Category Archives: Early Years

Navigate the World

Posted on October 25, 2018 by suecowley

It’s muddy in the forest So we have to wear our boots. That’s the way you do it! First right foot and then left foot. The forecast is for rain So we’ll wear coveralls for luck. And pack up our … Continue reading →

Posted in Behaviour, Children, Early Years, Poetry, Self Regulation | Leave a comment

A Perfectly Ordinary Preschool

Posted on December 2, 2016 by suecowley

Say what? We’re going to build a garden on THAT? The preschool that I help to run is almost 50 years old. We have an ‘outstanding’ rating from Ofsted. We have never excluded a child. We work with any parent … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Years, Preschools | Leave a comment

Word Up

Posted on November 11, 2016 by suecowley

“If men do not keep on speaking terms with children, they cease to be men, and become merely machines for eating and for earning money.” John Updike Earlier this week I was lucky enough to go to the House of … Continue reading →

Posted in Children, Communication, Early Years, Listening, Speaking, Talk | 3 Comments

Saving the Children

Posted on November 1, 2016 by suecowley

Today, the charity Save the Children published a report entitled “Untapped Potential” about children’s outcomes in early years settings, and the qualification levels of early years staff, focusing particularly on private, voluntary and independent (PVI) settings. While I wouldn’t disagree … Continue reading →

Posted in Children, Early Years, EYFS, Preschools | 11 Comments

Educating the Babies

Posted on June 9, 2016 by suecowley

It’s a funny thing, the Early Years Foundation Stage, because it runs from birth to five years old. It is the longest key stage of all. These are the halcyon days before the State insists that you must educate your … Continue reading →

Posted in Children, Early Years, EYFS, Parents, Play | 3 Comments

Clap Along

Posted on March 3, 2016 by suecowley

“Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof Clap along if you know that happiness is the truth” Pharrell Williams When Michael Wilshaw appeared at the Education Select Committee this week, he said various things guaranteed to … Continue reading →

Posted in Children, Early Years, Engagement, Happiness, Learning | 6 Comments

If you build it, they will come

Posted on February 20, 2016 by suecowley

Today I had the very great pleasure of presenting at the first NetworkEd conference. Thank you to Nancy Gedge for asking me. She built a conference, and lots of people came. It was lovely to be able to say ‘yes’ to something … Continue reading →

Posted in Children, Confidence, Creativity, Early Years, Forest Club, Learning | 4 Comments

Start with the Child

Posted on December 12, 2015 by suecowley

Because our preschool is a mixed age setting, we don’t teach a “class”. There is no fixed unit of children in the way that you get in primary and secondary schools. The children arrive in dribs and drabs from when … Continue reading →

Posted in Assessment, Children, Early Years | Leave a comment

Loops

Posted on December 10, 2015 by suecowley

One of the lessons I’ve learned from helping to run an early years setting is that feedback works best in loops. In part, this is of necessity when you work with very young children. You have to know what the … Continue reading →

Posted in Children, Early Years, Parents, Preschools, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Building Bonds

Posted on November 29, 2015 by suecowley

One of the things that I think we do really well in our preschool (and in the early years sector generally) is to build bonds with parents and carers. In part, this comes about of necessity – when you help … Continue reading →

Posted in Children, Early Years, Parents | Leave a comment