Index of Professional Development Articles
Every child is different: the individual and diverse ways that children develop and learn
Rory McDowall Clark, Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Early Childhood at the University of Worcester, discusses how each child develops and learns in individual and distinct ways, and how we must use our knowledge of each unique child as the starting point for our planning. A particularly useful article for EYPs and EYPS candidates unpicking standard 2.
April 26th, 2011
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Developing Children's Thinking Skills
Principal lecturer in the School of Education and Continuing Studies at the University of Portsmouth, Joy Chalke discusses the relationship between language and thought in young children.
January 20th, 2011
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Problem Solving
In an ever changing world, problem solving is a very necessary skill. It is an extremely useful and positive way of looking at everything we do. Young children display a natural curiosity that lends itself to thinking and doing, and facilitating this skill early on in children's lives needs to be a priority for practitioners.
December 14th, 2010
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Taking a Risk? The value of risk and challenge in the early years
Childhood should be a time of safety and security. But it is also a time of curiosity, exploration and adventure. Most adults can remember their stomach flipping over when they swung a bit too high on the swings at the park, or the thrill of climbing a tree. They might also recall the sense of achievement afterwards. There are a growing number of researchers and childhood specialists who believe that as a society we are denying the current generation of children the delights and benefits of taking a risk and rising to a challenge. Those in the early years propose managing possible risks rather than removing them altogether so that young children can still be given the opportunity to take small risks that are unique to them in a safe and supervised environment. However, in the face of increasing public intolerance of any perceived 'danger', it can be a difficult approach to implement.
September 28th, 2010
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Child-initiated Learning
Child-initiated learning is primarily learning that stems from activities that are generated by the child. It is not governed by the achievement of an end product, but by the ownership of the child over the process of their learning. However, child-initiated learning can be seen as an enormous challenge to practitioners, lacking the definition and structure of tightly planned, adult-led, activities. Learning to let go a little, to appreciate the valuable learning that starts from the child's ideas, and to play a supportive role in that learning are rewarding and necessary skills in an early years setting.
August 9th, 2010
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The Multi-sensory Approach
Incorporating a multi-sensory approach can bring teaching and learning alive with new ways to experience the ordinary and familiar.
June 15th, 2010
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Brain-based Learning
This is the second in a series of articles looking at recent research into how young children learn. Here we examine how a better understanding of brain development can enrich early years practice.
May 10th, 2010
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EYP of the Year, Catherine Flynn, talks to the EYPS Forum
Catherine tells us about her journey to EYPS, life after achieving the status, and describes her views on leadership, best practice, and the way forward for EYPS.
December 7th, 2009
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Learning Styles
This article is the first in a short series by Juliet Mickelburgh, looking at recent developments in our understanding of how children learn.
November 17th, 2009
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In Their Own Words: EYPs Speak Out
Aspect's EYP lead officer Helen Willis, an active member of the EYPSf, outlines the findings from a survey inviting EYPs and EYPS candidates to express their views.
August 8th, 2009
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