Category: SPH Blog

Making a Difference to Children Disadvantaged Through Poverty by Simone Barnes

The term disadvantage is one that is well known amongst early years professionals. The children’s commissioner describes it as “a term used to describe children facing barriers to success” but also acknowledges that the definition comes with complexities due to the many ways it can manifest itself. Despite the complexity of the definition, there is no doubt that we have a vital role in tackling disadvantage in the early years. Here, our focus will be on those disadvantaged through poverty.

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The Magic of Emerging Literacy in the Early Years by Ali Carrington

With over 25 years of experience in early education, Ali Carrington delves into the critical role of communication and language in fostering a lifelong love for learning through play. The blog post highlights the importance of creating engaging and supportive environments that cater to children’s developmental needs, emphasising evidence-based approaches like storytelling, sound-letter mapping, and interactive reading to unlock the ‘magic code’ of literacy. Ali’s insights offer educators valuable strategies to inspire and motivate young learners on their path to becoming proficient readers and writers.

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The Power of Inquiry – Adopting a Culture of Practitioner Research and Evidence-informed Practice by Jacqui Lewis

Do you want to learn how to create a culture of inquiry in your early years setting? Do you want to explore the power of practitioner research and evidence-informed practice? Do you want to hear from an expert in the field of inclusive early childhood education? In this blog post, Jacqui Lewis shares her insights and experiences on these topics.

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Connection and Core Stories: How Storytelling Can Support Settling by Louise Scott

I wonder if you can remember your favourite story as a child? Even better, can you remember how it made you feel? Who was reading it with you? I loved stories. Reading them, writing them… they provided a creative outlet for my uncertain feelings and enormous imagination! Nowadays, I spend far less time reading stories than I’d like to. But I do notice that as adults, we never really stop telling ourselves stories…

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Supporting Your Team to Embrace Neurodiversity by Ruth Glover

Being a leader of an early years setting at the moment is not an easy job. Staff retention and recruitment is challenging not to mention making funding and fees stretch to cover costs. Add in ‘covid’ children, cuts in support services that may have supported us in the past and we are in the middle of a perfect storm.

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NEW BLOG POST: The Joy of Reading: How to Help Children Read for Pleasure Through Identity and Belonging by Esther Molyneux
📢 New Blog Post: The Magic of Emerging Literacy in the Early Years by Ali Carrington