Interact with children in support of their interests and give them scope to learn from many things, including their mistakes.
Encourage children to see adults as a resource and as partners in their learning.
Support children in developing positive relationships by challenging negative or detrimental comments and actions towards either peers or adults.
Teach children to use and care for materials, and then trust them to do so independently.
Self-confidence and Self-esteem
Ensure that key practitioners offer extra support to children in new situations.
Create positive relationships with parents by listening to them and offering information and support.
Encourage children to talk about their own home and community life, and to find out about other children's experiences. Ensure that children learning English as an additional language have opportunities to express themselves in their home language some of the time.
Anticipate the best from each child, and be alert for evidence of their strengths.
Making Relationships
Establish routines with predictable sequences and events.
Encourage children to choose to play with a variety of friends, so that everybody in the group experiences being included.
Prepare children for changes that may occur in the routine.
At the start of the day, talk to the children about what you're going to do, the people they will see and the places they will visit. Remind them at the end of the day what they have done.
As children's understanding of language increases, begin to tell them about everyday activities in advance. Do this about five minutes before you want them to change activity. Then, when you get to the time, say "Now, it really is time to stop playing. Let's go and have a story".
Establish clear limits and boundaries and stay in control of routines. This gives children predictable routines and a better understanding of your expectations. If children refuse, follow activities which are disliked with activities that they like, as a reward.
During everyday routines, ask children to tell you what happens next in a sequence of activities and what objects or toys you will need to get ready so that they can show you how much they know about the order of events.
Be consistent about using and expecting attempts at saying "Please" and "Thank you" or "Ta".
Behaviour and Self-control
Share with parents the rationale of boundaries and expectations to maintain a joint approach.
Demonstrate concern and respect for others, living things and the environment.
Self-care
Give children time to try before intervening to support and guide them.
Create an atmosphere where achievement is valued.
Encourage children to solve problems, and support them by clarifying the problem with them.
Sense of Community
Encourage children to develop positive relationships with community members, such as firefighters who visit the setting.
A visit from the Community Support Officer - A Community Support Officer visits a local nursery, and talks with the children in the outdoor play area about his uniform and walkie talkie. [transcript]
You can watch the video via modem or slow / fast / superfast broadband connections. If you are behind a network firewall, why not click here to view a flash file of the video. You do need to have the flash plugin.
Acknowledgements
Disclaimer
00012-2007CDO-EN