2013).
Visit routledge.com
Teachwire.net/early-years 15
 KATHY BRODIE IS AN EARLY YEARS PROFESSIONAL AND TRAINER BASED IN EAST CHESHIRE.

Learning
with technolog y
Getting the benefit out of digital devices is a balancing
act, but their careful use can enrich children’s education
across the curriculum, says Kathy Brodie...

MANY EARLY YEARS SETTINGS NOW HAVE DIGITAL
educational technology such as cameras, iPads and other
tablets. Electronic devices of this sort will almost certainly
be a part of every child’s life in the future, whether it’s
the mobile phone in their pocket or a computer at work.
Therefore, we need to ensure that the technological
resources and experiences that we provide for our children
will equip them for the 21st century. At the same time it’s
important that we offer access to technology without
disrupting other beneficial activities. It is a careful balancing
act, but success can be achieved by giving due consideration
to the reasoning behind having educational technology in
your setting, and the intended outcomes for the children.
If you’re unsure where to start, fear not – the
following suggestions will help you get the best out of
digital devices in your setting...

1 Your role
Educational technology is much more effective when
it is part of a quality, joint interaction with a confident
practitioner. This is because the practitioner can offer
appropriate intervention and support, for example,
discussing the story or illustrations in an interactive
storybook. This transforms the experience from a
passive to an active use of the technology. It also means
that practitioners will be more aware of children’s ability
and interests whilst using educational technology.
4 Reluctant
readers
It has been found that the use of educational
technology, specifically ebooks on computers,
tablets or smartphones, can encourage
sharing and reading of books. This is especially
true for boys, who respond well to the
technological aspect (bit.ly/1JbDk4m) of the
experience, showing an increase in reading
levels and, as an added bonus, increased
enjoyment of reading.

2 Creative impact
Technology designed specifically for children means
our charges can now take photos, videos and even
edit them themselves and add special effects. This
opens a whole new avenue of creativity for children,
using a completely new skill set – particularly useful
if you have children who don’t normally engage in
messy creative activities, but who may be tempted in
by their fascination in the technology involved. Saving
digital work is much easier than saving a 3D model, and
collaborating on or extending work is much simpler.
3 Cause & effect
Programmable bots and toys can be used very
effectively for the exploration of cause and effect.
Older children will be able to do some programming,
with younger children able to experience the process.
It’s exciting to see a bot following its instructions, and
sometimes even more exciting when the instructions
make it do unexpected things! Being able to programme
these toys sets a good foundation for coding, which
children will be coming across later on.

16 Teachwire.net/early-years

Kathy Brodie - Quick tips.indd 1 16/12/2016 10:54

 5 Parent partnerships
There’s great scope to use technology to share
experiences from the setting with parents or even far-
flung family members. There are also good opportunities
for parents to share interesting experiences with the
setting. A short video clip can illustrate a child’s interests
or progress much more easily than written notes. This is
especially useful if there is a language barrier, or if parents
indicate that there is a difference at home compared to
the setting, for example, in behaviour or speech.
6
Use your
judgement
As with all resources you provide for your children,
practitioners need to constantly review the technology
available for the children in the current cohort. They
must use their professional judgement on how and
when it’s used, including checking the safety and
security of websites and apps. The quality and
suitability for purpose must be considered
– the quality of apps can be checked
against the National Literacy Trust’s
six ‘engagement features’ (bit.
ly/2fX3cwt).
Kathy Brodie - Quick tips.indd 2
7 Tech support
There’s a huge array of technology to support
children with SEN, which may be worth investigating
to help all your children. The Big Mack, for example,
is a giant press button, onto which you can record a
message, phrase or response – e.g. record “he huffed
and he puffed” and it will be played when children
press the button. This means children with no speech
and language can join in the story by pressing the
switch at the correct time.
SHARING THOUGHTS
The simplest educational technology may also
prove the most effective...
l Try capturing children’s interests
and ideas by using sound recorders,
such as recordable microphones.
l This is especially useful if you have shy
children who are hesitant to speak in a group.
Pre-record their views, then play them at group
time so that everyone can hear their voice.
l Recorders don’t need to be expensive or
complex. You can get simple recordable photo
albums and ‘speech bubbles’, which children can
use independently, relatively cheaply.
Kathy
Brodie is author of
Observations, Assessments
and Planning: Bringing it
all together, published by
Open University Press. For
more information, visit
kathybrodie.com
Teachwire.net/early-years 17
16/12/2016 10:54
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 SUE COWLEY IS AN AUTHOR AND HELPS TO RUN AN ‘OUTSTANDING’ PRESCHOOL.
Another
f ine mess
Expressing oneself through a little localised chaos is all part of growing
up, but so is learning to tidy away afterwards, says Sue Cowley...
CHILDREN’S PLAY IS OFTEN A
messy business – they get mud on
the carpet, paint on the walls and
scatter toys underfoot for you to
tread on (painfully). Adults tend
to rate tidiness highly as a virtue,
whereas to small children it hardly
seems relevant, especially if we’re
willing to tidy up after them. Helping
children to understand why it can be
good to make a mess, but why it’s also
important to tidy up afterwards, is a
key part of your role...
THE SCENARIO
Of late, after the children have gone
home, your setting has looked rather
like a whirlwind has hit it. Staff must
put toys back into the right boxes,
wash up half-cleaned paint brushes and
mop trails of muddy footprints from
the floor. You’re fed up with the time
that’s wasted clearing up the mess, and
you want the children to take more
responsibility. Some parents have also
complained about their children’s
clothes getting mucky.
MESSY LEARNING
Messy learning is integral to the EYFS,
so the solution is definitely not to stop
children doing it in the first place. A
parent friend once said to me that
she decided to stop worrying about
her child getting paint on the carpet,
because it was more important for
her child to experiment with paint
than it was for her home to be tidy.
However, this doesn’t mean we can’t
teach children to tidy up after they’ve
finished playing.
There’s an interesting correlation
between messy play and the
development of early creativity. While
a child’s painting might look like smears
of paint on a page to us, to the child
it’s all about experimentation and
exploration. We need to:
1
Help parents understand the
benefits of messy play, by
Sue Cowley - Behaviour.indd 2
explaining what children learn from it to cause a mess, such as Wellington
(perhaps in a blog or a newsletter). boots. Some settings use specially
2
made units for storing boots outside
Ask parents to clothe children in on a wall. We have a plastic box of
garments they don’t mind getting wellies just inside the front door.
* Have an allocated time at the end of
dirty (not in a white designer top, as
3
once happened to us).
each session/day for tidying up and ask
Consider offering a uniform, to that all the children join in.
* Make ‘tidying up’ a fun part of your
avoid the situation where children
wear their ‘best clothes’. We have
routine by doing it to music – ‘The
optional polo tops and sweatshirts that
Wombling Song’ is great for this.
4
are durable and hard-wearing.
* Incorporate learning into tidy-up
Have a set of aprons or old shirts
time, by asking the children to bring you
that children can wear over their
“10 blocks” or “all the red Lego bricks”.
5
clothes for messy activities.
Give children chances to use * You might split your children into
teams with different practitioners, and
plenty of different resources,
have a competitive element to the
especially when they’re doing creative
tidying up, to encourage pace and focus.
or art activities, but also consider when
* Consider where you place certain
a more limited palette of resources
might be easier, more beneficial or less activities from a tidying-up perspective
stressful for staff. – don’t put paint easels too far away
from the sink, or you’re likely to get
MAKING A MESS (TIDILY) drips of paint across your floor.
* Use storage options that are easy for
Ideally, you want the children to both
make the mess, while learning, and
children to access and carry – we use
then know how to tidy up afterwards.
units with trays on wheels, and different-
Encourage the children to take
sized plastic boxes with clip-on lids.
responsibility for their behaviour and
learning. Put structures and routines
in place to help them. Use positive
praise when you spot children doing
the right thing, to encourage them
to repeat the behaviour (and
hopefully do it at home too).
* Have clear routines
setting out what
children should
do when they
go outside
from inside,
and vice versa.
Some settings use
slippers to ensure
mud doesn’t get
into indoor spaces.
* Consider where
you locate items liable
Teachwire.net/early-years 19
16/12/2016 11:13
 ALEXIA BARRABLE IS A LECTURER AND FORMER PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER.
Happy habits
The foundations of positive wellbeing can be laid in the
early years – Alexia Barrable explains how...
AFTER 10 YEARS OF WORKING WITH
young kids, and while waiting to become
a mum, I asked myself the million dollar
question: what is it that we really want
for our children? I chatted to parents
of new babies and school-age kids, and
those with teenagers; I even spoke to
the parents of my adult friends. Their
answers were overwhelmingly similar:
what all parents seem to want is for
their children to be happy!
And yet, we don’t all know how
to go about making that happen.
Moreover, most schools and other
educational settings are not geared to
teach us wellbeing skills. But early
years settings, in particular,
are perfectly placed to lay the
foundations for happiness
and fulfilment in adulthood.
It matters because the
science shows us that
the happier we are, the
more we succeed in what
we do. Happier people
are also kinder towards
others and even have
better health! In my
mind, happiness is as
worthy a teaching
goal as reading
and writing.
Here are
some simple
ways, backed
by research,
that we can use
to teach our children happiness skills
from an early age. You probably use
some of them already, while others can
be added to your normal routines.
Emotional literacy
Emotional literacy, our ability to read,
understand and respond appropriately
to our own emotions, as well as
those of others, is at the heart of
wellbeing. There are many ways to
help preschoolers develop their own
emotional literacy. Here are a few...
20 Teachwire.net/early-years
Alexia Barrable - Promoting wellbeing.indd 1
TALK ABOUT YOUR OWN
EMOTIONS – when you feel frustrated,
sad, excited or disappointed, share that
with the children and explain how you
deal with it. I remember telling my class
of four-year-olds that I often took a
deep breath and counted to 10 when
I got cross, before responding. After
a particularly tough day, and some
challenging behaviours, one child asked
me to what number I was counting!
I couldn’t help but smile at his acute
perception of my emotional landscape.
ACKNOWLEDGE CHILDREN’S
EMOTIONS – help children label their
emotions, and be open to corrections
from them. See if they can identify the
source of the emotion: “What do you
think is making you upset?” The point of
the exercise is not to get rid of negative
emotions, but rather to be able to label
them and accept them as they are.
Changing our attitude and responses,
on the other hand, can be useful. For
example, appropriate ways of managing
anger can be practised in class.
READ STORIES – there is tremendous
potential to teach emotional literacy
through stories. Most
good tales will have
characters experience
several ups and
downs. Talking about
the reasons why
emotions surface can
be eye-opening for
children and a fun way
to discuss appropriate
responses to challenging
situations that might not arise in
everyday life.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness, non-judgemental
attention to the moment, has many
and varied benefits. Here are some
suggestions to add mindfulness
practice to your setting:
BREATHING BUDDIES – ask
children to bring in a teddy from
home who can become their
‘breathing buddy’. Once a day, at
an appropriate time, teddy can
come out and accompany a simple
breathing exercise. Lying down, the
children place their buddy on their
bellies and simply watch them go
up and down with each in- and out-
breath. Anchoring ourselves to the
breath can be an easy way to bring
ourselves back to the moment.
16/12/2016 10:47

ONE SENSE AT A TIME – there’s no
better way to practise being present
than focusing on our senses. Senses
happen in the here and now, so can
be a great way to bring us ‘back into
ourselves’. Use just one minute to be
still and simply listen to all the things
that are going on, take the first minute
of snack-time to really taste your fruit,
or simply feel your body on the floor
as you sit for circle time.
READ A BOOK – A Handful of
Quiet: Happiness in Four Pebbles, by
Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, is a
wonderful book to introduce young
children to mindfulness, meditation
and breathing techniques. Pebble
meditation can be practised in any
setting, giving children an opportunity
to quieten and reflect in a fun way!
Gratitude
Being thankful for what we have can
give our wellbeing a powerful boost.
Here are three ways to encourage it...
MODEL GRATITUDE – our children
learn as much, if not more, from what
and how we are, as what we tell them.
Therefore, encouraging an atmosphere
of giving thanks starts with proper
modelling: moving on from the
automatic ‘thank you’, try to find
genuine reasons for giving gratitude
and share them with your class.
CHANGE YOUR LANGUAGE – the
language we use makes a difference.
I found that with preschoolers, using
the phrases “Aren’t we lucky to…” and
“Today we get to…” goes a long way to
Alexia Barrable - Promoting wellbeing.indd 2
cultivating an atmosphere of
gratitude for the simple things
we often take for granted.
THE GRATITUDE TREE – on top of
that, set aside a few minutes at the
end of the week to look back at a
few things you might be grateful for.
Making a ‘gratitude tree’, as described
in my book, Growing Up Happy, is
a great way of making a habit of
gratitude, and having a visual reminder
of all the things we’re grateful for.
Giving
In an academic paper titled ‘Giving
Leads to Happiness in Young Children’,
researchers from the University
of British Columbia describe how
toddlers are happier when engaging
in the act of giving. The publication
follows several pieces of research
that suggest that acts of kindness in
other age groups promote happiness
and wellbeing.
SET UP GIVING ROUTINES – setting
up preschoolers for success in pro-
social tasks can be done easily, by
building them into your group’s
routine. Handing out placemats,
for example, or sharing out the
morning fruit can give children a
boost in wellbeing, as well as
increase their sense of independence
and validate them as a valuable
members of the group.
RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS –
have a day of the week when children
can perform acts of kindness… just
because. Bringing in a piece of fruit for
KEEP THEM
SMILING
Five ways to improve kids’
wellbeing...
1 Work on cultivating emotional
literacy by sharing your
emotions and your responses
to them.
2 Read books mindfully and
critically, looking at the
emotions of characters and how
they arise.
3 Nurture the spirit of gratitude
by modelling: share all the
things that you are grateful for.
4 Take a moment out of a busy
day to be in the moment, by
using your senses.
5 Practise kindness towards
each other, and reflect on
your kind actions.
a friend, lending someone a cherished
toy, or helping them with something
can all help build connections within
the group and increase both individual
and group happiness.
TALK ABOUT GOOD DEEDS –
studies show that reflecting on our
acts of kindness can give us a further
happiness boosts. Ask children to
share the ways they have been kind
to others, and celebrate the different
ways there are to be kind.
Alexia Barrable is the co-author of
Growing Up Happy (£13.99, Little,
Brown), which features a host of
easy-to-use activities designed
to boost children’s wellbeing
throughout their early and school
years. Visit littlebrown.co.uk
Teachwire.net/early-years 21
16/12/2016 10:47
22 Teachwire.net/early-years
 ANJALI PATEL IS AN EARLY YEARS AND PRIMARY ADVISORY TEACHER AT THE CLPE.

Reading
between
the lines
To develop our children’s early comprehension skills, we must find ways to
harness their inner drive to engage with print, says Anjali Patel…
HOW DO WE ENABLE OUR EARLIEST
readers to develop their comprehension
and inferential understanding as they
embark on their path into reading?
Well, where better to start than with
the child?
We live in a print-dependent
culture so children see us engaging
with words in a variety of ways and
naturally they are keen to join in. We
write ourselves reminders and notes,
fill in forms, and read letters, signs,
newspapers, magazines and books – as
well as sending and receiving emails
and SMS messages, and using social
media. Whilst we are doing this we are
modelling literate behaviour to our
young observers, who will mimic this
interaction with print and the meaning
it promises.
Children who have had a good
balance of sharing high-quality
texts with enthusiastic adults whilst
simultaneously being encouraged to
take an interest in, and tune in to, the
print itself are more likely to want to
read. We know reading takes practice
and needs stamina, and this relies on
maintaining the interest of our earliest
readers. We need to harness children’s
drive to find meaning in print; to
support them in lifting words off the
page, rather than merely barking at text
that holds little significance for them.

Learning to read is a
complex process, so
we need to make sure
that teaching reading
isn’t reduced to just
one strategy.
Teachwire.net/early-years 23
 His observations suggest that
rather than being a solitary experience,
there is a social nature to reading;
that we seek to share our personal
responses and find confirmation in
them. Through discussion and debate,
we may take more meaning from the
reading experience.

