Much of early biology takes place in the nursery garden, exploring the minutiae of life through small creatures such as spiders, bees, worms, slugs and snails.
Practitioners can harness children’s innate interest in the natural environment by providing resources that enable children to collect, observe, classify and question. Small creatures in their natural habitats can be explored using magnifying glasses, viewing containers and binoculars, and these observations can be complemented with high-quality information books, photographs and video clips.
Dr Julian Grenier, head teacher of Sheringham Nursery School and Children’s Centre in east London and lead on the revised Development Matters guidance, says, ‘What’s important is to build on children’s natural exploration – mixing mud, water and leaves to make “potions” or hunting for worms and woodlice. When appropriate, sensitively ask them questions which focus their observation: What do you notice? How do you think worms move?
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here