Liverpool City Region Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment ‘Lost words’ reflected through the three pillars of sustainability and the SDGs. By Diane Boyd As early years practitioners we recognise the importance of our role in supporting children’s oral skills through holistic development. Influential research by Hart and Risley (1992,1995) stated that early year’s children living in poorer disadvantaged situations experienced significantly less adult directed words than their higher socio-economic peers. The research implied there was a ‘30-million-word deficit’ for the lower socio-economic children by the time they were four. That is a lot of missing words! These crucial findings draw attention to the importance of what quality practitioners can do to support and narrow the gap for children through quality interactions and using their quality environments (SDG 4 Quality Education). So, how can we close the gap and support children’s communication skills? The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS DfE, 2024, p9) clearly states the importance of “back-and-forth interactions” as a necessary requirement for language and cognitive development in young children. Sameroff and Fiese (2000) suggest back-and-forth interactions are more important than the quantity of the vocabulary children are exposed to, because the bi-directional conversations shared together are closely entwined with Personal, Social and Emotional Development, a universal prime area (EYFS, DfE,2024). As practitioners we need to focus on ensuring all children have opportunities to encounter through modelling and scaffolding, complex language input with a high level of longer, richer sentences (Rowe, 2008). This aligns with the Education Endowment Foundation – Communication and Language toolkit, which reminds practitioners to support and model effective linguistic aspects of communication. However, reflecting on pedagogical interactions Margaret Donaldson (1978) says this must make ‘human sense’ to the children, suggesting the need to draw on the socio-cultural aspects of community too (SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and communities). Within the Specific Area Understanding the World (EYFS, DfE,2024, p11) practitioners are asked to guide “children to make sense of their physical world and their community.” Taking children out beyond the gates of your setting allows them to experience holistically their neighbourhood, and what makes sense to them. Every neighbourhood is different (think of smells in a city compared to a beach town!) but as the EYFS (DfE, 2024, p 11) states “the frequency and range of children’s personal experiences increases their knowledge and sense of the world around them”. One such example is walking with your children through the town daily or weekly, past the local shops and engaging in back-and-forth conversations, adding new vocabulary as they walk. Exchanging hellos and making conversation with shop keepers will help children to become familiar with new vocabulary that is seemingly being lost due to the overuse of supermarkets. In large supermarkets everything is there and available in one stop – just come in and buy! There are limited interactions, relationships and vocabulary shared. Sadly now, how many children know for instance, what a cobbler is and what their work comprises of, linking here to SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth. By visiting in a natural organic way through a neighbourhood walk, children will become familiar with the shop keepers such as an optician, haberdasher, greengrocer, butcher, chemist, and baker (remember use this core language) that reside on their high street. When do children ever hear these occupational words now? So, it is imperative early years practitioners highlight these words before they become ‘lost’. Reinforce the words further through reading non-fiction books and revisit language associated with each profession, for example, Dylan the Shopkeeper by Guy Parker Rees. Set up your role play as different shops visited to consolidate language further. The new vocabulary can be extended to understand the produce they can purchase from the different shops, resonating with SDG 8, SDG 9, and SDG 11. The EYFS (DfE,2024) asks practitioners to build ‘positive relationships’, and this is a way of doing this through your locality. For example, in the greengrocer discuss the type of apple with the children and then taste test them. Granny Smith or Royal Gala which are sweet or bitter? Think of the lovely describing words or faces here! Other extension activities could include memory games- I went to the baker and I bought bread, a cake, some pastries; or I went to the butcher, and I bought some pork sausages, a bacon chop, some beef burgers; this consolidates the produce from each shop and the repetition aids the children’s cognition. After visiting the high street, the children could make their own big story book from each shop rather than buying books to support. This would be very effective as this supports children’s understanding of text - words and images together have meaning, that there is a beginning, middle and end in books which will make ‘human sense’ to them as this connects them to their community high street shops, and the satisfaction of knowing they wrote the book. Due to plastic credit cards being used in supermarkets there are other words that are now less frequently used in the terms of monetary currency. How often do children hear in purchasing back and forth conversations, or the words pennies and pounds being used? By highlighting during your neighbourhood walks not just the local shop keepers, their