Nursery World - Learning & Development: Types of Learning

For young children to develop into innovative and flexible
thinkers, settings must enable 'deep-level learning', explains Jan
Dubiel.

Traditional definitions - and perceptions - of 'learning' often focus on the narrow notion of 'gaining of knowledge and skills'; that is acquiring specific facts, honing particular actions, and being able to draw on these when necessary. This limited view of learning not only mars practitioners' approach to assessment and accountability (facts are easier to measure than dispositions!), it also clouds their definition of 'teaching'.

How we define learning and teaching will become increasingly important questions to address as we approach the replacement of the EYFS Profile - from September next year - by new forms of baseline assessment for children in their first term of reception year. We will need to establish definitions that reflect what we believe is important, articulate what we know about how children develop as competent learners, and resonate with our everyday pedagogy and practice. Only then can we be truly principled in what we do and confident in accounting for it.

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