- What values are present within Early Years Education?
One value that I believe everything is based around is making everything child-centred. During this age children develop enormously; and making things child-centred enables this development. Play in the classroom is fundamentally, and is valued very high in Early Years Education. I think that creating a valuable play experience for children is very valued. Creating meaning in their play that enables them to create their own discoveries.
- What practices are promoted to enact or realise these values?
There is a pedagogical cycle that best represents the way that these values are enacted. There is no first stage of this cycle but one stage is observation. Teachers need to ‘listen with their eyes and their ears’. They need to ask themselves what these behaviours, actions and emotions mean about a child’s development. Documenting these is important. The cycle can then move onto the responsive and intentional planning. Taking these observations and deciding what parts of their learning are working well, and need to stay. Also deciding which parts need to change. The final part of the cycle, and arguably the most important is the facilitation. Notice that the word is not teaching, as we in keep with the values. Children need a variety of spaces (including outdoor). Experiences should also be flexible and sensitive; reconginziing that every child is different.
