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Liverpool City Region and beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Blogs Childminders Programmes Documents Subscribe Early Years Professional Development Programme Newsletters Recruitment Early Years Professional Development Programme (EYDP) https://www.earlyyearspdp.com/ I cannot recommend the Early Years Professional Development Programme enough to any early years practitioner whether they are new to the sector or have many years of experience. Being able to adapt ideas from the training and talking to colleagues on the webinar has been invaluable. Understanding children’s depth of knowledge in Early Maths has allowed me to enhance activities allowing me to see the immediate, positive impact on their learning. Ten simple hints and tips could make any setting become “language rich” and the ability to spot and fix communication “cold spots” personally I am so glad I signed up. June Cargill Ofsted Registered Outstanding Childminder Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment NELI Preschool Craig Bolton, Headteacher at East Prescot Road Nursery School, Liverpool, introduces the NELI Preschool programme. East Prescot Road Nursery School is a partner of the Stronger Practice Hub. What is NELI Preschool? The Nuffield Early Language Intervention for Nursery (NELI Preschool) combines elements of two successful existing interventions: NELI-R and Parent and Children Together (PACT). NELI Preschool is an enrichment programme, delivered to the whole class, with additional targeted support for children with weaker oral language. The programme is designed for 3 and 4 year olds and runs over 20 weeks. It involves scripted interventions, focusing on dialogic reading, teaching vocabulary, listening and narrative skills. In Reception year, the NELI-R programme follows on and develops children’s phonological awareness and letter sound knowledge. Reading is at the heart of NELI Preschool. The programme is crafted around 20 high-quality, engaging books, including traditional tales, non-fiction and fiction. Ideas are often expanded into language-rich and engaging continuous provision and can become a solid basis for a book-focused sequenced and progressive curriculum. Why did we adopt NELI Preschool? Our school’s top priority had been improving children’s outcomes in communication and language. This became even more pressing following the Covid pandemic. We had devised a strategy for professional development to improve practitioner expertise within the language-rich learning environment. We had already adopted a range of interventions and approaches to assess and support our children’s listening and attention, comprehension and speaking skills. We wanted to build upon our existing approach and to further develop our curriculum to incorporate books and the direct teaching of new vocabulary. The NELI Preschool programme was the ideal complement to our existing provision and offered opportunities for professional development for the whole staff team. The power of NELI Preschool is that it is a whole-school intervention, a universal model. All children explore the same high-quality text, learn the same new words and their meanings and engage in the same learning activities that deepen their conceptual understanding. How does NELI Preschool work? Our whole staff team were very well supported in our preparation phase. We received handbooks, resources, flashcards, training and mentor support. Children were then assessed through an app called ‘Language Screen’, which identifies children needing most support with their language skills. This informs the groupings of children who will receive further support in small groups 3 times per week, and those who will benefit from short individual sessions. There are three elements of the programme: whole-class sessions delivered by a trained practitioner five times a week; targeted intervention in small groups for children with the weakest language skills and weekly individual sessions as a further opportunity to revisit learning. The NELI Preschool structure operates over a five-day cycle, in daily 15-20 minute sessions. The first day involves sharing the book of the week with the whole class. The remaining four days focus on a ‘Special Word’ from the shared text, with interactive learning activities designed to explore the new word and linked concepts in greater detail. The programme is supported by digital resources for the Interactive Whiteboard and scripted handbooks to support the delivery of the sessions. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) is funding a project to further understand delivery of the programme in PVI settings, with interested settings able to register now to take part. In addition, EEF in collaboration with the Department for Education’s Stronger Practice Hubs, are exploring funding a larger trial in 2024 with both state-maintained and PVI settings. What to do if you would like more information about NELI Preschool, or supporting the language and literacy development of children in your setting If you would like to develop your skills or further your knowledge in early language or literacy development for children in your setting, why not explore: The support available through your local Early Years Stronger Practice Hub, which is detailed here . The EEF Evidence Store gives accessible evidence-based information on approaches that practitioners can use when supporting communication and language development, and early literacy . The NELI website can be accessed here. Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

Liverpool City Region and Beyond 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

