Effective Classroom StrategiesThe latest research review from C4EO examines evidence surrounding the issue of closing the achievement gap for children living in poverty. The report was compiled by a team from the University of York, who looked at "what works" in improving learning outcomes for disadvantaged children. In particul…
Early Years Professional StatusYesterday saw the publication of the first national survey on the role and impact of graduate leaders in the early years sector. This report was commissioned by the Children's Workforce Development Council, and the research carried out by the University of Wolverhampton. Among the findings are the c…
All the News that's Fit to Print...Today's update is something of a mish-mash, with details of various new items of interest...Removing Barriers to Literacy is an Ofsted report which investigates approaches that can improve practice in literacy. To compile the report, inspectors visited a range of different settings with a track reco…
Air to BreatheIt has been a cold and snowy winter so far here in Utah. The older I get, the more I dislike cold weather. The other day when it was 7 degrees overnight, I went out the next morning to break a hole in the ice of our pond. We keep a pump going, but I like to make sure there is an oxygen outlet for th…
The ICT Handbook for Primary TeachersA few months ago I wrote how one of UCB's lecturers had published a book (see previous post for details). David Hall's The ICT Handbook for Primary Teachers has been phenomenally popular with our library users, to the extent that some have experienced difficulty in obtaining a copy. So I'm pleased t…
Early Intervention: the Next StepsToday sees the publication of Early Intervention: Next Steps, a report from Graham Allen MP which examines the impact of the current programme of assessments for pre-school children. The review is wide in scope, covering such issues as poor parenting, funding for support programmes, and how similar …
Maintaining Classroom DisciplineIt's retro film time again... While digging out some information on behaviour management in the classroom, I came across the little gem which you can view below. It's a US video from 1947 entitled Maintaining Classroom Discipline. But if you think that it has little relevance to modern teaching you …
Impact of Early Years EducationThe General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) have published The Enduring Impact of Quality Early Years Education, which summarises research from the EPPE Project. This new report uses case studies to evaluate how different influences (both school and home) can have an impact on the development of…
Children’s Experiences of the Early Years Foundation StageA new DFE-commissioned report from researchers at Sheffield Hallam University gathers examples of children's perspectives on their experiences of early years settings, and considers what these tell us about the effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Particular consideration was given to …
2011: Hopes and FearsWhat does the New Year hold for the Early Years sector? Nursery World has gathered together a wide range of experts and practitioners to outline what they think is likely to happen over the next 12 months, and what they would like to see taking place. You can read their thoughts by clicking here.…
Making MusicDuring the holidays, I had the opportunity to be in California with all six of my grandchildren. After a rousing Wii music game, three of my granddaughters picked up the ukulele and some costumes, then proceeded to serenade the rest of us. One of the adults present called out, "That sounds just awfu…
