Parenta Magazine February 2019
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Issue 51<br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2019</strong><br />
FREE<br />
INDUSTRY<br />
EXPERTS<br />
7 WAYS<br />
to market your<br />
new setting on<br />
a budget<br />
A neurogenesis<br />
workout for<br />
everyone!<br />
The power<br />
of calm<br />
“The Giants” in<br />
the world of early<br />
years<br />
+ lots more<br />
Write for us<br />
for a chance to<br />
WIN<br />
SUPPORTING CHILDREN<br />
WITH A LANGUAGE DELAY<br />
£50<br />
p 23<br />
CHILD OBESITY • SAFER INTERNET DAY • CHINESE NEW YEAR
hello<br />
WELCOME TO OUR FAMILY<br />
Hello and welcome to the <strong>February</strong> edition of the <strong>Parenta</strong> magazine!<br />
We hope that you and your staff have had a good start to <strong>2019</strong>. We have some fabulous articles in store<br />
for you this month, all aimed at helping you with the smooth and successful running of your setting and the<br />
health, happiness and wellbeing of the children in your care.<br />
Advice this month includes valuable top tips on how to hire your perfect apprentice, and we offer some practical<br />
guidance on how best to meet the needs of children in the care system. We understand that a lot of settings are<br />
struggling financially due to funding cuts etc., so to try and help, we have included a guide on “How to market your nursery on a<br />
small budget”.<br />
Two topical subjects which are close to everybody’s heart when it comes to the wellbeing of children are internet safety and child<br />
obesity. How can we keep our children “internet safe” in this day and age, when using the internet is part of everyday life? Safer<br />
Internet Day is on 5th <strong>February</strong> and aims to raise awareness of the benefits and risks posed by the internet, at the same time<br />
promoting safe, responsible and positive use of it for children and young people. We look at how important internet safety is, even<br />
in early years, and look at ways you can get involved.<br />
Child obesity is rising at an alarming rate in the UK and we have a few ideas for things you can do in your setting to encourage<br />
healthier options to tackle this sensitive but worrying topic.<br />
We love to bring you ideas for arts and crafts and this month is no exception! To help you celebrate Chinese New Year, we have<br />
devised five, fun activities to bring some happiness and affluence to you and your children in this coming year - The Year of the Pig!<br />
To celebrate Valentine’s Day, we bring you fluffy slime which will give you hours of messy play! We really enjoy seeing photos of the<br />
crafts the children in your setting have made – please feel free to share your crafty creations on social media, remembering to tag<br />
us @theparentagroup.<br />
Congratulations to our guest author competition winner! Joanna Grace’s article “Rainbow emotional regulation” looked at how we<br />
can support children’s emotional regulation by labelling the full spectrum of their emotions. If you have written on a topic relevant<br />
to early years and would like to be in with a chance to win £50 in shopping vouchers, turn to page 22 for details.<br />
We hope you enjoy <strong>February</strong>’s issue of our magazine and wish you a happy (Chinese) New Year!<br />
Allan<br />
SAFER 16<br />
INTERNET DAY<br />
The aim of “Safer<br />
Internet Day” is to<br />
raise awareness of the<br />
benefits and risks posed<br />
by the internet.<br />
GOODIES<br />
AND BADDIES<br />
Tamsin Grimmer<br />
discusses ways to deal<br />
with aggression and<br />
violent play.<br />
10<br />
THE POWER OF CALM<br />
Stacey Kelly explores how to help equip<br />
children with a good moral compass to<br />
help guide them.<br />
28<br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2019</strong> ISSUE 51<br />
IN THIS EDITION<br />
REGULARS<br />
18 Focus on the <strong>Parenta</strong> assessors<br />
22 Fluffy slime craft<br />
23 Write for us for a chance to win £50<br />
27 What our customers say<br />
32 <strong>Parenta</strong> job board<br />
NEWS<br />
4 Launch of new ‘Fire It Up’ campaign for<br />
apprenticeships<br />
6 <strong>Parenta</strong> Trust news<br />
ADVICE<br />
8 7 ways to market your new nursery on a small<br />
budget<br />
12 Hiring your perfect apprentice<br />
14 <strong>Parenta</strong> and Morton Michel Partnership – what<br />
does this mean for you?<br />
16 Safer Internet Day<br />
30 Understanding the needs of children in the care<br />
system: part 2<br />
34 Chinese New Year – year of the pig craft ideas<br />
38 Encouraging healthier options to tackle<br />
childhood obesity<br />
INDUSTRY EXPERTS<br />
10 “I’m the goodie and you’re the baddie…!”<br />
Dealing with aggression and violent play<br />
20 Neurogenesis workout for everyone<br />
24 Supporting children with a language delay<br />
28 The power of calm<br />
36 “The Giants”: part 1<br />
Gina Smith examines building language skills and<br />
how to support children with a language delay. 24<br />
<strong>Parenta</strong> and Morton Michel Partnership - get your<br />
FREE insurance review now! 14<br />
Encouraging healthier options to tackle childhood obesity. 38<br />
Professor Sean MacBlain reflects on the ideas of<br />
philosophers, theorists and practitioners who laid many<br />
of the foundations of practice in the field of early years.<br />
36
Launch of new ‘Fire<br />
It Up’ campaign for<br />
apprenticeships<br />
15% more after completing an<br />
apprenticeship and 4% more<br />
than those who left with a level 2<br />
vocational qualification<br />
Damian Hinds said that the figures show<br />
the benefits of apprenticeships for both<br />
young people and businesses.<br />
Alim Jalloh, a Channel 4 apprentice and<br />
campaign star said:<br />
Education Secretary, Damian Hinds, has said that employers<br />
are realising the advantages of apprenticeships in their<br />
workplace. Big companies like Lloyds Banking Group and<br />
Marks & Spencer are already taking on apprentices under<br />
the new, government apprenticeship programmes.<br />
Mr Hinds wants both parents and<br />
schools to encourage apprenticeships<br />
beside the usual academic route for<br />
further education, especially when the<br />
young people are making decisions<br />
about their future.<br />
The Government launched the new<br />
‘Fire It Up’ campaign on Thursday,<br />
17th January. The scheme is aiming<br />
to promote apprenticeships, not<br />
only for young people, but parents<br />
and employers. It will also confront<br />
the largest school trusts who have<br />
not issued information about how<br />
providers of vocational education can<br />
talk to the pupils in their school. It will<br />
also raise awareness of the variety of<br />
apprenticeships available for people of<br />
all ages and backgrounds.<br />
The Prime Minister said in prime<br />
minister’s questions on Wednesday<br />
that it is vital for young people to see<br />
that there are different routes into their<br />
career – and that an apprenticeship<br />
can be an important one for some of<br />
them. The Government is also contacting<br />
local authorities to remind them to have<br />
everything they need to show the pupils<br />
the full range of information about all<br />
the different career routes they can take.<br />
Damian Hinds, the Education Secretary,<br />
said:<br />
“We are seeing the apprenticeship<br />
system in this country come of age, with<br />
leading employers waking up to the<br />
benefits apprenticeships can bring.<br />
“The sad truth is that outdated and<br />
snobby attitudes are still putting people<br />
off apprenticeships which means<br />
they’re missing out on great jobs and<br />
higher salaries – many of them in the<br />
sorts of firms graduates look to land<br />
jobs with after university.<br />
“It’s vital that we challenge people’s<br />
thinking about apprenticeships which is<br />
why the Government’s new ‘Fire It Up’<br />
campaign will aim to shift deeply-held<br />
views and drive more people towards<br />
an apprenticeship.<br />
“At the same time, we need to<br />
make sure that young people have<br />
access to information about all of the<br />
opportunities that are out there, so<br />
we are taking action to make sure all<br />
schools invite a wide range of providers<br />
in to help young people choose the<br />
right career path for them.”<br />
The new apprenticeship programme is<br />
offering high-quality training and many<br />
career options. The new ‘standards’<br />
were created in collaboration with<br />
leading companies to ensure the<br />
standard of the programme is high.<br />
The range of apprenticeships available<br />
is wide; from aerospace engineering<br />
and teaching, to fashion and law. The<br />
apprentices also have the opportunity<br />
to study up to degree level and will<br />
receive around 700 hours of training,<br />
140 more than a year before.<br />
TV and social media adverts, as<br />
well as a new website, were created<br />
specifically for the campaign to provide<br />
more information and guidance, as well<br />
as giving access to all the available<br />
apprenticeships across the country.<br />
Check out the Fire it Up campaign<br />
website.<br />
Back in January 2017, the Government<br />
backed the ‘Baker Clause’ to help<br />
young people understand the career<br />
options available to them; either doing<br />
an apprenticeship or following an<br />
academic route. It requires schools to<br />
invite in a wide range of education and<br />
training providers, to help young people<br />
make the best decisions for their future.<br />
Anne Milton, Apprenticeship and Skills<br />
Minister, is currently contacting the 10<br />
biggest multi-academy trusts which<br />
are not following the clause, to remind<br />
them of their legal duty. If there is any<br />
proof that they don’t follow the clause,<br />
the Government will take action.<br />
The Careers & Enterprise Company<br />
is working with schools to raise<br />
awareness of technical options and<br />
apprenticeships, as well as giving<br />
young people a chance to encounter<br />
the real world of work.<br />
The advantages of apprenticeships in<br />
workplaces have been highlighted in a<br />
recent analysis, and include:<br />
• 71% of apprentices said that their<br />
chances of earning higher wages<br />
in the future have grown and 80%<br />
said that the possibility of them<br />
completing higher levels of training<br />
has also increased<br />
• 90% of apprentices who completed<br />
their course, secured a paid position<br />
or went on to further learning, and<br />
88% carried on with their current<br />
employment<br />
• Employers noticed that productivity<br />
was improved by 78%, as well<br />
as product or service quality by<br />
74%. They also noted that 68% of<br />
apprentices brought new ideas<br />
to the business and 83% would<br />
recommend an apprenticeship to<br />
other firms<br />
• 64% of young people consider<br />
choosing an apprenticeship as an<br />
option after leaving school instead<br />
of going down the academic route,<br />
according to a recent study by<br />
Sutton Trust. This represents a 9%<br />
rise since 2014<br />
• The survey also provides an insight<br />
into earning potential, with 23%<br />
of men on an apprenticeship,<br />
earning more than those who<br />
only left school with GCSEs, and<br />
around 16% more than those who<br />
only completed a level 2 vocational<br />
qualification. Women earn around<br />
“Young people like me are thinking<br />
about their options. University is a good<br />
idea, but it is not for everyone. Ultimately<br />
it wasn’t for me because I didn’t feel it<br />
was preparing me for the job I really<br />
wanted. My apprenticeship was an<br />
amazing combination of world-class,<br />
on-the-job learning, hyper-relevant<br />
qualifications, with a clear potential<br />
career ahead of me. All while earning a<br />
salary!”<br />
The Government has started to change<br />
how technical and vocational education<br />
works in the country. It involves<br />
getting employers to provide the highquality<br />
training and a wide range of<br />
apprenticeships, as well as introducing<br />
gold standard ‘T Levels’ from 2020 – the<br />
technical equivalent to A Levels.<br />
Last December the secretary shared his<br />
10-year ambition to put more people<br />
into a skilled job with better wages, and<br />
to be on the same educational level as<br />
the best in the world. This includes:<br />
• Higher Technical Qualifications –<br />
these level 4 and 5 qualifications,<br />
like Diplomas of Higher Education<br />
and Foundation Degrees, are an<br />
alternative to a degree level, and<br />
will sit between A Levels and a<br />
degree. It will help people get into<br />
skilled careers<br />
• Changing the pupil destination<br />
measure – this new information<br />
will show pupils a separate<br />
measure of how many people go<br />
on to university, higher technical<br />
apprenticeships or Higher Technical<br />
Qualifications<br />
• Matching skills to a job – new<br />
guidance and support for Skills<br />
Advisory Panels, including<br />
cooperation between public and<br />
private sector employers, local<br />
authorities, schools and universities<br />
– to assess what skills are needed<br />
