Early Childhood Education in Emergencies (in partnership with VSO)

Click here for the full Guide in grid form or see below for the full text from each cell.

Different cultures have different approaches to learning and to teaching children how they should live in their society.

Probably the most important research finding for those working with young children is that neuroscientists have found that intelligence is not fixed, that the brain can be developed throughout life (Howard-Jones, 2016).

However, the language used around a child who is learning may influence their belief in their capacity to learn.  In English, there are no single words to describe the stages of learning, yet in Kaupapa Māori there are words which help learners to understand the challenge of learning and the good feeling that comes from learning:       

“There are three Māori concepts that describe the stages of learning: mohiotanga, what the child brings to the learning experience, mātauranga, the challenge involved in learning something new, the struggle of learning as the learner comes to understand it, maramatanga, the understanding and feeling of achievement that comes from the struggle. “ p.1 Culturally responsive assessment based on Kaupapa Māori, www.theeducationhub.org.nz .

This knowledge about brain development underpins the advice about learning in this Guide.

In England, the Early Years Foundation Stage framework (Early education, 2012, pp.6-7) identifies three key characteristics of effective learning:

Advice from therapists working with refugee children and parents waiting on the French/British border in Calais and Dunkerque is to focus on building resilience by working to try and elicit survival strategies and ways children have coped and to build on these. A lot of work on trauma has come from work with the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder, which is unhelpful for refugees (and others in ongoing stressful contexts) as there is no 'post-trauma', they are living with ongoing trauma.

An overview of research and advice about developing mathematical learning 0-5 years is provided in this online guidance from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. http://www.wordworks.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/More-than-Counting_web.pdf

Their definition of mathematics may be helpful. The booklet is freely available, very readable and packed with ideas for activities.

“What do we mean by mathematics?

Most people associate mathematics primarily with arithmetic – numbers and calculations.

The terms ‘numeracy’ and ‘mathematics’ are often used interchangeably but the term mathematics should be used to describe the broad subject area of mathematics concepts, skills and applications. Numeracy refers to the everyday uses of mathematics, and includes the ability to reason and to apply simple numerical concepts, such as addition and subtraction. A person with adequate numeracy skills can manage and respond to the everyday mathematical demands of life; in other words, numeracy is an essential life skill in the same way that reading and writing are.

Babies start to make sense of the world in mathematical ways from birth, recognising the difference between small numbers of objects and identifying familiar shapes and patterns in the environment around them. Toddlers and young children continue to develop early mathematics concepts in the early years, through for instance, ordering, matching and classifying objects, and developing and using ideas about shape, space, time and measurement. Although these concepts might not seem mathematical they are important emerging mathematical insights for the growing child. In addition, mathematics provides a powerful means for organising insights and ideas about the world in systematic ways that include describing and representing quantities, collecting information and problem solving.

Mathematics becomes most real and comprehensible for young learners when it develops out of everyday situations and experiences. Mathematical learning can be found and conveyed through many home and classroom activities, and facilitated by teachers, parents and carers in simple ways. In all early years settings, including the home, children can be helped to learn about mathematics through play (for instance, with blocks, sand and water), shared storybook reading, pretend or make-believe games, as well as through their participation in everyday routines and situations, such as going shopping or sharing sweets. Children can also make connections between mathematics and musical experiences, like rhythm and keeping time, and art, when they explore visual patterns or symmetry.

Structured mathematics learning for young children should therefore extend far beyond counting and number concepts, and also include introducing children to the concept areas (such as number, patterns, space, shape, measurement and data handling) and specialised language, which they will require for successful mathematics learning from Grade R onwards.” Page 5., Kuhne et al Much more than counting: supporting mathematics development from birth to 5 years University of Cape Town Schools Development Unit email: cally.kuhne@uct.ac.za

There is a growing body of evidence which supports the arts and art therapy as a complementary method of improving and maintaining both mental and physical health and wellbeing (BAAT, 2018).  Participating in arts programs can be a way of enabling resilience for those facing difficult and traumatic situations, particularly when it is difficult for people to put their experience into words (Dieterich-Hartwell and Koch, 2017).  Engagement with the arts therapies and art for health may increase integration with others, as well as enable psychological change (Artshealthandwellbeing.org.uk)

Art therapy practice has been heavily influenced by attachment theory, the sensory nature of the arts process can itself facilitate connection encourage attunement and mirroring behavior BAAT (2018).  This can be particularly significant in building attachment between mother and child where the act of creating together enables the mother to mirror and attune to the needs and emotions of the child (Case and Dalley, 2014; Winnicott, 1965).  The facilitator and the art work itself can provide a way for feelings and experience to be contained or projected, enabling difficult thoughts and feelings to be communicated (Case and Dalley, 2014).

Attending regular art sessions may also provide a place to belong, to be heard and to integrate with others who may share experience, and within a new situation such as a refugee may experience and the facilitator is key in creating a safe and secure environment in which people can belong and feel safe to express themselves (Dieterich-Hartwell and Koch, 2017).  This can particularly be the case where people find themselves in a place of ‘limbo’ and being in a temporary situation and the act of making together. Producing something pleasing and personal to their own identity and situation, may enable the created object to become a transitional piece which can be held on to at a time of great upheaval and uncertainty (Dieterich-Hartwell and Koch, 2017).  According to a report on arts in health, culturally sensitive delivery of arts therapies, may be especially useful for women refugees following complex trauma when delivered in partnership with other services supporting their health care (Cayton 2007).

From:  Miles E C (2018) MA Art Therapy University of Derby, Unpublished.

References

Artshealthandwellbeing.org.uk/what—is-arts-in-health.  Accessed 5/3/18; 10:00.

British Association of Art Therapists BAAT (2018) http://www.baat.org/About-Art-Therapy.

Case C and Dalley T (2014) The Handbook of Art Therapy.  3rd edition.  London: Routledge.

