Too often we have a reactive over a proactive approach to mental health, focusing on mental ill health rather than on thriving. Matt Bawler shares his work around this, including establishing strong foundations and providing children with the tools and agency to be able to thrive in life.

Read Matt’s article here:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/proactively-promoting-positive-mental-health/

Listen to more:

If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like: 

Matt’s previous episode and article around Growth mindset in early childhood - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/growth-mindset-in-early-childhood/

Dawn Jone’s episode and article on Problematising behaviour management systems - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/problematising-behaviour-management-systems/ 

Dr Mine Conkbayir’s episode and article on Self-regulation, co-regulation and mental health - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/self-regulation-co-regulation-and-mental-health/

Maureen Hunt’s episode and article on Self-efficacy in young children - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/self-efficacy-in-young-children/

Episode break down:

00:00 – What do we mean by proactive mental health?
05:00 – Reverse engineering and going ‘upstream’
07:00 – Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
08:00 – A deep belief of not being lovable
10:00 – Falling over to get back up again
12:00 – What is behind the behaviour?
17:00 – Watching the language you use
23:30 – ‘I am, I can and I will’ framework
27:30 – What’s wrong with affirmations?
31:00 – High self-esteem vs positive self-esteem
34:00 – Growth over happiness & reclaiming resilience
37:00 – Threat vs challenge
41:00 – ‘What’s right with you’ vs ‘what’s wrong with you’
41:20 – 24 character strengths
42:00 – ‘Use your tools’
43:00 – Moving away from sticker culture
44:00 – Moving away from ‘othering’
48:20 – Using stories to explore challenges
50:45 – Embodied agency
53:00 – Matt’s current projects
57:00 – Book recommendations

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

How does Montessori practice embed sustainability? Montessori Consultant Sarah Cummins explains that social development sits alongside academic learning, children are supported in building a sense of ownership of their community and environmental stewardship is embedded early on. We also discuss some misconceptions around Montessori practice as well as how we can support higher education students in becoming passionate educators and sustainably minded advocates for the planet.

Read Sarah’s article:

Montessori for sustainability –

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/Montessori-for-sustainability/  

Listen to more:

If you enjoyed this episode you might also like: 

Essential skills for social sustainability with Carmela Garcia Manas - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/essential-skills-for-social-sustainability/ 

Life skills over academic achievement with Zanna Clarke and Carmela Garcia Manas -  

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/life-skills-over-academic-achievement/ 

Telling hopeful stories of advocacy, agency and rights in ECEC with Dr Jo Albin-Clark and Dr Nathan Archer - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/advocacy-agency-and-rights-in-early-childhood/

 Episode break down:

00:00 – Why are we talking about sustainability?  
01:40 – Sustainability starts from early childhood
04:00 – The Montessori lens – focusing on community
06:45 – Peaceful conflict resolution – restorative practice
07:45 – The classroom is the child’s, not the adult’s
08:20 – Cultural awareness – global perspectives
12:00 – Equipping children with self-expression
14:25 – Trusting the child’s interest
16:22 – Freedom within limits
17:45 – Mixed-age environments 
22:00 – Preparing children for the future or focusing on this moment?
24:45 – Protecting children’s individuality

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

In this episode Sarah Mason from The Hill Primary School, Astrea Academy Trust, shares with us the journey she and her team have been on in developing their learning environment in line with understanding the way children’s brain develops. This was part of the Brain-SET Learning Environments project which Astrea Academy Trust embarked on, looking at classroom design through the lens of children's brain development.

This year-long project focused on enabling children to feel emotionally secure and ready for learning, by looking at classroom design in terms of lighting, noise, the use of colour, furniture layout and more. The overall aim was to really bring calm into children's lives, which is particularly important for areas of disadvantage which Astrea Academy Trust schools work within. 

To find out more about the project, see videos and photos of the environments and hear practitioner interviews, visit: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/projects/astrea-academy-trust-project

Episode break down:

00:00 – Understanding the Brain-SET project
03:50 – The effect of lighting on the children
05:05 – Being in tune with the environment
06:20 – Aligning the environment with the needs of the brain
10:30 – Understanding the ‘why’ behind your practice
14:20 – Are we providing enough calming zones outdoors?
18:10 – What is ‘way-finding’
21:00 – Sustained focused play
24:00 – Intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation
26:00 – The impact of the project on educators

For more episodes visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

In this episode Dawn Jones shares findings on a project closely working with children in gaining their reflections on spaces and places within shared worlds. In this 1st episode and article, in the 3-part series, Dawn shares how the findings relate to sustainable development goals, and poses some of the following reflections and questions:

• Co-collaboration on learning can lead to so many more avenues around sustainability beyond the ‘3 R’s’.
• Children value quiet spaces and time to think...
• We have too much of a harsh approach of rushing our children…
• Are we brave enough to listen to children?
• Children can be far more engaged through an open and flexible approach

Read Dawn’s article:

What do children have to say about their environment? - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/what-do-children-have-to-say-about-their-environment/ 

Listen to more:

If you enjoyed this episode you might also like:

Education for social sustainability through sociodramatic play with Carmela Garcia Manas - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/contributors/carmela-garcia-manas/

The therapeutic nature of the outdoors with Jenny Smillie - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/the-therapeutic-nature-of-outdoor-play/

Episode break down:

00:00 – Listening to the voices of Reception aged children
02:00 – Top level findings of the research
04:30 – Recognising and following the child’s knowledge
06:00 – Children’s understanding of complex issues around sustainability
08:20 – The same findings across different schools
10:00 – A less ‘hurried space’ was a recurring theme
12:00 – We make children do too much waiting
12:45 – Slow pedagogy and children as co-researchers
18:00 – Are we brave enough to step back and not intervene?
22:00 – Being an innovative and open-minded educator
23:00 – Harness children’s curiosity, awe and wonder and embed this into the curriculum
24:30 – Consider the language you use – is it helpful?
27:30 – Experiences vs activities
29:15 – Linking research to practice
32:30 – ‘Fanning the sparks of wonderful practice’
34:00 – Upcoming episodes – behaviour charts and methodological tools
35:00 – Summary of the episode

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

Leadership, management, psychological safety, difficult conversations, priorities, education or care, leading with love…Lewis Fogarty and Angelica Celinska discuss a range of thought-provoking topics, which all stemmed from the conversation of the need to stand up to your manager.

This episode relates to anyone interested in leadership, workplace culture and self-development beyond educational settings.

Read Lewis’ article:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/professional-confidence-finding-the-confidence-to-speak-out/ 

Listen to more:

If you enjoyed this episode you might also like: Yes spaces with Carla Ward -  

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/what-are-yes-spaces/ 

Supporting educator wellbeing with Enya Last - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/articles/wellbeing/

Episode break down:

00:00 – Not everyone is a good manager
03:30 – Good educator doesn’t mean good leader
05:00 – Stepping out of your comfort zone can turn into stress
06:27 -  The boy, the mole, the fox and the horse…
06:59 – I want my team to stand up to me as a leader
08:07 – The 4 pillars at ‘Always Growing’
09:15 – Curiosity over judgement
09:45 – Education or care?
11:40 – Love languages of both your children AND your team
12:40 – Leading with love
15:20 – Opening your team to criticism
16:10 – Anyone can be a leader without the title
17:20 – The power of diverse thinking
18:40 – Not everything has the same priorities
20:18 – Constructive disagreements and tensions are good!
20:48 – Rotated neglect
23:50 – ‘Clearing the debris’
26:40 – If you have more than two priorities you don’t have any
28:40 – Psychological safety
30:55 – INSET days for CPD and team development
33:55 – Challenging conversations: Encouraging them in the workplace
36:15 – Preparing for difficult conversations: Practically and mentally
40:00 – Being kind doesn’t always mean being nice…

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

Astrea Academy Trust embarked on the Brain-SET project looking at classroom design through the lens of children's brain development.

This year-long project focused on enabling children to feel emotionally secure and ready for learning, by looking at classroom design in terms of lighting, noise, the use of colour, furniture layout and more. The overall aim was to really bring calm into children's lives, which is particularly important for areas of disadvantage which Astrea Academy Trust schools work within. 

In this second episode of the project series Dr Sue Allingham (Early Childhood Consultant, Author and Trainer) and Nicky Turner (National Lead for EY for Astrea Academy Trust) share with us the way the project is running, the training carried out and the reflections and impact so far.

