Early Years Placement - How my practice has developed and Childrens learning and development

University Degree Education and Teaching

E100, ECA

Introduction

My name is…. and I work in a private day nursery setting full time. The room I am based in is the baby room and help to take care of babies from 6 weeks – 16months. My role within the nursery is an Early Year’s Practitioner. My responsibilities include being a key person, planning and carrying out activities and being a mentor to students. When relating to personal experiences in my assignment’s I will change names to ensure confidentiality is maintained. To support my work I have included an observation of which I have received written permission from the child’s parents and authorisation from my manager. The permission slips can be seen in appendix 1

How my practice has developed

Over the past year I have helped my setting progress further in many different ways. I believe that the most effective change is working more closely with parents/carers. According to Draper “Parents and practitioners need each other and have useful differences in their approach that can complement each other. Parents are experts on their own individual child and practitioners offer expertise in this stage of children’s development and learning” (Draper, L, 2009, page 271) Although I have always established good relationships with parents/carers I realised maintaining good communication is not always possible due to their work commitments. Study Topic (ST) 9 states “In terms of parental partnership, it can be argued that a professional approach involves practitioners taking responsibility for making partnership work. This might include sensitively formulating what is envisaged for the partnership and listening to parent’s views, reactions and wishes” (ST9, page 68). To help overcome this barrier I devised a questionnaire and asked parents if they are happy with the feedback they receive and if they have any suggestions. Most parents were pleased and were happy with the information provided on their child’s daily sheet however a few parents suggested that we include snacks on the sheet and any activities done throughout the day. I thought this was a fantastic idea and so I created a new daily sheet, this can be seen in appendix 4 It also came to my attention that when parents/carers were looking through their child’s file containing observations they was not familiar with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) (DCSF, 2008) which is the statutory framework which my setting follows and supports the national agenda ‘Every Child Matters’ (DfES, 2003). Although the file is split up into the six different areas of learning and the observations contained next steps, it occurred to me that parents/carers may not be aware of all the endless possibilities to help their child progress further and may not know exactly where their child’s development is up to with regards to ages and stages. To ensure Parents get a better understanding and are more involved in their child’s learning I decided to apply new structure for observations and have incorporated the Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage (DCSF, 2008) within the children’s files. Each child now has a copy of the guidance in each area, when an observation is completed it is now numbered and when the child has met the correct area of development is ticked off in the guidance along with the observation number to give supporting evidence that it was achieved and to show parents/carers how and when it happened and what the next stage is. (An example of this can be seen in appendix 2 and 3). I consider the new structure to be successful as I have received lots of positive feedback from both parents and practitioners. Therefore it has helped to sustain a positive ethos in my setting. (PS2)

I have also helped my setting develop in supporting transitions and establishing better communication within the team. I know I have made lots of progress in these areas as previously when a child was moving from the baby room into toddlers we allowed them to have visits and then would handover all their file work to the practitioners in that room. However I noticed that children still found the transition difficult and became upset when entering the setting. Bowlby suggested that “babies and young children have a predisposition to stay close to their caregivers. So a child sees separation as a threat and tries to prevent it from happening. Positive attachment experiences, however, help children communicate more effectively even when challenged by a new situation.” (ST7 page19) To alleviate the process of transitions I decided to undertake a new technique by allowing the child to have the first visits with their key person then encourage independent visits with the child’s key person returning regularly. This has helped to reassure the children so they still feel safe and secure and they have seemed to settle in better. This meets the requirements of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Study Topic 6 states “The importance of the Convention lies in its aspirations that children have an entitlement to certain rights from birth, and that as they grow and develop, parents and carers and the state have a responsibility to ensure they are provided for, protected, and enabled to participate fully in society. (ST6, page 141). During transitions I feel that I now communicate more effectively with practitioners in different rooms as I now discuss the child’s individuality such as their likes and dislikes as well as talking through their observations and development profiles so the child’s new carer can see how much progress they have made and exactly where they are up to relating to the EYFS (DCFS). Over all this benefits everyone as it helps the toddler practitioners to plan more efficiently for children from the start and therefore assures the children that they are able to continue to develop at their full potential. (KU6) (KS3)

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Children’s learning and development

This is a preview of the whole essay

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Children’s learning and development

Play is a key factor in children’s development, Wood (2004, p.21) cited in Study Topic 3 notes that “There is substantial evidence to support that through play, children demonstrate improved verbal communications, high levels of social and interaction skills, creative use of play materials, imaginative and divergent thinking, and problem-solving capabilities.” (ST3, page 69) I take this into account when planning for different environments and provide appropriate resources. The early year’s guidance (DCFS, 2008) talks about the importance of play and “the need to consider the whole child in their learning reflects the holistic nature of children’s development” (ST11, page 110). As children learn holistically it is crucial that they have access to all areas of development within their daily routine. I feel I promote this in the baby room by working together and ensuring that these areas are available such as a book corner, creative area, heuristic play, singing time, outdoor play, eating area, rest/sleep area, and a different variety of toys including large equipment. This also meets the requirements set in the EYFS statutory framework and supports all six areas of development “Physical, Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy, Knowledge and Understanding of the World, Creative, Personal, Social and Emotional and Communication, Language and Literacy” (DCFS 2009). It is also vital that children are provided with the opportunity to explore the outdoors. Shirley states “Children make sense of a place by being part of it, looking at it closely and interacting with it” (Shirley, I, 2009, Page 120). When playing outside I allow my babies to discover the natural environment by looking at trees and experiencing different surfaces such as grass or sand. This helps to promote further learning opportunities for babies as it widens their incentive to explore. M. McMillan states “The best classroom and richest cupboard is roofed only by the sky” (ST12, p134). (KU1) (KU3)