in their local area<br />
4 <strong>Parenta</strong>.com <strong>February</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 5
NEWS<br />
<strong>Parenta</strong> Trust news<br />
In this month’s news from <strong>Parenta</strong> Trust, we learn how the charity and its supporters change the<br />
lives of hundreds of children who attend <strong>Parenta</strong> Trust schools in East Africa.<br />
In many countries, pre-school children<br />
are deprived of a basic education. In the<br />
poorest areas, children are sent out to<br />
fetch water, carry out domestic chores<br />
and look after their siblings. Very often,<br />
this means that they miss out on going<br />
to pre-school and receiving additional<br />
education throughout their childhood.<br />
They are not given the opportunity they<br />
deserve to develop to their full potential.<br />
Maidstone to Monaco - 26 - 30 June <strong>2019</strong><br />
2000 MILES • 8 COUNTRIES • 5 DAYS<br />
WINDING<br />
ROADS!<br />
CRAZY<br />
CHALLENGES!<br />
STUNNING<br />
SCENERY!<br />
It doesn’t sound much, but for as<br />
little as 56p per day, a child’s life<br />
can be changed, and they can look<br />
forward to a much brighter future.<br />
“Sponsoring a <strong>Parenta</strong> Trust child is so rewarding. To know that our support gives hope to a child and that we can<br />
change their lives for the better, is incredible. You form a special connection with your sponsored child and are able<br />
to share in their milestones as they grow. In fact, you’ll soon find that your sponsored child feels like a part of your own<br />
family! Each year, we receive a couple of letters from them as well as a card at Christmas time. The children that we<br />
sponsor love to hear from us! One of the most rewarding things about sponsoring a child is when that letter arrives and<br />
you hear about what they’ve been up to and how you have helped them. It fills you with pride and happiness!”<br />
The <strong>Parenta</strong> Trust sponsorship<br />
programme gives disadvantaged preschool<br />
children the chance to lay the<br />
foundations for their learning in a safe<br />
and loving environment. Having a basic<br />
education means these young children<br />
can break out of the cycle of poverty and<br />
look forward to a much brighter future.<br />
Sponsorship plays a hugely important<br />
role in shaping the lives of young preschool<br />
boys and girls across the world.<br />
With the support of their sponsors, the<br />
children are given a bright start to their<br />
life and receive a pre-school education,<br />
with its effects lasting a lifetime.<br />
Each sponsored child benefits from a<br />
pre-school education, a school uniform,<br />
a daily hot meal, school supplies and the<br />
knowledge that someone really cares.<br />
6 <strong>Parenta</strong>.com<br />
How sponsorship saved Bridget’s life...<br />
We met Bridget on a trip to Uganda in 2014. Nothing could’ve prepared us for<br />
her story but, sadly, her case is not a one-off. Bridget was rescued from a shrine<br />
where she was about to be sacrificed by her parents. Saved at the last moment<br />
from a shocking fate, she now attends one of our pre-schools where she can<br />
lead a happy and safe life. She is cared for, has a sponsor and has the education<br />
she needs to brighten her future. There are many more vulnerable children like<br />
Bridget who need your help. By sponsoring a pre-school child, you make a real<br />
difference to their lives.<br />
To find out how you can make a difference and sponsor a child, visit<br />
parentatrust.com/sponsor-a-child<br />
Other ways to support the work of <strong>Parenta</strong> Trust<br />
The <strong>Parenta</strong> Trust runs many exciting fundraising activities throughout the year, including an annual car rally from the <strong>Parenta</strong><br />
office in Maidstone via the Alps to Monaco. To find out more and keep up-to-date with the latest events, follow our Facebook<br />
page or visit www.parentatrust.com.<br />
DON’T MISS OUT ON THE<br />
ROAD TRIP OF A LIFETIME!<br />
To be a part of this adventure, register today at parentatrust.com<br />
WHY?<br />
Our mission is to raise funds<br />
to build pre-schools in the most<br />
deprived areas of the world.<br />
Register today, to help us allow young<br />
children to break out of the cycle of poverty<br />
and look forward to a bright future.
7 ways to market your new<br />
nursery on a small budget<br />
Once you have committed to the idea of opening a day nursery, marketing your setting to parents in the<br />
early stages will become a crucial part of making sure your childcare business is a success. If money is an<br />
issue and you only have a very small budget to advertise your nursery with, why not consider using these<br />
tools to help spread the word of your presence?<br />
1<br />
2<br />
Create a Twitter page<br />
Twitter has over 26 million users in the UK alone, so reaching parents has never been easier! Letting people know<br />
about your setting is only a tweet and a hashtag away. If the thought of setting up a social media page scares you,<br />
ask about our support service.<br />
Encourage word-of-mouth<br />
For those parents who register their interest in your day nursery, encourage them to spread the word to their friends.<br />
According to a survey by the government, parents are most likely to receive information about childcare through wordof-mouth<br />
than any other source.<br />
CHILDCARE<br />
WEBSITES<br />
& SOCIAL MEDIA<br />
Think of it like this – a nursery website is like having your very own<br />
marketing team working on promoting your setting 24 hours a day,<br />
7 days a week, 365 days a year…need we say any more?!<br />
3<br />
4<br />
5<br />
6<br />
7<br />
Try to win an award<br />
This won’t necessarily apply until you’ve settled into the first few months of being open, but you could try applying for a<br />
nursery award such as those hosted by Nursery Management Today. Past categories have included: Nursery Outdoor<br />
Learning Environment Award, Green Nursery Award and Nursery Team of the Year.<br />
Build a nursery website<br />
The single most important thing you can do to advertise your setting is to have a childcare website! Each<br />
lead a website brings in could be worth £10,800 every year, helping to make your service sustainable in the<br />
long term.<br />
Put up posters in community centres<br />
Ask permission to put up posters advertising your setting in local<br />
community centres, leisure centres and other places that parents are<br />
likely to take their babies and toddlers on a regular basis.<br />
Create a Facebook page<br />
With an audience of 30 million<br />
users in the UK alone, Facebook<br />
is a perfect tool to market your<br />
new setting. Again, if you want<br />
support in setting up a social<br />
media page for your childcare<br />
business, we can walk you through<br />
the process.<br />
Contact your local<br />
council<br />
Visit the website of your local<br />
county council and see if<br />
they have a list of local<br />
nurseries and childcare<br />
providers. If they do,<br />
contact them to see what you<br />
need to do to add your setting’s<br />
name to the list too.<br />
Packages start from as little as £19.99 per month<br />
FIND OUT MORE<br />
8 <strong>Parenta</strong>.com <strong>February</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 9
“I’m the goodie<br />
and you’re<br />
and the you’re baddie…!” the Dealing with<br />
baddie…!” aggression and violent play<br />
Dealing with aggression and violent play<br />
Rough-and-tumble play:<br />
• Helps to develop our sense of proprioception, working out where our bodies are in relation to<br />
space and people around us.<br />
• Is a very social activity which contributes to our understanding of social rules.<br />
• Improves self-regulation as children need to learn when to stop and to balance what they<br />
want with the desires of others.<br />
• Develops empathy and helps with ‘theory-of-mind’ as children learn that other people have<br />
feelings and emotions that might be different to their own.<br />
• Enables children to safely manage risk for themselves.<br />
• Allows children to manage aggressive feelings in a safe environment.<br />
• Develops gross motor skills and physical dexterity.<br />
• Offers children the opportunity to win and not gloat, or lose and accept defeat graciously.<br />
• Provides an opportunity for children to use their imaginations as they create their<br />
narratives.<br />
• Allows children to bond with adults and other children.<br />
• Is enjoyable for those who participate.<br />
• Even enables children to learn about pain in an appropriate way!<br />
Despite the many benefits, many early childhood educators do not feel comfortable with this<br />
play. There are usually several anxieties that educators express when responding to roughand-tumble<br />
play. Firstly, they fear that if a child gets hurt or upset, they may be blamed for<br />
allowing this play to happen; secondly, they feel that this type of play is not ‘effective practice’<br />
and therefore shouldn’t be encouraged; and thirdly, they are concerned that rough-and-tumble<br />
play will lead to real fighting and violence.<br />
Here are some tips to help you to distinguish between aggressive play or real violence:<br />
Tamsin Grimmer<br />
Tamsin Grimmer is an<br />
experienced early years<br />
consultant and trainer and<br />
parent who is passionate about<br />
young children’s learning and<br />
development. She believes<br />
that all children deserve<br />
practitioners who are inspiring,<br />
dynamic, reflective and<br />
committed to improving on their<br />
current best. Tamsin particularly<br />
enjoys planning and delivering<br />
training and supporting<br />
early years practitioners and<br />
teachers to improve outcomes<br />
for young children.<br />
Within early childhood education, we understand the importance of building secure attachments<br />
with children and we strive to follow their interests and cater for their individual needs. If a child<br />
cries, we tend to them; if they need a nappy change, we change it; if they are hungry, we feed<br />
them; if they need reassurance, we reassure them. If they need a hug or a cuddle, we cuddle them<br />
– there should be no hesitation. Why is it, when they need to ‘rough-and-tumble’, we are horrified<br />
and try to redirect their attention elsewhere?<br />
Take a moment to think<br />
back to your own childhood.<br />
What sort of games can<br />
you remember playing? Did<br />
they ever involve running,<br />
chasing, being chased,<br />
tickling, wrestling or fighting<br />
baddies? Did your play<br />
make links with the popular<br />
culture of the time? For me,<br />
the answers to both these<br />
questions are ‘yes!’ Now<br />
consider what you were<br />
learning through playing in<br />
these ways. What skills were<br />
you practising? Perhaps<br />
to socialise? How to take<br />
risks or set limits? Were you<br />
learning about friendship<br />
and family roles? Roughand-tumble<br />
play is a natural<br />
thing for children to want to<br />
engage in. We need to work<br />
out for ourselves how we<br />
can enable this play whilst<br />
setting appropriate limits<br />
that keep children safe.<br />
Rough-and-tumble play is<br />
very physical and active<br />
play and could involve<br />
actions such as wrestling,<br />
tickling, pinning others down,<br />
pouncing, climbing or sitting<br />
on each other, ‘bundles’ and<br />
chasing games like ‘tag’<br />
and ‘it’. It could be argued<br />
that play-fighting is also a<br />
form of rough-and-tumble<br />
play. When you observe<br />
children playing in this<br />
way, you will hear lots of<br />
giggling and laughing and<br />
you will see children smiling<br />
and grinning, you may also<br />
observe some pretence and<br />
imaginative storytelling.<br />
Rough-and-tumble play is<br />
regularly linked to fantasyplay<br />
or pretence, and can<br />
involve rule-negotiation<br />
and concepts of fairness<br />
and justice. It can support<br />
children to develop these<br />
ideas further throughout<br />
their lives and there are<br />
many noted benefits.<br />
• Watch body language and facial expressions – are their eyes smiling or are they frowning?<br />
• Listen for laughter, play-shouting and giggling, not crying or screaming in pain.<br />
• Closely observe the play, listen to any words spoken – is there a narrative? Are the<br />
comments personal?<br />
• Are all children consenting to this play and willingly joining in?<br />
• Are there positive rewards for all players? – i.e. this is not bullying when one child<br />
dominates the play.<br />
• Do stronger children sometimes allow their opponents to win?<br />
• Closely watch the contact, is it unrelenting, hard and harsh (violent) or relatively gentle and<br />
playful?<br />
• Do children sometimes change roles or take alternate roles? For example, the chaser starts<br />
to be chased.<br />
• Do the children know each other well? Rough-and-tumble promotes attachments -<br />
children tend not to rough-and-tumble with strangers!<br />
• Count the number of children involved. Violence tends to involve two children, rough-andtumble<br />
or aggressive play can incorporate several children at once.<br />
