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The Effective Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education project has been following 3,000 children between the ages of three and 14 since 1996 to try to discover what factors lead to success.
While the report talks about preschool learning environments it also highlights HLE, the home learning environment. It’s important to note one of the findings from the study is how much of an influence we are on our children’s learning regardless of background, class or social standing.
This study and its many outcomes underlined yet again the need for each of us to have a plan, albeit fluid, for our families when it comes to raising our children. Whatever circumstance you find yourself in we need to do more than pay lip service to what we do with our children. Less whatever and more focus.
It’s not about spending lots of money but using what you’ve got creatively including social networks, spaces and facilities. It’s not about they should be homeschooled or should be in preschool but what will work best for our family and our child(ren). It’s not about is my child better than your child but are they developing typically and what type of support is best for them
Most importantly, this journey will go down blind alleys.It’s not the end. We just need a different direction.
5 things from the report
The duration of attendance [of preschool] is important with longer duration being linked to better intellectual development and improved independence, concentration and sociability.
Full-time attendance led to no better gains for children than part-time.
Children who had longer hours (greater than 2,000) in group care under the age of two years had higher levels of ‘pro-social’ behaviour but a slightly increased ‘risk’ of ‘anti-social’ behaviour at 5 years old. These effects were most strongly related to extensive group care in the first year of life (see Melhuish, 2010 in Sylva et al., 2010)
The quality of the early years Home Learning Environment (where parents are actively engaged
in learning activities with children) promoted intellectual and social development in all children.
What parents do is more important than who they are (Melhuish et al., 2001) pg 5
What can we do?
Start your plan: Conversations with your friends, spouse and family about raising children and start the process of deciding what’s best for your new family or unit.
Read: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
with a friend or join a book group. Having executable steps and accountability will make your plan more likely to succeed especially in the early difficult days of transition. Also with the framework you feel less like floundering around in a sea of newness.
Seek out people and groups like you and network via playgroups, preschools, mother’s groups, church groups. We need people who build us up, comfort and challenge us to the next step. We need to be that friend to them as we raise our children.
Prepare a family mission statement. Learn about this effective tool and try it.
Keep up with educational ideas, playful activities and beware of shiny new and popular. Always asking the question,’ Is this right for my child?’ Seek other opinions and form your own.
What activity have you done recently with your child? Would love to hear in the comments
If you enjoyed this article, get the Play Activities Newsletter. ( It’s free!)
It’s amazing how attached you get to things. The LO has started riding to school on his balance bike. The brake stuck one day in the week and I just couldn’t get the wheel to move. Walking just seemed boring again. It was the hardest 8 minute walk we’ve had to do to get him to school. One sad bunny at school instantly evaporated when he saw his good friend T, thank goodness. The bike was fixed. The smile was priceless.
Friday Finds is the place to unwind, grab yourself a comfy chair and reflect on your past week then plan for the upcoming one.
With a little something to make you think, for them to do and for us to listen or watch……. We are putting ideas into action. Challenging ourselves to do a little differently. Be inspired.
Enjoy your weekend!
Goodness for the mind: Toys That Teach: Educational Toys We Adore ~ mamasmiles
Activities for the body: Spelling hopscotch ~ Simply 2nd resources
Goodness for the ears: #89 – The Children’s Book Council~ Brain Burps about books with Katie Davies
If you enjoyed this article, get the Play Activities Newsletter. ( It’s free!)
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March 26th, 2012
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Pinterest is a great place for learning and sharing early years play ideas and activities. With the range of activities and ideas it’s easy to find all different type of activities and be inspired to try something simple. Not just that but there are so many articles, videos and vlogs about the early years pinned on Pinterest you can learn more about books, ideas and reasons for play.
There are so many wonderful resources for the Early years under 5 year old play. Here I’ve added my favourite ones. Not all of these boards are exclusively for the under 5s.
You can click the links in the slides to go straight to the boards to subscribe
Click here to view Slideshow 1 :: Click here to view Slideshow 2
- I’m a Kid Friendly Blog! :: started by Jaime of Hands on:: as they grow A place to find all the best, kid-friendly activities, crafts, art, and other kid inspired material! These are ‘must see’ blogs if you have kids!
- Lifetime Love of Learning started by Zina of Let’s Lasso the moon This group board is a place to share educational ideas & discuss ways to keep the light in our childs’ eyes. “Together let’s stoke the flame in your child’s eyes by providing hands on, self paced, collaborative, challenging, enjoyable learning. Let’s encourage divergent thinking, instead of convergent thinking; innovation instead of standardization. Give your children a lifetime love of learning.” {Trevor Eissler}
- For the BOYS! Started by Jaime of Hands on: as we grow this board celebrates all things boys. Yes girls do these activities too. A wide range of activities that boys are often attracted to. As a mother of three boys it’s lovely to see and be inspired by a range of play activities
- Baby/Toddler Play Ideas started by Cerys of Rainy Day Mum as a place to explore Play ideas for babies and toddlers to nurture their growth and development in the early years of life
- Sensory Activities for Kids Started by Mary Ann of Mamasmiles. The board is full of so many different types of sensory play experiences. She provides a space to share sensory activities for young children.
