Play is the way forward for kids
Nursery staff swot up on latest learning methods
Nurseries across Renfrewshire are bringing play into the heart of teaching after staff completed a highly-praised course.
Around 50 nursery workers from Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire and Inverclyde - part of the West Partnership - have completed a Froebel and Childhood Practice CPD Certificate.
This is a professional development course created by the University of Edinburgh and the Froebel Trust.
Friedrich Froebel was a German educator who pioneered new ways of thinking about education for very young children and is most famous as the creator of the first kindergarten – a child garden.
Froebelian principles say that children need to lead their own learning through play to become confident learners, and that their environment plays a big part in their development.
Since going on the course, nursery teams in council-run and private and voluntary providers have been using what they have learned to enhance practices within their centres and classes.
Sandra Brackenridge, senior early learning and childcare officer at Paisley’s Foxlea Early Learning and Childcare Centre, said: “Since being on this course, we’ve been putting the Froebelian principles into practise in our nursery.
“We have changed all our activities to be open-ended so children can be creative and find their own solutions.
“As a team, we have been sharing our experiences with art and creative play, block play, baking, outdoor play and community links with each other.
“I want to see more nursery managers and officers have time to go to this course and have the opportunity to embed these principles in their work.
“I can’t wait to see the impact these principles have on a child’s learning when they get into primary school and into life-long learning.”
Michelle Goodwin, depute head at Hillview Early Learning and Childcare Centre, also in Paisley, said the training will help children flourish.
She explained: “My main learning was that it is best to keep things simple.
“Natural surroundings are great places for children to develop and flourish on their own.
“Some of my colleagues have already been on this course and, when they came back to the centre, they were incredibly passionate about embedding the Froebelian principles into our nursery.
“It is important that all staff get this opportunity, so everyone has that same passion and ethos.
“Our nursery is already working with the Froebelian principles, so I want to continue to develop our practice now that I’ve been on this course.”
Gayle Millar, nursery manag e r a t Car l i ’ s Kindergarten, in Erskine, believes play does boost learning.
“I have two nurseries and two out-of-school care groups and I’m developing the Froebelian principles across all four services.
“This means the children can come in and play with the younger children during outdoor learning experiences,” she said.
For more information on careers in a Renfrewshire nur s e r y, visit www. renfrewshire. gov. uk/ ELCCareers
I can’t wait to see the impact theses principles have on a child’s learning