I Felt Like a BlockheadI have the opportunity to try out products for Discount School Supply on a regular basis. I was trying out some blocks a year ago and I was getting frustrated by my lack of imagination in creating something with the blocks. I gave the blocks to my grandson who was almost 3 at the time. He immedi…
Physical PunishmentA new report from the government's chief advise on child safety recommends that there should be a complete ban on smacking and physical punishment for those who work with children. Until now, the use of such methods for discipline has been permissible within certain childcare settings (although not …
Professional DevelopmentMany readers of this blog already work in schools, or are planning a career in this sector once they have finished their course. So it should be of interest to all of those readers to learn that Ofsted is urging schools and nurseries to invest more in staff training. Ofsted's new report, entitled Go…
Children & Internet SafetyThe issue of children's safety when using the internet has been prominent again in recent days, with two separate reports addressing the issue. The NFER has prepared Children’s Online Risks and Safety: a Review of the Available Evidence, which is a useful introduction if you are new to this topic. A…
New Common Core of Skills and KnowledgeSomething of interest to all readers today: the Children's Workforce Development Council has just published new guidance which updates the common core of skills and knowledge that everyone working with children, young people and families should have. This is the first update of the common core sinc…
Foundation Stage AchievementThis is a little late, but you now view the latest official statistics regarding achievement in the Foundation Stage. Results are broken down in a number of ways, including gender, ethnicity, special educational needs, entitlement to free school meals, and English as an additional language.…
EYES Search (Again)The EYES search engine (see right of page) is operating again; results will now display on a separate page, so remember to navigate back here when once you've found what you're looking for! As ever, feedback on this service is always welcome.If you'd like to add an EYES search box to your own site, …
EYES SearchIf you're one of the users of the EYES Search engine (see right of screen) you've probably noticed that it's currently not returning any results. This is due to a technical issue which is being fixed - the service will return in the next day or two.…
Nursery FoodRecently published research from the School Food Trust has raised concerns about the nutrition levels of food served in nurseries. The Trust's report states that food offered to toddlers is often high in fat, sugar and salt, and that young children may be eating overly large portions. You can read a…
Catch Him!A number of years ago, I had the opportunity to live in Ireland for a period of time. Having that first-hand knowledge comes in handy at this time of year. When I was a classroom teacher, I always made a big deal about St. Patrick's Day. I used it as an opportunity to introduce the children to the c…
Wonder WheelSounding like something you'd find on a gameshow or a mispronunciation of an old Oasis hit, the Wonder Wheel is actually a feature of Google which readers may find useful, as it can help suggest search terms to narrow down your results.To access this feature, start by doing a search on Google. Above…
ICT in EducationICT in Education is a website aimed at all those who are managing or leading ICT within schools. The site is packed with free articles on all aspects of ICT, or you might want to take a look at two free ebooks which are hosted there. The first is entitled The Amazing Web 2.0 Projects Book and contai…
Not the End of the StoryNot the End of the Story is a title of a new short report from Barnardos. This publication focuses on teenage mothers and the barriers that they can face when attempting to get back into education. A number of different factors are highlighted, leading the authors to conclude that young mothers are …
National Literacy TrustThe National Literacy Trust website has undergone a makeover, with the result that it now seems to be much easier to navigate, while still maintaining its excellent content. If you're interested in literacy, this really is a site that you should be visiting on a regular basis. There are many section…
What Sort of Web Animal are You?Some of you may have seen The Virtual Revolution, a series recently broadcast on BBC2 to mark 20 years of the Web. The final episode focused on asking whether the Web is having an impact on relationships between people and even the way that we think. While it's probably too early to give a definitiv…
Deprivation and RiskNew research from the Action for Children charity examines the cycles of deprivation and neglect which are linked to vulnerable families. Their report argues that such cycles can be broken if families and children are supported at an early stage by the right services. The full text of the study, ent…
Family WellbeingWith the subject of wellbeing having received much attention in recent months, the Family and Parenting Institute have issued a timely literature review entitled Can Government Measure Family Wellbeing? The review "analyses current definitions, theoretical models, and measurement tools and examines …
Grandparents and PovertyNew research carried out by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and Grandparents Plus argues that low-income grandparents are risking financial hardship to giving up work to look after their grandchildren. Other findings from the research include the fact that more than half of families with a …
Let's See...Start with the Sun!I was talking to my favorite 5 year-old last week about the projects she creates. I asked her, "How do you know what to make or draw?" Her answer surprised me very much. She said to me, "First you have to start with the sun." When I asked why she started with the sun, she stated it was because it wa…
Bumper Edition for MarchA round up of several new reports which have appeared in recent days:The DCSF has published its Staying Safe Survey 2009, covering young people and parents' attitudes around accidents, bullying and safety.Also new from the DCSF is a first evaluation of the Parenting Early Intervention Programme.The …
