Nursery World - Sitting uncomfortably

Children forced to sit still for inappropriate early years activities often show behaviour problems, says Jennie Lindon What has gone awry in early years settings where the adults complain that the children 'won't sit still', 'can't concentrate' and 'are all hyperactive'? Of course, some children have genuine struggles with attention control and need help, because their behaviour is noticeably different from their peers in the same setting. But if most, or many of the children, are judged to have problems in behaviour of this nature, it is far more likely that adult behaviour and attitudes are at the root of the difficulty.

What has gone awry in early years settings where the adults complain that the children 'won't sit still', 'can't concentrate' and 'are all hyperactive'? Of course, some children have genuine struggles with attention control and need help, because their behaviour is noticeably different from their peers in the same setting. But if most, or many of the children, are judged to have problems in behaviour of this nature, it is far more likely that adult behaviour and attitudes are at the root of the difficulty.

In some early years settings, what seems to have gone wrong is a combination of adult anxiety and misunderstanding about early learning:

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