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Creating a quality Home Learning Environment (HLE)
Support for the parent and child relationship
Creating a quality Home Learning Environment (HLE)
In January, 44 network childminders from across the South East attended our Creating a quality environment for learning and teaching event.
They were encouraged to do a quality check of their environment and consider replacing many of their plastic resources with natural and real life alternatives. Using the real thing can enhance children’s learning and development by providing a more sensory experience. For example, would a child experience the texture, weight, smell or taste of a plastic orange as they would given the opportunity to play with a real one?
We can support parents to understand the importance of a Home Learning Environment (HLE) if we show them, through our practice, how everyday resources can enable children to re-create and enjoy real life experiences within their own play.
In their play children use the experiences they have and extend them to build up ideas, concepts and skills. (Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), Card 4.1)
Consider the following to help you reflect on your practice.
The following quotes are from local childminders who replaced their plastic resources with real life alternatives and supported parents to understand the value of these resources when used in children’s play to support their learning and development.
Samantha Grabham, a Havant network childminder, said: “Within my setting, children have access to a wide range of resources that simulate real life experiences. From painting rollers in the garden, to cookery and a home corner, there are many things that my provision offers children for all ages to stimulate their interests and help them thrive within the six areas of learning.
“During my latest inspection, Ofsted asked me why I encouraged children to play with real tins of food, mini size boxes of cereal, stoneware plates, bowls and cups, cutlery, scales and so forth. My response was that when children have access to real things at home, they should also have access to real things everywhere so they can play, learn and achieve.
“My home corner in particular has proven successful with all children aged from one to five years. From an early age, they are able to learn for example that real plates break if they are mishandled or dropped; that tins of food are heavy, and some are big and some are small. Children do not gain such an enriching experience through handling plastic plates and play food, and it often holds their attention only for short periods of time. With real resources, children become absorbed in their play. For example, the home-corner helps them to learn about quantities/volume, grouping, colours, weight and dimensions (PSRN); through handling cutlery and pretending to cook they are developing fine motor skills (PD); by being able to visually see the food items, they can begin to recognise words and labels which will help them develop pre-reading skills (CLL); through role-play, the children are learning to share, take turns, and interact socially with other children and adults; and when we talk about different types of food, such as pasta, noodles and so forth, they develop self awareness of their likes and dislikes (thereby also implementing children’ rights as well) (CD/PSE).
“When we encourage children in a way that is exciting, we can further their learning by having discussions about which countries the food comes from thus expanding their knowledge of different cultures, customs and so forth (KUW).
“The parents asked why I had replaced my plastic resources and as I explained the value to them, one mother said I now understand why she gets out my plates!”
Ann and Dave Sheppard, both network childminders from Fareham, said: “We are very pleased with the response from the children since the move away from the plastic toys to the implementation of real metal bowls, pots and saucepans complimented by wooden spoons, metal whisks and actual analogue weighing scales.
“The introduction of dried pasta and all manner of fruit and vegetables into the home-corner play has captured the children’s imagination. Their reactions are so far removed from the complete disregard they had developed for the pretend, coloured, artificial, plastic substitutes. They now are engaged in mimicking the actions they naturally observe in the kitchen in our setting as well as at their own homes.
“We are able to engage them in sustained shared thinking by extending their knowledge about weight, colour, texture, smell, taste, size and shape. None of this would have been possible before. In their play they exercise their hand/eye co-ordination and fine motor skills as they stir, pour, mix, weigh, transport and, most importantly, relate to the real objects. Whilst participating in this absorbing play they articulate their engagement by talking about the actions they are performing – thereby reinforcing the learning opportunities. We often observe several children cooperating in group play where even the dollies are brought into the action by becoming the recipients of the meals that have been created in their home-corner kitchens.
“Our parents have commented very favourably that they all love to see their children so fully engaged in activities using natural real-life objects.”
As you can see, helping parents to understand the value of real resources within the home can be achieved by modelling good practice and by supporting them in understanding the learning that can occur. The EYFS states: Parents and practitioners have a lot to learn from each other. This can help and support children’s learning and development. (EYFS Card 2.2)
They may be pleased to know that there is no real need to buy expensive toys when they can witness the enjoyment and sheer delight a child can gain from simply washing the vegetables or painting the garden shed.
Why not have a go at replacing some of your plastic resources with the real thing and encourage parents to do the same. We would be very interested to know what the children think.
