1. toddlers and young children
Effective Practice -
toddlers and young children

2. Introductions
Tracy Smith – Deputy Head and Foundations Stage Lead at Leigh Beck Infant Academy
Deliver the ETFS specialism for SCITT
Previously an AST for Foundation Stage and Phonics
Nicola Whybrow - Deputy Head and Foundations Stage Lead at Braiswick Primary School
School support for EYFS
External mentor for SCITT

3. Learning through
play
What is your definition of learning through play?
What would you expect to see? What does it look like in your setting?
How would it differ from babies to Nursery to Reception?

4. Learning through
play
Caine’s Arcade

5. Characteristics of effective learning
This has become a more important part of the curriculum!
Should be evident in observations, planning, transition to year 1 and all curriculum areas!
What are the children like as a learner?
What skills do they show?

6. Prime areas Specific Areas Enabling Environment
Play and Exploration
Creativity and Thinking Critically
Active Learning
Prime areas
Personal social Emotional development
Physical Development
Communication & Language
Specific Areas
Characteristics of Learning
Literacy
Maths
Understanding the world
Expressive arts and design
Positive Relationships (role of the adult)
Enabling Environment

7. What does this mean for us?
The completed EYFS profile must include a short commentary i.e. 1-2 paragraphs on each child’s skills and abilities in relation to the three key characteristics of effective learning.
These descriptions must reflect ongoing observations of the child within formative assessment processes and should take account of all the relevant records held by the setting and include information from the child , their parents and other relevant adults

8. Talk Time!!!
Have a look at the articles from the Foundation Stage Forum and highlight and DISCUSS anything you find interesting!

9. The Role of
the adult
Children will automatically look to an adult or will alter how they are playing to suit what they think the adult wants to see!
How can we interact effectively within children’s play WITHOUT leading or taking over the play?
What?
When?
Whether?

10. Quality interactions video
Sustained, shared thinking is a process which involves the adult being aware of the child's interests and understanding, and the adult and child together developing an idea or skill.
Providing appropriate contexts for thinking, interacting with children and sharing children's small group interactions are just some of the ways in which this can be achieved.
video

11. Sustained Shared Thinking
SUSTAINED - it must carry on for a while but this could be varying lengths of time; this therefore requires flexible planning and contingencies for ensuring that other children are safe and provided for.
SHARED - both child and adult must be contributing, there are various ways to encourage the dialogue and find out the child's ideas.
THINKING - there are six critical thinking skills identified that are developed through sustained shared thinking.
Sustained shared thinking is the means by which we can nurture and develop children’s critical thinking skills. It involves seeking out opportunities to build upon the children’s interests and challenging them to indulge in a deeper thought process:

12. Sustained Shared Thinking Why is it important?
The answer is because it is now explicitly stated in the EYFS that sustained shared thinking should be a part of a child’s creativity and critical thinking (EYFS 4.3). It is also indirectly described in all of the six areas of learning and development (EYFS 4.4).
Creative thinking and problem solving skills enable children to come up with ideas and suggestions and to use their imagination to think of creative solutions.
Reasoning skills. Reasoning skills enable children to use logic; make connections; give reasons for opinions and explain actions; and make informed judgements and decisions.
Imagination These skills enable children to suspend their disbelief and think imaginatively.

13. Sustained Shared Thinking How do we use it effectively?
Questions to ask :
Tell me what you can see
Can you describe ……?
What does that smell/feel/taste like?
Can you explain ?
Have you seen anything like that before?
Why do you think that?
Where do you think it comes from?
What is it/ what do you think its used for?
The secret to open ended questions is that they don't put children on the spot to find the 'correct' answer; the children use the knowledge they have to think creatively and come up with a suggestion.
The second essential is ADULT MODELLING; wonder aloud about things to demonstrate problem solving for events in your own life, or the day ahead with the children.

14. In classes
Feeling
Favourite
Question

15. Learning Journeys! What is a Learning Journey? Why do we need them?
What different examples of Learning Journey’s have you seen in your settings?
Discuss on your table!!!!
Time to share!

16. Learning
Journeys!
This is a very important document that is unique to each child.
It is the child’s personal learning map and shows their own journey.
It is important the learning journey takes into account a range of observations.
The learning journey needs to clearly show the learning taking place and how it progresses from the last observation.

19. Role Play, Book Corners and Cosy spaces!
These are very high on advisors agendas at the moment
It’s all about having enclosed spaces for children to feel safe and secure in.

20. Book Areas Linked to OfSTED’s Outstanding Reading School.
What do Book Corner’s need to have??
Well resourced
Inviting

21. Cosy Corners / Spaces
Early Education’s new document, Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage, suggests “Create areas in which children can sit and chat with friends, such as a snug den and cosy spaces”.
What are they?

