To encourage children to care for themselves, practitioners need to break tasks down into manageable stages, says Jane Drake
Learning to take responsibility for personal hygiene and how to dress and undress independently are important landmarks in a child's development. It is always a pleasure to share in the excitement a child feels the first time they are able to put on their Wellington boots unaided or fasten the buttons on their coat on their own.
Alongside this developing independence in caring for themselves, practitioners should hope to see a growth in self-esteem and foster a general 'I can do it' attitude to learning.
The approach taken by early years practitioners at this stage is crucial and should always be positive. Children should be encouraged to 'have a go', but they always need to feel confident that the safety net of support is there.
As with acquiring any skill, it is no good expecting children to know intuitively how to perform these self-care tasks. They will often need to be shown and helped. Processes may need to be broken down into small steps and success celebrated at every stage.
When we ask a child to put on their shoes we are expecting quite a lot. First we may be expecting them to find their own shoes, then to place the left and right shoes in the correct position next to each other, then to put the shoes on the correct feet - making sure the back of the shoe is not turned in - then to thread the straps through the buckles and fasten the buckles - quite a tall order.
Of course, direct teaching of routines and skills, both in the early years and at home, is crucial in the learning process. But regular reinforcement is also needed, with plenty of time and opportunities for practising what has been learnt. Children will need reminding to wash their hands when they have been to the toilet or before preparing food.
They may ask for help when fastening belts or zips, and such situations will provide further opportunities for demonstrations from the adult and supported attempts by the child.
Soft toys and puppets are always a hit with young children and can be used to teach them about personal hygiene routines.
For example, practitioners can equip a teddy bear with its own washbag and towel. Then they can make a child responsible for taking the bear home and ensuring Teddy washes his face, cleans his teeth and brushes his hair at bedtime. As the child teaches and helps Teddy, and shows family members, skills and routines will be learnt and reinforced, and a sense of responsibility developed.
Promoting independence is not limited to self-care activities. There will be many opportunities throughout the nursery session for encouraging independence through the choice and use of resources and activities in the setting. If children are expected to work independently and effectively in areas of provision, making their own decisions and judgements, first they need to know about the functions and purposes of tools, and the possible choices of materials and equipment.
They need to be familiar with routines involved in activities such as mixing paint, and safety precautions when working with, for example, scissors. They also need to have easy access to the resources, with adult support. This may sound obvious, but the way provision is organised has a great effect on how children use it.
If choices are limited in, for example, the wet sand area to what the practitioner has decided to put out that day - say, a box of buckets, spades and trowels - the possibilities for play will also be limited. If, on the other hand, children have access to a variety of resources, presented on shelves and in clearly labelled baskets, they will have more chances to develop ideas and take the initiative in learning.
Of course, practitioners will want to enhance areas with additional resources at times. But when the basic provision is constant and well planned, children can return to activities, exploring ideas over a period of time. Thoughtful planning of areas of provision, and good quality adult support, will go a long way towards ensuring that children operate confidently and grow as independent learners.
Signs displaying photographs or drawings around the setting can be useful 'prompts' for children, reminding them about tidying-up routines or the sequence of events involved at 'milk time'. Taking responsibility for tidying away equipment after use should be encouraged and appropriate systems put in place. A home corner left strewn with dressing-up clothes, plastic food and pans is unlikely to inspire further positive play from incoming children.
Jane Drake is a nursery teacher at Cottingley Primary School, Leeds, and the author of Planning Children's Play and Learning in the Foundation Stage (David Fulton Publishers, 14)