Early years practitioners may feel caught between official targets and parents' anxious expectations, against their better judgement. Jennie Lindon recalls the essentials
Around the UK, early years settings have experienced a great deal of change in recent years, in different ways. There have been guidelines, standards, detailed frameworks for an early years curriculum, and revisions of all of these. Much of the advice and guidance has been sound practice. But has the continued pressure on early years practitioners sometimes put too much focus on what the adults should be doing, and producing evidence of same, when it should focus on children's day by day experience on the receiving end?
The overall aim of any early years setting should be that the children feel emotionally as well as physically safe. It is a wise 'target' for an early years team to set that young children are happy and pleased to come to what feels like 'their' nursery or playgroup. Soon children will be in for the long haul of their schooling; they do not need to feel under pressure during their pre-school years.
In a supportive and relaxed environment, children will progress in all the varied aspects of their development. But there is also a good chance that they will develop what has been called a positive disposition to learn. Young children need to see themselves as individuals who can learn, who have learned in the past, and who can tackle challenging or confusing tasks without feeling overwhelmed.
Many early years teams have known the pressure of feeling judged themselves against targets and sometimes a sense of having to hurry the children on to whatever is seen as the next stage. There should be time in early childhood; babies, toddlers and young children need to explore physically and intellectually. There is no need to rush them. Unfortunately, anxious adults tend to create anxious children, who will find it harder to learn in all ways. What do young children need from you? What might they see as a positive 'back to basics'?
- Children learn because any goals, and the flexible plans made by early years teams, come alive day by day in terms of interesting activities in which children can make genuine choices.
- Watch out for any feeling in your team that following the details of the plan for the day or week is more important than how the children experience the plan in action.
- Use your observation skills informally to check, 'Is this activity engaging the children?' 'Have they had enough for now?' and 'Do they want to carry on and develop this activity?'
Children learn a very great deal through play, but they do not only learn through play, as adults usually define the word.
- Children's learning is well supported by interesting, social and affectionate exchanges throughout their day or session with you.
- Never undervalue the importance to children of an enjoyable chat. Happy two-way conversation with you, and with other children, is a powerful route for learning as children express their interests, share experiences, ask and answer questions.
- Children like to feel they are being helpful and they are a valued 'working partner'. They also learn a wide range of skills and ideas through being involved in the daily routines.
Early years teams may feel under pressure. Parents, too, can be overly concerned to do the right thing by their children, and perplexed by the variety of advice. The 'back to basics' guide on the opposite page can be part of your continued communication in partnership with parents. NW
A parent's guide to the essentials
Nowadays parents can scarcely open a newspaper or magazine without headlines about what they should do, or complaints about what they are not doing. They can be vulnerable to a feeling that, whatever they do, they'll fall short! What are the most important things that young children need? Perhaps the number one rule should be to try to see the world through your child's eyes. We can all imagine how it would feel if we didn't get enough sleep or if nobody talked or played with us! Plenty of sleep, regular meals, fresh air and exercise, play and above all lots of cuddles and talk - these are the essentials a child needs.
Time, attention and affection
- Our society has changed in many ways, but children have not changed. This generation of babies, toddlers and young children still relish time with their parents. They love affection and sharing play and activities around the home. Children like to have a relaxed conversation with a parent, to share what they have done and ask you questions about anything that currently interests them.
- Many activities, like sharing books and singing nursery rhymes, work so well because they are part of a happy time together. Your children are on your lap or with a brother or sister on the sofa beside you, and that is enough.
Plenty of sleep
- Children behave much better when they're not tired. But good sleeping habits don't happen by chance. Tthey have to be established.
- A simple bedtime routine of a bath, peaceful last drink, story and cuddle, helps a child wind down for sleep and can be introduced from as young as four months old. But of course many babies will still be waking during the night.
- Five-year-olds should ideally be going to bed at 7 to 7.30pm unless they have a daytime nap (see 'A parent's guide to sleep routines', Nursery World, 16 November 2000).
Enjoyable food and mealtimes
- Children need you to keep them healthy now and help build good habits for the future.
- There are few, if any, 'good' or 'bad' foods; problems come from unbalanced diets. Children gain their nutritional needs from a wide range of foods, as fresh as possible and, as far as you can, home-cooked rather than convenience. They need simple drinks such as whole milk, water and small amounts of diluted fruit juice.
- Children need to do most of their eating at mealtimes, as sociable and happy as you can make them. Their diet gets unbalanced when they snack a lot on crisps or biscuits or have a regular intake of sweetened or fizzy drinks (see 'A parent's guide to eating healthily', Nursery World, 21/28 December 2000). Physical activity
- Children need to use all their physical skills to build muscle and bone strength. Physical activity also supports intellectual alertness.
- This doesn't mean that parents have to organise a busy round of clubs. Children love simple ball games or running and chasing in the park, and uncomplicated activities like going to the swimming pool or walking up to the local shops talking about very ordinary sights along the way.
- A bit of television is fine; the problem comes when the screen dominates children's days. Ideally watch TV with them, then use the off button and do something else together.
Home based learning
There is a risk that parents will feel that 'early learning' only happens in nurseries and schools with trained staff, but this is not so.
- Children like to be part of what you are doing and a great deal of early learning happens when children help you make a cake or go with you to pay the newspaper bill.
- If children come shopping for food with you, they learn the point of counting (when they help choose the carrots) and that writing is a practical part of life (your shopping list).
- There are some excellent toys you can buy, but children still enjoy and learn a great deal from cardboard boxes that become anything they imagine, and a collection of dressing-up clothes.
