in this issue
Regulars
Making the grade Are you up to speed with the world of early years qualifications? In the last 10 years of my involvement with the sector it has always been subject to much change, debate and controversy. And so it goes on. Last month we ran a news story on the Government’s decision to make a minimum Grade C in GCSE English and maths an exit, rather than an entry, requirement for apprentices undertaking Early Years Educator (EYE) Level 3 courses. Now in this issue, we report on how the Department for Education (DfE) has also backtracked on making these grades an entry requirement for the standalone, EYE course (see page 4). Let us not forget that candidates will need to be GCSE qualified by the time they achieve their Level 3 qualification, in order to count within staff ratios, within the Early Years Foundation Stage. That means that those embarking on the Level 3 without the GCSE grades will have their work cut out to achieve both. On the plus side, it will mean that applicants for Level 3 EYE courses could begin to rise from their current disappointing levels and that the professionalism of the workforce receives a boost. I don’t think I’m alone in thinking the landscape is suddenly looking a lot clearer. It is encouraging to see a future edging closer to Professor Cathy Nutbrown’s vision for a more highly regarded childcare workforce, which she outlined in her 2012 review. Raising the bar in a sector which is not renowned for its high pay will always be a huge challenge. But the latest developments suggest that pragmatism can be helpful. For once it seems the Government has listened to what the sector has to say and acted sensibly. This even extends to Ofsted. Turn to page 8 to find out how the inspectorate is beginning to recognise the importance of play and now acknowledges that there are many different ways to work effectively in early years.
Karen Faux
4-6
News
10
Viewpoint
24 Reviews 26 Recipe of the month
Special features 8-9
The sector explains why it is keen to influence Ofsted’s views on play and learning.
11-13 Hilary White explores the importance of patterns in a child’s life.
16-17 Ideas for seasonal snacks that children will enjoy making and eating.
18-19 Find out how you can develop your skills in speech and language therapy. 20-21
Early years expert Sue Chambers kicks off a new series on the role of the key person. LEARNING AREA COVERED
22
PARENT
How Eden Learning Spaces’ cushions deliver the feely factor and a lot more besides.
are Opportunities for Maths learning everywhere. You have probably done some yourself already today (e.g. worked out how much petrol might time cost, checked you’ll have enough for to get from A to B, wanted to pay something with the exact money).
Pull-out pages
Making the most of real-life Maths encounters is not only more practical let in terms of time, it also serves to your child see the real use and purpose behind their Maths learning.
We are going... Number recognition
Talk about numbers in the environment bus (e.g. mention: the number of the you are catching, the numbers on houses, numbers in car registrations, the telephone numbers). Give them opportunity to see the different contexts in which numbers are used around them. Have them talk about numbers being big or small, bigger than, smaller than, less than or more than. For counting skills
Use familiar objects – toy cars, teddies up, etc. and, for example when tidying model carefully counting them. The best way to promote accurate counting is to touch the object you are counting This and move it to one side if practical. means that you are not likely to count
© MA Education Ltd 2015
this time of the are likely to have year many children visited a beach, on a day trip or either while on holiday. Beaches provide a huge range of learning experiences, and in this article we will be looking that children mightat some of the objects find washed up left behind on or the sand.
them
n Be very positive with praise – it really hard work.
is
Directions and positional language
the same object twice, which is often principle pitfall of early counting.
the
Number formation
Make this fun and a part of everyday glitter play by using art materials such as and paint. On a hot day, take it outside and paint large scale numbers.
Calculations
at this The main calculation to focus on there stage is adding. You will find that this are ample opportunities to practise in everyday situations, for instance: can n When grocery shopping (e.g. they get 6 apples and 2 lemons? Ask how many there are altogether) a n Make it part of play by making small bingo board with 6 numbers to between 0 and 10 and asking them mark off the answers to calculations small n Let them pay for objects worth amounts in coins, help them to add up how much they will need. Notes on teaching addition correctly:
Ask the children to their beach visits collect objects from and set up a display table so everyone together. If gettingcan explore them collection of real hold of a good objects is difficult, looking for good try quality display them alongside images and or instead of your found pieces.
Real life situations are the ideal way to practise using language to describe position and where objects are in relation and to something else. Focus on words ‘in phrases such as, ‘up’, ‘down’, ‘over’, the front of the…’, ‘behind the.’, ‘around corner…’, ‘opposite’ etc. When doing on short and familiar journeys, either lots of foot or in the car, model the use of Also these phrases clearly and carefully. try asking them to explain clearly where their teddy is, for example. Encourage them to hide it, then direct you.
