Teaching Early Years

Theory and Practice

Amanda Thomas, Karen McInnes, Amanda Thomas, Karen McInnes

• Publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781526426871
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Early Childhood Education

This textbook focuses on the main areas of teaching young children, covering the 3-7 years age range that spans the early years and primary phases. The majority of chapters are written by both an academic and practitioner, reflecting a genuine theory and practice approach, and this helps the reader to set theoretical discussion in the context of real practice.

Key themes explored within the book include:

- Play and playfulness in the curriculum

- Child development in practice

- Literacy development and subject pedagogy

- Creativity and outdoor learning

Packed full of learning features such as case studies, reflective questions and lesson plans, Teaching Early Years is an essential resource for both students and practitioners, and will enhance your knowledge of how young children think and learn.

1 Introduction

Amanda Thomas

Karen McInnes

This book arose from a need to have a text that integrates both theory and practice across the Early Years and early primary phase. It is intended to fill a gap in the current market for students studying education in the Early Years and early primary phase. Many of the books available for students concentrate on theory without necessarily setting this theory in meaningful contexts. This book aims to integrate both the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ by giving a theoretical background to areas of the curriculum combined with sections on how that theory looks in practice. Each chapter will examine an area of learning from the theoretical perspective followed by examples of work in practice which are likely to be a mix of case studies, lesson plans, examples of comments from teachers and work by children. This innovative approach should enable students to make sense of the theories that form the foundation for teaching and learning in a manner they are able to relate to. By seeing theory in practice, students may be able to make more sense of important aspects of both teaching and learning, so enhancing their knowledge of how young children think and learn.

It is the intention of the authors that it should be an edited book with chapters covering the Early Years areas of learning in the first instance and with scope for developing those areas further into the primary phase. Contributors are a mix of both academics and teachers, giving a balanced and creative approach to the topic. This unique mix of authorship will enable the connections between theory and practice to be explicitly linked and embed the theory in current educational practice.

Play and playfulness in the curriculum will be an overarching theme throughout the book. Current research highlighting the importance of the voice of the child in enabling adults to understand play and playfulness will be presented. It will be demonstrated that this approach facilitates motivation, confidence and involvement in learning and is applicable across the Early Years and primary phases. Playfulness, being creative and ‘thinking outside the box’ usually result in more motivated children or pupils. This may also be applied to those teaching children and this book aims to provide students with examples of activities to help them to develop their own creativity.

Key features of the book are:

• An innovative approach to bridging the theory/practice divide
• A fresh perspective on delivering the curriculum
• A varied selection of authors from both academia and schools

Pedagogical features

As this book is a demonstration of theory in practice it will have a mixture of features, including case studies of children, short summaries of chapters, lesson plans, classroom activities and suggestions for reading in the concluding chapter. It will have a mixture of seminal research and topical research conducted during the writing of the book to ensure that it is topical as well as based on solid foundations of knowledge.

A unique feature of this book is the connection between theory and practice, with case studies highlighting how theory translates into pedagogy and these will be examined in detail. Case studies have been taken from Early Years practice from 0 to 7 years and in English and Welsh settings. The rationale behind using examples from England and Wales is to highlight the differences in the Welsh Foundation Phase and English Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The Foundation Phase spans the age range 3–7 years and the Early Years Foundation Stage covers 0–5 years and by using the two curricula this book highlights the similarities and differences between them. It also highlights how Early Years practitioners in English settings can extend a playful pedagogy beyond the age of 5 years. The book also considers links between home and school, observation and assessment, and transition within and between settings. Each chapter has questions for practitioners to reflect upon their own practice and further reading to extend knowledge and understanding.

Chapter 1: Introduction

Amanda Thomas, Senior Lecturer, University of South Wales and Karen McInnes, Programme Leader: Postgraduate and International, Bath Spa University

In this chapter the authors provide a rationale to the book. They offer an introduction to the themes included in the book with an overview of what to expect in each chapter and how to use this book.

Chapter 2: What can we learn from UK Early Years curricula?

Claire Pescott, Senior Lecturer, University of South Wales

This is more theoretical than the other chapters in this book and, unlike the others, is sole authored. However, the author is a new academic, having recently been an Early Years practitioner. An overview of curriculum frameworks currently operating in the UK will be critically analysed: the Early Years Foundation Stage in England, the Foundation Phase in Wales, the Curriculum for Excellence in Scotland and the Foundation Stage in Northern Ireland. Commonalities across the frameworks will be examined and then the Welsh Foundation Phase will be used as an exemplar of planning within an Early Years curriculum framework.

Chapter 3: Child development in practice

Karen McInnes, Programme Leader: Postgraduate and International, Bath Spa University and Holly Gallan, trainee primary school teacher and therapeutic play practitioner

This chapter will look at key areas of child development and identify how practitioners should use knowledge of child development in their practice. Drawing on case studies and interviews with practitioners, the authors will discuss what practitioners need to know about child development and how this knowledge will provide them with an evidence base from which to assess children’s development and plan for their learning. It will also consider how this knowledge facilitates inter-agency working as well as enabling meaningful links between settings and home.

Chapter 4: Play and playfulness: The foundation of learning and development

Karen McInnes, Programme Leader: Postgraduate and International, Bath Spa University and Natacha Yuen, Deputy Headteacher at Hartcliffe Children’s Centre, Bristol

This chapter explores the importance of play and playfulness for both the very young and for all children. An overview of how an Early Years curriculum is embedded in play will be provided along with its historical and theoretical underpinnings. Drawing on research evidence, a distinction will be made between play and playfulness and how children’s views of play need to be listened to in order to truly provide a play-based curriculum. It will also be argued that playfulness provides the foundation of a positive relationship between practitioners and children to facilitate learning and development. Case studies will be used to show practitioners how they might ensure their provision and practice are more play-based and enable children to learn in a more playful way.

