Young children’s personal experiences are their starting point for understanding the world.
From birth, babies engage in multi-sensory experiences and learn about their parents, carers,
families and immediate environment. Starting at an early years setting or childminder’s home
has the potential to open up a whole new breadth and depth of experience.
So, we’re thinking about personal experiences
in terms of understanding the world. And when we’re thinking about
understanding the world, we’re thinking about some big ideas, we’re thinking about science,
technology, ecology, identity. So, how do we make those relevant for very young children?
I think it’s important that the adults have a real understanding of the curriculum and what’s
needed to ensure there is coverage across the curriculum in all of those curriculum areas,
to ensure it does make sense for the children. Currently, we’re installing a bug hotel
and this is part of our vision to enhance the learning within the outdoor space. So,
the children have been thoroughly involved from the start of the process, really keen and
active in terms of making decisions and also, with the support of the key worker, to
look into the design of bug hotels, so researching this on the internet.
And already we’ve seen an immediate impact in terms of the children being really excited and
curious to find out what bugs would be interested in visiting our hotel.
So, we’re thinking about how do we support children to develop that sense of time,
and for some children that comes with their personal experiences and other children need
more visual prompts to support them. So, what does that look like in your setting?
I think there’s lots of examples, but I think a really nice example, we have lovely big giant
sand timers, they’re bright, they’re colourful, they’re large in size and they provide a visual
to a concept that is otherwise, you know children aren’t able to use clocks and
understand the concept of five minutes, but it provides that real visual for them. So,
for some children for example, it can often help to prepare them for something that’s coming next,
it can really support transitions, if something is coming to an end.
Thinking about the children’s personal experiences and how we can build on those and enrich them,
it’s really important to have visitors into the settings.
So, we like to bring in visitors when we can, or even family members. So, what’s worked really
nicely is where we’ve welcomed a relative into the environment and to share their skill base
and their knowledge with the children. And also, the children really love having a visitor. So,
for children who are really curious and inquisitive, it’s their chance to ask
questions. Also, for that member that come in and that visitor, they can support the children
with their knowledge on what they know and model and demonstrate and using a recipe
book and talking to the children and modelling that skills base. So, chopping and cutting,
talking about ingredients. So, really powerful for the children.
By engaging children in hands on experiences and reflection, they are better able to
connect theories and knowledge learned in the setting to real-world situations.
For young children early years settings are often the first stepping stone in venturing out
into the wider world outside of the immediate family home.
Settings act as a gateway to a wealth of new experiences and early years practitioners
have a role in broadening children’s knowledge and understanding of the world.
Visitors to the setting further enrich the child’s personal experiences. When thoughtfully planned,
visitors add to the setting’s provision and essentially
to the child’s sense of place and understanding of the world.