To find out more about the project and listen to more episodes visit: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/projects/astrea-academy-trust-project

Episode break down:

00:00 – What is Brain-SET?
02:30 – Being available for learning
05:50 – The project’s impact on educators’ thinking and practice
06:55 – Natural lighting, reduced noise and increased learning
12:30 – Classroom flow: Eye-lines and way-finding
16:50 – Familiar and homely spaces and resources
22:00 – Developmental rather than judgemental  
26:30 – An ongoing long-term project
29:50 – Re-creating empty and purposeless spaces  
28:00 – Working with developing brains: Researching and trying things out
35:00 – Giving educators permission to make good decisions
38:00 – Designing ‘thinking spaces’
41:00 – Classrooms developing with the needs of children
44:45 – Brain-SET for adults as well as children
52:00 – Having permission to step back and think
54:00 – Re-calibration spaces 
57:00 – Educators sharing their work and journeys

For more episodes visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

In this episode Carla Ward and Angelica Celinska unpick what are ‘yes spaces’, and in doing so they address children’s agency, risky play, knowing your limits, leadership and workplace culture, teaching children to respect boundaries, feeling control over your life, giving children the autonomy to know and feel who they are and so much more…

Find Carla Ward at:

https://elfoundations.com/

Listen to more:

If you enjoyed this episode you might also like – Life skills over academic achievement with Zanna Clarke and Carmela Garcia Manas -  https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/life-skills-over-academic-achievement/

Episode break down:

00:00 – Why are we talking about ‘yes spaces’?
02:45 – What are ‘yes spaces’?
04:00 – A child hears ‘no’ 400 times per day!
06:00 – Encouraging children to take risks
08:00 – Judging risk and communicating risk
11:00 – Does the child feel control over their own life?
14:20 – Instead of ‘no’ ask ‘why’ – opening up conversations
16:00 – Fostering curiosity and independence by saying yes more
19:40 – Reflect on your own childhood – did you hear ‘no’ a lot?
21:30 – Guiding children through conflict
22:25 – ‘Yes spaces’ for adults
23:35 – Don’t let ‘no’ be your default answer
26:20 – ‘Yes but’ vs ‘yes and’
29:00 – Where can you find Carla Ward?

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

Peer exclusion is a major concern for preschool children. In this episode we explore research findings on the regular instances of both exclusion and inclusion in a nursery setting. We discuss children’s natural, biological need for belonging and dependence on the adult, how resourceful children can be, children not merely accepting exclusionary situations, adult guidance rather than teaching, the adult not having 100% control and much more…

To read and listen to the whole research series visit: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/articles/sustainability/

Episode break down:

00:00 – Series re-cap
01:40 – Exclusion as a routine concern for preschoolers
04:40 – The natural need to feel included and belong
07:30 – Children’s resourcefulness
11:25 – The effects of exclusion on later life
15:40 – Children challenging exclusion
21:40 – We need to stop solving conflicts and problems for children
26:20 – To support children we need to truly know them
33:00 – Sociodramatic play as a powerful tool in exploring challenging issues
36:00 – The need for educator training on complex issues
41:46 – Recommendations for practice
44:40 – Using books to explore complex topics
53:57 – Are you speaking their language? 100 languages of children 
59:54 – Imagine the brain like play-dough!
01:03:05 – The value for researchers in sharing their work

For more episodes visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

Early years is a key priority for Astrea Academy Trust, who strive to give each child the best start in life, focusing on developmental needs of the children and not just their academic achievement. Which is why Astrea Academy Trust embarked on the Brain-SET project looking at classroom design through the lens of children's brain development.

This year-long project addressed classroom design in terms of lighting, noise, the use of colour, furniture layout and more. The aim was to really bring calm into children's lives, which is particularly important for areas of disadvantage which Astrea Academy Trust schools work within. 

In this first episode Asma Maqsood-Shah (Primary Regional Director for Astrea Academy Trust and Strategic Lead for EY) and Nicky Turner (National Lead for EY for Astrea Academy Trust) share the background to the project and talk us through the impact on children, families, educators and leaders so far.

To find out more about the project and listen to more episodes visit: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/projects/astrea-academy-trust-project

Episode break down:

00:00 - Introduction to Astrea Academy Trust and the Brain-SET project
05:47 - Where did this project begin and why?
11:16 - Bringing calm into children's lives
14:07 - Supporting holistic development, wellbeing and life skills
16:58 - The different stages of the project
17:45 - The impact of ambient lighting on emotional states
20:55 - A common understanding between leaders and educators
23:40 - Getting all leaders and educators on board with the project
25:40 - Mentoring for practitioners and EY leads
28:00 - Understanding the science behind classroom environments
29:10 - A whole Trust strategy
33:40- Educators feeling proud of their learning environments
36:25 - The future of the project

For more episodes visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

This episode shares research findings around children's nuanced understanding of fairness, extending beyond material possessions and entering the complexities of equality vs equity. We discuss how to embed sustainability within the curriculum, the production, consumption and distribution of resources, sociocultural and economic influences on sharing, a multi-disciplinary approach to sustainability and much more.

To read and listen to the whole research series visit: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/articles/sustainability/

Tune into next week's episode on: Sense belonging and connection in early childhood education: A pathway to social sustainability

If you enjoyed this episode you might also like to listen to Carmela's previous episode with Zanna Clarke, Principal of Miss Daisy’s Nursery Schools, on 'Life skills over academic achievement' - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/life-skills-over-academic-achievement/ 

Episode break down:

00:00 - Does fairness mean equal sharing? 
06:00 - 'Modern tragedy of the commons'
07:50 - An adult's influence on fairness
12:00 - Compromising their own needs for others
17:09 - Sociocultural and economic influences on sharing
20:33 - Challenging unjust situations
22:53 - Developing a sense of fairness
26:23 - Production, consumption and distribution of resources
29:11 - A multi-disciplinary approach to sustainability
33:20 - Sustainability embedded within the curriculum
37:30 - Educator training in sustainability
38:00- Where sharing results in exclusion
41:15 - Final episode...

For more episodes visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

Professor Julie Fisher tells us all about her seminal text; Starting from the child? This episode marks an exciting time as Julie publishes the 5th edition of her book. 

Julie explains how Starting from the child? began in the 1990's, and how it responds to policy and practice, and follows the history of early childhood education in England. 

To find out about Julie Fisher's book launch visit: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/starting-from-the-child/

Episode break down:

00:00 - How did Starting from the child begin?
05:05 - Your job as an educator is to inspire children
06:45 - Back when early years had money!...
12:44 - Children and educators are crying
16:47 - The constantly evolving sector
20:13 - Every headteacher needs early years training
24:35 - We need to focus on future educators
31:09 - Julie's advice for new educators
38:08 - Book launch announcement

For more episodes visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

There are 3 main skills for social sustainability...

Do you know what these could be?

Researcher Carmela Garcia Manas identified these skills through her research which are vital for children to develop for their understanding of social sustainability, and to be able to engage as active citizens as part of society. 

In this episode we pose the reflective question of: 

Does your curriculum allow for the development of these vital skills? 

We also ponder on the fact that there is more training out there on what can be 'taught by the adult' rather than 'nurtured'. 

To read and listen to the whole research series visit: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/articles/sustainability/

Tune into next week's episode on: Equality vs equity – is fairness an act of equal sharing?

If you enjoyed this episode you might also like to listen to Carmela's previous episode with Zanna Clarke, Principal of Miss Daisy’s Nursery Schools, on 'Life skills over academic achievement' - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/life-skills-over-academic-achievement/ 

Episode break down:

00:00 - Research on education for social sustainability
01:30 - What are the 3 main skills for social sustainability?
06:30 - Progression of these skills throughout the research
12:30 - Are these more generally life skills?
18:05 - Becoming active citizens in society 
20:00 - Does your curriculum allow for the development of these vital skills?
22:50 - Teacher training in phonics but not in critical thinking?!...
24:10 - We have more training on what can be 'taught by the adult' rather than 'nurtured'
26:50 - Moving away from learning facts and towards learning skills
29:50 - Developing empathy and compassion as part of social sustainability
35:45 - Next episode...

For more episodes visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

Reward charts, certificates and golden time – how do such behaviour management systems affect children’s self-perception and the perception of their peers? Dawn Jones discusses her research, opening up conversations around adult and child power imbalances, listening to children, classroom design and much more.

This episode is sponsored by ‘My Mood Stars’. My Mood Stars are resources that have been created to support emotional development; with the aim of encouraging children to talk about their feelings and emotions. To find out more about My Mood Stars visit: https://www.wendywoo.uk/mymoodstars/ 

Read Dawn’s article:

Problematising behaviour management systems –

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/problematising-behaviour-management-systems/  

 Listen to more:

If you enjoyed this episode you might also like:

 Learned helplessness: Are we setting children up for failure? with Dr Sue Allingham - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/learned-helplessness

 Growth mindset in early childhood with Matt Bawler - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/growth-mindset-in-early-childhood/

 Life skills over academic achievement with Zanna Clarke and Carmela Garcia Manas -  

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/life-skills-over-academic-achievement/

 Telling hopeful stories of advocacy, agency and rights in ECEC with Dr Jo Albin-Clark and Dr Nathan Archer - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/advocacy-agency-and-rights-in-early-childhood/ 

Essential skills for social sustainability with Carmela Garcia Manas - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/essential-skills-for-social-sustainability/

 Episode break down:

00:00 – Background into the research
04:50 – Why is ‘Golden time’ problematic?
08:50 – ‘I have things to say & nobody listens’
15:10 – Creating a sense of helplessness
16:50 – Public shaming & negative perceptions of self & peers
22:35 – The power behind the teacher
23:20 – ‘The blue mat’ – Developmentally inappropriate practices
27:50 – Old fashioned behaviour management systems
29:50 – Children spend so much time either ‘waiting’ or ‘hurrying’
32:50 – Reward certificates – Some children will never get one…
34:50 – Judging children by standardised expectations
37:05 – Celebrating children for their unique selves
38:15 – Do we want critical thinkers or robots?
40:50 – Challenging standardised practice is a form of advocacy

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

Researcher Carmela Garcia Manas explains that children are followers, enforcers and creators of social norms. Carmela talks about an important finding from her research of just how highly influenced children are by the presence of the adult.

