Early Years

Too often, the information provided by the progress check is rarely considered by teachers in nursery or Reception classes, warns Julian Grenier, as he argues for change

Starting with gross and motor skills, sorting out pen grip and concentrating on tiny and tall letters are key in supporting EYFS pupils in learning to write, says Sophie Lamb

When her school decided it needed to adopt a systematic synthetic phonics scheme, Helen Pinnington was reluctant about the benefits – and as she researched further, she became even less convinced

Learning to read is complex, so teachers need to consider both the implicit and explicit parts of the process, suggests Megan Dixon

Age-related assessment bands simply don’t work for children with SEND, says Julian Grenier: instead, we need to use a structured process of formative assessment

Play helps young children to develop crucial self-regulation skills – but some will need extra support to get there, says Julian Grenier

Sophisticated play is crucial for children’s later development and attainment, but the pandemic has resulted in many deferring to low-level play, warns Helen Pinnington. Here, she sets out how EYFS teachers could help resolve the issue

While research shows that guided play has its benefits, teachers shouldn’t rush to change their practice just yet, says Thomas Martell

Research has shown that guided play can ‘sometimes’ be more effective than direct instruction, but is it really that straightforward? Helen Amass speaks to play researcher Elizabeth Byrne to find out more

The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale helps EYFS educators to create quality learning environments – here, Polly Crowther explains how it works

Every child deserves the best start in life: so why, Julian Grenier asks, is early years funding rigged against the most disadvantaged?

Before dismissing the use of systematic phonics in classrooms, the research needs further analysis, warns Julia Carroll