Jules

How do they understand numbers and how do they learn to count? What early rich experiences can we give them that develops the skills of the mathematician? Being a mathematician involves noticing and wondering about what has been noticed, producing thoughts such as ‘I wonder if this is something in maths that is always true? Or if this is not a general mathematical rule?’ Mathematicians go through this process of reasoning by comparing and contrasting information, testing their ideas in order to come to a place where they can justify their findings and provide a mathematical proof. But how does this process begin and what do those starting points look like in babies and toddlers? There are some key behaviours and experiences that are part of the developing mathematician: recognising and responding to patterns; spatial relationships; cause and effect; inquiry through investigation and observation; developing mathematical language; developing number sense. Recognising and responding to patterns Babies are now given books and images to look at that use black and white only. These high contrast patterns are easier for babies to see. Having items around that include different patterns for young children to interact with and adults describing the patterns to the children, such as fabric that has patterns (as mentioned in the statutory framework for the early years foundation stage: gingham, polka dots and stripes) is a precursor to future maths, as interacting with patterns helps children to predict what comes next. When setting up areas of provision, and planning experiences for your babies and toddlers, ensure that they promote the understanding of both straight lines and curved lines - so include items with stripes, grids and rectangles as well as circles and swirls. We also want children to learn that the patterns can go in different directions, sometimes beginning in the centre and moving outwards, such as spirals, and sometimes going across such as with stripes. Include zig zags and dots. Use patterns that are seen in the natural world, such as the veins on leaves and the fur of a tiger, as well as patterns that are created by people. The patterns that you choose need to be repeating patterns as well as symmetrical patterns. As well as having items around that are decorated with patterns, give children the experience of moving individual items into patterns, such as when playing alongside toddlers, place different coloured cubes into a repeating pattern of red, blue, red, blue, etc. commenting on what you are doing and the effect that this is creating. At this stage it is unlikely that a child from 0 to 2 will engage fully in your demonstration but you are beginning the process of these types of behaviour by modelling it to them. Moving in repeated patterns, such as clapping and waving, also helps with the sense of being able to predict what is coming next. As children begin to walk, they are creating one of their first repeating patterns of moving with alternate feet. Repeating patterns are the first stage in understanding multiples and sequences which then progresses to being able to find the nth term in a sequence. Who would have thought that being able to walk would eventually lead to an element of algebra! Spatial relationships Babies are already getting a sense of where they fit in the spaces around them and how they are being moved around by adults. As they begin to move independently, they become fascinated by when they can fit into spaces and when they can’t. Who would have thought that squeezing themselves into small spaces and climbing was a stage of mathematical development, but I am observing my eighteen month old grandson doing both of these things and smugly thinking how good he is at maths! Putting items in and out of each other and stacking things are also part of the spatial relationships in mathematical development. Recognising and responding to when something fits into a space or not, and when something will balance on something else are starting points for young children also being able to plan and pursue mathematical investigations. Again, commentary by an adult is crucial in beginning the process of refining thoughts of the ‘when, how and why’ of maths. Cause and effect and developing inquiry through observation and investigation: Simply shaking a rattle and knowing that the action of moving it causes a sound, as well as a response from someone else, develops in young children the knowledge that an action leads to an outcome (Kamii and Devries 1993). Dropping something from their highchair and looking at the food on the floor, sometimes accompanied with the cry of: ‘Oh no!’ and pointing at it (again I am quoting my grandson) also demonstrates this growing understanding of cause and effect. In mathematics, when calculating, amounts are manipulated and changed. This understanding is underpinned by a variety of experiences where young children are exposed to and interact with actions that cause something to happen. Ensure that your setting includes: equipment that can be pushed, pulled and rolled; musical instruments that can be shaken and hit; blocks that can be piled and knocked down. Young children are curious. They observe and investigate objects and events in their everyday life, touching and playing with them using all their senses. They discover which textures are pleasing and can become apparently attached to the feel of a particular toy or muslin cloth that they have snuggled when feeding. Talking to very young children about what you have noticed and what you think about it begins the process of thinking like a mathematician. Commenting on how shaking the rattle harder makes it louder and gentler makes it quieter, for example. Mathematical language and Number Sense: Modelling vocabulary is crucial. Why does my son speak to his very young son in full sentences? Why have they done this since the moment he was born, and even before? That new-born baby could not understand the words and yet we speak and speak to him until he begins to try some words of his own – we do not give up after the first time because he has not instantly spoken back. Counting up to three and from three to one before something is about to happen helps children to begin to learn the names of the first three numbers. ‘One, two, three, go’ and backwards: ‘Three, two, one, blast off!’ Also, ‘ready, steady, go’ supports this idea. Counting the sequence of the numbers when going upstairs and counting each stair as you go as well as counting items as you are laying them out in rows, in a tower, in a circle, (different directions) all help to establish the idea that objects can be counted, as well as teaching the sequence of the names of the numbers when counting in steps of one. Often toddlers will like the sound of some of the number names and will join in with this. My grandson’s favourite number names are two and five and he always joins in with them when someone counts for him. Babies and toddlers can detect whether amounts of items are only one or two things but also when amounts are more or less than each other despite not having the words to label these amounts yet. (Samara and Clements 2009). Encouraging them to react to changes in amounts, and playing peekaboo, are part of learning that things can come and go. My grandson loves to be able to see how many of his snacks he has left as he is eating them and he understands that when they have all gone that there are none left. Talking about and experiencing items of different sizes and weights, commenting on what you see and feel, helps babies and toddlers to understand scale and is part of understanding numbers. And then there is subitising. A new and welcome addition to the expectation of achieving the Early Learning Goals at the end of Reception. This is a crucial skill that humans have naturally, especially for small amounts. It is where we see an amount and know how much is there without counting. We use the skill of subitising when reading the patterns of dice. Most of us, from a very young age, can recognise amounts of, or images that contain one, two or three things. Have collections of equipment that are in pairs, such as socks and mention the number of eyes, ears, hands on each of us. Also comment on shelving equipment that has three shelves, read stories that include three characters (there are so many: three bears, three pigs, three wishes, etc.). We are endeavouring to show that we do not always need to count everything in ones and that some amounts can simply be recognised. Getting your ‘maths goggles on’ when planning your areas of provision and adult interactions can really elevate the status of maths for you and the children that you are developing. Hopefully this article has helped you to do that. You can find part two of Sharon's Maths series here. And you'll find part three here.

...and what can we do to promote a deep understanding of the numbers from 1 to 5? Before I start on specific references to mathematics, I need to emphasise that that educational interactions with young children should always be playful. Maths as well. Playful maths. Maths is not just about having numerals on display. In fact, the abstract symbols of numbers, an agreed squiggle that may contain straight or curved lines, is almost pointless within itself until the understanding of amounts is established. For the understanding of number, there are two key elements that have to be worked on and developed in children. One is the skill of subitising and the other is conserving. Subitising is the ability to recognise amounts without having to count them in ones. For children aged 2 to 4 we begin by learning to subitise up to three. Conservation of number is knowing that no matter what order or arrangement of amounts, the total remains the same if nothing has been added or taken away. Both can be taught in a ‘playful’ way. Different subitising patterns for the same amount help to develop conservation of number. Playful maths ideas for teaching subitising and conserving There are many playful, simple and yet effective ways of teaching these two key maths ideas that I have used over the years. One is called ‘Bunny Ears’ which develops finger gnosia (the ability to show amounts on fingers without having to count in ones and without having to look at the fingers). The children are taught to put their hands either side of their forehead, with their fingers curled over and then to lift fingers, in different ways, to show small amounts. There are ten different ways that one finger can be shown (including the thumbs) by lifting them one at a time, as there are ten fingers. The adult would say: ‘I am showing you one finger. Now I am showing you one finger again but this time with a different finger. Can you show me one finger? Can you show me one finger but use a different finger?’ Ensure children understand that they constantly have ten fingers and we are ‘showing’ it means lifting a folded finger upwards. Then there are teaching specific patterns for children to learn ‘off-by-heart’. I like to use circles drawn on paper plates as ‘flash games’ (a bit like the teaching of phonics strategies) as well as ‘memory games’ where the plates are face down and the children take turns to turn over two of the plates. If the number represented on both plates is the same, the two plates can be kept by the player until the end of the game. Sometimes the circles are unshaded and sometimes shaded and these particular patterns are used to prove the properties of numbers as well as to develop bonds and doubles of numbers which supports with future mental mathematics strategies. All the time, as these patterns are being used, adults are describing what they see and why the patterns are in a particular arrangement. They are referencing how the patterns are the same as each other and how they are different. The children respond to the flashed plates in a variety of ways such as showing the amount seen with their fingers, drawing an image on a whiteboard, pointing to a choice of patterns to indicate the pattern they have seen and/or saying the name of the number. There are specific patterns for amounts up the five that I would promote as follows - Images of one circle that are in different places on the plate i.e. in the centre as well as at the edge, such as: Images of two where both circles are close together as well as being further apart. Sometimes close to the centre of the plate and sometimes to the edge. Images where there are two circles where