Theoretical Perspectives: Speech, Language and Communication Development

Theoretical
perspectives

As early years professionals you will be aware of the many different
theories that attempt to explain how children learn. These theorists
have, over many years, shaped and influenced education practice as we
know it for example the ‘Behaviourist Approach’ to learning suggests
that we learn as a result of what happens after an event. For example a
child may learn a certain skill because they have been rewarded
afterwards if they have mastered the skill well. It goes without saying
that children who enjoy an activity are more likely to choose to do that
specific activity again. B F Skinner was the theorist who developed this
approach to learning however there are many people who criticise the
behaviourist approach to learning not least because it does not give any
credit to how a child’s logic may develop over time. On the other hand
the ‘Constructivist Approach’ to learning puts the emphasis on the child
as an active learner and as such the child learns through taking part and
using their experiences. Jean Piaget recognised that children had their
own logic and he, after carrying out many experiments, understood how
children’s cognitive development changed over time.

Speech, Language and Communication Development

The way that children develop their speech, language and
communication has been an area of debate and research for many years
however, it is widely considered that four different theoretical
perspectives have emerged and these are:

Innateness Perspective

Innateness – these are the behaviours, skills and characteristics that are
instinctive. Noam Chomsky is a leading theorist who suggested that
language is natural and instinctive and that children come primed, not
only ready to learn language but also to pick up the rules of grammar.
He refers to ‘Universal Grammar’ which he believes suggests that there
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are some structures and rules which are the same in all languages and
which enables babies to pick up any language at first.

Behaviourist Perspective

Behaviourist – these are the behaviours, skills and characteristics that
are learnt as a result of reinforcement for example rewards are offered.
Although this theory may sound plausible in many ways there are a
number of flaws such as why children’s speech would differ from that of
an adult for example ‘me want’ instead of ‘I want’ – if a child was merely
copying they would in theory use a more correct format. In addition
young children will often have conversations with themselves or their
toys in which case they would not be receiving any interaction or praise
from adults.

Constructivist Perspective

Constructivist – these are the behaviours, skills and characteristics that
are learnt as a result of cognitive processing. For example a baby who is
given a bottle will often be told by the caregiver that they are having
‘milk’ and will therefore come to the conclusion that every time he is
offered a bottle he is having milk.
Sociological – these are the behaviours, skills and characteristics that are
learnt as a result of being with others. This perspective sees language as
being learnt by the child as part of their social development.

Physical Development

Physical development carries two key perspectives: nature and nurture.
Both perspectives can be supported in many ways.
Nature – Also known as the ‘nativist’ perspective suggests that physical
play is predetermined by nature. Arnold Gessell is strongly linked to this
approach as it was the research carried out by this American
paediatrician that led him to the three principles of physical
development which are:

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Sequence – Gessell suggested that all physical development follows a

predetermined sequence, for example a child will stand before they
walk, walk before they run etc.
Control of head movements and proceed downwards – Gessell’s
research noted that the first part of the body which babies learn to
control is the head. Once control has been gained of this part of the
body, babies will then gain control of other part of the body moving
downwards (for example arms followed by legs).
Gross Motor Skills moving onto Fine Motor Skills – Gessell suggested
that it made sense for children to master control of their whole arm
movements before they would be able to control their fine movements.

Environmental Perspective

It is probably fair to say that, although nature plays a vital part in
physical development, so too do opportunities and stimulation.
Environmental theories are those which suggest that what happens to
children outweighs nature’s impact. Children who have parents who are
particularly sporty would probably be encouraged to take part in active
physical stimulation from an early age.

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Social and Emotional Perspective

Social cognitive theory was an idea put forward by Albert Bandura. It
was originally known as ‘social learning’ and the simple idea behind it
was that children learn through observation and then incorporating
what they have seen into their own actions and learning. This process is
now known as ‘modelling’.