Cayton H (2007) Report of the Review of Arts and Health Working Group. London: Department of Health.

Dieterich-Hartwell R and Koch SC (2017) Creative Arts Therapies as a Temporary Home for Refugees: Insights from Literature and Practice.  Behavioral Sciences 7(69).

Winnicott D (1965) Child Analysis in the Latency Period In the Maturational Process and the Facilitating Environment.  London: Hogarth Press.

The research indicating the importance of the different forms of play is referenced elsewhere in this guide (see Section 1). The advice which follows shows how a child can be helped to understand their world through play. Understanding the world is one of four specific areas of learning within the English Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework. ‘Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment’ (DfE, 2017).

Children develop at different rates and providing detailed advice about development delays is beyond the scope of this Guide. However five specific resources are referenced below for those who want to explore these particular areas in more depth -

- Deafness and hearing impairment

- Croydon SENCO Tool Kit (for school co-ordinators of Special Educational Needs provision)

- Sensory Processing Disorder: Sharon Salmon

- Dyslexia and Dyscalculia 

(See https://www.croydon.gov.uk/education/special-educational-needs/sen-education/croydon-senco-portal/croydon-senco-toolkit-0/identifying-pupils-with-send))

The guidance includes:

Resource 1: Flowchart to map process for identifying pupils who require SEN support in schools.

Resource 2: Talking with Pupils (Pupil voice) - Information and resources to support engagement with pupils to identify strengths and barriers to learning.

Resource 3: Talking with Parents (Parents views and wishes) – Information and resources to support positive engagement and shared understanding of strengths and difficulties.

Resource 4: Inclusion Checklist – Descriptors of high quality inclusive practice to audit inclusive practice in daily teaching. This checklist can be used to support lesson observations and discussions with class and subject teachers.

Resource 5: What other circumstances can affect pupil progress and achievement?

Resource 6: Directory of useful checklists and diagnostic tools to support further assessment or pupils across the four broad categories of need.

We all have different sensory needs which help us to relax, interact with our surroundings or focus successfully. Some people need music to help them concentrate, others concentrate best in total silence. Doodling helps some of us focus while others like to chew on something (their nails, ends of pencils or gum). What helps you to relax? Do you exercise or lay in a bath? What comforts you? A hug, solitude, music? We tend not to pay much attention to our sensory needs because we are usually able to meet those needs without even thinking about it. However, some people have a sensory processing disorder where the information gathered through their senses is not interpreted properly and they find functioning in a sensory world quite challenging. The young people in our classes who have a sensory processing disorder often present as being ‘out-of-sync’ and it can be difficult to identify what we can do to support them to access learning effectively.

Sensory Processing Disorder is thought to affect between 5% and 20% of children. They often present with behaviour which is not exactly what you would expect - they may be oversensitive to one kind of stimulation or under sensitive to another kind.

We receive information about our surroundings from our senses. We use this information to organize our behaviour and interact in the world. Our senses include sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell.  There are also other sensations that are just as important to us. Our nervous systems detect changes in movement and gravity; these sensory systems include our vestibular sense which is about balance and movement and proprioception which is about muscle and joint sense. Our brains organize the information we gather through our senses so that we can function in everyday situations. If one or more of a child’s senses are not being interpreted properly then the child has vague or hazy feedback about these senses. A child with sensory processing disorder experiences a world which is not reliable and safe and therefore does not enjoy it as much as other children.

Sensory Differences

Visual – sight

Olfactory – smell

Gustatory –taste

Vestibular – balance

Auditory –hearing

Tactile – touch

Proprioception – body awareness

What can we do to support pupils in our class with Sensory Processing Disorder?

Simply being aware that the child may have this disorder and is not choosing to be difficult is a good start and may help us to understand their difficulties.

A referral to an Occupational Therapist with training in sensory integration would provide therapeutic activities to support the child to develop neural organisation and inner direction.

However, if the child’s needs are less extreme this is usually not deemed necessary. Completing a specific checklist about the child’s behaviour and responses to different stimuli would provide insight into their difficulties and suggestions on how best to meet their needs. Useful checklists can be found in,

‘Answers to Questions Teachers ask about Sensory Integration’ by Jane Koomar, Carol Kranowitz and Stacey Szklut. ISBN 9781932565461

Using Sensory Input to Improve Communication and Behaviour

Dr Albert Mehrabian, in his book ‘Silent Messages’ states that actual words account for 7% of verbal communication. (55% is body language, 38% tone of voice.) However, the spoken word is still often confused with communication. We are familiar with hearing impaired children and adults using sign language to communicate and visually impaired people using Braille to read. Many of us experience clear memories when we smell a certain aroma; freshly cut grass or freshly baked bread. Using all of our senses to communicate with children can be highly effective. When a child understands what is about to happen or is able to communicate their needs effectively they exhibit far less challenging behaviour. Behaviour is a form of communicating, if we are able to support children to communicate in other ways then we see fewer episodes of challenging behaviour.

It is our role to interpret the communicative function of challenging behaviour and provide an appropriate and alternative means of achieving the communicative function. The difficult behaviour is not the problem, it is the solution to a problem for the child. The issue is not preventing the behaviour from happening, but in finding a better solution for the child.

There are many aspects of supporting children to better manage their behaviour.  They need to be in a comfortable physical state – not hungry, too hot, thirsty, tired, in pain etc. They need to feel emotionally safe with some level on control (given choices) and they need to understand expectations. Their physical environment needs to be supportive, this can include:

• Physical structure – careful organisation of learning environment so it is comfortable for the child

• Daily schedules – use of objects, photos, symbols

• Work systems – signals for start, expectations, finish

• Reducing verbal input – give processing time

• Routines – work then play; this place for snack

• Multi-sensory support – use of visual, auditory, sensory cues

Multi-Sensory Support

Aromas – using smells to prepare children for activities. Different smells can be used to signify different days. Children smell different smells on arrival at school for each day of the week. This helps children learn that there is a routine to the days of the week. The five different smells are repeated in the same order; a smell may prompt a child to know what activities are expected on that day. Or smells can be used to identify the next activity e.g. a specific smell before playtime of lunchtime.