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Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment Reddish Vale Nursery School Blog Becoming physical development champions and beyond…. This blog explores the importance of evaluating the opportunities available to promote physical development in the early years, with a particular focus on promotion children’s independence, risk taking and following their lead. Our pedagogy Opportunities for outdoor play are vital in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Reddish Vale Nursery places equal value on outdoor and indoor play, and the well-resourced outdoor area is an important part of the continuous provision. As a team we work on the premise that regular activity is vital for strengthening neural networks, where regular, intense exercise results in the growth of neurons to aid memory and learning. Opportunities in the outdoor area are designed to improve concentration, hand eye coordination, confidence and decision making. The evidence RISE at Manchester Metropolitan University outlines the importance of physical development where ‘Physical development lays the foundation for learning, health and wellbeing. The more physically active we are as young children, the more likely we are to maintain an active lifestyle later in life. This sets a positive health trajectory, promoting long-term physical well-being and reducing the risk of chronic diseases. Encouraging early physical activity is crucial for establishing healthy habits and also impacts greatly on early literacy and the social, emotional, and cognitive development of children.’ Rise x Future Me at Manchester Met (mmu.ac.uk) Children who are given the opportunity to play outdoors are shown to have better planning, attention and inhibition where regular activity reduces stress, and increases self-regulation. Children learn how to control their bodies, develop physical competence and an enjoyment of outdoors and to practice problem solving. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) on the Early Years Evidence Store key findings in ‘promoting physical activity’ outlines the following: There is evidence that promoting physical activity improves children’s physical development outcomes including a range of movement skills. Encouraging enjoyment through play and a focus on child-directed choice are effective strategies to further support children’s physical development. Motivating children to be physically active through the use of resources or equipment, both outdoors and indoors, can support children’s physical development. Educators have an important role to play in structuring the environment and activities to support children’s physical development. EEF | Physical Development (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk) Becoming Physical Development Champions Reddish Vale Nursery School engaged in Physical Development Champion training where we evaluated our current environment and made some changes to promote gross motor skills. We removed the majority of chairs from the tables to enable children to stretch for resources. We made group times more physical. We increased activities which help to develop core strength. We corrected W sitting where this was happening. We also provided more opportunities for tummy time. Although we have always promoted independence in children we looked for times of the day where we could increase opportunities for this. We encourage children to pour their own drinks at snack time and peel their own fruit. At lunch time children collect their own lunches and clear away after themselves. There is an absolute wealth of evidence based information, videos, case studies and examples for best practice available you can read at your own pace, but did you know that researching, investigating and using the Education Endowment Foundation EEF Evidence Store shows that you are reflecting on your setting so make sure you add these to your personal development record. The furniture was also checked to ensure that this was appropriate for the individual and we changed chairs to enable children to anchor themselves properly when seated, with both feet on the floor. Some chairs with arms are used for children that need extra support. Beyond our Physical Development Champion work – what did we do next? Observation and reflection The EEF studies looked at the benefits of introducing different resources to stimulate interest or encourage nature-based play. Different or new resources could be smaller tools such as hand tools and jigsaws or more dynamic toys such as balls or climbing frames. In nature-based studies, children were encouraged to participate in more risky play through climbing natural structures. Likewise, freedom to play with natural elements such as grass, rocks, and branches was supported. These activities all led to improvements in children’s physical development outcomes. A common theme across the evidence was ensuring that children were provided with choice and a high degree of independence. EEF | Physical Development (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk) Introducing a gravel pit Gravel pits can bring the following benefits: 1. Sensory Development Gravel offers a unique tactile experience different from sand, water, or soil. This helps children explore texture, weight, and sound, enriching their sensory input. 2. Fine Motor Skills Scooping, pouring, picking up, and sifting small stones promotes hand-eye coordination and dexterity. Using tools like shovels, buckets, or sieves builds grip strength and control. 3. Creativity and Imaginative Play Gravel can be used in pretend construction, road-building, or even as "ingredients" in play kitchens. It encourages open-ended play, allowing children to invent their own games and stories. 4. STEM Learning Children naturally engage in early science and math concepts through sorting by size, counting stones, or experimenting with gravity and volume. Opportunities for cause and effect learning, like observing how gravel moves or shifts. At Reddish Vale Nursery School, the children made their own gravel pit using tarpaulin, sleepers and a huge order of pea sized gravel. Climbing opportunities in the 2s Through observing our 2 year olds we noticed their need for a constructive physical outlet, helping them to burn energy and regulate emotions and behaviour afterward. We therefore introduced a climbing wall where 1.Gross Motor Development Climbing strengthens large muscle groups in the arms, legs, and core. This helps develop balance, coordination, and body awareness. 2. Fine Motor and Grip Strength Grasping climbing holds improves hand strength, finger dexterity, and fine motor control—important for future skills like writing and self-care. 3. Confidence and Independence Climbing challenges young children in a way that lets them experience success, promoting self-esteem and a sense of achievement. It encourages independent decision-making and exploration. Conclusion When did you last evaluate your environment through the physical development lens? Do your routines and environments all offer opportunities for independence? Are your children encouraged to take risks? Are there opportunities for tummy time, even for older children? Look specifically at what the children are already doing and how this could be developed. Do you already have resources that could be introduced in a different way? Are you making the best use of the space you’ve got? References https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/early-years/evidence-store/physical-development https://www.reddishvalenursery.stockport.sch.uk/our-curriculum/physical-development-champions