I have been welcoming many new faces to my setting as we have spent a few months becoming friends and getting used to different routines and expectations.
I have been open for three months now and am enjoying each day.
The children I have been caring for have responded well to both me and members of my family who are often around to say hello. My little group of early learners has grown in numbers and I am now full in my setting which pleases me because it has taken less than three months to become established in what I love doing every day- teaching little learners to become independent, strong and confident as they continue to grow into the next happy stage of their lives.
It is also rewarding to work with such responsive parents as we strengthen our partnership and share and celebrate their special child's achievements.
Countdown to Christmas....
Like the children, I love the magic of Christmas. In the middle of the darkness there is something bright and shiny, something that brings us together - not only as families but as friends and all those that are around us.
For many days we have baked, sung Christmas songs in silly voices and danced and pranced and laughed.
I am very in touch with my inner child - but at Christmas time I drag as many others into childhood with me.
I placed a real tree in the play room and got the children involved in decorating the tree - the young ones enjoy the thrill of opening the box of decorations and discovering the baubles, lights and glitter. Every afternoon as the sun goes down and darkness descends, the play room is transformed into a twinkling and magical space.
I have allowed children to make choices as they decide if they want to play alongside others or solo play. I am able to watch them carefully and encourage interactions without making children feel their play is prescribed. This is what I love about my work. Being there, being on hand and not having other things to do but really listening and supporting learning. The children are beginning to really trust that I am there for them. We have so much fun, and sometimes when after a long day, we don't feel like doing much, we read, paint, draw, or just play freely and 'be' ourselves. I am seeing children flourish being able to do just what children do.
 |
| We have painted our hands and made prints and patterns using different combination of colour and exploring textures by adding glitter and glue. Little learners were excited to take their work home at the end of the day to share with family. |
 |
| B and G are enjoying mixing colours and making magic potions before using them as 'fairy paints'! |
 |
| On this day, the children loved the garden and exploring pouring leaves from one area to another and transporting it in the wagon which my own kids played with when they were very young. The pic shows the side of the play room and part of the garden just on the side of our much loved mud kitchen. |
Play and learning
As an educators I know the need to start with the children, of enabling them to communicate with each other and to really listen and respect each other... because then the play and learning will happen on a deeper and richer level. Because my group is small and I am organised, I am able to 'tune in' to each child, whatever their age, and really listen to them and respond. It is rewarding to do so because the trust is building up and the children see me as a friend that they can come to when things 'go wrong'. Getting children to explore and play and learn to trust that they are allowed to take risks help them move towards the next mile stone.
 |
| The young learners helped me make play dough using paint to colour it their choice of blue. |
 This pic taken in the play room shows the children making choices and using different measures to explore the balls of dough which they made themselves. |
| The malleable properties of play dough make it fun for investigation and exploration as well as secretly building up strength in all the tiny hand muscles and tendons, making them ready for pencil and scissor control later on. |
 | |
|
 Here, B (2 years old) is exploring mixing paint and glue. |
| Painting with young children not only helps their creative development but it also stimulates their brain. Stimulating children’s brain can also help other areas of their development. When setting up a painting activity for young learners, I stop and think about what areas of children’s development it may be helping. |
 In this photo, G (3 years old) enjoys mixing colours independently. |
| Most children enjoy a good messy painting experience, this will allow them to freely express themselves and develop their creativity. Young children will use their bodies to move around exploring as they go, whereas non mobile children will need further support in making sure they can access all the resources. Painting can provide children with vast amounts of learning, this may be developing their fine pincer grip or learning about colour mixing. Baking and making |
Cooking is a messy, delicious, sometimes time-consuming activity, especially when done with a little one or two (or more!) helping you along the way. It is easy to send the child off to play while you make a meal, knowing you can get it done in minutes. But with a little prep and forethought, it is just as easy to incorporate a child into the meal-making process. Yes, you may be adding a few more minutes into your cooking routine, but what the child will get out of the experience is very rewarding for all.. As you prepare a recipe with our little learners, I am talking about what we are adding.