GETTING TALK STARTED…

Once they have heard a book read
aloud, your class can begin to explore
their responses to it with the help of
what Chambers calls “the four basic
questions”. These questions give
children accessible starting points
for discussion:

l Tell me, was there anything you liked

about this book?
l Was there anything that you
particularly disliked?
out illustrations that add extra layers l Was there anything that puzzled you?
Teaching strategies of meaning to the text and promote Do you have any questions?
Young children ascribe meaning discussion or even role play. Revel l Does it remind you of anything you
through their mark making and, when in language that is used in lively, know, in stories or real life?
reciting and eventually reading familiar inventive ways.
stories from memory, draw on the There are a few key teaching The openness of these questions
prosody of the narrative to suggest approaches that CLPE’s research encourages every child to feel that
meaning. Learning to read is a complex shows work well in developing they have something to say. They
human process and we need to make deeper response to texts supporting allow everyone to take part in arriving
sure that teaching reading isn’t reduced the development of inferential at a shared view without the fear of
to just one strategy. Dependence on understanding from a very young age, the ‘wrong’ answer. It is enabling and
synthetic phonics may win immediate and they are outlined below. inclusive, and works beautifully with
gains but these are shown to be short- even very young children. It embraces
lived, making little academic difference Book talk the knowledge that each child brings
something unique to the reading
later on if not aligned with reading
Aidan Chambers’ (aidanchambers.co.uk) experience and the sustained shared
for meaning.
work on developing ‘book talk’ began thinking that follows.
Understanding children’s stages
with his interest in why adults formed As children reply, it can be useful
of development when learning to
book groups. Why do we need to relate to write down what they say under
read combined with knowing about
to others about the books we have read, the headings ‘Likes’, ‘Dislikes’, ‘Puzzles’
the pedagogy that supports the
the stories we have been touched by? and ‘Patterns’. This written record
orchestration of strategies and cues
helps us to develop well-rounded
readers who read for meaning and
pleasure. Every child brings a unique
perspective to a text based on their own
life, language and reading experiences.
All children deserve to be actively
involved in making personal sense of
texts and interpreting the world through
their relationship with book characters.
Engaging in dialogue around
books is an obvious way to develop
understanding and so the books you
share need to be inspiring. Tune in to
a child’s fascinations and draw on your
knowledge of high-quality texts that will
stimulate interest and inspire discussion.
Choose books to share and read aloud
to which children can make connections
to their own experiences, or stories
they already know. Share stories that
help children deal with important
themes and interpret their world. Seek

24 Teachwire.net/early-years
helps to map out the class’s view of
the important meaning and is a way
of holding on to ideas for later. Asking
these questions leads children inevitably
into a fuller discussion. They can
respond to a particular illustration as
well as to the text. As the children grow,
they will have internalised the prompts
and will use them as a scaffold for
discussion of any kind.
Re-enactment &
role play
Revisiting stories through a range of
play-based experiences helps children
to step into the world of the book and
to explore it more actively. Through
role play and drama, children are
encouraged to experiment with the
‘what if?’ of plot and make it their own.
Role play is a particularly effective
way for children to inhabit a fictional
world, imagining what the world of the
story would be like, and illuminating it
with their own experience. It enables
children to put themselves into
particular characters’ shoes and imagine
how things would look from that point
of view. Through drama and role play
children can imagine characters’ body
language, behaviour and tones of voice
in ways that they can draw on later
when they write.
ROLE PLAY IN ACTION…
Freeze-frame
Freeze-frames are still images or
tableaux. They can be used to enable
groups of children to examine a
key event or situation from a story
and decide in detail how it could be
represented. When presenting the
freeze-frame, one of the group could
act as a commentator to talk through
what is happening in their version of the
scene, or individual characters can be
asked to speak their thoughts out loud.
Thought-tracking
This technique is often used in
conjunction with freeze-frame.
Individuals are invited to voice their
thoughts or feelings aloud using just a
few words. This can be done by tapping
each person on the shoulder or holding
a cardboard ‘thought-bubble’ above
their head. Alternatively, thought-
tracking can involve other members of
the class speaking a chosen character’s
thoughts aloud for them.
Hot-seating
When hot-seating with young,
inexperienced children, an adult
role plays a central character from
a poem or story and is interviewed
by the children. This activity involves
children closely examining a character’s
motivation and responses. Before the
hot-seating, they need to discuss what
it is they want to know and identify
questions they want answering. When
the children become more experienced
in hot-seating, they delight in taking on
the role of the central character.
Responding to
illustration
In the best picture books, illustration
and text work closely together to
create meanings. Children are naturally
drawn to the illustrations in a book and
are frequently far more observant than
an adult reader. Children’s interest in
images and their ability to read them
can be developed through carefully
planned interventions with an emphasis
on talk. Discussions of this kind can
include all children and help to make
print more accessible.
The children’s books featured on
CLPE’s Power of Reading project, for
example, have been chosen because
of the quality of the illustrations they
contain and the ways in which the
illustrations work with the text to create
meaning for the reader. Children
will need time and opportunities to
enjoy and respond to the pictures,
and to talk together about what
the illustrations contribute to their
understanding of the text. Children
can develop their responses to the
book by creating artwork in a style
similar to the illustrations, and you’ll find
other suggestions as to how to take
advantage of illustrations in the panel
on this page.
USING PICTURES
It’s simple to harness illustrations to
engage children in the stories they
encounter. Try these five approaches…
l Introducing a new book with a key
illustration intrigues and motivates
children to want to find out more.
You can elicit the children’s initial
responses to a character, make
predictions and draw connections.
The best illustration for this is
often not the cover illustration, so
always read and engage with the
text first to ensure your chosen
illustration will provoke response.
l Conceal part of an illustration
from a text to provoke discussion,
then provide the complete
image to demonstrate how your
interpretation changes according
to the amount of information you
are given.
l Ask children to list what they can
tell about a character from an
illustration, his/her appearance,
life and personality. Prepare a
‘role on the wall’ or enlarged
outline of the character to which
children’s responses can be
scribed – appearance and facts
on the outside, and personality or
emotions on the inside.
l Ask children to think what
characters in an illustration might
be thinking. This, alongside role
play and freeze-frame, could lead
to writing in role.
l Ask children to raise their own
questions about the puzzles in
a given image, using the Aidan
Chambers ‘Tell me’ approach (see
bit.ly/2gnq85u).
The Centre for Primary Literacy’s
Power of Reading training
programme supports schools in
raising engagement and attainment
in reading and writing for all pupils.
The Power of Reading website
(accessible by subscription – visit
clpe.org.uk/powerofreading) provides
access to an extensive bank of
teaching sequences and materials
developed to complement the
training. Register at clpe.org.uk to
receive information about further
training and free resources.
Teachwire.net/early-years 25
 RICHARD HOUSE IS AN EARLY YEARS CAMPAIGNER.
“I chose to be at home”
To Skeena Rathor, the trend towards mothers returning to
work has serious implications for children’s wellbeing. Richard
House spoke to her about ‘accelerationism’ and screen time...
NEW RESEARCH CLAIMS THAT WORKING
mothers are “good” for “advancing” children’s
development (see goo.gl/qN1QYz), with a
different survey showing preschoolers having
on average over four hours daily screen time
(see goo.gl/FmWhvb). I spoke with a mother
who takes a very different approach. Families
can choose not to be hapless victims of the
relentless march of ‘too much too soon’ and
of modern technological culture.
RICHARD HOUSE [RH]: Skeena, you have
strong views about this new research on
working mothers. Could you describe your initial
response to it?
SKEENA RATHOR [SR]: My first reaction was
feeling bewildered and dismayed. My eldest
child of three is 16, and I decided to be a full-
time mum after she was born. I’m sure that
this benefited her development enormously. I
wonder how it can be beneficial for a child to
be without the person they feel most safe with.
From holding my children I know, as all mothers
surely do, that they felt most safe and most
loved when with me, and I know this meant their
learning brain and learning heart were most
engaged and most well nourished when with me.
RH: You say being a full-time mum to your
first daughter benefited her development
“enormously”. Can you say more about what
you chose, and didn’t choose, to do – and
how her development benefited, compared
with quickly going back to work and placing
her in childcare?
SR: I saw my role as being her chief
translator of the world. By being with
my children I could create a relationship
of deep knowing and hopefully of trust –
this takes actual ‘man hours’ or, more aptly,
‘mothering hours’. I don’t believe the urban
myth that quality time at weekends makes all the
difference. Of course I got plenty of elements
‘wrong’, and I certainly struggled; but it’s also
about a consistency of presence. Absence is a
very deep pain for the child. We talk so much
about resilience in the child, and self-control as
indicators of strength and success. But I wonder
how well these dispositions can be developed
where there’s an inconsistent primary care-
26 Teachwire.net/early-years
Richard House.indd 1
“
giver in their most vulnerable of early days? I
don’t judge women who choose to work, as
each story is a complex state of affairs, but I do
The wonder about the effect or perceived benefits
for young children who’ve not yet developed
overwhelming their trust of the world.
pressures RH: Very revealing, Skeena. I know you’re
in contact with many mothers, socially and
distract professionally. Are women aware of children’s
early attachment needs – or is this being
mothers from compromised in a culture of ‘women must have
identical career opportunities to men’? And how
their natural have you managed screen time in your family?
instincts. SR: Alas, the overwhelming pressures
distract mothers from their natural instincts.
‘Attachment parenting’ needs simplifying – so
we talk about mothering instincts to protect,
nurture, adore, be close to (etc.) our children.
We need to go beyond cognitive models that
we mistakenly believe will ‘educate’ mothers
appropriately, or we’ll simply educate them
out of this instinctive closeness. Such
models derive from limited modern
thinking that doesn’t reach beyond the
head. We have millions of neurons,
intelligent thinking cells in our heart and
stomach; let’s encourage mothers to use
these sources of intelligence.
If we had space I’d also speak of
how the prevailing ideology drives
mothers back into the workforce when
at their most vulnerable, to serve narrow
economic ideologies, thereby rendering
another generation prone to attachment
disorders and all the ill-health this breeds.
We allow one hour’s screen time on Saturday
for our six-year-old, and Sunday is screen-free.
Our 13-year-old is allowed two hours of screen
time on Saturday, and our 16-year-old is now
self-governing – and astonishingly chooses
not to have a smartphone. Some might see
this as hypersensitive and controlling but in
my experience, screen time hyper-activates
our children’s senses and is an unrewarding
distraction. Thus far I’ve only seen benefits to
their wellbeing of strictly limited screen time.   
Skeena Rathor is a mother of three young
girls, a Kinaesthetic Intelligence Teacher, 
writer and campaigner.
16/12/2016 11:00
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Inspiring reads
Hilary White invites children to investigate ice cubes, dance like a
skeleton, choose between cats and dogs, and much much more in
her latest selection of literary learning activities…
LITTLE
PENGUIN LOST
Tracey Corderoy,
Little Tiger Press
ISBN: 978-1-84895-244-7
SOCKYBUG
Talk about how Plip the penguin
takes his sockybug toy wherever
he goes, the worry and sadness
he feels when Sockybug gets lost,
and his relief when the toy is found. Help the
children to make their own ‘sockybug’ toys.
Using fabric pens, decorate an old sock, fill it
with soft toy stuffing and sew up the opening.
Develop the activity by letting the children
experiment with different stuffing – sand,
lentils, fabric scraps, crumpled tissue. Which do
they prefer? Encourage each child to give their
sockybug a name.
INVESTIGATING ICE
Look at the icy setting for
Little Penguin Lost, linking your
discussion to the children’s
experience of snow and ice. Make
ice blocks containing small plastic
penguins, and challenge the
children to free them. Can they break
the ice? What happens when you pour on hot/
cold water, or sprinkle on salt? Make frozen
paint ‘ice lollies’ for creating icy artworks
and pretty ice cubes containing glitter, food
colouring, flowers and other substances of the
children’s choice. Keep an eye on small fingers
getting chilled and use gloves if necessary.
ALL FRIENDS TOGETHER
Using the penguins’ friendship with Wal-the-
Wump as a starting point, talk about the fun we
can have when we play with our friends. Help
the children to take photos of their friends
playing together. Print out the photos and
discuss them with the group, focusing
on the play activities and how being
with our friends makes us feel (happy,
excited, giggly and so on). Scribe the
children’s words to make captions
and speech bubbles for the photos,
and turn them into either a ‘Book of
Friends’ or a ‘Friendship Frieze’.
28 Teachwire.net/early-years
PANTS
Giles Andreae & Nick Sharratt,
Penguin Random House
ISBN: 978-0-552-54833-5
PRETTY PANTS
Look at the various patterned pants
in the book. Which do the children like best?
Provide cut-out pant shapes, paint, printing
materials and collage scraps, and let the children
decorate their pants however they wish.
Encourage older children to use the pictures in
the book as inspiration, for example, geometric
shapes, strips of lace or choosing a favourite
motif such as cars. You can also do this activity
with pant shapes cut from fabric. Use fabric
paints and pens, and help older children sew on
buttons, bows and other details.
ALL SORTS OF PANTS
An interactive display of pants enables the
children to play with different concepts. Gather
a variety of children’s pants, including large,
small, white, coloured and patterned. Let
the children explore them freely. While
they play, encourage them to match the
pants (same colour, same size) and sort into
groups (patterned/plain, large/small). Put up
a washing line near the display so that pairs
and groups of pants can be pegged up.
Making ‘pants’ picture cards allows you
to introduce a wider variety of colours,
patterns and opposites.
RHYTHM AND RHYME
The text of Pants has a strong rhythm and
also contains lots of rhyming words. Have
the children clap along as you read out the
words, and introduce percussion instruments
for beating out the rhythm. Can the children
pick out the rhyming words on each page? As
they get to know the book,
let them fill in some of the
rhyming words themselves
and help older children make
up their own rhymes; for
example, instead of “Rich
pants, Poor pants, Swinging
on the door pants”, how
about “Rich pants, Poor pants,
Falling on the floor pants”?
 I WISH I FOUR SILLY
WERE A DOG SKELETONS
Lydia Monks, Egmont Mark Sperring & Sue Hendra,
ISBN: 978-1-4052-1246-5 Bloomsbury
ISBN: 978-1-4088-6714-3
CANINE OR FELINE?
Talk about the children’s RATTLY DANCING
experience of dogs and cats, Look at the pictures of the skeletons dancing
and ask each child which they in the moonlight and create your own skeleton
prefer? Explore the different dance. Encourage the children to make their limbs

characteristics of dogs and cats, focusing on
the sounds and movements they make; for
example, cats are slinky and mew while dogs
race around barking. Role play some of the
actions in the books – dogs chewing old bones
and doing tricks; cats prowling and sleeping in
trees. Add to the fun by making dog and cat
masks and tails. After the role play, does any
child want to change their mind about which
they prefer?
DOG-AND-CAT SORTING
Gather different items related to dogs
and cats; for example, pictures of
dog/cat characters (Spot, Snoopy,
Scooby Doo, Mog, Orlando, Tom
Kitten), drinking bowls printed
with ‘dog’ and ‘cat’, tins of food
and packets of treats, collars with
a name tag (dog) and a bell (cat),
leads, a toy mouse, a scratching pole,
balls, bones, a brush, cat and dog paw
prints, and so on. Let the children
explore the items, talk about how they
are used and sort them into ‘dog’ and
‘cat’. Which items might work for both?
I WISH I WERE…
Look at how Kitty feels jealous of dogs and
wishes she could be a dog rather than a cat.
If the children could choose, which animal
would they like to be? Encourage each child
to act out their animal and talk about the
reasons for their choice. Using the mixed-
media illustrations in the book as inspiration,
make large pictures of each animal with paint
and cut-out images. Give children the option
of adding a photo printout of their own faces,
and encourage them to name their animal.
TIP:
as loose and floppy as they can. Add percussion
instruments that produce a dry, rattly sound. You
can also make your own by filling plastic
Make your bottles with rice or chickpeas,
and threading bottle tops
own picture onto loops of string. Choose
some creepy music to
books with dance to, such as Saint-
the children: Saens’ ‘Danse Macabre’. Help
older children create their own
group stories, simple dance routine with a series
of steps and movements.
journals,
theme books, BLACK-AND-WHITE PICTURES
The striking illustrations in the picture book show
counting the white skeletons against the black sky, and
silhouetted black against the moon. Try making
books and your own black-and-white artwork. Put strips
of masking tape on white paper, paint over with
alphabet black and peel off. Punch shaped holes into black
books. paper and stick onto white card. Do marble
rolling with white paint on black paper and black
Put blank on white. Explore white chalk on black paper and
charcoal on white. What happens if you use black
booklets in on black and white on white?
the graphics EXPLORING WITH A TORCH
area for When Auntie June comes to rescue the skeletons
after their midnight dance, her torch beam lights
drawing the way. Using the story as a starting point,
explore torches with the children. Make
and mark- a dark den and switch the torch on and
making. off so the children can experience the
difference. Let the children use their torch
to search for hidden items in the den. Set
up a white screen and make shadow shapes,
and put coloured plastic over the torch to
change the colour of the light. Remember
that some children dislike the dark.

EMOTIONAL IMPACT
Picture books are perfect for exploring feelings, and the best
authors are skilled at creating stories that resonate with young
children. A good story for this age group should be rooted in the
familiar, but also add something new. Positive endings are important
– particularly if the story scenario introduces uncomfortable events.
When exploring the feelings raised by a story, always make good use
of the pictures. Facial expression and body language are important, Hilary White is a former
and a good illustrator plays a crucial part in adding emotional depth nursery and primary
to the words. The pictures don’t have to be naturalistic, as long as teacher. As an author she
they are emotionally honest. If a depicted sad/happy/anxious/fearful/ has written a number of
excited character rings true for you, it will also work for the children. books and contributed to a
range of magazines.