What can we on the beach?find
EYFS, UW: The world: n 30-50 months: Can talk about some of the things they have observed such as plants, animals, natural and found objects unexpected item the children have Ask the children found, or would to talk about the Some of the rocks like to find, on kind of things and pebbles, a beach? they especially those find on the beach. would expect to lying How did they What objects might up on the shoreline undisturbed high they see lying EYFS, UW: The get there? or at the bottom on, of a deep pile, world: sand? If they are or buried in the will n 30-50 months: been part of the have originally Talks about why suggest that they to go to the seaside, surrounding land things happen and how cliffs, broken away or things work make a collectiontake a bucket and by the sea or wind, EYFS, CL: Understanding of found objects moved around small enough : in n 30-50 months: to examine and washed back up the water and then Beginning to understand hold. As there will probably onto the land. ‘why’ and ‘how’ n Use books – not only specific books be may have been They far too questions many pebbles lying there for designed for number learning, and many hundreds or even ask them to look shells to pick up, thousands of years. Talk to the children but use pictures of characters, for only the prettiest out for and select about why all these items are example, and model counting them. or most Some interesting on objects the beach and examples, perhaps will have been they got there. how dropped on those with an the sand by visitors, Some unusual colour, an things like seaweed, may be living pattern or shape. n Time – point out the time on or even from the fishermen, the wind, Remind them which lives and to beaks of seabirds. grows naturally that they can look analogue clock and say ‘we need Some will have in the should at sea; but been washed up small crabs, not touch which have walked leave in an hour, when the big hand by the sea itself, perhaps onto the sand living (e.g. small or disturb anything from the sea; or crabs or fish). is at the...’ another area or carried there from tiny fish brought dropped into the by the tide and from a ship. water caught in a rock in They may also Empty pool. find a wide variety shells once provided Phoebe Doyle, education writer, Nottingham. other things – discarded of homes for other forms of Natural objects bottles, lost sea life and have coins, pieces of been carried in now wood or rope, etc. EYFS, UW: The on the tide. Pieces Sometimes people world: driftwood may of hunt on the beach n 22-36 months: have been blown for coins and buried Notices detailed the sea from shoreline into For the Early Years Foundation Stage treasure using features of objects in their metal detector. trees or be environment parts of boats that Do they think they a n 30-50 months: find any? What Can talk about some the water – maybe have broken off in is the most unusualever of the things they have even from a pirate’s or observed such as treasure chest plants, animals, natural or a shipwreck. n 30-50 months: and found objects Developing an 06/08/2015 17:30 For the
Further activity ideas
n Sing number songs – and continue to do this even when number recognition and counting seem firmly learnt. Number songs are a way to help children see that numbers can be fun.
Early Years Foundation
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September 2015 PRPS_2015_Septe
Issue 176
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With activities on the reverse
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UNdERsTANdIN THE WORld
Many children will have visited a beach help you explore some of the natural over the summer. Viv Hampshire and man-made provides a range objects that can of activities to be found on the beach. At
n Model different strategies (e.g. counting on fingers, jotting down pictures to show amounts and workings etc.)
Using everyday situations
2 September 2015 Issue 176
Now incorporating Child Care magazine
Design: Fonthill Creative
model n As a general rule it is good to putting the largest number first (in your head or on paper)
am As both a parent and a teacher I always surprised when I hear parents it say, ‘that’s the teacher’s job’ when this is comes to learning. I believe that I do not the case. However, like many, recoil slightly at the thought of giving my children any formal homework, day after they have completed a long at school. I feel that, as parents, our time is much better spent using one hand to have we that tool fundamental when are with our children, which teachers do not – everyday life. Here, learning opportunities are aplenty.
16-page practical pull-out section
July 2015 Issue 174
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PRACTITIONER
When life is a beach
by making the most of real life for encouraging Maths learning Phoebe Doyle offers some ideas in their learning. feel both confident and competent opportunities, to help children
Cover photograph by Alex Deverill at Cypress Primary School Nursery, Croydon
Editor: Karen Faux
LEARNING AREAS COVER
Tap into everyday maths
ISSN No: 1366-610X Printed by Pensord Press Ltd, NP12 2YA
Judith Harries, early years teacher and writer, Northampton Karen Hart, early years specialist and writer, London Viv Hampshire, early years specialist, Middlesex
Jenny Barber, early years trainer and consultant, Buckingham Karen Sullivan, educational psychologist, London Hilary White, early years teacher and writer, Somerset
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