Why display boards are a waste of practitioner time Display boards are usually something that practitioners take a great deal of time and pride in completing and changing and are often fondly admired by the parents; however are there any real benefits of having a room full of display boards or do they simply waste time? Could time that is spent by … [Read more...] about Are display boards a waste of valuable practitioner time?
Gross motor mark making activities
Mark making activities to develop gross motor skills Gross motor mark making activities are great fun and a brilliant way to encourage early mark making skills. There are many stages a child needs to be able to accomplish before the skill of writing can begin; this starts with gross motor movements. More about the stages involved in learning to … [Read more...] about Gross motor mark making activities
Toothbrushing programme to improve children’s oral health
Toothbrushing programme encourages children to take care of their teeth A programme to improve children's oral health,a joint initiative between 4Children – now part of Action for Children - and Public Health England (PHE), was released in April. The initiative was piloted in 68 nurseries and with 20 childminders across the country. The … [Read more...] about Toothbrushing programme to improve children’s oral health
Should Early Years settings participate in Nativities or Christmas concerts?
Are Nativities and Christmas concerts beneficial to children in the Early Years? At this time of year the Early Years is filled with Christmas nativities and concerts, getting the children to put on a performance for their parents and families. These can be lovely memories for the children and parents, with photos and videos that are treasured for … [Read more...] about Should Early Years settings participate in Nativities or Christmas concerts?
Why EYFS activity tick list sheets should never be used!
Why EYFS adult lead activity tick list sheets should never be used! The pressures of ensuring every child has completed every activity and each parent is having the same amount of work sent home is huge. This is particularly clear around the Christmas period when many EYFS activities are completed purely to send home in Christmas folders for … [Read more...] about Why EYFS activity tick list sheets should never be used!
Top 10 outdoors Early Years winter activities
EYFS Winter outdoor activities Winter is often a tricky time of year to try and plan outdoor activities as the usual planting, growing, water play, bug hunts and even mud play can be harder for the children to participate in as temperatures drop, the ground hardens and any signs of bugs seem to disappear along with the flowers. However winter … [Read more...] about Top 10 outdoors Early Years winter activities
Are early years room leaders necessary?
Should room leader roles be abandoned? It is incredibly common for the early year’s hierarchy of employees to contain a manager, deputy manager, room leader, practitioners and student. However is this the most effective way to manage an early years setting or should the notion of early years room leaders be abandoned? In order to fully … [Read more...] about Are early years room leaders necessary?
Free childcare will do more harm than good
Do you agree that Free childcare will do more harm than good for childcare settings? The increase to the free 30 hours free childcare for parents is inevitable even with all of the debate and concerns over the amount of funding the government provides to cover the free funding. Although concerns have been raised they have still yet to be … [Read more...] about Free childcare will do more harm than good
Gain your QTS with Straight to Teaching
Could you become a qualified teacher with Straight to Teaching QTS course? There are many routes into teaching, with 'training on the job' programmes and university led routes, giving those who wish to qualify as a teacher a range of opportunities. It is a good idea to look into as many of the routes as you can, in order to find the best one for … [Read more...] about Gain your QTS with Straight to Teaching
Ban on Junk food Ads in a bid to tackle childhood obesity
Junk Food Ads are to be banned from the internet in an attempt to combat childhood obesity Ads for foods with a high fat, sugar and salt content will be banned from all media, aimed at children and content with at least a quarter of viewers under 16, from July of next year in a bid to tackle childhood obesity. YouTube will be stung, with … [Read more...] about Ban on Junk food Ads in a bid to tackle childhood obesity