Did you know entry level pay for a nursery worker is around £24k in Ireland - as opposed to just 16k in the UK? How do we get better levels of pay for our early years educators? Read more in this month's EYE (link below)

Feeling valued, shared attention, facial expressions, emotional commentating and familiarity all help build communication skills. Dr Katie Daubney, and Dr Sam Wass, from the Institute for the Science of Early Years, translates the science into practical strategies for the everyday

How can #Malaguzzi's idea of children's ‘hundred languages’ help early years settings protect play, strengthen observation and make learning visible without narrowing it to a checklist? By Debi Keyte-Hartland

In the first of a new series from SEND charity Dingley's Promise, Meggie Fisher outlines the key proposals and explains why they are needed, and what the changes could mean for the early years sector

What makes a good early #childhood #placement for degree students? Lauren Pring, from University Centre Weston, gains insights from a student and staff from a setting dubbed placement provider of the year at the #ECSDN awards 👇link below

Food fussiness may not simply be stubbornness - it might be about children working out what is predictable and important for learning. See a video summary of ISEY's latest article for us and a link below 👇

What happens when remnants of children's play are left out to be returned to later? In response to a request from a child in Reception, one setting has changed the way they implement tidy up time. Asst head Lucy Fox reports #curiosityapproach #playresidue

Children are increasingly struggling with foundational movement skills, more are retaining primitive reflexes for longer, with links to disorders such as #ADHD and #dyslexia. See NEYASP's final physical development piece for solutions #SEND @youthsporttrust.bsky.social @lborouniversity.bsky.social

Adults often feel the pressure to move learning on, says Elizabeth Dear. How do you find the Goldilocks zone for learning, where the level of challenge is just right - without backing off completely?

# - Stories are the ideal medium for building connections with caregivers during periods of disruption, says Jessica Eddlestone in this article covering emotions, family storytelling sessions and recommended ‘settling in’ books from the @literacy-trust.bsky.social Link below👇

Risky play allows children to experience challenge and stretch their limits, which is an essential part of development, and includes playing outdoors and using tools. See the latest instalment from NEYASP below @youthsporttrust.bsky.social @lborouniversity.bsky.social

Creating and pretending are how young children process the world, yet many practitioners have limited training on teaching through the arts. Debi Keyte-Hartland tells us about the Space to Flourish project, Early Education's bespoke professional learning programme, which aims to change this

Research suggests that movement can influence children’s thinking. Paula Brown, play therapist and early years teacher, talks through various postures and how they can help and hinder learning (link in comments)

Are you a new childminder who is expecting your registration visit? Ofsted inspectors are not expecting a fully equipped nursery, says Catherine Wakerley of #childminding UK who talks through how to launch a home-based childminding business in style

How physically literate - adept at moving in a range of ways and different environments - are the children in your setting? See the latest from #NAYESP @youthsporttrust.bsky.social (link in comments)

How much do you know about the #PlayCycle - the stages by which children's play unfolds? Dr Pete King of Swansea University explains what it is and why it matters for educators in this month's EYE. See his article link in comments

What makes the ideal #babyroom? Sara Bonetti and The Baby Room project team have been touring the country to find out @nuffieldfoundation.org see this month's EYE for the results of their vision building workshops (link below)

Research from the @literacy-trust.bsky.social shows only half of parents of 0-5-year olds read with their children every day. How can settings support parents to create a language rich environment at home? Jo knuckey has some ideas (link in comments)

BIG 🧠news! 👇 We've launched a new 'neuroscience of' series, which will clearly translate the latest research on young brains into practice. See below for ISEY director and series author Prof Sam Wass explaining why young brains are special. First article link in comments 👇

Owl-themed activities form part of this article about night time, with sensory dens, night bug hunting and a host of other ideas from @karenjkhart.bsky.social

Following a debate on X about #earlyyears #teachers #graduates 👨‍🎓 and their status with a man who refused to believe they exist, Emma Davis examines what it is like to be a early #childhood graduate today, and calls on all staff to advocate for their profession. link in comments 👇

Those new to early years must complete introductory training to register as a #childminder, but this doesn't have to be a qualification, says Tina Maltman in the latest in her childminding series (link in comments 👇)

💡'Teachable moments’ play an important part in spontaneous learning and present unique opportunities for child development, says early years teacher Paula Brown in EYE this week (link below)💡

National guidelines recommend 3 hrs daily of physical activity ⚽🏉🎾🏃‍♀️ for 3-4 year olds daily but are commonly unmet. NEYASP - national early years active start partnership has some suggestions in this month's #EYE (link in comments 👇) @youthsporttrust.bsky.social @lborouniversity.bsky.social

🌶️HOT OFF THE PRESS 🌶️ - new issue of EYE for April/May. Featuring articles on physical development from the National EY Active Start Partnership @youthsporttrust.bsky.social @lborouniversity.bsky.social and @literacy-trust.bsky.social on #boys reading with plenty more to come 👇

Early Years Educator: Vol 24, No 21

Early Years Educator (EYE) is essential reading for anyone working with children aged from birth to five-years-old.

magonlinelibrary.com

💭 While the EYFS provides a statutory framework, it is the setting's culture that determines how that framework is lived, with gender roles, location and type of setting, leadership and cohort all shaping a culture, says Paula Brown Link in comments 👇

How much do you know about #Pestalozzi? This founder of modern educational thought was a proponent of child-centred, holistic and humane #earlyeducation back in the 1700s. See the second article from Dr Jo Nair from her mini-series - link in comments👇

The discovery of century old newspaper clippings from nursery founder Marion Blake (pictured left) led to a feature in March's @nurseryworld.bsky.social, featuring Angela Davis @sas-news.bsky.social and archive material from @faberbooks.bsky.social www.nurseryworld.co.uk/content/feat...

Going back to the roots of early years education - Nursery World

Newly unearthed archive material reveals how childcare first became recognised as a skilled occupation in the UK. By Hannah Crown

nurseryworld.co.uk

A trip to the supermarket is a great real-life #earlyyears experience with links across the #ELGs and lots of #understandingtheworld including where our food comes from, people who help us @karenjkhart.bsky.social www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/full/10....

A trip to the supermarket | Early Years Educator

A visit to the local supermarket is a rich opportunity for cross-curricular learning, says Karen Hart, who provides games, songs, craft, maths and story activities which link to the Early Learning Goals

magonlinelibrary.com

Children may forget what we taught them, but they will remember how we made them feel, says Sarah Guscott, in this piece about memory and emotion, inspired by training to help those with dementia www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/full/10....

Lessons from dementia-friend training | Early Years Educator

Children will remember feelings over actions, and educators have to respond with their emotional security in mind, says lecturer Sarah Guscot

magonlinelibrary.com