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Articles Teaching and Learning

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Cross-phase articles about teaching and learning

106 articles in this category

    Creative Diaries: Taking a line for a walk

    by Ruksana Mohammed on

    The provision of mark making opportunities can help children develop imaginatively, creatively and physically. Mark making is important for many reasons. It is a visible way for children to tell stories and express feelings, record what they have to …
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    Child-initiated Learning

    by Juliet Mickelburgh on

    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 p…
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    Which Came First, the Forest or the School?

    by Sara Knight on

    Sara Knight, Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education at Anglia Ruskin University, discusses the historical meanings of "schooling" and their relevance to today's young children. She outlines four ways in which we learn, and explains her concerns …
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    Educational Pioneers: Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1712-1778

    by Juliet Mickelburgh on

    Rousseau's understanding of the early years of child development as being a profound time in our lives is still relevant today. His appreciation of how much a child learns through finding things out for themselves, and of the role of observation and …
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    Educational Pioneers: Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, 1746-1827

    by Juliet Mickelburgh on

    Pestalozzi realised that children feel safe and secure at home and that it was this atmosphere that was most conducive to learning. However, he founded a number of educational establishments as he was aware that not all children could spend time lear…
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    Objective-led Planning

    by Alistair Bryce-Clegg on

    Many of the FSF members follow Alistair Bryce-Clegg's blog and have attended his very popular presentations. Following a discussion here about his innovative 'objective-led planning', we invited Alistair to explain this approach.
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    Educational Pioneers: Rudolf Steiner, 1861-1925

    by Juliet Mickelburgh on

    Like other educational theorists before him, Steiner divided childhood up into distinct phases. They fall in seven year cycles and are marked by physical changes in the child. He explained that the early years of childhood are a time of learning by b…
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    Developing Sustained Shared Thinking to enhance the Specific areas of …

    by Kathy Brodie on

    Kathy Brodie examines how Sustained Shared Thinking can be used to enhance the four areas of learning and development in the EYFS known as the Specific Areas: Mathematics, Expressive Arts and Design, Literacy and Understanding the World.
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    Choosing 'Next Steps' from your observations

    by Kathy Brodie on

    It is not always clear  how observations should be used to inform planning, assessments and evaluation of children's progress. Sometimes the huge array of choices can make choosing a next step a really confusing task.
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    The Practicalities of Next Steps

    by FSF Rebecca on

    It comes up on the FSF sufficiently often that I have begun to wonder if we, in early years, are perhaps looking for ‘an answer’ – the Next Step ‘Holy Grail’ as it were. Sensibly, we all know that there cannot be an answer, children are all different…
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    Developing Sustained Shared Thinking to enhance the areas of Learning …

    by Kathy Brodie on

    In this article, Kathy Brodie focuses on how sustained shared thinking can support each of the Prime areas of learning and development, as defined by the EYFS – Communication and Language; Physical Development and Personal, Social and Emotional Devel…
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    Educational Pioneers: Maria Montessori, 1870-1952

    by Juliet Mickelburgh on

    In her lifetime, Maria Montessori was regarded as one of the foremost female educationalists and her legacy continues today in many Montessori schools worldwide.
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    “Working with multilingual children in the Early Years.” Dr Rose Drur…

    by Kate Cahill on

    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…
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    The Drawings of Reception Boys: Fantasy and Frustrations

    by Emese Hall on

    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 …
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    Educational Pioneers: John Dewey, 1859-1952

    by Juliet Mickelburgh on

    Dewey partitioned childhood into different stages of development, the first stage being from the ages of four to eight years. He believed that during this period the key factors for successful learning were play, conversation, physical activity and s…
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    Characteristics of Effective Learning: play and exploration in action

    by Ruksana Mohammed on

    Characteristics of Effective Learning (CoEL) are a revived element in the current Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum (EYFS). CoEL advocate that in planning and guiding children’s activities, practitioners must reflect on the different ways that …
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    Using the TASC system in EYFS Settings

    by Belle Wallace on

    Belle Wallace, creator of the TASC framework for developing children's thinking and problem-solving skills, explains how significant the relationship is between the acquisition of language and the development of thought.
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    Educational Pioneers: Loris Malaguzzi, 1920-1994

    by Juliet Mickelburgh on

    A brief history and summary of the theories and practical aspects of the Reggio Emilia approach. Malaguzzi had a deep sense of respect for children's ability to be partners in their own learning, and this is at the heart of the Reggio approach to edu…
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    Capturing Children's Sparks

    by Ruksana Mohammed on

    It is often noted in literature that planning and teaching should be based around children’s interests. Through doing so, practitioners can enhance development and progress in each area of learning. The National Strategies for Early Years suggest tha…
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    Individuality Matters: The Curse of Development Checklists

    by Ruksana Mohammed on

    The use of milestones in the form of development checklists do not take on the individuality of each child. They are generic and imply that all children go through the sequential process. This article aims to introduce the concept of individuality of…
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    The Historical Context of Outdoor Learning and the Role of the Practit…

    by Michaela Machan on

    You could be forgiven for thinking that outdoor play is a relatively new phenomenon, driven by The National Trust (2016) and their ‘50 Things to do before you’re 11¾’ project.  Children and being outside seems to be a recurrent theme in the media a…
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    Supporting parents to understand the benefits of ‘risky’ play

    by Dr. Lala Manners on

    Why has ‘risk-taking’ become such a negative concept in children’s lives – or used so loosely as to defy any purpose or definition? ‘Challenging play’ and ‘adventurous play’ are considered acceptable and essential – but ‘risky play’ causes much con…
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    When are persistent behaviour issues problematic from a well-being poi…

    by Jane Evans on

    When should we worry about persistent behaviour issues from a well-being point of view? What should we be curious about and what can we, as teachers, do to be supportive?
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    Preparing for good transition from Reception to Year 1

    by Juliet Mickelburgh on

    We all know that feeling of starting something new: a bit excited, probably quite anxious about where everything is and what is expected of us, worried about not knowing people, the nervous butterflies in the stomach that can range from a flutter t…
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    Behind the Gingham Curtain

    by Alistair Bryce-Clegg on

    Time to throw open the gingham curtains and use what we find behind them to create a space that gives our children the freedom to be independent, motivated learners who can choose from a range of engaging and challenging resources that will promote…
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