National Strategies

There are any number of new strategies being proposed, implemented, imposed. It can become quite confusing – Every Child Matters, Every Child a Talker, Early Years Foundation Stage, Social and Emotional Aspects of Development, Healthy Early Years Award, Flying High Quality Accreditation, Early Years Professional Status, Progress Matters etc. All with their own acronyms, methodologies and paperwork.

Yes, there are invariably hardcopy forms to complete, physical evidence to collect and store.  There are also a lot of publications becoming available from National Strategies in support of all of these. Some are dreadful – unhelpful, patronising and bureaucratic. Others are actually sensible, practical and useful.

One such, I discovered today, is Learning, Playing and Interacting – a guide to good practice in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

It makes sense, it talks to you as if you are an adult and as if you have some idea about what you are doing. It gives useful, supportive guidance with practical examples. Hurrah!

I would like to order a copy for all staff. Such a shame then, that it is download only :0(

And why, as we are expected to print it off ourselves, does it contain so many full colour pictures? 

Maybe we all need to invest in an ipad ro read these publications on?