To read and listen to the whole research series visit: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/articles/sustainability/

Tune into next week's episode on: The essential skills for social sustainability 

If you enjoyed this episode you might also like to listen to Carmela's previous episode with Zanna Clarke, Principal of Miss Daisy’s Nursery Schools, on 'Life skills over academic achievement' - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/life-skills-over-academic-achievement/ 

Episode break down:

00:00 - What do children understand of normativity and social norms?
03:00 - Children as followers, enforcers and creators of social norms
03:30 - 'Rich' or 'poor table'
09:05 - Children are highly influenced by the presence of an adult
14:19 - What does subordination mean?
16:00 - Conforming to social norms can become dangerous
19:00 - Children look for fairness
22:50 - How do we encourage children to question the adult?
27:00 - Allocating time for reflection
30:40 - A big change was seen at the end of the research
32:20 - House swap and property inflation in play!
36:00 - Value and demand
36:45 - Children's resourcefulness and adaptability: The sophistication of play
38:30 - Next episode...

For more episodes visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

Children's understanding of power dynamics are explored through the concept of 'possession as a form of power', in the context of social sustainability. Researcher Carmela Garcia Manas shares her findings in this third episode in a research series around education for social sustainability.

To read and listen to the whole research series visit: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/articles/sustainability/

Tune into next week's episode on the impact and power of the adult on children’s actions, and behaviours around social sustainability.

If you enjoyed this episode you might also like to listen to Carmela's previous episode with Zanna Clarke, Principal of Miss Daisy’s Nursery Schools, on 'Life skills over academic achievement' - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/life-skills-over-academic-achievement/ 

Episode break down:

00:00 - What do we mean by possession? 
03:03 - Unequal distribution of resources 
04:10 - Children are aware that possession involves power
05:20 - Scenario 1: In search of food
11:20 - Decision making is a form of power
13:15 - Sense of authority and influence
18:00 - Conformity to roles
21:38 - Scenario 2: In search of water
24:20 - Possession affecting the feeling of inclusion
28:40 - A change in conformity levels
32:50 - Social sustainability in every day play and routines
36:20 - Next episode...

For more episodes visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

Here Carmela shares the first theme uncovered from her findings, centred around children’s perceptions of poverty and race.

This is the second episode in a research series around education for social sustainability by Carmela Garcia Manas. Carmela is the Headmistress of Miss Daisy’s Chelsea and PhD researcher at University of Dundee. 

To read and listen to the whole research series visit: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/childrens-perceptions-of-race-and-poverty/

Tune into next week's episode on theme 2: Children's perceptions of power dynamics in society

If you enjoyed this episode you might also like to listen to Carmela's previous episode with Zanna Clarke, Principal of Miss Daisy’s Nursery Schools, on 'Life skills over academic achievement' - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/life-skills-over-academic-achievement/ 

Episode break down:

00:00 - Exposing children to social issues
03:40 - Using drama to understand poverty and race
05:00 - Children from a privileged background
08:00 - Bridging the gap between play and real life
09:30 - Children's comments around poverty
14:20 - What does it feel like to have no water?
17:40 - Why are books not enough for understanding complex issues?
21:45 - Introducing challenging topics sensitively 
23:00 - Racism is socially constructed
26:00 - Children naturally hold positive views around diversity
29:45 - What does it feel like not to speak a shared language?
35:30 - Exposure to diversity is vital
37:45 - Supporting parents in feeling comfortable to talk about race and poverty
40:00 - Episode summary
45:00 - Next episode...

For more episodes visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

This is the first episode in a research series around education for social sustainability by Carmela Garcia Manas. Carmela is the Headmistress of Miss Daisy’s Chelsea and PhD researcher at University of Dundee, she introduces her PhD research in this episode, and breaks down the findings into several themes in the follow up episodes. 

To read Carmela's article visit: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/education-for-social-sustainability-through-sociodramatic-play/ 

Tune into next week's episode on theme 1: Children's perceptions of race and poverty

If you enjoyed this episode you might also like to listen to Carmela's previous episode with Zanna Clarke, Principal of Miss Daisy’s Nursery Schools, on 'Life skills over academic achievement' - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/life-skills-over-academic-achievement/ 

Episode break down:

00:00 - Why did you conduct this research and what was your goal? 
02:40 - What are the 3 dimensions of sustainability?
04:10 - Addressing complex issues with children
05:40 - Are we taking away the innocence of childhood?
09:00 - Exposing children to new situations
10:25 - What is sociodramatic play?
14:00 - Children taking an active role as co-researchers
15:30 - Seeing childhood as a permanent structure
16:20 - Fighting for children's rights, social sustainability and social transformation
18:00 - Sustainability missing from the EYFS
22:20 - Upskilling educators in social sustainability
26:00 - Raising future politicians, scientists, educators...
27:35 - Children's understanding of race
29:25 - Challenging misconceptions and stereotypes
30:25 - Empowering children to have a voice and speak out
31:45 - The context of Carmela's research
35:10 - Next episode...

For more episodes visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

This podcast episode is the first in a series focused around men in early years. 

An honest, reflective account of what it is like for a man to work in early years. Kevin Nelson shares his personal journey, including the honest truths in the podcast episode. Kevin also poses ideas of how we can encourage more men to choose the early years as a career, or even a stepping stone. 

To read Kevin's article visit: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/what-is-it-like-being-a-man-in-early-childhood/ 

Support for men:

To support men in early childhood further, we have partnered with Male Childcare & Teaching Jobs as part of this episode and ongoing podcast series on 'men in early childhood'.

Male Childcare and Teaching Jobs advocate for greater male participation in education and caregiving roles, offering support and guidance to enhance gender inclusion in nurseries and schools.
To find out more visit: https://malechildcareandteachingjobs.co.uk/ 

Listen to more:

If you enjoyed this episode you might also like to listen to 'Advocacy, agency and rights in early childhood' - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/advocacy-agency-and-rights-in-early-childhood/ 

Episode break down:

00:00 - The same questions, the same answers
01:50 - Are we missing something?
02:50 - The stigma associated with working in early years
04:35 - 'I was called a paedophile'
06:30 - 'Banter' and toxic masculinity
09:20 - Inside the football changing room: There's no barriers
10:40 - Skills taken into early years from football
11:20 - Do we value men in early years for who they are?
12:35 - The cultural capital you bring with you
13:40 - Creating unity within the workplace
15:00 - Similarities between football and early years
17:00 - Men take longer to mature
19:10 - What is developmentally appropriate for young men?
21:00 - The career options with early years
23:30 - Men being promoted: We need to celebrate this
25:40 - How can men empathise women if they don't work with them?
26:20 - Personal growth through working with women
27:10 - Working with empowering and inspiring women in early years
30:30 - 'My mum is my absolute hero'
31:30 - Appreciating and empathising with women
34:20 - If you want to develop empathy, work in the early years!
36:40 - Early years gives you a clearer look at life
38:00 - Giving men safe spaces to be vulnerable and open up
41:40 - Sharing personal journeys
43:20 - 'I was told not to change nappies' 
46:50 - Having to 'prove yourself' as a man in early years
48:15 - A supportive team around you
49:25 - So...how DO we recruit more men into early years?
51:30 - Becoming a first time dad: The lack of support for men
52:35 - The vast skills men develop from working in early years: Personal and professional
53:40 - Advocating for men in early years
56:40 - Having more of these conversations outside of early years too

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

Do we focus too much on academic success over life skills? This is certainly the case in many prep schools. Zanna Clarke, Principal of Miss Daisy’s Nursery Schools, and Carmela Garcia Manas, Headmistress of Miss Daisy’s Chelsea and PhD researcher at University of Dundee, discuss the challenges they navigate around societal and parental expectations when working in the more privileged areas of London.

To read Carmela's and Zanna's article visit: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

If you enjoyed this epside you might also like to listen to Matt Bawler's episode on 'Growth mindset in early childhood' - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/growth-mindset-in-early-childhood/ 

Episode break down:

00:00 - Miss Daisy's Nursery Schools
03:00 - A privileged area of London
04:50 - Prep schools have quite a formal assessment process
06:50 - Life skills should be the focus over academic achievement
09:50 - Early childhood pioneers focused on play based life skills
11:10 - The ability to adapt requires the development of life skills
12:00 - We don't know future jobs that might exist
15:00 - Seeing children as citizens and individuals in their own right
19:00 - Adults and children as co-constructors of knowledge
20:50 - A process of mutual transformation
21:40 - Children need to understand why they are asked to do things
24:00 - Learning life skills through day to day routines
26:55 - Involving children in their local community
31:00 - Blending home and school/nursery
32:50 - Focusing on the local more than the wider community
33:45 - Navigating challenges around parent expectations
36:30 - Knowing where every child needs to be challenged

For more episodes visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

This is a very special episode which marks 1 year of The Voice of Early Childhood (TVOEC) since launching in April 2023. Which is why things are flipped and our usual host is the guest this time! Adam Marycz speaks to the Founder of TVOEC: Angelica Celinska.

They begin with the values and vision of TVOEC, where it all began and why, as well as the challenges along the way. This episode is a very open and honest discussion, with an inside look at TVOEC - Adam asks Angelica unexpected questions on her own podcast, such as 'Are you scared of offending people?', and 'Do you have any regrets?'. This leads onto addressing the challenges faced on a personal level, including exposing yourself when you are an entrepreneur, challenging the system, going against the norm, and even dealing with upsetting people by seemingly doing the right thing and giving everyone a voice. Tune into this raw, deep and insightful episode. 