https://rise.mmu.ac.uk/topic/the-importance-of-physical-development/ https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/670fa42a30536cb92748328f/EYFS_statutory_framework_for_group_and_school_-_based_providers.pdf Physical Development Physical activity is vital in children’s all-round development, enabling them to pursue happy, healthy and active lives9. Gross and fine motor experiences develop incrementally throughout early childhood, starting with sensory explorations and the development of a child’s strength, co-ordination and positional awareness through tummy time, crawling and play movement with both objects and adults. By creating games and providing opportunities for play both indoors and outdoors, adults can support children to develop their core strength, stability, balance, spatial awareness, co-ordination and agility. Gross motor skills provide the foundation for developing healthy bodies and social and emotional well-being. Fine motor control and precision helps with hand-eye co-ordination, which is later linked to early literacy. Repeated and varied opportunities to explore and play with small world activities, puzzles, arts and crafts and the practice of using small tools, with feedback and support from adults, allow children to develop proficiency, control and confidence. 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Liverpool City Region and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub Hub Home Events Newsletters Blogs Programmes Documents Subscribe Childminders Recruitment Literacy Blog, written for Childminders By June Cargill (Childminder) As an Ofsted Registered Childminder with 29 years of experience in the Early Years Sector I know we are unique, being flexible for parents, with a development rich opportunity to offer life experiences and activities in readiness for children to attend school and become adults. Experiences in the first years of a child’s life are crucial and it is an honour to have that in our hands every day, nurturing, caring and sparking children’s imagination, interests and passions…… seeing them flourish and grow is a privilege to behold and we should, quite rightly feel proud. I also appreciate that working with the under-fives can sometimes be intuitive. We know what stages children should be at their expected development ages and that the diversity rich activities and experiences we give children encourage future skills for their next steps. Understanding in depth why we do what we do can be crucial to be able to reflect and review on our own setting as well as working with parents when we identify possible challenges and development delays. Our ongoing personal development is key to broaden our understanding of children’s development, learn new key findings from research undertaken for the early years and broaden our depth of understanding on children’s learning outcomes. There is an absolute wealth of evidence based information, videos, case studies and examples for best practice available you can read at your own pace, but did you know that researching, investigating and using the Education Endowment Foundation EEF Evidence Store shows that you are reflecting on your setting so make sure you add these to your personal development record. What does the evidence say? The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework - GOV.UK refers to The Development Matters document, a non-statutory curriculum guidance…… ”It is crucial for children to develop a life-long love of reading. Reading consists of two dimensions: language comprehension and word reading. Language comprehension (necessary for both reading and writing) starts from birth. It only develops when adults talk with children about the world around them and the books (stories and non-fiction) they read with them, and enjoy rhymes, poems and songs together. Skilled word reading, taught later, involves both the speedy working out of the pronunciation of unfamiliar printed words (decoding) and the speedy recognition of familiar printed words. Writing involves transcription (spelling and handwriting) and composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech, before writing)” Development Matters - Non-statutory curriculum guidance for the early years foundation stage The Education Endowment Foundation Evidence Store also highlights the definition of Early Literacy Early Years | EEF “Literacy describes a range of complex skills. It includes the word-level skills of both word reading and spelling and the text-level skills of reading comprehension and writing composition. The overall aim of these skills is for an author to effectively communicate their message and for a reader to understand it. These literacy skills (word reading, spelling, reading comprehension, and writing composition) rely, to some extent, on the same underlying processes and are therefore linked. Learning to be a reader and writer relies on three broad underlying skills or areas of learning: speech, language, and communication skills; physical development, particularly fine motor skills; and executive function skills, including working memory and speed of retrieval from memory. The extent to which these processes are involved differs between aspects of reading and writing and at different points during literacy development. Educators working with early years children play a pivotal role in laying the foundations for literacy by facilitating the development of the skills above, helping children learn how to engage these processes so they work together and, in the latter part of the early years phase, teaching knowledge specifically for literacy (for example, letter-sounds and features of books). EEF | Early Literacy Approaches that support communication and language are fundamental to supporting children’s early literacy. Children with language weaknesses may need more support with such skills to facilitate their literacy learning. Children with language weaknesses include those with a language impairment and may include children with English as an additional language or those from lower income families. Educators should use their own professional judgement and seek additional guidance when applying early literacy approaches to these groups of children. These approaches that the Evidence Store referred to are as follows; I have added examples from my own practice to help unpick what may be unfamiliar words or reference: 1. Interactive reading: actions within the context of shared reading that encourage children to become an active participant in ‘reading’ the book; “Seeing children who are eager lead their own story time, we must recognise this is such an important part of their development. Seeing proof that