profession and produce sold, take the children into the shop, and model the use of real money. As the EEF Communication and Language states “settings should use a range of different approaches to developing communication and language skills.” It is important that children hear your “back-and-forth interactions” (EYFS, DfE,2024p, 9) with the shop keepers, as they are valuable conversations of both produce and currency together. The EEF (Early numeracy approaches) research shows that by utilising holistic pedagogy it has “a higher impact than when maths was delivered as a supplementary activity.” Through these conversations children will hear pennies, pounds, change and cost which they can replicate in role play back at your setting because this makes “human sense” (Donalson,1978) to them. Moving out into the locality and community children will have countless opportunities to use their 5 senses – hearing, smelling, tasting, seeing, and touching. By visiting local parks, gardens, or beaches regularly children will develop empathy and care for their environment. The emphasis is that you always use correct terminology with the children. For example, not the generic term ‘flower’ but daffodil or snow drop, and you encourage the children to observe the fauna but not pick them. There is a fabulous book called Lost Words by Robert MacFarlane and Jackie Morris (2021) which focuses again on disappearing words but this time in the natural world. The book states “all over the country, there are words disappearing from children's lives. These are the words of the natural world; Dandelion, Otter, Bramble, and Acorn, all gone. A wild landscape of imagination and play is rapidly fading from our children's minds. The Lost Words stands against the disappearance of wild childhood”. This book could be used as a follow up to walks or scientific observations in woodland. Crucially for the planet we need to ensure young children hear, use, and understand key words from nature. As the EEF- Early Literacy approaches state you must ensure that “your early literacy strategy is well-balanced and combines approaches that will support the development of skills, knowledge and understanding”. From a sustainable perspective we need to invest in our locality whether this is the high street or park or woodlands or coastline. If children develop a relationship with their community and locality then they will love the area, respect the area and care for the area. EEF- Early years evidence highlights “approaches for teaching early literacy should, therefore, be used in ways that build on approaches that support communication and language, which are fundamental to children’s literacy.” This resonates with the Specific Area Knowledge and Understanding which asks practitioners to “foster their understanding of our culturally, socially, technologically, and ecologically diverse world” EYFS (DfE,2024, p11). Extending and developing these ‘lost words’ of the high street and environment builds “important knowledge,” and “extends their familiarity with words that support understanding across domains” (EYFS, DfE, 2024, p11). Economic sustainability through regular opportunities to use and understand words associated with currency, socio-cultural sustainability through engaging and connecting with your local community high street shops and environmental sustainability with care and empathy because of a relationship with the natural world. This clearly demonstrates the interconnected and holistic approaches to both early childhood and sustainability. Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Liverpool City Region Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment Exploring Understanding the world By Michelle Bennett. (Childminder) My Name is Michelle Bennett and I am an OFSTED Registered, outstanding childminder which I have undertaken for eleven years. I am based in the Morecambe area of Lancashire and one of the Lancashire leads for childminders in my area. I am the childminding representative for the Morecambe Bay curriculum and have worked previously in numerous Nurseries and as a teaching assistant in a local primary school. I am very passionate about the work we all do, as we are, in my opinion, very lucky to support education. We develop the young people that come to us, with their learning and understanding of the world that we live in. I believe that our actions will enable and encourage their knowledge for learning of the prime areas and specific area of learning: Communication and language, Physical development, Personal, social and emotional development Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the world and Expressive arts and design I am passionate about the freedom of childminding, and creating awe and wonder every day. For me play is so important in so many ways as this supports children to learn and develop and as a childminder I can plan for the children’s interests as individuals. In this blog I will share with you how the children gained knowledge of the circus theme and scarecrows and increased their vocabulary from a visit to a local village. What did our children find on the visit to a local themed experience? Our visit was to the annual Wray scarecrow display. This is the oldest running scarecrow display in the UK, since 1992 and is run by a committee of local people from the village of Wray, Lancashire. The display of scarecrows has a different theme each year, and most of the local community of Wray will make a scarecrow for this event. The children that come to me, on the week leading up to the visit did talk about the theme and what they knew about scarecrows and the theme. This year the theme