Nursery World - Studies identify best early years practice

Two major research projects commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills are set to show early years workers how they can best support young children's learning and development. In one study, academics at the universities of London and Oxford looked at how practitioners interacted with children at a sample of settings which had already been identified as effective by another project, the Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE) study. The researchers studied the settings' approach to pedagogy - the instructional techniques and strategies which enable learning to take place - and found that the best outcomes were linked to adult-child interactions that involved sustained shared thinking and open-ended questioning.

In one study, academics at the universities of London and Oxford looked at how practitioners interacted with children at a sample of settings which had already been identified as effective by another project, the Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE) study. The researchers studied the settings' approach to pedagogy - the instructional techniques and strategies which enable learning to take place - and found that the best outcomes were linked to adult-child interactions that involved sustained shared thinking and open-ended questioning.

It was also vital for practitioners to have a good knowledge of the curriculum as well as knowledge and understanding of child development. In the most effective settings, educational aims were shared with parents, and children received formative feedback during activities.

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