What are high-quality experiences?
“Learning environments require consideration of the interactions, experiences, and space on offer.”
– Realising the Ambition, Page 47.
A fundamental part of ELC practice is the development of children’s skills and interests in a variety of areas, including literacy, numeracy, and health and wellbeing.
Providing developmentally appropriate and challenging experiences that are intentionally planned and responsive to needs should provide a good balance of learning across all curriculum areas.
High-quality environments offering choices are necessary to facilitate high-quality experiences. Research dictates that children learn best in warm, caring, and nurturing environments. Therefore, the ethos of the setting is equally important to children’s experience as the physical resources on offer (Mortensen & Barnett, 2015).
Why do high-quality experiences matter?
“Research has shown that children’s life chances, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, can benefit socially, emotionally, and cognitively by accessing world class early years education.”
– Realising the Ambition, Page 7.
The quality of experiences that children have in early years can fundamentally affect their enjoyment and future development.
The earliest years of life are crucial for every child, but particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Positive ELC experiences can form the foundations for future learning and ultimately impact life chances for children.
Following the introduction of 1140 hours, some children will spend an increased amount of time in ELC settings, therefore, it is vital that the quality of provision is not diluted amidst this increased quantity of time.
Ensuring that children have access to high-quality experiences can improve social, emotional, and cognitive development. To enable children to reach their full potential and close the poverty related attainment gap, the quality of experience must be high.
How can I facilitate and promote high-quality experiences?
“Flexible, responsive, and intentional experiences are a key element of high-quality provision.”
– Realising the Ambition, Page 87.
In addition to following guidance and adhering to information contained within the Fife Core Provision, staff must be knowledgeable around play pedagogy and be skilled at providing the delicate balance of self-motivated and intentionally directed opportunities. The choice of experiences should reflect the child’s developmental stage, their aspirations, curiosities, and next steps.
Practitioners can facilitate high-quality experiences by providing and promoting:
- Highly stimulating, engaging, and creative spaces, including opportunities for measured risk taking.
- A variety of exciting learning experiences that are both responsive and intentionally promoted and match the needs of each learner.
- Following children’s interests and extending and scaffolding learning opportunities to provide a broad, balanced curriculum.
- Open-ended resources to promote curiosity and imagination.
- Positive relationships, including developing a notion of boundaries, self-regulation and negotiation.
- Promotion of choice, diversity and equality.
- Provision of safe, secure, and nurturing environments that empower learners within an environment of trust.
