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146 articles in this category

Biscuit Box Banter

by Martine Horvath on January 21, 2010

Martine Horvath presents some fun ideas to get children talking, and to help them develop their speech and language skills.

Twenty top tips for helping to develop self-discipline for positive be…

by Martine Horvath on April 27, 2016

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…

Resilience and early years experience: child, family, community

by Kate Cairns on September 8, 2017

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 b…

The Farmer Drama

by Jacqeline Long on August 18, 2011

Farmer MacDonald is getting older and his farm isn't what it used to be. Can he avoid closure after a stern letter from the ministry? Accompanied by a drama plan and tips for a role play area.

Challenging Mathematics in the Early Years

by Anne D. Cockburn on June 27, 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 p…

Assessment for Learning in the EYFS

by Jonathan Glazzard and Jane Stokoe on March 3, 2011

Jonathan Glazzard, from the University of Huddersfield, provides a broad overview of the key principles of assessment for learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage. He outlines the purposes of assessment and describes key approaches for collecting…

Inclusion in the Early Years Foundation Stage

by Jonathan Glazzard on April 26, 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…

Foundation Stage Units Part 1: developing integrated provision for nur…

by Anne O'Connor on January 24, 2011

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

Foundation Stage Units Part 2 – experiences and lessons learned

by Anne O'Connor on January 24, 2011

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.

Using "The Dog Who Could Dig", by Jonathan Long and Korky Paul, as a …

by Juliet Mickelburgh on December 15, 2010

This is a great book for looking at things under the ground. The children's interests might take you down a number of different avenues - buried treasure, tunnels, animals that burrow or people who work underground. The story lends itself to lots of …

The Multi-sensory Approach

by Juliet Mickelburgh on December 9, 2010

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 y…

Donald Winnicott's Theories of Child Development: Their Relevance to B…

by Juliet Mickelburgh on December 15, 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 extensio…

Brain-based Learning

by Juliet Mickelburgh on December 15, 2010

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.

Using 'Owl Babies' by Martin Waddell & Patrick Benson as a focus for a…

by Juliet Mickelburgh on December 15, 2010

This is a lovely book to focus on when children are starting school or nursery or with a new childminder. There are lots of opportunities to talk about how we feel when the people we love leave, and how we feel when they come back again. Children can…

Using "You Choose" by Pippa Goodhart and Nick Sharratt, as a Focus fo…

by Juliet Mickelburgh on December 16, 2010

A new collection of ideas for activities inspired by a children's book. Suggested activities are linked to the Areas of Learning and Development, followed by possible role play areas and displays. There is also a book list with links to other books b…

Using "Dear Zoo" as a Focus for Activities

by Juliet Mickelburgh on December 16, 2010

Here is another collection of planning ideas using a big book as the inspiration for learning. There are suggested activity starting points related to the Areas of Learning and Development, as well as ideas for displays and role play areas. A book li…

Using "Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs" as a Focus for Activitie…

by Juliet Mickelburgh on January 18, 2011

Another collection of planning ideas using a big book as the starting point. Activities are linked to the EYFS Areas of Learning and Development, including suggestions for displays and role play areas.

Storytelling

by Juliet Mickelburgh on January 18, 2011

Following on from Juliet Mickelburgh's articles on promoting reading and using stories to plan stimulating activities, she now turns her attention to how young children can be involved in telling their own stories.

Using "The Gruffalo" as a Focus for Activities

by Juliet Mickelburgh on January 18, 2011

This is the first in a series of planning ideas using a big book as the starting point.

Beginning with Books

by Juliet Mickelburgh on January 18, 2011

This article introduces a new series of planning ideas that use a big book as the starting point for a variety of experiences within the Areas of Learning and Development. 'Beginning with Books' examines early reading skills and attitudes towards how…

In conversation with Ruth Pimentel

by Juliet Mickelburgh on January 18, 2010

Discussing the forthcoming Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) with the National Director for the Foundation Stage, Ruth Pimentel.

Attachment Theory and the Key Person Approach

by Juliet Mickelburgh on January 21, 2011

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?

Partnerships with Parents, Part 1

by Juliet Mickelburgh on March 10, 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 pa…

Partnership with Parents, Part 2.

by Juliet Mickelburgh on April 25, 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.

Looking back: How do we give young children a sense of the past?

by Juliet Mickelburgh on May 24, 2011

As adults, we tend to think about time in terms of chronology. Time is linear and ordered. The past stretches into the distance in one direction, the future into the other, and the present sits in the middle. We understand that the past can be recent…

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Articles

Articles Professional Learning Toolkit

146 articles in this category