was circus. We had numerous conversations between myself and the children, as well as conversations between child to child, and the topic of the conversations they were having was about what type of activities / acts that you would see in a circus? The vocabulary included: strong man, jugglers, tightrope walkers, acrobats, clowns. Where do the circus people live? What nationality or country do the circus people come from? What is a circus tent made from? How are the scarecrows at Wray made? Who makes them? Why do they make them? Who chooses the theme and what scarecrow they would make if they lived in Wray? The day of the visit to Wray…. We were armed with cameras for the children to take photos of what they wanted to. As we were going around Wray there was lots of conversations of what the children could see, what they like and why they liked the scarecrows and displays. We spoke about favourite colours, the different sizes of scarecrows, the role of the scarecrow made and what their role is in a circus theme. The children spoke with local people and asked why they had made their scarecrow and what was the reason for the ones they made. Two of the children that were present had come the last three years with me, and they could remember the last year’s theme (which was magic) and spoke about that, with the current children. They spoke about the previous children that had come on the previous visits and what they liked and where they were now. While we were having our lunch, the children had conversations between themselves, about which scarecrows were their favourite and why they were. When we return back home, this continued the theme and children decided to demonstrate Circus skills, drawings, role play games and ask numerous questions. The following week after the visit…. The week after we had visited Wray, the children were keen to make some scarecrows, so we made smaller ones and a big one, using sticks and decorated them using the fantastic box of crafts I won after attending the recent Stronger Practice Hub conference, which all the children loved using these crafts. The scarecrows where then placed around the garden and the children made their own pretend village scarecrow display. The children began role playing at being the local people of their pretend village. We also dressed up as scarecrows with a circus theme with items we purchased from local charity shops. When we purchased these items of clothing from the charity shops, we talked about what charity shops do, the reason behind the purpose of the shop. Why local people donate and buy from them, and about sustainability and my children have really been understanding all about recycling. What does the evidence say for Understanding the world? Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community. The frequency and range of children’s personal experiences increases their knowledge and sense of the world around them – from visiting parks, libraries and museums to meeting important members of society such as police officers, nurses and firefighters. In addition, listening to a broad selection of stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems will foster their understanding of our culturally, socially, technologically and ecologically diverse world. As well as building important knowledge, this extends their familiarity with words that support understanding across domains. Enriching and widening children’s vocabulary will support later reading comprehension. Taken from: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/670f8c0f366f494ab2e7b93d/EYFS_statutory__framework_for_childminders.pdf The https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/early-years/evidence-store references Communication and Language which became part of our focus within the visit as the children spoke to each other, with myself and grew in their understanding of new vocabulary connected with the circus. This resulted in the children knowing more and remembering more through their visit from last year and this year. Exploring the DfE module 4 on supporting language development in the early years enabled me to appreciate even more the importance of a language rich approach where interactions are promoted. I consider the circus theme visit supported both the children in their learning and development which in turn supported my continuous professional development (CPD) in researching the theme and the learning opportunities for the children in communication and language, physical development and Understanding the world. The children and I are looking forward to our next visit out to extend learning further within Understanding the world and the other Early Years Foundation Stage areas of learning. References: https://www.evertonnurseryschoolandfamilycentre.org/strongerpracticehub https://www.strongerpracticehubs.org.uk/hubs/nw/liverpool-city-region-and-beyond-eysph https://wrayscarecrows.wordpress.com/ https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/early-years/evidence-store https://birthto5matters.org.uk/ https://www.ncfe.org.uk/media/xbcbjrfj/early-years-sustainability-resource.pdf https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/670f8c0f366f494ab2e7b93d/EYFS_statutory__framework_for_childminders.pdf https://child-development-training.education.gov.uk/about/module-4 https://child-development-training.education.gov.uk/about/module-5 Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

