World? Marianne Sargent finds inspiration in Northamptonshire
The Early Years Foundation Stage specific area of learning Understanding the World is all about being curious, making new discoveries and ultimately finding out how the world and its inhabitants work - perfect for the two-year-old child who is so much looking forward to getting their hands on everything around them.
At this age, a child's main mission in life is to explore, discover and conquer the world that is gradually opening up to them. They finally have the physical mobility they need to access those places that were previously unreachable. They are gaining the confidence to play independently, try new activities and take on challenges. What's more, they are fast developing the language skills they need to interpret what they see and experience, as well as the communication skills to exchange ideas with others.
Practitioners are charged with the task of fostering this burgeoning enthusiasm by providing an engaging and supportive learning environment that captures and builds on individual interests, while supporting and extending all three aspects of this area of learning: 'people and communities', 'the world' and 'technology'.
This means providing a learning environment where children can be independent and actively engage with a variety of natural and man-made phenomena. It also means introducing them to simple technologies.
In addition, it means planning opportunities for children to learn about their local community and interact with the people within it. The following nurseries, from the Northamptonshire Nursery Schools Partnership, are examples of outstanding provision that offer such opportunities to two-year-olds.
CASE STUDIES
Croyland Nursery School
Croyland Nursery School and Day Nursery is a large setting within a children's centre and has places for 48 two-year-olds, who have their own separate outdoor space. Executive assistant head Jo Putman explains how this large spacious area has opened up opportunities for younger children to develop a knowledge and understanding of their world.
'Most of the children like to have sensory play and lots of tactile resources are provided for them,' she says. 'Outside and inside there is lots of messy play going on - cornflour and things like dry rice in big tubs for them to pour and fill. They are learning through their hands and even now some of them still like to put things in their mouths.'
The nursery staff also understand the value of the deeply involved investigations and repetitive play that young children indulge in to gain an understanding of basic concepts and learn about how things work.
'For our two-year-olds, we plan around schemas and everything is very much child-led,' Miss Putman explains. 'At the moment, quite a lot of children are really interested in enveloping and covering everything. We have big trays of paint outside and they've been covering surfaces, which is fine because it washes off. We had a little boy who loved trajectory, throwing and launching things, so we made targets for him to be able to do that. It's just letting them explore through their senses.'
All children in the setting have access to a wide range of technology and Miss Putman says even the two-year-olds learn quickly how to use it independently. 'We use big chunky cameras so they can take photos and the children are really good at using them. When we've gone on the walks, we've taken cameras and actually they quite enjoy using the normal adult cameras as well.
'We have touchscreen computers and also some with a mouse so they can learn about mouse control and opening different programs. We also have a big plasma touchscreen and the children like to use it to take photos. They can also do drawing and mark-making on it.
'The children also like to watch videos of themselves,' Miss Putman adds. 'They see the adults taking photos all the time when they are doing observations and they ask, "Can I take a photo?" They will take photos and we will put them on the large plasma so they can look at them. I think because they are so used to using their parents' smartphones they love to use the big plasma.'
Camrose Early Years Centre
Camrose Early Years Centre for Children and Families is a large setting and caters for more than 130 children from birth to five years. Kath Berry, senior practitioner from the toddler room, explains that a young child's perspective of the world starts from themselves.
'There is nothing more interesting to a two-year-old than a two-year old,' Mrs Berry says. 'So we focus on what they're interested in. We look at their families, friends, and anything that's interesting to them.'
When it comes to encouraging conversation and discussion, Mrs Berry describes how younger children benefit from a different approach. 'It's no good asking two-year-olds lots of questions because they don't respond well. It's all about starting with what they're interested in. We listen to what they are saying, make a comment and let it develop.
'For example, two little girls were talking to each other and one said, "What's your daddy's name?" The other one said, "Daddy", then the first said, "Well, the daddy in my house is called Chris." So we developed that and considered how daddies and mummies have names. We got photos of the parents and got them to introduce themselves to the children using their first names.'
The centre benefits from a large outdoor area with a covered section, allowing for open access all year round. Mrs Berry says this helps the younger children develop a good understanding of the changing seasons and weather.
'Whatever we do, we always take resources out into the outdoor area. All year, all the doors are open and the children come and go as they want. So they're constantly learning about the weather. They learn that if they are going out into the garden and it's hot they need a sun hat and have to put some suncream on, and if it's wet they need a coat.'
Although the younger children are still very much interested in toys that demonstrate cause and effect such as torches and telephones, Mrs Berry says that in recent years the practitioners have seen children become increasingly proficient with tablet computers. This has, however, resulted in something quite unexpected.
'One thing we have noticed over the past two or three years is that the children were extremely good at using the mouse on the computer. They understood that when you moved the mouse the cursor moved. However, they have not been quite as good at that lately and, of course, it is because most of them have tablets at home. They've lost that skill as we've moved on in technology.
'So we've got a computer switched on most of the time and at the beginning of the year there will be an adult there showing them what to do. By this time of year they need some help, but will be quite confident, able to use a mouse and start a program.'
Parklands Nursery School
Parklands is a relatively small nursery school that provides for less than 80 three to four-year-olds and has a playgroup for two-year-olds that operates from the same premises. The nursery is one of six English early years settings currently participating in the three-year European Union-funded Young People, Public Spaces and Democracy Project (BRIC Project), which aims to explore democratic involvement of young children in public and civic spaces.
The project, led by Anglia Ruskin University in partnership with universities and early years settings in Italy and Sweden, hopes to bring ea- rly years professionals, parents, local residents, politicians and business leaders together to enable children's voices to be heard in the community.
The nurseries involved in the project have been taking the children out on public transport to visit local shops and libraries and going out on regular walks around their local areas to meet and talk to local residents. The children leave traces wherever they go to draw the wider community's attention to their presence.
Head teacher Sarah Brooking explains how Parklands has been getting its children's voices out in the local community by forging links with its local Waterstones bookstore.
'We've been out to Waterstones to purchase books and we've written reviews about them with the children,' she says. 'Those reviews are going to be displayed in the store and we are also working with them to perhaps give us a display window about children's books. Their first reaction was to be a little cautious because they have certain briefs about how they display their windows and it's about marketing. I've said that if they get two or three nurseries doing this, there might be several hundred families going in because everyone will want to go and see their child's work in the display.'
Mrs Brooking adds that there are plans to open the nursery doors to the local community and invite them in to play, help with gardening or simply have a cup of tea. The project currently involves three and four-year-olds, but is due to be extended next year to incorporate two-year-olds and the children from the playgroup.
MORE INFORMATION
- Camrose Early Years Centre, www.facebook.com/pages/ Camrose-Early-Years-Centre-for-Children-Families/469262033115777
- Croyland Nursery School and Day Nursery, www.croylandccandnurseryschool.co.uk
- Parklands Nursery School and Playgroup, www.parklandsnurseryschool.co.uk
- Getting it Right for Two-Year-Olds by Penny Tassoni, Hodder Education.
