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 to children at all times, hence ..read more

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 to children at all times, hence ..read more

“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 funda ..read more

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 ..read more

The Voice of a Child What does it mean? It means to express how we go about creating meaningful engagement with our early years 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 going to feel more at ease and be able to relax, be themselves, feel confid ..read more

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 children hence you will be able to plan and teac ..read more

Making assessment work – child friendly and assessment in the EYFS By Sarah Starling Assessments play a crucial role in ensuring the success of Early Years. By measuring a child’s progress against developmental milestones, assessments help practitioners to identify areas where children are meeting their milestones, where they are excelling and where they may require additional support to inform planning.  Without assessment planning is not purpusful or meaningful. The use of traditional assessment methods in early childhood education has come under scrutiny in recent years, with concerns ..read more

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 I child brought up in ..read more

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 ..read more

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 this blog we will ..read more