our story times are fun, interactive and having an impact on their love of books is so rewarding. Having books accessible to children as a continuous provision and making “quiet areas” so children can take the opportunity to sit and look through books is an essential part of any setting. Try and identify a favourite book that children return to which can then assist planning for children’s next steps in Literacy and other development areas” 2. Teaching sound discrimination: supporting children to identify sounds and notice similarities and differences between individual sounds and groups of sounds; “My minded children love interactive sessions when we explore sounds, from their first letter of their name to practice pronunciation or rhyming words that extend their vocabulary but can end up made up words eg Bee, Me, Pee, Fee or Honey, Funny, Punny, Tunny. Satisfaction knowing you can not only extend children’s word knowledge but hear evidence when children giggle at words they understand are not real”. 3. Teaching sound manipulation: supporting children to break down, combine, and change sounds; Again like sounds, using rhyming word string is helpful and I enjoy using clapping to help identify syllables not only during adult let activities but throughout the day to help them “decode” words but I have found the children enjoy this approach and are eager participants. Children love the fact that I only get one clap for my name! Not only will you extend and introduce words like Rhinoceros, Hippopotamus and Tyrannosaurus instead of Rhino, Hippo or TRex but the opportunities to explore syllables are limitless. 4. Teaching sound-letter mapping: learning the written letters (graphemes) that go with particular letter-sounds (phonemes); “This is difficult to map the impact with mapping as evidence shows that children must have a good understanding of sound discrimination and manipulation but in my experience word labels, a self -registration board, name tags and resource labels are an important part of my setting. I can reflect that children that then move to pre-school can all recognise their printed name and are good at recognising printed words in their community 5. Teaching mark-making and letter formation: adults support children to use tools to make marks that represent their thoughts and ideas: “Communication, Language and Physical Development play a huge role in mark making, letter formation and Interactive writing. We all know that a young child who is unable to use palmar, tripod grip or with limited gross movements effectively can impact on all areas of Literacy in their future development. 6. Teaching sound-letter mapping: learning the written letters (graphemes) that go with particular letter-sounds (phonemes); “This is difficult to map the impact with mapping as evidence shows that children must have a good understanding of sound discrimination and manipulation but in my experience word labels, a self -registration board, name tags and resource labels are an important part of my setting. I can reflect that children that then move to pre-school can all recognise their printed name and are good at recognising printed words in their community What can we do? Given literacy’s reliance on other areas of learning, practitioners should be aware of a child’s development in all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) essential to Early Literacy. We recognise that most of a child’s learning is in their home, we support and observe their development so working with parents is a major part of our role. Difficult conversations can take place when we identify a possible delay and parents do not agree or may be reluctant to see an issue. This can be difficult if as practitioners, we refer to development delays in a negative way. To inform parents that their child cannot use palmar grip effectively to hold a crayon in mark making, use one handed tools in play or mealtimes can counterproductive for their support at home. Negative communication with parents can be detrimental to parents understanding. Instead of stating what a child cannot do something use positive communication, saying that you are concentrating on palmar grip in all areas of play, independence and for meal times explaining, in turn this will develop the child’s ability to use one handed tools effectively, which in turn give them the hand strength abilities to start using mark making and writing skills…. helping parents see the goal you are supporting their child for. Offering suggestions for activities for example nursery rhyme bags, story sacks and books, suggest practical examples how parents can correct or encourage for example how the child holds a spoon and turn pages in a book. Send photographs during the day to see the activities first hand, offer information sheets or resources to borrow. Childminders are unique in knowing not only our children but their families too and can draw on this knowledge to adapt our strategy for home learning support. We know our families and in March 2025 the Government published “18% of children in working families were in low income” Households Below Average Income: an analysis of the UK income distribution: FYE 1995 to FYE 2024 - GOV.UK Knowing our families so well we can understand that buying resources and books could be difficult as well as finding “free” time outside of their working days so by way of sharing resources and ideas as well as embedding an Early Literacy rich environment in our setting is crucial. We also need to be aware of our community and the impact that can have on our minded children from English as an additional language, Areas of Deprivation, poverty and local areas of learning from parks, museums, places of interest and their accessibility for your minded children. I have added some further reading, evidence based practical information and Personal Development suggestions I hope you find useful and remember, log on your personal development 😊 References Early Years Foundation Stage Framework for Childminders EYFS statutory framework for childminders Development Matters Development Matters - Non-statutory curriculum guidance for the early years foundation stage Government Help for Early Years Providers Help for early years providers : Areas of learning The Education Endowment Foundation Evidence Store Early Years | EEF https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/early-years/evidence-store/early-literacy The Governments Free Early Years Child Development Training with 7 modules to access at your own pace Early years child development training : Home page Strategic Partners Stronger Practice Hub Privacy Notice

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