Theoretical perspectives and how they impact on current practice

Approaches to children’s learning and development influence current
practice in a number of ways for example:

! Behaviourist Approach – Skinner – this is primarily used to motivate
children as the practitioner uses praise as reinforcement. This is a
good approach to use when considering certain activities and the
qualities they offer, for example, making activities enjoyable so that
children are more likely to want to participate.
! Social Constructivist Approach – Piaget – this is primarily used to
understand how children think in different ways according to their
age/stage of development.
! Social Constructivist Approach – Vygotsky – probably one of the
most influential theoretical perspectives currently used in practice is
the observing and assessing of children in order to plan their next
steps and move them on in their learning and development.
! Social Constructivist Approach – Bruner – this approach shows the
importance of scaffolding and supporting children’s learning through
both adult-led and child initiated activities.
! Social Cognitive Theory – Bandura – the emphasis of this theory is
put on children learning by watching and copying others.

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Theorists work

Different theorists have various thoughts on child development and
their works are used in every day practice as well as legislation in the UK.
Experimentation and observation has been carried out for decades on
children to establish the best ways of aiding growth and creating the
best possible platform for children. There are a huge number of
theorists that could be quoted in child development, but we will focus
on some of the main ones here and learn more about their work and
what influences they had.

Lev Vygotsky

Vygotsky was an intellectual born in Belarus in 1896 and attending
Moscow university to study Psychology. His writings covered language
and thinking and emphasised the role that this has on thought and
understanding. Vygotsky believed that a child’s language is social and
comes from interaction with others and noticed that children often talk
to themselves and benefit from being spoken to when trying to
comprehend things. This means that social and cognitive development
work together and that knowledge comes from our experiences and
conversations.

The work of Vygotsky influences the framework used in childcare as we
emphasise ‘scaffolding’ when aiding a child’s development. This is when
curriculums are planned to help children learn small steps and build on
their experiences in small steps.

Jean Piaget

Piaget was born in 1896 in Switzerland and was a child psychologist who
dominated the field during the 1960s. There are five main aspects which
Piaget worked on in child psychology which are:

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! Stages of development- Piaget thought that children constantly

broke down concepts into smaller chunks in order to understand
them. The child therefore had to be at a particular stage of
development before understanding tasks and Piaget identified four
stages of development: Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete
operational and Formal operations.
! Equilibrium, accommodation and assimilation- when taking in new
information, Piaget argued that we assimilate (incorporate) this new
data alongside that which we already know. The new data will then
be questioned at a later stage- causing us to rethink that which has
been assimilated. This will happen when babies play with certain toys
which make a sound (for example, a piece of paper being scrunched
up) as the baby will assume other objects make the same sound.
They will then test this data by screwing other things up before
realising that this is not always the case. This rethinking is known as
‘accommodation’ and when a child reorganises their thinking to fit
what they have experienced it is known as reaching ‘equilibrium’.
! Object permanence- this theory was thought of by Piaget and
outlines that children learn that objects are permanent and have
their own existence regardless of if we can see them or not. This can
be seen when children will stop looking for something when it is
covered thinking it has disappeared but will move objects later on in
their development- they now realise that, despite something not
being visible, it is still in existence.
! Egocentrism- Piaget worked with children and showed them a model
of a mountain range before introducing a doll which moved around in
this model. The children were then shown a number of images and
asked to identify which would be seen by the doll in different
positions. The children were unable to identify the right images and
therefore could not understand the viewpoint of another correctly-
this became known as egocentrism and is defined as the inability to
‘step into another’s shoes’.
! Conservation- in these experiments, Piaget used small balls of
Plasticene that weighed the same amount. He then squashed one
ball to change the shape and asked children if they thought they

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would still weigh the same. Younger children thought that the
weights would now be different whereas an older child would realise
that, despite visual perception being altered, the weights would
remain the same. This is known as conservation and relates to a
child’s perception of what stays the same when other aspects are
changed.

Piaget was one of the most popular and influential child psychologists
ever and had a huge influence on professional practice in childcare. This
includes giving children control over learning (child-led learning
activities) as well as allowing experimentation as much as possible.
Children are also allowed long and uninterrupted periods of play and
exploration in childcare as well as active exploration being allowed-
something which is founded upon Piaget’s research.

