106 articles in this category

Love and Play for Building Brains
by Carly Budd on August 17, 2022
Developmental play expert Carly Budd explains the importance of play for babies' brain development. 
Read more...
Makaton
by Stephen Kilgour on April 20, 2020
Stephen Kilgour, SEND Advisor, takes a closer look at the value of learning Makaton. 
Read more...

Making Birth to 5 Matters work for you
by Nancy Stewart on July 9, 2021
Nancy Stewart, who was Project Lead on Birth to 5 Matters, shares her thoughts on how early years educators can use this guidance in their setting. 
Read more...

Mirrors and Reflections
by Rachna Joshi on January 9, 2022
This month we revisit a previous article by Rachna Joshi exploring children's mirror play and their sense of self.   
Read more...

Offering 'challenge' to children in the Early Years
by Emma Davis on December 13, 2023
Emma Davis reflects on why offering 'challenge' to children in the early years is so important, and what educators need to consider to support this. 
Read more...

Pack-away power
by Anneka Russell on March 15, 2022
Early Years consultant Anneka Russell reflects on the hugely important role played by 'pack-away' nurseries in their communities. 
Read more...

Parental engagement: rethinking support for families with children wit…
by Caroline Vollans on July 15, 2021
Caroline Vollans shares the journey of Buttercup Group, a small Stay and Play provision for parents and carers with children with learning differences. 
Read more...
Pre - Reading Ideas
by Stephen Kilgour on May 28, 2020
In advance of reading first words, there is so much pre-reading learning that needs to take place.  For very young children, or those with additional needs, it’s important that you think about how best to interest your child in the concept of ‘book…
Read more...

Putting love at the centre of your practice - being on a journey with …
by Joss Cambridge-Simmons on October 19, 2020
Joss Cambridge-Simmons (founder of Jossy Care) shares his journey, from being a very young man starting out in childcare, to running his own childcare business, and the love that is weaves through it all. 
Read more...
Reflecting on the EYFS curriculum
by Julian Grenier on June 18, 2020
Julian Grenier considers what makes a valuable and meaningful Early Years curriculum. 
Read more...

Reflections of a Male Early Years Educator
by Richard Waite on April 10, 2024
Early Years educator Richard Waite looks back on a long - and ongoing - career in the early years. 
Read more...

Replacing the topic box of stereotypes
by Alicia Wilkins on September 13, 2022
This month we revisit an article by Early Years Practitioner and Tiney home nursery leader, Alicia Wilkins, which asks us to reflect on the diversity and representation that must be embedded in our practice every moment of every day. 
Read more...
Spinning a Yarn - fuelling the imagination of our preschoolers
by Stephen Kilgour on July 20, 2020
Stephen Kilgour has some ideas on how to become a teller of stories and how that can support the reading development of preschool children. 
Read more...

Teaching and learning mathematics in the early years: a cognitive load…
by Linda Pound on February 4, 2022
Early years consultant and author, Linda Pound, explores Cognitive Load Theory and how to support young children's Mathematical development. 
Read more...

Technology in the early years
by Richard Waite on May 15, 2023
Early Years Educator Richard Waite shares his passion for helping us all to understand the importance of sharing technology with young children. 
Read more...
The 3R' s Re-imagined
by Leslie Patterson on June 29, 2020
Early Years consultant Leslie Patterson shares her re-imagining of a curriculum for our youngest children in the wake of the current pandemic as we await the changes to the EYFS. 
Read more...

The Brightest Shadow
by Greg Bottrill on June 17, 2021
Greg Bottrill explores the play-full heart, how we need to connect with the magic of childhood and lean into the joy as we learn and play with children. 
Read more...

The importance of MOVE-ing
by Stephen Kilgour on June 15, 2021
SEND advisor, Stephen Kilgour, reflects on supporting children with physical disabilities, and how a new initiative from the MOVE Programme can help.  
Read more...

To Decolonise or Diversify? Is that the question?
by Adam Vasco on February 9, 2022
Adam Vasco, who leads the 3-7 Early Years Post Graduate Route at Liverpool John Moores University, reflects on the learning and unlearning that needs to happen to decolonise and diversify our education spaces and curriculums.   
Read more...

Urban planning and risk aversion: an interview with Tim Gill
by Caroline Vollans on March 11, 2022
Caroline Vollans interviews play specialist Tim Gill. 
Read more...
Visiting a Nursery
by Juliet Mickelburgh on February 11, 2020
The FSF and Tapestry Education Team are all trained teachers and we like to keep our skills sharp and our knowledge up to date so that we can give the best advice to support Tapestry users and FSF members. For this reason, we occasionally visit sch…
Read more...

What is mathematics for children at the developmental stage/age of 0 t…
by Sharon Day on June 9, 2023
Maths consultant Sharon Day begins a three part series on Maths in the early years.
Read more...

Writing in the Early Years
by Varinder Kaur Johal on August 10, 2021
Educator Varinder Kaur Johal shares her thoughts and ideas on children's early writing - from the child development that supports writing to creating opportunities to mark make. 
Read more...
'Listening to Young Children' Project
by Ruksana Mohammed on January 31, 2018
‘Listening’ in the early years is used to mean valuing and responding to children’s thoughts, ideas and feelings, offering genuine choice and involving children in decisions that affect their daily lives
Read more...
“Working with multilingual children in the Early Years.” Dr Rose Drur…
by Kate Cahill on February 15, 2017
From Spring 2017, all schools will be required to assess and report on English proficiency in the Department for Education (DfE) census for any child with English as an additional language (EAL). As this will include children in maintained nursery sc…
Read more...