Belonging

Making connections and contribution is all about emotional well-being isn’t it?

Positive relationships between people and places strongly influences how children develop.

And those strong connections and close attachments are so important in children’s sense of themselves, their sense of belonging.

We have been researching and reflecting on ideas of belonging.

We have thought about the different experiences and aspects of a child’s life and experience that contribute of belonging.

Have a secure ‘base’ and feeling safe.

Strong caring relationships with families – a ‘triangle of relationships’ between keyperson, family and child.

Strong relationships with other children and adults.

Being able to make connections between home and nursery.

Taking responsibility.

A feeling of ownership over their spaces and environments.

Seeing themselves represented and feeling vclaimed.

Mutual respect and understanding.

In the home corner we’ve used real objects to help children make connections to their own homes and kitchens.

We’ve been talking to families about music they enjoy together at home.

And playing these familiar songs at nursery, observing how the children notice and respond to them.

We’ve been supporting children to take the lead with day-today routines.

And supporting pretend play and role play to help make connections to home.

Like “phoning” families and other children in the room

We are still thinking about Belonging.

And reading the curriculum from New Zealand called Te Whariki to help us think more about family and community, belonging and

contribution.

Have you seen our Provocations documentation book?

Here you’ll find photos and thoughts about our researchful practice.

Make Your Mark!

Early writing starts early!

Early writing needs a movement-rich place.

Early writing needs BIG BOLD MOVEMENT to learn how to control muscles, develop core strength and all sorts of balance.

Early writing needs small, intricate, fine motor movement too.

It means learning with hands and fingers.

Using all our sense to explore texture, shape, pattern.

Early writing means walling in mud and sand and paint.

It means squeezing, grasping, pinching, pushing, tearing, squishing.

Our St. Paul’s Promise supports children “use marks to communicate meaning”.

Early writing needs all sorts of interesting tools and challenging tasks.

We have been making all sorts of marks.

What marks can you see?

What marks can you make?

Sand Scientists

We are explorers!

We are scientists!

We are full of joyful curiosity!

We need

Sieves and spoons

Funnels and tubes

Colanders and scoops

Beakers and bowls and buckets

We love sand!

running through our fingers

Raining through the colander

Piping down the tube

Marked with brush

Marked with fingers

Marked with toes

We do love sand!