John Bowlby

Bowlby was a psychiatrist that worked for the World Health
Organisation after the second world war. He looked at attachment
theory and how forming attachments to caregivers influences child
development. He stated that these attachments were a biological
response and that babies are born with an innate need to form
attachments in order to survive. Bowlby’s research has had a major
influence on childcare including allowing parents to stay in hospitals
with their sick children due to the negative impact which is seen
otherwise as well as childcare practice being centered around forming
strong relations with children to encourage a sense of security and
attachment.

Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori was born in Italy in 1870 and influenced childcare
massively in the 20th century. Montessori schools are open throughout
the world and use a special curriculum that is derived from the teachings
of Montessori and her research. Her research show that children learn

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through movement and should have environments that are specifically

tailored to meet their needs. Montessori schools are very popular today
and provide a foundation for learning that is centered around:

! Care for the environment
! Care for the self as an individual
! Care for others around you

Montessori schools obviously rely heavily on the teachings of Maria but
other methods do also. The theory that children should learn through
the senses and be given sensory-rich environments comes directly from
Montessori’s teachings.

Friedrich Froebel

Friedrich Froebel was a German scholar born in 1782 who did a lot of
work on child’s play and how children use nature in their development.
His views were that play has a hugely important role in child
development and that each child should be allowed the time and space
to play and develop through play activities. As the first person to work
on theories of child learning, Froebel had a massive impact on many
contemporary child psychologists. Much of his work was founded in
forest schools and focused on children being able to explore and play in
natural areas. Froebel’s work has a huge influence on the curriculum
used in childcare today and the ‘child centered approach’ is said to have
stemmed from his teachings.

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Types of play

It is important that practitioners are aware of the main types of play and
that they are knowledgeable on how to provide for a wide range of play
types.
There are three main areas of play and these are:

! Exploratory
! Physical
! Imaginative

Each of the areas of play can be divided into types.

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Exploratory Play

Types of exploratory play include:

! Exploratory play itself which includes playing with different materials
such as sand, water, play-dough, clay etc. Exploratory play usually
involves manipulating objects and materials to discover their
potential.
! Object play which includes looking for and experimenting with tools
such as a paintbrush, funnel or sieve. Object play usually promotes
hand/eye co-ordination.
! Creative play which includes using a variety of tools and materials to
make something such as arts and crafts, modelling etc. Creative play
usually involves making connections.

Physical Play

Types of physical play include:

! Rough and tumble which includes play fighting.
! Mastery play which involves digging, creating, building etc. Mastery
play takes into account the physical aspects of the environment.
! Locomotor play which involves chasing, playing games of hide and
seek etc. This type of play involves physical movement in all
directions.

Imaginative Play

! Dramatic play which involves ‘acting out’ or ‘dramatising’ events such
as putting on a show or contest.
! Communicative play which involves the use of words and gestures
usually when singing or telling stories.
! Fantasy play which involves playing in a manner which does not
usually occur in real life such as pretend play involving knights in
shining armour, kings and queens etc.

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! Imaginative play which includes the child or young person pretending

to be something they are not such as an animal.
! Social play involves playing games which have rules such as board
games and sports.
! Deep play often involves an element of risk in order to test skills and
overcome fears. Examples of deep play include activities involving
stunts such as skateboarding.
! Socio-dramatic play involves enacting real life personal or
interpersonal experiences such as playing house, running a shop,
being a nurse, dentist, fire officer or police officer.
! Role play which involves simple actions normally associated with
everyday activities such as pushing a pram, making a telephone call,
making a cup of tea etc.

As these lists suggest, there are many different types of play, and
practitioners need to be aware of these in order to plan for and provide
suitable opportunities for children to experience them.

It is however insufficient for practitioners to simply know about the
types of play; they also need to be aware of what each type of play
provides the child with and how opportunities can be made available.

Exploratory play enables children to:

! Explore and experiment with different materials in order to learn
about texture, colour and shape for example
! Develop their skills with regard to problem solving
! Develop their skills with regard to being creative and encourage them
to use their ideas
! Understand about volume and capacity through the use of sand and
water
! Understand about colour and shape through the use of collage
materials for example

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There are many ways that practitioners can provide for children to
enable them to enjoy exploratory play and the following examples,
though popular and easy to provide, are by no means exhaustive.