• Violent acts often draw a crowd whereas aggressive play does not draw spectators in the<br />
same way.<br />
• Ask the children - most children know that rough-and-tumble or aggressive play is not real<br />
fighting. They will tell you if things go too far.<br />
Tamsin has written two<br />
books - “Observing and<br />
Developing Schematic<br />
Behaviour in Young Children”<br />
and “School Readiness and<br />
the Characteristics of Effective<br />
Learning”.<br />
Website:<br />
tamsingrimmer.co.uk<br />
Facebook:<br />
facebook.com/earlyyears.<br />
consultancy.5<br />
Twitter:<br />
@tamsingrimmer<br />
Email:<br />
info@tamsingrimmer.co.uk<br />
In the light of the many benefits linked to aggressive play, perhaps early childhood educators should focus their efforts on<br />
closely observing children in order to recognise the difference between violence and aggressive play. This will enable them to<br />
permit this play in appropriate ways and in a safe environment. The educator’s role then becomes one of effective supervision,<br />
role-modelling and close observation to ensure that all children are happy and still consenting to the game.<br />
So next time you’re told, “I’m the goodie and you’re the baddie…” join in and enjoy this play for what it is… play!<br />
10 <strong>Parenta</strong>.com <strong>February</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 11
Hiring your perfect<br />
apprentice<br />
If you are looking to fill a skills gap in your team and<br />
are considering taking on an apprentice, but are unsure<br />
of all the facts, look no further. The team of recruitment<br />
experts at <strong>Parenta</strong> are on hand to give guidance to early<br />
years settings looking to upskill their staff and hire a new<br />
apprentice. Julie Allen, <strong>Parenta</strong>’s Recruitment Manager,<br />
gives her advice and top tips:<br />
Provide your recruiter with your<br />
apprentice requirements in detail –<br />
take your time and be as thorough as<br />
you can. This will help find a candidate<br />
who’s tailored specifically to your needs<br />
and will also get the vacancy filled<br />
quicker.<br />
Set time aside to communicate with<br />
recruiters – their role is to help you as<br />
much as they can! If a CV is sent over<br />
to you that looks suitable, get back to<br />
the recruiter straight away to let them<br />
know. If you delay, the candidate may<br />
have found a position elsewhere.<br />
Make sure you give feedback to your<br />
recruiter. This will help the candidate<br />
to improve when applying for other roles<br />
and will also help the recruiter when<br />
finding more suitable candidates for you.<br />
Discuss and manage expectations<br />
once you have hired your apprentice.<br />
Young apprentices may not have much<br />
of an idea what is expected of them<br />
in a workplace such as dress code,<br />
punctuality and attitude. Talk to them<br />
regularly about how they’re getting on<br />
in the first few weeks and give them<br />
feedback.<br />
Talk to us!<br />
Ask <strong>Parenta</strong>’s recruitment team for information on<br />
anything to do with apprenticeships if there’s something<br />
you’re unsure about. The team are up to speed on<br />
all legislation changes that occur - including funding,<br />
contribution, minimum wage, off-the-job training etc.<br />
To date, <strong>Parenta</strong> has worked with and provided support<br />
to thousands of settings, trained over 18,000 learners<br />
and helped them successfully complete their childcare<br />
apprenticeship training.<br />
We offer a FREE recruitment service. Wether you<br />
want to advertise a position or recruit, we can help you.<br />
Take a look at our website for more information:<br />
parenta.com/childcare-apprenticeships-employers<br />
Get in touch to find out more about how we work<br />
together with settings and help them with their<br />
apprenticeship solutions.<br />
0800 002 9242 hello@parenta.com<br />
Prepare a full job description with<br />
duties and send to the recruiter. You<br />
can also give information about the<br />
ethos of your nursery. Include as much<br />
information as possible - this will help<br />
candidates get a feel for your setting<br />
and what they would be doing before<br />
attending an interview.<br />
Ask candidates to prepare or<br />
research something prior to<br />
interview. For example, ask them to<br />
prepare an EYFS activity, or research<br />
what ‘safeguarding’ means. This will<br />
help you see if the candidate has made<br />
time to prepare for their interview.<br />
Hold a trial day or session for your<br />
potential apprentice. This will show<br />
if the candidate interacts well with<br />
the children and uses their initiative.<br />
Do let the apprentice know what<br />
you’re hoping to get out of the session<br />
beforehand - many will be nervous!<br />
Set a probation period and make it<br />
clear to your apprentice. If things aren’t<br />
going to work out, you’ll usually know in<br />
the first few weeks!<br />
Arrange an enrolment meeting with<br />
your training provider in plenty of<br />
time before the apprentice starts the<br />
training. This will help your apprentice<br />
to understand which apprenticeship<br />
they’re completing. Make sure to check<br />
through the paperwork thoroughly so<br />
that nothing is missed, and the signup<br />
process will be quick and easy.<br />
If the apprentices that you hire are<br />
aged 16–18, you won’t need to pay<br />
anything at all for their training. If they<br />
are aged over 18, you could be eligible for<br />
a grant to help cover your costs. From April<br />
<strong>2019</strong>, the government is introducing a 50%<br />
reduction in apprenticeship contributions<br />
from providers – from 10% to 5% – even<br />
more reason to take on an apprentice!<br />
12 <strong>Parenta</strong>.com <strong>February</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 13
<strong>Parenta</strong> and Morton Michel Partnership<br />
– what does this mean for you?<br />
<strong>Parenta</strong><br />
is excited<br />
to announce<br />
that we are<br />
now working in<br />
partnership with<br />
Morton Michel to offer<br />
all childcare practitioners<br />
even more benefits.<br />
Morton Michel is one of the largest childcare insurance providers to the Early Years sector<br />
with over 50 years’ experience. They are renowned for their tailored policies, excellent service,<br />
additional benefits and competitive premiums so you can be sure you have the right cover at<br />
the right price.<br />
By quoting this unique offer code MMPARENTA<strong>2019</strong> you will be entitled to a FREE insurance<br />
review, with absolutely no obligation! As part of your review, our trusted partner Morton<br />
Michel will look at your insurance needs and provide a quote tailored specifically for your<br />
childcare business!<br />
If you proceed with your quote, you will receive the following additional benefits:<br />
››<br />
Discounts on all <strong>Parenta</strong> software products and childcare websites<br />
››<br />
Free recruitment service to fill all your childcare vacancies<br />
››<br />
Free access to 40+ RoSPA-accredited, CPD-certified online Early Years training courses<br />
››<br />
Free access to the online Early Years Advisory Service provided by Croner-i<br />
››<br />
Free downloads and resources including business forms, educational posts and arts and<br />
crafts ideas<br />
››<br />
Exclusive discounts on paediatric first aid training<br />
››<br />
Amazing discounts on days out to the UK’s<br />
top theme parks and attractions including<br />
LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort, Chessington<br />
World of Adventures Resort, SEA LIFE Centres<br />
and many more<br />
››<br />
Great savings on Haven holidays<br />
››<br />
Discounted Kids Pass with access to deals<br />
at thousands of attractions, restaurants and<br />
cinemas across the UK<br />
››<br />
Subscription discounts to leading childcare<br />
magazines<br />
And so much more!<br />
What<br />
are you<br />
waiting for? Don’t<br />
miss out on these<br />
amazing benefits.<br />
Visit parenta.com/<br />
mmreviewm to start<br />
your FREE insurance<br />
review.<br />
14 <strong>Parenta</strong>.com <strong>February</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 15
Safer<br />
Internet<br />
Day<br />
Tuesday 5th <strong>February</strong> <strong>2019</strong> is this year’s “Safer Internet Day” and will be celebrated<br />
by hundreds of organisations, schools, colleges and pre-schools around the world.<br />
The aim is to raise awareness of the benefits and risks posed by the internet, and to<br />
promote the safe, responsible and positive use of it (and other digital technologies), for<br />
children and young people.<br />
The day is coordinated in<br />
the UK by the UK Safer<br />
Internet Centre, which is<br />
a partnership formed by<br />
three charities: Childnet<br />
International, the South<br />
West Grid for Learning<br />
(SWGfL) and the Internet<br />
Watch Foundation (IWF),<br />
supported by the European<br />
Commission. Safer Internet<br />
Day has grown over the<br />
years and is now marked in<br />
over a hundred countries, so<br />
why not get involved in your<br />
own setting this year?<br />
The theme for this year’s<br />
day is “Together for a better<br />
internet” and will explore<br />
how ‘giving consent’ works<br />
in an online context. This<br />
means looking at how<br />
children (and parents) give<br />
their permission for their<br />
images, videos or personal<br />
information to be shared<br />
online; offering information<br />
and advice about how to<br />
ask for consent; as well as<br />
looking at the responsibilities<br />
children have for themselves<br />
and their friends.<br />
With so many opportunities<br />
out there for taking,<br />
uploading and sharing<br />
images and information<br />
nowadays, this topic is<br />
something that should<br />
be openly talked about<br />
and clearly addressed.<br />
It is not about scaring<br />
children but helping them<br />
understand the risks and<br />
develop good habits by<br />
taking responsibility for<br />
themselves and others.<br />
There are many ways<br />
to get involved and the<br />
Safer Internet Day website<br />
has many downloadable<br />
resources which are<br />
specifically aimed at preschool<br />
settings including:<br />
• Lesson plans for 3–5<br />
and 5–7-year-olds<br />
• An assembly<br />
presentation and script<br />
• A poster<br />
• Supporting resources<br />
• Social media activities<br />
As an organisation who<br />
is actively involved in the<br />
education and care of<br />
young children, you can<br />
register as a supporter of<br />
Safer Internet Day, use their<br />
campaign toolkit to spread<br />
the message, and gain<br />
access to SIDTV to use as<br />
conversation starters. You<br />
can also sign up for their<br />
free newsletter too, with<br />
packs being available in<br />
English and Welsh.<br />
Other ways you might consider marking the day in your setting are:<br />
Lead by example – check policies and permissions<br />
Make sure that you have robust and published policies related to the use of data<br />
(compliant with European GDPR), permissions for the taking and sharing of photographs,<br />
digital access and use of the internet. This should apply to the staff as well as the<br />
children. Remember that this should include all devices that are capable of storing data,<br />
taking pictures/video or accessing the internet, so will include computers, smartphones,<br />
smartwatches, voice-recorders, tablets and gaming-platforms.<br />
Run a training session for staff and/or parents<br />
Keeping children safe online has to be a collaboration between the child, pre-school,<br />
peers, staff and parents. Free downloadable resources for parents are available at<br />
www.childnet.com to help start discussions. You can also contact SWGfL, a partner in<br />
the UK Safer Internet Centre, at: www.saferinternet.org.uk/e-safety-training-events as<br />
they run bespoke training sessions that you could tailor for your setting. Training can be<br />
organised for children from aged 3, as well as adults, carers, parents and staff.<br />
Make an internet display<br />
You could organise a craft activity to create a wall mural or poster display about positive<br />
things that the children use the internet for, and to begin to raise awareness of some<br />
of the risks involved, including consent, photos, videos and sharing. Remember, there<br />
are many more positive things about the internet than there are negative, so keeping a<br />
balance here is important.<br />
Publicise your support on your own website<br />
Add an article or information to your own pre-school website linking to the Safer Internet<br />
Day site, inviting parents’ help and telling everyone what you are doing to support the<br />
initiative.<br />
Introduce ‘Smartie’ and ‘Digiduck’<br />
Lead a session in your nursery about safer internet use by using some of the ‘Smartie<br />
the Penguin’ or ‘Digiduck’ resources, available at: www.childnet.com/resources. This<br />
site is run by one of the Safer Internet Day partners and includes information, resources,<br />
videos, and questions to help introduce the topic to children and get them involved.<br />
Attend a free training session<br />