Teachwire.net/early-years 29
 Fuel creative little minds
in the classroom

Mischievous
reads to share
together

Teaching
friendship
and kindness

BuildING their
confidencE

penguin.co.uk

PEN00108TeachEarlyYears_FPaw.indd 1 09/12/2016 15:54

 MANDY GRIST IS LEAD ADVISOR FOR COMMUNICATION AT I CAN.
Talking
apps
Technology can support young children’s speech, language and
communication if you use it correctly, says Mandy Grist…
SMARTPHONE AND TABLET APPS
are now a part of our daily lives, and are
firmly embedded within the constructs
of learning and education. Research
shows that 25% of 0–2-year-olds and
36% of 3–5-year-olds own an iPad, and
that the number of under-fives using
tablets and computers has increased
by 170% since 2012. In the context of
this dramatic increase, it’s important
to consider how can we ensure these
devices are supporting children’s
speech, language and communication
development.
Good early language is crucial
for life chances, and for enabling
children to learn and make friends.
Technology can play an important role
in supporting early language, by creating
new opportunities for interaction
and engagement. Apps can give early
years practitioners the opportunity to
enhance vocabulary development, whilst
also supporting children’s understanding
of early language concepts.
While technology can be used
to support speech, language and
communication, early years specialists
and experts agree that apps and digital
technology should not be used as a
replacement to face-to-face interaction
but rather as a tool to supplement
teaching and learning. Crucially, it is the
interaction between adult and child that
supports language development; apps
are a way of facilitating this interaction
in the same way as a book or some toys
might do. I CAN advises that when using
apps to support communication in a
setting, early years practitioners should
remain present to support the child’s
understanding and use of learning within
the app.
What should we choose?
Choosing the right app to support
speech, language and communication
and knowing how best to use them
with a child can be a daunting prospect.
I CAN offers guidance (see bit.
ly/2fWeihC) on the range of apps
available that may help to establish
which are appropriate for children in
the first instance. These are broken
down into areas of focus, centring on
social communication, communication,
language, speech sounds, organisation
and how to manage emotion. Most,
if not the majority of these apps are
free, making them accessible to all.
The Smartyears apps (bit.ly/2eG2BPV)
are a good place to start and feature
a range of different activities to
support language skills, including using
adjectives, sentence building and
describing. Splingo (bit.ly/2fxg8IK) is
particularly effective for interactive
activities and providing instructions
of increasing length and complexity.
Additionally, The National Literacy Trust
has produced an online apps guide (bit.
ly/2f0uNbr), giving their views on the
best apps to support children early
language and literacy skills.
Using apps effectively
There are plenty of ways in which
practitioners can ensure children are
using apps effectively, both in the home
and in an early years setting. Checking
what apps are being used at home is
an important consideration, so as to
echo learning techniques from one
environment to the next. Technology
and Play (bit.ly/2ggXDt8) offers some
useful guidance questions to help
practitioners establish what apps are
appropriate, such as is the app designed
for a preschool audience? Are the aims
of the app clear? Does the app allow
practitioners to set levels of challenge?
Is the app easy for children to navigate,
and importantly, does the app prompt
children to ask questions and reflect on
their actions?
By sharing in a child’s play with
apps you can support their interest and
understanding as well as their learning
and development. Technology and the
use of apps needn’t disrupt the day-to-
day routines of your setting, but should
rather enhance them. They allow for
personalised learning whilst encouraging
an inclusive and interactive learning
environment. By observing children and
their interaction with apps, and listening
carefully to the way they respond, you
can better understand their thought
patterns and plan carefully for their next
steps in learning.
Stay up to date
Apps are continually being developed
and so it may be useful to look at the
following websites for more ideas about
apps that support speech, language
and communication.
l geekslp.com
l autismspeaks.org/autism-apps
l apps4stages.wikispaces.com
l callscotland.org.uk
l communicationmatters.org.uk
For more information and advice
about supporting children’s speech,
language and communication, visit
www.ican.org.uk/help
Teachwire.net/early-years 31
 SOPHIE BLACKWELL IS HEAD OF EARLY YEARS AT MOORFIELD SCHOOL AND NURSERY, ILKLEY.
“Do what
you can!”
All great early educators aspire to create the perfect learning
environment, but don’t beat yourself up about the things you
can’t change, says Sophie Blackwell...
MANY OF US NOW KNOW THAT
child-led, play-based learning is the very
best way for children in the EYFS (and
beyond) to make progress. It is thrilling
to see so many of my fellow Reception
teachers taking the plunge and following
an approach they know is right for their
children. Where there comes change,
however, there inevitably comes
challenge, and for some the pressure of
making sure that they are ‘doing it right’
can be immense.
I find that many teachers feel that
one of the difficulties of incorporating
this way of teaching and learning
into a school-based environment is
that they often feel restricted by a
timetable imposed upon them by senior
management or parental expectation.
So if you have fought the battle to
implement child-led learning in your
setting and won, how do you ensure that
children get enough quality play time in
amongst all the other expectations of
daily school life?
32 Teachwire.net/early-years
Sophie Blackwell - Reception.indd 1
Unavoidable
interruptions
It is a question I have had to answer
as I too have faced this pressure, and
I still often wonder if my timetable is
as good as it could be. Working in an
independent school adds an additional
level of challenge for me: we have
TAILOR YOUR
TIMETABLE
There may be ways you can
maximise your children’s play time
– but if you’re already doing all you
can, don’t worry!
1 Have a look at your timetable
and see if there is anything you
can afford to lose. Do you have a
fantastic outdoor area that lends
itself to physical development?
Maybe you could drop PE lessons.
Maths and literacy lessons can be
incorporated into children’s play and
do not need adult-led focus groups.
2 Try to schedule lessons or
group work at the start or end
of each session so that they do not
interfere with children’s involvement
in their play.
3 Don’t feel guilty if your setting
is not the same as others that
you may deem better or more
pedagogically appropriate. Each
setting is as individual as each child
and it is important not to worry if
your class is not timetabled in the
same way as others.
subject specialist teachers from
Reception to Year 6 and participation
is non-negotiable. Weekly bushcraft,
PE, IT and music lessons are all part
of our timetable. Although this is
challenging when you are trying to
run a free-flow, child-led setting, the
children love the lessons and love
spending time with the different
adults they meet (Mr Hemingway, the
bushcraft teacher, even brings along
his dog!).
I know, for example, that many
settings have successfully removed
PE lessons from the timetable for
Reception. This is brilliant if you have
the facilities to allow children to run,
climb, jump and balance within your
outdoor area. Unfortunately we share
our small outdoor space with the
whole school and have to pack away
our provision four times a day. This
means that we simply cannot provide
many of the resources children need
to satisfy the Early Years Outcomes in
physical education. This is not ideal by
any means, but we make it work.
So if, like me, your class has certain
activities that they and you absolutely
cannot avoid, what can you do? I find
that timetabling the activities for the
start or end of sessions works best.
The start of the day, just before lunch
or just after lunch are the ideal times if
you are looking to minimise disruption
and ensure that children have the
maximum amount of time to play
and explore. None of our timetabled
sessions lead into one another, as this
can often result in too much static
listening and instruction time for young
children to manage. If it is possible,
then forgoing whole-school assembly in
favour of a short class group time and
16/12/2016 11:12
 “ y t
shou be
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Pla d not
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real sary,
s
nece good
ll
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n
setti nuous
i
cont ow
-fl
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e
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o
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o
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opting out of playtimes and snack-times
also allows children more opportunity
to follow their interests and become
engrossed. Designated playtimes
should not really be necessary, as all
good settings have continuous free-
flow between indoors and outdoors
(they are often just a break for staff
and this can easily be worked around).
Snack-times can be eradicated with the
introduction of a snack bar, accessible
throughout the morning or afternoon.
In practice
By way of example, this is our
timetable for the week. Every minute
not spent in the listed activities is
child-led time. Even with timetabled
sessions, it still works out at over
17 school hours a week of pure,
unadulterated play:
Accept what
you can’t change
As much as we want the reassurance
of looking at other settings’ timetables
and talking to each other to make
comparisons, it is most important to
consider what is best for your children
Monday and feasible for your school. Becoming
1 hour of bushcraft a child-led Reception class is the most
15-minute phonics session important and exciting journey you can
embark upon, and the children in your
care will flourish in more ways than you
Tuesday
30 minutes of music ever thought possible if you make it to
your destination – so don’t let yourself
15-minute phonics session
feel guilty if there are some things you
simply cannot change.
Wednesday
Looking at my timetable, I know that
1 hour of PE
there are lessons that we could lose if
my school allowed. Our children have
Thursday
regular access to IT and technology
15-minute phonics session within the classroom through the use
of iPads, the computer, the interactive
Friday board and cameras, so do we really
30 minutes of music need an IT lesson? Probably not. The
30 minutes of IT children look forward to it all week,
15-minute phonics session. though, and eagerly anticipate time
spent with the IT teacher and all the
We also gather for a 20-minute group exciting activities in which they are able
time at the end of each day. This might to take part. At the moment, it is not
involve reading a story, talking about something we can change and that is
our day, sharing ideas or singing songs. perfectly acceptable.

Teachwire.net/early-years 33

Sophie Blackwell - Reception.indd 2 16/12/2016 11:12

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“
SARAH OCKWELL-SMITH IS A PARENTING EXPERT, AUTHOR AND MOTHER OF FOUR.
Engage
their senses
Sarah Ockwell-Smith explains how to create a multisensory
room – and why it’s something every setting should do...
INFORMATION RECEIVED VIA THE
senses is the dominant motivator for
babies and children to learn and explore
their environments. The more senses
are stimulated, the more children
learn. In babyhood, many senses are
heightened. There’s a reason why
everything a baby touches goes into
their mouth: mouths are very sensory
places that help babies to learn about
the feel of an object, perhaps more
so than their hands. These heightened
senses continue into toddlerhood and
beyond. Food, for instance, has a much
stronger taste during childhood than
it does in adulthood as the taste buds
are more sensitive – this helps the
toddler to learn about food and tastes.
Enabling young children to spend time
in sensory-rich environments helps to
provide them with the best learning
opportunities. It isn’t only learning that
is heightened, however; a multisensory
environment also helps children
feel relaxed and calm, and can be a
huge help for new starters or those
experiencing separation anxiety.
Some children in your setting may
struggle with sensory input, particularly
those with Sensory Processing Disorder
(SPD) and those on the autistic spectrum.
With these children, understanding the
effects of the lack of sensory stimulation
is a vital part of the practitioner’s role.
Children with additional needs can be
helped hugely by a proper understanding
of the effects of a multisensory
environment and how to create one.
Who benefits?
Multisensory rooms can provide both a
calming and stimulating environment,
depending on the needs of the individual
child. Multisensory environments, and
specifically multisensory rooms, have
36 Teachwire.net/early-years
Sarah Ockwell-Smith - Multisensory.indd 1
been shown to improve behaviour,
concentration and attention, making
them ideal for children who struggle with
these skills, or those with ADHD. They
can improve communication, cognitive
CHANGING ROOMS
THREE THINGS TO REMEMBER
WHEN CREATING A
MULTISENSORY AREA...
1 KEEP IT SMALL
A multisensory room doesn’t have
to be large; in fact a smaller space
often works better. If you don’t
have a room free, consider creating
a multisensory corner instead. An
area around one-and-a-half metres
by one-and-a-half metres provides
more than enough space.
2 MAKE A PLAN
When deciding what to include in
your multisensory space, first try
brainstorming items you already
have that can be included; often
you will have more than you
realise. The next step is to write a
list considering as many senses as
possible, remembering to keep the
children in your setting in mind: what
would they particularly like to have?
3 STICK OR TWIST?
Some settings have a fixed sensory
space, i.e. items in the space don’t
change, providing children with a
reassuring constant and sense of
safety and predictability. Others cycle
through different themes (space,
under the sea, in the desert, in the
jungle, etc.), rotating the objects
that are included so there’s always
something new in the environment.
“
development and fine motor skills, and
can help children who struggle to settle
without their parents to feel more safe
and secure.
But while multisensory rooms offer a
positive effect for children with additional
needs, they are of benefit to all children
whatever their age. Too often they’re
seen as niche, but in my opinion, they are
a fantastic addition to any setting.
Create your own
You’ll find some suggestions as to
how to go about setting up your own
multisensory space in the panel on
this page, but here are some key areas
to consider when deciding how to go
about filling it.
TEXTURE
Here, think about as many different
textures as you can: soft, hard, smooth,
rough, spiky, crunchy. Utilise everyday
objects such as bubble wrap, space
blankets, sand paper and shiny satin
fabric. Think about how the floor feels
– use gym or foam mat padding
for crawlers in certain areas,
and consider having a slightly
elevated section to facilitate
climbing. Ball pits work
well with all ages, as do
mirrors fixed firmly on
the wall; not only do
they provide visual
stimulation but
also smooth,
cool textures
to touch. The
same is true of
a water mat or
bed (rather like
a large hot water
bottle). If the mat is
clear, allowing the children to see the
16/12/2016 11:02
 water, even better. Lastly, think about
providing some buttons to be pushed
and levers to be pulled – a board with
bolts and doorknobs to be opened and
closed works well.
SCENT
Smell is an important sense; in fact it’s
the sense that has closest links with
our memory. Certain smells can have a
tremendous effect on the brain, causing
children to remember certain feelings,
environments and people. Smell is one
sense that can be incredibly calming
when used correctly. Here, think about
using an electric aromatherapy diffuser,
lavender bags, scented play-dough
(made using a couple of drops of safe
aromatherapy oil) and even scratch-
and-sniff panels for
older children.
Sarah Ockwell-Smith - Multisensory.indd 2
LIGHT
Used carefully, gentle changes in
lighting levels and colour can help
children to focus and relax as well as
provide creative inspiration. Think about
lighting that changes slowly, fading and
brightening and gently shifting colour,
like waves in the ocean. Avoid any colour
or intensity changes that flash, as these
can be overstimulating and cause issues
for children at risk of light sensitivity.
Think of colour-changing bulbs,
especially if the children can control
the colour changes. Rope light strings
(securely attached to the wall or ceiling),
light projectors, fibre optic light strings
and lamps, lava lamps, bubble tubes, and
glow-in-the-dark shapes. You should
also think about reducing light: a ‘dark
tent’ (made from blackout fabric) can be
used as a very calming space, especially
with the addition of some red lights. Red
light is the only colour wavelength that
doesn’t stimulate cortisol (the hormone
of alertness) and inhibit melatonin (the
hormone of sleep and relaxation).
SOUND
Most people here immediately think
of music. Music can be wonderful at
aiding learning and relaxation, especially
a form of music known as ‘alpha music’.
Alpha music is specifically composed
to calm the brain and put it into a state
of heightened learning known as ‘alpha
state’. The music is characterised by a
repetitive structure at sixty beats per
minute (resting pulse rate); minimal
instruments are included and there are
never any voices or lyrics - it should
be instrumental only. Alpha music is
particularly effective when used in a
multisensory environment in wind-down
time before sleep. For younger children
who still nap in the day it can often help to
produce calmer, longer and easier sleep.
Sound in a multisensory
environment is much more than music,
though; think of the rustle of fabric, the
tinkling of a bell, xylophones, pressing
bells and buzzers, and even items
that can be used as drums for those
children who need more stimulation
and a faster tempo.
Keep calm
Naturally there is a risk of
overstimulation when using a
multisensory space. To avoid this,
children should always explore the
environment at their own pace.
This means practitioners should
not dictate an order in which
the children should explore, or a
specific way of using a resource. If
they are finished and showing signs
of tiredness or overstimulation, such
as crying or clinging to you, then take
them away from the area. It is also a
good idea to provide a ‘safe retreat’:
a small area with little to no sensory
stimulation that the children can visit
when they need a break.
Multisensory rooms
have been shown to
improve behaviour,
concentration and
attention.
Teachwire.net/early-years 37
16/12/2016 11:02
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38 Teachwire.net/early-years
 LAURA ENGLAND IS PRESCHOOL LEADER AT BLYTHE BRIDGE DAY NURSERY. FOLLOW @LITTLEMISS_EY

Here’s an idea!
Laura England finds artistic inspiration in nature study, unlocks the maths
in transient art, and encourages schematic play with treasure baskets…

Natural art
As many settings move away from ‘themes’, focusing instead on
seasons to extend children’s learning, I wanted to share with you how
I encourage my cohort to explore nature through art. Art is an
opportunity for self-expression and for children’s creativity to come
to the fore, and adding in objects from nature allows them to observe
and appreciate the natural world through different mediums.
I usually pick out one or two natural objects to focus on at a time.
We explore them in their natural environment before bringing samples
indoors to investigate further, often using them within our art – not
only for inspiration but also to make marks and prints with. Using
flowers as an example, not only can the children make their own
drawings of flowers but they can also paint with the flowers and create
transient art with the petals. Try adding coloured play-dough, buttons,
paints, paper and materials to allow the children to create freely.