To provide safe stimulating activities and offer inclusive practice I ensure that all babies in my setting can obtain all learning opportunities I carry out risk assessments frequently to maintain a safe environment and check the toys regularly to make sure they are safe, age appropriate and provide challenge. As stated in TMA04 “Children are the main priority and it is essential to ensure that they remain healthy and safe at all times. Being healthy is a vital concept towards children’s development as it important for their Physical, Intellectual, Emotional and Social wellbeing.” (Molloy, L, 2010, TMA04) From reading Study Topic 5 I know I help to provide their wellbeing by undertaking all the aspects in ‘building blocks for health’ these are basic needs of which children need to help them develop and learn (ST5 page 112). There are many different types of legislation that are imperative when working with children such as Safeguarding, this is a requirement to protect and prevent children from harm. Safeguarding was one of the five outcomes in ‘Every Child Matters’ (DfES, 2003) and this was made law by the Children’s Act 2004 (HM Government, 2004). By safeguarding and promoting children’s wellbeing I am developing my practice continuously as these policies are constantly being reviewed and updated in relation to any new legislation, these are essential requirements that I follow. (KU3) (KU6) (KU7) (PS2)

According to Nutbrown “Observations provide the starting points for reviewing the effectiveness of provision” (Nutbrown, C, 2009, page244) I agree and believe observations help to build an account by identifying significant moments in children’s learning such as how much progress they are making or to highlight any concerns. This gives me an incentive to carry out plans and further assessments to give help and support. Through undertaking observations I feel I’m continuously developing my understanding of individual children, their interests and development. By doing regular observations also allows me to reflect on my role and consider new ideas and strategies which would benefit children. Linda Miller states; “Adults working with young children need to be skilled and knowledgeable. A willingness to reflect upon practice and to learn from this is an important dimension of the role of the early year’s practitioner” (Miller, L., 2009, page 58). “In the Reggio Emilia pre-schools this is seen as an important part in practitioner’s roles: they spend 6 hours each week without the children. This time is used for professional development, planning, preparing and for meetings with parents” (ST8 page 51) I now make more time to contemplate all the different strategies and approaches towards children as this increases new methods of learning and therefore helps children to understand, develop their own way of thinking, stay focused and keen to learn through play and having fun. (KU8) (CS3)

Schweinhart and Weikart discuss the importance of children seeing themselves as people who can learn and states “we need to support children’s dispositions so that they approach activities in ways that allow then to be open to the learning opportunities to be found in them” (Anning, A, 2009, page 8) By establishing achievable goals will help children to develop a positive attitude. This is known as Mastery in learning. Study topic 3 states “research evidence suggests that children’s experiences in their early years are vital in that goal-orientation facilities mental health and develops a positive self-esteem” (ST3 Page 64). (KU1) (KU4)

Multi agency working is also a major factor in supporting children’s development. “To work successfully with children and young people it is important to be clear about your role and to be aware of, and respectful of, the roles of other workers and agencies. You should actively seek and respect other people's knowledge and input to deliver the best outcomes for children” () I am now much more aware of this and currently working as a team within my setting to support the “I CAN” project which is a charity that helps to promote children’s communication. I’m currently in the process of putting together a portfolio of evidence of how we support children’s communication. As a setting we are hoping to achieve accreditation at the enhanced level, The I CAN website states settings aiming for this level “should be able to promote the development of speech and language skills in all children. They will also have a greater understanding of speech and language difficulties and are more able to support these children” ()

According to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) “Communicating and being with others helps children to build relationships that provide opportunities, friendships, empathy and sharing emotions. The ability to communicate helps children to participate more fully in society” (DFES 2008) From birth babies have a strong incentive to communicate with others for example; giving good eye contact, using different facial expressions and babbling. I believe that this is a major aspect in babies lives and by giving support and encouragement I help them to progress further.