You could attend one of the free events which will be taking place around the country.<br />
The events are completely free to attend so you could organise a delegation of staff<br />
and parents. The sessions themselves are run at different venues, last for 2 hours, and<br />
all delegates receive exclusive access to an area of online resources following their<br />
attendance. A list of free events can be found at: www.saferinternet.org.uk/trainingevents/online-safety-live-free-e-safety-events<br />
Be SMART!<br />
The SMART rules have<br />
been set up to help<br />
children understand how<br />
to keep themselves safer<br />
online. The acronym<br />
SMART reminds children<br />
of key internet issues, so<br />
you could make a poster<br />
and talk about the issues<br />
involved.<br />
S<br />
M<br />
A<br />
R<br />
T<br />
Safe – don’t give out personal information.<br />
Meet – be wary of meeting people you have met<br />
online. Only do so with carers/parent’s permission and<br />
when they can be there too.<br />
Accepting – be aware of who you accept as ‘friends’<br />
and what you accept online – they could contain nasty<br />
viruses or worse!<br />
Reliable – are the things you read online reliable? It<br />
could all be lies!<br />
Tell a trusted adult if someone, or something,<br />
makes you feel uncomfortable or worried, or if you or<br />
someone you know is being bullied online.<br />
16 <strong>Parenta</strong>.com <strong>February</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 17
Focus on<br />
the <strong>Parenta</strong><br />
assessors<br />
Here at <strong>Parenta</strong>, we train more<br />
than 2,500 nursery staff per<br />
year, using the knowledge and<br />
support of our in-house experts<br />
and skilled team of assessors.<br />
This month, we take a look at<br />
how we deliver outstanding<br />
training and discover how our<br />
assessors support our learners.<br />
What are the benefits of employing an apprentice?<br />
• If they’re 16-18, you won’t pay a penny for their training<br />
• You can watch them grow and progress<br />
• You can meet your future recruitment needs<br />
• You can mould them into your own style of practitioner<br />
• You could be eligible for a grant to help cover your costs<br />
What is the role of a <strong>Parenta</strong> assessor?<br />
The role of an assessor encompasses<br />
so much – it’s varied, that’s for sure!<br />
It involves building a relationship with<br />
both the learner and the setting and<br />
providing quality assessment that meets<br />
the needs of both. We support, motivate<br />
and guide our learners to develop their<br />
knowledge and practice, and hopefully<br />
are instrumental in supporting them to<br />
become good quality practitioners that<br />
will have a positive impact upon the early<br />
years industry.<br />
More specifically, we complete inductions,<br />
prepare plans and observe our leaners<br />
– completing what we call ‘learner<br />
reviews’ every 6 or 10 weeks. We mark<br />
assignments and tailor the plan to each<br />
individual learner’s needs. We also<br />
offer additional learning support where<br />
required. We ensure that the setting is<br />
involved with the training from day one<br />
and give them regular updates on the<br />
learners. We also assist with functional<br />
skills, invigilate exams and deliver<br />
teaching and learning.<br />
What’s the most rewarding part of<br />
being an assessor?<br />
To see learners achieve a qualification - for<br />
some it will be the first qualification they<br />
have gained. To also see learners progress<br />
from level 2 to level 3 and seeing their<br />
career develop. It’s very rewarding when<br />
you have a learner achieve their functional<br />
skills, in particular, for those learners<br />
that have had to work extremely hard<br />
in preparing for them and who are very<br />
anxious about sitting exams. Watching<br />
18 <strong>Parenta</strong>.com<br />
their confidence grow is fantastic and also<br />
keeping in touch with them after they have<br />
completed their qualification. When they<br />
tell us they have been promoted, it fills us<br />
with pride!<br />
When the settings want <strong>Parenta</strong> to train<br />
other members of their staff and they<br />
request that the same assessor from<br />
<strong>Parenta</strong> provides the training – that really<br />
shows that a good partnership has been<br />
formed.<br />
What is the most challenging part of<br />
an assessor’s role?<br />
All our assessors are very passionate in<br />
wanting to ensure that learners receive the<br />
support they need throughout their course,<br />
so when a learner withdraws because<br />
they decide that a career in childcare is<br />
not the right path for them, can be very<br />
disappointing. It can be frustrating for<br />
settings too as they have also invested<br />
a lot of time in developing the learners<br />
- we both want to help them get started<br />
into the world of work whilst gaining a<br />
qualification. Another challenging part<br />
is finding the time to meet the learner’s<br />
needs, in particular, if you have learners<br />
who have additional learning needs<br />
or other barriers to learning and need<br />
additional visits.<br />
What are the biggest changes you’ve<br />
seen since becoming an assessor?<br />
It’s incredible to see just how much<br />
<strong>Parenta</strong> has grown as a company! We<br />
have developed different courses to<br />
ensure we can offer training to assist<br />
learners from the start of their career<br />
within the early years sector as well as<br />
develop them throughout their journey to<br />
management level. Regulatory changes<br />
are something we constantly have to keep<br />
on top of, to ensure our plans for our<br />
leaners are up-to-date at all times and<br />
compliant with Ofsted requirements.<br />
Here’s some of the amazing<br />
feedback our assessors receive:<br />
“I’m not sure if you will remember me<br />
but you were mine and Heidi’s assessor<br />
for our level 3 qualification last year<br />
(completed within our childcare settings).<br />
I just wanted to thank you and to let you<br />
know that because of my qualification,<br />
I have been able to move away from<br />
childminding and since September of<br />
this year, I have been working as a SEN<br />
teaching assistant in a secondary school<br />
which I am absolutely loving.”<br />
“I have been working in early years for<br />
over 20 years. I was approached by Pam<br />
who recommended the level 5. I am a<br />
full-time manager of a very busy setting<br />
and was optimistic at how I was going<br />
to fit in the study time. Pam, from the<br />
beginning, made me believe in my own<br />
abilities. The way the course is set out and<br />
managed really supported my learning<br />
style. I have thoroughly loved learning with<br />
such an incredible mentor. Pam has so<br />
much passion in early years which inspired<br />
and motivated me throughout the course.<br />
I would highly recommend <strong>Parenta</strong> to<br />
others seeking to develop their skills and<br />
knowledge further.”<br />
Take advantage of <strong>Parenta</strong>’s FREE recruitment service<br />
to maximise your occupancy.<br />
Visit: bit.ly/parenta-apprentice for more information<br />
Training with<br />
Tamsin Grimmer!<br />
If you have enjoyed reading Tamsin’s<br />
articles every month, why not invite her to deliver<br />
bespoke training at your setting? Tamsin regularly<br />
shares her expertise at conferences, INSET<br />
meetings, CPD sessions, workshops and seminars.<br />
Tamsin has a keen interest in how young children<br />
learn and develop. She has written two books<br />
on early childhood education “Observing and<br />
Developing Schematic Behaviour in Young<br />
Children” and “School Readiness and the<br />
Characteristics of Effective Learning”. She is<br />
currently writing a third on “Superhero Play”.<br />
Twitter: @tamsingrimmer<br />
Facebook: www.facebook.com/earlyyears.consultancy.5<br />
Websites: www.lindenlearning.org<br />
www.tamsingrimmer.co.uk<br />
Email: tamsin.grimmer@lindenlearning.org<br />
Linden Learning is a specialist provider of consultancy, training and<br />
coaching. We are committed to providing the highest quality service at a<br />
realistic price. Because our offer is flexible and builds on what you already<br />
do, you only pay for what you really need, giving you confidence that our<br />
services are cost effective.
Neurogenesis<br />
workout for<br />
everyone<br />
In the final<br />
article<br />
exploring<br />
sensory support for<br />
emotional regulation,<br />
Sensory Engagement Specialist<br />
and Sensory Projects founder, Joanna Grace,<br />
explores how gentle exercise can support<br />
brain development for children of all abilities.<br />
This article is based on one of Joanna’s free<br />
leaflet guides, more can be found at: www.<br />
thesensoryprojects.co.uk/guides<br />
What is neurogenesis?<br />
Neurogenesis is the birth<br />
of neurons in the brain.<br />
Neurons are the building<br />
blocks of the brain, so<br />
having them in plentiful<br />
supply is wonderful for<br />
promoting cognitive growth<br />
and learning.<br />
Exercise<br />
Sustained, gentle-aerobic<br />
exercise has been shown<br />
to increase neurogenesis,<br />
and in so doing, improve<br />
brain function and prevent<br />
cognitive decline. So, great<br />
for growing minds and older<br />
minds alike. If we keep<br />
moving, we support our<br />
children’s learning and stop<br />
our own brains from growing<br />
foggy!<br />
We always knew there was<br />
a reason it was important to<br />
let the children run around<br />
and let off steam; it is not<br />
to get it out of the way so<br />
they can get on with their<br />
learning, it actively helps<br />
them to learn.<br />
Two challenges to<br />
neurogenesis<br />
You are likely to face two<br />
challenges to neurogenesispromoting<br />
activity in your<br />
setting:<br />
1. Children whose fitness<br />
levels discourage them<br />
from sustaining exercise.<br />
2. Children with physical<br />
disabilities for whom<br />
running around is a<br />
bigger challenge or<br />
simply not an option at<br />
all.<br />
Let’s address these in order:<br />
Fitness<br />
In the modern world we are<br />
witnessing a rise in child<br />
and adult obesity. A child<br />
who gets out of breath<br />
quickly is unlikely to want<br />
to play a game like chase,<br />
as ultimately, they’re going<br />
to fail. You may witness this<br />
child performing short bursts<br />
of activity, e.g. sprinting<br />
across to grab a toy or peer,<br />
but you are unlikely to see<br />
them maintaining activity.<br />
If, in a playground situation,<br />
your choice is between<br />
playing and not playing<br />
chase, and the chase on<br />
offer requires a sustained<br />
level of high activity, chances<br />
are you will choose not to<br />
play.<br />
As these children opt out<br />
of the high-energy games<br />
typically played by ablebodied<br />
children, they set<br />
themselves on a back foot,<br />
both with their physical<br />
health and also with their<br />
opportunities to promote<br />
neurogenesis.<br />
The good news is,<br />
neurogenesis does not<br />
require us to sprint, or<br />
leap, or do burpees (if you<br />
don’t know what a burpee<br />
is, count yourself lucky). It<br />
requires sustained, gentleaerobic<br />
exercise. This<br />
means you can keep it up<br />
(sustained), and that is a<br />
level that is bespoke to you.<br />
For example, for some it<br />
might be walking, whereas<br />
for others, it might be<br />
jogging, and it is continuous<br />
(aerobic), so it is not a turntaking<br />
game such as a relay.<br />
Ideal games and activities<br />
for neurogenesis:<br />
• Hunting games that<br />
require continuous<br />
movement, e.g. Easter<br />
egg hunt.<br />
• Circle games in which<br />
the children on the<br />
outside of the circle<br />
move around and sing,<br />
e.g. Ring-a-ring-a-roses.<br />
• A good stomp through<br />
nature.<br />
• Walk and talk – not all<br />
stories have to be told<br />
seated.<br />
• Dancing – hold a brain<br />
disco!<br />
Ability<br />
To support someone with<br />
a different level of physical<br />
ability, for example someone<br />
who uses a wheelchair,<br />
begin by identifying their<br />
capacity for movement. So<br />
if all they can move is their<br />
arms, then you know their<br />
neurogenesis work out is<br />
going to involve their arms.<br />
Consider alternative forms<br />
of exercise. For example,<br />
did you know that singing<br />
actually counts as a workout?<br />
Even if they cannot complete<br />
a full activity, encourage<br />
them to think about doing<br />
it. So, for example, you may<br />
have a child who has broken<br />
a leg and is not allowed<br />
to run, but they can still<br />
make the arm movements<br />
associated with running and<br />
imagine the rest. Studies<br />
have shown, amazingly,<br />
that imagining ourselves<br />
exercising burns slightly<br />
more calories than thinking<br />
about something else. So<br />
when you are sat at home<br />
wondering whether it is<br />
worth leaving the sofa to go<br />
to the gym, imagine yourself<br />
on the running machine and<br />
you’re half way there…well,<br />
not really half way there, but<br />