Loose parts maths

Once I have undertaken my termly tracking I try to link areas of
weakness to areas of my environment that I know the children
particularly enjoy. I find it difficult to engage my cohort in maths and
in an attempt to combat this I decided to link it to transient art,
something the children enjoy independently. The two relate
surprisingly well due to the use of loose parts, which provoke lots of
comments surrounding shapes, sizes, amounts, patterns and heights.
Recently, I set up a provocation that included a mat for each child
and a selection of small loose parts, including wooden slices, buttons,
glass beads, shells and bottle tops. One little boy created a circular
pattern; this involved lots of problem-solving as he investigated which
loose parts would fit around the previous ones. We also estimated
how many parts we would need, counted out amounts, attempted
patterns and talked about different sizes.

Treasures for toddlers

Sometimes I get so ahead of myself with all the ideas I find on Pinterest
that I forget to replenish staple resources! I’ve recently been gathering
lots of natural and found items, which I’ve used to update the treasure
baskets in our under-twos room. These have been a welcome success
as younger children learn, firstly, by handling and mouthing objects,
investigating their texture and taste. To extend the treasure baskets’
appeal to toddlers, I have attempted to provide items that allow
children to experiment with objects through common schemas, often
referred to as ‘patterns of play’. With the addition of containers,
children with an enclosure schema can contain objects, problem-
solving to work out which ones will fit into which container. By adding a
small ramp, children with a rotation schema can roll items, learning that
some roll and some don’t. One simple addition can make all the
difference when extending learning opportunities.

Teachwire.net/early-years 39
 ADELE DEVINE IS A TEACHER AT PORTESBERY SCHOOL & DIRECTOR OF SEN ASSIST.

Turn them
around
Sensitively redirecting a special child can transform negative
behaviours into positives, explains Adele Devine…

THERE’S A NEW BOY IN YOUR CLASS AND HE’S

whipping up a storm. Your art area has been ransacked, with
paints splattered and glitter scattered. A dry-wipe pen has left
a wiggly trail of black swirls all over the walls and tables. Your
heart breaks as you throw away those chewed-up plastic
minibeasts you’ve spent years collecting that had been so
lovingly displayed in your ‘investigation station’. This boy
doesn’t respond to ‘no’ and won’t stay in time out. The usual
reward systems mean nothing and he has boundless energy.
You say your goodbyes at the end of the day. Your lovely
classroom is in shreds and will take hours to restore. What
can you do? Turn to the three Cs – Communication, Creativity
and Commitment…

COMMUNICATION – discuss and agree strategies as a team.

Write an Individual Behaviour Management Plan (IBMP), which
can be shared with all those who work with and support the
child. Speak to parents and show them this plan, asking for their
input and checking that they are in agreement. Help them
come up with practical ways to redirect behaviours at home.

CREATIVITY – the child who climbs will not be stopped by

being told ‘no’, but they can be redirected to climb on
something different. The child who rips down your displays or
tears up the book corner will need a space where they can be
redirected to rip and shred in a helpful way. Maybe they could
be ripping up the recycling or preparing collage materials?
Try redirecting the child from:

l Chewing toys to chewing specially made sensory chews.

l Drawing on walls to supervised drawing on big paper.
l Climbing on tables to climbing on a climbing frame.
l Ripping up books to ripping up paper for collage.
l Throwing toys at staff to tidying up or throwing a ball.

COMMITMENT – you will need a really committed team of

You will need a committed
team who are completely
dedicated to seeing the
child turn around.
staff who are completely dedicated to seeing the child turn
around. They will need to continue agreed strategies when you
are out of sight, so it’s vital that they have contributed and
committed to the behaviour plan.
Speak to lunchtime supervisors,
after-school club leaders,
temporary support staff and
parents. If everyone involved
is committed and
consistent, the turn
around will be so
much faster.

40 Teachwire.net/early-years
 Case study
FINAL THOUGHTS
Picasso once observed that, “Every act of creation is first an
act of destruction.” When that tricky child arrives in your
class, don’t look at erasing their behaviours but think up ‘Theo the thrower’
creative ways to embrace their emotional or sensory needs.
What are they are getting from the ripping, the chewing, the
leaping or the throwing? Brainstorm with your team and find THROWING TOYS
a way to redirect them in a positive way. Theo was an anxious, preverbal
child and found transitions
USEFUL WEBSITES distressing. He would walk
Intensive Interaction – intensiveinteraction.co.uk to class calmly, but on arrival
Sensory Integration – sensoryintegration.org.uk would throw himself to the
ground and cry. After he had
calmed he would usually go

Case study
and sit by the box of bricks or train
tracks, and throw them across the room
one by one.

‘Wilf the whirlwind’ INTENSIVE INTERACTION

CLIMBING AND CHEWING
Wilf could bounce from
radiators to the tops of
cupboards. He would smile
cheekily as we helped him
down and then climb up
again in a flash. He usually
had a hard toy in his mouth
too – no matter how many toys
we removed he always seemed to have one in the
process of being destroyed. His teeth were sharp.
Toy after toy had to be binned.
Theo’s behaviours seemed rooted in a need to
create order and control, and the crying and
throwing were ways he’d found to let us know
that he was anxious. Gradually we built Theo’s
trust through Intensive Interaction. We redirected
the throwing bricks by emptying them out and
encouraging him to throw them into the box. We
praised him for ‘good tidying’. We made sure we
were consistent with this approach. We also sat
by him and built brick towers so that he could see
other ways to play with bricks. He started to show
interest. He looked and giggled when our brick
towers toppled over.

A SENSORY DIET THE OUTCOME

We needed to put an individual sensory diet in place
for him right away. We referred him to occupational
therapy and came up with an individual plan, which
involved lots of structured activities, where he could
climb, bounce and swing. We also ensured he had deep
pressure at times for five to 10 minutes before sessions
when he was going to benefit from being calmer.
Wilf loved to sit in our little car and be pushed
around by staff. He seemed to need to be on the
move, and when he could be moved around it calmed
him. Wilf was preverbal so we introduced symbols to
request ‘help’ when he wanted us to push the car. He
made fast progress with communication and it was
rewarding to see his beaming smile as he exchanged
the symbol for more pushes.
We made sure that Wilf always had a hard
chewy, which meant he wasn’t trying
to chew the toys so often. We
kept a stock of apples and
carrots, which we offered him
too. We were consistent at
all times so that there were no
mixed messages.
THE OUTCOME
Wilf has settled a lot, but he still needs to bounce,
to climb and to chew. We were not going to stop
these things as they are rooted in his sensory needs,
but we have created a sensory diet to redirect him
in a positive way.
We surrounded Theo with smiles and he became
more and more playful through Intensive
Interaction. He still cries sometimes when we
transition, but recovers more quickly now.
Today I observed Theo pick up some bricks and
put them in the toy box at tidy-up
time. I smiled and praised him for
‘good tidying’. I put out my arms
and he ran to me for a cuddle,
saying the very first word he
has learnt to say: “Mum, Mum,
Mum.” I could have cried.
BE PREPARED
10 redirecting resources to keep to hand…
l A box of chewys.
l Something the child can climb on.
l A mini trampoline to bounce on.
l Access to collage paper to rip up.
l Somewhere suitable to draw.
l Instruments to bang.
l Big boxes to hide in.
l Dressing-up clothes.
l Balls to throw and kick.
l Staff who smile and play!

Teachwire.net/early-years 41
42 Teachwire.net/early-years
 MARC FAULDER IS A FOUNDATION STAGE TEACHER AND APPLE DISTINGUISHED EDUCATOR.

Tech to
enhance
learning
Used properly, touch-screen devices can lend a new dimension to early
education – here are five quick ideas to prove it, courtesy of Marc Faulder…
TAKE A MOMENT TO THINK ABOUT THE ENABLING use Book Creator to author Maths Journals, recording their
environment. It’s a commitment from Development Matters maths language in multi-modal books. They use animation
that allows us to change the way we teach and the way apps to bring stories to life. We move our art work from
children learn. This is your passport for trying something new, physical to digital and back again, enhancing workflow with
and if that something new just happens to enhance learning, photography and movie making. Technology is commonplace
you’ve made a change for good. Think now of ways in which in our classroom and it enhances traditional ways of working
technology enables your environment. How has technology by bringing a new, previously impossible, scope to learning.
redefined the tasks you do and enhanced the way that you Not only does technology enhance the way in which we
work? Now take a moment to think about the ways you are learn, it is also a way to share our learning with our connected
redefining learning for your early years children. classes through FaceTime calls and video blogs.
Since 2012, I have been enabling our learning environment Here are some quick wins and ideas to enhance learning
with Apple technology, embedding apps into the curriculum with mobile technology and redefine some much-loved best
and redefining tasks with new ways of working. Children practices from the Foundation Stage…

1 Pic Collage (FREE)

Think of that time when you take
your class on a shape hunt. It’s an
exciting experience but how do the
children show what they know? Usually
with a clipboard and tick sheet, a
drawing exercise or the adult making
post-it notes. Now imagine each child
having a camera, photographing the
shapes they see. Pic Collage does
just that on a shape hunt: children
photograph the shapes they recognise
and pin them to their board. A selfie
to show it’s theirs makes it even more
personal too! Pic Collage is a great tool
for children to document their learning
in a more personalised design, and it
enhances your shape hunt as the task is
redefined by photography.

WHAT TO DO
l Select ‘Freestyle’.
l Tap anywhere on screen.
l Select the green photos icon.
l Select camera.
l Snap your photographs.
l Select photographs and tap the
blue ‘tick’.
l Arrange photographs on screen.
l Tap the + and try out some
backgrounds or even add text.

Teachwire.net/early-years 43
2 3
Photo Booth
(FREE, PRE-INSTALLED)
Colouring in and drawing at your mark
making stations is commonplace, but
how do you bring challenge to those
who continue to draw and colour?
Show your class how to capture
kaleidoscope patterns in Photo Booth
and use these photographs to design
unique ideas for their colourings.
Either let the children walk around
to capture these fascinating patterns
from their environment or lay out
those loose parts to create some
extraordinary images from the ordinary
pattern making.
This activity works well for festivals
too, giving children their own pattern
to design a Rangoli-inspired art work or
traditional Chinese New Year lanterns.
Moving from digital to physical with art
work enhances design possibilities and
helps children have their own ideas in
this area of learning.
Puppet Pals (FREE)
Storytelling is the backbone of
good Foundation Stage provision. We
centre so much of our learning around
a rich language environment which
shows a love for books. Our children
are always talking, developing narratives
and adapting stories from their favourite
structures. But how are we capturing
their storytelling and what impact does it
have on writing? Puppet Pals is a simple
animation app where children select
characters and backgrounds to record
their own puppet show on screen.
Working collaboratively, children move
their characters around the settings
they choose and tell their authentic
stories. What’s more, Puppet Pals makes
good use of the camera so that children
can add themselves into their stories
too. Puppet Pals redefines storytelling
as the nature of a mobile device means
they can capture their own story
settings from out and about. Imagine
going to the woodland workshop,
children capturing their story settings
and using these images right away in the
classroom to create their story. What
a way to bring purpose to writing too.
When watching their story back, children
can begin writing their story books.
WHAT TO DO
l Select ‘start here’.
l Select pre-installed characters or tap
‘import own characters’ to use the
camera to photograph your own.
l Tap next and select backgrounds;
again, you can import your own.
l Tap next and begin recording your
puppet show.
l Remember you can photograph
drawings, artwork, models and real
places you’ve visited!

WHAT TO DO
l Select Kaleidoscope.
l Use the camera switch button lower
5 Sneak (£1.49)
Sneak as quietly as you can to
capture that creature feasting on
left to turn on the back camera. your bait! This game is a physical
l Take photographs. challenge that makes use of the inbuilt
l Show photographs on screen or print microphone and camera to track
for design work. movement. If you crawl too quickly
l Try out the X-Ray you will scare the beasty away! Sneak
and heat filters is a great challenge for children who
too; they are great! need to practise gross motor skills and
also turn-taking. As an intervention,
Sneak will give purpose to practise core
gross motor skills by gamifying the
experience, and it also teaches children
how to be still. After all, the aim is to
capture the creature so you need to
hold still and be patient as your sneak

4
towards your prey!
Number Pieces (FREE)
It’s time to learn how to count, match numerals to quantity and count out WHAT TO DO
from a larger group. And it’s time to learn to do that up to 20! Number Pieces l Stand the iPad against a wall, at floor
gives children access to unlimited counters and counting frames to practise level, and open the app.
these skills, and features a pen tool for recording their mathematical ideas and l Select for the monster to ‘see’ you
customisable colours and counter designs. and/or ‘hear’ you (which enables the
Imagine giving every child on the carpet 100 counters each and asking camera and/or the microphone).
them to find different ways of making 10, or even 20. This task would be almost l Choose the difficulty level.
impossible before Number Pieces. There probably aren’t enough counters in l Select the bait for the creator.
the school for every child to have 100, not to mention the preparation this l A countdown appears, from five
would take. Number Pieces gives every child in your maths group the tools to zero.
they need to show what numeracy skills they know. l Move away from the iPad and hide!
l Creep towards the monster, as quietly
WHAT TO DO and carefully as you can. When you
l Use the left-hand bar to select counters in 1s, 5s or 10s. There are two colours of get close enough, tap the creature to
counters available for addition/subtraction activities. capture it.
l Use the counter grids to place counters in 5s, 10s, 20s, 100 squares. l The camera will take your photo
l In the bottom right there are options to change the colour or style of counter – in action!
you can even select ladybird and penguin counters!
l Along the bottom menu there are tools for mark making.
To read more from Marc, visit his blog
at enabling-environments.co.uk