one is shaded and one is unshaded, which is discussed with the children as proving that one more than one is two: Images of three circles where they are in a line, in a triangle, spread out and closer. Also, images of three circles with two of them are unshaded and one is shaded – this image proves that three is one more than two: Images of four where the dots are in a line, the dots are in square, the dots are proving that four is one more than three as well as that four is double two by using shaded and unshaded circles: Images of five where one pattern is the version we see on dice and dominoes, as well as patterns that begin to show a variety of bonds of five as well as prove that five is an odd number: One reason that the plates work so well is that as you are flashing the plates to the children there is no definite way to show the patterns so children learn that the orientation is irrelevant. We use this understanding when looking at the top surface of dice as they drop to the surface. Even if the pattern is presented diagonally, we still read the pattern with accuracy (as long as we are very familiar with the patterns so that it is an instant reaction). We also want children to recognise the images of 2D shapes in different orientations so this is a good link with that part of understanding. To be preparing to reach the goal at the end of Reception, at the end of Nursery you would want children to be able to comfortably subitise patterns of 1, 2 and 3 and you would also have been providing them with the opportunity to see and respond to patterns of four and five, finding the one, two and three amounts within them. Useful resources Subitising and conservation of number are the crucial elements of number sense way before any abstract symbols are expected to be recognised. There is a great resource that was published by the National Strategies in 2009 that I still use regularly when working with teachers to plan specific learning opportunities for the children they are teaching. The Birth to Nursery expectations are part of the phases 1 and 2 in the ‘Steps in Learning’ section from this file (which can be downloaded from this link: | STEM ) The ‘Role of the Adult’ section provides some lovely adult directed tasks that can be easily resourced, followed by creative ways of providing follow-up and taking the learning further. Check it out if you have not used it before! Numberblocks on the BBC is a brilliant tool to use for teaching the understanding of numbers and developing early number sense. The National Centre for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics (NCETM) website contains some teaching materials that link with the content of the programmes. As I mentioned in the article for birth to the age of two, adults commenting on what they and the children are doing is a crucial part of learning. As maths is both a language of its own, with its own specific meaning, and learning anything involves thinking about what you are learning, talking about what we are doing and thinking helps children to learn how to think. Thinking is a crucial skill for a mathematician as much of maths is ultimately done in the abstract. As well as understanding early number sense and mathematical language, there are other key behaviours and experiences that are part of developing the mathematician: recognising and responding to patterns; spatial relationships; cause and effect; inquiry through investigation and observation. I have made reference to these elements as well in the article about maths for children from birth to two. Check it out, as many of the ideas are also applicable to children in Nursery. You can find part one of Sharon's Maths series here. And you'll find part three here.

There are stages in development for maths, as with every aspect of development, and the current framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage lists and exemplifies these stages very well. Maths in your areas of provision When referring to the framework we need to be thinking of the elements of mathematical learning that can be promoted though our areas of provision, which are continuously provided, supporting children in developing day-by-day, bit by bit, through regular ‘drip-feed’ experiences. Each area of provision links naturally with different measurement elements of mathematics. The table shows a few examples of these links: Using Daily Routines Daily routines can also be used to practise maths concepts regularly. Here are a few examples: · promote positional language - when tidying up with the children, describe and show where items are positioned compared with other items i.e. ‘The scissors are stored in the pot behind the sticky tape.’ · comment on and talk about the fractions of items being used where these items are ‘continuous’ i.e. ‘You have eaten one half of your banana. You have one half of it left to eat’ and ‘Fold your piece of paper into two halves to make a card.’ And ‘You have drunk all of your milk; there is none left.’ · Embed the use of regular references to statistical representations, for example simple block diagrams and pictograms (where each image represents one) to record preferences such as lunch choice, how we came to school, etc. · use ten frames as a base for recording the number of children attending each day where each child places a photo of their face into a part of a ten frame (you will probably need three ten frames for your whole class!). ‘Are we all here or are some children away?’ and ‘How many are away?’ and ‘How many are here?’ · look at sorting your collections of items in your areas of provision into properties mathematically, such as train tracks being sorted into their parts on the shelf into straight track, curved track and paint brushes being sorted into thick and thin brushes, etc. The maths area is where the children play teachers and play and invent number games. Provide whiteboards, pens, card, paper, mark making equipment, dice, spinners, dominoes, etc. Thinking and behaving like a mathematician Learning to think and behave like a mathematician needs to be constantly modelled by adults in order for the children to copy these behaviours. Mathematicians will tell you that they are a ‘seeker of patterns’ and that they often begin their mathematical enjoyment by noticing and wondering. Examples of how you can promote this in your setting include regularly saying out-loud to children, ‘I have noticed that…’ (it is raining; the door is still open; you have finished your milk); ‘I think that…’ (it will be sunny again soon; we should close the door; you should put your carton in the bin); ‘I wonder …’ (when it will stop raining/why it is raining; the door keeps coming open/what will happen if we leave the door open; if you are always the first one to finish your milk/how much milk you have in your tummy now). After often hearing these sentence stems the children will begin to use them independently. Another skill required for a mathematician is to be able to compare and contrast (notice and describe how things are the same and how they are different). Model and then ask the children to tell you what is the same and what is different about two items. The two items need to be simple and not too detailed and of the same type i.e. two conkers, two cups, two different shoes, etc. Once the children are confident with two items you could move to three items to compare and contrast. Finally, being able to discuss four similar items. Children will naturally find it easier to tell you how the objects are different but persevere with modelling and asking about the same qualities/properties as this underpins sorting and classifying. The numbers 2, 4, 6 and 8 don’t look the same but they are numbers that can be put into groups of two with nothing left over so that makes them even numbers; that is how they are the same. Being able to test ideas and conjectures is a crucial element of reasoning. Be sure to include out-loud wondering that leads to testing ideas and deciding if something is always going to be true or not. I wonder what will happen if… Ask children this question as they are playing in different areas of continuous provision i.e. ‘I wonder what will happen if I keep filling this container?’; ‘I wonder what will happen if I put this ball on top of this tower?’ Encourage children to choose what they are going to use in the areas of CP and what they are going to make. Ask them to talk to you about the choices they have made and whether they were good choices or bad choices. If a tower falls over after a child puts a heavy block on the top, for example, ask these questions: 1) ‘What are you trying to do?’ (child attempts to show/tell you) 2) ‘What keeps happening?’ Or ‘What happened?’ (the child attempts to show/tell you) 3) Ask questions to generate ideas on ways to solve the problem such as: ‘Why do you think it is happening?’; ‘What could we do?’; ‘How could we solve it?’ 4) The child needs to be encouraged to decide what to do (If the child has a solution then let them try it even if you know it won’t be the right solution - much better if they realise their own mistake than be told it – that is when true learning happens: learning from their own noticed mistake. However, be aware that, for some children, you may need to step in if the child is not realising that it is still not working to avoid frustration.) 5) ‘Did that work?’ and ‘Why do you think it worked?’ 6) ‘What can we learn from this experience?’ Specific teaching of concepts There are certain elements of the framework that have to be explicitly taught by the adults and planned as adult directed time. Understanding numbers and knowing how to count are crucial to mathematical development but even when working with shapes we are establishing key ideas to support with calculations. Knowing that putting two or more shapes together makes a new shape, for example, is developing the concept of part-part-whole for numbers. Once subitising up to three has been established we teach subitising various arrangements of items up to four then work on five. Learning to subitise a variety of images for the number four and the number five contributes to the children’s understanding of the conservation of number (knowing that no matter how the amount is arranged the total remains the same). The game ‘Bunny Ears’, that I mentioned in the article about children aged 2 to 4, is described by the adult in a more sophisticated way when working with 4 to 5 year olds. As the hands are either side of the head the adult would be talking about each hand showing a part and then, when the hands are brought together, talking about that amount being the ‘whole’. So, for example, the hands are showing four fingers up on one hand and two fingers up with the other hand and the adult commentary would be something like this: two is a part; four is part; the whole is six (as the hands are moved so that they touch). Further comments could include: both parts are not equal to each other. Then six fingers could be shown in a way that shows two equal parts such as three fingers on each hand: ‘Six fingers can be put into two equal parts of three.’ The expectation for the end of Reception is that children can subitise a variety of arrangements of amounts up to five. They also need to have a deep understanding of numbers up to ten. Experiences to promote this includes being able to count forwards and backwards as well as the conservation of each of the numbers up to and including ten. Also, ‘bunny ears’ that develops finger gnosia and subitising and discussing a variety of arrangements for each number (see more detail from the article aimed at teaching children aged 2 to 4) both add to that deeper understanding. This also means that children begin to learn some of the numbers facts off by heart including doubles of numbers up to five and some of the number bonds of ten. They also should know number relationships in terms one less and one more as numbers and one fewer object and one more object when using items. They are beginning to learn to classify numbers, specifically odd and even numbers. Numberblocks (BBC TV programme) has a great episode called ‘Odd and Evens’ with helps to understand this. As you can see, maths learning can be promoted in the areas of your continuous provision and daily routines as well as the times when we are specifically teaching the children knowledge and skills. Remember to make it fun though! You can find part one of Sharon's Maths series here. And you'll find part two here.