a nudge closer than a total<br />
couch potato!<br />
Once you have identified<br />
their capacity, you are<br />
simply looking for ways to<br />
encourage them to sustain<br />
the movements they are able<br />
to make. Silly songs and daft<br />
improvised games are easy<br />
ways to do this. What about<br />
associating movements with<br />
particular words in a story<br />
and having the children<br />
perform these movements<br />
as the words crop up in the<br />
story, and then reading the<br />
story again slightly faster,<br />
and again, until you all fall<br />
into jumbled silliness?<br />
Movement is not a break<br />
from learning, it is a fuel for<br />
the brain and does wonders<br />
for everyone’s wellbeing.<br />
Find something you love and<br />
get active!<br />
Joanna Grace<br />
Joanna Grace is an<br />
international Sensory<br />
Engagement and Inclusion<br />
Specialist, trainer, author, TEDx<br />
speaker and founder of The<br />
Sensory Projects.<br />
Consistently rated as<br />
“outstanding” by Ofsted,<br />
Joanna has taught in<br />
mainstream and specialschool<br />
settings, connecting<br />
with pupils of all ages and<br />
abilities. To inform her work,<br />
Joanna draws on her own<br />
experience from her private<br />
and professional life as well<br />
as taking in all the information<br />
she can from the research<br />
archives. Joanna’s private life<br />
includes family members with<br />
disabilities and neurodiverse<br />
conditions and time spent<br />
as a registered foster carer<br />
for children with profound<br />
disabilities.<br />
Joanna has published several<br />
books: “Sensory Stories for<br />
Children and Teens”, “Sensory-<br />
Being for Sensory Beings”<br />
and “Sharing Sensory Stories”<br />
and “Conversations with<br />
People with Dementia”. Her<br />
latest two books, “Ernest and<br />
I”, and “Voyage to Arghan”<br />
were launched at TES SEN in<br />
October.<br />
Joanna is a big fan of social<br />
media and is always happy<br />
to connect with people<br />
via Facebook, Twitter and<br />
LinkedIn.<br />
Website:<br />
thesensoryprojects.co.uk<br />
20 <strong>Parenta</strong>.com <strong>February</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 21
Fluffy slime craft<br />
Write for us for a chance to win £50<br />
You will need:<br />
> > 2/3 cup white PVA glue<br />
> > Elmer’s slime activator – we purchased this from Hobbycraft<br />
(please remember to read and follow the instructions on the bottle before use)<br />
> > 2-3 cups shaving foam (not gel)<br />
> > Food colouring<br />
> > Optional: glitter<br />
> > You will also need a bowl, a glass and a spoon<br />
We’re always on the lookout for<br />
new authors to contribute insightful<br />
articles for our monthly magazine.<br />
If you’ve got a topic you’d like to write<br />
about, why not send an article to us and be<br />
in with a chance of winning? Each month,<br />
we’ll be giving away £50 to our “Guest<br />
Author of the Month”.<br />
1<br />
Pour the PVA glue<br />
into the bowl<br />
Here are the details:<br />
••<br />
Choose a topic that is relevant to early<br />
years childcare<br />
••<br />
Submit an article of between 600-900<br />
words to marketing@parenta.com<br />
••<br />
If we choose to feature your article in our<br />
magazine, you’ll be eligible to win £50<br />
••<br />
The winner will be picked based on<br />
having the highest number of views for<br />
their article during that month<br />
DECEMBER 2018’s WINNER<br />
Joanna Grace<br />
2<br />
Add shaving cream and<br />
food colouring to the<br />
bowl and mix it, if using<br />
glitter add this now<br />
This competition is open to both new and<br />
existing authors, for any articles submitted to<br />
feature in our <strong>Parenta</strong> magazine for <strong>2019</strong>. The<br />
lucky winner will be notified via email and we’ll<br />
also include an announcement in the following<br />
month’s edition of the magazine.<br />
Congratulations to our guest author competition<br />
winner! Joanna Grace’s article “Rainbow emotional<br />
regulation” was very popular with our readers.<br />
Well done, Joanna!<br />
Got any questions or want to run a topic by us?<br />
For more details email marketing@parenta.com<br />
3<br />
Add Elmer’s slime<br />
activator and mix<br />
4<br />
Mix it until it starts to turn into slime. You then have to<br />
knead it for 5 minutes until it forms and stops being sticky<br />
(you can put some baby oil on your hand to stop the<br />
slime from sticking to your hands too much).<br />
22 <strong>Parenta</strong>.com <strong>February</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 23
Supporting children with a language delay<br />
Being able to speak clearly, express ideas and understand others are fundamental building<br />
blocks for a child’s development. Building language skills is not only important for the EYFS area of<br />
‘communication and language’, but also for so many other areas of development. If a child does<br />
not have at least age-appropriate language skills, then they are going to struggle to develop their<br />
‘personal, social and emotional’ development by building relationships with others and using their<br />
words to solve problems. They will find it difficult to name different aspects of ‘shape, space and<br />
measure’ and demonstrate their ‘understanding of the world’. Once children start school and build<br />
their confidence at writing they will need language in order to be able to make their writing more<br />
varied and interesting. Language is at the basis of so much of their learning that it is essential that<br />
we do all that we can to nurture its development at an early age.<br />
Many children suffer from a language delay as a result of a condition such<br />
as autism or Down’s syndrome, and other times, the delay happens on<br />
its own. As an adult in a child’s setting, you are a key person for them to<br />
learn language from. Children learn by observing and copying behaviour<br />
therefore you should model good speech and language skills as much<br />
as possible. When talking to young children and children with additional<br />
needs, it is really important to keep language to a minimum until a<br />
child is ready for more. Wherever possible keep your language to a few<br />
key words. Use effective questioning but be careful not to ask closed<br />
questions or to bombard a child.<br />
Here are a few things to be mindful of when speaking to children that<br />
need extra help with their language development:<br />
Get a child’s attention before speaking to them – Use their name and, if<br />
necessary, gently touch their arm to let them know you are talking to them.<br />
Listen – I mean really listen. Remove distractions, maintain eye<br />
contact and give the child that is speaking your complete<br />
attention. Yes, this is really difficult in a room full of lots of<br />
children, however, if you can show a child that what they have<br />
to say is so interesting and of the utmost importance to you,<br />
then they are bound to want to tell you more. Sadly, in a world<br />
of mobile phones and other technology, some children aren’t<br />
getting this attention at home.<br />
Speak clearly and calmly and give one instruction at a time.<br />
Model language and describe/comment on what a child is<br />
doing. ‘You are drawing a flower’; ‘you are using red paint’.<br />
Give children time to answer – patience is vital here. It can be very<br />
confusing for a child if you ask one question and then quickly say it<br />
again in another way. Children need both time to process what you<br />
have said, and time to find the words to respond.<br />
Use visuals – for those that really struggle to understand what you<br />
are saying, support your words by using real objects or visual images.<br />
When it is the child’s turn to speak, allow them to use visuals if they<br />
can’t find the words. If they communicate with you using a visual, you<br />
can then model the words.<br />
Remember – you are not the one that needs practise talking - they are!<br />
Obviously, confidence is key when it<br />
comes to talking. If you have a child<br />
that is particularly nervous to talk<br />
in front of others, then try to<br />
build on the situation in which<br />
they are most comfortable. If<br />
this is just with one particular<br />
adult or child, then don’t<br />
expect them to speak in front<br />
of others at first. Allow<br />
them to work with that<br />
person and encourage<br />
speech within that<br />
situation. You can<br />
gradually bring others<br />
into the group as they<br />
grow in confidence.<br />
In addition to things that you can do with your own language, here are some<br />
activities for extending speaking and language opportunities in your setting:<br />
Singing songs/nursery rhymes – you will already be doing this but do it more! Being<br />
able to hear rhyme and alliteration is such an important skill.<br />
Give children microphones, costumes and a role-play stage – children love the<br />
chance to be in a show!<br />
Describing and guessing games – how about Kim’s game or, for older children,<br />
‘guess who?’<br />
Share things from home – ask a child to fill a bag with things from home that are<br />
special to them. Encourage them to share these items with you and a small group of<br />
children. You could also ask parents or carers to send in photos of family members and<br />
pets, or of a special holiday, for children to talk about. Doing this activity one-to-one<br />
with a particularly quiet child is a great way of getting them to begin talking.<br />
Experiences – give children the opportunity and motivation to learn new words<br />
by offering them new and different experiences. Let them hold an animal or visit a<br />
fire station and then encourage them to talk about what they see/hear/smell. Such<br />
opportunities will bring words to their vocabulary that don’t otherwise occur daily.<br />
Likewise, use messy play - few children can resist reacting verbally when they get their<br />
hands in something sensory for the first time!<br />
Use all of the senses – building on the point above, extend these experiences<br />
by giving children the opportunity to use all of their senses. Let them see, smell,<br />
feel, and even taste a lemon – they might not like it, but they’ll more than likely<br />
have something to say about it! Can they hear anything when you squeeze a cut<br />
lemon?<br />
Circle time – use this as an opportunity for children to talk about their<br />
feelings – not just as an opportunity to develop vocabulary but also to<br />
address the frustration and anger that some children with a language<br />
delay may be feeling.<br />
Puppets – some children will find the confidence to speak when speaking<br />
‘through’ something else (this could be a puppet, but could also be a walkie<br />
talkie, or even wearing sunglasses). If they are taking on the role of someone else<br />
such as a lovable puppet, they might just find their voice.<br />
The above tips and activities aren’t just relevant for children with a language delay –<br />
they are great for all children so have fun exploring and hopefully your setting will be<br />
full of the sound of happy chattering.<br />
Gina Smith<br />
Gina Smith is an<br />
experienced teacher with<br />
experience of teaching<br />
in both mainstream and<br />
special education. She<br />
is the creator of ‘Create<br />
Visual Aids’ - a business<br />
that provides both homes<br />
and education settings with<br />
bespoke visual resources.<br />
Gina recognises the fact<br />
that no two children are<br />
the same and therefore<br />
individuals are likely to need<br />
different resources. Create<br />
Visual Aids is dedicated<br />
to making visual symbols<br />
exactly how the individual<br />
needs them.<br />
Website:<br />
www.createvisualaids.com<br />
Email:<br />
gina@createvisualaids.com<br />
24 <strong>Parenta</strong>.com <strong>February</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 25
ABACUS<br />
Nursery management software<br />
Easy staff management<br />
Keep personal data safe<br />
Save hours of precious time<br />
Super quick invoicing<br />
What our customers say<br />
WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY<br />
TRAINING JANUARY <strong>2019</strong><br />
I was very happy with how my level 3 went with <strong>Parenta</strong>. Jeanette was extremely helpful and supported me<br />
throughout the course of the year. Jeanette responded to any of my questions quickly and I believe she<br />
made it possible for me to complete my course on time.<br />
Jessica Lavender, Folkestone Academy Kindergarten<br />
TRAINING JANUARY <strong>2019</strong><br />
We’ve been working with <strong>Parenta</strong> for over two years now. Excellent<br />
training programs for all abilities. Also, the 1-2-1 support is great and<br />
seamless. Highly recommend <strong>Parenta</strong> to any nursery manager/owner.<br />
Nikki McReynolds, Nikki’s Nurseries Ltd<br />
RECRUITMENT JANUARY <strong>2019</strong><br />
Playdays Nurseries<br />
Our company has been using <strong>Parenta</strong> for the recruitment<br />
of apprentices training towards a childcare qualification<br />
for some time. Courtney is great from the initial contact<br />
with information on the applicant to arranging an<br />
