Nursery World - Enabling Environments: Self-Help Skills

A simple way to encourage children's independence at nursery is explained by Tessa Fenoughty.

As early years practitioners, it is important that we create, within our continuous provision, real learning opportunities to develop children's self-help skills - especially under the 'Enabling Environments' for the 'Unique Child' in the EYFS.

At Middleton-in-Teesdale Primary School Foundation Stage Unit, we wanted our children to be able to go outside independently and dig in the ground whenever possible. However, being constantly interrupted by children asking for our help to find stray wellies in the welly box or lost shoes kicked under a unit was distracting and breaking up the flow of learning for other children. This constant interruption is a real problem for many settings, particularly where staffing ratios are low.

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