Chapter 5: Understanding well-being in the Early Years

Alyson Lewis, Senior Lecturer in Early Years Education at Bath Spa University and Lucy Rees, Early Years Foundation Stage teacher

Well-being is a complex, multi-dimensional concept and a term frequently used in policy and by practitioners, yet it is under-researched in education. This chapter explores the concept of well-being and what it means from different perspectives. It also discusses how well-being is enacted by practitioners in Early Years classrooms and provides useful ways of facilitating this. Well-being is often something that needs to be measured and the chapter discusses this complexity.

Chapter 6: Playing with words – becoming a reader and writer

Rhiannon Packer and Philippa Watkins, lecturers at the University of South Wales, and Marc Hughes, acting Deputy Headteacher of a Welsh primary school

Literacy development is essential as a foundation for all areas of the curriculum. This chapter examines the relationship between speaking, listening, reading and writing, and ways to engage young children in meaningful talk as a precursor for reading and writing. It embeds good practice in literacy by providing examples of how classroom practitioners employ a playful pedagogy to enthuse and engage learners in Early Years classrooms. The chapter discusses providing the right classroom environment for the development of effective communication skills and how children acquire language skills. It provides examples of case studies that reflect the need for children to be given opportunities to become readers and writers. In addition, the chapter provides opportunities to reflect upon providing learners with purpose and audiences for their writing to be meaningful.

Chapter 7: Developing mathematical confidence in the Early Years

Catherine Jones, Academic Manager of Innovation and Technology at the University of South Wales

Mathematical development has always been an important area of learning when planning a child’s learning journey. The language of mathematics is so crucial and the integration of this across all other areas of learning ensures a child is exposed to concepts at an early age. Contexts for learning need to be developed with this in mind to ensure a child has a natural wonder and enthusiasm to build foundations for the future. This chapter discuses how mathematics needs to be taught in a meaningful way and how children develop their mathematical abilities. It is distinct from the other chapters as it focuses on how undergraduates view maths and how ICT can inform mathematical pedagogy, and is written solely by an academic.

The reader is provided with cases studies that explore the links between theory and practice and how mathematical development fits in with the rest of the Early Years and primary curriculum from an undergraduate point of view.

Chapter 8: Becoming a scientist through an experiential pedagogy

Amanda Thomas, Senior Lecturer, University of South Wales, Carole Carter and Clare Griffiths, classroom practitioners, and Karen Parker, Children Centre manager

To young children the world about them is a fascinating place and this chapter shows how to develop that natural curiosity through making and doing. From experimenting with things in the world about them children develop their natural curiosity and investigative skills as a basis for further learning. The chapter will focus on children in a Nursery and Reception class, and children aged 0–3 in a day care setting. There will be discussions on how children ‘come to know’ through hands-on learning and how this is translated into practice in the classroom. There will be case studies, discussions with classroom practitioners on their practice and observations of the children during science activities. There will be links made to the Early Years curriculum and discussions of different theories on how children construct knowledge and how current pedagogy supports this. Photographs of children’s work (anonymous) will be included and there will be questions to consider that will allow the reader to reflect upon the issues raised.

Chapter 9: Inspiring creativity in the Early Years

Catherine Jones, Academic Manager of Innovation and Technology at the University of South Wales, and Francine Davies, freelance artist

Creativity is often regarded as the byproduct of art and music but this chapter shows how creative activities are reflected in every topic across the curriculum. From story-making and incorporating poetry and play we gain an insight into how creative children can be and how creativity in children is a valuable outlet for self-expression. This chapter is distinct in that it is written in a more subjective way, reflecting the personal nature of creativity and how it can be viewed differently by different people. Furthermore, it can provide the stepping stones that bridge the gap between the varying development of motor skills and cognitive skills among children. Readers will also be shown the importance of reflecting upon their own creativity in order to provide opportunities for children to be creative. There will be a discussion on how creativity fits into the current primary curriculum and how the theories behind the importance of creative development impact on practitioner practice. Evidence will be included from the workshops Francine runs in primary schools and her own experiences of how being creative helps children develop skills in other areas of learning. There will be questions included to allow the reader to reflect upon some of the issues raised in this chapter and how they can develop their own creative practice in the classroom.

Chapter 10: Into the great outdoors: Opportunities and experiences

Alyson Lewis, Senior Lecturer in Early Years Education at Bath Spa University, and Rebecca Poole, Early Years PGCE trainee teacher

A historical perspective of the outdoor classroom is provided which attempts to show the reader how traditional theorists have influenced 21st century thinking about the outdoors and risk-taking. Alyson Lewis demonstrates the benefits of learning outdoors and, in particular, discusses the importance of the Forest School approach, which is gaining momentum. This chapter also explores the role of the adult and highlights some of the challenges faced by practitioners in facilitating outdoor learning. The concept of ‘risky play’ is explored and its importance in child development. The chapter examines case studies that hi...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Acknowledgements
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Table List
• Illustration List
• About the Editors and Contributors
• Acknowledgements
• 1 Introduction
• 2 What Can We Learn from UK Early Years Curricula?
• 3 Child Development in Practice
• 4 Play and Playfulness: The Foundation of Learning and Development
• 5 Understanding Well-being in the Early Years
• 6 Playing with Words – Becoming a Reader and Writer
• 7 Developing Mathematical Confidence in the Early Years
• 8 Becoming a Scientist through an Experiential Pedagogy
• 9 Inspiring Creativity in the Early Years
• 10 Into the Great Outdoors: Opportunities and Experiences
• 11 Conclusion
• Index