22. Cosy Corners / Spaces Elizabeth Jarmen Communication Friendly Spaces
Elizabeth Jarmen is the expert on the area of cosy corners she delievers training and has written books to support the subject.
Elizabeth Jarman says,
‘it’s critical to understand how the physical space should connect with its intention. I think it’s essential to tune into the environment from the learner’s perspective. To do this, it is really important to observe, reflect and then make informed decisions about the way that children and families interact with the environment if a developmentally appropriate, personalised, responsive learning space is to develop, reflecting preferred contexts for learning.’

23. Making families feel welcome
Do families know the names of all the staff?
How welcome are families in your setting?

24. Do Infants and toddlers like to have small spaces where they can relax and feel safe?

25. Be creative
Consider various ways that you can make use of the space that is available.

26. Comfortable places to relax are important.
Children have varying tolerance levels and some may need a place to go and “chill” before rejoining peers.

27. Closet Space
You may have closet space available in the children’s play space. Consider using it as a cozy corner for the children instead of as a storage location.

28. Place for Privacy
Spaces for privacy and quiet must also be easy to supervise to ensure the safety of the children

29. Fabric is used to create a feeling of a separate space and privacy
Fabric is used to create a feeling of a separate space and privacy. Fire retardant fabric should be used.

30. This space is large enough for two children to share and so supports the growth of relationships.

31. There are many options to provide space for privacy.

32. This space includes a mirror so children can see themselves when they look up.

33. Relax
Children need a space where they can lay down and relax when they are tired or just want to be alone.

34. Self Regulation
When there is space to do so, children can learn to self regulate their behaviour and take a break when they are feeling overwhelmed.

35. Partnerships
Share materials or resources with other facilities when the children are done with them
Create partnerships such as with the local high school or college to create materials

36. When your environment has a cozy, homelike feel that brings out strong connections among the people there, they will experience a sense of belonging and security.” Curtis and Carter, Designs for Living and Learning, 2003

37. Role Play Hugely important in all Early Years settings!
What learning do they cover?
What types of role play areas could be created within the foundation stage area?
Inside and/or Outside

38. Role Play!
2 schools of thought – Linked to topics v’s permanent home corner.
Advisory teams like a home corner – lots of disclosure issues have come from children engaging in Home corner play
Resourcing?????
Children’s involvement???
Continuous provision
Any good ideas???

39. Role Play On the large sheets of paper in pairs or threes
Choose 2 different role play areas from the list –
Write down –
What resources you could use in the chosen area
What areas of learning could be covered? How?

40. Resources wish list
What do you think you would need to create spaces like this?
Have you seen anything to share?

41. Parents as Partners What is this? Why is it important?
How do we do it?

43. What is this?
Developing a real partnership with parents allows practitioners to learn about the child as an individual and enables the parents to understand and value their own role as their child’s primary educator.
This equal exchange and appreciation brings with it continuity of care for each child, as the amplification to EYPS Standard 31 states:
‘Young children do best when they experience a coherent approach at home and across all the settings in which they are cared for and educated’.

44. Why is it important? Benefits for Parents
The exchange of information facilitated by partnership allows parents to gain a new perspective on their child’s learning and behaviour at home. Practitioners can share their knowledge of, for example, the importance of play, the establishing of schemas, or the early developmental stages, in ways that are accessible to different groups of parents. Demonstrating that what they do with their child at home contributes enormously to their child’s learning may encourage parents to see themselves as co-educators. It can also give parents a wider context to place their child in.
Encouraging parents to becoming more involved with their child’s learning and the setting can have very positive outcomes for them as individuals. Some may gain confidence or discover a new interest and become involved in the running of sessions for other parents or pursue other voluntary work or qualifications with children (Whalley). For many parents the greatest benefit of successful partnership will be the security that their child is being cared for and their horizons are being broadened in a setting that understands their child and the family.

45. Why is it important? Benefits for Practitioners
In order to really know the child, practitioners need to get to know the family. In the amplification to standard 29 of the EYPS it states that ‘parents are the foremost and most enduring influence upon children in their formative years’ . Tapping into this wealth of influence gives settings information to support and extend each child. Something that a child says or does may make no sense until they have been observed on a home visit, or a picture has been taken by the parent, or the key person has had a quick chat with dad at the end of a session

46. Why is it important? Benefits for children
When all the significant adults in a child’s life share the common goal of their well being, the child will feel safe and secure. As practitioners and parents exchange information the child becomes known and understood both at nursery and at home. This enables all adults to support the child’s learning and to nurture their specific interests.
On a more immediate level, there is the sheer joy and pride children feel when their dads come to a special session at nursery or when a granny or close family friend comes on a trip to the park.