Sounds – music can be used to identify the next activity during the day.  A piece of music which signifies the end of an activity can be used to provide a given length of time to tidy up and be ready for the next session. Similarly, the ‘ting’ of a triangle can be used to get the attention of the class.

Touch – touch cues can be used to communicate what is about to happen to a child who does not understand verbal instructions. A series of actions can be used for the child to know that the adult is about to leave; or a loud noise is about to happen; or an activity is about to end.

Visual – objects, photos or symbols can be used to communicate what is about to happen. A piece of towel/ photo of swimming pool/ symbol of swimming pool can be shown to the child to communicate that they are about to go swimming. A range of objects, photos and symbols can be used depending on the child’s level of understanding to create a timetable using objects etc. The use of coloured table cloths can be used to signify the change of use of a table – different colours for ‘work’, ‘play’ ‘snack’. Objects, photos or symbols can be used to give children choices. A ‘choice board’ can have photos of activities for a child to choose between or options for lunch.

Improving communication with children gives them a means of understanding their environment, expressing themselves and a way of developing their self-esteem and independence. Even children who can understand verbal communication can find a multi-sensory approach supportive when they are stressed or anxious.

Dyslexia and Dyscalculia MESHGuides are available here:

http://www.meshguides.org/meshguides-a-z-by-author-theme-and-alphabetica...

Due to germs (bacteria, viruses and fungi) being invisible to the naked eye, it is hard for early years and primary age children to build links between microorganisms, poor hygiene practices and disease.

Microorganisms are microscopic organisms that can take the form of a bacteria, virus or fungi, they are found everywhere and can be useful in cheese, bread, insulin and vaccine production. However, it is the pathogenic bacteria (human solid waste faecal coliforms such as Escherichia coli ) that cause stomach aches, and viruses (Rhinoviruses and Influenza) that cause coughs and colds, should be the focus of early years children’s learning. Hence children need to be taught preventative measures, such as hand washing and covering their mouths and nose when they cough and sneeze.

Prevention of disease?

Hand washing has been shown to be the most effective measure in infection control to prevent cross contamination of disease in a number of research studies (Hugonnet & Pitte, 2000). With a 3rd of infections being preventable with good hand hygiene (Judah et al. 2009), however, young children often do not have the appropriate etiquette and knowledge in order to readily implement hand washing routines, therefore educational resources and interventions are often required in order for them to do so (Randle et al. 2013)

It has been shown that children learning why and how to wash their hands is perceived as important by teachers and knowledge about the spread of germs was important to pupils when implementing hygiene practices in a randomised controlled study in primary schools on factors influencing hand washing (Chittleborough et al. 2012).

Extracted and adapted from:  Laird, K. and Younie, S. (2017) Germs: Health Education/Science for Early Years MESHGuide. De Montfort University, UK http://www.meshguides.org/category/meshguides-published/science/early-years-3/

Zayas G, Chiang MC, Wong E, et al. Effectiveness of cough etiquette maneuvers in disrupting the chain of transmission of infectious respiratory diseases. BMC Public Health. 2013;13:811. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-13-811.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3846148/

Detailed advice about what can be expected of children at different ages and stages is given in the following three documents.

The first, from UNICEF indicates different development stages of children in different regions.

Unicef’s Early Childhood Development Resource (2003, Module 3, doc. 3.9d: Assessing Development in Early Childhood) provides an overview of standards to assess young children’s development in different countries and regions. The areas of development included are language and literacy; social and emotional development; gross and fine motor skills; logic and reasoning; and approaches to learning.

https://www.unicef.org/earlychildhood/index_42890.html

The second and third from England both have detailed tables showing expected development every few months for the preschool child.

Guidance on children’s learning and development for parents (4Children, 2015)  https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/files/2015/09/4Children_ParentsGuide_Sept_2015v4WEB1.pdf

EYFS Early Years Outcomes (DfE, 2013)– Guide for practitioners - https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/files/2012/03/Early_Years_Outcomes.pdf

With thanks to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (https://www.nctsn.org)

This advice has been developed for children in the United States but is very similar to the advice from Syrian Refugees in the UK (Section 3.0). It is provided here as part of the support materials for people working with traumatised children.

Introduction taken from NCTSN, 2010, pp. 2-3

Early childhood trauma generally refers to the traumatic experiences that occur to children aged 0–6. Because infants’ and young children’s reactions may be different from older children’s, and because they may not be able to verbalize their reactions to threatening or dangerous events, many people assume that young age protects children from the impact of traumatic experiences…A growing body of research has established that young children—even infants―may be affected by events that threaten their safety or the safety of their parents/caregivers, and their symptoms have been well documented…

Traumatic events have a profound sensory impact on young children. Their sense of safety may be shattered by frightening visual stimuli, loud noises, violent movements, and other sensations associated with an unpredictable frightening event…As with older children, young children experience both behavioural and physiological symptoms associated with trauma. Unlike older children, young children cannot express in words whether they feel afraid, overwhelmed, or helpless. However, their behaviours provide us with important clues about how they are affected…

Young children who experience trauma are at particular risk because their rapidly developing brains are very vulnerable. Early childhood trauma has been associated with reduced size of the brain cortex. This area is responsible for many complex functions including memory, attention, perceptual awareness, thinking, language, and consciousness. These changes may affect IQ and the ability to regulate emotions, and the child may become more fearful and may not feel as safe or as protected.

Signs of traumatic exposure in children

What you might observe in Preschool children (NCTSN, 2008, p.8)

Remember, young children do not always have the words to tell you what has happened to them or how they feel. Behaviour is a better gauge and sudden changes in behaviour can be a sign of trauma exposure.

