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Floor Books – A powerful tool in Early Years or pointless paperwork? - Early Years Staffroom
Floor Books – A powerful tool in Early Years or pointless paperwork? I have been asked many times about floor books, how they work by many working in Early Years so I thought it would be useful to write a blog about them. What are floor books? Floor books are a shared book with a group or class of children. They document a group learning journey and work to encourage the voices of the children. Teachers can use provocations and open questions to develop and document children’s knowledge and thinking skills. Floor books are large, usually A3, that are accessible
Settling in – Early Years Settings, Schools and Year 1 - Early Years Staffroom
Settling in – Early Years Settings, Schools and Year 1 Since Covid schools and settings have changed their settling in procedures to minimise the risk of covid which has had a negative impact, in that some children have taken longer to settle. Children who are not settled are not learning as their basic needs are not met. So it is important, even if you are not new to early years, that you reflect on your setting in procedures and hopefully this will help you do that. An effective transition gives you a great head start in your knowledge of your
Are home visits a good idea? - Early Years Staffroom
Are home visits a good idea? By Sarah Detheridge at the Early Years Staffroom The statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) does not refer to home visits however building relationships with parents is fundamental in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Research shows that strong teacher relationships with parents improves a child's progression through Education. I have always believed that ‘Parents are the first teachers’. Having a respectful working relationship with parents can really benefit the child and teachers can gain so much knowledge to build up a picture of the child’s learning and development which
Do you need to prepare for Ofsted? - Early Years Staffroom
Preparing for Ofsted “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success” (Alexander Graham Bell) “Please, don’t overload your teams with preparatory work ‘for Ofsted’. Just don’t do it. And don’t run ‘mocksteds’. They are a waste of precious time”. Check out Amanda Spielman’s full address to #ASCL2022 @Ofstednews (Twitter). When you get ‘the call’, talk with the inspector about what the focus is going to be so that you have a clearer understanding of what Ofsted will be looking for in your EYFS setting. As you prepare, involve all members of your early years setting and make sure
The Voice of a Child - Early Years Staffroom
The Voice of a Child What does it mean? It means to express how we go about creating meaningful engagement with our early year’s children. It means to understand a child and give them the chance to speak. So why is it important in EYFS? The voice of a child is so fundamental as it helps the child to feel, valued, supported and listened to. When a child feels valued, it helps them to grow up happy, experiencing life. To feel supported means to feel safe and secure, if a child feels this in an early years setting they are
Progression Planning Blog - Early Years Education | EYFS
Progression Planning Finding a starting point for your planning can sometimes be hard, especially right at the beginning of the year. As practitioners and teachers we want to ensure all children are making progress from whichever starting point they may be at therefore, it can be hard to pitch a lesson to support and include all learners. In this blog I will explore and explain the progression documentation we have produced and how this can support your planning, assessment and next steps for all children in your EYFS setting. Progression planning across the year Schools and Nurseries now are developing
How to plan effectively in the EYFS? - Early Years Staffroom
Whether you are a fan of planning in your head, planning in the moment, handwritten plans or typing them up we know that planning is vital to ensure that teaching is effective so that children are making the required progress towards the early learning goals. Planning in Early Years can be rewarding as often it’s the little steps that we plan for that can make the biggest impact whilst ensuring that all children have access to the same development opportunities and enjoy a balanced curriculum. However, it can be a minefield knowing how to plan for the best outcomes. In
Why do we have a Two-Year Progress Check? - Early Years Staffroom
“What happens early - matters for a lifetime” The 2022 Dfe guidance on the Two-Year Progress Check has been updated and reflects the revised EYFS and Development matters (2021). The Two-Year Progress Check remains a statutory requirement. Scientific evidence informs us that the period from birth to two years old is the fastest for brain development. However, according to Ipsos Mori, 2020: State of the nation: Understanding public attitudes to the early years, one in three parents are unaware of this. Why have a Two-Year Progress Check? The progress check at age two provides fundamental knowledge for early years
Why is Tinkering important in the EYFS? - Early Years Staffroom
Why is Tinkering important in the EYFS? Tinkering is about having the opportunity to explore, make mistakes and discover how things work. It may mean testing, fixing, breaking and fixing again! Children are curious by nature and by providing them the tools and materials to explore you will be encouraging them to become ‘tinkerers’ as well as developing their fine motor skills, problem solving abilities and social skills. Tinkering supports children who have a kinaesthetic learning style. If Thomas Edison hadn’t tinkered from an early age (he set up his own chemical lab at the age of 10) we
