TEY_10_1_2020

“How do we promote personal development?” From fostering emotional literacy and championing inclusivity to boosting independence and resilience, there are countless opportunities to support each unique child, says Sue Cowley … IN THE EARLY YEARS, WE HAVE responsibility for three crucial aspects of early childhood: the care, the learning and the development of the children who attend our settings. A child’s overall development is of critical importance: it includes the widest possible developmental aspects, those ones that touch on every area of a child’s life. From our children’s health, their happiness and their socialisation to their character, their emotional wellbeing and their attachments – personal development is all about the concept of the unique child, which sits at the very heart of the EYFS. HELPING CHILDREN TO DEVELOP In early childhood, healthy child development happens through serve- and-return conversations, multisensory play, an enabling environment and a range of rich experiences, in the company of attentive and warm caregivers. To ensure that they develop as well as possible, we need to provide children with an environment in which they feel safe and secure. This SUE COWLEY IS AN AUTHOR, PRESENTER AND TEACHER TRAINER. 22 Teachearlyyears.com is typically what happens in what are sometimes described as ‘advantaged’ homes – with those parents or carers who have the time, space and financial circumstances to be able to give their children a range of opportunities. These experiences feed into the overall development of the child – a visit to soft play supports the child’s physical and social development, a trip overseas builds an understanding of diversity. This is not to say that children from ‘disadvantaged’ homes cannot equally have parents or carers who provide rich experiences for their children, but clearly it is much harder to do this if you have fewer resources to call upon. Where a parent is working night shifts, or holding down three jobs to try and make ends meet, or is a single parent trying to survive on the minimum wage, these factors are bound to have an impact on the experiences you can offer. This is where settings play a vital role for children from more disadvantaged situations – we can help plug those gaps for parents who might not be in a position to offer these opportunities themselves. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE EIF Thinking about personal development within the Ofsted’s new Education