To find out and listen to more visit: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

Episode break down:

00:00 - The Voice of Early Childhood is 1 years old
04:18 - What is TVOEC and what are it's values?
05:10 - Accessibility for all: Bridging the gap between academia and practice
07:25 - Open access articles: Free for everyone
08:20 - Inclusive: Everyone is welcome and encouraged to share their voice 
08:55 - The pillars TVOEC is built on
09:45 - The role of reflection: Learning doesn't happen without reflection
10:50 - Equipping parents to be the best they can be for their children
14:00 - Parents feeling welcomed and that they belong here
15:50 - There's still a lot of work to do with parents feeling comfortable
18:00 - Why and how was TVOEC created? From concept to launch
24:30 - Controversial and uncomfortable conversations
27:30 - Dealing with criticism as an entrepreneur: The risks involved 
30:55 - Are you scared of offending people?
33:00 - The feeling of responsibility in protecting my podcast guests and writers
35:00 - Things do become personal, especially in the early years sector! 
37:10 - Anxieties around pushing people away or splitting TVOEC's audience
40:31 - 'This is everything I have always wanted but...'. The challenges of owning a company
43:25 - The smallest criticism can destroy you as a business owner
43:59 - 'Is it even worth it?' What happens when you turn your passion into work
44:15 - Balancing your values with running a business
48:00 - How do you put your own conference together on your own?
51:00 - The challenges of a business owner: Having understanding and empathy of any business owner
52:30 - 'Why do I do this to myself?' Feeling like you are exposing yourself
53:30 - Constant self-criticism
54:30 - Dealing with long-term burnout
57:00 - 'You can't allow yourself to fall apart as a business owner, as a podcast host...'
01:02:55 - Do you have any regrets?
01:04:15 - 'If it's going to destroy me then I won't exist to carry it on...'
01:05:00 - 'I want to be ok as a person'
01:05:00 - The toll on mental health and relationships
01:07:05 - Having to drop the perfectionist mindset
01:07:40 - When do you quit?
01:10:20 - Change, evolution and growth
01:12:30 - What is the future of TVOEC?
01:16:00 - Adam's role as part of TVOEC's future
01:17:35 - 'If you don't start this now then someone else will'.
01:17:35 - 1 year anniversary GIVEAWAY! 

For more episodes visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

Enya Last talks to Angelica about educator and employee wellbeing. Enya is the co-owner of Enya's Childcare which she started with her husband. She shares with us her personal journey as a business owner and leader, and provides us with tips on how to support your team's wellbeing. 

This episode is in partnership with Edufeel - Edufeel is committed to increasing the mental health literacy of our workforce and creating zero stigma to safeguard the wellbeing of educators for the present and the future. Learn how your educators feel through daily check-ins and get the analytics you need to increase well-being, build a better setting culture and improve outcomes for children. To find out more visit: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/partners/ 

Episode break down:

00:00 - Why are we talking about educator wellbeing?
01:30 - Building your team is a labour of love
02:20 - You're not interviewing just an educator but a human being
03:30 - Bringing your whole self to work
04:50 - We care for our employees - without your team you don't have a nursery
05:20 - You have to be the pillar of strength 100% of the time as a leader
06:45 - Leaders should show their vulnerability
08:40 - The team supporting the leader
09:40 - Why did you create Edufeel?
10:25 - Daily check-ins 
11:55 - Unspoken dialogue is important
12:45 - Baboons and humans - what do they have in common?
14:00 - Educators come across as unicorns with no problems
15:15 - Stress is contagious - both for other adults and children
16:15 - It's not always about offering solutions all the time
17:30 - Stigma is suffocating
18:30 - The cycles of mental health
19:40 - The 'Sunday scaries' and seasonal depression
21:30 - Leaning into mental health cycles and patterns
22:20 - But are we opening up a can of worms?
22:50 - Focus on the long term with your team
24:20 - Don't allow bottling - create space for challenging conversations
25:10 - A wellbeing category for every staff meeting
26:00 - Staff meeting tip 1: What do you admire about yourself?
26:50 - Staff meeting tip 2: Silent human knot challenge (constant unspoken problem solving)
27:55 - Staff meeting tip 3: The power of play for adults and not just children
29:00 - Staff meeting tip 4: Show and tell
30:39 - Self-care is not always the nice fluffy stuff
31:50 - Help your team to get things off their shoulders
32:40 - A wellbeing evening: Allowing your team to take time for themselves
35:00 - Employees, ask yourselves: Is this a healthy place for me to be? Does it have a detrimental effect on me? 
36:07 - Employers, ask yourselves: What is making people stay here? How consistent are you with your wellbeing approach?
37:00 - Is your wellbeing approach embedded?
37:40 - 1 in 4 of the early years workforce are considering leaving the sector due to stress or mental health difficulties
39:00 - If you can't self-regulate then how on earth are you going to co-regulate?
39:50 - Passionate, well qualified, amazing educators are leaving the sector
43:30 - Sharing your feelings or your mental state provides a sense of releif
45:15 - Knowing your team's love language
46:00 - Praise and feeling valued is vital: Send a letter of appreciation
48:00 - A happy team is good for business
49:00 - Knowing your team's individual needs, just like the unique child
50:50 - Identify emerging patterns in the team e.g. do you need to arrange a sleep workshop for your team?
52:00 - Looking at individualised and wider team data you can rely on as an owner or manager
54:00 - Does this feel intrusive?
54:50 - Return on investment? The proof is that your team is staying: You can't put a figure on wellbeing and mental health
56:15 - The need to feel heard and know that people are aware of how you are feeling
01:00:50 - Supporting new members of staff to settle and feel welcome
01:02:40 - You are within your rights to have wellbeing support from your employer

For more episodes visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

Anne Brass and Jan Dubiel introduce the Durham Early Years Curriculum Project. This project involves 26 schools across Durham, focusing on strengthening purposeful curriculum design and implementation, and empowering leaders and educators in creating meaningful contexts for progressive teaching and learning. 

This episode is the first in a series on Education Durham, an ongoing project with Durham Education and Coram Hempsall's. Upcoming episodes and articles will include project progress through educator voices. To find out more about the project visit: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/projects/education-durham-project/ 

Episode break down:

00:00 - Curriculum project introduction
07:00 - Senior leadership teams understanding early years curricula
08:50 - Increasing number of 2-year-olds in school provision
13:00 - Educator agency, autonomy and confidence in curriculum development
16:10 - Defining and understanding the term curriculum
17:20 - A curriculum is not just 'planning'
19:00 - Understanding sequencing of learning
22:15 - What we can all learn from special educational needs schools
23:20 - Network meetings within the project
26:35 - Learning behaviours within the curriculum
30:20 - The EYFS is about teaching children how to learn
32:30 - Developing the architecture of being a learner
34:32 - Curriculum project session 2
35:00 - Educator voices as part of the project
39:00 - Ongoing project progression

For more episodes visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

Greshma Momaya and Angelica Celinska discuss gender equality in early childhood classrooms and settings. Greshma shares practice from her school in India, providing examples and tips on how to ensure we not only promote gender equality, but also notice when we unknowingly might place or communicate gender bias. They discuss a gender neutral curriculum, challenging your own deep rooted, subconscious gender biases and much more. 

Episode break down:

00:00 - Greshma's 'why'
02:37 - Children's understanding of gender roles
08:34 - Gender stereotypical story characters 
10:00 - An overfocus on physical appearance 
12:10 - A gender neutral curriculum
14:54 - Educators checking in on their own gender bias
17:57 - Addressing behaviour inconsistently
21:25 - Are we living up to our values and beliefs?
22:40 - Professional challenge and creating safe spaces
24:21 - Representing diverse family structures
28:05 - Aligning the curriculum with children's direct experiences
31:00 - 'Give children global boots with local roots' - Sugata Mitra
32:50 - Working with resource companies and book publishers
34:50 - Challenging traditional language 
36:50 - The current context in India
38:30 - Respecting families' choices and preferences
41:15 - Famous and historical figures being more gender equal
43:55 - Setting boundaries and systems to promote gender equality
45:40 - 3 steps in checking your own gender bias

For more episodes visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

Feeling helpless and lacking control in your own learning and wider life seems to be a common attribute being noticed in children and young people currently. It is important to begin unpicking this from early childhood…Dr Sue Allingham reflects on how the EYFS Characteristics of effective teaching and learning are supporting children to be resilient and build a growth mindset…yet what goes wrong the minute they step into a school?

