The Learning Environment Supporting Children’s … Learning Environment – Supporting Children’s Emotional Wellbeing, Development and Learning ... Hollow blocks

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Name of Setting: Date:

The Learning Environment – Supporting Children’s Emotional Wellbeing, Development and Learning

Audit for Birth to Three Year Old Provision

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When using the audit consider the following key questions for each area…

Is there a defined space for this activity area?

Are resources available for children to access independently - on open shelves, in boxes or baskets within reach?

Are resources carefully chosen and clearly labeled with simple pictures or photographs?

Are there interesting displays, pictures, posters / points of interest and books which inspire play and encourage interesting conversations?

What does the area look like from a child’s level?

Does the area look interesting and inviting to explore?

Are communication and observation prompts for staff displayed?

Remember

Creating activity areas is an ongoing process.

It may help staff to see the resources as structures which scaffold children’s learning

but also allow them the freedom to experiment, investigate and pursue personal interests.

Observe the children, play and talk with them and use what you find out to continually develop the continuous provision on offer.

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Throughout the setting and when developing each area of provision consider how you are supporting the Characteristics of Effective Learning: Playing and Exploring – A child will be ‘Finding out and exploring’, ‘Playing with what they know’ and ‘Being willing to ‘have a go’’ For these children provide:

Stimulating resources which are accessible and open-ended, so that they can be used, moved and combined in different ways.

Make sure resources are relevant to children’s interests

Arrange flexible indoor and outdoor space and resources where children can explore, build, move and role play

Help children concentrate by limiting noise, and making spaces visually calm and orderly

Active Learning – A child will be ‘Being involved and concentrating’, Keeping on trying’ and ‘Enjoying achieving what they set out to do’

For these children provide:

Something new and unusual from time to time for them to explore, especially if it is linked to their interest

Photographs of the child’s past activities to support them to keep them in mind

Keep significant activities out instead of routinely tidying them away

Make space and time for all children to contribute

Creating and Thinking Critically – A child will be ‘Having their own ideas’, ‘Making links’ and ‘Choosing ways to do things’ For these children provide:

Opportunities for them to play with resources in their own way, before and after using them in ‘planned tasks’

Establish conditions for rich play; space, time, flexible resources, choice, control and warm and supportive relationships

Playing and Exploring, Active Learning and Creating and Critical Thinking support children’s learning across all areas. See Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

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Nappy Changing/

Toileting Area Consider…

Do we have a dedicated private nappy changing area?

Are Nappy change times seen as a time for one to one interactions? Talking, singing and rhymes.

Do we implement flexible changing / toileting procedures which meet individual needs and are carried out in a calm and unhurried manner?

Are children who are toilet training able to access the changing and toilet area as often as required?

Do you receive information from parents regarding children’s toileting / nappy changing routines including toilet training?

Current Practice and

Provision? What do we do now?

Suggested organisation and

resources

A clean, well organised area

Nappy changing unit with steps to support independence

Well organised storage of changing products in bags or baskets labelled which are easily accessible to staff

Information nicely displayed for staff regarding rhymes and appropriate or suggested interactions at nappy change times

Carefully chosen and positioned points of interest e.g. a mobile, photographs, to stimulate lots of talk

Toilets and or potty areas are clean and well maintained

Cont…

Areas for Development

How can we make it even better?

Impact /

Evaluation

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Independence is encouraged through child height sinks, including hand washing and drying products easily accessible

An appropriate amount of photographs and/or labels are used to enhance the toilet area

Long Term planning regarding care routines available

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Quiet Area for Rest/

Sleep Consider… Do we have a cosy, soft, comfortable area accessible much of the day for children to rest, sleep or just to be calm? Do we suggest parents bring something from home such as a comfort object? As children develop, is there a safe space accessible all of the time where they know they are able to calm down or go to when they need to be quiet or alone? Do we plan alternative appropriate activities for children who do not need to sleep at the same time as others do?




resources

Area away from active play

Made comfortable with cushions, throws, sleep mats or baskets

Soft colours and soft lighting to create a quiet relaxed atmosphere

Comforters which the children have brought from home are easily accessible for children and babies to locate when they are in this area

Provide comfortable seating such as a sofa or cushions for baby and key person to be together

Provide photographs and pictures of emotions for children to look at and if appropriate talk about

Provide photographs of people familiar to the children



Impact /

Evaluation

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Mealtime/ Snack Area

Consider… Do we provide calm unhurried and sociable meal and snack times? Are these organised as a family group with a staff member sitting with the children at least once during the session? Do we have a comfortable homely mealtime experience where we help children to enjoy their food and appreciate healthier choices? Do we ensure that children are given activities to do or are allowed to stay in active play until their food is prepared to keep the sitting and waiting times to a minimum? Do we encourage natural conversation?




resources

Tables and chairs of an appropriate size and height for children to sit comfortably together

Seating allows children to have their feet firmly on the floor or other surface to aid stability and upper trunk control. This will support hand to mouth co-ordination.