! Painting and drawing – children should be provided with a variety of
materials such as brushes, scrapers, sponges, string, leaves, cotton
reels, vegetables, rollers, stamps, pencils, crayons, felt tip pens, chalk
etc. along with a variety of paper, card, fabric, stones, wood for the
children to paint or draw on.
! Collage – children should be provided with glue and materials of
different colours and textures such as fun fur, felt, silk, cotton, wool,
foil, tissue etc.
! Model making – commercially produced materials such as Lego,
stickle bricks, Duplo etc. provide excellent opportunities for children
to build models. Clay, play dough and plasticine provide children
with opportunities to make models using tactile materials.
! Junk model making – children should be provided with suitable,
clean materials such as boxes, tubes, cartons etc. along with glue to
create models.
! Sand and water play – children should be provided with a variety of
coloured sand both wet and dry along with water of different
temperatures. Adding a few drops of food colouring or soap flakes to
create coloured bubbles will bring a whole new dimension to water
play. Sieves, water wheels, buckets, funnels and small containers
should be provided to enable children to fill, pour and empty.
! Cooking – children of all ages can be encouraged to use their senses
through the use of a variety of simple recipes. ‘No cook’ recipes such
as icing and decorating biscuits or making sandwiches can be
particularly useful for younger children. There is, of course, the
added benefit of the children being able to eat the finished product!
! Music – children can be encouraged to experiment with different
sounds and rhythms through the provision of drums, castanets,
xylophones, triangles, shakers, bells and tambourines. This
opportunity can be extended to include the children using their
creative skills to produce their own instruments.

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Physical play enables children to:

! Develop their gross motor skills
! Develop their fine motor skills
! Develop body and spatial awareness
! Improve hand/eye co-ordination
! Play co-operatively

Again, the list below gives examples of ways that practitioners can
provide for physical play which is by no means exhaustive.

! Outdoor play – this is perhaps the most popular and widely
considered option for physical play. Outdoor play opens up a huge
number of opportunities for children as they can enjoy walking, visits
to parks and playgrounds, visits to beaches and zoos etc. The
outdoors provides an enormous amount of benefits for children
including fresh air, lots of space for physical exercise and
opportunities to explore together with space and facilities to develop
gross motor skills such as kicking, throwing, jumping, skipping and
hopping together with learning how to participate in games involving
teams and rules such as football, net ball and skittles.
! Swimming – provides an excellent way to promote all round physical
exercise.
Although few
settings will
be lucky
enough to
have their
own
swimming
pool it is
possible to
organise trips
to local
leisure centres.

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! Puzzles – hand eye co-ordination and fine motor skills can be

encouraged by providing a variety of puzzles such as jig saws.
! Ball games – gross motor skills such as kicking, throwing and catching
can be encouraged through ball games such as football, tennis and
netball.

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Competitive and non-competitive games and activities

It has to be said that competitive games can leave some children feeling
left out and upset. Although there are arguments both for and against
competitive games and activities the simple truth of the matter is, if
children are mismatched in age or experience then it is impossible to
ensure a fair game. It is for this reason that many practitioners prefer to
set up non-competitive games and activities which allow all the children
to take part without anyone being branded a ‘winner’ or a ‘loser’.
Although it is also true to say that children do need to learn the
importance of winning and losing, and they need to learn how to do this
graciously, it is perhaps a good idea to recognise the age and stage of
development of the children before deciding whether to incorporate
competitive or non-competitive games or whether to have a balance of
both.

Despite the many concerns voiced about the effect of competition for
children it has to be acknowledged that moderate competition is good
for children and that extreme competition can be devastating on a
child’s emotions, temperament and even their ability. Studies show that
most children do not actually show signs of beginning to compete until
they are around 5 years of age with most being unable to handle defeat
graciously until around the age of 11 or 12.

Adults need to understand the importance of treating children as
individuals, and they need to recognise that whilst some children may
thrive on competitiveness, others may not. There are both advantages
and disadvantages for introducing children to competitive games.