Read Sue’s article:

Learned helplessness: Are we setting children up for failure? – 

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/learned-helplessness/  

Listen to more:

If you enjoyed this episode you might also like:

Life skills over academic achievement with Zanna Clarke and Carmela Garcia Manas -  

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/life-skills-over-academic-achievement/

Growth mindset in early childhood with Matt Bawler - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/growth-mindset-in-early-childhood/

Self-efficacy in young children with Maureen Hunt - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/self-efficacy-in-young-children/

Starting from the child? With Professor Julie Fisher - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/starting-from-the-child/

Telling hopeful stories of advocacy, agency and rights in ECEC with Dr Jo Albin-Clark and Dr Nathan Archer - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/advocacy-agency-and-rights-in-early-childhood/

It’s not really about dinosaurs with Jan Dubiel - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/early-years-curriculum/

Essential skills for social sustainability with Carmela Garcia Manas - https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/essential-skills-for-social-sustainability/

 Episode break down:

00:00 – What is ‘learned helplessness?’
05:45 – Characteristics of effective teaching and learning
06:45 – What goes wrong the minute they step into a school?
07:20 – Preconceived curricula
08:40 – Sustained shared thinking
09:15 – Are we setting children up for failure?
09:35 – The opposite of learned helplessness
11:50 – A societal slide towards learned helplessness
12:10 – What is this like in university? – Is it a ‘Covid thing?’
17:35 – The impact of mental health
20:15 – Equipping children with skills to deal with emotions
24:10 – Maths and learned helplessness
27:00 – Are we limiting children’s capabilities?
29:00 – Age related expectations
31:30 – Developing life skills
33:20 – Pushing children to progress without breaking them!
40:45 – Development before progress…
42:25 – Is it easier to follow a scheme than set your own planning?
48:10 – Problematising learned helplessness further
51:20 – Admitting that we as adults are wrong
55:45 – Skills for school or skills for life?
57:55 – Developmentally appropriate vs informed practice
59:35 – Further listening and reading linked to this topic
01:02:20 – A space for shared reflection…

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

Dr Stella Louis provides an overview around the grounding elements of the Froebelian approach. This includes unity and connectedness, observations and the role of the adult. The key messages are: starting from the child by observing what they already know and can do, having a good understanding of children's development and focusing on how children learn rather than what children learn. 

To learn more about Friedrich Froebel and the Froebelian approach visit: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/early-childhood-pioneers/friedrich-froebel/ 

Episode break down:

01:25 - Unity and connectedness: Building on what children CAN do and already know
04:06 - Educational resources: Froebel's gifts and occupations
07:58 - The mother songs: Froebel's biggest contribution
10:43 - Physical development through the mother songs
13:00 - Childhood is a stage within its own right
16:15 - The role of the nurturing adult
19:26 - Real, tangible, first hand experiences
20:44 - Thinking beyond children's interests
24:10 - Respecting the process and not just focusing on the outcome
25:48 - Teachable moments come from knowing the child and community
28:35 - Knowledge of child development in curriculum building
30:06 - A summary of this episode 
31:55 - Dr Stella Louis' new book: Let's talk about race in the early years

For more episodes visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

Adam Marycz and Angelica Celinska discuss the divisive narrative between the early years sector and the Department for Education (DfE) and Ofsted. They discuss the challenging, unpleasant and damaging recent events around the education sector and Ofsted, including the case around Ruth Perry, the headteacher who took her own life, as well as the silencing of influential voices in the early years sector by the DfE. 

This is a podcast episode which is a challenging discussion, but it is highly required, as the time for change is now. This episode is steeped in shared reflection, challenge of both sides, critical analysis and pressing considerations for all stakeholders involved in early childhood. 

Read Adam Marycz's articles here: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/ofsteds-and-the-dfes-voices-must-be-heard-whether-we-like-them-or-not/ 

Share your voice with Ofsted here: https://us18.list-manage.com/survey?u=0b942007e0712713ed7c55937&id=c5d3c16df0&attribution=false 

The Voice of Early Childhood (TVOEC) will be collating voices from the sector to share with Ofsted as part of our advocacy stance.

Some of the thought-provoking points discussed are: 

01:20 - Ofsted's impact on educators
03:45 - Pausing inspections only for schools
07:10 - Childcare vs education? - Language matters!
16:40 - Banning early years specialists from speaking at events
20:10 - Is the sector's response helpful? 
21:10 - Ofsted need to attend events as delegates too
23:00 - Influential figures need to model professional dialogue
26:34 - Humanising Ofsted and the DfE
30:20 - Do we refuse Ofsted access to our settings?
32:54 - Chief Ofsted inspector Sir Martyn Oliver's response to pausing inspections
37:10 - How do we prevent anxiety around inspections?
37:40 - Let's listen to all voices and be uncomfortable in conversations
40:30 - We are inviting Ofsted onto The Voice of Early Childhood Podcast
42:40 - Ofsted's priorities - 'The Big Listen'
45:50 - Ofsted involving the early years sector in decision making processes
54:40 - Has a line been crossed too far?
59:37 - Share your views with Ofsted through The Voice of Early Childhood (TVOEC)
01:00:44 - Let's challenge each other and have active dialogue and professional debate

You can find more podcast episodes and articles on The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

Dr Kathryn Murray talks us through the Brain-SET Environments Formula, which is all about creating a calm learning environment through a skills based pedagogy. Dr Murray explains that it is much more than where you put the furniture; she shares with us a deeper look at creating learning environments with brain development at the centre.

Some of the thought-provoking points discussed are: 

00:30 - Dr Kathryn Murray's background
02:25 - The beginnings of Brain-SET
05:58 - Aesthetics of the learning environment
07:20 - Considering furniture in designing a learning environment
07:50 - Brain development as a big part in creating environments
10:00 - The environment is the 3rd teacher
12:13 - The structure of the brain
15:00 - What is 'foggy brain'?
16:00 - A calm brain is a thinking brain
17:09 - Multiple defined spaces are less threatening
19:20 - Using the language of learning
21:10 - Impacts of training in a 2-year-old room
23:50 - The brain doesn't do boring!
25:00 - Small spaces teach self-regulation/soft skills
27:15 - Decrease in behaviour issues
28:00 - Using interests to pull children into learning spaces
31:00 - Environments underpinned by research
52:58 - Freeflow rather than carouselling/rotation
36:11 - Brain-SET is a skills-based formula
37:35 - Learning ocurring naturally
38:15 - Continuous provision for repeating learning behaviours
39:50 - Carefully curating spaces to encourage skill development
42:52 - Seeing Brain-SET in action: The Astrea Academy Trust action research project

Read Dr Kathryn Murray's article and find out more about Brain-SET here:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/aligning-learning-environments-with-the-needs-of-the-brain/

You can find more podcast episodes and articles on The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

For 10% off our conference tickets visit: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/early-years-conference-2024/

If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like - 

• PE in early years with Josh Candy - www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/pe-in-early-years/ 
• Physical Development Early Learning Goals: What are they for? With Dr Lala Manners - www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/physical-development-goals-eyfs/ 

Dr Nalda Wainwright, Associate professor and Director of applied research academy for physical literacy at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, talks us through her research on the importance of motor skills development in early childhood for all future development and health. 

Some of the thought-provoking points discussed are: 

00:50 - Dr Nalda's research
02:00 - Introducing object control skills?
05:50 - A structured approach to physical development: The SKIP
08:30 - How has the SKIP programme affected children's development?
11:00 - The effects of chronic physical delay
14:17 - What are object control skills?
17:20 - The complex systems involved in learnng to catch
20:50 - Higher physical competence = higher academic outcomes
23:55 - Why are physical delays a new problem?
26:00 - What about formal sports activities?
33:40 - Training educators rather than bringing in external sports coaches
36:40 - Physical perception is one of the strongest drivers of self-esteem
37:30 - Children can't just do sport...
39:07 - Broad movement vocabulary
42:55 - Stillness is a skill
43:00 - Understanding children's development is VITAL
45:53 - Children judge play or work through physical activity
47:50 - CPD in children's development needs to be embedded in practice

Find out more on The Voice of Early Childhood website: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

For 10% off our conference tickets visit: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/early-years-conference-2024/

In this episode Jordan Tully, an experienced Head of Operations in early childhood, discusses business and profit in education, specifically focusing in on what growth and sustainability looks like, seeking out investment, staff recruitment, retention, working with your local community and marketing your setting. Some highlights include:

• Retention reducing unnecessary spend on recruitment
• Look at the person and not just the position you want to fill
• You can teach someone about the EYFS, you can teach someone to carry out observations...You can't teach someone how to care. 
• Seeing your staff as an investment in your setting - they are your biggest asset
• Providing parents with a service they can only say positive things about...
• Parents are the best advocates for your setting - positive parent partnerships affect so many parts of the business.
• Understanding your local community - it's vital to do research on your local community - is your setting a right fit for your community?
• A recruitment success story

Take a look below at all of the thought-provoking points addressed in this episode...

Episode breakdown: 

01:45 - Profit is a dirty word in education...
05:14 - How to secure funding
10:10 - Defining what business sustainability looks like
11:40 - Staff retention: A holistic approach
16:00 - Your staff are your biggest asset
18:07 - Enabling your staff to grow
19:30 - A recruitment success story
21:00 - Recruiting staff who are willing to learn
28:14 - Word of mouth is the best advertising
29:50 - A parent is a customer - a consumer of our services
33:10 - Recruiting staff from your local community
36:50 - Settings closing their business
39:25 - The employee has the greater say
40:45 - Part-time vs full-time staff
44:15 - Are other settings competition?
49:21 - Running a business is hard...

Find out more on The Voice of Early Childhood website: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

Book onto Prerna Richards' Online Webinar and Q+A on The Voice of Early Childhood www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/the-brain-behaviour-and-learning-connecting-the-dots 

For 10% off our conference tickets visit: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/early-years-conference-2024/

Prerna Richards is an early childhood education consultant who helps educators and parents/carers to understand children's behaviour and support their development of new skills required to change challenging behaviour. Prerna shares with us some 'aha' moments through real life examples of children, educators and parents, and offers practical solutions to try. The main takeaway from this episode is that you can't use shame or punishment to change children's behaviour, to change behaviour you need to teach a skill. Essentially, replacing an unhealthy or challenging behaviour with a learnt skill...but how do we do this?

