Guest Authors
Musically Managing Self as an Early Learning Goal
Independence is considered to be a great asset in the West. The ability to make our own choice is greatly valued, partly because it frees up the time of others and partly because doing what we want generally makes us happy. Many activities in...
Supporting staff with social, emotional and mental health needs
In my September article, I talked about supporting children who have high social, emotional and mental health needs (SEMH). This article will be looking at how we also need to support staff who have high SEMH needs. We need to view SEMH within a...
An introduction to supervision in the early years
Securing a robust supervision system into each settings practice is a challenge, yet it is a key component to our work for many reasons. The role of supervision in early years settings remains a requirement in the latest statutory framework for...
The hope of story
They sweep us up in the anticipation and excitement of adventure. We find ourselves intrigued by mystery or fascinated by the inner workings of complex characters, involved and invested in the actions they take and the resulting consequences....
Nutrition for learning
Children tend to be naturally inquisitive and boundless in their approach to understanding the world around them and learning new concepts. The early years setting provides an opportunity to work with children and their families/carers on the...
Sustaining the future of the early years – and beyond
In the depths of the COVID pandemic, I wanted to (and needed to) look forward. The national narrative was depressing and hopeless, yet the children in our nurseries were alive and made the staff feel positive. I wanted to capture that sense of...
Developing movements to improve physical literacy in the early years
Movement is for ALL children and sometimes they just need a little extra assistance, and their goals and level will vary/ and that’s OK! So, with this in mind here is your super-fast, 3-minute guide Let’s get back to basics Before children can...
Hearing “No”
“Put your coat on” “No” “Put your coat on, you have to, it is cold outside.” “No!” What do you do next? “Eat your vegetables” “No” “Eat your vegetables, you have to, they are good for you.” “No!” What do you do next? “Get down from there.” “No”...
6 ways to ease children’s worries
Children worry about lots of different things. At times, it can be hard to understand why something so trivial can cause so much distress. However, it is important to remember that worries are relative. Cast your mind back to when you were...
Nurturing Childhoods interview with Kathryn Peckham
What gave you the inspiration for Nurturing Childhoods? How did it all start? I have supported practitioners and families looking to give children the best start in life for many years. But with so much information available, the most...
Music and self-regulation in the early years
Self-regulation is one of the early learning goals under Personal, Social and Emotional Development. The Early Years Foundation Stage suggests that children will “show an understanding of their own and others’ feelings; work towards goals; wait...
Celebrating difference and neurodivergence: part 6
Being different is brilliant! This article is the last article in a series of six from Sensory Engagement and Inclusion Specialist, Joanna Grace. The activities described in each article build up to form a toolkit for celebrating difference and...
Understanding children
Whether you are a new practitioner, or managing a setting of 200 children, looking after children can be tough. No two children are the same, nor are any two days with them it would seem, and they certainly don’t come with personalised user...
Book review: “Using stories to support learning and development in early childhood”
Helen Lumgair’s new book “Using Stories to Support Learning and Development in Early Childhood” is an inspiring and practical kaleidoscope of insight from different story professionals. I am in there singing the praises of sensory stories of...
Supporting children with social, emotional and mental health needs
In this article, I explore how we support young children with social, emotional and mental health needs (SEMH). SEMH is a relatively new category; it’s a term we hear more with primary aged and older children, although it is increasingly being...
GROWing self-confidence as a leader … and getting your team ready for a new term
Petra, the manager of a day nursery, recently shared how worried she is about her team. She said “We have been through so much. The COVID-19 pandemic, working throughout the 2020 lockdown as keyworkers, a long-overdue inspection looming, and now...
Playfully supporting an avoidant child
‘I don’t want to go!’ ‘I don’t want to talk about it!’ ‘I’m not doing it!’ Sound familiar? Your child’s excited about a friend’s birthday party, but when it comes to leaving the house they refuse to go. Or you can tell that your child’s worried...
Looking for Pandas
Young children are kinaesthetic learners, and they need to move to learn! Exclusive FREE ‘Looking for Pandas’ training experience (RRP 60.25) Here for you, is a full FREE “Looking for Pandas” training experience from Littlemagictrain™, that...
12 important life lessons to teach children
When I became a parent, I knew that I wanted to help my children as much as I could to use each and every challenge they faced as a lesson, to see each failure as a stepping-stone to success and to know their worth so that from a young age they...
The significant role of co-regulation in the early years
“Developing self-regulation, like many elements of development and learning, is not something children do by themselves. It is a process that grows out of attuned relationships where the caregiver and baby or child are closely attentive to...
Birth to 5 Matters – an exclusive interview with Dr Kathryn Peckham
On 31st March, the eagerly awaited Birth to 5 Matters curriculum guidance was launched. Despite being warmly received by many across the early years sector, this is a very unusual time for us all. As settings and practice seek to continue...
Making their mark!
Thinking about mark-making in relation to school readiness Being school-ready is about being ready to learn, even during a pandemic. For me, the practical application of the term ‘school readiness’ is summarised within the characteristics of...
Meeting myelin
Did you know how much of a pivotal role myelin plays in the early years of child development? The big question “What is myelin?” The best way to describe myelin is as insulation (electrical tape) that tightly wraps around and around our nerve...
Celebrating difference and neurodivergence: part 5
Different brains mean different skills This article is the fifth article in a series of six from Sensory Engagement and Inclusion Specialist, Joanna Grace. The activities described in each article build up to form a toolkit for celebrating...
Using music to develop listening, attention and understanding as an Early Learning Goal
Listening is a skill that is fundamental to learning. It is necessary to develop listening before speaking, writing, and reading skills can be introduced, so this is especially important in the pre-school years. The ability to listen covers a...
What links Chris Packham, a birdbox and a supermarket trolley?
Well, the answer is my son’s book: “My Mummy is Autistic”, which he wrote just after his 5th birthday during his first-ever summer holiday from school. When it was published, one of the reporters who visited our garden to interview him asked “Do...
How to motivate your team to deliver movement sessions
The problem: So many adults working with children forget what it was like to be a child, and can’t always remember what it was about the teacher that captured their attention when they were very little. Having trained practitioners and...
The language of risky play
“We want our kids to develop the skills to pick themselves up when they fall, to know when to ask for help, but also to be confident that they can solve a lot of their problems themselves.” (1) Risk, what does it mean to you? Do you watch every...
Celebrating Pride and LGBTQIA+ in our settings
In June we celebrated Pride Month, when many countries around the world celebrate LGBTQIA+ and promote their rights. In the UK, some Pride marches were postponed due to coronavirus, but that didn’t mean we had to halt our smaller celebrations! ...
Music and building relationships in the early years
Many songs are written about and inspired by relationships. From classical to pop, hip-hop to RnB, first loves, unrequited loves, and ending loves dominate the lists. It is not clear whether this is because songwriters are more inspired by...