44 Teachwire.net/early-years
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 CHRISTINE DUKES AND MAGGIE SMITH ARE EARLY YEARS CONSULTANTS, AUTHORS AND AREA SENCOS.
Supporting
healthy homes
With the numbers of obese and overweight children on the rise, it’s
time to share the facts about food and physical activity with parents,
say Christine Dukes and Maggie Smith...
IN AUGUST 2016 THE UK
government report ‘Childhood
Obesity: A Plan for Action’ was
released. It revealed that one in five
children are already overweight or
obese before they start school, and
that only one in 10 children aged two
to four meets the UK Chief Medical
Officers’ physical activity guidelines
for this age group.
The early years is recognised as a
crucial time in children’s development
and the importance of starting as
early as possible in a child’s life to
embed the knowledge and habits of
a healthy lifestyle is obvious. Much of
this will come from a child’s family life.
However, with more and more two-
year-olds accessing free education
there is an opportunity for early years
teachers and practitioners to influence,
support and promote healthy habits
through their everyday work, not only
with children but also with their parents.
Practitioners and teachers
generally have daily contact with
families from when a child starts at
a setting right through to the end
of Reception, and with it a unique
window of opportunity. A particular
focus on Reception comes with the
latest initiative from Public Health
England. As children start a new phase
of education, Reception class teachers
will receive new ‘Our Healthy Year’
resources from Change4Life, designed
to coincide with the National Child
Measurement Programme (NCMP)
(see bit.ly/2ckoVcu). Our Healthy Year
includes a teaching toolkit containing
ideas and activities to promote healthy
eating and physical activity referenced
to the EYFS and Early Learning Goals.
It also includes take-home resources
and ideas for working alongside
parents to promote a healthier lifestyle
(see bit.ly/2dgtgBL).
46 Teachwire.net/early-years
Change4Life.indd 1
Engaging with parents
However, just as every child is unique
so is every parent, and this needs to be
at the forefront of practitioners and
teachers’ minds. Key to engaging with
parents is respect and, as far as possible,
a non-judgemental attitude, working
from the premise that all parents want
the best for their children.
Every parent will have their own
parenting style and will vary in their
attitudes to physical activity and body
weight, some of which will be influenced
by social or cultural factors. There are
economic considerations, too, and the
knowledge of parents about healthy
lifestyle to consider. More general
factors such as parents’ own level and/
or experience of education, English
as an Additional Language or work
commitments can all affect attitudes
and their willingness, confidence or
ability to engage in school life.
It’s important, then, that
practitioners and teachers use as wide
a variety of methods and activities as
possible in order to reach and involve
the greatest number of parents.
USE EXISTING OPPORTUNITIES
l Use Prospective Parent information
or Welcome to Reception meetings to
talk about promoting healthy eating and
physical activity, and discuss the NCMP.
l At parents’ afternoons or evenings
offer parents a chance to meet with
a health professional or school nurse
to discuss the results of the NCMP or
healthy lifestyle issues. You could even
organise a short presentation repeated
at regular intervals.
l Invite parents to assemblies where
children share what they have learnt
about healthy eating and physical activity.
l Posters and school newsletters are
a great opportunity to give or pass on
information. Change4Life often sends out
posters and leaflets throughout the year
with the School Fruit and Veg scheme.
Check out the Eatwell Guide and look at
portion sizes (see bit.ly/2gfN7zW).
USE PARENTS’ SKILLS AND TALENTS
l Ask parents for healthy recipes and
send home a weekly suggestion in the
newsletter or collect them together to
16/12/2016 10:49
 make a school recipe book. This can be
particularly successful with recipes from
around the world.
l Introduce half-termly cooking
classes or demonstrations for parents
to show others low-calorie or healthy-
option recipes.
l Start up a cooking or gardening club
for children with parent helpers.
l Ask mums or dads to come in and
demonstrate/coach a sport, skill or
playground game with a small group
or class.
l Try ‘Walk While You Wait’,
where parents and children lap the
playground at the beginning and end of
the day, or a 10-minute exercise class
for parents at drop-off.
l Help to organise a parents’ social
evening with game show-style challenges,
a ballroom dancing class or ‘old school’
disco, or start a parents’ sports team.
LINKING HOME AND SCHOOL
Talking about healthy food and
physical activity can be woven into
many projects and activities within any
setting. Sharing storybooks, shopping or
cooking in the role-play area, counting
or using money in maths sessions,
planting and growing outside, learning
about our bodies or senses – the list
goes on. Anything that links activities or
knowledge taking place in the setting to
a wider context is beneficial to children,
as it allows them to see what they have
learnt applied in real-life situations.
It also makes parents aware and can
influence their choices and behaviour.
Activities are best kept to those that
are naturally part of everyday life, as
anything too time-consuming or costly
can exclude many families.
Encourage parents to think about
their family’s food, planning meals and
lunch boxes by suggesting they...
l Play the ‘What’s in the fridge’ game
Key to engaging
with parents is
respect and, as far
as possible, a non-
judgemental attitude.
Change4Life.indd 2
(see nhs.uk/change4life) and identify
what types of food they have, how
much is healthy, where it comes from
and how it grows.
l Use the Eatwell Guide to compare
meal and portion sizes (see bit.
ly/2gfN7zW).
l Go to the supermarket together
to see how many different fruits or
vegetables they can identify and name.
l Try a fruit or vegetable they have
never eaten before!
l Use the Change4Life Sugar Smart
app to see how much sugar their
favourite drinks or foods contain.
l Talk about a food-themed storybook
being read in class, such as Jack and
the Beanstalk or The Gingerbread Man.
Teachers could send a set of discussion
questions home – see bit.ly/2gFAHoG
for inspiration.
Final thoughts
With so much focus on weight and
obesity the wider benefits to children
and adults of healthy eating and exercise
are often overlooked. When speaking to
parents talk also about the improvements
to concentration, health and fitness,
sleep and the building of social skills and
confidence. Highlight too the guidelines
for older children and adults so that the
whole family is involved.
REGULAR
FEATURES
Why not plan in weekly events
to raise awareness of healthy
eating? These four examples
are often most successful when
adopted by the whole school/
setting, and can quickly establish
themselves as a routine part of
both home and school life...
1 MEAT-FREE MONDAYS
When families can try
vegetarian dishes; perhaps send
home some starter recipes to
make it easy.
2
FISHY FRIDAYS
With the recommendation
that children and adults eat two
portions of fish each week, this
would be a good start.
3
TURN-IT-OFF TUESDAYS
This might prove the
beginning of a less sedentary
lifestyle as laptops, iPads and TVs
are turned off for a set time to
make way for something different
and more active.
4
WASH-A-CAR WEEKEND
Physical activity doesn’t only
mean sports and games. Many
everyday tasks, such as cleaning,
gardening and even running up
the stairs, count towards the
recommended three hours, and
children love to help.
Teachwire.net/early-years 47
16/12/2016 10:49
 ANGELA J. HANSCOM IS A PAEDIATRIC OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST.
Newborns
in nature
It’s never too early to take infants out into the fresh
air, explains Angela J. Hanscom...
BEING OUTDOORS IN NATURE
offers children – including babies – an
ideal environment in which to develop
their sensory systems. In fact, the sooner
children are exposed to the outdoors,
the better their chances of avoiding
increasingly prevalent problems with
attention, balance, strength, coordination
or sensory processing...
0–6 months
Babies are born with great potential
to adapt to sensory experiences. They
already have most of their neurons, their
senses are intact and their bones, muscles
and ligaments are in the right places.
However, in order to start effectively
moving their body and making sense
of the world, babies require frequent
access to a rich and varied (but not
overwhelming) sensory environment.
Nature provides this for us in abundance.
TAKE A WALK
Newborns benefit from the sensory
input that accompanies being carried
for walks outdoors. As a caregiver
switches a baby from one side of her
body to the other, the baby experiences
varying gravitational forces. Not only
does this force the baby’s muscles and
bones to adapt and get stronger, but
it also stimulates the movement and
position senses. As you vary the position
of a child, you move the fluid around in
his inner ear, stimulating the vestibular
(balance) sense. Just like a muscle that
strengthens the more it is used, our
senses become more organised the
more they are stimulated.
As you carry children, you also give
them an opportunity to push their limbs
against your body, providing sensory
stimulation to joints and muscles. This
helps to calm children and lays the
foundation for them to eventually be
able to control the force and direction
of their movements, which is essential
48 Teachwire.net/early-years
Balanced & Barefoot extract.indd 1
for effective motor skill development. ‘FLOOR TIME’
One of the first things babies learn to Spending time on the floor is essential
do is hold their head up and control for developing the muscles of the core
their eye muscles. Carrying a baby and lower and upper body. As children
against your shoulder in a vertical push against the ground, they establish
position gives her the opportunity to postural control and develop a
practise keeping her eyes and neck strong proprioceptive sense.
stable while you move. The more These become the foundation
often you carry her in this position, for stability, effective gross
the more opportunities she has to motor coordination and
master integrating the senses from later development of
the eye muscles, the movement and fine motor skills. Placing
gravitational senses of the inner ear, babies on the ground
and muscle sensations from the neck outdoors, whether
in order to create a clear picture of the on a blanket or the
world around her. This integration of the grass. enhances their
senses is essential for developing the sensory experience
basic head and eye control needed for immensely as they
later looking and listening. can reach for blades
of grass or shift the
IGNITING THE SENSES dirt around in front
Children are born with eyes that aren’t of them. These
yet well organised. Nature offers sensations develop
an array of visual stimuli for babies and refine the
to observe without overwhelming sense of touch
their visual system. As they stare at a in hands, feet
flower or a colourful leaf, they learn and other body
how to control their eyes without parts that have
crossing them. They can also practise contact with the
tracking moving objects, like a butterfly natural world.
fluttering nearby or an ant making its
way up an anthill.
Sounds in nature can be rhythmic 7–12
and calming, such as the crashing months
of waves, or alerting, such as the Play outdoors is essential
high-pitched calls of a bird. All help for a growing baby. Varied
children orient their bodies to the movement experiences are especially
surrounding environment because important between seven and 12
they hear a variety of sounds with months, but babies need to challenge
varying frequencies and from different their bodies, minds and senses by
distances all around them. These exploring the world around them.
variations help them establish a strong
sense of spatial awareness. Babies UNEVEN TERRAIN
also respond to noises by turning The terrain outdoors is constantly
their heads to look at the source and changing, which challenges a baby’s
perhaps smiling or crying. Responding sensory system to adapt while he or
to noise is the first building block in the she is crawling and learning to walk.
development of speech (Ayres 2000). The more adaptations required, the
16/12/2016 10:48
 more organised and refined the senses
become. At the same time, the varying
tactile and temperature sensations
increase the baby’s tolerance to these
experiences as well.
Variation in the gravitational forces
and loads on different parts of the body
creates stronger bones and muscles.
It also increases the amount of input
the joints and muscles get,
improving their ability to
regulate the distance
and force needed to execute movements
effectively. Changing direction also
sends maximum stimulation to the inner
ear, helping to develop a skilled balance
system. The more babies move, the
more they fall, the more sensations they
experience, and the more they are able
to master new motor skills and further
integrate and organise senses.
LANGUAGE & MEMORIES
Play outdoors provides
meaningful experiences, laying
the foundation for speech
development and memory
formation. The combination
of rich, new sensations, such
as sights, movements and
smells, helps create strong
associations between an
experience and the meaning
of that experience. Since nature
offers a multisensory experience, it
creates more feedback about an object
or situation, leading to a more advanced
processing of that particular object or
situation in the brain.
A LITTLE LESS ‘NO’
By constantly telling babies ‘no’ we
prevent them from attaining the
necessary building blocks to foster
healthy sensory development. Our job
is to support their growing
independence and need to move. Be
there just in case an infant needs you.
There’s no need to say anything. Your
presence and a smile will reassure
babies enough to take new risks.
IS IT SAFE?
Getting dirty won’t hurt your
children, and minor scrapes
can be a valuable learning
experience...
BUMPS AND SPLINTERS
The idea of a bruise or splinter
is abstract to babies, but they
learn valuable lessons from real
scrapes, such as cause and effect.
If I touch that prickly bush, it will
pinch me. Bumps also teach them
how to regulate emotions, such as
fear and frustration, and how to
tolerate sensations of pain.
GETTING DIRTY
When you see children covered
in dirt, don’t scold them. Getting
messy helps them to develop a
strong tactile sense. Sampling a
little dirt and playing with it may
actually improve the immune
system, too, protecting against
the development of allergies
and asthma.
CHEWING ON STICKS
Babies use the oral sense to
learn more about an object’s
size, texture and taste; putting
pinecones or a stick in the mouth
teaches them about the natural
world. Keep an eye out for
rubbish, droppings, insects,
plants and small objects like
rocks that could get lodged in
the throat, though.

This article is
an edited extract
from Angela’s book
Balanced and Barefoot
(£13.99, Little, Brown),
which explains why outdoor
play and unstructured
freedom of movement
are vital for children’s
cognitive development
and growth. Visit
littlebrown.co.uk

Teachwire.net/early-years 49

Balanced & Barefoot extract.indd 2 16/12/2016 10:48

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 JUNO HOLLYHOCK IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF LEARNING THROUGH LANDSCAPES.
Use your
inf luence
Children embrace their educators’ attitudes and opinions, so don’t forget
to teach your kids to love planet Earth, says Juno Hollyhock...
SO – ANOTHER DAY AND ANOTHER
priceless visit to a friend of mine who has
four bouncy offspring at very interesting
stages of people-ness, in particular an
attentive five-year-old. But first...
I am always amused by the way in
which some schools append straplines
to their names: once St John’s Primary
School, now St John’s Primary School
– Dream It! Believe It! Achieve It! Once
Dunsthorpe Academy, now Dunsthorpe
Academy – Delivering Excellence in
Every Aspect of Our Learning Offer!
Once Moresdale Middle School, now
Moresdale Middle School – Specialising in
Technical Morphography for Tomorrow’s
Technical Morphographists. Okay, I
exaggerate, but there are some funny
ones out there, and I didn’t make the
first one up – just borrowed it from
another school not called St John’s.
Many schools have also moved
beyond their traditional ‘behaviour
policies’ or lower key ‘ground rules’ (the
latter almost always blu-tacked to the
classroom wall on a sheet of sagging
flip-chart paper) to a more all-embracing
statement of values and beliefs. When I
visit schools and settings I am curious to
see which character traits they include
in these statements. The most popular in
my citizen science survey so far is ‘hope’.
Which leads me back to my
five-year-old. She has clearly and
wholeheartedly bought into her school’s
vision and values, and during my visit
was quick to apply this to an unfavoured
classmate. When asked why she didn’t
get on with her, she held her arms out
in a gesture of abject despair: “She just
doesn’t have hope! There’s no hope
there! What am I supposed to do?”
LtL is a UK charity
dedicated to enhancing
outdoor learning and play
for children. For services and
resources for early years
settings, visit ltl.org.uk
Juno Hollyhock.indd 2
Quite apart from feeling distinctly around them. I guess this isn’t rocket
sorry for this poor morsel of childhood science as far as all good teachers
who had fallen out of friendship and are concerned, but how often do
was clearly somewhat down about it, I we use it as a tool for good? For
saw this as an example of how strongly example, if a teacher is keen to go
children buy into the ethos, vision and outside, even if the weather is cold;
values of the teachers and school staff if they show an interest in the natural
around them. Whether or not they word around them – and if they are
are darlings in the classroom, they do seen to value that natural world and
still have a sneaking admiration for the they extol the benefits of connecting
leaders of their educational experience with nature – will they instil in their
and will often seek to follow them. pupils a love of, and respect for, the
This brought to mind a Cambridge world around them? Will they fashion
University-led project we’re currently the minds of the future to be eco-
involved with, which is exploring how to sensitive, environmentally friendly and
reduce sedentary behaviour in children respectful of our planet? And will that
at school. It has taken many months to in turn mean that life on Earth has a
work through the rigid requirements of better and brighter chance of survival?
published academia to get to a point Just a thought…
where we can actually get into a real
school and test some interventions.
A Delphi exercise (bit.ly/2c0wCrz)
took about 20 proposed interventions
and tested them to see which
were the most well supported
by staff, parents, pupils and
health professionals. They
were weighed in terms of
feasibility, popularity (buy
in) and those that they
deemed would achieve
the most significant
outcomes.
Interestingly the
two interventions
that came out on top
overwhelmingly across
all consultees were
‘Active lessons, including
lessons out of doors’
and ‘Teacher-modelled
behaviour’. The first speaks
for itself, but the second was
really interesting as it reflects
the experience with my five-
year-old above.
All respondents – teachers, parents
and pupils – recognised that the
values a teacher holds and how they
behave has the power to influence the
way children think or view the world
Teachwire.net/early-years 51
16/12/2016 10:52
 SAMANTHA TENNANT IS A NURSERY ASSISTANT AT A VILLAGE PRESCHOOL IN CHESHIRE.
Growing
green fingers
We all know that time in the fresh air is vital for small children,
but have you been cultivating your charges’ gardening skills?
It’s easy, says Samantha Tennant…
OUTDOOR LEARNING IS A KEY
part of the early years curriculum, and
that includes encouraging children
to grow green fingers. Gardening, as
opposed to simply playing outdoors,
has many benefits, including the
development of fine and gross motor
skills, understanding of mathematics
and science, patience and responsibility,
and plenty of opportunity for open-
ended questions.
Don’t delay
The best time of the year to plan what
you want to do with the outdoors is
during the autumn and winter. Use
these less clement seasons to clear
areas and see exactly what space you
have, and to install any hard landscaping
you may need such as raised beds or
new paths. The outside space should
be usable whatever the weather, so
chances are you will need to work out
where you need to create shelter and
shade, and what needs to be underfoot.
Mobile storage is an easy way to utilise
whichever area is most appropriate.
Have a look at the current permanent
features such as trees, fences, hedges,
canopies and buildings. Can you use
them? Do they need repairing or
replacing? Would you be better off
without them and is removing them
feasible? If you just need a good tidy
up, power wash and replant but simply
don’t have the time, see if you can get
a working party of parents and helpers
from the community together – the
promise of tea and cake can go a
long way!
When the audit is done it’s time to
let your imagination run wild. There
is no reason why the broad-brush
planning that goes on inside your
setting cannot be extended outdoors
too. Experience has shown me that any
topic, theme or learning objective can
52 Teachwire.net/early-years
be adapted and enhanced by taking it
outside (courgette leaves make amazing
hiding places for dinosaurs!). The tricky
part, especially for those less green-
fingered, is making gardening part of
that adventure, so here is a list of things
to consider. Tackle as many or as few
as you feel comfortable with to add an
extra dimension to your setting.
PLANTING EDIBLES
These are pretty self-explanatory
but you need to plan ahead. If your
setting is a preschool that will be
closed for the long summer holidays,
it’s best not to plant crops such as
strawberries, cucumbers or tomatoes
that are harvested then. Instead choose
potatoes or other roots or brassicas
that will keep until autumn, or lettuces
and radishes that are quick to mature
and can be picked in June. It is also
worth noting that if you plan to garden
in containers, somebody needs to water
them during the holidays.
GROWING SUNFLOWERS
Great for learning about growth
and decay as well as mathematics,
sunflowers start as a small seed and
finish up as a towering stem with a big
flower whose seeds will feed the birds
in the winter. If you plan to grow the
tallest ones they will benefit from being
grown next to a (sunny) fence, so that
they can be tied in and supported. It is
also nice to put them near to a climbing
You can’t involve frame so little ones can follow the
flower heads as they get taller.
children in the
DECORATING TREES
creation of elements Try creating a topic tree – this can be
of their environment a real, small one or simply a group of
artificial branches; the point is that
and then expect it can be decorated with absolutely
anything. Again, take your indoor
them not to touch or planning outside and use the craft table
interact with it. to make trinkets that tie in with your

