Early Years news & events | Free Early Learning Resources for Teachers

‘Life in every limb’: Early Education Conference

Posted by: KATHERINE LEWIS On: May 14, 2012 our contributors

Children want space at all ages. But from the age of one to seven, space, that is ample space, is almost as much wanted as food and air. To move, to run, to find things out by new movement, to “feel one's life in every limb”, that is the life of early childhood.' Margaret McMillan The Nursery School 1919/1939

On Saturday, I returned from the Early Education www.early-education.org.uk conference at Laban in Greenwich. It was so inspiring that I have to capture it while it is still fresh. The title was ‘Life in Every Limb’ and the main thrust was to celebrate physicality- physical development as a fundamental part to children’s development and wellbeing. Although we had to do the complete antithesis of what the day was about by sitting still through 4 presentations, the day was absorbing and time went quickly. Read More...

Farming for children

Posted by: PETER SAMUEL On: April 30, 2012 our contributors

I’ve blogged recently about various outdoor play activities and the benefits of gardening and growing produce in early years settings. One of our visitors alerted me to a charity called Farming and Countryside Education (FACE), which may be of interest in this context. Read More...

Decline in Outdoor Play

Posted by: PETER SAMUEL On: April 2, 2012 our contributors

A report conducted by the National Trust has highlighted an alarming deterioration in children’s relationships with the natural world. According to the report (entitled Natural Childhood) less than 10% of children regularly play in wild places compared with 50% a generation ago. Moreover, the distance which children roam from their home has dropped by some 90% over the same period of time. This dramatic change can be attributed to a combination of several factors, primarily parents safety factors and children’s increasing interest in technology. Read More...

Wallace & Gromit’s Big Breakfast

Posted by: PETER SAMUEL On: March 8, 2012 our contributors

You may have noticed some adverts that we’ve been running on the site recently for the Wallace and Gromit Children’s foundation. We added them to the site to show our support for a fantastic organisation and to provide some free publicity for what promises to be a really wonderful event. Read More...

A story for St David’s Day

Posted by: MARY MEDLICOTT On: February 29, 2012 our contributors

Tomorrow is not only St David’s Day. It’s World Book Day too. A few years ago in a workshop on Local Legends, a Top Junior boy told me a wonderful little tale which suits both days. The workshop was in Ysgol Dewi Sant, my own old Secondary School in St David’s. Junior children from local schools were visiting to hear and tell stories. ‘Can I tell a story, Miss?’ this boy put his hand up to ask. The little tale he told and its subsequent history confirm my belief that modern children are far more inventive and orally literate than they are often given credit for. Read More...

A visual approach to pupil data

Posted by: SAL MCKEOWN On: February 3, 2012 our contributors

The trouble with data is that there is just too much of it and sometimes you cannot see the wood for the trees. Successive governments have encouraged us to gather information about every conceivable aspect of school life and to develop increasingly narrow and specific pigeonholes for children. As a result we are all overloaded with figures but cannot necessarily interrogate them to spot trends or make sense of the numbers, grades and bands. Read More...

National Storytelling Week

Posted by: MARY MEDLICOTT On: January 26, 2012 our contributors

We’re on the verge of National Storytelling Week. Between Saturday January 28^th and Saturday February 4^th, events that are part of the week will be happening all over the country. Remarkably, they are for every age-group from Nursery age to elderly people. The whole idea is to inspire people in all areas of the community with the joy of listening to good stories, awakening imagination and creativity. It’ll be worth looking out for any events near you. Read More...

BETT for primary schools

Posted by: SAL MCKEOWN On: January 8, 2012 our contributors

Next week sees the annual BETT show, when teachers with an interest in technology flock to London to see the latest developments in computing and software for schools. This will be the last time that it is held at Olympia. Next year it moves to ExCeL London on the Jubilee line. Read More...

Nursery World DVD

Posted by: PETER SAMUEL On: December 14, 2011 our contributors

I thought I’d bring to your attention a newly released box set of DVDs produced by Nursery World magazine entitled ‘Enhance Active Learning When Working with Under-Threes’. The collection consists of 4 DVDs featuring original and inspirational training ideas and sensory learning techniques for early years practitioners and parents of under threes. They are the culmination of months of extensive research in to the most effective methods of communication with the under threes (drawing on the experiences of parents and nursery workers). Read More...