INSPIRATIONAL LEARNING SPACE
Early years settings seeking inspiration for creating effective learning spaces will find plenty of ideas at the latest 'enabling environment' developed by the Warwickshire Early Years Improvement Team.
The team regularly sets up examples of enabling environments in order to model good practice and provide inspiration to settings. Early writing, PSRN (with a focus on calculating) and SEAD (Social and Emotional Aspects of Development) are some of the recent themes. The latest, set up at Camp Hill Early Years Centre, Nuneaton, has a focus on 'Knowledge and understanding of the world - time, place and communities'.
The learning space will be on show until the end of March 2011. To book, contact the Early Years Improvement Team office at Camp Hill, on 02476 349694.
For advice on enabling environments and to see more of the team's work on creating 'inspirational learning spaces', visit: www.eyfswarwickshire.co.uk/pages/viewpage.asp?uniqid=12200
TIME TO TALK
Transition in the Early Years, the latest guide from consultancy Elizabeth Jarman, advises practitioners on how to create spaces that will foster communication, emotional well-being and engagement, ensuring that a child's transition to a new setting is a time of excitement, rather than apprehension. To download the paper, visit www.elizabethjarmanltd.co.uk/SupportingTransition.php.
Also available is the 'A Place to Talk' series of eight booklets, each featuring observations and photographs and giving advice on how to audit and create learning environments that encourage children to communicate. Settings and areas covered are: children's centres, extended schools, pre-schools, pack-away settings, childminders' homes, Key Stage 1, outside, and the home.
For more information and details of other resources, visit: www.elizabethjarmanltd.co.uk/store
ENABLING PLAY
Community Playthings continues to expand its range of free guides on how to create effective enabling environments for young children. Its most recent, 'Enabling Play - Planning environments', is a training CD-ROM showing how to create an indoor environment that supports child-initiated learning. It builds on the organisation's booklets, Spaces and Creating Places.
Other titles from Community Playthings include Children come first - Selecting equipment for early childhood education and I made a unicorn - Open-ended play with blocks and simple materials. All can be downloaded at: www.communityplaythings.co.uk/resources/request-literature.html
A variety of online articles are also available.
OUTSIDE LEARNING
Learning Outside the Classroom (LOTC)'s website is designed to help professionals working with young people aged 0-19 to provide high-quality experiences away from their school or setting. As well as making the case for 'outside' learning, the site includes guidance, case studies and monthly 'top 20 resources' lists submitted by interested practitioners. For more information, visit: www.lotc.org.uk/
