What has the strongest impact on a child’s development in the early years? According to the Effective Pre-School, Primary and Secondary Education (EPPSE) project, lots of things we would expect to have a significant impact are, indeed, important.
They include the quality of the provision and the number of years the child attends. But the quality of the home learning environment is even more important than these factors. That’s why ‘Partnership with parents’ is one of the seven key features of effective practice in the updated Development Matters.
The home learning environment is partly about the physical characteristics of the home. Children flourish when they have enough space to play in, and things to play with. Playthings include toys, and also real objects for play and exploration. Real objects that children can play with include pots, pans and wooden spoons, leaves, twigs and other natural materials.
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