• Separation anxiety or clinginess towards teachers or primary caregivers
• Regression in previously mastered stages of development (e.g., baby talk or bedwetting/toileting accidents)
• Lack of developmental progress (e.g. not progressing at same level as peers)
• Re-creating the traumatic event (e.g. repeatedly talking about, “playing” out, or drawing the event)
• Difficulty at nap-time or bedtime (e.g. avoiding sleep, waking up, or nightmares)
• Increased somatic complaints (e.g. headaches, stomach aches, overreacting to minor bumps and bruises)
• Changes in behaviour (e.g. appetite, unexplained absences, angry outbursts, decreased attention, withdrawal)
• Over- or under-reacting to physical contact, bright lighting, sudden movements, or loud sounds (e.g.bells, slamming doors, or sirens)
• Increased distress (unusually whiny, irritable, moody)
• Anxiety, fear, and worry about safety of self and others
• Worry about recurrence of the traumatic event
• New fears (e.g. fear of the dark, animals, or monsters)
• Statements and questions about death and dying

Suggestions for Educators (NCTSN, 2008, p.5)

• Maintain usual routines. A return to “normalcy” will communicate the message that the child is safe and life will go on.
• Give children choices. Often traumatic events involve loss of control and/or chaos, so you can help children feel safe by providing them with some choices or control when appropriate.
• Increase the level of support and encouragement given to the traumatized child. Designate an adult who can provide additional support if needed.
• Set clear, firm limits for inappropriate behaviour and develop logical - rather than punitive - consequences.
• Recognize that behavioural problems may be transient and related to trauma. Remember that even the most disruptive behaviours can be driven by trauma-related anxiety.
• Provide a safe place for the child to talk about what happened. Set aside a designated time and place for sharing to help the child know it is okay to talk about what happened.
• Give simple and realistic answers to the child’s questions about traumatic events. Clarify distortions and misconceptions. If it isn’t an appropriate time, be sure to give the child a time and place to talk and ask questions.
• Be sensitive to the cues in the environment that may cause a reaction in the traumatized child. For example, victims of natural storm-related disasters might react very badly to threatening weather or storm warnings.
• Anticipate difficult times and provide additional support. Many kinds of situations may be reminders. If you are able to identify reminders, you can help by preparing the child for the situation. For instance, for the child who doesn’t like being alone, provide a partner to accompany him or her to the restroom.
• Warn children if you will be doing something out of the ordinary, such as turning off the lights or making a sudden loud noise.
• Be aware of other children’s reactions to the traumatized child and to the information they share.
• Understand that children cope by re-enacting trauma through play or through their interactions with others.

Provision (Debra Laxton)

• For children who have been exposed to trauma the creation of an enabling environment that is both emotionally and physically safe and secure is vital.
• Adults need to foster and maintain positive relationships based on mutual trust and respect.
• Expectations for behaviour need to be agreed, consistent and clearly explained.
• Spaces for quiet, personal reflection.
• Provide safe spaces and time for children to talk.
• Engage with parents, they know their children best and if you build positive relationships with them they are likely to discuss their child’s concerns and interests etc. with you.
• Resilience is key. Promote the child’s sense of self in a positive light wherever possible e.g. valuing their input, listening, sharing stories that show how others overcome similar situations, play experiences that have no right or wrong outcome.
• Provide consistent routines that can quickly become familiar.
• Time to relax and ‘be’.

References

NCTSN. (2008). Child Trauma Toolkit for Educators. [online] Available from https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources//child_trauma_toolkit_educators.pdf

Zero to six collaborative group, NCTSN. (2010). Early Childhood Trauma. [online] Available from https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources//early_childhood_trauma.pdf

Earlier definitions of school readiness focused on a set of cognitive skills that a child should possess to be ready to start grade 1. This traditional construct of school readiness was criticized for its narrow focus (Ramey & Ramey, 1999). While misconceptions in plenty of places continue to distort ideas about school readiness, understanding of what “school readiness” means has increased greatly in recent years.

There is consensus, based upon a wealth of research, that a child’s readiness for school depends on his/her levels across five distinct but connected domains

• Physical well-being and motor development

• Social and emotional development

• Approaches to learning

• Language development

• Cognition and general knowledge

Most teachers agree. They want children to be healthy, confident, active and attentive, able to communicate their needs, feelings and thoughts, enthusiastic and curious when approaching new activities. They also place importance on skills such as the ability to follow directions, not being disruptive in class, and being sensitive to others (Getting Ready).  As Young (2003) says, “The child who is ready for school has a combination of positive characteristics.” However, educators and parents often have different definitions of school readiness. Teachers put more emphasis on the social domain whereas many parents emphasise academic readiness. Interestingly this often changes as parents experience the benefits of ECD programmes.  Examples abound from programmes serving low-income rural families in different parts of Asia (Pakistan, Nepal, Laos, Myanmar) in which parents who had clearly demanded “school learning” in the beginning are in reality most appreciative of their children’s social development. They delight in their children’s cleverness but talk most about the fact that they are polite, respectful, obedient and friendly and, at the same time, confident, curious and comfortable even with new people. They appear to combine traits that have traditionally been emphasized for children within the culture with those that are critical for coping with a changing world.

Arnold, C., Bartlett, K., Gowani, S., & Merali, R. (2006). Is Everybody Ready? Readiness, Transition and Continuity: Lessons, Reflections and Moving Forward. Background Paper for the EFA Global Monitoring Report 2007. [online] Available from http://www.akdn.org/sites/akdn/files/media/documents/various_pdf_documents/2006_akf_edu_-_ecd_-_is_everybody_ready.pdf

With thanks to Bea Waterford and Donna Twyford, Baby College.

The Trainers booklet (Section 3.2) has an example from the Baby College organisation which provides one hour sessions for early years children across the UK. The sessions are based on the principles for early years education outlined elsewhere in this Guide. The Table here was developed for the UK context.