Children encouraged to be part of preparation and clearing away routine

Appropriate cutlery, plates and cups

Staff modelling healthy eating practices

Hand washing routines valued and well organised e.g. adult and small group

Ensure that water containers are where children can find them easily and get a drink when they need one



Impact /

Evaluation

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Creative Play Area

Consider…

Do we provide child-accessible storage labeled with pictures which encourages independence and allows creativity?

Do practitioners value children’s work and recognize that the process (the doing) is where the learning takes place?

Do displays of children’s work include photographs of the process linked to the EYFS?

Do we provide a wide range of materials, resources and sensory experiences to enable children to explore colour, texture and space?




resources

Opportunities for large sheets of plastic or paper on the floor so that babies can be near or crawl on to make their marks

Low Easel

Trays

Table and chairs kept to a minimum

Paints and a range of different sized brushes and mark making materials

Range of materials to create with e.g. leaves, twigs, fabric, paper, shells, boxes

Range of materials to explore e.g. jelly, spaghetti, ice, fruit, oats/cereals

Range of glues and tapes

Area for the children to display their work and / or return to at a later date

Aprons, cleaning cloths, towels



Impact /

Evaluation

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Sand Play Area

Consider… Is our sand tray at an appropriate height for our younger children and babies to play? Is the sand tray at an appropriate level for babies and young children to climb into and explore? Do we have too few or too many resources / equipment in the sand to restrict play? Do we provide enough sand to support digging, filling and emptying?




resources

Sand table/tray

Wet & dry sand

Small world resources

Variety of squirters

Natural materials to explore

Containers, buckets, plant pots

Moulds

Funnels

Tubes

Sand Wheels

Sieves

Domestic utensils

Scoops, spoons, spades, rakes, trowels

Dustpan and brush



Impact /

Evaluation

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Water Play Area

Consider… Do we provide different sizes of the same object e.g. jugs, to encourage mathematical components? Do we ensure that parents are provided with sufficient information to support their understanding of children’s learning and the knowledge that children WILL get wet at nursery? Do we provide aprons / all in one suits for outdoor as well as indoor water play? Are children encouraged to bring wellies and old clothes to nursery?




resources

Water table

Mop and bucket

Aprons

Water wheel

Pipes and tubing

Funnels

Graded containers e.g. jugs, bottles

Sponges

Natural materials

Boats

Sea life creatures

Tea set

Baking equipment – bowls, spoons, whisks



Impact /

Evaluation

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Malleable Play Area

Consider… Do we provide cooking activities, using talk to explain and encourage children to anticipate events then allowing children to play out their experiences within the Malleable Play Area? Do we ensure that children have access to a wide range of natural and malleable resources to support their exploration and creativity?




resources

Dough

Assortment of tools for rolling, cutting, printing, pattern making e.g. sticks and moulds

Cutters – animals, people, transport…

Cake tins, decorations, candles

Variety of baking tins – size and shape

Posters

Rhymes

Baking equipment

Cornflour and water



Impact /

Evaluation

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Treasure Baskets and

Heuristic Play Consider…

The use of natural everyday materials for play. In Heuristic Play there is no right and wrong way, unlike when sorting shapes for example. Rather, it offers toddlers opportunities to learn using their natural strategies.

Do we provide enough opportunities for heuristic play?

Do we provide a range of objects of various textures and weights in Treasure Baskets to excite and encourage babies interest?




resources

Regular opportunities within the routine for heuristic play

Wide range of collections of everyday objects

Small collections of the same objects as well as single items

Containers – cardboard and wooden boxes, tins, bags and plastic bottles

Objects made from a variety of natural materials – Card, wood, metal, fabric, yarn etc…

Naturally found objects – Fir cones, shells, stones

Objects from around the house – cardboard tubes, corks, curtain rings, pompoms, egg boxes, keys, bits of chain and hair rollers



Impact /

Evaluation

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Active Play Area

Consider… It would be easy for us to assume that promoting movement in young children only ever happens outdoors, however the need to move about must also be provided for in the indoor environment. Babies are born with an inbuilt drive to want to move and within the first three years their physical abilities develop dramatically.

