How Children Learn and Create Using Art, Play and Science

Check out this wonderful new book:

How Children Learn and Create Using Art, Play and Science:

Understanding Through Your Hands

This book shows that creativity is so much more than drawing or painting something beautiful. It is a way of understanding the world through your hands and learning through play, art, and science.

Drawing on the Reggio Emilia approach (among others), this book focuses on the process rather than the result and argues that children should be supported in experimenting with materials and mark-making. The authors go against traditional setups where an adult demonstrates how it should be done, showing instead that an inspiring environment and open-ended resources trigger children’s intrinsic motivation. The book shows countless inexpensive possibilities, which require little preparation, and get children in a creative flow. With its appealing full colour photographs, this fully updated English edition offers inspiration, a sustainable and feasible vision, and tools for facilitating creative processes at school, in childcare centers and at home. Full of practical guidance, it is essential reading for anyone working with children wanting to help them develop into self-aware, creative, and responsible people. To order with discount at Routledge Publisher see the code and link at: https://atelierineenkoffer.nl/publicaties/

Review:

Understanding through the hands makes a valuable contribution to early childhood delving into practices of mark-making and the wider visual arts. It has a balance of theory and practice, brought to life with strong illustrative images. Mark-making and the visual arts provide children with opportunities to express themselves and make meaning. Art is a mode of communication as we express our ideas and feelings, and in doing so we develop theories of how the world works. In this way children discover understanding as they make sense of their experiences.

In the book the authors offer a way of working that places the child at the centre of their learning. In the process they will be exploring their ideas, making new discoveries and generating new ideas and new meanings. Their work draws upon a rich heritage of thinkers within arts education, ideas which they have reworked and developed throughout the book, suggesting new contemporary ways of working.

Understanding through the hands was originally written in Dutch. It is a delight this book has now been translated into English to benefit a wider audience. They introduce thinkers that perhaps the English speaking audience are less unfamiliar with such as Stern and Juul. This adds to the breadth that the book has to offer as well as the inclusion of less familiar quotes form an array of educators.

I think this book will inspire and perhaps allow us to reflect more deeply our own practice, and in turn, result in more children having positive experiences and flourishing along the journey.

Pete Moorhouse FRSA, CF – Early Childhood Creative Consultant, Bristol, UK

Book: Exploring the 3-D World – Developing Spatial and Math Skills in Young Children

 

 

Check out this wonderful work from Rosanne Regan Hansel, Exploring the 3-D World.

New brain research and child development studies are filling professional journals with mounting evidence that early childhood educators need to start paying greater attention to developing children’s spatial skills, which includes navigating that three-dimensional world and interacting with three-dimensional materials.

Having good spatial skills strongly predicts children’s future achievement in STEM subjects. Spatial reasoning is also integral to everyday life, in social studies, the arts, and geography as well as new careers like computer animation.

Working in 3-dimensions doesn’t happen as often in the early childhood classroom. Many teachers focus on 2-dimensional mediums for children to express their learning. This book will help teachers feel confident in implementing more mathematical concepts into their rooms.

Also check out her website: https://www.3dchildhood.com/

In-person Woodwork CPD 20 March 2024

Location

Cosy Direct Training Centre

Fauld Industrial Estate Unit 316-318 Tutbury, Burton-on-Trent DE13 9HS


Date and time

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 09:30 – 15:30 GMT
 
 

 

Booking: £95 +vat

Booking via eventbrite:

https://bit.ly/3Rhq5do

or complete the booking form to be invoiced Booking form


About this event

Introducing Woodwork –

Day overview:

An introduction to the day. The historical and current context. Equal opportunities.

Theory: Where woodwork meet curriculum: Associated learning and development

Introduction to tools, wood, resources and workbenches

How to set up a woodwork area and manage the provision

Health and safety and risk assessment. Parents.

Longer term and collaborative projects, primary progression, makerspaces

Practical sessions: 2 practical sessions offering hands-on experience

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There is something really special about woodwork. The smell and feel of wood, using real tools, working with a natural material, the sounds of hammering and sawing, hands and minds working together to express imagination and solve problems, the use of strength and coordination: all go to combine captivating young children’s interest. It provides a truly unique experience. Woodwork is hugely popular with children, providing a rich source of enjoyment as well as learning. It is truly cross-curricular embracing so many areas of learning as well as building on children’s dispositions for learning. The impact is profound and long term.

This practical workshop will look at ways in which woodworking can be safely introduced in your school. We will look at the theory and the associated learning and development relating to the EYFS and KS1. There will be explanations of the most suitable wood and tools for children and instruction on how best to use them. We will look at the stages of children’s progression in woodwork. Information on potential suppliers of wood/ tools will be provided. Explanations on how to set up and manage a woodworking area. I emphasise open-ended exploration and also provide examples of possible longer term projects. There will be practical sessions for teachers to explore the tools, gain confidence and share the experience of making creations in wood.

