Here is a girl. She is lining up beans along the windowsill. One, then another, then another. All in a row, evenly spaced out. She didn’t start out with this arrangement in mind. She simply put one bean down and then another. Something about the configuration looked right. The line travelling in the same direction […]
The positioning schema Read More »
From A to B. It’s such a simple idea. You can go by yourself. Or you can take something with you. This concept is known as the transportation schema. Schemas are mental models of how we think the world works. Your transportation schema is a representation in your mind of what happens when an object
The transportation schema Read More »
Do you remember the nature table at school? Some autumn leaves, a handful of conkers and some acorns? Or, in the spring, a vase with a branch of blossoming cherry? There was something magical about it, it drew you in. These common objects, things you passed by on your way to school every day, had
How to make a nature table Read More »
You don’t have to spend long online to come across sensory play. Fill a bowl with slime and plunge your hands into it Put shaving foam into a tuff spot and draw pictures with your finger Play with rice using scoops and bowls Hmm… I thought there was more than one sense. What happened to
Here is a boy. He is rolling a ball along a track and it is fun. Down, down, it rolls, snaking left and right until it reaches the bottom. But the game doesn’t stop there. Back to the start it goes and the ball sets off again. How many times does he do this? He
The trajectory schema Read More »
Symbolic play is the highest form of play. Your child has learnt to play with ideas rather than physical objects. But how did she get there? In a previous post we saw that it all starts with imitative play. We saw imitation is a skill that children have to learn. It’s not something they are born with.
Symbolic play: the key to your child’s imagination Read More »
My son comes into the living room to find a line of cars, buses and taxis perched on the second shelf of the bookcase, two feet off the ground. He notices a second line of vehicles on the coffee table, pointing in the opposite direction. Yesterday we took a trip into London to spend time by
Provocations and invitations to play Read More »
Imaginative play – any game that begins with ‘let’s pretend’, dressing-up and make-believe – is a powerful way for children to learn that our thoughts and feelings may be different from someone else’s, helping them to develop a sense of empathy and emotional intelligence. Here’s our at-a-glance guide to imaginative play for the under-fives: Contents:
The development of fine motor skills becomes increasingly important as your child begins their journey into the world of print. These skills involve coordinating small muscle movements, usually synchronising the hands and fingers with the eyes. They are essential for everyday tasks such as buttoning clothes, tying shoelaces, and writing. In handwriting, fine motor skills
Fine motor skills for handwriting Read More »
Have you ever been into an Early Years classroom? If the teachers have got it right, the children are calmly engaged in meaningful tasks. They are engrossed in their activities and you get a real sense of deep learning. But what is going on? How have the teachers woven this magic? When I was on
The magic of paper folding activities Read More »