Early Years Educator and early years technology specialist Richard Waite shares his passion for helping us all to understand the importance of sharing technology with young children. Technology is so much more than using screen devices At my ripe old age of fifty-five, I have now been in the early years sector for thirty-seven years! In that time there has been one constant, and that is my love for technology. The changes to the EYFS in 2021 saw the absence of Technology in the statutory framework. I sometimes wonder if this was in part a reaction to a fear that technology is somehow ‘bad’ for young children? The buzz word for why we feel this way is screen time. Many I speak to in the Early Years Sector and beyond feel that Early Years Technology is about Desktop Computers, Laptops and Tablets. But what does Early Years Technology really mean? It is actually an incredibly broad area and can be incorporated into pretty much any activity under the EYFS framework. Many parents/carers will have screen devices of one kind or another at home for their own and/or their children’s use. Children may see them being used often, perhaps because parents are working from home, or using their phones to connect on social media/to get information. This leads early years educators I have spoken with to ask why are they needed in their nurseries? I will answer that with some examples a bit later. Technology is so much more than computers, and the early years is the perfect place to explore this. It is all about Cause and Effect. In one of my STEM lessons at my current nursery I talk to the children about the technology all around them. I ask them to think about what technology they have at home that is not a smartphone, tablet, or computer. We talk about washing machines, microwave ovens, kettles and toasters… Cause and Effect is how we should view Technology in Early Years. For example, in your baby room you may have push-button toys that make a sound or shakers that make a sound and light up: the shaking or the button pushing is the cause and the sound or the light is the effect. At a later stage, there are children’s cameras that allow them to capture a moment at the press of a button. Or torches that children can shine up at the ceiling, make hand shadows or stick coloured tissue paper over the front to change the colour of the light. This for me is Early Years Technology and it is something we have been doing in the sector already. It seems perhaps the terms ICT or Early Years Technology makes it something new and different that practitioners worry about. Technology and Enabling Environments How settings make use of all the available technologies in the early years is part of the Enabling Environments they offer children. With an understanding of their intention and implementation, early years technology resources have the same positive impact as other resources in your provision, such as sand and water, mark making, maths and creative play provision. I am going to use the Bee Bot robot as a classic example. This resource can support entry level programming, as well as problem solving maths using the various Bee Bot mats such as the colour and shapes mat. But it can also support children’s language development by introducing directional vocabulary such as left and right, forwards, backwards, and stop, go. Not so long ago the Bee Bot got an accessory to make it a mark making tool, and we recently purchased the colourful pen holders that clip onto any Bee Bot. We added some felt tip pens and introduced them to our children. By pressing the buttons on the Bee Bot they were able to draw straight lines and circles on a large sheet of paper. We had hours of fun with this core Early Years Technology floor robot. As early years educators, we need training and the opportunity to explore the possibilities of these resources. All too often training in early years technology is not a priority, especially when funding is tight. On visits to settings I have also noticed how often ICT resources are broken or need batteries replacing. We all know it can be expensive to replace those that are broken. As with other resources, these need a check up every so often – broken ICT resources are frustrating for children and can set them up to fail. More about Screens… I’m going to give you real life examples of how the use of screens can have a positive impact in Early Years Settings. There was a child in a nursery who found it difficult to focus for any period on an activity or free play continuous provision. I had recently purchased an Interactive Tilting Display Board for the nursery. I was demonstrating how to use it, and the child came over, seeing me writing on the Interactive Table with the special pen. I was selecting colours and drawing shapes and lines. The child asked to have a turn and remained engaged and focused for more than 15mins - in fact when the parents came to collect child, they were so happy to see him absorbed in this activity. In another setting, an iPad was requested for a child with complex additional support needs. Some apps were suggested by the outside agency supporting the child, and these were added to the iPad. One was I love fireworks - a typical cause and effect app where the screen would be black with nothing happening, until the child just