The benefits of outdoor play Liverpool City Region Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment Deysbrook Childminding Network By Tracie Dowling My name is Tracie Dowling and I have been a childminder for over 32 years and I live in Anfield Liverpool. I am also part of the strategic team at Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub (EYSPH) and support childminders within the Region. My role is to be a point of call to support the childminders, signpost them to early years funded support programmes and link in with the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) to promote the Early Years Evidence store and Early Years Tool kit. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/ The Stronger Practice Hub has funded a Childminder Network drop In at the Deysbrook Village Centre. https://www.deysbrook-vc.co.uk/ This provides the local childminders with a venue to meet up weekly with their minded children, link to myself and each other to share good practice and access face to face support. The childminders and children enjoy attending the drop-in sessions as this supports good practice by giving the children experiences to gain valuable social skills like sharing, taking turns, communication, and cooperation by interacting with others children. Having access to larger group activities such as music and movement and craft time also provides opportunities to develop language skills, motor skills, and overall confidence through play-based learning and exposure to larger group activities and toys and helping with preparing for school transition. The Drop in provides a venue for childminder and child-based training opportunities and a space for childminders to connect and build a community with each other. Over the last few months, the childminders and children have enjoyed the Sustainability Goal bitesize sessions that I have facilitated. https://sdgs.un.org/goals We have focused on one goal each week, for example week 1, we focused on Goal 1 ‘No Poverty’. We all sat together on the carpet and read the story ‘The Three Little Pigs’ we discussed the different types of housing and what it’s like to be homeless. We thought about what the safest house would be and which would have strong foundations that can withstand challenges due to global warming. I provided the children with an activity using wooden ‘Three Little Pig’ story props to decorate using crayons and recyclable materials. At the end of the session, I gave each childminder an information pack explaining why I chose the activity, how I incorporate the goals within my setting, extra reading materials / information around the Sustainability Goals. The following week before we started the next focused activity, we discussed the previous goal and how and what the children did at their childminders setting to include ‘poverty’. One child told me she made a Den, but she got upset because one of the children pulled off the blanket. I suggested next time they use pegs to see if the den stayed up longer. She told me her childminder made another den out of a big sturdy box and this was fun. Another child had used their props to tell the story again. This feedback from the children was invaluable and makes the time I spend putting the activities together all worthwhile. Anne Wrigley a childminder of the Deysbrook Drop in provided me with some amazing feedback. She said by attending the drop in and accessing support gave her confidence when she had her latest OFSTED inspection. By taking part in the bite sized Sustainability Goals awareness made her realise she was already promoting sustainability but hadn’t realised this. Since attending the sessions, she now takes the children to the local charity shop to donate and purchase items and every few weeks she buys wool to knit squares with the children to make blankets for the homeless. Anne and the children go on a trip to St Luke’s church to donate food for families who are less fortunate. During Annes previous OFSTED inspection, the inspector commented on the lack of extra training. In this inspection the inspector said it was evident Anne had been very proactive extending her continuous professional development. Anne explained to the inspector about the SPH webinar recordings and how she liked them as she can dip in and out, at a time that suits her due to the flexibility and thought they were a perfect way to extend her knowledge. Further reading: https://www.strongerpracticehubs.org.uk/hubs/nw/liverpool-city-region-and-beyond-eysph/resources/autumn-time-apples-and-apple-juice-dr https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/early-years/evidence-store https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/early-years/toolkit/play-based-learning https://www.evertonnurseryschoolandfamilycentre.org/childminders https://www.evertonnurseryschoolandfamilycentre.org/early-years-sustainable-hub Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Liverpool City Region Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment Sign-up to receive our Newsletter on the second week of each month. Will aim to provide practical information from educators across the Liverpool City Region as well as information from the Department for Education and Education Endowment Foundation. See below for previous editions. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR LIVERPOOL CITY REGION EARLY YEARS STRONGER PRACTICE HUB MAILING LIST Sign-up to receive news from our Hub by email, including upcoming courses and events, links to additional resources, and more! Subscribe LCR Newsletter April 2026 LCR Newsletter Jan 2026 LCR Newsletter Oct 2025 LCR Newsletter July 2025 LCR Newsletter April 2025 LCR Newsletter Jan 2025 LCR Newsletter Oct 2024 LCR Newsletter July 2024 LCR Newsletter April 2024 LCR Newsletter Jan 2024 LCR Newsletter Mar 2026 LCR Newsletter June 2026 LCR Newsletter Dec 2025 LCR Newsletter Sept 2025 LCR Newsletter June 2025 LCR Newsletter March 2025 LCR Newsletter Dec 2024 LCR Newsletter Sept 2024 LCR Newsletter June 2024 LCR Newsletter Mar 2024 LCR Newsletter Dec 2023 LCR Newsletter Feb 2026 LCR Newsletter May 2026 LCR Newsletter Nov 2025 LCR Newsletter August 2025 LCR Newsletter May 2025 LCR Newsletter Feb 2025 LCR Newsletter Nov 2024 LCR Newsletter August 2024 LCR Newsletter May 2024 LCR Newsletter Feb 2024 LCR Newsletter Nov 2023 Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Liverpool City Region Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment ENGAGING GROWTH WITH ‘THE GARDEN CLASSROOM’ By Tracie Dowling My name is Tracie Dowling, I have worked in childcare for over 30 years. I’m an OFSTED Registered Childminder, Mentor for the Department of Education , Northwest Childminder Representative and Childminding Network Co-ordinator, PEEP Facilitator and Childminder Employer based in Liverpool. I employ an amazing assistant, Debbie and together we care for eight children under the age of five years. Throughout my career as a Registered Childminder, I have incorporated holistic learning into my practices. Over the years this has evolved, and I refer to my way of teaching as ‘The Garden Classroom’ which you can read about on my blog . Although this way of learning is primarily outdoors, the learning is year-long and therefore I have created ways of learning no matter the season. The Garden Classroom practices always incorporate the three prime areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and the Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning. Read on to learn how I weave these key components into outdoor play. OUTDOOR LEARNING The Garden Classroom is a space where children can learn and grow, connecting to nature and the world around them. Outdoor exploration not only connects toddlers and babies with the seasons and everchanging weather, but also promotes physical activity, a sense of wonder, and an appreciation for the natural environment. Providing gardening activities for my children has proven to be great way to engage them with hands-on learning, including growing food from seed to plate, food sensory education , pond-dipping and lifecycles, and practicing sustainability through composting and recycling. The children learn vital skills such as adaptability and resilience by witnessing their environment going through the cycles. This helps them understand the concept of change and builds resilience in the face of transitions. In one area of our garden, we have a pet cemetery. Here, we have buried our family pets and other creatures who have come and gone. This space allows us to teach the children about the life-death cycle and accept change. Similarly, every year we experience frogspawn, giving us the opportunity to learn about birth and growth as we watch their little tails shrink and their legs grow. To support the children’s cognitive skills, we provide activities to observe and understand nature through investigation. The children’s favourite activities at the moment are pond dipping and growing and harvesting flowers, fruit, and vegetables. Some of the learning objectives within these activities are linked to lifecycles, categorising, comparison and pattern recognition in nature. Supporting the children to experience the wonders of changing seasons has a positive effect on their emotional well-being, mine, and Debbie’s too! The children take naps outside and participate in meditation while the birds are singing away. These activities provide opportunities for relaxation and promote a sense of calm and happiness. It is proven that spending time in nature has mental health benefits as well as emotional and physical benefits . SEASONAL LEARNING Every season and even every different day outdoors, brings a new set of sensory stimulation by exploring the sights, textures, aromas, even the noises of the natural world. The experiences are endless. The children love finding the strawberries and munching away, and there is no better taste than a sun-ripened cherry tomato, if they leave me any! Unfolding the characteristics of seasonal vocabulary during our activities also contributes to early language and provides children with the skills to articulate their observations and experiences. Whether its playing in the muddy puddles, counting the frogs or learning to sow seeds, the language opportunities are endless. The seasons are also a lovely way to promote cultural celebrations and traditions. We love the harvest festival where we like to gather our produce and share with our families, or Diwali where we cover the garden with lights and have a magical Diwali feast. There are many ways to weave cultural traditions into your very own Garden Classroom. “Lovely to watch her be so interested in how it grows. How she cares for it, and that she’s happy with the end result, we’ve even started growing our own strawberries and sunflowers at home” – Elsie’s Mum. By incorporating a Garden Classroom into your setting, your children can foster environmental awareness, develop a sense of responsibility and appreciation of the natural world, which in turn lays the groundwork for their future environmental consciousness. Seasonal changes spark natural curiosity and wonder within the children, giving them the opportunity for questioning and exploration, cultivating a mindset of inquiry and lifelong learning. