Some nurseries have contacted Nursery World to request that the magazine publish parents' guides to all the areas of learning in the Foundation Stage. Staff say that they would like to make them into a set to give to parents. Why don't you follow suit?
Here I will look at personal, social and emotional development, which is the first area of learning within the curriculum guidance folder (parents'
guides to maths, science and literacy appeared in Nursery World on 15 November 2001, 17 January 2002 and 21 February 2002). This is no coincidence, as it is increasingly recognised that children's early feelings about themselves and their ability to relate to others will affect not just their school performance but also their ability to form secure and stable relationships in later life.
A closer look at all of the early learning goals in this area reveal that they are skills which adults need to be able to draw upon, especially the early learning goal to 'consider the consequences of their words and actions for themselves and others'.
"What we are really doing in this area of learning, more so than any other, is sowing the seeds,' says Jennie Lindon, author of Understanding Child Development. 'This means remembering that it is a long-term process.'
It is indeed the long-term nature of this area of learning that can make it difficult for nurseries and schools to help parents see that it is important. 'Parents may say that they want above all for their children to be happy. But in reality, the same parents often want to know what their child has been learning,' says Jo Gould, manager of the Gables Day Nursery in St Leonards on Sea, Sussex. 'It's understandable because, while parents can hold a painting that their child has done, they might not be there to watch how their child chose the materials and concentrated on what they were doing.'
This means that we may need to consider how well we are 'selling' the value of the skills of co-operation, independence, care and respect for others. We may proudly tell parents that a child is now able to recognise their name, but do we celebrate it when a child blows his nose for the first time and tell the parents how brilliant an achievement this is?
Planning for this area of development is also an issue. However, looking closely at the daily routines of a setting is a good starting point. If the care routine is a good one, children should get opportunities to help, interact on a one-to-one basis and be independent. The routine can therefore be used to show how the children are working towards the early learning goals. It is also important, however, to be objective. Does tidying-up time really promote co-operation and helpfulness, or are children just waiting while adults clear away?
When it comes to planning, we should think hard about the role of the adult. Gillian Heseltine, a reception teacher in Bexhill, emphasises that children need to learn by watching adults. 'I know that some of the children in my class need to hear and see how to co-operate, negotiate and take turns,' she says, 'so I often play alongside the children and I have found that this really helps them to learn these skills.' NW