With thanks to  - Debra Laxton

Exemplar Early Years Plan for a Loose Parts Play Experience for 3 – 5 year olds

Note: teachers follow a planning cycle of: plan, do, review so that they learn more about how to teach members of a class group effectively.

The first resources for early years children are the adults around them and the relationships they have with them: positive and supportive relationships creating trust support learning.

Traditional songs, rhymes, dances, games, conversations and group activities are all free resources.

Here are examples of activities/play which uses resources which may be freely available:

For sorting, counting, language/senses development and imaginative play the following can be useful to show different colours, shapes, sizes, and textures.

- stones, sticks, sand

- bottle tops

- hard/soft items materials of different textures and items capable of making different sounds when knocked together

- fabrics: a bag of fabrics of different textures and single colours e.g. scarves demonstrating strong individual colours, for use to create shapes in the air (wings, circles, storms, rabbit tails) in response to words in the songs and rhymes, for peekaboo games, for grouping children eg all children with the pink scarves doing one activity, those with a different colour doing another activity eg in a song.

- fabric bags: to hold items hidden for touching/feeling/guessing games or for a ‘story bag’ holding items associated with stories or songs perhaps retrieved one at a time to provide a focus for a verse of a song.

- fruit and vegetables which can be handled without damage eg guava, onions

-  cooking equipment  (with no sharp edges)

- large heavy duty food bags can be used to create charts including letters, images, actions

- bean bags eg for playing catch and throw

- where clay/or dough is available, use it for rolling sausages to develop fine motor skills (pinching, pulling, squeezing, building) when making models

- plastic bottles filled with sand can be used for exercises rolling the feet back and forth over them to develop muscles

- items for cutting and threading and  lacing.

Acknowledgements P.36 Davies

Many of these items can be used for games which develop ‘bilateral co-ordination’ ie co-ordination of legs, arms and eyes all working together, consciously working separately.

Do take care about safety, for example, bottle tops would not be used with children who are still at the stage of putting everything in their mouths.

Songs/rhymes/games in the home language are a major resource. New songs and rhymes may need to be developed in some languages to help children learn in their new environment.

VSO use, where possible, tablets and associated software and charging kits. These will hold:

- videos of songs, rhymes, games plus

- talking heads explaining why and what about EYS education for those who cannot read the accompanying written materials.

Other resources:

- writing and art materials e.g. slates/chalk white and coloured;

- pens for creating charts

- reading books - are there some which are culturally appropriate and available? Do these need to be created?

- abacus (suanpan (chinese)soroban (Japanese) - these are used throughout Asia and the teaching of maths in China and Japan using the abacus is said to be what gives their young people the proficiency in maths identified in the OECD’s PISA tests.

⁃ materials which may be available locally to develop musical instruments (to develop a wide range of cognitive processes) - stick and wooden block for banging instruments, stick with bottle tops nailed to it for shaking instruments, possibly bamboo flutes.

Musical instruments requiring each hand to operate independently (develops cognitive skills).

Cognitive development can be stimulated by physical activity using hands simultaneously for different activities, jumping jacks, running in a figure of 8.

The London Borough of Enfield 2018 EYFS PE and Creative series of four booklets are available by application under Creative Commons license which allows you to use the materials to benefit children but not to sell them for profit.
•    Unit 1 “ Drawing lines and circles using gross motor movements“
•    Unit 2 “Throw, Catch, Kick”
•    Unit 3 “Over, Under and Through”
•    Unit 4 “Creative Dance”

The London Borough of Enfield “Throw, Catch, Kick” booklet suggests the following resources for the development of gross and fine motor skills.

• Wide range of balls (different textures, speeds and sizes): sponge balls, plastic inflatable balls, koosh balls (made of lots of filaments), bean bags

• Skipping rope

• Quoits

Voabulary is also developed through using the resources e.g. Jump Throw Roll Catch Kick Run Gallop Climb Receive Hop Turn Balance Shoot Leap.

Acknowledgements: Jan Hickman PE Adviser, London Borough of Enfield.

Other resources

Bridgend County Borough Council. (2008). Do and Discover: Fun activities to promote physical skills in the early years. [online] Available from http://learning.gov.wales/docs/learningwales/publications/130212do-and-discoveren.pdf

EYFS What to expect when - developmental guide across 7 areas of development https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/files/2015/03/4Children_ParentsGuide_2015_WEB.pdf

LEARNING TOGETHER ACROSS GENERATIONS Guidelines for Family Literacy and Learning Programmes  http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002484/248446E.pdf

Loose parts play - https://www.inspiringscotland.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Loose-Parts-Play-web.pdf

Unicef’s Early Childhood development resource pack ‘is designed to help programme planners and managers understand the basic elements of the best start in life for children and how to most effectively work together to achieve those goals.  It combines advocacy arguments with experiences, exercises and information that can be used to develop skills and understand programming for young children in development and emergency situations’.

https://www.unicef.org/earlychildhood/index_42890.html

With thanks to: Emma Goto, Lynne Berry, Alison Clark-Wilson, Cally Kuhne*

Overview from research

Early Childhood education should be rooted in play (Moyles, 2015; Bird and Edwards, 2015; Palaiologou, 2017) and support the development of communication (Whorrall  and Cabell, 2016), creativity and imagination (Eckhoff and Urbach, 2008). Practitioners should develop learning environments that develop and enhance children’s play (Palaiologou, 2017). Opportunities are required for early, open ended, exploratory play with technology, if children are to become more purposeful in their use of technology, developing communication and forms of representational play (Bird and Edwards, 2015). Educators should encourage playful interactions and exploration of technology (Yelland, 2011). The Technology and Play Report makes a number of recommendations for apps that promote play and creativity. Some types of apps that are likely to encourage playful and creative approaches include ‘Open-ended apps, which enable children to experiment for themselves and focus on the process rather than an end product…., Apps that embed problem solving, critical thinking and abstract reasoning activities ……Apps that stimulate children to ask questions and/or set challenges, ……Apps that foster co-production of content (with peers or adults)’ it is also useful to note here that they advise ‘Imaginative use of the tablet itself or the properties of the tablet may enable children to become more involved in the app e.g. through inserting their own photograph or voice’ (Marsh et al, 2015:37).