- Growing Creative Kids Started by Zina of Let’s lasso the moon. This board is full of share fun projects, art ideas, or unique adventures that help inspire our kid’s creativity
- The Weekly Kids Co-op Started by Zina. This is part of a linky. A small group of bloggers sharing a lot of play activities that offer a plethora of ideas geared for toddlers to pre-teens. What’s great is that the activities are family oriented, fun, unique or educational.
- The Parent Water Cooler Started by Zina. This board is the place to talk about current hot topics based on the office water cooler where everyone congregates and has a chat about articles, play activities and more.
- Kid Blogger Network Activities & Crafts Started by Laura of Play Dr Mom. Here a large group of play bloggers gather together to share their favourite posts that focus on activities and crafts for kids. With the foundational belief that playing and crafting with children improves well-being, creative thinking, and strengthens relationships
- All things parenting Started by Holly of June Cleaver Nirvana Sometimes you just need to hear a story, relate to a situation about parenting or find a good resource about parenting.
- It’s Preschool (Song) PreK Collaborative Peeps!! Started by Debbie of Rainbows within reach.This is a really active board from bloggers in the Early years. There’s a wide range of activities and lots pins to inspire.
- Make and Takes for Kids Community Board Started by Marie of Make and Takes as a community board of activities and ideas that you can make and take. With lots of collaborators on many different time zones this board has new pins all the time that are related to craft, diy, and recipe ideas for kids
- Global and Diverse Kids Started by Melitsa of Play Activities. Chance to look further afield and connect our little ones with the big wide world, sharing the wonders of Geography, Bringing diversity into our homes and play and where we are in the global world with kid related themes, activities and articles.
- Reading & Writing readiness Started by Allie of NoTimeForFlashcards The place to go for fun and imaginative lessons, activities and games that boost reading and writing readiness and progress. There’s so many different ideas and inspiration.
- Pretend Play Started by Mary Ann of Mamasmiles- A board dedicated to just one thing- pretend play. Lots of imaginative ideas to encourage your children in imaginative play.
- Get Kids moving Started by Lisa of Montessori on a budget- Lively and creative activities to get the kids moving in more than just one way with an emphasis on fun. Lisa’s board shares large motor movement and gross motor activities and more, for brain development in children, and for fun!
What are your favorite collaborative boards for the Early Years? Leave your comment below
If you enjoyed this article, get the Play Activities Newsletter. ( It’s free!)
Well it definitely feels like Spring and the flowers are blooming. All the kids have fallen in love again with their bikes. The LO is loving his balance bike and is lifting those legs more and more. Cooking dinner and hearing the children making up games outside was just a nice feeling this week. The squabbles and irritations thrown off for a mad game with crazy rules that had everyone laughing.
Friday Finds is the place to unwind, grab yourself a comfy chair and reflect on your past week then plan for the upcoming one.
With a little something to make you think, for them to do and for us to listen or watch……. We are putting ideas into action. Challenging ourselves to do a little differently. Be inspired.
Enjoy your weekend!
Goodness for the mind: Children & Separation: One Mother’s Story ~ Childhood 101
Activities for the hands: potato masher prints ~Irresistible Ideas for play based learning
Goodness for the ears: Raising Global Children – Episode 29 ~ The Power of Moms
If you enjoyed this article, get the Play Activities Newsletter. ( It’s free!)
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March 19th, 2012
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The LO loves letters, counting and cars. He’ll line cars up all day; count everywhere and draw letters into everything. Colours are a different matter.
Not sure if he truly knows his colours as he’s a big prankster. He loves to call an apple and orange. Just because he knows someone will smile and laugh at him. I love his sense of humor. It’s a little troublesome though to know if he actually knows his colours. I don’t think he really does; well maybe one or two colours but not the basics.
Does it bother us?
Not really. We know that our children develop at different stages. It would help him though to know his colours and so here we are trying to have some fun with it to expose him to more colour activities.
Using some coloured lollipop sticks and mini clothes pegs, we coloured, we quickly assembled a game.
I left the sticks and the mini clothes pegs altogether on the table. As he came in from riding his bike he was curious, calm and alert. Immediately he started matching the yellow lollipop stick and the clothes pegs. Yes a result!. Then he started lining them all up ( sound familiar) and finally started making letters.
After a bit of play like this we played together.I’d deliberately chosen lots of one colour ( Yellow) , one of one colour (Red) and a few of another (Blue) to make the colour difference really obvious and hopefully cut down on the guessing.
Why the mini clothes pegs?
I can hear you all asking. No it wasn’t to stump and frustrate those little fingers. I wanted to do this activity together and we had to work together to create the plane. I could ask for his and he would give.
Here’s the most important part, as he gave me the lollipop stick or the clothes peg I held it a few seconds more and got him to look at me and repeat the colour name.
We have all versions of yellow from wellow, ellow, lellow and more and apart from the usual development path it’s part of his speech work is to slow down, focus on the speaker and repeat.
This activity gave that opportunity. For other children and him later on, we’ll use the normal sized pegs and this would be more of an independent colour matching activity.
Once we assembled our planes…….Brrrmmmmmm. Lined them up. We were off flying high!
We’re looking for more fun colour sorting or matching activities. Share one of your favourites in the comments.
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