ARE YOU READY?
Four tips to ensure you’re prepared
to garden successfully…
l Think about investing in a set
of overtrousers and jackets so
that you can access all parts
of the garden whatever the
weather. Gardening gloves can be
cumbersome but they are useful
for those children for whom dirty
hands are a barrier to learning.
l Don’t forget to include some
kind of seating area; children
struggle to observe change in the
environment unless they stop still
for long enough, and everybody
loves a den!
l Look out for poisonous or irritant
plants; a quick internet search will
give you a lot of information about
what to avoid.
l Little is constant in a garden, it
evolves as plants grow and decay
with the seasons. It is useful to
keep a perpetual diary to make a
note of what has been particularly
successful or not, ideas for next
year and to remind yourself to do
seasonal tasks.
current learning objectives. Obvious
themes are Christmas or the seasons,
but everything from minibeasts to
jungle animals works well.
PAINTING PEBBLES
Take literacy, numeracy and art outside
by painting pebbles with children’s
names, numerals, spots, shapes,
minibeasts or simply a rainbow of
colours. Large plant pots or saucers are
great for sorting them too.
SENSORY STIMULATION
A sensory theme to a garden is a good
starting place when you are planning
your space as it means you will get a bit
of everything. You may want to start by
concentrating on just one of the senses
and add more as the garden develops,
or go for all of them in a sensory
corner. Bright colours from flowers
or ornaments can sit beside aromatic
herbs such as thyme, rosemary, mint
and lavender. The latter are robust
and hardy, will not mind being bruised
and will complement seasonal fruit
and vegetables. Mix in some different
textures, some spiky tufty plants, soft
wavy grasses and polished pebbles.
Sound can come from tall, swishy-
swashy bamboo or, if you are lucky, a
bubble fountain or other feature with
no standing water.
ATTRACTING WILDLIFE
While worms, bugs and spiders are
not everyone’s cup of tea they are all
part of a garden and it is well worth
keeping an area relatively undisturbed
with logs and piles of leaves in it to see
what moves in. At the setting I work in
we are fortunate to have access to a
woodland area which the children love
to explore, turning over logs to see
what lies beneath. We also keep bird
feeders topped up and can watch the
visitors (birds and squirrels) from inside
whatever the weather.
DEMONSTRATING CHANGE
Summer is a time for instant gardening
– planting a few tubs with bright annuals
are a welcome boost, but things like
spring bulbs need to be planted in
autumn so planning is essential. Again,
this is something that every child can
easily get involved with and it is a useful
way to demonstrate ‘change over time’
as once they get going growth is rapid.
Finally, accept that you cannot be
precious about anything in your
garden! You can’t involve children
in the creation of elements of their
environment and then expect them not
to touch or interact with it. Give them
the opportunity to learn, explore and
nurture in a way that complements what
they do indoors and you will have a
happy setting!
Teachwire.net/early-years 53
OUCH! I NEED
A PLASTER!
(Scholastic,
board book, £5.99)
Nick Sharratt’s illustration style is
probably one of the most imitated in
children’s publishing – largely because it
is so brilliantly effective, with immediate
and lasting appeal for readers – but as
any four-year-old will confirm, nothing
can beat the real thing. This sweetly
reassuring story about a friendly nurse
with a case full of plasters for all kinds
of ouchies has been around for over
a decade and a half, and in fact, has
already been reissued once before,
but it’s as fresh and funny as ever, and
definitely worthy of its new incarnation
as a sturdy, ‘gift edition’ board book.
Little ones will love the bright pictures
showing how Nurse Ness is able to
make cut legs and bashed noses better;
and practioners will relish the clever
use of names to emphasise rhyming
couplets, and imaginative opportunities
to play with numbers from one to 10.
However, perhaps the most valuable
aspect of the whole package for an
early years setting is its marvellously
cheery approach to inevitable and minor
bumps and bruises; if children take the
message on board, it really could make
life easier for everyone!
54 Teachwire.net/early-years
DANNY MCGEE THE
DRINKS THE SEA LUMBERJACK’S
(Hodder Children’s Books, BEARD
hardback, £11.99)
Andy Stanton’s irresistibly hideous
literary creation, Mr Gum, has scooped
a string of awards and seduced huge
numbers of early readers – both
reluctant and otherwise – into his
bizarre and fantastically creative
universe. Now, splendidly, he has started
working with Hachette to produce
picture books, so that he can, in his
words, “amuse, amaze and irreparably
scramble the brains of very tiny children
indeed”. Neil Layton, no stranger to
the winners’ podium himself, is clearly
an eager partner in this pursuit, and
together, the pair have come up with
a real riot of a story, told in breathless
rhyming couplets and illustrated with
more than a touch of gleeful anarchy.
When Danny McGee boasts to his sister,
Frannie, that he can drink the sea, she
is naturally sceptical, so he demands a
straw in order to prove his claim. And
as it turns out, swallowing the ocean is
just the start for Danny – from trees
to fleas, and mountains to jungles, not
to mention the alphabet, numbers, and
even poor Stanton himself, nothing is
safe from Danny McGee’s insatiable
appetite; or is it...?
(Bonnier,
paperback, £6.99)
Jim Hickory is a lumberjack, with the
obligatory plaid shirt, broad shoulders and,
of course, big, bristly beard. Every day
he gets out of bed, does his limbering-
up exercises, devours a pile of pancakes
and maple syrup, then heads out into the
forest with his trusty axe, where his job
is simply to chop down trees, burn the
branches and leaves, and send the trunks
downriver to the lumber yard. However,
one day he gets back to his little log
cabin after a hard day’s manual labour
to discover a very cross bird at his door,
whose home used to be in one of the
trees that Jim has just destroyed. She’s
somewhat mollified when offered a place
to live in his beard – but the next day it’s
a porcupine who has been left homeless,
and after that, a beaver. Jim’s facial hair
really doesn’t offer a long-term solution,
so he comes up with another idea. This is
a book with a kind-hearted hero and an
important environmental message that’s
subtly delivered, but won’t escape your
charges; Duncan Beedle’s prose is simple
yet elegant, and his artwork beautifully
evocative, with touches of wry humour;
the result is a book that is a pleasure to
share, time and time again.

IF I HAD A
DINOSAUR
(Thames & Hudson,
hardback, £10.95)
Children are encouraged actively
to participate in this story from the
opening page, which replaces key
nouns in the text with images, so
little ones can fill in the gaps for
themselves. And in no time at all they
will be setting off on a thrilling flight
of imagination, as the young narrator
of the tale explains how her dream pet
is a dinosaur, and imagines what life
might be like if she could actually get
her wish. She’s pretty realistic in her
thought processes – for example, being
able to ride on such a giant creature to
school would be awesome, naturally,
but there would be some downsides,
too; not least, having to clean up
after something with such a huge
appetite! Gabby Dawnay’s rhyming
text scans perfectly, and is pleasingly
complemented by Alex Barrow’s
simple, impactful illustrations. And as
an aside – it is a joy to be able to pick
up a book about dinosaurs featuring a
main character who is female, and yet
whose gender is utterly irrelevant to
the storyline. Do the children you are
working with think that a pet would
make a good pet? Why, or why not?
Reviews
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NEW
Three engaging titles
to add to your library...
There’s Broccoli in
my Ice Cream
(Bloomsbury, £6.99)
Granville is a
Dalmatian from
a proud family
of greengrocers
and gardeners…
which makes his
predilection for
sweet and gooey treats and general
dislike of fruit and vegetables rather
awkward, to put it mildly. Luckily,
he has a plan. A great story for
fussy eaters.
GREATEST Can I Tell
ANIMAL STORIES You A Secret?
(OUP, hardback, £14.99) (Hodder Children’s Books, £6.99)
Most young readers – not to mention Can I Tell You A
the adults who care for them – quickly Secret? tells the
learn to trust Michael Morpurgo when tale of Monty,
it comes to identifying and telling a a frog who
good story, and with good reason. This can’t swim and
selection of tales featuring all creatures is terrified of
great and small is the perfect way to get water to boot.
children’s relationship with the master When he gets
narrator started; because each one his worries off his chest by telling
is a real gem, and absolutely perfect his parents, he finds that sharing
for reading aloud, whether to a single his secret makes him feel much
listener or with a large group. From well- better, and learns that his dad has a
loved classics like ‘Puss in Boots’ and secret too…
‘The Ugly Duckling’, to contemporary
offerings that may not be quite as
familiar to the person turning the
pages, there is delight to be found on
I’m Big Now!
every page of this beautifully presented (Andersen Press, £11.99)
book, including engaging, full-colour The arrival of a
illustrations throughout. In his brief new sibling can
but inspiring introduction, Morpurgo be a traumatic
speaks directly to the little people for experience for a
whom he has created it, recalling the small child used to
influence of nature on his childhood, being the centre
and how that fed into his own writing – of attention – but as the heroine
and encouraging a new generation to of Anthea Simmons’ tale discovers,
tell their own animal stories. What ideas having tried out being a baby again
might the youngsters in your setting for size, becoming an older sister or
come up with, if invited to share them at brother has actually got a lot going
circle time? for it.
Teachwire.net/early-years 55
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SUBS.indd 1 16/12/2016 11:13

 SUBSCRIBE
FREE WEAVNG
NUMBERS FROM TTS!*
When you subscribe to TODAY

WORT
H
£31.95
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Weaving Numbers 0-9.

These beautifully woven
numbers will get children
engaged and create
wonderful numeric displays.
Decorate them with ribbons
and beads. A fantastic
resource for children to
develop number recognition
and early numeracy skills.
They can be used both
indoors and out. Size: H20cm.

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SUBS.indd 2 16/12/2016 11:13

 PROMOTION
H ANDS ON
TEY’s focus on educational resources and tools for business...
Bright Look
Planning
Contact:
thenurserypress.co.uk
Bright Look cuts out the need
for long planning sessions and
activity research in childcare
settings. Its planning packs are
working documents containing
everything you need to provide a rich and varied EYFS
learning programme. Lasting for six weeks, they contain
levelled, adult-focused activities and blank enhancement
formats. They are suitable for children from birth to
five years and offer an affordable planning solution for
childminders, preschools and nurseries.
Each pack starts with an exciting scenario designed to
spark children’s imaginations and develop their interests
within the theme. Over the next six weeks practitioners
add to the planning and enhance areas in the room
according to individual children’s interests and responses.
VIEW FROM THE FLOOR
“Following our recent Ofsted inspection, we got
‘outstanding’ in all areas and were sure that Bright Look
Planning helped us to achieve that”
Lyndsey McMaster, Manager, Arc Nursery
“Our staff costs have been considerably reduced since
using Bright Look. We fill out the enhancements as we go
along, depending on children’s interests, which has cut out
the need for meetings out of the rooms.”
Kerri Hill, Manager, Fun to Learn Nursery
For more information, call 01582 616 621 or
07869 999 815.
58 Teachwire.net/early-years
Hands on.indd 1
Owl Track
Contact: owltrack.co.uk
Owl Track is a robust online system that manages children’s
EYFS progress from their starting points. It provides relevant
data for Ofsted, including cohort tracking, and is fully
interactive with parents/carers. It’s quick and easy to use,
cutting out the need for paper assessments and printed
photographs.
Owl Track can be accessed from any type of device with
an internet connection, including PCs, Macs, iPads, Kindles or
any other tablet. Flexible pricing ensures affordability for all
setting types, and subscriptions are available on an annual or a
one-off, lifetime basis. Unlimited telephone support from our
experienced childcare team is included.
VIEW FROM THE FLOOR
“We have been using Owl Track for six years and we love it.
It’s so easy. We produce individual plans that read as a story
and include observations, interventions and next steps.”
Charlene Whitty, Nursery Practitioner
“Since using Owl Track and putting pictures on it and
observations, I’ve had a much better understanding of the
EYFS. Owl Track is so easy to use; I know what my child is
doing at nursery.”
Shabana Khan, parent at Dallow Nursery
For more information, call
01582 616 621 or 07869 999 815.
16/12/2016 10:51
 PROMOTION

FirstSteps
Contact: firststeps.software
FirstSteps is a
comprehensive nursery
management software
solution, suitable for
any business, regardless
of size or structure. It
offers a comprehensive
package, but also has
the flexibility to be
customised to meet
specific requirements
in any organisation.
The company has
been established for
over 20 years, and
is now operational in
over 2,000 settings
across the UK, Ireland
and Middle East. Its
complete package
includes free expert
consultation, seamless
implementation, a full
training commitment

KCS Curriculum
and friendly, dedicated
after-sales support
service. Training is
delivered in a relaxed format by experts who will work at a staff
Contact: kcs4education.co.uk/early-years-resources
team’s pace. Sessions can be delivered online or face to face, KCS offers more than 15,000 products in its ever-growing
for individuals or groups. All data stored by FirstSteps’ software portfolio, all of which are available to order online today. It’s
is held securely on Microsoft Azure servers. team carefully select products for early years environments
that encourage exploratory play and skill development
THE FEATURES while stimulating children’s senses. Their curriculum experts
FirstSteps Manager understand the demands of early education, and the need
for resources to be both durable and engaging.
This system offers...
l Enquiry-tracking, waiting list and registration analysis
They offer a range of outdoor learning resources that
l Planning reports for future occupancy, room moves,
are ideal for the under-threes, with their crates and bamboo
set being a particularly popular resource. Working together,
starters and leavers
l Fee calculations, including free entitlement, email
children can learn to build with the crates and bamboo, and
then use water to explore its journey as it travels through
invoices and comprehensive financial reports
l A staff module, covering holidays, absences,
the pathways they have created.
qualifications and training.
VIEW FROM THE FLOOR
“The children in our nursery just love playing with the
FirstSteps Tracker
crates and bamboo. They work together to build up the
l Using EYFS Tracker, EYFS development observations can
crates and place the bamboo to create ramps to pour
be recorded easily on a tablet, producing comprehensive water down. It is great to see them pouring the water and
learning journals and progress tracking reports. watching it travel down the bamboo, then changing the
position of the bamboo so it travels a different path the
FirstSteps Monitor next time they use it. It really encourages them to observe
l This allows the recording on tablets of children’s attendance
and assess their structures.”
and daily activities, including meals, nappy changes, sleep
recording and bottle feeds. The apps link in with the
management system to show live register numbers and
review information before parents are notified.

Parent Link
l This enables two-way communication with parents,
allowing comments on information from the Monitor
and Tracker apps, contributions to learning journals, and
the ability to view current account status.

Teachwire.net/early-years 59

Hands on.indd 2 16/12/2016 10:51

 RAISE MONEY
WITH MUDDY
PUDDLES
Peppa Pig’s Muddy Puddle
Walk for Save the Children
is a brand new fundraising
event that your little ones
will love! Plan a walk in your
local park, make puddles in
the playground or decorate
Keep on chatting
your own puddles indoors
between 8 and 14 May, or
Chatta is an exciting teaching approach developed by teachers and advisors,
on any date that suits you.
making an impact on progress in communication and language in settings across
Wherever you go, the
the country. In 2017 look out for the launch of chatta in Scotland, and three new money you raise will help
chatta training resources, Special Educational Needs, Talk for Boys and A New save children’s lives.
Language. For more information, call 0845 003 0896, email hello@chatta.co.uk Sign up at
or visit stand B431 at BETT 2017. MuddyPuddleWalk.org and
get a free activity pack
and tips to help you
top up your
fundraising.

SEEN...
TEY’s look at the latest early years
tools, toys, books and activities...

GO PAPERLESS
Kinderly, is the award-winning early years app for recording early
learning journeys and sharing with parents. It enables childcare
professionals to securely record EYFS observations,
developmental progress and daily diaries without the
need for paperwork, and now includes a fully integrated
accounting and invoicing package. Going digital with
Kinderly will save time, storage space and stationery
costs, and allow practitioners to spend more time
with the children, have better communication
with parents and provide instant at-a-glance
information required for Ofsted inspections. Call
0800 689 1875 or visit Kinderly.co.uk

LIGHT-UP LEARNING
A fantastic range of light panels and resources are now
available through KCS – ideal for engaging children in
learning about colours and shapes when paired with some
exciting accessories. The light panels come with fold-up
tables, which are easy to store and, when put up, enable
the children to sit on the floor and play at the right height.
Visit kcs4education.co.uk/early-years-resources

60 Teachwire.net/early-years
 PROMOTION

TABLE SERVICE
Leafield Environmental has designed the ‘Caterer’, a
new table moulded serving top for schools without
space to store large bespoke serving tables. Made
from UV-stabilised polyethylene with optional
anti-microbial additive, it’s easily placed on top of
a standard folding table, features rubber feet to
prevent unwanted movement and is stackable. It
also features four banner fixing holes for schools to
promote key messages/menu choices on the front
of the table, and comes in a choice of colours. Call
01225 816 541 or visit leafieldrecycle.com

NOW WASH YOUR HANDS!

