Category

Early Years Development

10/01/2022
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10 Activity Ideas For Your Setting This National Storytelling Week

This blog has been written by EYR Industry expert Emily Hanson, a qualified EYFS teacher with an M.Ed in Education from the University of Cambridge. In this blog, Emily delves into 10 different activity ideas to help you celebrate National Storytelling Week with your little ones. To learn more about Emily, visit her website or follow her on Instagram. As National Storytelling Week 2022 beckons, we are reflecting on this year’s brilliant theme of ‘Your Story, My Story’. Whether it’s retelling a child’s life and their journey to the person... Read More

31/12/2021
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Ways you can support children in the transition to New Year

As we leave 2021 behind us, the New Year brings hope, challenges, and new beginnings. Setting resolutions for 2022, the New Year brings new feelings in not only ourselves but our children. How can we support children as they look forward to, or are fazed by, the uncertainty of a new year? The change is unavoidable, however by managing it carefully we can reassure children as they adjust into 2022. This guide covers some things you can do to support children as we transition to the New Year. Reintroduce yourself... Read More

Benefits of learning a foreign language at an early age 07/09/2021
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Benefits of Learning a Foreign Language at an Early Age

In England, learning a foreign language is statutory from the ages of 7-14. Before this, there is no compulsory requirement for children to learn another language and the uptake of older children continuing to study a language at GCSE level is in a constant decline. However, enrolling children in extra-curricular classes and hiring private tutors in foreign languages has become an increasing trend in recent years. Many parents have made a bid to start their children learning in the Early Years as well, which will not only give them an... Read More

What is Numicon? 19/08/2021
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What Is Numicon and Why is It Important?

The history of Numicon An effective learning tool for helping children visualise numbers, Numicon works by using a multi-sensory approach. The nature of Numicon resources means that children can learn by seeing, feeling and understanding mathematical concepts through play. The idea of Numicon originated from a school-based research project carried out by Ruth Atkinson, Romey Tacon and Dr Tony Wing. The project helped them understand that children had difficulties understanding abstract ideas without pictures to help them. This idea later gave birth to the concept of the ‘Numicon Approach’. An... Read More

18/03/2021
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Promoting Diversity in Your School Setting

As we celebrate Down’s Syndrome Awareness Week (15th March – 21st March 2021) now is a great chance to talk about diversity and inclusion and its place in early years and primary school settings – Most importantly sharing ways we can continue to address, promote and embrace it. While we share similarities with each other, we are all unique and it’s important for us to recognise our differences so we can become more accepting of one another. From an early age, infants and children will encounter people with varying abilities... Read More

12/02/2021
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Top 6 Children Activity Ideas For World Book Day

World Book Day is just around the corner and it’s the biggest celebration of its kind. We celebrate World Book Day to salute authors, books, illustrators and to give all young children the opportunity to read and explore books of all kinds. From dressing up, face paint and – of course – reading, you can embrace World Book Day in your own creative way, and we want to make sure you have a full day of exciting World Book Day activities, whether you’re at home or in the classroom! Pick... Read More

5 Top Tips to increase Role-Play for toddlers 16/10/2020
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How To Encourage Toddler Role Play

This article has been written by mum of two and youth theatre leader Jen, from Raising2Children, who shares her top tips on how to increase and encourage toddler role play. There are many role-play benefits for children and these benefits are eloquently listed in the ‘importance of imaginative play’ blog post. As I write this article, I am envisaging a 3-year-old. However, every child has different abilities which can be celebrated and validated. So, focusing on ‘stage’ rather than their ‘age’ is key in toddler role-play. 5 Top Tips To... Read More

Outdoor Maths 18/09/2020
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Tips and Tricks on Taking Maths Outside!

During these unprecedented times we are always looking at ways in which we can adapt and switch up the environment we work in. Now more than ever we are looking for new ways that children can learn numeracy in a safe environment. Whether this is in Primary School or Nursery, with your Childminder or Homeschooling, we have the tips and tricks to adapt your usual teaching style to suit your outdoor maths lessons. So why not take the children outdoors and use the endless amount of space to explore how... Read More

how children learn through play and types of learners in early years 20/05/2020
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How Children Learn Through Play

This article has been written by early years consultant, Anne Rodgers from ATR Consultancy, who explains the different ways children learn through play and shares tips for how you can support them. Children have different ways in which they learn through play. By recognising their individual learning styles, we can help them to develop. There are 4 different types of learning styles: Visual Kinaesthetic Auditory Logical Visual Learners: Visual learners learn through seeing. They may like to sit at the front of the classroom at story time so they can... Read More

tray play benefits 11/03/2020
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The Benefits of Tray Play

This article has been written by mother of two and tray play advocate, Rachel Moffatt. How does tray play benefit children? Learning through play is the main focus of the early years foundation stage. It is all about making learning fun. Tray play provides a focused area of play with the contents ‘somewhat contained’. Setting out inviting activities with cognitive and physical challenges has a significant benefit to early childhood development. Tray play gives children the opportunity to explore and discover independently, and fosters their creativity and imagination. There are... Read More