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) The Early Years Toolkit brings together the best available evidence on key areas of learning and development. It can support all childminders when making decisions on how to improve learning outcomes. Physical development approaches | EEF educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk) Other research Useful resource: Garden activities for September :: The Garden Classroom - NurtureStore The Edible Garden – Alys Fowler (book and BBC Series 2010) Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Sensory Garden Blog Liverpool City Region Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment Homelessness Video blog Dr Diane Boyd talks to Everton Nursery School teacher Kate Doyle about young peoples awareness and understanding of others 1. Homelessness Part 1 2. Homelessness Part 2 Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Supporting self-regulation in the early years Liverpool City Region Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment Supporting self-regulation in the early years Amanda Quirk is an early years teacher and leader with over 30 years’ experience working with children 0 -5, early years teachers and educators in PVIs and schools. Amanda is an area lead for the DFE Experts and Mentors programme. In my role I am lucky enough to be out and about the North West, supporting many early years’ practitioners, leaders and managers. Working with young children post COVID has brought some even bigger challenges to us all. One current issue I have observed and I hear about is children who lack basic social skills, have poor emotional regulation, no impulse control, lack focus and are unable to adapt to different situations. These behaviours are closed aligned to self-regulation. I am not alone in worrying about this trend and what it may mean in the future for these children. The Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework for group and school-based providers. January 2024, states. ‘Children should be supported to manage emotions, develop a positive sense of self, set themselves simple goals, have confidence in their own abilities, to persist and wait for what they want and direct attention as necessary.’ Self-regulation is what makes self-control possible. Without the skills linked to self-regulation, there is an inability to manage oneself and to control actions linked to strong emotions and feelings. This could lead to conflict with peers and adults, a brake down in friendships, and may become a barrier to learning. As early year’s educators, we are fortunate, in that we have a chance to work with children at their most receptive and responsive. This thought always gives me hope and the belief that in early years, we can be arbiters of change. The OFSTED report ‘Best Start in Life Part 2’ makes clear the research that supports links between strong PSED skills and academic success (follow the link below) Here are 3 key strategies that research advocates in supporting young children to start better self-regulation: Help children to name a range of different emotions. Use yourself, books and stores, pictures, mirror play, photographs and role play to name and recognise different emotions and feelings with children to extend their vocabulary. Help children to understand these different emotions. Talk about how different emotions look or feel like in order to help children better understand themselves. Model a range of feelings and emotions and how to deal with them. : Be a role model by demonstrating positive behaviours. Encourage empathy and understanding by discussing feelings and emotions with children, helping them develop their language and emotional intelligence. Co regulation before self-regulation. Initially narrate the problem and possible solutions with children, then gradually move on to coaching children through real life events that will help to develop language and strategies available to them independently. The good news is that we can teach self-regulation skills, and they can be learnt. The tools and resources you use may not cost a lot but will have a big impact on the lives of the children in your setting. If we help children to identify their emotions and teach strategies to help children to cope with how they are feeling or what is happening, we will be giving the life-long gift of being able to achieve goals and navigate life’s challenges. For further information and reading, please click the links below. OFSTED Research and analysis. Best Start in Life Part 2 Best start in life part 2: the 3 prime areas of learning - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) EEF. Personal Social and Emotional Development. Approaches and practices to support Personal, Social and Emotional development in the Early Years EEF | Personal Social and Emotional Development (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk) Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Liverpool City Region Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment Let’s talk about books By Alex Gower-Jones Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Liverpool City Region Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment The hub offers free advice, support and training to childminders across Liverpool City Region. We are aiming to set up Peer to Peer Childminder Support and Play Sessions for Children. Please join our mailing list to be kept informed of future events and launches, newsletters and availability for training dates and drop-in sessions. If you would like to be involved or have suggestions, please let us know. Online Childminder Network which is the last Saturday morning 10a.m. – 11.30a.m. of every month: CHILDMINDER DROP IN Deysbrook Network: Everton Nursery School and Family Centre, Spencer Street, Liverpool, L6 2WF Held every Wednesday 9.30- 11.30am Hunts Cross Network: St Hilda’s Church Hall, Stuart Avenue, Hunts Cross L25 0NG Held every Wednesday 9.30-11.30am