Take a look below at all of the thought-provoking points addressed in this episode...

Episode breakdown: 

00:49 - The 3 brain states
02:50 - The 7 F's displayed through behaviour
06:50 - Empowering children in communicating their need for space
09:25 - Dealing with biting
13:35 - The more you correct, the less you connect...
14:50 - You have to DSD...
20:00 - You have to play detective!
21:24 - Supporting a frightened child
22:44 - Fear creates a frozen brain
25:00 - Children lie when they are scared
25:35 - Fawning/people pleasing as a fear response
28:05 - 'You are safe, I'm here to help you'
29:58 - Switching from the survival to the emotional brain
31:25 - Asking for the child's voice
32:15 - Struggling as a mother and a teacher
34:15 - The problem with gentle parenting
35:25 - The need to be seen, heard, loved
36:50 - The 9 minute magic for parents and educators
39:32 - The learning brain - an evolving space
40:40 - 'Download your calm, don't upload their stress'
41:12 - Asking the 3 vital questions to 
42:18 - The power of 'SAIL'
42:45 - The power of 'yet'
43:40 - Reflecting on a more personal level
45:44 - Children are born capable and intelligent
46:15 - Equipping children with life skills
47:00 - Changing the world by starting with the early years
47:25- Language to articulate, to understand and to be aware

Find out more on The Voice of Early Childhood website: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

If you liked this episode you might also like 'The brain that loves to play' with Dr Jacqueline Harding: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/the-brain-that-loves-to-play/ 

Ben Kingston-Hughes will be presenting a keynote session at The Voice of Early Childhood Conference on 16th March 2024. Be sure not to miss out! 

For 10% off our conference tickets visit: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/early-years-conference-2024/

Ben Kingston-Hughes talks about giving children the chance to be children through experiencing more moments of joy in their lives. Ben gives us insight into the work he does with vulnerable children and the knowledge he has from neuroscience as he explains the power of play, humour, laughter and imagination.

Take a look below at all of the thought-provoking points addressed in this episode...

Episode breakdown: 

00:41 - Why children need joy
01:40 - The English curriculum - EYFS - doesn't mention the word 'joy'
03:12 - A real example of joy changing lives
05:30 - The catastrophic effects on children who don't experience joy
06:20 - Humour and laughter helps to embed learning
09:20 - Immersive narratives: What does this mean?
12:50 - Supporting children's confidence through imagination
14:38 - What's the difference between creativity and imagination
21:24 - The pleasure of writing books
22:30 - The healing power of imagination
25:44 - Why adult's should initiate play, particularly for vulnerable children
27:54 - Creating an environment which makes children feel secure and comfortable
30:52 - Have you forgotten to tell your face to smile? - Consciously checking your body language

32:41 - A funny and embarrassing story from Ben to make us all laugh! 

Find out more on The Voice of Early Childhood website: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

Kinderly Learn proudly sponsors this podcast with Dr Valerie Daniel - one of Kinderly Learn’s regular expert speakers and authors.

To find out more about Kinderly Learn, visit www.kinderly.co.uk/cpd-training

For 10% off our conference tickets visit: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/early-years-conference-2024/. 

Dr Valerie Daniel discusses creative pedagogical practices - From being responsive to children's needs and constructing the curriculum to leadership and the pressures of school improvement. 

Take a look below at all of the thought-provoking points addressed in this episode...

Episode breakdown: 

00:50 - What are creative pedagogical practices?
02:20 - Prescriptive practice
04:40 - Building a curriculum and setting ethos
08:37 - Your learning community
13:33 - Explorers, researchers and inventors
16:01 - Letting go of control
18:17 - Working within the constraints of legislation
25:55 - Don't assume children are too young
31:45 - Navigating the early years landscape
39:01 - The pressures of school improvement
41:22 - Learning from others and good quality CPD
47:00 - The value of being challenged as a leader
52:53 - Seeing yourself as an imperfect leader

Find out more on The Voice of Early Childhood website: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

For 10% off our conference tickets visit: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/early-years-conference-2024/

In this series on the science behind outdoor play Angelica talks to Gemma Goldenberg who is researching how indoor and outdoor environments affect children's stress, attention and self-regulated behaviour.

In this episode, part 4 of the series, Gemma shares her results around children's behaviour and attention during and after outdoor and indoor sessions. Gemma and Angelica discuss the findings in more depth, beyond the general trends, which raises implications for wider educational research as well as pedagogy in classrooms around 'controlling' children's behaviour, looking at averages in data and listening to children's preferences when it comes to their own individual learning. 

Episode breakdown:

01:10 - What we already know about impacts of the outdoors on attention
03:30 - Individual differences and preferences
04:45 - Controlling measures in the research study
06:00 - How do we measure behaviour and attention?
14:32 - Implications for 'good listening'
17:20 - Did you find what you expected to find in the research?
18:30 - What use is identifying the average and looking at general data/trends?
21:00 - Implications for educational research
23:00 - Preference impacts learning: Listening to children's preferences matters!
26:40 - What do teachers need to control and when can they release control?

Listen to the full 4-part series and read Gemma's articles on:

The Voice of Early Childhood website: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

This episode is sponsored by Learniture - Experts in the design of educational furniture for settings and schools who recognise that learning environments can positively impact achievement.

To find out more about Learniture, visit www.learniture.co.uk

For 10% off our conference tickets visit: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/early-years-conference-2024/. 

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like:

Tricia Mohamed's episode on:

The skill of observation -www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/the-skill-of-observation

Let's flip practice on its head - instead of a 'language rich environment', how about we have an environment which doesn't rely on language? Angelica has a conversation with Marlis Juerging-Coles who gives us a different perspective on language, and really challenges common practices. Take a look below at all of the thought-provoking points addressed in this episode...

Episode breakdown: 

01:27 - Three common factors in supporting language
02:55 - Language is our social currency
05:05 - Should we use the child's first language in settings?
12:54 - Tokenism and cultural differences
17:00 - An environment that doesn't rely on language
20:17 - No child has chosen to be at your setting
25:50 - Does it matter if children don't use English?
28:40 - Achieving deep level learning
32:27 - Creating an environment which doesn't rely on language
36:30 - Don't be too quick to make changes...
39:00 - Involving children in constructing their environment
43:00 - Getting to know and respecting families' preferences
48:40 - Reflection and asking questions is not a negative
51:37 - What would you say to Ofsted?

Read Marlis' article and find out more on The Voice of Early Childhood website: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

What is the ‘right time’ to start encouraging reading? What if my child is not showing any interest at all? These are some of the questions addressed in the episode and article by Stacy Benge. You will also gain insight into vestibular and proprioceptive systems, crossing the midline, using print in meaningful contexts, attributing meaning to marks, learning to tune into and distinguish between sounds, developing phonological awareness and visual perception, discriminating between marks and following the child’s cues.

Read Stacy’s article:

My child can’t read yet –  https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/my-child-cant-read-yet/

Listen to more:

If you enjoyed this episode you might also like:

Supporting families in understanding phonics through music with Tasha Bretten –  

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/supporting-families-in-understanding-phonics-through-music/

My child can’t write yet with Helen Battelley – https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/my-child-cant-write-yet-the-foundations-of-early-writing/

Episode break down:

00:00 – Why are we addressing this topic?
04:09 – The ‘earlier is better’ myth

07:00 – Seeing literacy as development rather than teaching
07:34 – Connections between physical development & literacy
10:44 – Practical tips for parents
13:28 – Don’t risk squashing the love for learning
14:20 – When do we know when it’s ‘the right time’ to start reading?
19:15 – Encourage children to tune into sounds around them
21:00 – Making sure your child is present and taking in their surroundings
22:00 – Does technology diminish opportunities for literacy learning?
25:03 – Consistency is key – Working with your child’s nursery/school
28:58 – Does your child understand what they are learning?
30:27 – Stepping back and allowing for ‘development to happen’
31:26 – Input from the adult vs child-led learning
33:45 – What if my child shows no interest in literacy?
37:02 – Trusting your child
38:00 – Biggest takeaways…

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

For 10% off our conference tickets visit: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/early-years-conference-2024/. 

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like:

David Wright's episode on:

Early childhood centres as places of influence, restoration and hope -

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/early-childhood-centres-as-places-of-influence-restoration-and-hope/ 

On this first episode of 2024 Angelica talks to Dr Jo Albin-Clark and Dr Nathan Archer on the topic of advocacy and activism in early childhood. Jo and Nathan share the work they do with educators on day to day acts of activism and ethical subversions in practice. A number of topics are brought into this episode, including early childhood pioneers, both past and present, as well as democracy, citizenship and identity.

Episode breakdown: 

02:12 - The history of advocacy and activism in early childhood 
04:10 - What does advocacy look like today?
06:00 - Advocacy as an everyday occurrence
07:00 - Resistance practices
08:42 - Bringing together theory, practice and academia
09:46 - Challenging pioneering theorists
13:58 - The word pioneer: Reconfiguring this term
15:27 - Critical awareness around policy as a bedrock for advocacy
16:57 - The importance of collectivising
18:25 - The barriers to collectivising
19:34 - The risks involved in advocacy and activism
22:50 - Acknowledging acts of advocacy
28:44 - The power of storytelling/sharing around day to day practice
32:10 - Examples of advocacy in practice
36:20 - The recipe for advocacy in early childhood
38:15 - Recognising and celebrating play alongside families and children
42:03 - Educators' professional identities
44:12 - Citizenship and sustainability
46:48 - Engaging in dialogue with wider society 
49:50 - A polarised society

Find out more on The Voice of Early Childhood website: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

For 10% off our conference tickets visit: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/early-years-conference-2024/

In this series on the science behind outdoor play Angelica talks to Gemma Goldenberg who is researching how indoor and outdoor environments affect children's stress, attention and self-regulated behaviour.