interview and following up afterwards and then<br />
arranging for the enrolment onto the training!<br />
TRAINING JANUARY <strong>2019</strong><br />
I’m very happy with <strong>Parenta</strong> services<br />
especially my tutor, Charlie, who helped me<br />
a lot during my childcare level 2 and<br />
level 3 course. I’m more confident<br />
and professional at my work now.<br />
Yan Ng, In-do Chinese Little Rainbow Day Nursery<br />
SOFTWARE SUPPORT JANUARY <strong>2019</strong><br />
Very happy with the service<br />
received so far, Aime is lovely<br />
and helpful.<br />
Janine, All Saints Ventures Ltd<br />
TRAINING JANUARY <strong>2019</strong><br />
Find out more at parenta.com/abacus<br />
Angela has been a great<br />
assessor, she has been very<br />
patient with me and always<br />
believed in me.<br />
Rebecca Hilton, Hopscotch<br />
<strong>February</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 27
Being consistent<br />
with these consequences<br />
is crucial because<br />
children’s internal<br />
programming forms<br />
through repetition.<br />
The power of calm<br />
We all want children to be intrinsically motivated to do the right thing and to have a good moral compass<br />
guiding them. In order for them to have this, they need to learn consequences and develop their empathy,<br />
so that they know right from wrong and understand the impact that their actions have on others.<br />
When a child misbehaves, it is firstly<br />
important to look at why they are<br />
misbehaving and to try to understand<br />
their reaction. Children are not<br />
equipped with the ability to always<br />
articulate themselves clearly, which<br />
can lead to them feeling angry and<br />
frustrated. If a child is being defiant,<br />
is there a reason for this? Were<br />
they engrossed in a task and then<br />
commanded to immediately stop what<br />
they were doing without any warning?<br />
If a child lashes out at another child,<br />
what led to that? Did the other child<br />
take their toy off them? If a child<br />
is acting up, are they trying to get<br />
attention? If so, is it their self-esteem<br />
that needs building? There are many<br />
reasons children behave the way that<br />
they do and in order for us to nurture<br />
their empathy and understanding<br />
of right and wrong, we first need to<br />
show empathy ourselves and gain<br />
a better understanding of the child.<br />
I’m not saying that the circumstances<br />
surrounding the incident justify ‘bad’<br />
behaviour. However, if we can initially<br />
look at the bigger picture and translate<br />
the language that their behaviour is<br />
speaking, we not only give children the<br />
opportunity to develop their own selfawareness,<br />
but we also build respect,<br />
which over time, will automatically<br />
result in better choices.<br />
If we get lost in the drama ourselves<br />
by reacting with anger and shouting,<br />
we not only miss the opportunity for<br />
real growth, but end up controlling<br />
children’s behaviour through them<br />
fearing our reaction, rather than them<br />
making better choices based on what<br />
is right. It is very important to set strong<br />
boundaries and to allow children to<br />
face the consequences of their actions.<br />
However, it is important to do this in<br />
a calm way because a child that feels<br />
safe, will take on far more than one<br />
who is fearful.<br />
If a child has done something that is<br />
unacceptable, but you can see why and<br />
how it has happened, it is important<br />
for that child to face consequences.<br />
However, it is as equally important for<br />
you to acknowledge their feelings and<br />
to express that although their actions<br />
were wrong, you understand. By doing<br />
this and by talking about alternative<br />
ways for them to react in the future, this<br />
instantly develops their self-awareness<br />
because it allows them (with your help)<br />
to identify their own emotions, reactions<br />
and triggers. It also makes that child<br />
feel heard and builds respect between<br />
you both, which will more likely result<br />
in them taking on board what you have<br />
said.<br />
I am a big believer in allowing children<br />
to face natural consequences, rather<br />
than using punishment. When children<br />
face a consequence related to their<br />
actions, it naturally teaches them about<br />
cause and effect and leads to them<br />
making decisions based on right and<br />
wrong, rather than fear of punishment.<br />
A person that is intrinsically motivated<br />
to do the right thing will always succeed<br />
more than one who is suppressing their<br />
behaviour based on external factors,<br />
because they are acting through instinct<br />
rather than control.<br />
Being consistent with these<br />
consequences is crucial because<br />
children’s internal programming forms<br />
through repetition. However, also using<br />
the incident as an opportunity to learn<br />
and grow is just as important because<br />
self-awareness is the foundation of<br />
emotional intelligence. A person that<br />
understands themselves, their emotions<br />
and the impact that their actions have<br />
on themselves and others, will be far<br />
more likely to have better relationships<br />
in life, follow their true path and<br />
purpose and have more self-esteem<br />
and confidence, because they will<br />
understand themselves and accept their<br />
strengths and weaknesses.<br />
By being assertive but calm and using<br />
difficult situations as an opportunity for<br />
children to gain a better understanding<br />
of themselves, we not only build selfesteem,<br />
empathy and respect, but<br />
also a foundation for happiness and<br />
success. We all make mistakes in life<br />
and at times get things wrong. Life<br />
is one big learning curve throughout<br />
childhood and adulthood. When we<br />
know better, we do better, but no<br />
matter how old you are, you will always<br />
flourish more if you feel accepted and<br />
loved throughout the good times and<br />
the bad. By remaining calm, setting<br />
strong boundaries and taking the time<br />
to understand children, we are giving<br />
them a safe space to develop and to<br />
become the best and happiest versions<br />
of themselves.<br />
Stacey Kelly<br />
Stacey Kelly is a former<br />
teacher, a parent to 2<br />
beautiful babies and the<br />
founder of Early Years Story<br />
Box, which is a subscription<br />
website providing children’s<br />
storybooks and early years<br />
resources. She is passionate<br />
about building children’s<br />
imagination, creativity and<br />
self-belief and about creating<br />
awareness of the impact<br />
that the early years have<br />
on a child’s future. Stacey<br />
loves her role as a writer,<br />
illustrator and public speaker<br />
and believes in the power of<br />
personal development. She is<br />
also on a mission to empower<br />
children to live a life full of<br />
happiness and fulfilment,<br />
which is why she launched<br />
the #ThankYouOaky Gratitude<br />
Movement.<br />
Sign up to Stacey’s premium<br />
membership here and use the<br />
code PARENTA20 to get 20%<br />
off or contact Stacey for an<br />
online demo.<br />
Website:<br />
www.earlyyearsstorybox.com<br />
Email:<br />
stacey@earlyyearsstorybox.com<br />
Facebook:<br />
facebook.com/earlyyearsstorybox<br />
Twitter:<br />
twitter.com/eystorybox<br />
Instagram:<br />
instagram.com/earlyyearsstorybox<br />
LinkedIn:<br />
linkedin.com/in/stacey-kellya84534b2/<br />
28 <strong>Parenta</strong>.com <strong>February</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 29
Understanding the needs of children<br />
in the care system: part 2<br />
In the second of our series looking at the challenges faced by children in care, we offer<br />
some practical advice on how best to meet the needs of these children.<br />
Ways to help children in care<br />
Communication with the foster<br />
family<br />
Foster carers write regular<br />
reports about how the children in<br />
their charge are coping, so it is<br />
important that you communicate<br />
any incidents you notice which<br />
might reflect changes in the child’s<br />
wellbeing, or in their general<br />
mental or developmental<br />
state. Patterns of behaviour<br />
can then be identified,<br />
so interventions can be<br />
sought. This is particularly<br />
important around the time<br />
that children have contact<br />
with their birth family, which<br />
can be upsetting for children.<br />
Unique safeguarding issues<br />
around children in care<br />
Safeguarding all children is<br />
important, but children in care may<br />
have very strict guidelines about<br />
who they can and cannot see. It is<br />
extremely important that your<br />
setting is very vigilant<br />
about who collects<br />
the child. In some<br />
cases, birth family<br />
members have been known to turn<br />
up to nurseries to gain access to<br />
the children, so be especially wary<br />
of people phoning up claiming to<br />
be family members.<br />
Understanding ‘irrational’ fears<br />
Many children in care have<br />
suffered abuse, leaving them with<br />
psychological scars. This can result<br />
in unusual or seemingly ‘irrational’<br />
anxieties such as a fear of going<br />
to the toilet or enclosed spaces,<br />
or anxieties about specific people<br />
(e.g. people with dark hair, men,<br />
people who speak in a particular<br />
tone). They may have been abused<br />
in these places by similar-looking<br />
people. The reason for these<br />
anxieties might not be<br />
immediately obvious<br />
to others, but may<br />
have a deeprooted,<br />
logical<br />
explanation.<br />
Keep an open<br />
mind as to why a child shies away<br />
from certain people or activities,<br />
and try to help them by speaking<br />
calmly and offering alternative<br />
solutions.<br />
Photos and publicity<br />
You will not usually be allowed<br />
to publish photos of children in<br />
care. This is because the child’s<br />
location might be withheld from<br />
the birth family. However, you<br />
will need to be sensitive to this<br />
when taking photos and try not<br />
to make it obvious that one child<br />
in your setting is not allowed to<br />
be included, which can add to the<br />
stigma of being in care.<br />
Mother’s Day and Father’s Day<br />
Celebrating Mother’s Day and<br />
Father’s Day is something<br />
that comes quite<br />
naturally to preschools,<br />
but be<br />
aware that for<br />
many children,<br />
making a card saying<br />
“the best mummy<br />
ever” will not only be inaccurate,<br />
but could potentially bring back<br />
traumatic memories.<br />
Try to be sensitive around these<br />
days and suggest other people<br />
the children could write to instead.<br />
There is no ‘hard-and-fast’ rule<br />
here, so it’s best to ask the foster<br />
carers for advice when it comes to<br />
celebrating these family days.<br />
Siblings<br />
Another area of concern for<br />
children in care is their relationship<br />
with siblings. Children can be split<br />
up from siblings when they go<br />
into care simply because of the<br />
availability of foster placements at<br />
the time. You might find then that<br />
children only see their siblings at<br />
your setting, which could either<br />
be a source of joy or anxiety for<br />
them. Be understanding and<br />
patient in this situation.<br />
Keeping to routines and<br />
boundaries<br />
Routines and boundaries are<br />
usually extremely important for<br />
children in care, but they may not<br />
fully understand them or have had<br />
many boundaries previously set or<br />
enforced. This can result in children<br />
resisting instructions or simply not<br />
understanding what is expected<br />
of them in social situations, so<br />
good nurseries will offer extra<br />
help in understanding and<br />
following instructions.<br />
Often children are living in a<br />
constant state of anxiety and<br />
their behaviour will reflect this.<br />
Try to educate the children about<br />
other behaviour options they have<br />
in difficult situations, especially<br />
when their learned-behaviourpattern,<br />
(usually based on a coping<br />
strategy from a previous traumatic<br />
experience) is currently one that<br />
is no longer appropriate – such<br />
as tantrums or aggression. Staff<br />
need to explain the options and be<br />
particularly patient here.<br />
Nutrition and understanding a<br />
child’s relationship with food<br />
Some children are taken into<br />
care due to neglect and may not<br />
have had enough food; or food<br />
may have been used as a way of<br />
controlling them or inappropriately<br />
‘rewarding’ them. These children<br />
may have developed an unhealthy<br />
relationship with food as a result.<br />
Some children have never had to<br />
sit down to eat, so patience and<br />
understanding are again needed<br />
to help children overcome any food<br />
issues they may have.<br />
Christmas and birthdays can<br />
bring back painful memories<br />
Birthdays, religious celebrations<br />
like Christmas or other festivals<br />
are usually happy occasions where<br />
presents are exchanged, and<br />
children are made to feel special.<br />
But think how you might feel about<br />
these days if you were never made<br />