tapped it and then you would hear and see the fireworks jumping across the screen. This was a great sensory experience and made the child’s time at nursery extra special. At my current setting whenever we want to introduce the children to a new tradition or custom from another culture to support the wide range of cultures we have in our nursery, we use the interactive board to introduce that culture and find out about its traditions with the children. We will show them dances, costumes, languages, and food representing that culture. Recently it was Kurdish new year, and we happen to have a Kurdish family at our nursery. They kindly offered to introduce their tradition and culture to our children. Before they arrived at the nursery, we used the interactive board with the children to look for traditional Kurdish dancing and how to say ‘Hello’ in Kurdish so we could greet the parents in their language. There are many more examples I could share with you! But I want to round off by reassuring early years educators that Technology in the early years is not a monster to be feared! Remember the simple concept of cause and effect and begin looking for technology learning opportunities in your setting. Like it or not, technology is going to be the bread and butter for all our children in the future. Further Reading: Young Children in a Digital Age: Supporting learning and development with technology in early years by Lorraine Kaye Digital technologies and Learning in the Early Years by Lorna Arnott Apps, Technology, and younger Learners: International Evidence for teaching, edited by Natalia Kucirkova and Garry Falloon Using ICT in the Early Years by Alex Morgan Planning for Learning through ICT by Rachel Sparks Linefield and Debra Maltas More Than ICT: Information and communication technology in the early years by John Siraj-Blatchford

In this article, Caroline Vollans hears from voices in the sector about the exclusion of our youngest children. Unofficial exclusion is not uncommon in the EYFS. Several years ago, when I was teaching in Year One a child arrived new to the country from Pakistan. It emerged that when the family had visited their local school (a good distance from ours) they said that he would ‘do better’ with us. The family were not told why. The child had, in effect, been excluded from admission. I have also heard of occasions when families are told there is a place, but when the child’s needs become apparent the place is suddenly up for question or disappears. They are clearly not welcome. As well as this, there is the more overt form of exclusion when young children behave in a way that settings will not tolerate or are unable to support. Why is it that settings are not equipped to offer provision for such young children with additional support needs? Exclusion in the EYFS, however it happens, is a critical issue that needs highlighting and addressing. Disproportional representation i) Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). It may come as no surprise that children with learning differences and disabilities are disproportionally represented when it comes to exclusion. Mandy Wilding is Education officer at the National Association of Special Educational Needs (NASEN). Mandy comments, “As I’m sure you’re aware, there is a very high percentage of SEND representation in students who are excluded. Unfortunately, figures from the Department for Education do not show how much of this is in the EYFS, but we can infer that children with learning differences and disabilities are far more likely to be excluded. For example, in 2018/19 if you have a special educational need and/or disability but no Educational Health and Care Plan (ECHP), you were 5.3 times more likely to be permanently excluded.” Mandy continues, “More recent data shows that if a child has a special educational need and/or disability and a ECHP they are 78% more likely to receive a fixed term exclusion”. In all, we can say that it is clear that there is an overrepresentation of children with SEND who are being excluded. ii) Children from ethnic minority backgrounds. Children from ethnic minority backgrounds are over-represented when it comes to exclusion. Alison Kriel was an Executive Headteacher and is now a Conscious Leadership Consultant. She points out, “Some schools will identify the challenges before the child is accepted on role and will give reasons why the child should not go there. Culturally, many Black families have been brought up to accept the authority of the school and will simply move on. Parents who are not fluent in English will move on without challenge.” Alison continues, “A white child with a diagnosis of Autism or ADHD applies for a place in an Early Years setting. A place is available along with a Special Needs Framework with guidance on how to put support in place. Additional funding is available. The school knows what it needs to do to support the neurodivergent child. Allowances are made for their behaviour. “A Black child presenting with the same behaviours applies for a place. There is no diagnosis: there is at least a 3 year gap in diagnosis between white and black children which impacts on the way in which their behaviour is perceived. The child’s behaviour is seen as naughty, aggressive, defiant or due to poor parenting. Rather