In this episode, part 3 of the series, Gemma shares with us the first set of results from her research around noise levels indoors vs outdoors and the levels of stress children experience from noisy environments.

Gemma and Angelica discuss:

01:26 - Not enough information around why noise levels matter
02:14 - Tuning into speech is not fully developed until age 14
05:15 - Measuring noise levels in classrooms
06:20 - Sound proofing classrooms and improving their acoustic quality
14:32 - Are outdoor classrooms really quieter than indoors?
22:36 - The impact of noise levels on children's stress levels
25:24 - External influences on the findings
29:20 - Statistical significant findings and impact on practice and policy
30:00 - Further data from this study and Gemma's research journey

In part 4 Gemma will share with us further results of her research:
- How being outdoors affected children’s attention
- How being outdoors affected children’s behaviour

Listen to the full series and read Gemma's articles on:

The Voice of Early Childhood website: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

For 10% off our conference tickets visit: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/early-years-conference-2024/. 

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like:

Jan Dubiel's episode on: It’s not really about dinosaurs - www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/early-years-curriculum

On this episode Angelica talks to Ruth Swailes, Early Years Advisor and Curriculum Developer, and Jan Dubiel, Early Years Advisor with a specialism in pedagogy, assessment and curriculum development.

The idea of a curriculum in early years is still an uncomfortable one for many early years practitioners. In this episode, Jan Dubiel and Ruth Swailes unpick what an early years curriculum is, what considerations go into the construction of an early years curriculum, the recording and updating of it, and the challenges which exist in practice and around the concept of curricula.

Episode breakdown: 

01:30 - The notion of a curriculum being scary and an intimidating term
03:49 - The difference between curriculum and pedagogy
04:45 - What we want children to learn vs what children learn
06:49 - Curriculum from an early years lens
09:55 - Is 'the child' the curriculum? Is child development part of curricula?
14:30 - The role of dispositions and attitudes, and learning behaviours
18:20 - Coverage and depth of curriculum - deep level and surface level learning
19:30 - Development Matters is not a curriculum
22:30 - Educators' ownership of the curriculum
23:20 - The need for training and experience in implementing curricula
25:00 - Constructing your curriculum is a valuable process
29:28 - Does the curriculum need to be fluid or is it about flexible pedagogy?
40:00 - Curriculum sequencing and recording
40:25 - The curriculum hasn't met your children - you have
44:45 - Educator autonomy, confidence and knowledge
46:12 - Wellbeing at the heart of curricula
48:25 - Assertiveness for educators: Advocating for early years

Find out more on The Voice of Early Childhood website: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

For 10% off our conference tickets visit: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/early-years-conference-2024/. 

In this series on the science behind outdoor play Angelica talks to Gemma Goldenberg who is researching how indoor and outdoor environments affect children's stress, attention and self-regulated behaviour.

In this episode, part 2 of the series, Gemma discusses the challenges faced throughout the data collection and how the children and educators reacted to her research during the implementation of the methods.

Gemma and Angelica discuss:

02:00 - A recap of the research methods
03:55 - Challenges around wearable devices
05:33 - Making children feel more comfortable during research
11:10 - Researcher positionality and self reflection
11:54 - Researching with children and educators, not on them
14:10 - The practicalities of researching in classrooms
15:51 - Instant impact on practice
17:25 - What's to come in the next episode

In part 3 Gemma will share with us the results of her research:
-    Whether children are noisier and more stressed indoors or outside
-    How being outdoors affected children’s attention
-    How being outdoors affected children’s behaviour

Listen to the full series and read Gemma's articles on:

The Voice of Early Childhood website: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

For 10% off our conference tickets visit: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/early-years-conference-2024/. 

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like:

Matt Bawler's episode on: Growth mindset in early childhood - www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/growth-mindset-in-early-childhood/ 

Maureen Hunt's episode on: Self-efficacy in young children - www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/self-efficacy-in-young-children/ 

This episode details:

On this episode Angelica talks to Dr Jacqueline Harding, International Child Development Specialist, Research Fellow at Middlesex University, Chair of Bright Start Foundation.

Jacqueline and Angelica discuss: 

01:13 - What do we mean by 'play'? 
02:48 - Play is far from JUST fun...
04:35 - Play as a buffer against stress
05:27 - The power of the smile: Social interactions and connection
09:00 - Mirroring and sustained shared thinking: What happens in the brain during this?
11:25 - Neuroplasticity, celebrating our lives and promoting positivity 
13:18 - Creativity and imagination as vital skills for now and the future
19:54 - Play poverty and its long term effects
22:35 - The state of flow and the brain
29:00 - Brain and body working in harmony
30:43 - Adults focusing on their own needs to be able to give more to children
33:50 - Reflective questioning and unpicking research
35:11 - Becoming experts via observations
39:15 - Building resilience through play
40:35 - Advocacy, protecting play and research informed practice
43:00 - What activities help brain growth? - Laughter as an under-researched area

Read Jacqueline's article and find out more on The Voice of Early Childhood website: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

In this series on the science behind outdoor play Angelica talks to Gemma Goldenberg who is researching how indoor and outdoor environments affect children's stress, attention and self-regulated behaviour.

In this episode, part 1 of the series, Gemma gives us an introduction to her research, including a look at the methods she decided to use and unpicking some of the decisions and complexities around this. 

The discussion focuses on making research accessible to a wider audience, specifically to those outside of academia, namely families and educators. As well as ensuring that research findings reach policy makers and have an impact on practice sooner rather than later, as is often the case. 

Gemma and Angelica discuss:

00:56 - Making research more accessible for educators and parents
03:30 - The problem with research being shared on social media
05:58 - Why is research not influencing policy and practice quicker?
10:00 -  Researcher bias and choosing methods carefully
14:30 - Controlling variables for accurate findings
19:00 - Measuring self-regulation
24:33 - Mixed methods research
26:19 - Educators shaping research: A two-way dialogue 
27:50 - Ethics: Parental and informed consent
29:45 - Researching in areas of disadvantage

In part 2 Gemma will share with us how children and educators reacted to her research process and some of the challenges the project faced.

Read Gemma's articles and find out more on The Voice of Early Childhood website: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

On this episode Angelica talks to Di Chilvers, who is an Independent Advisory Consultant in early childhood education having worked in the early years sector for over 45 years as a Nursery Nurse, Teacher, Senior Lecturer, Adviser and National Strategies Regional Adviser. 

Di has created an assessment tool called the Development Map, which is a holistic, child centred way of mapping children’s development and progress. She is also the creator of The Observation Toolkit, which she touches on in this episode.

Angelica asks Di - what should we choose to observe? We are constantly observing children, but what should we really focus on? How do we know what children's interests truly are, and which ones should we follow? And amongst all of the workload pressures, what and how do we record and document our observations?

Di talks about observation in action, activity based interests, 'interests in motion', a fluid curriculum, working theories and much more...

Episode breakdown: 

02:30 - The starting point is observations
06:27 - Observation, assessment and planning at the centre
07:00 - Child-centred practice through the lens of observations
09:10 -  Statutory duty to observe - Observe, assess, plan
10:00 - Observing during continuous provision is vital
11:10 - Should we observe during pre-prepared activities?
13:00 - Observing for outcomes and statements
16:30 - Observation in action - What does it actually look like?
18:20 - The traditional view of how we record observations
20:00 - You don't need to write all observations down
24:20 - Working smarter not harder!
25:20 - Documenting with photos
28:30 - Observations and interests informing the curriculum
29:20 - A fluid curriculum and letting observations spiral
30:50 - Learning in action boards
32:50 - Activity based interests and superficial observations
35:00 - Working theories and 'interests in motion'
40:00 - Floor books and observation, assessment and planning in action
41:40 - Children's Development Maps and The Observation Toolkit
44:45 - Can you talk about your observations to parents, your SLT and Ofsted

47:20 - Observing children is a privilege - Listening to children's voices
47:40 - The pedagogy of listening - The 100 languages

Find out more on The Voice of Early Childhood website: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

Stephanie Hammond and Angelica Celinska critically discuss early literacy provision and the teaching of phonics, really unpicking how children learn to read.

They discuss practitioner skills and confidence in challenging 'tick list practices', child-led vs adult-led learning, activities set up for adult purposes in terms of testing for specific outcomes and observations, rather than for the value of the learning in the moment for the children. As well as rich language environments, expectations of phonics schemes, reductionist phonics set ups and the 'catch up' narrative.

Episode breakdown: 

00:30 - DfE Literacy Specialist 
03:00 - Learning from practice
04:55 - Are we 'experts' or 'specialists'?
08:00 - Letters in a sand tray are like worksheets 
11:30 - Tick list and outcomes based practice
18:00 - Skilled adults supporting phonological awareness
19:45 - Senior leadership teams and Ofsted
22:00 - Are we interacting or interfering in learning?
23:40 - 'Quick wins' and contradictory information
25:25 - The reading framework
27:50 - Top down pressures and school readiness
31:15 - Strong phonics start in Reception
34:39 - Do children really need to 'catch up'?
42:55 - Phonics schemes and adult-led teaching
45:35 - Picking up literacy in the environment
46:50 - Language rich environment
48:55 - Expectations of phonics schemes
51:35 - Being open to being challenged and reflective

Take a look at Stephanie's article and read more around early literacy and language development: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

Where is AI's place in early years?...Joshua Barr and Angelica Celinska critically discuss the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in early years, specifically for observing children. They question whether AI can act as the 3rd teacher in the classroom, and also as a digital colleague for educators.