Do we provide enough space and opportunities for babies and young children to actively move indoors?

Do we plan activities as children develop that require collaboration, such as parachute activities or ring games?

Do we expect children to sit for long periods?




resources

Resources that promote co-operation between two children such as a big ball to roll or throw to each other

Hollow blocks

Tunnels, slopes and low level steps to provide challenge for toddlers

Offer low level equipment so that babies can pull up to a standing position, shuffle or walk, ensuring safety but not restricting their explorations

Movement box or basket with ribbons, scarves…

Spots or carpet tiles If there isn’t a specific area, utilise routines throughout the day when all children can become actively involved.



Impact /

Evaluation

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Music making

Consider… Do you provide matching items to encourage adult and child to mimic each other in a cooperative game e.g. two identical musical instruments? Do we have mirrors available throughout the areas where babies and young children can see their own reflection? Do practitioners talk to them about what they see? Could we provide tape recorders to allow parents to record familiar comforting sounds, such as lullabies in home languages? Or favorite lullaby toys which will help babies settle if distressed? Do we ensure that radios and background noise are kept to a minimum?


Provision? What do we do now


resources

A few key pieces of music making equipment and resources which can be enhanced when needed

Resources which stimulate babies interests such as a shiny bell

Provide resources which children can listen to and learn to distinguish between

A selection of high quality age appropriate musical instruments

Song box with laminated cards and puppets to encourage action rhymes

Use puppets and other props to encourage listening and responding when singing a familiar song

When you sing nursery rhymes, help children understand the words by using actions as well

Cont…

Areas for Development How can we make it even better?

Impact / Evaluation

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Tape recorder to play familiar rhymes and lullabies

Collect number and counting rhymes from a range of cultures and in other languages. This will support all children

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Block Play and

Construction Area Consider… Ample amounts of a couple of types of blocks are sufficient. Wooden blocks build better and are more durable. Do we ensure that there is sufficient space to build? This is key to the success of the area along with suitable flooring.




resources

Sufficient floor space for the children to spread themselves out with blocks

Wooden bricks

Foam blocks

Duplo / Mobilo

Construction sets

Small world resources



Impact /

Evaluation

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Small World Play Area Consider…

Do we provide a range of different resources which children are able to use within their symbolic or developing imaginative play? Are resources displayed appropriately for the children to see what is on offer and access them independently? Are our resources life like, in good condition and suitable for the age of children accessing them? Are children able to take the small world resources for use in different areas of the setting? Do practitioners spend time in the small world area, observing children’s play, and where appropriate enhancing and extending their play?




resources

Photographs or posters of animals, vehicles, people

People

Animals – farm, wild, domestic pets

Dinosaurs

Small vehicles

Railway track, train

House, garage, furniture

Minibeasts

Materials for creating houses, fences etc.

Collection of natural materials

Large trays

Textured rugs

Collections of objects that can be sorted in different ways

Collections of ‘precious’ treasure

Assorted natural objects – logs, branches, cones, shells, plants



Impact /

Evaluation

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Home Corner/ Role

Play Area Consider… Do we provide photographs of children’s family or other special people or photographs of the children in their homes e.g. sitting eating breakfast at home As children develop they begin to use symbolic play. Do we provide enough materials to allow children to imitate adult roles? Do we provide materials that support children to make one to one correspondence e.g. giving each dolly a cup?




resources

Home corner furniture

Table and chairs

Dress up unit

Mirror

Real cooking and baking utensils

Crockery and cutlery

Empty containers and packets

Tea towel

Washing up liquid bottle

Laundry basket, pegs, airier, iron & ironing board

Dustpan and brush, Hoover

Telephone

Themed enhancement boxes e.g. pets, birthdays

Areas for Development How can we make it even better?

Impact / Evaluation

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Book Corner

Consider…

Do we provide resources such as picture books and stories that focus on a range of emotions, such as ‘I am happy’?

Do we rotate and enhance the book area regularly, maintaining favourite books at all times?

Do we have too many or too few books displayed which will affect the abilities of the children to choose?

