Teach Early Years - Issue 14.2

PHIL ARMSTRONG IS SENIOR EDUCATION LEAD AT EARLY EXCELLENCE Phil Armstrong explains how you can unlock the educational power of blocks and small world play… Set up a story factory V isit any early years classroom and you are guaranteed to find blocks, large or small, and small world resources. When combined, these can create an inspiring “story factory” that supports children’s learning and development across the curriculum as part of any setting’s continuous provision. Through the development of continuous provision, we provide a well-structured permanent framework for children’s play and provide a rich context for their experiences. Planned well for the age and stage of your children, and with effective adult interaction, this provision ensures that learning can be both enjoyable and appropriately challenging. However, as with any resource, there are questions we must ask about blocks and small world provision, including: Why do we provide blocks and small world resources in early years? How do they connect with the curriculum? How do we support learning to unlock their potential? We all know that young children have a natural desire to construct and create. We see them use the blocks and small world resources to build new worlds and amazing structures, collaborate on complex designs, and bring their ideas and stories to life. But where does this start, and how does it develop? STAGES OF BLOCK PLAY Let’s consider for a moment, reflecting on Harriet Johnson’s The Art of Block Building , the types or stages of play we might see as children engage with these versatile resources: Stage 1: Blocks are carried around, not used for construction Stage 2: Building begins, mostly rows, either horizontal or vertical, with stacking Stage 3: Bridging, using two blocks with a space between them, connected by a third block Stage 4: Enclosures, with blocks placed to enclose a space Stage 5: Designs, patterns and elaborate structures emerge Stage 6: Large-scale co-operation – children plan with a purpose and use what they’ve built Of course, we know that as part of their unique learning journey children will explore, experiment and investigate resources in a myriad of ways and at different times, but these stages give us a clear framework for development. We can see from these just how easily children of different ages can utilise block play to build their confidence and expertise as they spend more time accessing these open-ended resources. LEARNING LINKS Blocks and small world provision offer a wealth of learning opportunities, especially when provided consistently year on year in a variety of contexts. Here are just a few examples of how block play supports different aspects of learning: Physical skills: fine and gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness Social & emotional skills: autonomy, initiative, co-operation Language & literacy skills: vocabulary, beginnings of story recall 26 Teachearlyyears.com