“Hand hygiene is a valuable lesson for children to learn at a young
age,” says Manty Stanley, managing director at TEAL Patents. “As
the weather cools, it’s essential pupils learn how simply washing
their hands minimises the spread
of common, contagious infections
such as colds.” In support of
teachers and pupils, TEAL has
created the Kiddiwash range
of portable handwashing units,
designed using feedback from

Introducing Lipa
nurseries and primary school users.
For more information, call 0121
770 0593 or visit kiddiwash.com
Lipa Learning has been a catalyst in the educational
FREE ADVICE technology revolution since 2012, designing learning
apps for children. Now an international community
Time outside is crucial to early
of 70 plus educational experts, creatives, artists
development – it gives young,
and developers, it offers interactive books, runs a
growing children access to one of
preschool, and has created a comprehensive system
the most enriching environments
of development recognised worldwide. It tests its
in which to access key areas
products in preschools to get feedback from the
of learning, from language,
experts: kids! Its games
literacy and mathematics, to
are being localised into
PSED, physical development and understanding the world. Timotay
over 14 languages (both
Playscapes has a free inspiration guide to outdoor play spaces and
text and voice-over) and
play equipment, packed with innovative and engaging educational
have an additional focus on
ideas, which can help you bring your outdoor space to life. For your
supporting special needs.
copy, email enquiries@timotayplayscapes.co.uk or call 01933 665 151.
Visit lipalearning.com

READER OFFER! To claim 2 FREE* issues of Teach Early Years worth

£7.98, visit teachearlyyears.com/freecopy today.
*Terms and conditions apply. See website for details.

Teachwire.net/early-years 61
 ATL invests heavily in the
areas that matter most to you.

From training and CPD

opportunities that can lead to
further qualifications, to legal
advice and representation on
a range of professional and
employment issues, ATL will
meet your needs throughout
your career.

Join now and receive 50% off www.atl.org.uk/nursery

your first year’s membership 0845 057 7000 (local rate)
 Nursery
management
Practical advice and comment for the owners and
managers of early years settings...

This issue...
64 INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY
TEY profiles The Natural Childcare Company’s award-winning
Bentley Manor setting, where ICT is boosting learning and
parental partnerships.

67 ONLINE
LEARNING JOURNEYS
PACEY’s Theresa Johnson explains why less paper can mean
more engagement with mums and dads.

68 IN TRAINING
James Hempsall explores body language,
and setting manager Dan Sissons talks
behaviour training.

71 BUSINESS RATES
Christie + Co.’s Courteney Donaldson
offers advice on next year’s changes.

72 Q&A:
DEVELOPING
QUALITY
NDNA’s Jo Baranek
answers questions
on improving
early years
practice.

Expert advice from...

JAMES COURTENEY JO
HEMPSALL OBE DONALDSON BARANEK
is director is head of childcare at is Lead Early Years
of Hempsall’s Christie + Co Adviser at NDNA
 Integrating
technology
I
t may have its own Early Learning
Goal, but ‘technology’ is still
regarded with suspicion by many in
the early years sector. Part of the
problem is that, to the sceptical, the
term conjures up images of toddlers
glued to tablet computers – and with
burgeoning screen time at home a
legitimate concern, a determination
to make nursery a ‘tech-free zone’ is
at the very least understandable. What
such a viewpoint ignores, however, is
firstly that ‘technology’ encompasses
far more than gadgets with screens,
and secondly that used appropriately,
screens too can add value to children’s
learning experiences.
Any setting seeking guidance on
how best to approach technology
would do well to look to The Natural
Childcare Company (NCC)’s Bentley
Manor setting. This nursery’s
integrated approach to ICT and
willingness to embrace technology as
a tool for business earned it NDNA’s
‘Best Use of Technology’ Award in
2016, and the thought and care that
has gone into ensuring the resources
and systems it employs have a
positive impact is clear. Co-Director
Tim Landreth sums up the attitude
when he stresses that The NCC isn’t
interested in using technology “for
its own sake” – it has to offer value to
staff, parents or children.
Expanding learning
Based in a converted manor house in
Dorridge, Solihull, Bentley Manor is
a sizeable nursery equipped to care
for in excess of 100 children and set
in more than four acres of outdoor
space. Judged ‘outstanding’ at its first
inspection after opening in late 2013,
the setting is far from focused solely
on technology, but staff do believe
that reflecting the vital role it plays
in society is important. “Technology
is naturally coming to the fore as it
evolves, and the world evolves with
it – so if we’re really going to give the
children in our care the best start in
life, technology has to come into that,”
argues Victoria Fraher, Bentley Manor’s
64 Teachwire.net/early-years
Natural Childcare Company - Integrated ICT.indd 1
Early Years Coordinator. “We need to
give them skills and experiences that
they can take with them for a lifetime.
We make sure that there’s a balance in
whatever we do, though.”
The balance Victoria describes is
apparent in that while each of Bentley
Manor’s rooms is equipped with its
own iPad, and older children can
also access conventional computers,
practitioners are well aware that it’s
not beneficial for their charges to be
sitting at a table staring at a screen
for long periods. Not that staff are
constantly having to tell children
their time is up – Victoria points out
that having such technology available
as part of the setting’s continuous
provision helps to reduce its novelty
factor, encouraging children to take
advantage of the full array of learning
experiences made available to them.
When children do access screen-
based devices, the technology is
commonly used as a resource to support
learning and development, rather
than entertainment or distraction. So
whether they are using an iPad outside
to take pictures of something they have
discovered in the garden, or heading
online to research Tim Peake’s trip into
space, there is a purpose to the activity.
31%
Children aged
under-five who
own their own
tablet computer.
SOURCE: techandplay.org
Then there’s the fact that the
technology children at Bentley Manor
access comprises a wide variety of
resources, including ‘defunct’ items
such as old computer keyboards,
cameras and hair dryers for children
to role play with, and simple buttons
in the baby room, inviting the very
youngest in the setting to explore.
“Technology is in their imaginations,
in their free-flow play – even, for
example, in their interest in pressing
the doorbell when they’re role playing
outside,” Victoria says.
Supporting
practitioners
Bentley Manor’s focus on technology
is not limited to educational resources;
the setting has adopted a number of
high-tech solutions to support leaders
and practitioners in their roles, and
forge partnerships with home. In some
cases this has simply involved utilising
freely available platforms – the nursery
makes extensive use of Facebook,
for instance, both to connect with
parents and to recruit new members of
staff – but in others it has required an
investment of time and money.
Perhaps the most significant of
these is the nursery’s online learning
journal software. Accessed via
dedicated tablets located in every
room, it’s a powerful system, but
one that’s used carefully – while it’s
capable of generating children’s next
steps, for example, staff choose not
to use this functionality: “We don’t
want a computer to do that because
we know the children in our care best,”
Victoria explains.
What the online learning journal
does provide them with is a means to
store observations and track children’s
progress, and to share with parents
what their children are getting up to
in a convenient and timely manner,
thanks to a linked smartphone app.
“It also allows parents to upload their
own observations of children at home,
which gives us a more holistic picture
of their development,” Victoria tells us.
“The feedback we’ve had from them
has been outstanding.”
With a host of options on the
market, choosing the right online
learning journal required careful
thought on the part of management,
with staff at all levels and parents
consulted as part of the process, but
the results have been worth it – both in
terms of parental engagement and the
16/12/2016 10:55

time and money the setting has saved
from being able to spare practitioners
from the traditional paperwork and
keep them in their rooms.
Further investment has been put
into software to manage waiting lists,
forecast cash flow, generate bills,
track payments and measure
staff absence, and hardware
– for instance, the music
system described in
the panel below, Wi-Fi
Natural Childcare Company - Integrated ICT.indd 2
TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL
infrastructure, a fingerprint
access system and CCTV. All of
these solutions are making a
positive impact to different aspects
of the nursery.
Currently in the works, The NCC’s
new website (naturalchildcarecompany.
co.uk) will add a further element
to what is a fantastic
example of how to harness
technology for the good of
both children and business.
“It’s not just playing games;
the children use technology
as a resource to support their
learning and development.”
WIRED
FOR SOUND
Technology ensures children
at Bentley Manor have plenty
to listen to...
Staff at Bentley Manor employ
music therapy to create a calm
atmosphere for children,
practitioners and visiting parents.
It sets the mood during sleep-
times, but is also employed to
enhance learning – for example,
by creating opportunities to
explore movement and learn
about different cultures.
To aid this process, The NCC
has invested in a multi-room
music system. A far cry from
the traditional portable CD
player, this allows individual
rooms to select their choice of
audio and have it played back
through in-ceiling speakers
whenever it is required.
“We had a visit from Bhangra
Tots recently, so we listened to
bhangra music and punjabi music
and English music,” Victoria tells
us. “We’ve explored orchestras
and really listened to the
different instruments there are.
The children respond really well
to that – regardless of their
listening and attention skills, it
tunes them in to the sounds
around them within
their environment.”
Teachwire.net/early-years 65
16/12/2016 10:56
The leading early years education app
helping make little futures BIG futures

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observations and in a setting in one diaries and WOW so easy to use and navigate!
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It really is making my life
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Rated A+ by SSL support - Includes live accounting and that Ofsted requires and cuts
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tutorials
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- Setting Manager
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Register now for your free trial at: parents like it”
www.kinderly.co.uk - Childcare Practitioner

66 Teachwire.net/early-years
 THERESA JOHNSON IS TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT MANAGER AT PACEY.

ONLINE LEARNING JOURNEYS:

Less paper,
more engagement
E
arly years professionals have a
duty to share information with
parents, to help support
children’s learning and
development. But last year a
PACEY survey highlighted that the
burden of paperwork was the biggest
issue for a quarter of practitioners
(see bit.ly/2fyR97y).
We know that paperwork can be
onerous, and finding time for
information sharing and completing
learning journeys is often a challenge.
But one of the commonly expressed
concerns of parents who rely on
childcare professionals is that they are
missing out on key aspects of their
child’s development. After all, no one
wants to miss their child’s first attempts
at crawling or their first wobbly steps, or
to be unaware that their vocabulary has
expanded whilst they are at work. So the
importance of sharing information and
two-way communication cannot
be underestimated.
Involving parents and carers from
the very beginning, using everything
from induction, settling-in sessions
and daily chats through to the sharing
of resources, social events and
information sessions, will help build a
strong relationship (you can find more
ideas as to how to engage with parents
in PACEY’s 30 Ways to Engage Parents
in Children’s Learning – see bit.
ly/2fvVN2W). But don’t forget learning
journeys – rather than simply being
a one-way record, they are an
excellent way of helping engage
parents more actively and shouldn’t
be seen as a chore, more as a great
way to collectively celebrate and
log a child’s achievements.
we have seen a real rise in digital versions stored online, ready to be
solutions, as more and more sent out to whoever needs them.
practitioners turn to technology –
particularly online and app-based l It’s easy to evidence your practice.
resources – to improve parental Online learning journeys also provide
engagement in their settings. While the an invaluable platform to show
thought of changing to a purely online Ofsted inspectors what you are
offering can be daunting, these systems offering children.
have huge advantages in the setting and
provide a platform for a more structured Supporting transitions
and effective form of communication Children will experience a range of
with parents and carers. Acknowledging transitions during their early years –
the learning and development that from moving rooms in nursery, to
occurs at home is key. changing key person and starting school.
The benefits of using online learning Childcare professionals have a vital role
journeys include: during these periods of change. Sharing
information, knowledge and
l Increased effectiveness and efficiency understanding with parents is vital to
for businesses. These systems can save help support them and their child
both time and money by removing the through times of transition. That
need for cumbersome folders, manually knowledge supports the childcare
writing diaries and printing reports. professional to meet the individual
needs of the child, and helps parents to
l All aspects of the learning journey are value and respect their role.
recorded in one web-based system.
Practitioners can store all
documentation for their setting in one
place, helping them to share information
and in turn build parent partnerships and
heighten engagement.
l Enhanced communication with
parents. Online learning journeys can
provide mums and dads with digital
updates on their child’s development, as
well as their daily routine. By seeing
photos and videos, parents get an insight
into their children’s daily activities and
everyday achievements. Online systems
allow professionals to track the progress
of all children in a setting at a glance,
and create and share reports with
parents instantly.

Paper or digital? l Document sharing is straightforward.

Learning journeys can be recorded Parents can be given easy access to
digitally or in hard copy, but at PACEY policies and procedures, with digital

Kinderly is the award-winning early years app for recording and sharing learning journeys, allowing childcare professionals
to securely record EYFS framework observations and developmental progress, without the need for any paperwork. The
partnership between PACEY and Kinderly means that members can take advantage of an exclusive discount. Prices start at
£8 plus VAT per month – a 20% saving on Kinderly’s standard subscription fee. Visit kinderly.co.uk/pacey

Teachwire.net/early-years 67

PACEY - Online learning journeys.indd 1 16/12/2016 10:59

 BODY LANGUAGE

Are you confident

and engaged?
H
ow aware are you of subject), a slight turning away,
the unconscious or looking at the door or out
messages you’re of the window. All show
giving to those you’re you’d rather be doing
communicating something else,
with? Do you give as much somewhere else, or
thought to your body you have stopped
language as you do to the listening altogether.

words you say? We all use
a huge range of movements
and gestures, and all
have the capacity to
strengthen, limit or even
harm our message.
Is your posture
positive, neutral or
negative? If it’s
positive you may have a
direct gaze (not a stare),
a broad smile and a
friendly style – enhanced
by leaning forwards or
placing your hands on
your hips, for example. In
neutral, your gaze may be
the same, but your stance
and/or hands will be less
direct or confident, perhaps
down by your side. This can
be appropriate for first
contacts and meetings,
whereas positive posture is
something to use once
you’re more familiar with
someone or you need to be
more assertive or
persuasive. Both are better
than the negative option: an
indirect gaze, touching of
ears or nose (as if they’re
more important than your
Get feedback
Keep your distance.
Personal space is
about one metre
around a person,
although this changes
with cultural and gender
differences. Be aware
and read the signs.
Often, if people feel
you’re getting too close,
they will move. But what if
they can’t move? Are they
looking uncomfortable? You
should move for them.
One major challenge is if
we’re feeling nervous or
uncomfortable, our body
language can leak it. It can
freeze us to the point where all
the good practice we know just
doesn’t manifest itself. One tip
is to take a slow breath to relax
yourself. We’re usually at our
most nervous when we’re trying
to make a good first impression
– we all know how important
they are. The first five seconds
are key, so have a five-second
plan. How and where are you
going to stand, how will you
hold your hands, and how are
1000+
NUMBER OF DIFFERENT
POSTURES HUMANS
CAN PRODUCE.
SOURCE: publicwords.com
you going to look and smile at the
person or people you’re trying to
impress? After that it could be a
comfortable downhill ride!
The problem is we don’t always have
the awareness we need, and we don’t
often have the benefit of looking at
ourselves in our day-to-day work. Video
is one solution, but not all of us like to
watch ourselves on screen. Feedback is
the next best thing. How about making
it the focus of your next peer
observation review? Ask a colleague
to look at your body language and
feed back.
James Hempsall OBE
is director of
Hempsall’s training,
research and
consultancy. Visit
hempsalls.com or
follow on Twitter:
@jhempsall

EARLY EDUCATION LAUNCHES LEVEL 4 CERTIFICATE
Early Education is partnering Key Times Professional
Development to deliver a year-long accredited programme
at Level 4, starting in January 2017. The part-time course is
designed to meet the needs of experienced practitioners
working with or leading provision for children aged 0–3,
and is suitable for managers, room leaders, practitioners and
childminders. Visit early-education.org.uk/certificate
ERIC OFFERS MANAGING CONTINENCE TRAINING
ERIC, the Children’s Bowel & Bladder Charity is offering
training in managing children’s continence problems this
April. The training, designed to give staff the tools they
need, and to dispel myths around toileting in schools, will
be delivered by Brenda Cheer, a paediatric continence
specialist nurse and the coordinator of ERIC’s award-
winning Nurse early intervention project. Visit eric.org.uk