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A review of what I have learned

To support children’s learning and development it is necessary I work closely with my colleagues Mary Read discusses the importance of this and states “The likelihood of excellent early childhood provision is enhanced by the team’s ability to work collaboratively, and being a member of an effective team is a source of satisfaction and support for many early years’ workers.” (Read, M, 2009, page 43). Through undertaking this course I feel that I have drastically gained more confidence and improved teamwork as before I mainly just communicated with practitioners in the baby room, now however I give more sufficient contributions in staff meetings by sharing thoughts, ideas and recommendations with everyone in my team. I also feel that it is necessary to complete self evaluation forms and have regular discussions with management. This helps me to reflect on my practice and think about ways of which I can improve. As well as discussions it is also vital that I listen to others and accept constructive criticism to enable good working relationships. (CS3) (KS3)

There are many changes I have made to my setting in relation to supporting children’s development. I now have a better knowledge on why it is important to have 50% child initiated activities and 50% adult led. I now ensure that this is incorporated within my setting by participating more in activities especially when doing observations as most of the observations I did were non-participating. This promotes the scaffolding process, I have evidence of this in TMA03, a child looks at a picture I then explained to them what it was and asked them to repeat it. “scaffolding is linked to the notion of the Zone of Proximal Development and had been defined as the ‘contingent control of learning’” (ST3, Page 67) Through participating I am also able to show babies how to do things such as pressing a buttons to see what happens. “Albert Bandura’s social learning theory emphasizes the importance of children learning, through observation, the behaviors, emotional responses and attitudes of those they see around them.” (ST4, page 95). Being a non participant is also crucial towards development as it allows children to reflect on the things they have seen and express her own thoughts and views through play. (KU4) (KS3)

In TMA02 I explained how I wanted to create a sleeping area for the babies as they seemed to wake through others playing nearby and rest/sleep is a vital aspect in helping children grow and develop. I have successfully achieved this and now the babies sleep in a more secluded area so that when a baby does get tired s/he are not disturbed by others playing. I have also provided sensory lights and calming music to endorse this.

In the near future I would like to see my settings outdoor area to be developed so we have better resources outside and a shelter so babies will also be able to play outdoors in all weathers as this is not appropriate now. We have now successfully gained planning permission and have funding from the government to help us achieve this. I have recently attained my yearly appraisal of which my manager and I discuss how I have developed and discuss action points of what I hope to achieve. This can be seen in appendix 5. Through attending this appraisal it has helped me to gain a better perspective of what I aim to achieve short-term, medium-term and long-term. Through undertaking activity 8 in Study Topic 18 I have produced a chart containing all this information this can be seen in appendix 6. (KU8)

My short term goals are important to me because I feel I have gained lots of knowledge through undertaking this course and developed my practice and so would like to continue my learning further. By enquiring about level 5 I will then be able to discuss my options from completing this course. When the outdoor area has been renovated I would like to create an outdoor area just for the babies, by attending training on outdoor provisions would give me lots of ideas of how I can do this. My medium term goals are important to me because by evaluating provisions I can ensure that all children are developing to their full potential and if any changes need to be made. I feel that this is crucial towards their learning as in a few month my babies will be more mobile and therefore I may have to change a few resources to help them progress further e.g. having a small table top of which the babies could then stand up whilst playing. I believe that by achieving my long term goals will help benefit me and my setting as I would be more knowledgeable, be more able to help my setting progress and help other people. It is also the government’s aim to have at least one early year’s practitioner in a setting with a professional status by the year 2015. “One of the main purposes of the Status is to ensure that all children receive the best possible early years care and education.” ()

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References

Draper, L. Duffy, B. (2009) ‘ “Working with parents” in Cable, C, Miller, L. and Goodliff, G. (eds) Working with Children in the Early Years, London, David Fulton in association with The Open University (E100 Course Reader 1)

DCSF, Department for Children, Schools and Families, 2008, Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage, Nottingham, DCSF Publications.

Shirley, I. (2009) “Exploring the great outdoors” in Cable, C, Miller, L. and Goodliff, G. (eds) Working with Children in the Early Years, London, David Fulton in association with The Open University (E100 Course Reader 1)

Molloy, L (2010) “Supporting children’s learning through the curriculum”, TMA04, Leigh

Nutbrown, C. (2009) ‘ “Watching and listening” in Cable, C, Miller, L. and Goodliff, G. (eds) Working with Children in the Early Years, London, David Fulton in association with The Open University (E100 Course Reader 1)

Miller, L. (2009) “Professional roles in the early years” in Cable, C, Miller, L. and Goodliff, G. (eds) Working with Children in the Early Years, London, David Fulton in association with The Open University (E100 Course Reader 1)

Anning, A. Edwards, A. (2009) “Young Children as learners” (eds) Supporting Children’s Learning in the Early Years, London, David Fulton in association with The Open University (E100 Course Reader 2)

Read, M. Rees, M. (2009) “working in teams in early years settings” in Cable, C, Miller, L. and Goodliff, G. (eds) Working with Children in the Early Years, London, David Fulton in association with The Open University (E100 Course Reader 1)

Website, - Accessed 13th May 2010

Website, – Accessed 13th May 2010

Website, - Accessed 22nd May 2010

Appendix 2

Name of child – “Daniel”

Date - 6th May 2010

Permission sought from – Manager and the child’s parents.

Age of Child – Nine months

Appendix 3