Nancy Stewart is a consultant and writer with wide experience across early years sectors in schools, nurseries, local authority advisory service, and National Strategies where she was Senior Early Years Adviser with a central role in Every Child a Talker. Nancy provided expert advice to the review of the Early Years Foundation Stage, drawing on her interest in communication and language for thinking, as well as children’s development as self-regulating learners. Nancy co-authored Development Matters, and wrote How children learn – The characteristics of effective early learning. She currently serves as Vice Chair of TACTYC, the Association for Professional Development in the Early Years.