The Precious Gift of Time…
Dr Eunice Lumsden talks about making sure that children come out of their early years with the tools and skills they need.
There is no doubt that parenting is a complex task that brings with it both pleasure and worry. Parents often question whether they are doing the ‘right things’ to support their child. Furthermore, with headlines that children are starting school with a lack of social skills and delays in language, it is not surprising that parents may become focused on ensuring their child are ‘ready for school’. But what does this term actually mean?
This is not about children already being able to write, read and count, it is about being ‘Ready to Learn’. It is about a child having the right experiences that allow them to flourish when they start more formal education. It is about the building blocks being in place. It is also important to remember, the first year at school is not called ‘Reception’ for nothing; it is about receiving children into the school system and supporting the transition into more formalised learning.
The first year at school is not called ‘Reception’ for nothing; it is about receiving children into the school system and supporting the transition into more formalised learning.
However, there is no doubt that there is truth behind the headlines and some children, regardless of social class, are not having the right experiences to optimise their life chances in the early years. Some young children are leading a more sedentary lifestyle; obesity is an increasing problem as is language development and the ability to relate to others. The increasing pressure to be a working family brings with it other challenges about having time to be with children and knowing how to choose alternative care.
It is important for us to remember that from birth a baby explores their world and it is through this exploration that they learn about the world around them. What we know is that the earliest years are precious and children thrive best in nurturing language rich home environments, where they have secure attachments to their care givers. Moreover they need environments where they learn to relax and self soothe and are given quality time. Young children also learn through play, indoors and out, they do not seem to feel the cold and love splashing in puddles and playing in mud. Messy play offers wonderful learning opportunities. Talking and reading are key activities in laying down the foundations for language development and later learning. In fact, all these areas provide a useful check list when looking for care outside the family, whether with a childminder or in an early years setting:
· Who will be the secure attachment figure for my child?
· How will they be supported to relax?
· What are the learning experiences they will be offered:
o Outside
o Inside
o How will their language develop
· What are the qualification levels of the staff?
In short, children learn from birth and need adult time to nurture, play, talk and read with them both at home and in early year’s settings. These quality experiences lay down a solid foundation to support children to flourish in the more formalised learning environment of school.
Dr Eunice Lumsden: Head of Early Years Education at the University of Northampton
