Early Childhood Education/Early Years

Debra Laxton and Marilyn Leask with inputs from the MESH Early Years Editorial Board | View as single page | Feedback/Impact
Early Childhood Education/Early Years
Effective learning
Activities and Types of Play
Resources
Case Studies
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Resource packs

Songs/rhymes/games in the home language are a major resource. New songs and rhymes may need to be developed in some languages to help children learn in their new environment.

VSO use, where possible, tablets and associated software and charging kits. These will hold:

- videos of songs, rhymes, games plus

- talking heads explaining why and what about EYS education for those who cannot read the accompanying written materials.

Other resources:

- writing and art materials e.g. slates/chalk white and coloured;

- pens for creating charts

- reading books - are there some which are culturally appropriate and available? Do these need to be created?

- abacus (suanpan (chinese)soroban (Japanese) - these are used throughout Asia and the teaching of maths in China and Japan using the abacus is said to be what gives their young people the proficiency in maths identified in the OECD’s PISA tests.

⁃ materials which may be available locally to develop musical instruments (to develop a wide range of cognitive processes) - stick and wooden block for banging instruments, stick with bottle tops nailed to it for shaking instruments, possibly bamboo flutes.

Musical instruments requiring each hand to operate independently (develops cognitive skills).

Cognitive development can be stimulated by physical activity using hands simultaneously for different activities, jumping jacks, running in a figure of 8.

The London Borough of Enfield 2018 EYFS PE and Creative series of four booklets are available by application under Creative Commons license which allows you to use the materials to benefit children but not to sell them for profit.
•    Unit 1 “ Drawing lines and circles using gross motor movements“
•    Unit 2 “Throw, Catch, Kick”
•    Unit 3 “Over, Under and Through”
•    Unit 4 “Creative Dance”

The London Borough of Enfield “Throw, Catch, Kick” booklet suggests the following resources for the development of gross and fine motor skills.

  • Wide range of balls (different textures, speeds and sizes): sponge balls, plastic inflatable balls, koosh balls (made of lots of filaments), bean bags

  • Skipping rope

  • Quoits

Voabulary is also developed through using the resources e.g. Jump Throw Roll Catch Kick Run Gallop Climb Receive Hop Turn Balance Shoot Leap.

Acknowledgements: Jan Hickman PE Adviser, London Borough of Enfield.

Other resources

Bridgend County Borough Council. (2008). Do and Discover: Fun activities to promote physical skills in the early years. [online] Available from http://learning.gov.wales/docs/learningwales/publications/130212do-and-discoveren.pdf

EYFS What to expect when - developmental guide across 7 areas of development https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/files/2015/03/4Children_ParentsGuide_2015_WEB.pdf

LEARNING TOGETHER ACROSS GENERATIONS Guidelines for Family Literacy and Learning Programmes  http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002484/248446E.pdf

Loose parts play - https://www.inspiringscotland.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Loose-Parts-Play-web.pdf

Unicef’s Early Childhood development resource pack ‘is designed to help programme planners and managers understand the basic elements of the best start in life for children and how to most effectively work together to achieve those goals.  It combines advocacy arguments with experiences, exercises and information that can be used to develop skills and understand programming for young children in development and emergency situations’.

https://www.unicef.org/earlychildhood/index_42890.html