than being welcomed as a neurodivergent child, the child is perceived as the behaviour they are presenting.” Alison points out three of the factors involved in the above: ● misdiagnosis: behaviour is interpreted more negatively in children from Black backgrounds ● failure to understand the needs of children from ethnic minority backgrounds: this means that the process for getting an EHCP is much slower for them ● deeply engrained prejudices, some unconscious The need for anti-racist training for staff is pressing if we are to make any progress with equity regarding admissions. Alison points out, “Many people still expect Black children to behave badly. It’s hard to move away from stereotypes which have been fed to us throughout our lives.” Children ‘moved on’ due to their additional support needs Case study (i) Becky Dolamore is Headteacher of Rachel Keeling Nursery School in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Becky says, “We have accepted one or two children who have needed lots of support and where previous settings have not been able to offer this. In both cases, this was due to lack of resources - both staffing and expertise. This has resulted in children arriving at our school with limited experiences as they have been on reduced timetables in their previous setting or parents have been asked to remain with their child for their sessions. This not only impacts the child's development, but also parental wellbeing.” Becky adds, “Certain schools may have a ‘good reputation’ of working with particular types of needs and this can result in them being overwhelmed with applications. Being the school of choice for children with additional needs without any additional support or funding is a tricky position to be in.” She concludes, “We need greater understanding, support and investment across all early years settings to ensure inclusive practice is accessible to all children and families”. Case Study (ii) Catherine McLeod MBE is CEO of Dingley’s Promise, a charitable organisation supporting Under 5s and their families with additional support needs. Catherine spoke about the difficult start at nursery for a family with two autistic girls. Their mother, Jan, described what happened. "My daughters were diagnosed with autism. We were accepted at the specialist nursery but couldn't start for a year because COVID hit - I wasn't a key worker, so we had a whole year at home. When things started to go back to normal, we got extra funding (the inclusion funding) for the girls, which was brilliant. I was promised all these extra things, including 1:2 ratio for my girls. I was given sessions for both girls across two days, which was brilliant. I then asked for an extra day so that I could go to work, and I was told I couldn't have this because they didn't have the staff. However, we came to an agreement where they would have one of the girls for an extra session on Fridays - we alternated them so that I could have some one-to-one time with each of them. After about a month I was told that I could no longer have this session - they needed the key worker who was supporting my daughters for someone else. This is absolutely unacceptable and, as far as I’m aware, against the law to take away sessions that have already been agreed and funded. I wrote an email to complain and the next morning the nursery manager phoned to say that I still had the session. I was so upset that I cried - I don't cry usually. Having my children in those sessions was so important for my mental health. From then on, every time I went in I could see the keyworker was working with lots of other children, not just my two. This was having an impact on both of my daughters’ behaviour at home.” Jan talked more about the effects on her. “I want to work but can’t. I had a really good job and can’t return to it. There’s the stigma of your child being different and the stigma of not being able to work. I want to work but I just can't because they can't give my children any more hours, even though I could have the thirty hours. It’s not fair. For us guys, as parents, it’s 24/7, we need that time when the children are in settings.” Jan ended by saying when she was looking for work she phoned lots of local nurseries who all said they had places available. “Once I mentioned that my children had SEND, the places then miraculously disappeared”. The difficulties in settings It is not beneficial to get into a blame game: settings often lack resources, expertise and funding, making it difficult to help children and families with additional support needs. However, managers and practitioners must reflect upon and challenge their practices and attitudes. The status quo has to change to prevent these sorts of discrimination. Alison Kriel summarises this well. “Most schools and staff have a desire to be inclusive and have ambitious outcomes for their pupils. Our education settings are struggling. They are cash strapped, morale is low, league table shaming is high, recruitment and retention is a challenge. Tough questions have to be asked about what is and what is not feasible. We have a fractured, hit and miss system, and ultimately the support a child receives comes down to parent confidence in challenging the system as well as knowledge and access to sources that can support them”.