Do we display photographs showing how young babies communicate?




resources

Book display unit or books displayed attractively, appropriately for the children to access

Floor cushions

Story baskets

Rugs or carpet

Small range of high quality books enhanced as required – stories, rhymes, alphabet, multi cultural, counting, non fiction

Board books and cloth books for children to explore as well as stories to share

Posters

Props/ puppets/ soft toys

CD/Tape player

Story/song CDs/tapes Cont…



Impact /

Evaluation

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Books made by practitioners of the children, children’s experiences e.g. a trip they have been on, photographs of items which they have constructed

Books, stories and puppets that can be used to model responding to others’ feelings and being helpful and supportive to them.

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Mark Making Area

Consider… Do we provide a wide variety of experiences and resources to make marks? Especially for babies?

Do we draw attention to or display marks and signs from around the environment e.g. shop signs, road signs?

Do we consider other cultures and languages to provide materials which reflect cultural spread, so that children if appropriate see symbols and marks with which they are familiar? e.g. Chinese script on a shopping bag

Do practitioners model writing for a purpose, e.g. a message for parents, a shopping list or a reminder to ourselves?




resources

Small table and chairs if appropriate for age and stage

Labeled containers

Paper variety

Cards / Envelopes / notebooks

Whiteboards

Pencils, crayons, chalks

Connectors e.g. large paper clips, sellotape

Clipboard

Alphabet posters, pictures, books

‘Tool boxes’ containing things that make marks, so that children can pick up and explore their use indoors and out.

Plastic or paper on the floor for children to crawl on / up to

Small trays on the floor



Impact /

Evaluation

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Cont…

Cornflour / shaving foam

Sand

Chalk boards on the floors

Aqua draw – drawing mat for water pens

Etch sketch

Paint brushes and water

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Considering Schema

Consider… Throughout your areas of provision it is important to consider the resources which you have available to support schematic behaviors. Consider how staff respond to these behaviors as children move resources from one area for use within another.




resources

Provide items for filling, emptying, such as small paper bags, baskets and buckets, pieces of material, dens – Enclosure

Items which can be thrown, rolled, caught, dropped, poured – Trajectory

Items that can be collected, transported, used to transport e.g. bags, pushchairs, trailers, trolleys – Transporting

Items that can be joined, trains, trailers, jigsaws, string, wool, blocks – Connecting

Items to wrap with and be wrapped, pieces of material, wrapping paper, dressing up clothes, newspapers, boxes parcels etc. – Enveloping

Cont…



Impact /

Evaluation

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Items which turn, bikes and cars with wheels, spinning tops, mixing and stirring opportunities – Rotation

Items to fill and empty, pasta, oats, bricks on a tuff tray, ball pool, bean bags, baskets where it is ok to tip out contents – Scattering

Items to be sorted, collage materials, objects with the same characteristics – Positioning

Items that can be seen in a different way, Kaleidoscopes, magnifying glasses, mirrors, coloured acetate, boxes with peep holes - Orientation

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Display

Consider…

Do we display photographs of the key workers at child’s level so that when they arrive parents can talk to the children about who will be caring for them?

Do we display photographs of children’s activities at a child’s level so that practitioners can talk to them about what they did and how they felt? Do we display pictures of the process rather than the end product?



Suggested organisation

and resources

Display should

Stimulate conversation and value each child’s work

Include photographs of children at play and photographs to show the creating process

Display posters, pictures, postcards for inspiration

Be at a child’s level, to encourage discussion and interactions

Be linked to the EYFS and the learning involved.



Impact /

Evaluation

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Outdoor Space

Consider…

Outdoor provision for babies, toddlers and two-year-olds needs to include a range of spaces… Offering opportunities to experience the world beyond the setting Recommended book –

Nurture Through Nature, Claire Warden pg. 89-92 for further ideas on creating spaces for under 3s.




resources Create areas for…

Sleeping

Swinging and rocking

Seating

Tummy and back play

Crawling

Moving in different ways and across different surfaces

Hiding and nurturing

Handling, collecting and moving things

Pushing and pulling, experiencing cause and effect

Investing the miniscule

Playing with sand and water

Duplicate some materials and resources to reduce conflict



Impact /

Evaluation

Documents

The Learning Environment Supporting Children’s … Learning Environment – Supporting Children’s Emotional Wellbeing, Development and Learning ... Hollow blocks