General Early Years

Thinking Approaches for the Reflective Professional

Mar 1st, 2013
Our aim as professionals is to achieve better outcomes for children, families and the community. We want to provide effective learning experiences for the children in our care, and strive for continuous quality improvement, but also want to ensure personal and professional development. With this shared understanding and vision of the early years, reflection, through adopting certain thinking approaches, is the tool that supports us to achieve this. Ruksana Mohammed, Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies at the University of East London identifies some effective processes we can adopt to develop our skills of reflection.
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Exploring practitioners' perspectives on 'quality' in early years services

Feb 13th, 2013
Michelle Cottle is a senior lecturer in early childhood studies at the University of Roehampton. Her article discusses some of the issues that may shape early years practitioners’ understandings of ‘quality’ within the context of their particular settings. It draws on data from a project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (2009). Michelle discusses the two distinct ways of understanding 'quality': as a locally-determined, changing and dynamic process for each individual setting, or as a static 'target', externally defined and imposed by statutory frameworks and regulations.
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Giving children feedback about their learning

Nov 27th, 2012
How do we give effective feedback to children about what they have learned and what they might do next? Here, Sue Ridgway discusses how to involve children in evaluating their learning and planning future experiences.
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Small Steps: supporting engaged fatherhood

Sep 24th, 2012
Chris Randall, an EYP in Brighton, explains how he has worked to develop the relationships between his setting and the children's fathers.
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Early Years 2012 Conference: June 19th, 2012

Jun 25th, 2012
Helen Edwards attended the recent govnet event, featuring Sarah Teather, Liz Bayram, Ann Gross, Sue Robb, Liz Elsom, Cathy Nutbrown, and Dame Clare Tickell. Here is a summary of the main issues discussed.
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Nature Deficit Disorder

May 5th, 2012
Have you heard of the phrase ‘Nature deficit disorder’? Just recently there have been lots of reports, book releases, news articles, and interviews on TV and radio about the need to reconnect children to nature. Many of our children’s lives are well organised by well intentioned parents going from one adult led activity to the next e.g. school to football to drama class to ballet where they often don’t need to do much creative thinking for themselves. They live an over-scheduled, over-organised childhood. Here, Helen Irving shares with us a summary of recent reports on the subject of children's lack of engagement with nature.
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Early years settings and social media

May 3rd, 2012
In the last few years the use of social media has grown rapidly. It is now estimated that 65% of all adult Internet users access some form of social networking site. The most well known of the social networking sites are Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter. Written by Kathy Brodie, this article gives a brief explanation of the uses for each of the different sites and their unique qualities. There is a discussion about the benefits of using social media for nurseries and practitioners, and also the pitfalls we should be mindful of. It is concluded with some recommendations for good practice.
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Positive Behaviour Management

Nov 11th, 2011
What do we mean by "good behaviour"? We are often quite clear about the behaviour that we don't want to see in our settings! Can we be proactive about this and plan consistent positive behaviour strategies where all children feel happy and secure and want to demonstrate that "good behaviour", however we define it?
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Challenging Mathematics in the Early Years

Jun 27th, 2011
A common perception among the general public is that it is easy to teach young children mathematics. In this article, Professor Anne Cockburn, from the School of Education & Lifelong Learning at the University of East Anglia, discusses some of the potential pitfalls one may encounter in such an undertaking thus illustrating why early years' mathematics education is a rather more complex process than it might first appear.
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Partnership with Parents, Part 2.

Apr 25th, 2011
This is the second of two articles looking at building partnerships with parents. Here we discuss how settings can open up to parents and families to achieve true partnership.
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Partnerships with Parents, Part 1

Mar 10th, 2011
Working in partnership with parents is now considered to be one of the key areas of good early years practice, illustrated by the focussing of four Standards in the EYPS on this subject. In the first of two articles we look at why partnership with parents is so important, with the following article exploring how to establish successful partnership.
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What's critical about critical thinking? Understanding academic terminology on a Foundation degree in early years.

Dec 9th, 2010
Joy Chalke, principal lecturer in the School of Education and Continuing Studies at the University of Portsmouth, demonstrates and analyses some of the critical thinking skills required of students engaged in higher education courses.
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Taking a Risk? The value of risk and challenge in the early years

Aug 6th, 2010
This article examines the role of risk taking in child development and how practitioners can foster a positive attitude to risk in the early years.
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Becoming an EYP: key issues raised in research conducted by staff

Jun 8th, 2010
A commissioned piece of research into the factors which help or hinder early years graduates in successfully undertaking EYPS.
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Invincible or Invisible Dads

May 17th, 2010
Promoting positive partnerships with parents, with fathers particularly in mind.
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Signing with Children (Available to visitors)

Oct 15th, 2009
In April 2009, Milkshake Montessori Nursery School introduced signing into the setting following
the "Signing with Babies and Young Children" accredited CPD course. The achievements made by children, parents/carers and early years practitioners have been impressive, rewarding and inspiring. Here, Geraldine Hill describes the theory behind the methodology.
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Men in Early Childhood Education: Why we are where we are- perhaps? (Available to visitors)

Aug 3rd, 2009
Richard Harty outlines the current issues concerning men in the early years workforce and describes the outcome of the first "Men in Early Childhood" summit in New Zealand.
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It's Good to get Global! Global citizenship in the Early Years (Available to visitors)

Oct 25th, 2008
A well-referenced article, with resources and activity suggestions for introducing young children to the wider world of global citizenship.
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Early Childhood - a Zambian perspective: Part 2

Oct 11th, 2008
Part 2 of this article describes how young children in Zambian villages spend their days.
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Early Childhood - A Zambian perspective: Part 1

Sep 20th, 2008
A wonderful and personal perspective on the cultural philosophy and attitudes towards early childhood in Zambia.
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Foundation Stage Units Part 2 – experiences and lessons learned

Mar 24th, 2008
Following her first well received first article on Foundation Stage Units, Anne discusses in more depth her experiences and the lessons learned of the set up of her unit.
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Snacks and lunches for early years children

Feb 27th, 2008
A subject regularly raised in the FSF, this article gives advice on healty and tasty eating for young children. Makes your mouth water!
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Applying for a job in Early Years? Interview preparation

Feb 22nd, 2008
Getting through interviews successfully is all about preparation. This article guides the interviewee through the process, recommending strategies for impressing your interviewer.
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Foundation Stage Units Part 1: developing integrated provision for nursery and reception age children

Feb 16th, 2008
An overview of the differing types of FSU from an experienced early years professional and author, giving pros, cons and issues around the subject.
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