In this blog I will share some of the reflections and practices that emerged in my PhD study researching the life experiences of five male teachers working in contemporary British early years. The overarching question is: why are there so few men in this profession? I have worked in the early years for almost 9 years, and I was lucky to teach in international settings (Italy, USA, and UK). Only once I worked with a man. This should not come as a surprise, as latest government figures show that only 2-5% of the early years workforce is made up of men (Bonetti, 2018). The percentage of Black male nursery teachers is even lower, as they count only 0.3% of the workforce (Carly-Campbell, 2021). The absence of men in the profession is problematic for gender equitable arguments, as well as recruitment and retainment purposes. We need richer insights into the life experiences of male teachers in early years environments to make transformative changes in policies and pedagogical practices. In turn, this has the potential to create an equitable and sustainable environment for both male and female teachers. Making early years an economically and culturally desirable place to work, for men and women equally, is vital to ensure the best talent is recruited and retained and make a positive impact in children’s lives. Current Early Years policy context The early years sector plays a critical role in children’s lives. The sector caters to children aged 0-5, pivotal years in which children develop their sense of self, curiosity, and boosts confidence. As an early years educator, I have seen first-hand how early years can facilitate children’s progress through engaging, active, and inclusive practices and pedagogies. It is therefore crucial that early years services are equipped with the best talent, to give all children the best possible start in life. However, in Britain, early years has consistently remained low on governments’ policy agenda, as societal discourses placed young children as a family matter, with women better suited to take care for them. Similarly, while women found employment in the early years, they were often under-paid and lower qualified, which led the early years to be considered primarily as a field for working-class women. To increase the number of male staff, the Early Years Workforce Strategy (DfE, 2017) stated: ‘we want more men to choose to work in the early years sector’ (DfE, 2017: 25). Based on this strategy, the DfE is proactively looking to recruit and retain more men in the early years. The stories I collected with five male teachers currently working in British early years, show these men’s desire and passion for the profession, but they also point out the barriers and challenges the sector faces in retaining good talent due to continued gendered perceptions. Meeting the men who work in early years settings The men I have interviewed came from different professional backgrounds, however, they all had experiences teaching in primary or secondary. They are also all British, and the age range is 27-50. They transitioned to early years due to discontent with the prescriptiveness of the National Curriculum. Working in the early years, instead, allowed them to explore creative and fun approaches to teaching and learning. One of the teachers said: “you don’t really need to sit down at your desk and follow standard procedures. You have more freedom to create, and you can help children develop confidence, and let them think and reflect”. Alongside their perceived freedom and creativity, these men appreciated having a real impact on children. They all placed children at the centre of their teaching pedagogy, showing a desire to help them grow and become more independent. They felt this aspect lacked while teaching in primary and secondary - as one of them said: “in primary, you focus too much on the academic side of teaching, you are focused on targets, and you miss what’s most important, the emotional aspect of working with children”. As such, concepts of care and love became the main drive in their work, shaping their understanding of childhood and lesson plans. In early years, both teachers and children work together as a family: “we learn together, we play together, we make friends, and, at times, we also ‘fail’ together, learning from our mistakes”. From these experiences, one would assume that working in the early years is a blast. Why, then, aren’t more men involved? As one of the teachers claimed: “no boy would ever dream of working in the early years!”. Simply put, none of these men thought that this career was open to men. They all grew up with female teachers in the early years of their lives. One of them, as he enrolled in his teaching qualification, was given brochures for a BA Primary with QTS. However, he desired to work with young children, but assumed that there were no courses for teaching in early years. As such, it took him 18 months to switch to a BA in Early Years. Others, struggle to stay in the role due to pressures to get a promotion. According to the government provider survey (2016), female teachers make up 85% of the workforce, but are less represented in leadership roles. Only 70% of the primary headteachers are female, and data shows that females tend to take up their first as middle leaders in primary after 10 years of experience, while men get promoted with only 8 years of experience. Pay, however, is also cited as an obstacle to enter and remain in this profession. This, however, opens a broader debate about the current crisis in the early years sector caused by the low pay and low status of the profession. The presence of men in the early years can benefit greatly both teachers and children. The male teachers have recognised how their understanding of teaching grew when working with young children: “in the EYFS I understood how children learn, I can almost see how they are developing inside their head, through curiosity and play, and I think most men are missing out on great learning opportunities”. Also, these men reflected on how their presence can tackle gender stereotypes within the classroom: “I can change the perception of what males do or don’t do. You know, sometimes I’m like ‘I’m busy playing with dolls’, and I say it like that. Like it’s normal. And if more people did it, children would accept it as normal”. And this is central to the debate of men in early years, and to a more diverse and inclusive early years workforce. The involvement of men in children’s lives – both at school and at home - should be normalised and welcomed to support children’s learning and progress. Their presence is a matter of representativeness. If more children saw that both men and women are included in their education journey, it would be possible to tackle gender stereotypes from the very early days. As this blog has shown, there could be great benefits from the presence of men in early years, it is therefore important to raise awareness about their journey, perspectives, and experiences, and use these to tackle gender stereotypes.