Kendal Network: Beck Community Centre, 20 Esthwaite Avenue, Kendal LA9 7NZ Held every Thursday 9.30 – 11.30am Bromborough Childminder Network: Bromborough Family Hub, Gratrix Road, Wirral CH62 7BW Held Thursdays 9.30 – 11.30 am What is a Childminder Drop In? The childminder drop-in sessions provide local childminders with an opportunity to access up to date information, recourses, face to face support, support from a member of the hub team and for childminders to share best practices. The group offers the children a multitude of benefits including enhanced social, emotional, and cognitive development, improved communication skills and opportunities to access larger play equipment to promote physical development. The facilities provide a safe space where childminders can organise events, celebrations and provide larger scale structured activities for the children which in turn supports transitions to school. Liverpool City Region and beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Childminder Network Meetings Held every last Saturday of each month for Teams Link see the monthly newsletter. The aim of the Monthly meetings is to keep childminders up to date with local / national changes, information sharing, identify training needs and give general help and advice. Should you want to have anything specific added to the agenda please email the Stronger Practice Hub on sphubnw@evertoncentre.liverpool.sch.uk WELLCOMM BAGS If you are a Liverpool Childminder and wish to borrow a Wellcomm bag to use with your children, email the sph email as we can support you and loan a Wellcomm bag to you for a period of time. CHILDMINDER RESOURCE BAGS Calling all SPH Network Members….. FREE Resource bags coming soon, funded by the SPH this is a fantastic opportunity for Childminders. Each bag of carefully selected items will be a welcome addition to your setting which in turn supports your children’s development. Each resource bag is designed to be used individually, with a group of childminder colleagues and shared as a lending library. In the next few weeks you can apply for resources that cover Communication and Language, Early Maths and Story Comprehension including a selection of various quality Story Sacks. Also included will be Outdoor and Nature, Habitats and Musicical Instruments bags. Look out for the launch coming the end of April/early May depending on your location within Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub…. Literacy Blog, written for Childminders by June Cargill Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

The benefits of outdoor play Liverpool City Region Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment The benefits of outdoor play How childminders use outdoor spaces to enhance children’s learning outcomes. By Tracie Dowling ‘My greatest childhood memories are of playing outdoors. Running around, climbing trees, playing in my treehouse, making mud pies, using my mum’s roses to make perfume (not always fragrant!) and inventing new games that kept me, and my brother occupied for hours – these are all things that contribute to a happy, healthy upbringing’ Introduction My name is Tracie Dowling, and I have been an OFSTED Registered Childminder for over 33 years and a Strategic Partner of Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub. One of my roles has been to support the Deysbrook Childminder Network at the Village Community Centre in West Derby, Liverpool. https://www.evertonnurseryschoolandfamilycentre.org/childminders Not all childminders are lucky enough to have a large outdoor space attached to their setting; however, this does not prevent them from ensuring the children access quality outdoor learning opportunities. The childminders at Deysbrook meet up once a week at the drop-in session and have access to a community garden where they can grow produce, exercise and access activities. They also regularly organise to meet up at the local allotment, parks, farm, forest, zoo and beaches. ‘The Early Years Foundation Stage states that ‘children benefit from spending as much time outside as possible. This makes a significant contribution to the progress they make particularly in their personal, emotional, social and physical development’ Benefits of outdoor learning opportunities Having the opportunity to learn outdoors can be a holistic and essential approach to education, offering a multitude of benefits beyond the traditional educational setting. Here are some of the ways the childminders take advantages of outdoor learning opportunities: Enhanced Physical Development: The childminders regularly take the children to the local forest to experience the natural outdoor spaces which are uneven and inconsistent (logs, trees, pathways) and therefore improve children's balance, coordination, agility and encourage movement in ways that improve their muscles, bones and physical endurance. Cognitive Development: The openair environment of the local park provides opportunities for exploration (plants, wildlife, habitats) problem-solving (how to cross a big puddle?), critical thinking (how to make a den using found objects), decision-making and building essential skills like spatial awareness and adaptability. The children engage in activities such as den building, learning to look after the environment, and exploring nature. Communication and Language Skills: Collaboration between the childminders and peers significantly boosts communication and language development. This provides a natural, engaging environment to practice language, explore new vocabulary and develop social skills. By providing the children with Imaginative play opportunities, exploring the natural world, and