It is essential to remember that alongside the types of apps chosen, one must consider how they are used.

Whilst an app could have the potential to encourage communication and collaboration, if it is provided to the child in isolation, with no opportunities for interactions with others, that potential is not likely to be realised. As in other aspects of Early Childhood Education, educators have a significant role to play in supporting and enhancing children’s learning, in terms of open questioning to promote communication and the fostering of ‘shared sustained thinking’ (Siraj-Blatchford et al., 2009: 25).

Table 4.3 Examples of Apps in the English language recommended by educators
• Draw and Tell by Duck duck moose (best Early Years app in Emma Goto’s opinion)
• Teach Your Monster to Read
• Busy Things have got lots of apps (all of which are good)
• Poisson Rouge have lots of apps (paid for but not terribly expensive) the aquarium one and ten green bottles are particularly nice.
• Book creator for EYFS children as it gives them lots of opportunity to communicate by combining photographs and the spoken word.
• Mini Mash, Puppet Pals App, Tiny Tap app, Scratch Junior, Beebots, Code a pillar, pro bots. TTS have some great products.
• Chatterpix kids, Shadow puppets edu, Feltboard, Puppet Pals, Mash Cams App, Little Bird Tales, Make a Scene: Farmyard and Under the Sea.
• One billion apps - https://onebillion.org/ - reading app and maths apps -
 (Jamie Stuart <jamie@onebillion.org, Dochka Hristova dochi@onebillion.org)
• Toca Boca suite of aps  (we used some of these with children at the special school in Thailand): https://tocaboca.com/apps/
• Grasshopper.com‬‬. http://www.grasshopperapps.com/
• Collins Big Cat apps https://collins.co.uk/page/Collins+Big+Cat/Apps
• Kid in Story Book Maker: itunes.apple.com/us/app/kid-in-story-book-maker-create-share-personalized-photo/id594403164?mt=8
• Farm animals by Photo Touch https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/preschool-games-farm-animals-by-photo-to...

This app, http://aiminghigh.aimssec.ac.za is for older children but it demonstrates the kind of ap that has been developed for free use in South Africa. It could be adapted for other countries.

Much More Than Counting

Maths app for Grade R teachers (MathsUp, which you could find on the Google store - android only at the moment). Teachers have loved using it in our pilot groups and it would be great to hear whether you would find this a useful tool.

*Recommended by Dr Alison Clark-Wilson, UCL Institute of Education, London; member of the MESH Maths Editorial Board and Emma Goto, University of Winchester;  Lynne Berry, Liverpool Hope University and Helen Caldwell, University of Northampton. Emma, Lynne and Helen are members of the Association for IT in Teacher Education, one of the founders of MESH.

Bird, J. and Edwards, S. (2015) Children learning to use technologies through play: A Digital Play Framework. British Journal of Educational Technology, 46, (6), 1149–1160.

Eckhoff, A. and Urbach, J. (2008) Understanding Imaginative Thinking During Childhood: Sociocultural Conceptions of Creativity and Imaginative Thought. Early Childhood Education Journal, 36, (2), 179-185.

Marsh, J., Plowman, L., Yamada-Rice, D., Bishop, J.C., Lahmar, J., Scott, F., Davenport, A., Davis, S., French, K., Piras, M., Thornhill, S., Robinson, P. and Winter, P. (2015) Exploring Play and Creativity in Pre-Schoolers’ Use of Apps: Final Project Report. Available at: http://www.techandplay.org/reports/TAP_Final_Report.pdf [Accessed 9 January 2018]

Moyles, J. (2015) The Excellence of Play. 4th edn. Maidenhead: Open University Press.

Palaiologou, I. (2017) Assessing children’s play: reality or illusion? The case of Early Years Foundation Stage in England, Early Child Development and Care, 187, (8), 1259-1272.

Siraj‐Blatchford, I., Taggart, B., Sylva, K., Sammons, P., and Melhuish, E. (2009) Towards the transformation of practice in early childhood education: the effective provision of pre‐school education (EPPE) project. Cambridge Journal of Education, 38, (1), 23-36.

Whorrall, J. and Cabell, S. (2016) Supporting Children’s Oral Language Development in the Preschool Classroom. Early Childhood Education Journal, 44, (4), 335-342.

Yelland, N. (2011) Reconceptualising play and learning in the lives of young children. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 36, (2), p.4-12.

There are many publications reporting on activities.  Further synthesis and sharing of summaries of what has been achieved would be advantageous for all with an interest in this area. Examples are provided here.

First ECCD impact evaluation in Africa shows significant gains for young children in Mozambique https://www.savethechildren.org/content/dam/global/reports/education-and-child-protection/eccd-advocacy-12.pdf

Research paper Early childhood care and education in emergency situations http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001474/147469e.pdf

Sub-Saharan Africa LEARNING TOGETHER ACROSS GENERATIONS Guidelines for Family Literacy and Learning Programmes  http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002484/248446E.pdf

Papua New Guinea: contribution by Fiona Kirby, VSO

Reference: https://edu.pngfacts.com > education-news

Papua New Guinea’s early childhood learning has a working standards document to measure a child’s development from kindergarten to Grade 2 (ages 3 to 8 years). The Early Childhood Standards have been designed to be a high quality set of benchmarks. To make the implementation of them achievable, it is important to keep in mind that this will not happen in a short space of time. Teachers and assistants will need to be trained to ensure they understand what is meant in each of the early learning areas. Whilst some useful resources can be purchased most can be made locally.