Mindfulness In The Early Years - Early Years Staffroom
Mindfulness in the Early Years by Sarah Detheridge “In today’s rush, we all think too much – seek too much – want too much – and forget about the joy of just being” (Eckhart Tolle) What is mindfulness? When do we have time to just reflect about the joy of just being? It appears that now more so than ever engaging in mindfulness activities has become more widely talked about and practised. When looking deeper into mindfulness, I found that it dates back around 2500 years, originating from ancient eastern and Buddhist philosophy and inspired by many. As
Mindfulness In The Early Years - Early Years Staffroom
Mindfulness in the Early Years “In today’s rush, we all think too much – seek too much – want too much – and forget about the joy of just being” (Eckhart Tolle) What is mindfulness? When do we have time to just reflect about the joy of just being? It appears that now more so than ever engaging in mindfulness activities has become more widely talked about and practised. When looking deeper into mindfulness, I found that it dates back around 2500 years, originating from ancient eastern and Buddhist philosophy and inspired by many. As I child brought
Sensory Integration Disorder - Blog Post - Early Years Staffroom
Sensory Integration Disorder By Sarah Detheridge “We should celebrate neurodiversity – the world would be poorer and life duller if we were all the same” (Neil Milliken). Our senses inform us greatly about the world all around us, but if a child has a hard time gathering and interpreting those sensory inputs, they may show signs of sensory issues. These may include difficulty with balance and coordination, being aggressive, screaming when wanting attention, and jumping up and down frequently. Sensory Integration Dysfunction, or Disorder – What is it? The nervous system receives and processes information from the senses.
How to plan effectively in the EYFS? - Early Years Staffroom
Whether you are a fan of planning in your head, planning in the moment, handwritten plans or typing them up we know that planning is vital to ensure that teaching is effective so that children are making the required progress towards the early learning goals. Planning in Early Years can be rewarding as often it’s the little steps that we plan for that can make the biggest impact whilst ensuring that all children have access to the same development opportunities and enjoy a balanced curriculum. However, it can be a minefield knowing how to plan for the best outcomes. In
Why do we have a Two-Year Progress Check? - Early Years Staffroom
“What happens early - matters for a lifetime” The 2022 Dfe guidance on the Two-Year Progress Check has been updated and reflects the revised EYFS and Development matters (2021). The Two-Year Progress Check remains a statutory requirement. Scientific evidence informs us that the period from birth to two years old is the fastest for brain development. However, according to Ipsos Mori, 2020: State of the nation: Understanding public attitudes to the early years, one in three parents are unaware of this. Why have a Two-Year Progress Check? The progress check at age two provides fundamental knowledge for early years
Are home visits a good idea? - Early Years Staffroom
Are home visits a good idea? By Sarah Detheridge at the Early Years Staffroom The statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) does not refer to home visits however building relationships with parents is fundamental in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Research shows that strong teacher relationships with parents improves a child's progression through Education. I have always believed that ‘Parents are the first teachers’. Having a respectful working relationship with parents can really benefit the child and teachers can gain so much knowledge to build up a picture of the child’s learning and development which
Do you need to prepare for Ofsted? - Early Years Staffroom
Preparing for Ofsted “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success” (Alexander Graham Bell) “Please, don’t overload your teams with preparatory work ‘for Ofsted’. Just don’t do it. And don’t run ‘mocksteds’. They are a waste of precious time”. Check out Amanda Spielman’s full address to #ASCL2022 @Ofstednews (Twitter). When you get ‘the call’, talk with the inspector about what the focus is going to be so that you have a clearer understanding of what Ofsted will be looking for in your EYFS setting. As you prepare, involve all members of your early years setting and make sure
The Voice of a Child - Early Years Staffroom
The Voice of a Child What does it mean? It means to express how we go about creating meaningful engagement with our early year’s children. It means to understand a child and give them the chance to speak. So why is it important in EYFS? The voice of a child is so fundamental as it helps the child to feel, valued, supported and listened to. When a child feels valued, it helps them to grow up happy, experiencing life. To feel supported means to feel safe and secure, if a child feels this in an early years setting they are
Why is Tinkering important in the EYFS? - Early Years Staffroom
Why is Tinkering important in the EYFS? Tinkering is about having the opportunity to explore, make mistakes and discover how things work. It may mean testing, fixing, breaking and fixing again! Children are curious by nature and by providing them the tools and materials to explore you will be encouraging them to become ‘tinkerers’ as well as developing their fine motor skills, problem solving abilities and social skills. Tinkering supports children who have a kinaesthetic learning style. If Thomas Edison hadn’t tinkered from an early age (he set up his own chemical lab at the age of 10) we