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Advantages of Competition

! Encourages children to learn about their own abilities and limitations
! Encourages children to understand how to handle losing
! Encourages team work
! Helps children to develop their own skills and work towards their
goals
! Encourages children to learn rules
! Encourages children to try new things

Disadvantages of Competition

! Undermines self confidence
! May cause humiliation
! May affect the self worth of the child
! Could cause aggression and hostility
! May be seen as being for the benefit of the parents rather than the
child

Co-operative games where children work in pairs or small groups are
good examples of how non-competitive activities can engage children
and encourage them to learn the importance of team work. Dance and
drama activities are also excellent examples of how children can work
together in a non-competitive way.

It is possible to introduce competitive games and activities which
actually encourage children to succeed and this can be done through
careful choice and by encouraging children to experiment competition in
a safe and controlled environment where children can be taught how to
enjoy the game regardless of the outcome and learn how to lose a game
without losing their self confidence. It is important for practitioners to
provide games which promote chance and team work so that they learn
about competiveness in a fun and positive way.

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Enjoying books and early reading

0-3 years

Children of all ages love books. However, it is important to provide
books which are suitable for the age of the child in order for them to
gain anything from them. Very young children should not be given books
with paper pages as they will quickly become spoiled. Babies and young
children put things in their mouths, and books are no exception. Picture
books with cardboard pages and bright illustrations which are appealing
to the eye are ideal for this age group. Avoid lengthy text as, even with
an adult reading the story, young children will tire very quickly. Once a
child has absorbed the picture they will be ready to turn the page! Feely
books which use texture and sound are also very good for children of
this age group.

3-5 years

Children of this age group have usually begun to understand the
meaning of books and recognise the words as well as the pictures. It is
still very important to provide books which are visually inspiring as most
children between the ages of three and five will not have learned how to
read text. Activity books are particularly useful for this age range as they
encourage the child to participate in the story. Look out for books which
ask the reader to spot things within the pictures or which ask questions
to encourage both reader and listener to take part in the activity.

Cooking

Children love to help out in the kitchen and introducing baking to young
children is a excellent way of getting them interested in healthy food
and involving them in food choices and decisions. For children to
involved in the kitchen it is important to avoid complicated recipes or
recipes which take a long time to prepare and cook. Try to find non-

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cook recipes or those which require only 15 minutes in the oven like
buns.

Allow the children to weigh the ingredients, add them to the bowl and
mix them so that they can see how things change throughout the
process of cooking. Decorating finished things can be very exciting for
young children and it is always a good idea to provide lots of icing,
chocolate and cake toppings to that they can choose their own
decorations and make their creations ‘personal’.

Fruit salad is another easy recipe which requires no cooking and children
can explore a variety of fruits. Add exotic fruits such as kiwi and mango
alongside the more popular apples, pears and bananas. Take the
opportunity to look closely at the fruits whilst peeling and preparing
them and talk to the children about the way the fruits change once they
are peeled. For example, what happens to a banana when the skin has
been removed? Encourage the children to look at the skins, cores and
pips.

Rice Krispies or cornflakes mixed together with chocolate, added to bun
cases and left in the fridge to set are a ‘no-cook’ alternative to
traditional buns.
Encourage the
children to talk
about the way
the chocolate
changes in
appearance
when it melts
and look at the
way it binds the
cornflakes
together when
mixed.

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It is important when planning cooking activities with children that you

adhere to the appropriate health, safety and hygiene requirements.
Teaching children the importance of healthy routines from a young age
will instil in them good habits which will last a life time.

Children should be taught the importance of washing their hands
frequently whilst preparing food and in particular before starting any
cooking activity and after handling meat.

Children should be supervised at all times especially when using
equipment. Young children should not be allowed to use sharp knives,
ovens etc. which may pose a threat to their safety.

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Promoting the physical development of children

Physical play enables children to:

! Develop their gross motor skills
! Develop their fine motor skills
! Develop body and spatial awareness
! Improve hand/eye co-ordination

Again, the list below gives examples of ways that practitioners can
provide for physical play which is by no means exhaustive.