interaction with peers all contribute to language acquisition and communication skills which is evident by the children expressing thoughts, asking questions and listening to their childminder and peers. While in the outdoor area the children listen to natural sounds and explore other sensory experiences (e.g., the rustling of leaves, the feel of mud and sand) this broadens and enhanced language development by using words such as squidgy, squelchy, scrunching. Personal, Social, and Emotional Development: When the childminders take the children on visits for instance to the beach this provides abundant opportunities for personal growth and social development. The children learn to manage risks, (being close to water/climbing on slippery rocks/identifying and studying the jellyfish) develop self-confidence, and form positive relationships in the safety of their childminder and experiences with peers. Knowledge and Understanding of the World: Outdoor learning offers a direct relationship with nature, enabling children to explore and understand the natural world, encouraging an enduring interest in science, ecology, and caring for their environment. My personal childminding ethos and curriculum is ‘sustainability in the garden classroom’. I am privileged to have a wonderful outdoor space where I teach the children to care for their environment. We have a wormery to use up food waste and provide our plants with nutrients, water butts to recycle water and feed our fruit and vegetables, habitats for the wildlife such as frogs, bees, bugs etc. We grow plants (not always successfully) using different methods such as hydroponically, using recycled materials and no dig raised beds. We welcome childminders and our community family to share our environment, where we exchange ideas’ share surplus produce and have a swap scheme for instance toys/plants/story sacks to promote positive relationships and encourage cost effective way of living. Literacy and Mathematics: Outside spaces can serve as an environment for literacy and numeracy activities. Children can count objects, (bugs, shells, sticks) write using natural materials (sand, soil, chalk, sticks) or engage in storytelling and creative writing inspired by the environment for instance using the ’anywhere farm’ story sack at the urban farm. Expressive Arts and Design: Openair environments encourage creativity and artistic expression. Children can be involved in activities such as drawing, painting, or sculpture using natural materials, (logs, sticks, shells, pinecones) furthering their artistic development. The children are very interested in using flowers and leaves to make natural prints pressing the flowers (from my garden) between two pieces of material to bring out the natural colourings. Conclusion By childminders being creative and giving children opportunities to access various outdoor environments reinforced with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 7 areas of learning is a pathway in a child’s holistic development. The EYFS framework recognises the importance of outdoor learning, and the benefits of this approach are undeniable. By providing children with outdoor environments for physical activity, cognitive growth, social interaction, and a deep connection to nature, we nurture well-rounded children and enable them to be better prepared for the challenges of life and holistic learning. This is the collective responsibility of parents and educators to ensure that all children have access to these inspiring outdoor activities and environments that will profoundly shape their future in positive and meaningful ways. External References and Resources https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/early-years/evidence-store Reference to Physical Development, Communication and Language, Literacy and Mathematics https://www.evertonnurseryschoolandfamilycentre.org/strongerpracticehub https://www.gov.uk/early-years-foundation-stage https://www.evertonnurseryschoolandfamilycentre.org/early-years-sustainable-hub https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/research/forest-schools-impact-on-young-children-in-england-and-wales/#research-objectives The Garden Classroom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHk8MmfrBTc https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/family-friendly/family-friendly-gardens Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Liverpool City Region Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment Our aim as an Early Years Stronger Practice Hub will be to share communication and language and literacy programmes initially. Please keep checking back as we aim to provide recorded and live webinars and face to face drop in's and twilights regarding the programmes we will offer. In the meantime look at the programmes on offer through the Department for Education (DfE): https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/ New Maths Champions 2025 Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Liverpool City Region Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment Maths Champions As part of NDNA's recruitment of settings for the Maths Champions programme, we are holding a number of information sessions. Led by our team of expert Early Years Advisors, these sessions will provide a comprehensive explanation of the programme, the eligibility criteria for settings to take part, and the commitment involved. There is also an opportunity for settings to ask direct questions to the Early Years Advisors, followed by clear instructions of next steps and how to sign up. Maths Champions Information Sessions - NDNA Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice