in this issue

Regulars
4-6 News
Making the grade 10 Viewpoint

Are you up to speed with the world of early

years qualifications? In the last 10 years of
24 Reviews
my involvement with the sector it has always
been subject to much change, debate and 26 Recipe of the month
controversy. And so it goes on.

Last month we ran a news story on the

Government’s decision to make a minimum Grade C in GCSE
English and maths an exit, rather than an entry, requirement
Special features
for apprentices undertaking Early Years Educator (EYE) Level 3 8-9
The sector explains why it is keen to
courses. Now in this issue, we report on how the Department for
influence Ofsted’s views on play
Education (DfE) has also backtracked on making these grades an
entry requirement for the standalone, EYE course (see page 4). and learning.

Let us not forget that candidates will need to be GCSE qualified by 11-13 Hilary White explores the importance
the time they achieve their Level 3 qualification, in order to count
of patterns in a child’s life.
within staff ratios, within the Early Years Foundation Stage. That
means that those embarking on the Level 3 without the GCSE
grades will have their work cut out to achieve both. On the plus 16-17 Ideas for seasonal snacks that children
side, it will mean that applicants for Level 3 EYE courses could will enjoy making and eating.
begin to rise from their current disappointing levels and that the
professionalism of the workforce receives a boost.
18-19 Find out how you can develop your skills
I don’t think I’m alone in thinking the landscape is suddenly in speech and language therapy.
looking a lot clearer. It is encouraging to see a future edging closer
to Professor Cathy Nutbrown’s vision for a more highly regarded
childcare workforce, which she outlined in her 2012 review. 20-21
Early years expert Sue Chambers kicks
off a new series on the role of the
Raising the bar in a sector which is not renowned for its high key person.
pay will always be a huge challenge. But the latest developments LEARNING
AREA
COVERED

suggest that pragmatism can be helpful. For once it seems the

22
PARENT

Government has listened to what the sector has to say and acted How Eden Learning Spaces’ Tap into everyday maths
LEARNING AREAS
COVER

cushions deliver the feely

PRACTITIONER UNdERsTANdIN

When life is a
THE WORld

by making the most of real life

sensibly. This even extends to Ofsted. Turn to page 8 to find out

for encouraging Maths learning
Phoebe Doyle offers some ideas in their learning.
feel both confident and competent

beach
opportunities, to help children

model
n As a general rule it is good to
As both a parent and a teacher I
am putting the largest number first (in

factor and a lot more besides.

your head or on paper) Many children
always surprised when I hear parents will have visited
say, ‘that’s the teacher’s job’ when
it help you explore a beach
some of the natural over the summer. Viv Hampshire

how the inspectorate is beginning to recognise the importance of

this is n Model different strategies
comes to learning. I believe that and man-made provides a range
not the case. However, like many,
I do (e.g. counting on fingers, jotting objects that can
be found on the
of activities to
recoil slightly at the thought of giving down pictures to show amounts and beach.
At
this time of the
my children any formal homework, workings etc.)
day are likely to have year many children
after they have completed a long them on a day trip or
visited a beach,
either
at school. I feel that, as parents, our n Never rush them, this will make Beaches provide
while on holiday.
time is much better spent using one feel stressed a huge range of
learning experiences,
tool that we have to hand and in this article
fundamental is we will be looking
when are with our children, which n Be very positive with praise – it

play and now acknowledges that there are many different ways to
that children mightat some of the objects
teachers do not – everyday life. Here, really hard work. left behind on find washed up
or
the sand.
learning opportunities are aplenty.
Directions and Ask the children
Using everyday situations positional language to
their beach visits collect objects from
Opportunities for Maths learning
are Real life situations are the ideal way table so everyone
and set up a display
everywhere. You have probably done to practise using language to describe together. If gettingcan explore them
some yourself already today (e.g. position and where objects are in relation collection of real hold of a good
and
worked out how much petrol might to something else. Focus on words looking for good
objects is difficult,
try

work effectively in early years.

Pull-out pages
‘in
cost, checked you’ll have enough
time the phrases such as, ‘up’, ‘down’, ‘over’, quality
display them alongside images and
for the same object twice, which is often front of the…’, ‘behind the.’, ‘around
the or instead of
to get from A to B, wanted to pay principle pitfall of early counting.
your found pieces.
something with the exact money). corner…’, ‘opposite’ etc. When doing
on
short and familiar journeys, either What can we
Number formation foot or in the car, model the use of
lots of on the beach?find
Making the most of real-life Maths Make this fun and a part of everyday Also
these phrases clearly and carefully.