68 Teachwire.net/early-years
 IN TRAINING

STUDY FOR… DEVELOPING POSITIVE

BEHAVIOUR IN EARLY YEARS
TEY spoke to Dan Sissons about his role and his setting’s experience of Playright
Education’s behaviour management training…
WHERE DO YOU WORK, AND HOW LONG techniques here in the setting – and marked ourselves
HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN THE EARLY out of five. That took us through different questions
YEARS SECTOR? about our practice, which I thought was a useful tool.
DS: I’m manager at The Wonder Years, and have been There was a lot of scenario work – people in the
here for a year-and-a-half – we’re a registered charity group would say, “Imagine this happened…”, that sort
taking children from birth to 11 years old. We run a of thing, and we got to give our thoughts to that
baby and toddler group four days a week, a preschool person, and get the trainer’s input as well. The trainer
from 9 till 3.15 five days a week, and offer an out-of- was really experienced – she’d come across a lot of
school club, covering breakfast, after-school and the stuff in her work, which really helped.
holidays. So we run 50 weeks of the year and work We also talked about the ‘iceberg effect’ – that
with quite a wide age range. what a child shows on the outside, above the water,
I managed another out-of-school school club on is very small compared to what might be behind it,
the other side of the city before starting here, and in under the water, which is a good way of thinking
total I’ve been in childcare for nine years now. about behaviour and the best ways of dealing with
any issues.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO BOOK PLAYRIGHT
EDUCATION’S DEVELOPING POSITIVE WHAT DID YOU FIND MOST USEFUL ABOUT
BEHAVIOUR COURSE? THE COURSE? HOW HAS IT IMPROVED YOUR
DS: We’d tried an out-of-school club-specific TEAM’S PRACTICE?
behaviour management training course provided by DS: Philippa – who went on the course with me – and
the local authority. A couple of staff from the city I are now getting prepared to feed back to staff in a
council came to carry it out in the setting, but it only meeting. We’ll then plan as a whole-staff team of 14
lasted about an hour-and-a-half or two how we move forward from here, to make sure
hours, and I was looking for we’re all singing from the same
something a little bit longer and hymn sheet.
a little bit more in-depth, really. The tools and techniques we took
I wanted a course that could back from the course and
cover the whole age range evaluated together will be
we look after. really useful. The sheets I
We’d had quite a big talked about before, where
turnover of staff over the we scored ourselves out of
last couple of years, and five – I’ve got that as an
they’d come from a activity to do with the staff
range of different team, so we can pick out
backgrounds. So I good and bad points.
wanted something that From that we’ll be able
would put us all on the to delve in further and
same level, and help us ask ourselves, “What
to deal with behaviour sort of action plan
management in a do we need to make
positive and from this?”
consistent way. Because we deal with
I knew Playright such a big age range of
Education because I’d children, finding a course
done a course with that fits for everyone has
them before, so I been absolutely fantastic. I
looked on their website would definitely recommend
and found this course. the course to other early
Primarily, it was designed for years settings.
preschool children, but it’s very
easily transferred to older children
as well. Get qualified
Playright Education’s Promoting Positive Behaviour
WHAT DID THE COURSE INVOLVE? in the Early Years training looks at how you might audit
your provision, consider possible triggers for behaviour,
DS: It was a full-day course, lasting from about half develop strategies for turning behaviour around and plan
past nine to half past three. We worked in pairs to for individual children. For more information, call 07761
do a lot of evaluative work, dipping into our 787 055, email contact@playrighteducation.co.uk or
policies and procedures – our evaluation visit playrighteducation.co.uk

Teachwire.net/early-years 69
 DON’T MISS ISSUE 2 OF
NURSERY BUSINESS
Nursery Business is a magazine dedicated to guiding nursery
owners and managers through the challenges of operating an
outstanding early years setting.

teachwire.net/special-issues
You can view issue one at

EDITORIAL: ADVERTISING:
JAKE STOW SAMANTHA LAW
JAKE@TEACHEARLYYEARS.COM SAMANTHA@TEACHEARLYYEARS.COM
 COURTENEY DONALDSON MRICS IS HEAD OF CHILDCARE AT CHRISTIE + CO.

BUSINESS RATES:

The changes explained

D
uring 2016, operational
factors, notably the
introduction of the
National Living Wage, the
commencement of 30
hours pilot schemes and workforce
challenges, have been at the forefront
of providers’ minds. Next year will bring
further topics for day nursery owners
to consider, not least the upcoming
business rates revaluation.
Business rates are a local tax paid
by occupiers of all non-domestic/
business property. Rateable values
(RVs) are assessed by the Valuation
Office Agency (VOA) in England and
Wales, and the Scottish Assessors
Association (SAA) in Scotland. The
amount payable will depend on the RV
of the property, the uniform business
rate and any rate relief schemes you
may be eligible for.
The 2017 revaluation means that
business rates bills will be calculated
using new RVs from 1 April 2017. It will
also see the introduction of a Check,
Challenge and Appeal system.
Increased costs
A number of nursery groups and
single-setting providers have reported
substantial increases between their
prevailing RV and the draft 2017 RV for
their business property, as purposed by
the VOA. Christie & Co has undertaken
an initial analysis, based on a randomly
selected sample of 50 day nurseries
located between South East and North
West England – thus trying to gain a
potentially representative sample of
the possible impact on business rates
for nurseries across England.
In summary, all of the nurseries
selected will see increases in relation
to their RV. The aggregate RV for the
settings has moved forward by circa
£690,000, meaning an aggregate
increase in rates payable of some
£276,000, with the largest increase
being £26,520 for an 80-place nursery
in Berkshire, and the smallest £230 for
a 65-place nursery in Milton Keynes.
Appeals process
Operators will be presented with
the opportunity to challenge their
RVs. Appeals processes are in place
due to the ever-changing nature of
the property market, and the nature
of childcare business, meaning that
RVs for day nurseries are not always
correctly assessed.
As a further change, the DCLG is
introducing an online service to allow
rates payers to provide information
about their property and check the
process of their application. There
will be a £300 fee for appeals that is
refunded if the appeal is successful.
The current system allows nursery
owners to simply submit an appeal
requesting that the RV is reduced to
£1. Discussions then take place with
the relevant Valuation Office until
the appeal is concluded as either
withdrawn, agreed or determined via
the court process. The new system
of Check, Challenge and Appeal is
designed to cut down on the number
of appeals submitted that ultimately
end up being withdrawn. Essentially,
this means that business owners
can only submit an appeal with full
and frank reasoning as to why
the assessment is incorrect and
must provide all the relevant
information upfront, as well as a
revised RV.
This will no doubt reduce
the number of appeals
in the system as the
analytical research
will need to be
undertaken at
the front end
of the
process,
rather
than in
the middle
and prior to any
challenge. For those
with multiple property
holdings, a ‘blanket
approach’ or an ‘appeals
strategy’ will no
longer be
needed.
Rather, a
full due
diligence
process for each and every single
property will be required, placing
further emphasis on expert knowledge
and an intimate understanding of
how businesses work in order to
identify incorrect assessments, which
will benefit everyone involved in
the process.
While rates payers can calculate
their estimated liability for the first year
of the new list on the Valuation Office
website, nursery owners wondering
how they will be affected should seek
professional advice on how to best
challenge and mitigate their business
rates liability.

Christie + Co has provided valuable advice to clients within its specialist sectors for over 80 years. The business was
established in London in 1935 and has successfully expanded to provide professional brokerage and advisory services
throughout the UK and across Europe. As well as deal brokerage, structuring and financing, its professional services include:
valuations, consultancy, insolvency services, investment guidance, feasibility studies and advice on rent reviews, building
surveying, dispute resolution, rating and development.

Teachwire.net/early-years 71
 JO BARANEK IS LEAD EARLY YEARS ADVISER AT NDNA.
Developing quality
QHow do children learn
effectively?
A In order to learn effectively,
children must be motivated,
engaged and able to think for
themselves. Crucially, practitioners
must know their children well in order
to facilitate this. Speak to parents in the
first few weeks after a child arriving,
then observe them in order to
understand what they like to do,
who they like to play with and where.
Do they have any particular interests?
Do they dress up as superheroes or
chat about Paw Patrol?
Once you know what
interests and motivates your
children, that’s half the battle.
Then you can create the best
conditions for them to be
engaged and excited in learning.
QWhat is quality
early years
teaching, and why
is it important?
A QHgroup
Quality is very
subjective but it’s
about teaching children
effectively. A key part of this
72 Teachwire.net/early-years
NDNA Q&A.indd 1
Q&A:
is knowing what your team’s
understanding and perceptions of
quality are and finding a common
ground that you all work towards.
Teaching is not just for teachers; all
practitioners working with young children
are teachers. It’s important they are all
aware of this and how to improve the
quality of their interactions.
It’s important because, firstly,
higher quality teaching makes for
better outcomes for children, as
practitioners are more responsive to
their needs. Secondly, there’s an
Ofsted judgement about the
quality of teaching and what they
are looking for – in other words,
how you follow the EYFS and
what that means in practice.
QDon’t
we just
need to follow
the EYFS, then?
A It’s not just
about
following the
EYFS but also
taking ownership
of it. The EYFS is
a framework on
which to build, an educational tool
for you to use. You have to be more
proactive than reactive – think of your
learning environment and getting the
best possible outcomes for your
children. This means creating the
correct environment and engaging
the children in child-led learning.
QHow
can we reach our
goals effectively with
child-led learning?
A
Child-led learning is a balance
between child-led and adult-led,
and is different for each child. A child
will lead their activity the way they
want to, but you need to make sure
you monitor the outcomes they direct
towards. For example, you want to
make cards with the children but one
child goes outside and finds a spider’s
web – discuss and explore this then
suggest they use that in their art work.
Use what a child is interested in and
adapt that to your own activities.
ow can you teach a big
if you are child-led?
A
A group of 10 children won’t
want to go off in 10 different
directions with an activity, but try to
incorporate the overall theme of
your activity into what they
want to do. Let children
have their own autonomy
over the activity. It takes
time to build confidence as
a teacher, but it will bring
great outcomes. Know the
theory but be prepared to
make it work in practice for
all children.
QWlearning?
hat is scaffolding
A This is supporting children
bit by bit to reach a
specific goal, with the teacher
acting as the scaffolding.
Teachers begin with a child on
the most basic level, supporting
them carefully all the way as
they grow in confidence and
rise to the challenge.
16/12/2016 10:57
 NURSERY MANAGEMENT

FINANCIAL CONCERNS:
WHAT TO
EXPECT IN 2017
Next year will see a number of pressures on the costs
of those operating nursery settings. Here are six areas
that will have a direct impact on your budgets in 2017...

75% 1 INFLATION. The low level of inflation we benefited from in 2015 and
the first half of 2016 is forecast to double in 2017 to over 2.5%.

Proportion of nursery 2 NATIONAL LIVING WAGE & MINIMUM WAGE. The National
Living Wage for employees aged 25 and over was introduced in
workforce qualified April at £7.20 an hour. The Minimum Wage (employees younger than
25) was increased in October this year. In April 2017 both the National
to Level 3 or above, Living Wage and the Minimum Wage will be increased at the same time,
down from 83%. meaning a twofold impact on salaries.

SOURCE: NDNA WORKFORCE SURVEY 2016

A good example is learning to use
scissors. Start with showing children how
scissors work and what you can do with
them. Then use dual scissors and help
them learn new skills. With prompts and
encouragement, give them tasks to do
on their own and eventually supervise
them to cut up a variety of complex
shapes and materials.
3 AUTO-ENROLMENT PENSION SCHEME. Almost all employees will
have been enrolled into this scheme by the middle of 2017. Currently
employers must contribute a minimum of 1% of wage costs in 2016/17,
2% in 2018/9 and 3% in from April 2019.
4 STERLING. The significant impact of the reduced value of the
Pound since July has resulted in increased costs for many products.
These will include imported materials used to manufacture products as
well as manufactured items directly imported. Keep an eye on your key
areas of furniture, toys, resources and food, where suppliers are already
positioning significant cost increases in 2017.

QHOfsted
ow can we persuade
of our quality? 5 ENERGY & FUEL. Although there has been some fluctuation in
costs in 2016, it is clear that these will increase in 2017, particularly as

A This is all about confidence – in

your own abilities and in your
they are quoted in US dollars.

teaching quality and methods. The

more confident you are, the better you
can demonstrate and discuss it with an
inspector. By speaking with parents
about what you do, discussing it at
staff meetings and within your team,
you will build your confidence up.
When planning for the future, think
about why you are doing everything
first before you do it – what are you
hoping to achieve? Show that you
know the children best and that
therefore you can offer them quality
learning experiences which bring the
best outcomes for them.
6 BUSINESS RATES. Commercial properties have been revalued and
the new rateable values were released in September. These will be
used to calculate business rates from April 2017. It is proposed that small
businesses occupying properties with a rateable value of £12,000 or less
will pay no business rates (the threshold was £6,000 in the current year).
You can offset this increased burden on costs by implementing a
cost-management strategy, which will deliver ongoing savings on a
sustainable basis.
Stephen Gaubert helps organisations manage their overhead costs.
For more information, call 020 8482 1370 or 07785 340 280, email
stephen.gaubert@auditel.co.uk or visit auditel.co.uk/stephengaubert

NDNA’s face-to-face course on quality will support all

practitioners working in early years settings to become more “All practitioners working with
effective teachers. Currently it deals with the EYFS only, but it
will soon be adapted for those in Wales and Scotland too. The young children are teachers.
course refers closely to the Ofsted inspection handbook so
practitioners can see what can be inspected by Ofsted and the It’s important they are aware
kind of questions they will ask. Themes include scaffolding
learning, challenging and questioning; teaching and the
of this and how to improve the
Characteristics of Effective Learning; and the Common quality of their interactions.”
Inspection Framework. Visit ndna.org.uk/training

Teachwire.net/early-years 73

NDNA Q&A.indd 2 16/12/2016 10:57

 THE SECRET PRACTITIONER WORKS IN A PRIVATE NURSERY AND PRESCHOOL IN GREATER MANCHESTER.
“Can’t we all
just get along?”
No, says the Secret Practitioner – it’s natural to
fall out with our colleagues sometimes. It’s how
we manage it that matters…
ALL RIGHT, HANDS UP WHO HASN’T
had a tiff with a colleague at some
point. I imagine it’s a more or less
universal experience. We might be the
friendliest person in the world, but it’s
still impossible to like everyone. It’s
best to just admit that it happens from
time to time. We’re stuck in a room
with other adults for maybe eight or
nine hours every working day and we
have to put up with them. Inevitably,
tensions will arise. But what can we do
about it? Even if it’s natural to hate
our colleagues’ guts once in a while, an
early years setting can’t possibly
operate with practitioners on the
verge of starting World War III.
To create better
staff relationships,
first we have to
identify the
reasons why staff
fall out with one
another. In
most cases I
don’t think
sheer malice
is a factor.
We’re a
lovely
bunch
74 Teachwire.net/early-years
and we can sort anything out if we try
to. No, from personal experience, the
reasons for most arguments and
fallings-out that I’ve seen boil down to
one of the following:
1) Lack of communication
2) Difference of opinion on
best practice
3) Personal issues.
Some settings will try to resolve
issues by simply shunting feuding
staff from room to room, but to me
this doesn’t seem a good way of
resolving problems long term. And
there are a number of things any
practitioner can do to avoid the above
problems and develop the best
possible working relationships with
their colleagues, none of which are
exclusive to childcare.
The first thing to bear in mind is
the importance of communication.
Tensions often arise when
practitioners aren’t operating on the
same wavelength. Perhaps one staff
member prioritises a certain activity –
let’s say keeping the children occupied
– whilst other practitioners may feel it
more important to clear away plates
after dinner. I’ve seen situations like
this create tensions, perhaps even a
perception that one staff member
is just playing with the children
and not bothering to help out
with the cleaning. Of course both
tasks need carrying out and the
workload can be shared between
staff, but the best way to do this is to
communicate about what is being
done. A simple “Can you set up an
activity for the children whilst I clean
up?” can do wonders! If there is
continued debate about the division of
labour in the room, drawing up a jobs
rota will help.
I’ve also seen new employees
suffer from a lack of communication.
Rookies are often thrown straight into
the job with very little instruction. It’s
common for practitioners to struggle
in their early days, and this can often
be perceived as ‘not trying hard
enough’. If a new staff member doesn’t
seem to be pulling their weight, make
sure you give them clear guidance on
what they’re meant to be doing.
They’ll probably appreciate your help!
Another common cause of tensions
in settings is a difference of opinion on
how things should be done. There are
very few absolutes when it comes to
taking care of children, so different
practitioners will have different ideas
on how things should be done. Perhaps
there might be a disagreement over
how to deal with a misbehaving child. I
talked about communication earlier in
the article and here that’s relevant
again. Two mature adults having a
conversation about an issue ought
to be able to mutually agree on the
best way forward. Other factors may
help reach a decision, such as a
setting’s official policy or guidance
from management.
The last cause of arguments is
personal problems. I am talking about
issues not directly related to the
setting, perhaps an argument that has
taken place outside of work hours.
Staff are bound to socialise with one
another; it’s normal and often helps to
strengthen staff bonds. Unfortunately
this will sometimes lead to fallings-out,
and there’s nothing management can
do about it. When this happens, it’s up
to the staff themselves to get
together and sort it out.
We’re all adults, we’re all childcare
practitioners and we have to be as
professional as we can for the
children’s sake if nothing else.
Great Ormond Street Hospital is a
place where extraordinary things
happen every day
Your school can help us save more lives, develop
new treatments, build new wards and support our
young patients and their families.

Start fundraising
today!

Visit gosh.org/schools for

great ideas, fun activities
and handy resources.

Get in touch:
schools@gosh.org or
020 7239 3131

Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. Registered charity no. 1160024.
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