Personal, Social and Emotional Development in the Early Years Foundation Stage

Sue Sheppy

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2012
• ISBN:
  9781136033346
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Éducation
• Subtopic: Éducation générale

The Practical Guidance in the Early Years Foundation Stage series will assist practitioners in the smooth and successful implementation of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Each book gives clear and detailed explanations of each aspect of Learning and Development and encourages readers to consider each area within its broadest context to expand and develop their own knowledge and good practice.

Practical ideas and activities for all age groups are offered along with a wealth of expertise of how elements from the practice guidance can be implemented within all early years settings. The books include suggestions for the innovative use of everyday ressources, popular books and stories.

Using the clear and accessible material in this book practitioners will be guided through the process of helping children develop an understanding of themselves; to help them gain independence and to become excited and motivated about their learning. Practical examples and ideas are linked to the Practice Guidance to ensure that practitioners feel confident in their ability to support and develop children's emotional well-being and social skills as well as develop their own knowledge and understanding of this important aspect of the EYFS.

1

Dispositions and attitudes

From birth–20 months

Development matters

Develop an understanding and awareness of themselves.

Learn that they have influence on and are influenced by others.

Learn that experiences can be shared.

Become aware of themselves as separate from others.

Discover more about what they like and dislike.

Have a strong exploratory impulse.

Explore the environment with interest.

Key words

self-awareness, exploration

Main story: Baby’s Busy World

(D. Sirett (2005), Dorling Kindersley Publishing, London)

This book opens up the opportunity to explore with the children a developing awareness of their own bodies and their immediate environment. Aspects of a child’s body are named and faces displayed that show a variety of feelings: happy, sad, grumpy, shy, cheeky, tired, sleepy, thirsty. Food and clothes are another centre of attention, as are games, bath time, vehicles, animals and baby ‘helping out’.

Activities

Talk, or sing or make rhymes up about all the items involved in the routine activities of feeding, changing nappies, bathing, preparing for sleep. For example, a lullaby can be a traditional song but need not be; a gentle rocking rhythm of half-humming and half-reciting what you see and hear will do just as well. In our house, the bedtime rhyme: ‘Diddle diddle dumpling my son John went to bed with his trousers on’, became ‘Diddle, diddle dumpling, my son Justin went to bed in a galvanised dustbin’ (perhaps not much of an inducement to sleep!).

During nappy changing, or before and after bathing, leave some time for the baby to kick without a nappy. Free movement of arms and legs will allow babies to explore their own bodies and find out what they can do. These early stretching and waving movements will soon lead to rolling and crawling.

Make bubbles with some washing-up liquid and blow them within the baby’s visual field and then, as they develop, blow them within their reach. At first, they will simply follow the bubbles, but later they will begin to discover what they can do and will find ways of letting you know what they really enjoy.

Give the baby plenty of focused one-to-one time, respond to their movements, gently tap their cheeks and tickle them, while continuing to talk to them. Encourage any sounds or smiles with an immediate response; this is the earliest form of ‘conversation’, of turn-taking.

Massaging babies is very common in many parts of the world and is increasing in popularity in the United Kingdom. Many claim that this kind of gentle stroking of any part of the baby’s body has health benefits, but here we are concerned particularly with the fact that it can help babies to become aware of their own body. Make sure your hands are warm and you are in a warm room; use a little oil if you prefer (olive oil is fine). Scented oils can be problematic, as the baby is bound to ingest some at some point by sucking their hands or their toes! Opinion is divided about whether newborn babies should be massaged, but some insist that it is beneficial for premature babies. Certainly, desist if the baby is ill, or is obviously not enjoying the experience. Permission will have to be given from parents and carers for this activity to be carried out because of child-protection issues.

As the babies grow, they can be encouraged to point to their head, their nose, their mouth, their eyes and their ears and begin to join in simple songs such as ‘Heads, shoulders, knees and toes’ and ‘Wind the bobbin up’.

Mirrors can help children to become aware of themselves as individuals. Babies will begin to focus on their own image when they are held close to a large mirror and will be interested by the face they see, although at first they will not recognise it as their own. Gradually, they will begin to explore different kinds of mirrors and notice how their reflection changes and enjoy dancing around in front of a mirror in a safe environment. We all need to establish a sense of self; otherwise, it is not possible for us to remember events that happen to us.

Tie books with appropriate fastenings to the side of the baby’s cot or pram for them to touch and explore at any time. Choose board books, or those made out of cloth or plastic, that use strongly contrasting colours. Exploring such books with small babies will help their attachment to their key carer and will help them develop an awareness of themselves, discovering what they like and what they do not.

Look, listen and note

During all kinds of water play, whether bathing or with bubbles in a bowl, the practitioner should note the baby’s preferences and how these are being expressed. Note the baby’s response to the establishment of daily routines. Their very earliest reactions will be to light and to warmth and to being held close where they can feel the heartbeat of the adult cradling them, but very soon the voices of key adults and other children will become associated with these events, and they will begin to make sense of their environment and their place within it as an individual.

Look out for the ways in which the baby is communicating their likes and dislikes. Contented gurgling and screaming will become refined and as choices of, for example, fruits and vegetables are offered, an open mouth for more or spitting out will eventually be replaced by violent nods or head-shaking gradually accompanied as the power of speech develops, by ‘No’, with a turning away of the head and tight lips, or an eager ‘Yes’, accompanied by a nodding head.

When looking at a book, observe the baby’s reactions to the different words and pictures expressed by their body movements and any contented or excited sounds.

When ‘making music’, note how the baby responds to show the...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• 1 Dispositions and attitudes: stories and activities
• 2 Self-confidence and self-esteem: stories and activities
• 3 Making relationships: stories and activities
• 4 Behaviour and self-control: stories and activities
• 5 Self-care: stories and activities
• 6 Sense of community: stories and activities
• Further recommended reading