We are
encounters is not only more practical play by using art materials such as
glitter EYFS, UW: The
world:
in terms of time, it also serves to
let try asking them to explain clearly where n 30-50 months:
and paint. On a hot day, take it outside their teddy is, for example. Encourage
Can talk about some
your child see the real use and purpose and paint large scale numbers.
things they have
observed such as
of the
behind their Maths learning. them to hide it, then direct you. animals, natural
and found objects
plants,
unexpected item
Calculations Further activity ideas Ask the children the children have
Number recognition The main calculation to focus on
at this to talk about the found, or would Some of the rocks
Talk about numbers in the environment there n Sing number songs – and continue kind of things like to find, on
a beach? and pebbles,
bus stage is adding. You will find that to do this even when number
they
find on the beach. would expect to especially those
(e.g. mention: the number of the are ample opportunities to practise
this What objects might How did they lying
up on the shoreline undisturbed high
you are catching, the numbers on recognition and counting seem they see lying EYFS, UW: The get there?

going...
on, or at the bottom
in everyday situations, for instance: firmly learnt. Number songs are sand? If they are or buried in the world: of a deep pile,
houses, numbers in car registrations, suggest that they to go to the seaside,
n 30-50 months:
Talks about why
will
been part of the have originally
telephone numbers). Give them
the can a way to help children see that happen and how things surrounding land
make a collectiontake a bucket and

Karen Faux
n When grocery shopping (e.g. numbers can be fun. things work cliffs, broken away or
opportunity to see the different contexts they get 6 apples and 2 lemons? Ask small enough of found objects EYFS, CL: Understanding moved around by the sea or wind,
: in
in which numbers are used around how many there are altogether)
to examine and n 30-50 months:
Beginning to understand washed back up the water and then
n Use books – not only specific books
As there will probably hold.
them. Have them talk about numbers onto the land.

16-page practical pull-out section

be far too ‘why’ and ‘how’ may have been They
many pebbles questions
being big or small, bigger than, smaller designed for number learning, and lying there for
n Make it part of play by making
a ask them to look shells to pick up, hundreds or even many
than, less than or more than. but use pictures of characters, for Talk to the children thousands of years.
small bingo board with 6 numbers only the prettiest out for and select about why all
to example, and model counting them. or most these items are
between 0 and 10 and asking them examples, perhaps interesting
they got there.
on the beach and
how
Some objects will have been
For counting skills mark off the answers to calculations unusual colour, those with an Some the sand by visitors, dropped on
n Time – point out the time on
an things like seaweed, may be living or even from the fishermen, the wind,
Use familiar objects – toy cars, teddies to Remind them
pattern or shape.
which lives and
etc. and, for example when tidying
up, small analogue clock and say ‘we need that they can look grows naturally Some will have
beaks of seabirds.
n Let them pay for objects worth leave in an hour, when the big hand
should not touch at but which have walked
in the sea; small crabs, been washed up
model carefully counting them. The amounts in coins, help them to add living (e.g. small or disturb anything onto the sand sea itself, perhaps by the
way to promote accurate counting
best is at the...’ crabs or fish). from the sea; or
tiny fish brought another area or carried there from
up how much they will need. by the tide and dropped into the
is to touch the object you are counting They may also caught in a rock in from a ship. water
This Phoebe Doyle, education writer, Nottingham. find a wide variety Empty pool.
and move it to one side if practical. Notes on teaching addition correctly: other things – discarded of shells once provided
other forms of homes for
means that you are not likely to count coins, pieces of bottles, lost
been carried in
sea life and have
now
Natural objects
wood or rope, etc. on the tide. Pieces EYFS, UW: The
Sometimes people driftwood may world:
hunt on the beach have been blown of n 22-36 months:
for coins and buried the sea from shoreline into Notices detailed
For the Early Years Foundation Stage
metal detector. treasure using of objects in their features
Do they think they a parts of boats that trees or be environment

Cover photograph by Alex Deverill at Cypress Primary School Nursery, Croydon

2 September 2015 Issue 176 find any? What
is the most unusualever the water – maybe have broken off in
n 30-50 months:
Can talk about some
© MA Education Ltd 2015 or even from a pirate’s things they have of the
treasure chest observed such as
or a shipwreck. animals, natural plants,
n 30-50 months: and found objects
06/08/2015 17:30 Developing an
For the
Early Years Foundation
Stage
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Poster
September 2015
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July 2015
Issue 174 With activities on the reverse
...on a
Journey!
Editorial Board:
Now incorporating Child Care magazine
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www.practicalpreschool.com
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Now incorporating
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