Nursery World - Appropriate reply

I deeply regret that Pat Field (Letters, 7 February) read my feature 'Sitting uncomfortably' as a blunt criticism of early years practitioners. It certainly was not my intention to 'blame practitioners for not understanding the subtleties in the wording of "as appropriate" that completes the early learning goal of "maintain attention, concentrate and sit quietly...".' I suggested triple-underlining the word in order to highlight how much we all need to discuss and reflect on realistic expectations for young children. Some early years prac- titioners have felt that they should focus on sit-down activities or felt pressured, against their professional judgement, to act as if proper learning only happens indoors. Young children can maintain attention and they can concentrate.

It certainly was not my intention to 'blame practitioners for not understanding the subtleties in the wording of "as appropriate" that completes the early learning goal of "maintain attention, concentrate and sit quietly...".' I suggested triple-underlining the word in order to highlight how much we all need to discuss and reflect on realistic expectations for young children. Some early years prac- titioners have felt that they should focus on sit-down activities or felt pressured, against their professional judgement, to act as if proper learning only happens indoors. Young children can maintain attention and they can concentrate.

But not everyone has taken the same meaning from 'as appropriate'. Some interpretations are unfortunate for children and for those adults who, often with the best of intentions, have restricted children's opportunities to learn, at least for a while.

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