Within the Standards, Jolly Phonics has been identified as the most appropriate for the children. This programme of teaching phonics to young children is just one of a number of phonics programmes. It is the one that UOG has decided to use in the training of its teachers.

Children need the freedom to explore and play. Play also contributes to brain development. Evidence from research shows that the early years of a child’s development (from birth to age six) set the basis for learning, behaviour and health throughout life. The child’s neural pathways are in uenced in their development through the exploration, thinking, problem-solving and language expression which occur during play. Play nourishes every aspect of children’s development – it forms the foundation of intellectual, social, physical, and emotional skills necessary for success in school and in life. Play paves the way for learning

The Standards document was produced (in collaboration with Volunteers Services Overseas) and launched by The University of Goroka’s School of Education and includes a DVD to assist teachers to use the Standards.

The Standards work as a syllabus containing six key learning areas for children’s learning, designed by Papua New Guineans for Papua New Guineans. The six areas set the foundation for the early childhood curriculum, which needs to be developed. There is much work that needs to be done, but at least the foundations have been laid for early childhood education.

The documents support the teacher to deliver the type of education offered in larger privately run schools such as those under the International Education Association (IEA), allowing the larger population in the country access to quality education as well.

While there is an interest to move Early Childhood Education from the Welfare Department to the National Department of Education, the gap in standards has now been bridged through this document.

UOG’s School of Education has been collaborating with organizations such as Volunteer Services Overseas (VSO), World Vision, UNICEF, Book Bilong Pikinini, and Save the Children on its Early Childhood Education Programme.

The 2017 review linked here provides an overview http://ilifalabantwana.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/SA-ECR_2017_WEB-new.pdf

See the National strategic plan - extract below (NATIONAL_EARLY_CHILDHOOD_POLICY_STRATEGIC_PLAN_2016-2021.PDF)

and other Early Years statements and publications http://www.migeprof.gov.rw/index.php?id=60, also www.migeprof.gov.rw

For an example of an initiative set up to support teachers managing large class sizes, see VSO’s successful experiment with small group use of Ipads to provide personalised tuition at the child’s own level. Email enquiry@vsoint.org for further information.

The Education Hub is developing Early Years advice which can be found here: (https://www.theeducationhub.org.nz/research/). A number of these show how the culture of indigenous people can be integrated into early years teaching. There is also a range of other research guides written specifically to help teachers improve their practice - http://www.theeducationhub.org.nz

The importance of pre-school child development is widely recognized and all families are entitled to some free pre-school provision often in school or private nurseries.

There are also some initiatives for 0-3 year olds providing local programmes of an hour or so a week based on research into child development. Examples are provided here. Some are funded by government and some are businesses run as franchises usually following successful development and testing in one local area. Typically a franchisee buys the right to run a programme developed by the parent company and in return for the exclusive right to run courses in an area. The franchisee benefits from advertising, training and materials from the parent company.

A Parent’s Guide to Promoting Early Learning and Development at Home (0 - 5 years): Supporting Families During the Coronavirus Pandemic

https://www.skipforeyeducators.co.uk/booklet/covid19_familybooklet.pdf

Playgroups

These exist in different forms in many countries. Some are informal get togethers for a few hours a week hosted by parents in turn, others are more formal. Parents stay with the children. They provide a means of socializing the children and enabling parents to get to know others in the area with similar age children. Children will often have access to a wider range of toys, puzzles and books than a family can provide. Some have paid staff and may also address parenting issues, share tips on cooking and caring for young children.

Family Learning Courses

Family Learning courses are run by a local council with trained staff to help with parenting. The example of the content from three sessions is from Central Bedfordshire:

http://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/jobs/adult-learning/courses/family-learning.aspx

"Fun With Books and Fun With Numbers

These workshops, for family adults, will introduce you to the reading and maths methods used in school with children aged 4 to 11 so you can support your child’s learning more confidently and effectively.

Keeping up With the Children - English

On this course, for family adults, you will find out how English is taught in schools and build your own English skills so you are better able to support your child’s learning and skills development. The course covers methods used with children aged 4 to 11.

Keeping up With the Children - Maths

On this course, for family adults, you will find out how maths is taught in schools and build your own maths skills so you are better able to support your child’s learning.”

Baby College http://babycollege.co.uk

This organisation provides a good example of how research is now being used to shape activities with children. They have developed a three year programme of physical, multi-sensory and cognitive games, exercises and activities including music, dancing, sign language all designed to cover every aspect of a child's development. The developers – mothers with babies - are working with neuroscientists and paediatricians as well as university research groups to strengthen and extend the programme. One focus is on developing strong neural pathways that are vital for early brain development and all subsequent learning. Parents are given age related materials on a weekly basis. Session leaders are trained and parents pay a fee to attend.

Baby College Recommendations for Development Classes for 0-3+ Year Olds
Bea Waterfield & Donna Twyford, Baby College UK Directors
www.babycollege.co.uk
March 2018

The Principles of our Programme for 0-3+ year olds
Each Child is Unique – recognised for their individuality, babies attending Baby College are from the very first moments addressed as individuals and this is reinforced with Hello and Goodbye songs. With positive encouragement by parent and teacher babies are allowed to go at their own pace and helped to explore their environment.
Forming Positive Relationships – Within the class environment independence is fostered within clear boundaries and parents are firmly positioned as their baby’s first and best teacher. Through positive parenting techniques shared in class parents become responsive and encouraging role models for their children.   
Providing an Enabling Environment – safe, friendly and well-structured fun classes encourage learning through play.
Children Learn at Different Rates - we play games to help babies to understand the world around them and these games are structured so that each child can go at their own pace and where the principle that “learning should be fun” is foremost.