47. How do we do it?
Building partnership with parents has positive outcomes for all. Even the simple exchange of smiles and friendly conversation will create a relaxed and respectful atmosphere. But it takes time to establish real and equal partnership, and for this settings need to focus on diversity, inclusion and flexibility.
After building initial ties between parents and practitioners, settings need to find ways of sustaining parental involvement in their child's learning and in the setting. Continuing to make time for parents is extremely important, including daily opportunities for a quick chat at the beginning and end of sessions. More formal meetings with parents should also be organised at regular intervals to review and plan a child's learning programme together.

48. How does this work in practise?
What have you seen in your placement?
What else could you do?
Have a chat about it!!

49. Super hero and gun play!!!!!
Finally being seen as an important part of play throughout the EYFS
Children need access to this type of play in order to see the positives and negatives.
Parental opinion.
Staff opinion
What do you think? Take a look at the articles and decide!

50. Michael Rosen, author of We’re Going On A Bear Hunt.
Talk!!!!!
“It may seem an obvious thing to say but one of the best things we can do with young children is to have interesting and enjoyable conversations with them ... as we go about our activities, whether at home or at nursery, pre-schools, playgrounds, the child-minding situation, or out and about. We should make a special effort to answer children’s questions, point out things that interest us, involve children ...”
Michael Rosen, author of We’re Going On A Bear Hunt. 

51. Talk!!!!!
Plays a vital role within the whole of the Foundation Stage (as well as the rest of the curriculum!)
Children need to have a firm and clear grounding for speech and language as well as an increasing vocabulary which children are coming into school with less and less!
It is easier to sit in front of the TV rather than talking to our children and prams don’t help either!!!!

52. Talk!!!!!
Because there are a lot of speech and language problems now and children have a smaller spoken vocabulary there are a few projects been set up to support teachers and parents!
ICAN – training, support and activities for practitioners and parents
ECAT – Every Child a Talker – Essex CC run program
TLC – Talk Listen Cuddle – workshops and story mornings across the county! Search for them on Facebook!

53. Story Kebabs Story telling is becoming a dying art!
Children are not coming into school with a knowledge of familiar stories and are not able to tell a story at all!
Story telling needs to be included every day in the classroom!
To build upon the familiar stories that we need to be telling children it is important to encourage and extend their own vocabulary and story telling ability!

54. Story Kebabs
Story kebabs are a way of giving children some resources to use to create their own story from the props that are included!
Need to be used with a story structure
Katrice Horsely is the current story telling Laureate and has developed a story structure to help people to tell a story.
Lets have a go!

55. Story Kebabs
These can be extended into story boxes with more resources given children a greater choice of objects and language to include in their stories!
These are ours! Please feel free to have a look through!!

56. What does this mean to you? Have a chat!!
Transition -
School Readiness
What does this mean to you?
Have a chat!!
The revised EYFS refers to “school readiness” as supporting children to be ready for the opportunities available to them in Year 1. For practitioners in the Early Years Foundation Stage, including those in reception classes, it is important to consider the notion of children’s readiness for the next phase of their learning journey.

58. Transition - ways of transition Continuing the Learning Journey
Children who are given the right support through transitions will successfully move from one
phase of learning to the next.
o Transition needs to be considered sensitively and on an individual child level
o Good communication needs to be established with children, their families and all
professionals involved
o Preparation for transition to Year 1 needs to begin before the end of the EYFS and
to continue into Year 1.
o Specific support that a child may need should be planned, particularly for those
children who have been identified as likely to find the transition difficult.
Some children will still be working within the EYFS when they transfer to Year 1. Good
practice suggests that continuing to provide experiences and opportunities in line with their
stage of development will improve children’s confidence and independence, and attainment
overall. Year 1 teachers should be involved in discussions with Reception teachers to
understand the needs of each child. This will help Year 1 practitioners to build on the
learning that has happened previously, and extend the opportunities offered; ensuring that
the context for learning remains meaningful for the child.

59. Transition - ways of transition
Visits to new class to visit and work with new teacher
Transition meetings between teachers inc creating the groupings for the new teacher
Next teacher to attend meeting at end of year with current teacher and parents to discuss levels and progress towards the ELG’s
New staff to spend time within Foundation Stage to observe the children spontaneously.
Staff visible and available to children within informal school times
Sharing of important informal times e.g. story times
Learning journeys sent to new teacher before going home
Parents being involved by having access to new teachers
Transition boxes

60. Transition - ways of transition Transition boxes
Share your transition box with someone within the group.
What did you learn about that person?
What are the benefits?
What are the pitfalls?

61. Final Thought: • “Let children be children. A skilled five
year old grows from a busy four year old,
a curious three year old, a cuddled two
year old, an adventurous
one year old and a
communicative baby.“
• Quote by Jennie Lindon.