Jayne Baines
National Childminding Association
Childminding Development and Network Co-ordinator
Mandy Knights
National Childminding Association
Childminding Development and Network Co-ordinator
Support for the parent and child relationship
Some parents choose to go to work, or to carry out other activities while their children are cared for by childminders in Hampshire. Others have no choice; for financial reasons they have to work when they would rather be at home with their child. Either way, what every parent wants to know is that they have chosen the ‘next best thing’ for their child and that the child is happy, safe and in a stimulating learning environment, with adults who appreciate and understand the importance of their key worker responsibilities.
The separation can be as difficult for the parent as it is for the child, and an utterly vital part of the service a professional childminder will provide is to support the relationship between the parent(s) and their child. Attachment theory tells us about the impact that a secure relationship in the absence of the parent can have on a child’s capacity for learning and developing. Parents need to know that in trusting another individual with their child’s care, that childcare will be delivered in line with their wishes and choices. Whether that is to do with their cultural or religious beliefs, or simply their family traditions, the parent needs to know that they remain in control of their child’s upbringing and know about their experiences, challenges and achievements.
The question is “how does the gathering of that information take place in your setting, and when does that process begin?”
Information gathering needs to start before a contract begins. From the initial phone call enquiry the childminder will be gathering vital information about the child and their life. How is that information recorded, and how is it all remembered? Interviews with prospective parents will be the next stage. This will probably be the occasion when the childminder meets the child for the first time. There are all sorts of things the childminder needs to know about the family and their circumstances. The child’s routines, food allergies and/or intolerances as well as likes and dislikes. How they share their mealtimes, when they eat, whether they are used to a main meal at lunchtime or in the evening. When and if the child sleeps during the day, in a bed, a cot, a travel cot, in the dark, with a nightlight, with soft music in the background, with soothers – the list is endless.
Childminders ask parents to fill in, or to sign after discussion, the child record form containing all the relevant medical information at the time of completing contracts and signing permissions. Some childminders ask the parents to fill in an all about me chart about the child. Names of pets, names of relatives (including family peculiarities: how many varieties do you think there are for what different families call granddad?). The child’s favourite games, and toys they don’t like, things that frighten them and so on. This is another opportunity for parents to feel they are involved, and is vital in the preparation and the ultimate success of the childcare agreement.
Discussing when and how to tackle potty training is no more or less important that the discussion that takes place about whether or not the parent is happy for the child to stroke the childminder’s cat. It is easy to think about weaning, potty training, giving up milk bottles for cups and giving up daytime sleeps as some of the most important discussions to have with parents about how they want these things to be tackled. But parents also have the right to be consulted about how they feel about the child getting really dirty in the garden making mud pies, trying a new food, going to an indoor play centre for the first time, or travelling a long way in the childminder’s car. Making sure that the parent continues to feel involved and indeed in charge of making decisions about the care of their child, shows the ultimate respect for that relationship.
Likewise, talking about mummy and daddy, making things for them and saying “let’s tell mummy all about that when she comes”, are the very simplest ways of supporting the child during the day in their parents absence. Photographs on the notice board of important family members mean the child can see a familiar face, but from a safeguarding point of view also make things much easier if in an emergency grandma has to collect for the first time. Make sure the child knows he or she is absolutely encouraged to talk about mummy and daddy. Most importantly children when they are learning to talk, often get muddled and call the childminder ‘mummy’. It is vital to gently correct them every single time. They only have one mummy and even if their childminder has to correct them for the thirtieth time in the day they need to keep doing so. Ask yourself the question, how would you feel if your child called someone else mummy?
On-going communication is vital and is to be encouraged to be two-way. A diary or notebook is recommended for the first year of a baby’s life, and is normal practice. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) developmental journals that are now kept for the children form an invaluable information link for parents, and source of involvement in their life when the children are with the childminder. Making these journals colourful and parent friendly makes them inviting to read. Enhance them alongside your observations and assessments with photographs and examples of the children’s artwork. Include things like hand and foot prints at birthday times, and also photographs of the other children they spend time with at the setting. Make sure that periodically they include a review of the children’s progress and share that with the parents and or other setting they may attend. Encourage the parents to add to the journals with comments about what they have seen, giving them the opportunity to share what is coming up in the child’s life in the coming months, so that this can be incorporated into the planning.
Some childminders find it useful to have formal annual contract reviews with the parents they work with. This is a perfect opportunity to discuss the child’s progress and possible difficulties, when there are no little people around. It can also be an opportunity to discuss how the family feels about the childcare and if appropriate to discuss new charges. The childminder might choose this opportunity to talk to the parents about qualifications or training courses they plan to attend, and about changes they are making to their setting in the coming months.
Lorna Wagner
Childminding Development and Network Co-ordinator
Test Valley