! Outdoor play – this is perhaps the most popular and widely
considered option for physical play. Outdoor play opens up a huge
number of opportunities for children as they can enjoy walking, visits
to parks and playgrounds, visits to beaches and zoos etc. The
outdoors provides an enormous amount of benefits for children
including fresh air, lots of space for physical exercise and
opportunities to explore together with space and facilities to develop
gross motor skills such as kicking, throwing, jumping, skipping and
hopping together with learning how to participate in games involving
teams and rules such as football, net ball and skittles.
! Swimming – provides an excellent way to promote all round physical
exercise. Although few settings will be lucky enough to have their
own swimming pool it is possible to organise trips to local leisure
centres.
! Puzzles – hand eye co-ordination and fine motor skills can be
encouraged by providing a variety of puzzles such as jig saws.
! Ball games – gross motor skills such as kicking, throwing and catching
can be encouraged through ball games such as football, tennis and
netball.

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Promote the imaginative development of children

Imaginative play enables children to:

! Express and experiment with feelings and emotions
! Develop language and communication skills
! Encourage the use of self-help skills such as putting on shoes and
changing into dressing up clothes
! Prepare for real life situations

Finally the list below gives examples of how practitioners can provide for
children’s imaginative play. As previously stated, the list is not
exhaustive and practitioners will be able to think of other ways to
extend children’s imagination.

! Dressing up – allows children the opportunity to take part in
‘pretend’ play. This type of play enables children to extend their
understanding of what it might be like to be someone else and might
include dressing as a nurse, doctor, fire officer or police officer.

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! Role play – this should not be confused with dressing up. Although
dressing up props are often used in role play the two types of play
should not be confused. Role play includes domestic play such as
playing families whereby one child will be the ‘mummy’ whilst
another is the ‘daddy’ or the ‘baby’. The imitation of other ‘role
models’ such as nurses and doctors is often also involved in role play.
! Small world – miniature toys such as dolls houses, animals, farms,
and cars and other vehicles make up small world play in which
children can explore and act out previous experiences and situations.
Small world play can also be very useful for helping children to cope
with new situations they are about to encounter such as starting
school or the impending visit to hospital for an operation.
! Puppets – children can be encouraged to explore their emotions and
deal with overwhelming feelings which might otherwise be kept
bottled up. Puppets are an excellent way of giving children, who may
otherwise be shy and reserved, a ‘voice’ to speak about how they are
feeling. Puppets are often used in scenarios such as a child feeling
jealousy over the birth of a sibling or in more extreme cases such as
abuse.

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Planning for play to support children’s learning and

development

If left to their own devices most children will play. They will probably
select toys and equipment which they find interesting and use this to
provide the basis of their play. However, anyone who has worked with
young children and observed their behaviour will be aware that not all
children are capable of self-selecting toys to play with and they need the
input of an adult to lead them. Although it can be said that children
learn best when they are interested in what they are doing and
therefore child led learning is often most effective. It is still necessary for
adults to plan for, and support, the learning and development of the
children in order for them to progress and move on to the next stage.

Prior to the reforms the EYFS set out six areas of learning, since
September 2012 these have been increased to seven but split into three
‘prime areas of learning’ and four ‘specific areas of development’.

Prime Areas of Learning

! Personal, Social and Emotional development
! Communication and Language
! Physical development

These three areas have been selected as they reflect the beginning of
child development and are seen as being crucial to influencing later
success in life and learning.

Specific Areas of Development

! Literacy
! Mathematics
! Understanding the World
! Expressive Arts and Design

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These four areas have close links with the National Curriculum.
Another reform of the EYFS is the reduction in the number of early
learning goals which was previously 69 and is now 17.

The reformed EYFS now places much more emphasis on how children
learn and the focus of effective learning is for the child to be ‘active’.
For a child to learn effectively they need to be:

! Engaged – Children need to be involved in learning. They should be
allowed to explore and experiment.
! Motivated – Children need to be encouraged to enjoy achieving what
they set out to do.
! Thinking – Children should be encouraged to have their own ideas,
make links and have choices.

It has been established that the best outcomes for children occur when
the activities on offer throughout the day encourage a mixture of child
initiated play and focused learning.

So, what do we mean by ‘child-initiated play’ and ‘focused learning’ and
how can we ensure that we strike the correct balance? It is fair to say
that children learn best when they are enjoying what they do. A child
who is bored will not learn easily just in the same way as one who is not
involved or allowed to experiment and make choices, will be equally
unwilling to learn.

If we split play and learning into four categories it is much easier to see
which categories allow for the best outcomes for children’s learning and
achievement.

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Unstructured
This is play which does not involve any adult support. Unstructured play
should be kept to a minimum.
*
*
*
*
*
Child Initiated Play
This is play which is actively supported by an adult. Children are allowed
to have ideas, make decisions, explore and be involved with the
sensitive support and interaction of an adult.
*
*
*
*
*
Focused Learning
This is play which is guided by an adult. It offers playful experiential
activities.
*
*
*
*
*
Highly Structured
This involves very little play. It is highly structured adult-directed
learning and, as with unstructured play it should be kept to a minimum.

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Looking at the flow chart it is not difficult to see which categories of play
and learning are most suited to children and, ideally you should be
promoting the best outcomes for children’s learning through a mixture
of child-initiated and focused learning with limited unstructured and
highly structured play. By concentrating on child-initiated and focused
learning we are able to observe the children whist they are engaged in
independent learning.

The emotional environment is created by the warmth and care provided
by the practitioner. Children who trust the person caring for them and
who feel happy and secure will have the confidence to explore and
learn.

Early Years practitioners need to know how to observe and respond to
the children in their care in order to provide for their emotional needs
and to build an environment which is safe and secure in which children
can feel welcome, involved and motivated.

The emotional environment
needs to reflect diversity and
should avoid any kind of
stereotypical images or
approaches. All children,
regardless of their background,
culture, religion, ability or
gender, should feel welcome
and valued, and no child should
be prejudiced against.

The best types of environments
are those which are regularly
changing. Environments which
can be easily adapted provide
the best space for learning.
Children’s interests are varied

26

and they change often; therefore an ideal environment is one which

takes these changes into account and is able to respond appropriately to
them.

Outdoor play is vital for a child’s development and practitioners should
try to make time for outdoor play on a daily basis throughout the year.
Being outdoors has a positive impact on children’s sense of well-being
and is particularly beneficial to all aspects of their development.

Children need to be outdoors in order to experience first hand
opportunities for discovering the weather, the natural world, seasons
etc. and they should be actively encouraged to use their senses to
discover these aspects.

The outdoor environment offers unique learning experiences which
cannot be provided indoors. The outdoors is forever changing as a result
of the seasons and weather, and new sights, sounds and smells are born
as a result. The outdoor environment offers children the chance to
witness nature first hand, to observe things in their natural habitat, to
explore, to investigate, to let off steam and to use their imagination. The
outdoor world offers space and freedom and a chance for exercise and
fresh air.

For the outdoor environment to be beneficial to the children you are
caring for, you need to look at it critically and ask yourself whether it
provides adequate opportunities for children to learn and explore. Is the
area inspiring or is it a concrete jungle? Think about the kinds of play you
expect the children to take part in whilst they are outside, and cater for
their individual ages and stages of development. There is little point in
having a rope swing and climbing frame if the children you care for are
too young to participate in this type of play.

The outdoor area need not be very big, providing it offers opportunities
for the children to explore and to participate in both physical and
creative play. The outdoors should offer chances for the children to use

27

their imagination and their senses and should excite, interest and
involve them.

The weather here in the United Kingdom is a constant topic for
discussion. If we were to wait for good weather before allowing children
the opportunity to play outdoors we may well be cooped up for months
on end! There really is no reason why children cannot enjoy the
outdoors twelve months of the year and, providing they are suitably
attired, they will enjoy and learn from the varied weather and be
fascinated by the change in seasons and the snow, ice, sleet, hail, rain
and sun these seasons bring about.

Early Years Practitioners would be well advised to keep a store of spare
coats so that children can take advantage of a sudden change in the
weather and have the chance to enjoy spontaneous play outdoors.

In addition to providing planned activities for children to enjoy the
outdoors, think about the resources you can supply which will
encourage spontaneous, imaginative play such as picnic baskets, old
blankets, a tent, maps, tickets, umbrellas etc.

It can sometimes be quite challenging for practitioners to meet the
needs of all of the children in the setting particularly as the ages of the
children can be varied. You will need to think carefully about providing
suitable materials and activities for children of all ages in a shared
outdoor space.