to feel special?<br />
Many children in care have<br />
experienced situations like this and<br />
these occasions may bring back<br />
negative or traumatic memories for<br />
the child, which can seem irrational<br />
to others. Abusive adults often use<br />
gifts to ‘buy’ children’s secrecy<br />
too, so caution and care is often<br />
needed around these subjects to<br />
help the child overcome them.<br />
In conclusion, children in care<br />
can benefit greatly from the<br />
‘normalisation’ and physical, social<br />
and developmental education that<br />
pre-school settings offer. They may<br />
just need extra understanding,<br />
time and patience from staff within<br />
your setting to help them thrive and<br />
become the young people they are<br />
meant to be.<br />
30 <strong>Parenta</strong>.com <strong>February</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 31
<strong>Parenta</strong> job board<br />
www.jobs.parenta.com<br />
Childcare Apprentice Required:<br />
To make use of our FREE recruitment service<br />
get in touch contact@parenta.com<br />
Tiny Tots Preschool Cheshunt Hertfordshire EN7 6DX<br />
Playdays Nursery Chiswick London W4 2ND<br />
Playdays Nursery Wimbledon London SW19 7PB<br />
Little Learners Nursery Group Walthamstow London E17 8ER<br />
Leap and Learn Bar Hill Cambridgeshire CB23 8DY<br />
Pips Nursery Strethall Cambridgeshire CB11 4XJ<br />
The Wendy House Histon Cambridgeshire CB24 9NG<br />
The Wendy House Royston Herfordshire SG8 0HW<br />
Inside Out Nurseries Ltd Bubbenhall Coventry CV8 3BL<br />
Kool Kidz Kirkby In Ashfield Nottinghamshire NG17 7EJ<br />
Prima Montessori Gillingham Kent ME7 3JQ<br />
Well Place Day Nursery Penshurst Kent TN11 8BH<br />
For as little as 56p a day<br />
YOU CAN<br />
MAKE A<br />
DIFFERENCE<br />
Sponsoring a child provides<br />
• A pre-school education<br />
• Access to clean water<br />
• A school uniform<br />
• A daily hot meal<br />
• School supplies<br />
• The knowledge that<br />
someone truly cares<br />
You’ll be able to see firsthand<br />
the difference you’re<br />
making with regular updates,<br />
letters and drawings from your<br />
sponsored child.<br />
Plaxtol Nursery School Plaxtol Kent TN15 0QD<br />
Little Barn Owls Gosport Hampshire PO12 4EU<br />
Playdays Farnborough Farnborough Hampshire GU14 6DD<br />
FIND OUT MORE<br />
Little Roos Day Nursery Taplow Buckinghamshire SL6 0QH<br />
Blossom Day Nursery Basingstoke Hampshire RG24 9XA<br />
Top Bananas Pre-school Moordown Bournemouth BH9 2AU<br />
Monkey Puzzle Sidcup Sidcup Kent DA15 7DR<br />
Brighton College Pre Prep Brighton West Sussex BN2 0AL<br />
Little Barn Owls Nurseries Horsham West Sussex RH12 4QR<br />
Adventures Day Nursery Ilford London IG2 7SX<br />
Claire Campbell Childminding Bromley Kent BR2 9EU
Chinese New Year – year<br />
of the pig craft ideas<br />
The Chinese New Year starts on 5th <strong>February</strong> and lasts until January 24th, 2020. This year it will<br />
be the “Year of the Earth Pig” and the pig is the 12th sign in the Chinese zodiac. Legend has it that<br />
all the animals were invited to a party, but the pig overslept and turned up late, so had to settle for<br />
12th place!<br />
Unlike the 12 astrological zodiac signs which change every<br />
month, the Chinese zodiac signs only come around once<br />
every 12 years, so the next year of the pig will not be until<br />
2031.<br />
In China, the pig is not thought to be a smart animal since<br />
it likes to eat and sleep a lot, but on the positive side, it<br />
also does not harm others and has a happy disposition.<br />
The pig is thought to bring luck and affluence and is<br />
regarded as a good omen, signifying wealth.<br />
To help you celebrate Chinese New Year in your setting,<br />
we have devised 5 craft ideas to bring some happiness<br />
and affluence to you and your children.<br />
SENSORY<br />
PLAY<br />
DOUGH PIG<br />
This is a fun, sensory craft which uses natural homemade<br />
play dough.<br />
1. Mix the following ingredients together:<br />
• 1 cup of flour<br />
• ¼ cup of salt<br />
2. In a separate jug, mix the following together:<br />
• ½ cup of water<br />
• 3 to 5 drops of natural food colouring - pink is<br />
good for pigs!<br />
3. Gradually add the coloured water to the flour and<br />
salt, mixing it carefully until it is not sticky<br />
4. Mould your play dough into a pig shape. You can be<br />
as complex or as simple as you want here<br />
5. Add some eyes and don’t forget the curly tail<br />
PIG AND<br />
LANTERN<br />
MOBILE<br />
Chinese lanterns are synonymous with Chinese<br />
celebrations so why not combine the year of the pig theme<br />
with these easy-to-make favourites?<br />
Lanterns<br />
1. Fold a rectangular piece of paper in half, along the<br />
long edge<br />
2. Draw straight lines from the fold about 2/3 of the<br />
way up the paper<br />
3. Cut carefully along the straight lines<br />
4. Unfold the paper and roll it to form a cylinder,<br />
sticking the edges together<br />
5. Attach ribbons or strips of paper to the bottom edge<br />
of the cylinder and squash gently to form the lantern<br />
shape<br />
6. Add a strip of paper to the top to hang<br />
Pigs<br />
1. Draw and cut out 2 circles of paper, making one<br />
slightly larger than the other<br />
2. Draw and cut out 2 triangles<br />
3. Draw and cut out 4 rectangles<br />
4. Assemble the pieces together to form the pig<br />
5. Fold over the ears<br />
6. Draw on eyes and a nose<br />
7. Add a curly tail using a pipe-cleaner or string<br />
Once you have made your pigs and lanterns, string them<br />
together to form a mobile to decorate your setting. You<br />
could also add some cardboard gold coins to the mobile<br />
to signify wealth.<br />
PAPER<br />
PLATE PIG<br />
MASK<br />
This fun and simple craft which starts with a paper plate.<br />
You can use pink plates or simply paint some white ones<br />
using colours of your choice.<br />
1. Use one paper plate for the base of the mask<br />
2. Carefully draw on and cut out some eye holes<br />
3. Cut out a smaller circle and 2 triangles from a second<br />
paper plate to form the nose and ears<br />
4. Stick these onto the first plate to add the nose/eye<br />
details<br />
5. Attach a string or elastic to the sides of the plate to<br />
tie the mask to the face<br />
6. Once you have all created a mask, why not have<br />
some fun making pig noises and running around the<br />
farmyard! You could make it an active play game by<br />
playing ‘catch the tail of the pig!’<br />
CHINESE<br />
WRITING<br />
WILD<br />
ART PIGS<br />
This is a great way to combine some outdoor play time with<br />
marking the Chinese New Year. All you need to do is dress<br />
up in warm clothes and go outside into the park or your<br />
garden space to look for items to make some wild art.<br />
Some good things to look out for include:<br />
• Twigs<br />
• Leaves in different colours<br />
• Pine cones<br />
• Acorn shells<br />
• Seed pods<br />
• Flower petals<br />
• Moss<br />
• Mud<br />
• Grasses<br />
• Feathers<br />
• Wool (caught on a fence)<br />
• Stones and pebbles<br />
Create your own picture of a pig using the things you have<br />
collected. You can create a wild art gallery in the park or<br />
your garden but remember to take some photographs of<br />
your creations to display in your setting later.<br />
A variation of this is to collect the elements from outside<br />
and bring them back to create the artwork in your setting.<br />
You could give each child a piece of paper or paper plate<br />
to create their design.<br />
Chinese writing is a great way to introduce children to different cultures, languages and ways of communicating. Practicing<br />
Chinese writing can also help encourage mark-making and fine motor skills and is perfect for a painting session.<br />
Choose from some common phrases below and create a display to celebrate their work.<br />
Have a good New Year<br />
新 年 好<br />
(xīn nián hǎo)<br />
新 年 好<br />
Have a Happy New Year<br />
新 年 快 乐<br />
(xīn nián kuài lè)<br />
Year of the pig<br />
一 年 的 豬<br />
(Yī nián de zhū)<br />
Pig<br />
豬<br />
(Zhū)<br />
34 <strong>Parenta</strong>.com <strong>February</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 35
“The Giants”: part 1<br />
It is useful from time to time, to reflect on the ideas and wisdom of those philosophers, theorists and<br />
practitioners who, in previous generations, laid down many of the foundations of practice in the field<br />
of early years. In this first article I will look at the following ‘giants’ in the world of early years: Locke,<br />
Rousseau, Pestalozzi, Froebel, and the McMillan sisters. What is notable about these wonderful visionaries<br />
is their legacy, which continues to inform our thinking, even today. It must be remembered, however, that<br />
the world in which they developed their ideas on children’s development and learning was vastly different<br />
to that of today.<br />
John Locke (1632–1704) lived in a<br />
period when thinking was characterised<br />
largely by superstition and ignorance<br />
and yet he is considered to be one of<br />
our most enlightened thinkers. Despite<br />
being criticised and even ridiculed for his<br />
controversial ideas, Locke emphasised<br />
the importance of experience on the lives<br />
of young children and went as far as<br />
proposing that we should view the minds<br />
of newly-born infants as blank slates or<br />
‘tabula rasa’ to be written on by all of<br />
the experiences they encountered. Unlike<br />
many of his time, he also believed that<br />
learning should be enjoyable; that play<br />
should be an essential part of children’s<br />
development; and that adults should take<br />
care not to hinder children from ‘being<br />
children’. Locke believed that young<br />
children should not have to deal with<br />
aspects of learning that were too “serious”<br />
for, he believed, “their minds, nor bodies<br />
will bear it” and, “It injures their health”.<br />
He also saw pressures placed on children<br />
at a young age as being responsible for<br />
why, “a great many have hated books and<br />
learning all their lives ...” Today, we see<br />
many of Locke’s original ideas in use in<br />
early years settings where, for example,<br />
focused play and new experiences that<br />
are enjoyable, are seen as important for<br />
developing children’s learning.<br />
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778)<br />
formed his ideas at a time when children<br />
were often viewed as ‘little adults’ and<br />
put to work from an early age with little,<br />
if any, experience of play or education.<br />
Rousseau believed that children were<br />
born good and inherited much of what<br />
would make up their individual characters<br />
and potential. He knew, however, that<br />
the societies children were born into,<br />
played a major part in influencing their<br />
development and he recognised the<br />
potential harm that aspects of some<br />
societies could bring to perverting thinking<br />
in children. The education of many young<br />
children at the time was often severe<br />
and an unhappy experience, with little<br />
consideration given to their feelings.<br />
Rousseau challenged this type of thinking,<br />
believing that childhood should be a time<br />
of happiness and set out his ideas on<br />
educating children in his celebrated book,<br />
“Emile” (1911), about the life of a young<br />
boy named Emile, as he progressed<br />
through stages from infancy to adulthood.<br />
Rousseau believed that children’s<br />
education should follow their natural<br />
growth and he viewed the role of the<br />
teacher as creating learning environments<br />
where children could be introduced to<br />
new and purposeful learning. We see<br />
many of Rousseau’s original ideas still in<br />
place within early years settings where<br />
children’s learning follows their natural<br />
growth and where careful consideration<br />
is given to ensuring that learning is<br />
enjoyable and that learning environments<br />
support purposeful learning.<br />
Johann Pestalozzi (1746–1827) was<br />
born in Zurich, Switzerland. His father<br />
died when he was only five years of<br />
age and for much of his life, he lived in<br />
poverty. This deeply affected Johann<br />
though it also provided him with the<br />
means to understand, at first-hand,<br />
how children were affected by poverty.<br />
Pestalozzi was heavily influenced by<br />
Rousseau and because of the importance<br />
he placed on teaching, he is often<br />
referred to as ‘the father of modern<br />
education’. Pestalozzi viewed much of<br />
the education on offer to children in<br />
his own time as largely irrelevant<br />
and of little use, especially to<br />
children from poor families.<br />
He believed the primary aim<br />
of education was to<br />
develop the head,<br />
the heart and<br />
the hands,<br />
which he<br />
believed<br />
would<br />
result<br />
in children learning right from wrong and<br />
result in a happier society. Importantly,<br />
he viewed much of the education of his<br />
time as uninteresting, irrelevant and<br />
too adult-led. He also proposed that<br />
children should learn through engaging<br />
in activities within their own environments<br />
and be free to follow their own interests.<br />
He recognised how spontaneity could<br />