The discussion centres around the opportunities of AI, many of which are still untapped in education, but also the need to use AI as an aid to teaching, rather than replacing the teacher - AI is a great addition to teaching, but we must view AI through a critical lens.

Joshua and Angelica further discuss the scripted vs the unscripted classroom - likening AI to educational frameworks. 

Episode breakdown: 

02:20 - Where is AI's place in early years? 
04:30 - Using AI for observations
05:25 - Is AI the 3rd teacher in the classroom?
06:35 - Using AI to support the educator
10:40 - Using AI critically
13:40 - Is technology replacing the teacher?
19:00 - Having a conversation with AI
22:20 - Is the use of AI similar to using educational frameworks?
25:52 - Looking at things from different perspectives with the use of AI
27:50 - AI for CPD and as a 'critical friend'
30:22 - Generating new ideas with AI
32:18 - Getting started with AI

Take a look at Joshua's article with examples of how he uses AI for observations: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

Shardi Vaziri and Angelica Celinska critically discuss tuff trays specifically in relation to maths, which is the area of learning most prone to setting up tuff trays as large scale worksheets. They unpick the problems with 'tuff tray maths' - from stifling children's creativity to unethical practice around the use of food in play. How children can be supported to learn abstract mathematical concepts in context are also discussed, as well as the practicalities of using tuff trays, the dangers of 'pinterest pedagogy' and 'the social media trap', as well as thinking about intent and 'the why' behind our set ups, environments and day to day decisions.

Episode breakdown: 

02:00 - Tuff trays as large scale worksheets
05:00 - Learning maths concepts in context
06:10 - Does this activity need to be in a tuff tray?
07:50 - Not enough open-ended play
09:30 - What is your intent? 
10:30 - Messy play: The practicalities of tuff trays
11:45 - Inviting set ups and 'Pinterest pedagogy'
12:55 - Knowing your why
14:30 - Have we gone too far with coloured rice?
16:55 - Is setting up a tuff tray a good use of time?
20:00 - Using food in tuff trays
22:15 - Not criticising but developing practice 
25:30 - Carbon copies of classrooms
27:10 - How do we question and develop our own practice?

Hear and read more on The Voice of Early Childhood website: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

Are we child carers or teachers?

 A question which is so deep and heavily steeped in wider systems and society. Carlie Powell and Jackie Warren, from Growing Places, have been reflecting on this with their teams for a while, and want to spark a wider movement of advocacy, change and reinvention within early childhood in England by taking inspiration and insight from an international perspective.

Read Carlie and Jackie’s article:

Are we child carers or teachers?

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/are-we-child-carers-or-teachers/

Listen to more:

If you enjoyed this episode you might also like:

- Telling hopeful stories of advocacy, agency and rights in ECEC – 

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/advocacy-agency-and-rights-in-early-childhood/

- What is professional confidence? And how do we find the confidence to speak out –

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/professional-confidence-finding-the-confidence-to-speak-out/

 Episode break down:

00:00 – Early years is known as the poor relation
02:50 – Early years is valued differently outside of England
04:40 – The language we use to describe ourselves
09:55 – Disparity between how teachers and nursery staff are viewed
11:40 – Can we call ourselves teachers? Do we want to be called teachers?
16:30 – We don’t have high enough quality training
17:55 – The educator role is blending into a parent/carer role
22:00 – We need to re-invent the role of the educator
24:50 – Do we ‘dumb ourselves down’?
27:30 – Articulating ourselves and shouting about the importance of our work
31:48 – Re-searchful practice…
36:20 – Early years is so much more than sending parents to work
38:00 – Assessing educators’ competence in different ways
40:30 – Let’s collectively be advocates for early years

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com 

Tricia Mohamed and Angelica Celinska critically discuss observations in early childhood. They reflect on whether the mere concept of developmental stages risks educators seeing development as linear, regardless of the documents used to inform practice.

They discuss the implications of not working with stages of development in mind, and Tricia questions identifying the need for support, and whether when we diagnose and label children, do we sometimes put a cap on their learning and abilities? 

A new way of looking at observations? Tricia and Angelica consider seeing observations in a way which is not the most common practice. Observations are a big part of continuous professional development and unpicking educator's own reflections, knowledge of each unique child and pedagogy. Conducting observations can be part of educators' professional development in itself when done well. For instance, discussions with colleagues can build on our considerations, knowledge and insight of how to best support a child, as well as gaining valuable perspectives outside of our views, and unpicking our own biases. 

Episode breakdown: 

00:49 - What do we mean by observations?
06:12 - Slowing down and taking time to observe
08:19 - Observing the authentic child and hearing their authentic voice
09:00 - Allowing children to follow their interests
10:30 - The environment allowing for independence in play
10:49 - What do children learn through their interests?
12:40 - Stages of development: The danger of limiting learning but also missing support
13:45 - Block play: The perfect example of learning progression
17:30 - Progressing through stages of development too fast
20:13 - Taking time for mastering skills
21:45 - The limitations of progression and tracking documents
23:20 - Let's focus more on the characteristics of effective learning 
26:24 - What if we didn't use stages of development documents? 
28:00 - Are we too quick to label and diagnose children?
30:00 - Was there a missed opportunity with the Birth to 5 Matters document? 

33:00 - Do we focus too much on what 'normal development' looks like?

36:10 - Exercising criticality, reflection and professionalism through observations

Hear and read more on The Voice of Early Childhood website: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

Jenny Smillie emphasises the therapeutic benefits of nature for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). A lot of the time the children who will benefit most from being in nature don't get enough opportunities to experience this due to the challenges involved, from keeping children safe outdoors to practicalities such as weather. Jenny and Angelica discuss mental health, Forest School practice, unhurried time, forest bathing, children's therapeutic needs being met and much more.

Episode breakdown: 

• 05:00 - Applying SEND practice to outdoor learning
• 07:18 - It's not bad weather it's bad clothing!  
• 09:24 - Experiencing the joy of the outdoors
• 10:40 - The uniqueness of the outdoors
• 12:00 - Unhurried time: Slowing down practice outdoors
• 16:45 - Regular access to natural spaces
• 19:05 - Recommended physical activity guidelines
• 24:20 - Physical development within day to day routines
• 29:05 - Being outside is a multi-sensory experience
• 33:26 - Forest bathing: The benefits for mental health
• 36:50 - The freedom of the outdoors
• 38:40 - Rest and relaxation outdoors

Hear and read more on The Voice of Early Childhood website: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

Jacquelyn Davis shares with us both her personal experience as a parent of a child with dyslexia and her professional knowledge. Jacquelyn explains that learning to read is not a natural process, it is a learning process, and that building a culture of reading, building language and having a dialogue around what you're reading with a child is vital.

Also in this episode our host, Angelica Celinska, questions whether we are testing children for dyslexia before they even learn to read and write, as well as opening up dialogue around whether structured phonics is a suitable way of teaching young children to read. This is where Jacquelyn and Angelica discuss children learning through play, and Jacquelyn points out that play should be 'based on the science of reading'...

Episode breakdown: 

01:05 - A parent's experience of their child's dyslexia struggle
05:55 - Misinformation around dyslexia
07:54 - Dyslexia should not be seen as a permanent state
09:00 - The importance of repetition and practice
10:00 - Early screening of dyslexia and diagnosis is important
12:20 - Challenging behaviours which manifest with dyslexia
13:10 - Are we testing children before they even learn to read and write?
14:20 - Early indicators of dyslexia
15:35 - Dyslexic children not presenting as dyslexic
18:25 - Is explicit structured phonics suitable for young children?

20:58 - Whole language and balanced literacy strategies

23:28 - Should we teach the alphabet as well as phonics? 

26:20 - Is phonics taking the joy out of reading?

27:05 - Learning to read or reading to learn?

28:45 - Fostering a culture of reading pre-phonics

33:24 - Audiobooks for dyslexic children

36:47 - Using technology to support reading

46:45 - The importance of being research informed

50:10 - Reading is vital for future success and life outcomes

52:56 - Policy makers and 'The reading wars'

Hear and read more on The Voice of Early Childhood website: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

Josh Candy talks us through his role and why PE, or physical education, should be part of early years, and why it is not just the same as what we know as physical development. Josh and Angelica unpick the complexities around how PE fits into early years, such as adapting the teaching, the debate of bringing in external companies and ensuring that PE doesn't just become a gimmick in early years settings. 

Episode breakdown: 

00:50 - Josh's role as an Early Years PE Teacher
03:55 - How is PE different to physical development? 
06:30 - How do we adapt PE for early years? 
07:50 - Using mascots to support learning through imagination
15:00 - Adult-led vs child-led learning
19:30 - Embedding an interest in sport
24:00 - Can anyone teach PE in early years?
35:10 - Should PE exist in early years?
37:20 - Training and upskilling staff
39:15 - Working with external companies to provide PE
44:20 - Not using PE sessions as just a 'selling point'

Hear and read more on The Voice of Early Childhood website: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com