Child Development, Theory and Inclusive Practice

Every child is different: the individual and diverse ways that children develop and learn

Dec 6th, 2012
All children are different because each brings different experiences into the setting but this individuality and diversity is in itself a great opportunity for children to learn to value each other and to appreciate their own special distinctiveness. Each child's progress is individual to them and they do not make progress in all areas at the same time. The crucial factor is careful, systematic observation ensuring thorough knowledge of each child's uniqueness. And observing the individual and diverse ways in which children develop and learn is one of the joys of working in the early years!
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Twenty top tips for helping to develop self-discipline for positive behaviour management in young children

Apr 27th, 2012
With increasing numbers of children being diagnosed with special educational needs such as ADHD and autism, managing challenging behaviour in a positive way is a challenge most practitioners face in their settings on a daily basis. As practitioners we need to help children develop an awareness, knowledge and understanding of what is expected of them and how to behave acceptably and appropriately towards other people in a variety of situations. Martine Horvath has put together some top tips for you to support children in developing their own self-discipline and self regulating coping skills for life.

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All About Clemmie: Part 2

Oct 21st, 2011
Continuing Juliet Mickelburgh's diary of her daughter Clemmie's learning and development from her first birthday to her second.
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All About Clemmie: Part 1

Oct 10th, 2011
A mother's diary of her daughter Clemmie's development from birth to her first birthday. These snippets of Clemmie's learning and development were first published a few years ago as "Clemmie's Column". We republish them here as two articles for those members who may not have come across them before.
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Resilience and early years experience: child, family, community

Sep 8th, 2011
Kate Cairns invites us to consider the interaction between resilience and trauma, the key aspects of resilience, and the links between resilience and experience in the early years of life. Humans are not born able to regulate stress. At birth the brain is very unformed. Nearly all the brain structures that enable human beings to function are acquired during the first three years of life, when the brain grows and organises itself at an astonishing rate. Many of these structures in the developing brain are laid down as patterns in response to the behaviour of the adults caring for the young child. Relationships really do build brains in the early years......
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How do young children learn to make decisions?

Jul 4th, 2011
Babies and young children are able to make decisions that are relevant to their lives. This article examines what kinds of decisions children can make at different stages of their development and how practitioners can support them.
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Inclusion in the Early Years Foundation Stage

Apr 26th, 2011
The principle of inclusive education has dominated educational policy for nearly two decades and under the previous Labour administration inclusion was a key policy imperative. It was embedded within the Every Child Matters agenda (HMSO, 2003) and is central to the Early Years Foundation Stage framework (DfES, 2007). This article takes the stance that inclusion is a broad concept which applies to all learners. Jonathan Glazzard, from the University of Huddersfield, argues that inclusion needs a proactive response and that settings should actively take steps to increase the participation of all children.
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Child Development: fact or fiction?

Dec 14th, 2010
Knowledge about child development is an important tool which enables practitioners to make appropriate provision for young children; but if we are not careful it can also be a dangerously limiting illusion that may actually hamper practice.
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Donald Winnicott's Theories of Child Development: Their Relevance to Best Practice

Apr 22nd, 2010
Donald Winnicott was a psychologist and psychoanalyst who worked predominantly with children and families.In 1957 he wrote that 'the nursery school is probably most correctly considered as an extension 'upward' of the family, rather than an extension 'downward' of the primary school'. This blossoming outwards of the early years continues to have relevance to today's practice, particularly in settings that provide care for babies and toddlers as well as preschool children. All of Winnicott's work underlines the great importance of the first months of life in a child's development and concentrates on a baby's first relationships, most notably with its mother.
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Positive Behaviour Management in Early Years Settings

Nov 26th, 2009
Sue Cowley discusses the reasons why some children might have behavioural difficulties and how you, as a practitioner, can help those children overcome them through positive strategies and encouraging empathy.
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Child-initiated Learning

Apr 28th, 2009
The last in a series of articles examining recent developments in our understanding of how children learn. Here, Juliet Mickelburgh looks at what is meant by child-initiated learning, its presence in the EYFS, and how it influences good early years practice.
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The Multi-sensory Approach

Mar 9th, 2009
This is the third in a series of articles examining current research into the way children learn and how this can be applied in the early years setting. The multi-sensory model links long-held beliefs about learning with the everyday experiences of young children.
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The Drawings of Reception Boys: Fantasy and Frustrations

Feb 13th, 2009
Drawing is an activity that most young children enjoy and there is much evidence to show how it can offer them a powerful means of communicating their ideas, experiences and feelings. In this article, Exeter PhD student Emese Hall tells us about her research in how (and what) young children communicate through drawing.
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Brain-based Learning

Feb 10th, 2009
This is the second in a series of articles looking at recent research into how young children learn. Here we examine how a better understanding of brain development can enrich early years practice.
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Playful Pedagogy and Transitions in Children's Mathematics

Dec 10th, 2008
The natural beginnings of written mathematics start within children's imaginative play. In this article, Maulfry Worthington describes children's mathematical graphics; children's own mathematical marks and representations, and gives examples collected over many years of research.
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The Importance of Young Children's Mark-making: Beginnings, Context, Meaning and Mathematics

Dec 8th, 2008
Mark making has an important place in the development towards children's understanding of standard symbolic languages, for example mathematics and writing.
This article discusses children's mark making with reference to practice and pedagogy particularly in Redcliffe Children's Centre, Bristol.
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Schemas

Nov 21st, 2008
What exactly are schemas, and how useful are they in providing the right learning environment for our very young children? This article brings together various definitions of schemas, followed by a brief description of named schemas and a discussion of how we can support children engaged in them.
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Emotional Competence Part 6: Developing Empathy

Nov 11th, 2008
Nicola Call discusses strategies for aiding the development of empathy in young children.
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Good Intentions (Available to visitors)

Nov 7th, 2008
Inclusion, equality, diversity - these words are scattered over official documents including the EYFS, and we all think they are ‘A Good Thing'. But how do these principles get turned into what actually happens in settings? Sue Griffin discusses the issues.
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Emotional Competence Part 5: Handling relationships (Available to visitors)

Oct 22nd, 2008
In the penultimate article in her series on Emotional Competence, Nicola discusses the necessity of developing an ability to establish good personal relationships, without which learning and emotional growth will be stunted.
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Learning Styles

Oct 21st, 2008
This article is the first in a short series by Juliet Mickelburgh, looking at recent developments in our understanding of how children learn.
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Emotional Competence Part 4: The Importance of Self-Motivation

Sep 9th, 2008
Motivation is essential in any aspect of life and plays an important role in a child's early development. Considered as crucial in the development of emotional competence, Nicola Call discusses self-motivation in the fourth article of her series.
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Emotional Competence Part 3: Learning to Manage Emotions

Jul 29th, 2008
In the third article of her series on 'Emotional Competence', Nicola discusses the development of a child's ability to understand and control their natural emotional behaviour.
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Attachment Theory and the Key Person Approach (Available to visitors)

Jun 3rd, 2008
The Key Person Approach is now a fundamental part of developing secure relationships between staff and children in early years settings. Why is it so important and what is the theory behind it?
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Emotional Competence Part 2: Developing Self-Awareness

May 14th, 2008
In the second of her series of articles on Emotional Competence, Nicola Call discusses the development of self-awareness.
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Emotional Competence Part 1: just the latest fad, or an important new concept?

May 4th, 2008
Beginning a series of six articles examining the concept of 'Emotional Competence', this article gives an overview within which the others can be understood.
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