Putting pedagogy into practice

A focus on babies – what do they need

Experiences which:

• encourage freedom of movement to kick, bounce and roll about
• are visual and tactile objects to touch and a variety of materials and colours with different properties, eg soft, hard, natural, rough or smooth to encourage inquiry and curiosity
• provide toys which stack, roll, rattle that the baby can grasp and hold
• allow the baby to explore paint using their fingers, or explore different textures
• include exploring how things move in the breeze and how things drop and fall
• give opportunities to be outside and explore the natural environment.
• enable participation in musical experiences by swaying, clapping, bouncing and singing
• provide treasure baskets filled with sensory, real and natural materials to touch and explore.

Adults who:

• sensitively support the baby's efforts to be curious and inquiring without doing it for them
• understand, and can tune in to, what the baby is exploring and can appreciate and respond to what the baby is learning
• respond to the baby's efforts by understanding how a baby expresses interests; for example, facial expression, gazing intently, movement, noises and sounds
• interpret the baby's interests by talking gently; for example, I see what you would like, let me help you reach it, by lifting the baby up to see higher
• provide a range of visual, tactile experiences and talk to the baby about sensations and how they are responding.

An environment which:

• a safe, constant space to explore for themselves and develop their movements; a calm, peaceful room without constant background music
• clean and comfortable with floor spaces where the baby can be propped up to balance, to hold on and crawl
• not rushed and allows time
• to concentrate on whatever catches their attention without being rushed around
• has interesting objects which catch their attention to touch, hear and explore, mirrors to see themselves, mobiles to lie back and watch when tired
• has a focus on natural objects to touch and explore
• has access to windows and good light to be able to see outside
• has daily access to the outdoor environment, to be in the garden being held up and shown trees and leaves and the natural world.

A focus on toddlers - what do they need?

Experiences which:

• help the toddler to see how things work, how objects can be moved and transported around; how similar things can be grouped together; how things balance
• give the toddler time and space to be involved in their own schematic play and adults who support this
• provide resources that toddlers enjoy, such as bags, boxes and containers to put smaller items in, to move, empty out, and scatter about
• give opportunities to mix and combine messy materials
• provide appropriate resources for the toddler to make clear marks with the correct tools and equipment, paint and appropriate sizes of brush;
• and a selection of paper which is neatly arranged and used appropriately with care and attention which value the child's efforts
• give the toddler experience of everyday activities, splashing in puddles, being blown by the wind, digging holes, making collections of stones or natural objects or items that a child may feel are special.

Adults who:

• encourage the toddler's curiosity and ensure the environment is interesting enough and safe
• are aware that the simplest of activities to an adult are often full of potential for a toddler
• observe sensitively and intervene when necessary to extend the toddler's thinking without over-direction and who do not interrupt moments of intense concentration
• use techniques such as wondering aloud, explaining what is happening but all the time allowing the toddler to find out for themselves what will happen next
• know when to stand back and allow the toddler to try things out, and the moment when a toddler will be receptive to support
• use their skills by reminding, sharing and keeping previous accomplishments of the toddler as a basis for new learning.

An environment which:

• is interesting and filled with opportunities which help the toddler to explore and inquire; for example, the properties of sand and water, clay, paint
• has furniture which is sensitively organised to give space for the toddler to move around safely and objects placed within reach of the toddler
• gives frequent access to resources in which a toddler shows interest until they come to a self-satisfying conclusion for themselves
• allows access to outside areas, walks and visits to extend the toddler's curiosity and interest in their immediate world
• gives space to build, construct and take things apart and time to practise these skills over and over again.

A focus on the young child - what do they need?

Experiences which:

• help children remember how they have solved a problem in the past and how this learning links to a current challenge
• give time for children to find out similarities and differences in simple problem solving activities
• create a wealth of interesting situations, both inside and out of doors, questions for a child to ask and consider possibilities
• give opportunities to incorporate different technologies and use this in their learning
• provide opportunities which encourage children's understanding of living things and the local and natural environment
• give the young child experience of how materials change, by heating, dissolving, freezing, mixing, etc
• provide opportunities to express their thoughts and feelings in pictures, paintings, using an increasing variety of art techniques and media
• provide opportunities to find out how artists and musicians express their ideas and for children to try out their own
• give opportunities to learn about tunes, rhythm, timing and patterns of music.

Adults who:

• encourage a young child's learning by suggesting they try things out, inspire curiosity and see that this is essential to how children learn
• are not afraid to change their own plans and take the lead from the child and who are able to act as a support to the young child when needed
• will admit when they don't know but offer to help to find out together and see this as valuable both for the child and themselves
• encourage children's ideas, allow them to make mistakes, can offer a further suggestion and praise their attempts
• pose questions which encourage inquiry such as, I wonder if, why do you think that, to extend the young child's ability to verbalise their thoughts and actions
• ask children I wonder what happens if... to help children make sense of what happens when you try things out
• provide a range of resources to talk about which encourages children to be creative
• help model techniques and strategies with children and encourage this new learning in the child's new challenges or suggest a new context.

An environment which:

• encourages inquiry and invites discussion and exploration with interesting objects to talk about and explore, stimulating curiosity
• is supportive of giving time for the young child to persevere with their thinking and inquiries, to test their own theories out over several days or re-examine the same experience again over time in a variety of ways, for example, how to build a bridge across an area of the playroom using different materials without being constrained by overly formal routines of the day
• offers daily access outside to the wider environment which is rich in opportunities for inquiry learning
• uses internal spaces flexibly as children test out their possibilities, for example what they could use to measure distance to the front door from the playroom or respond to changes of interest in children, such as extending an area for large construction as an immediate response to children's play and learning
• is well organised to allow young children the freedom to select equipment and materials that they wish and also appreciate they need to accommodate the choices of others.