Many children who spend time in an early years setting will view this
environment as their second home. They may see the setting as an
extension of their own home where they take part in everyday
experiences in much the same way as they would if they were at their
own house with their parents. The setting provides them with a safe,
secure place for them to play, eat, sleep and rest. It is therefore the job
of the Early Years Practitioner to ensure that all the children in the
setting feel safe and secure whilst providing them with interesting

28

challenges and activities in a well planned environment which takes into

account the individual needs of each child.

When planning suitable activities and resources for children’s play and
learning, you need to bear in mind the flexibility of the indoor space in
order for it to be effective. Above all else, the indoor and outdoor
environments need to be safe, and children need to understand the
importance of how to behave in both environments so that they
consider their own personal safety and the safety of others at all times.

Early Years Practitioners should be looking to provide a quality indoor
environment which makes the best of what is available and allows the
children to feel welcome, safe and secure.

The indoor space needs to be well planned in order to allow children to
move around freely and self select activities and resources. Children
learn much more effectively if they are allowed to become involved in
activities and given the opportunity to take an active interest rather than
be expected to watch whilst the adult carries out certain tasks. Allow
plenty of time in a well planned environment for children to have the

29

chance to take part in a hands-on approach to activities such as baking.

Children will learn much more from being allowed to add ingredients,
weigh things out and mix them together, and their interest will be held
for longer if they are not simply expected to watch whilst the
practitioner does everything!

Careful consideration needs to go into planning and utilising the indoor
area as this space needs to work in a variety of ways. It needs to
provide:-

! A stimulating learning environment for children
! Opportunities for children to make friends and develop friendships
! Children with the opportunity to learn and develop at their own pace
! Opportunities for children to rest and refresh themselves
! A place for children to sleep
! A place for children to eat
! An opportunity to learn by taking challenges and risks whilst
remaining safe
! Opportunities for children to make choices
! A chance for children to become involved in activities and play which
interest and motivate them

Caring for children of mixed ages and abilities can sometimes pose a
problem for practitioners as often toys and equipment which are
suitable for three year olds are inappropriate for toddlers and babies.
Safety must be at the forefront of your mind at all times.

The child care setting need not be a huge space and, if you are not lucky
enough to have a playroom and, in the case of a childminder, you will be
relying on your living room as the indoor environment, then you will
need to think carefully about the way in which you utilise the space that
you have. Consider pushing the sofa back to open up the floor space
when children are taking part in construction activities. Drape towels
and blankets over chairs to make dens for the children to hide under. Set
quieter activities such as jigsaws up on the dining room table.

30

Remember large, open plan areas may encourage children to run around
and become boisterous and you will need to think carefully about how
you can deal with this. Consider partitioning sections of the room off if
you have large open spaces to encourage the children to sit and
concentrate better on individual activities. Try to make separate areas
for the children to enjoy different activities such as a quiet area for
reading and listening and a spacious area for role play and construction.

Think carefully about how you store your toys and equipment. Ideally
toys will be stored in see-through plastic boxes so that even very young
children can see what the box contains and will be able to self select
toys they wish to play with. In addition to providing suitable toys and
equipment, remember to keep your eye on your supply of consumables
and replenish stocks when necessary. Running out of glue and glitter as
the festive season approaches is asking for trouble!

31

Theoretical Perspectives: Speech, Language and Communication Development

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Theoretical Perspectives: Speech, Language and Communication Development

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Theoretical

Sequence – Gessell suggested that all physical development follows a

Social and Emotional Perspective

! Stages of development- Piaget thought that children constantly

through movement and should have environments that are specifically

! Imaginative play which includes the child or young person pretending

Physical play enables children to:

! Puzzles – hand eye co-ordination and fine motor skills can be

Competitive and non-competitive games and activities

Enjoying books and early reading

It is important when planning cooking activities with children that you

Promoting the physical development of children

Promote the imaginative development of children

Planning for play to support children’s learning and

and they change often; therefore an ideal environment is one which

challenges and activities in a well planned environment which takes into

chance to take part in a hands-on approach to activities such as baking.

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