Great book! Putting the EYFS Curriculum into Practice

[Helen]

Just wanted to let people know about this excellent publication (Edited by Julian Grenier and Caroline Vollans) and how much we, the FSF/Tapestry education team, are enjoying it. We meet every week to discuss all things early years and primary and at every other meeting we choose a chapter to read and discuss. It's been such a great experience- keeping us all up to date with the latest thinking and helping us to express our own views to each other. If I were still running a setting, I'd be using this in staff meetings. Thoroughly recommend it. I think some of my colleagues are going to come in and say something about the chapters they chose, but the one I was particularly interested in was Jan Dubiel's 'Understanding Assessment and Curriculum'.

I like the way the author outlined how in the past, practitioners have often been told to gather and record evidence for the purpose of justification, and it 'became an unwelcome and time-consuming additional dimension to the educator's role'. I'm sure we'd all agree with that! But Jan describes how important the appropriate documenting of children's can be and refers to Reggio Emilia and Margaret Carr's Learning Stories. How wonderful it would be if we consistently moved closer to those ways of recording and, more importantly, understanding, each child's unique journey. As he says, 'To celebrate and understand the nature and trajectory of a child's progress.' As an added bonus, these methods also help to develop the professional skills of educators, as they share and discuss children's learning with their colleagues and the children's families.

 

 

 

[Jules]

I chose Chapter 2 by Professor Eunice Lumsden: A curriculum that promotes equality and challenges racism and sexism, for the education team here to discuss.

One of the things this chapter focuses on is the connection between being an early childhood educator and social justice. Professor Lumsden reminds us that equality is the legal right of every child. She also says that We all live in a society that, despite legislation, is not equal, nor is the aspiration for an inclusive society held by all. That we need to embed anti-oppressive practice in our settings. And that we have a responsibility in the sector to understand the power we have in our interactions with others.

It is a chapter that supported our own reflection on equality, the power we have, and on early years educators as activists. It helped us to continue to have necessary conversations about Anti-racism, Ableism, gender and identity, and much more.

[Helen]

It really helped me to reflect on the considerable opportunities we have to influence young and growing minds and that our learning in these areas never stops. A great chapter.

 

[CarolineVollans]

This is so great to hear - I just loved working on this project. The contributors were all so keen to share their practice from the thick of it in the EYFS  - and now you're all sharing it too. It'll keep you going for a good while yet. 

Thanks so much for appreciating it. 

Caroline