Nursery World - Teacher-led approach 'best for learning' in early years

New research suggests that young children learn better when they have more teacher-led activities.

The results from research by CfBT Education Trust highlight the debate about the value of child-initiated learning, because unstructured free play was not a defining feature of any of the early years programmes it singled out as the most effective programmes for three-to-five-year-olds in group settings.

Report author Oli de Botton said, 'There always has to be a balance between child-initiated learning and teacher-led practice.'

He added, 'There is a consensus that early intervention is important, but less consensus about what you actually do in nursery.'

However, he said that support for practitioners was the most important feature of the successful programmes and that it had to be intensive and challenging.

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