Relationships and Learning: Caring for children from birth to three draws on a study carried out by the NCB's Early Childhood Unit in which children in 15 nurseries were closely observed throughout their nursery day. Author Anna Gillespie Edwards, director of PEEP, stresses the importance of one-to-one relationships between practitioners and children, such as the key worker approach, to foster children's well-being and self-esteem and encourage their ability to learn.
Ms Gillespie said, 'Experience of supporting parents and carers of children from birth to five in groups in the community, at home and in playgroups and nursery has shown me that, when adults become more aware of the value of their everyday interaction with children, there is enormous potential to support children's learning and, most important of all, their desire to learn.'
The book emphasises the importance of supporting children's playful exploration of their environment. It says, 'Children want to find out, discover, solve problems and communicate their ideas and feelings about what they are doing. In their play they willingly grapple with big ideas like "inside" and "outside" or "connecting" and "disconnecting". To help them in their adventure, they need the interested presence of a friendly adult who sees what they are trying to do.'
Relationships and learning costs 15 (or 10 for NCB members) from the NCB on 020 7843 6028.
arers should tune into young children's feelings so they can understand and respond more effectively to their behaviour, according to a book published by the National Children's Bureau (NCB) in partnership with the Peers Early Education Partnership (PEEP).
The book, 'Relationships and Learning: Caring for children from birth to three', argues that children's 'unreasonable' behaviour nearly always makes sense when viewed from the child's point of view. Its author, Anna Gillespie, Edwards, director of Peers PEEP, emphasises the importance of one-to-one relationships between practitioners and children, such as the key worker approach, to help foster children's well-being and self-esteem and also encourage their ability to learn. She also draws on a research study carried out by the NCB's Early Childhood Unit in which children in 15 nurseries were closely observed throughout their nursery day.
Ms Gillespie said, 'Experience of supporting parents and carers of children from birth to five in groups in the community, at home and in playgroups and nursery classes has shown me that, when adults become more aware of the value of their everyday interaction with children, there is enormous potential to support children's learning and, most important of all, their desire to learn.'
The book also stressed the importance of supporting children's playful exploration of their environment. It said, 'When staff focus on more than children's physical and emotional needs, and when their aspirations for children's learning are widened beyond such things as naming colours, children's opportunities for learning are greatly extended.
'Children want to find out, discover, solve problems and communicate their ideas and feelings about what they are doing. In their play they willingly grapple with big ideas like "inside" and "outside" or "connecting" and "disconnecting". To help them in their adventure, they need the interested presence of a friendly adult who sees what they are trying to do.'
'Relationships and learning' costs 15 (10 for NCB members) from the NCB on 020 7843 6028.