This blog is a space for those involved in Early Years education to share real-life opinions, thoughts and experiences. Contributors include current Edge Hill students and recent graduates, Early Years partner settings, and lecturers at Edge Hill – all sharing a collective aim: to spark conversation and ideas in others who are passionate about Early Years education. Whether you are here as a peer, a mentor or a prospective Edge Hill student, we hope you enjoy reading our blog.
- Has Learning Outside the Classroom become a buzzword in primary education? Written by Rebecca Green, Senior Lecturer at Edge Hill University. Are the terms Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) and Forest Schools used primarily as marketing tools to attract parents to choose a particular educational setting for their child? As someone who firmly believes in the benefits of outdoor learning, I am concerned that if this… Read more: Has Learning Outside the Classroom become a buzzword in primary education?
- How can going for a walk in early childhood education and care be interconnected with rights and democracy?Have you ever thought about how early childhood services, including schools, nurseries or children’s centres “are portals into the community” (Cameron and Moss, 2020: 226)? That was one of the provocations from Professor Peter Moss’s edited book that we discussed at our recent online reading group. At Edge Hill University we host a research network… Read more: How can going for a walk in early childhood education and care be interconnected with rights and democracy?
- What does the evidence tell us about how the pandemic has affected children’s communication and language development?Maria Reraki (PhD) is a Senior Lecturer in Early Years Education at Edge Hill University, UK. She teaches across a number of early years programmes and supports students becoming qualified teachers in Early Years settings. Before undertaking this post, Maria was a lecturer on Special Needs at the University of Birmingham. Maria’s research and teaching… Read more: What does the evidence tell us about how the pandemic has affected children’s communication and language development?
- Birth to 5 Matters: A student teachers’ perspectiveLynn Kearney – 3rd year student at Edge Hill University, studying Primary Early Years Education 3 – 7 years (with QTS). The Birth to 5 Matters non statutory guidance is wonderfully written ‘by the sector, for the sector’ (Early Education, 2021: 1) and it is this aspect that makes it so useful when planning to… Read more: Birth to 5 Matters: A student teachers’ perspective
- Finding spaces and places for children’s right to play Jo Albin-Clark, Nick Lomax, Nic Pearce, Sam Widdup. Recently we shared some research about a child’s right to play at an educational conference from our position as tutor and students involved in the MA Education Early Years at Edge Hill University. This research area is close to all our hearts because it is about teachers’… Read more: Finding spaces and places for children’s right to play