Often recipes include fractions, with some recipes calling for ingredients measured in weight and others in wet or dry volume. The exposure to these ideas, plus seeing maths in the context of real life, helps to lay a basic maths foundation.
 |
| C is interested in touching the spoon and putting his hands into the mixture. |
 |
| We are all having a turn to mix the cookie dough. It is very difficult not to 'taste' a little! |
 |
| After baking, we have a play with the flour and added pasta to give it texture, and later water to make it 'gooey'. |
Numeracy and learning
Often recipes include fractions, with some recipes calling for ingredients measured in weight and others in wet or dry volume. The exposure to these ideas, plus seeing math in the context of real life, helps to lay a basic maths foundation. |
Sieving in the flour whilst G waits to mix it in to blend the mixture. |
 |
| E who is 18months old, enjoys a story read by two older children, F and A. |
Young children need to be able to experience books; they need to be able to understand and enjoy stories, books, rhymes and songs and listen and respond to them with curiosity and enjoyment.
8-20 months- A child should have an interest in holding and looking at books by this age. It is important they can hold books so they can see what is going on whilst listening to you read the stories. They can learn what books are and play with pages.
16-26 months- By this age most children can identify their favourite books and stories they want to see and hear. They can recognise and mimic actions from their favourite songs and stories. Encourage this by always letting them join in with storytelling and songs, let them point to things they can recognise or make the sounds of things in the book.
22-36 months- By the age of three, children should be able to fill in missing gaps in stories and songs that they have heard repetitively. They have their favourite books and songs and they can help to tell the tale. By pausing during a story they know well you give them the opportunity to fill in the gaps and add more words to their vocabulary.
30-50 months - By four, children should be able to recognise the story being read to them, they can help with telling the story and can anticipate the end of the story. They should be able to join in with rhymes and be able to recognise words that start with the same sound such as ‘big boat’. They should also be able to recognise words that mean something to them, such as their own name or mummy, favourite shops and places.
Lets Read together
Enjoying books and reading stories from a very early age is crucial in the development of children. It helps with their ability to understand words, use their imagination and develop their speech, as well as being something they really enjoy.
 |
| They can sit and listen for longer and can hold the book correctly and turn pages by themselves. In this picture, E is being read a story by F and A, who are enjoying the idea of sharing their reading skills to a younger child. Wonderful to witness the happy children enjoying each other's company. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
- Teaching the child how to brush.
- In this pic, B is brushing her teeth after breakfast, We had a conversation about staying healthy and keeping our teeth clean. I break the process into small steps that the child can understand and practice. Another way is to place a hand over the child’s hand to guide the toothbrush as the child brushes.
==========================
 |
The children aged 2 and 3 take turns, learn to be tolerant and patient with each other as they wait for each other to go up the steps on slide in the play room. |
Learning Through Physical Play
Children enjoy physical play, indoors and outdoors. They revel in freedom of movement and in play
that is inventive, adventurous and stimulating. Children also learn social skills as they cooperate with
one another and show consideration for one another.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Most days, we go out. Getting breaths of fresh air and getting our bodies to move is fun. During our visits to the children's play area I have been observing the young ones take risks such as climb up slippery slide slopes and go down fireman poles, with me close by to assist, encourage and praise. Children feel empowered when they manage 'do something' such as climb up a slide or go down a slide, alone.
 |
| The pond on the green near home. We watched the ducks and their ducklings |
G is climbing and was very proud of getting to the top all on his own.
big breaths of excitement!
 |
| C is enjoying being swung as he gurgles and makes happy sounds while taking big breaths of excitement! I can..... |
In order to accomplish physical tasks, children need lots of help and practice in using the fine muscles of
hands, arms and fingers. We can provide many play activities to help stimulate this development. In this pic, E (18 months) is climbing and exploring and investigating her own abilities.
Children develop in a holistic manner. Physical development should be seen as being important in young children’s development as intellectual development. Research has shown that physical activity in young children can enhance concentration, motivation, learning and well-being.