be a key feature of children’s learning<br />
and that children should not be limited<br />
to receiving ‘set’ answers from adults<br />
to the questions they posed, but should<br />
be encouraged to explore their own<br />
thinking. He believed that the home<br />
should be the basis for all future<br />
learning and where children should<br />
find happiness. The legacy offered by<br />
Pestalozzi can be seen, for example, in<br />
how early years practitioners and parents<br />
today encourage spontaneity in their<br />
children, and encourage them to learn by<br />
engaging in activities within the exciting<br />
environments they create.<br />
Friedrich Froebel (1782–1852)<br />
was one of the first theorists to fully<br />
acknowledge the importance of play and<br />
the contribution it made, not only<br />
to children’s learning but also<br />
their social and emotional<br />
development. Froebel<br />
developed a range<br />
of educational<br />
materials,<br />
which<br />
he referred to as, ‘gifts’; these included<br />
objects of different shapes that could<br />
be used to stimulate children’s thinking.<br />
Gift one, for example, was a set of six<br />
small soft balls, possibly knitted or made<br />
of rubber, and in different colours. Gift<br />
two was a box containing a wooden<br />
cylinder, cube and sphere containing<br />
holes. Gift three was a box containing<br />
eight, one-inch wooden cubes. Froebel<br />
believed in the importance of children<br />
learning through engaging in tasks that<br />
were purposeful and that had meaning<br />
for them. He also emphasised the<br />
importance of children spending time<br />
outdoors and learning through nature<br />
and, importantly, introduced us to the<br />
notion of the ‘kindergarten’. This aspect of<br />
learning is now being addressed through<br />
the implementation of ‘Forest Schools’.<br />
Rachel and Margaret McMillan<br />
(1859–1917 & 1860–1931) To fully<br />
understand the contributions made by<br />
Rachel and Margaret McMillan we need<br />
to understand the society they lived in.<br />
London, at the time, offered some of the<br />
worst living conditions in Europe and<br />
it was only in 1899 that attendance at<br />
school became compulsory. Following<br />
much effort, the sisters succeeded in<br />
their quest for children to have free<br />
school meals following enactment of the<br />
‘Provision of School Meals Act’ in 1906.<br />
Rachel and Margaret were also influential<br />
in the government introducing medical<br />
inspections of children in<br />
schools, with the first clinic<br />
opening in 1908. They also<br />
recognised the benefits of<br />
open-air learning, being<br />
healthy and children having<br />
access to the outdoors<br />
and involving children in<br />
nurseries in caring for<br />
animals<br />
and<br />
plants,<br />
as a means of developing the values of<br />
caring not just for themselves, but for<br />
others. In subsequent years, Margaret<br />
founded the Rachel McMillan College in<br />
1930 for training teachers and improving<br />
the training of those working with children<br />
in her nurseries. Many of Rachel and<br />
Margaret’s original ideas can now be<br />
seen in the emphasis that practitioners<br />
place on outdoor play, healthy eating,<br />
exercise and caring for others.<br />
In summary, therefore, it is helpful to<br />
stop and reflect every so often on the<br />
ideas and the wisdom of those thinkers<br />
and practitioners who went before us<br />
and who contributed so much to our<br />
practice today. They were in the true<br />
sense, visionaries; who against frequent<br />
criticism, condemnation and even<br />
censure, challenged the thinking of their<br />
time and in doing so, changed for the<br />
better, the lives of countless children. We<br />
are today, because of their efforts, much<br />
better informed.<br />
For further information on the<br />
philosophers, theorists and thinkers<br />
mentioned in this article, see the following<br />
link to Sean’s most recent book: MacBlain,<br />
S.F. (2018) Learning Theories for Early<br />
Years Practice. London: Sage.<br />
Readers can also find some of Sean’s<br />
other publications here.<br />
Prof Sean MacBlain<br />
Professor Sean MacBlain<br />
PhD, C. Psychol., C. Sci.,<br />
FRSM, FHEA, AMBDA is a<br />
distinguished author whose<br />
most recent publication<br />
is: MacBlain, (Sage, 2018)<br />
“Learning Theories for<br />
Early Years Practice”.<br />
Other publications include:<br />
MacBlain, (Sage, 2014)<br />
“How Children Learn”;<br />
Gray and MacBlain, (Sage,<br />
2015) “Learning Theories in<br />
Childhood”, now going into<br />
its 3rd edition; MacBlain,<br />
Long and Dunn, (Sage,<br />
2015) “Dyslexia, Literacy<br />
and Inclusion: Child-centred<br />
Perspectives”; MacBlain,<br />
Dunn and Luke, (Sage, 2017)<br />
“Contemporary Childhood”;<br />
Sean’s publications are used<br />
by students, academics and<br />
practitioners worldwide.<br />
He is currently a senior<br />
academic at Plymouth<br />
Marjon University where<br />
he teaches on a range of<br />
undergraduate programmes<br />
and supervises students at<br />
masters and doctoral level.<br />
Sean worked previously as a<br />
Senior Lecturer in Education<br />
and Developmental<br />
Psychology at Stranmillis<br />
University College, Queens<br />
University, Belfast and for<br />
over twenty years as an<br />
educational psychologist in<br />
private practice. Sean lives<br />
with his wife, Angela, in<br />
Somerset, England.<br />
36 <strong>Parenta</strong>.com <strong>February</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 37
Encouraging healthier<br />
options to tackle<br />
childhood obesity<br />
Childhood obesity rates are rising in the UK leading to potential<br />
health problems for these children in later life. Preventing this<br />
is now an important public health issue and the Government’s<br />
approach has been two-fold: prevention policies, and healthcare<br />
services to treat the condition.<br />
The early years are a crucial time for<br />
children’s development, but by the time<br />
they start school, one in five children are<br />
already overweight or obese. And in the<br />
2–4 age group, only one in ten children<br />
currently meet the recommended<br />
levels of physical activity. In 2017, the<br />
Government published an action plan<br />
which outlined strategies for tackling<br />
the problem at national level, but the<br />
problem must be tackled at the grassroots<br />
too, and you have a duty in your<br />
setting to help.<br />
The guidance from the National Institute<br />
for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)<br />
states that:<br />
“All nurseries and childcare<br />
facilities should ensure<br />
that preventing excess<br />
weight gain and improving<br />
children’s diet and activity<br />
levels are priorities.”<br />
Specifically, NICE recommends that<br />
nurseries and childcare facilities should:<br />
• minimise sedentary activities during<br />
play times<br />
• provide regular opportunities for<br />
‘active play’ and structured physical<br />
activities<br />
• implement guidelines on healthy<br />
catering issued by the Department<br />
for Education, the Children’s Food<br />
Trust and Caroline Walker Trust<br />
• ensure that children eat regular,<br />
healthy meals in a supervised,<br />
pleasant, sociable environment,<br />
free from other distractions (e.g.<br />
television)<br />
What can you do in your setting to follow<br />
this advice? Here are a few ideas to help.<br />
Increasing physical activity<br />
Pre-school children who are capable<br />
of walking unaided, are recommended<br />
to have a minimum of 180 minutes<br />
(3 hours) of physical activity spread<br />
throughout the day. Unfortunately,<br />
research has confirmed that most<br />
children in this category are currently<br />
only spending 120–150 minutes per<br />
day in physical activity, and shockingly,<br />
data suggests that children in childcare<br />
settings accumulate less than 60<br />
minutes of moderate or vigorous<br />
physical activity over an 8-hour day.<br />
Increasing physical activity is therefore<br />
vital but for pre-schools and nurseries,<br />
this does not always have to mean<br />
organising additional structured,<br />
physical activity sessions, although these<br />
would certainly help.<br />
A lot of physical activity can be attained<br />
by allowing more ‘physically active<br />
play’ which is initiated by the children<br />
themselves.<br />
It also means increasing time spent:<br />
• Using the major muscle groups such<br />
as buttocks, legs, shoulders and arms<br />
• Skipping, jumping and running –<br />
e.g. to and from school<br />
• Climbing<br />
• Riding a bike or scooter<br />
• Playing running or chasing games<br />
• Playing sport<br />
You should provide these sessions for<br />
short periods, spread throughout the<br />
day, rather than just extending existing<br />
break times. And you should always<br />
make sure that your setting has safe<br />
areas for children to run around in to<br />
minimise risks.<br />
Other things you can do include getting<br />
the children outdoors more, where it is<br />
often easier to combine other learning<br />
goals with things such as gardening<br />
or sporting activities. These can not<br />
only increase physical activity but help<br />
children understand the physical or<br />
scientific world too.<br />
It is also recommended that physical<br />
activity be encouraged from birth, so<br />
remember to include your youngest<br />
members when you are revising your<br />
plans.<br />
Decrease sedentary activities<br />
Decreasing sedentary activities involves<br />
limiting time spent:<br />
• Sitting down watching TV<br />
• Playing on screens, computers or<br />
other devices<br />
• In sedentary, teacher-led activities<br />
• Being strapped into car seats,<br />
buggies or high-chairs<br />
Obviously, there are some positive<br />
activities such as reading and craft<br />
activities that need children to sit down,<br />
so the emphasis here is about the<br />
balance of time spent in each activity.<br />
You could initiate a ‘walk to nursery’<br />
day where you encourage parents to<br />
walk their children to your setting rather<br />
than bring them in a car. This could be a<br />
weekly or monthly event which you could<br />
promote with your parents and carers.<br />
One thing to remember is that a<br />
sedentary lifestyle early on has been<br />
shown to track through childhood,<br />
resulting in teenagers and adults who<br />
have inactive lifestyles too, so it is crucial<br />
to develop good habits in the early years.<br />
Making healthier food choices<br />
If you cater at your establishment, then<br />
you need to follow healthy catering<br />
guidelines issued by the Department<br />
for Education. Helping children make<br />
healthier food choices should be done<br />
in partnership with parents and carers<br />
since most of their early habits will be<br />
learned from them. However, you should<br />
offer education in the early years about<br />
what is, and what isn’t a healthy choice.<br />
This includes:<br />
• The constituents of a balanced diet<br />
• Portion sizes<br />
• Choosing healthy snacks<br />
• The balance between calories in<br />
and calories out<br />
• The ‘hidden’ sugars, salt and fats<br />
• The importance of eating meals free<br />
of distractions such as TV or games<br />
You can increase children’s awareness<br />
and understanding by:<br />
• Holding specific sessions talking<br />
about food and nutrition<br />
• Displaying healthy food posters in<br />
your setting<br />
• If you provide food in your<br />
setting, ensuring that it meets<br />
the requirements set out in the<br />
Government’s guidelines<br />
• Offering free fruit for children at<br />
break times<br />
• Making healthy snacks as part of a<br />
cooking session<br />
• Encouraging children to cook at<br />
home and in your setting<br />
Be mindful always about labelling foods<br />
as ‘good’ or bad’ and about ‘nagging’<br />
children about food, to avoid increasing<br />
the risk of children developing an<br />
unhealthy attitude to food. Remember<br />
too that we all love a ‘treat’ from time to<br />
time and we should be able to enjoy this<br />
in a ‘guilt-free’ way.<br />
Be wary too of labelling the food of other<br />
cultures, special diets or social groups<br />
as either ‘good’ or ‘bad’. It is better to<br />
use terms such as ‘healthier option’<br />
or ‘low-sugar’ rather than attaching<br />
negative connotations to certain foods.<br />
The message is really about striking<br />
a balance between the food we eat,<br />
the calories we ingest and the physical<br />
activity we do.<br />
There is a lot of information and advice<br />
available on the web about making<br />
healthier choices, tried-and-tested<br />
recipes for schools and packed lunches,<br />
and policy checklists online. Visit the<br />
following webpage to see a list of the<br />
things we’ve found most useful:<br />
bit.ly/feb-childobesity<br />
38 <strong>Parenta</strong>.com <strong>February</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 39
Come and find us on stand F32! We’d love to speak to you about...<br />
Software<br />
Training<br />
Fee Collection<br />
Childcare Websites<br />
Free Recruitment