Areas of Learning & Development covered by Baby College classes
Communication and Language – one of Baby College’s core themes. Language and communication skills are encouraged throughout the classes - specifically our Hello and Goodbye songs, Look & Learn cards, Signing, Nursery Rhymes and Phonemes.
Physical Development – the replacement of infant reflexes and development of essential balance skills are behind our whole programme.  Gentle physical exercises are used throughout the Infant (0-9m) and Toddler (9-18m) programmes: activities include dancing, tummy time, knee rides, spinning, encouraging crawling, hand eye coordination and foot eye coordination games.  Our Junior (18m+) programme is a highly physical programme and movement is used extensively: dancing, movecube, copycats, hoop play are just some examples.
Personal, social and emotional development – our social and inclusive classes encourage strong bonding and attachment between parent and baby and positive interaction with other babies and their parents.  We encourage face to face interaction, responsive parenting, turn taking and tidy up skills.
Literacy – phonemes, nursery rhymes, signing, ‘talk to your baby’ and music activities promote literacy in all our classes.
Numeracy – number and shape theme games included in the Toddler and Junior classes are used alongside traditional nursery rhymes to help develop mathematical understanding.
Understanding the world – heuristic and sensory play are promoted throughout all three age groups and role play and imaginary games about the world the children live in are encouraged in the Junior classes.
Expressive Arts and Design – music, dancing and singing are an intrinsic part of the programme and craft and imaginative exercises are used within our Junior programme and homework is set each week to consolidate this at home.

Suggested Structure for a One Hour Session
Hellos, Welcome and Introduction (10 min) – Music is playing as everyone arrives to set the right atmosphere. Welcome everyone to the class, ice breakers if a new class, getting to know everyone’s names. Welcome the class with a familiar hello song that is repeated every week and ideally uses all the children’s names and a hello wave (or sign). Introduce the topic or theme of the week and also set any expectations in the first few weeks for how the adults (and children) are expected to participate.

A Dance Together (5 min) – Social, fun and with some physical movements like bouncing, twirling, swings, into the middle and out. Good to have a simple dance routine that becomes familiar. Run this at the beginning of the class for little ones but later in the session for older ones (where is it good to stay calm and focussed near the beginning). Babies are carried around for dancing until they can walk confidently.

Cognitive & Concentration (10 min) – Three or four short cognitive, language-based games. Picture cards, signing, babbling or phoneme play. Other possibilities are a “treasure basket” or theme based craft activities for older ones. Encourage rich use of language and plenty of eye-contact and focus from parents. Round off this section with concentration practice like listening to a story or listening to music.

Physical & Music (10 min) – Songs with associated movements including rocking, swaying, bouncing, finger and toe songs or clapping songs, parts of the body songs, theme of the week songs. Songs should be repeated for several weeks for repetition and familiarity. Traditional nursery rhymes introduce the rhythm of language and are part of our cultural identity. Action songs and copy cats for toddlers and juniors. Songs with simple instruments like bells, drums, shakers for toddlers and juniors. Include “Tummy Time” every week for babies.

Specific Vestibular Movements for Infants & Toddlers or Theme Game for Toddler and Juniors (10 min) – vestibular work for Infants: spinning, upside down, swinging. For Toddlers and Juniors a game to reinforce a theme including colours, shapes, numbers, sensory (some props needed for this).

Sensory Activities (5 min) – parachute play or scrunchy play:  fun songs, visual stimulation, sensory stimulation. The peak of the class, exciting (bear in mind tiring for little ones). Games that promote sensory integration so therefore include sounds, sights, movements & touch combined or all at once. Best example is a brightly coloured parachute – brings everyone together, very stimulating and fun and takes teamwork.

Goodbyes & Calming (10 min) – Calm music, cuddles, bubbles. It is good to spend a little time calming down before the end. A familiar goodbye song repeated each week with waving and repetition of their name. Set some “homework” or ideas for things to do between classes A reminder of what has been covered that session, the topic, the sound or signs of the week. A chance for adults to ask questions and to give out any handouts or for the older children a sticker. Calm music as they leave.

Class Delivery Notes
Our classes are split into three age groups which correspond roughly with the development and physical capabilities of the children at different ages.

Infants 0-9 months – Babies who are on the whole pre-crawling, in close contact with parent throughout the class. The class is mainly delivered direct to the parent who is encouraged to concentrate as much as possible on their baby and to follow the class leaders example (the class leader demonstrates with a doll). Getting the perfect balance of stimulation (not over-stimulating or under-stimulating) is the challenge with this age group. We have a carefully planned balance of quiet and more exciting activities and help parents recognise the cues from their babies of over-stimulation so they can help their baby stay calm and engaged. We allow parents to feed, change nappies or have a walk about whenever they need to.
Toddlers 9-18 months – This age group is suitable for babies who are starting to explore up until confident walking. Still very dependent on engagement from the parent. The class leader engages mainly with the parents who need to be encouraged to help their children stay engaged using positive encouragement and proactivity whilst still allowing them the freedom to explore and start to develop a little bit of independence and confidence.
Juniors 18 month+ - Children are ideally walking confidently and starting to engage with the class leader directly (with support and encouragement of the parent). Shy children are gently encouraged and praised but participation is chosen and not coerced. This class works best if fun and play based with the learning along the way. We think more “children’s party” than “school”. Children are engaged and entertained so challenging behaviour in class is rare. We encourage parents to maintain their own focus in class, to join in everything themselves to set a good example and to try and pay attention to normal and desirable behaviour and to minimise attention for undesirable behaviour.

Peep Learning Together Programme https://www.peeple.org.uk

This organization also provides a good example of research-based early years programmes. Early years programmes are provided to families in different settings by trained educators. Established in the mid 1990s, the vision was “to transform a community by working with the students of the future by supporting their parents as first educators - and to do so from birth”.

The examples here indicate that there is widespread acceptance of the importance of early childhood education through play, song, rhyme, physical activities and dance. These examples are provided not for copying but in the spirit of sharing ideas for the benefit of all. Please submit examples you know of to editorialteam@meshguides.org.