From this course you will:

Understand the value and theory of woodwork especially in relation to EYFS/KS1

Learn about the current and historical context of woodwork

Understand the potential of woodwork for creativity and critical thinking

Learn how to introduce woodwork safely, implementing an effective risk assessment

Understand the most suitable tools for young children and how to use them

Be confident to develop a woodworking area

Know where to buy the most appropriate tools and materials

T he venue is COSY DIRECT TRAINING CENTRE

Fauld Industrial Estate, Unit 316-318, Tutbury, Burton-on-Trent DE13 9HS

Drinks provided, please bring a packed lunch.

Arrive at 9.15 for prompt 9.30 start

If you plan to arrive by train we can arrange collection from the nearby train station Tutbury/Hatton. There is ample parking if coming by car.

Any questions: please email: studio@petemoorhouse.co.uk

Tutor:

Pete Moorhouse is an early years creative consultant, researcher , author and artist educator based in the UK. He is an associate trainer for Early Education and deliverers training nationally and overseas and is also an endorsed Froebel Tutor. His work in schools is centred around nurturing children’s creativity and his practice is inspired by Froebelian principles and practice in Reggio Emilia. Pete is the UKs leading authority on woodwork in Early Years education and has written several books and journal articles, including ‘Learning Through Woodwork’ (Routledge) and books on outdoor learning. He is currently working his latest book – ‘Creativity in Practice: Nurturing creative and critical thinking in early childhood education’. He was awarded an honorary research fellowship from the University of Bristol and is currently researching the value of woodwork in early education. Pete was also awarded a Churchill Fellowship to undertake international research into best woodworking practices in education. Pete won the national award (2019) from the Creative Learning Guild for his work promoting creativity in education and is Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

50 fantastic ideas to encourage diversity and inclusion

Check out this accessible book packed full of great ideas to develop awareness and ensure your practice is more inclusive and respects diversity. Written by June O’Sullivan and Nausheen Khan. The book covers many important subjects such as gender, race, and ethnicity, suggesting ideas to develop an inclusive environment for all children.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have a copy to give away so get in touch if you’d like one for your setting!

 

International Play Summit

Pete Moorhouse will be discussing the rich potential for open -ended exploration through working with wood.

This event will bring together the best of the best in early childhood education and play around the globe to teach you everything about play.

To register: http://playforpeacesummit.com/

 

Early Years Summit

Don’t miss out on the Early Years Summit this spring

for full information click here

Early Years Summit

The 2019 Spring Summit:
Challenge and Risk in the Early Years
29th April 2019 to 5th May 2019
Get Your FREE Ticket for the 2019 Spring Summit »
Or you can buy any of the previous Summit recordings to keep and watch forever here.

Here are just some of the things you’ll learn at the Spring 2019 Summit…

What is meant by Risky Play?
What are the benefits of Risky Play?
How can we create suitable environments?

Stretching and challenging children
Benefits of raising expectations for children
Physical, cognitive and intellectual challenges

Effective policies and procedures
Supporting staff with understanding ‘risks’ including allergies
Teaching staff about suitable challenges
Alice​
Nursery Owner, Canada
This was the easiest, most comfortable, convenient form of education I have ever been involved in! My daughter also participated in the Early Years Summit and introduced this concept to me which I absolutely loved. We have educated and cared for children for over 25 years may I say it was magnificent to meet and hear of others in our field all over the world! Kristal and I have picked up a few ideas from the summit introducing the ideas to our children and families have proved to be most successful and FUN!

Just want to tell you how much I am enjoying the Summit … I have been introduced to some new things … and have already looked into training to be an INPP as a direct result of your summit (I did not know about this role beforehand, and seems to be the missing link that I have been looking for all these years)!

M.G.​
Early Years Professional
Your Host

Kathy Brodie

Your host for the Summit is well known Early Years author and expert, Kathy Brodie.

She’s the author of multiple books on Early Years childcare and is the founder and organiser of the Early Years Summit and Early Years TV – the leading free online CPD resources for Early Years Practitioners and Educators globally.

She’s also created a number of online training courses covering Observation Assessment and Planning, Sustained Shared Thinking and Schematic play, which you can find here.

speakers confirmed already
Alistair Bryce-Clegg

Dr Tim Gill

Kathryn Solly

Helen Little

Dr Diane Kashin

Peter Moorhouse

Dr Mariana Brussoni

Niki Buchan

Sandi Phoenix

Julie Mountain

Rachel Buckler

Chanie Wilschanski

Chris Phoenix

Sid Mohandas

Dr Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter