.jpg)
I have heard people say that all the children in Early Years do is play and I can see why people could be forgiven for thinking that. I however believe that playing is vital if children are to learn to well. They need to be able to practise the skills we teach them in a safe and comfortable environment, and what better environment when you're young than one where you can play. These 'playing' skills are then transferred to the 'more academic' subjects in Key Stage 1 such as the speaking, listening and drama elements in English/ Literacy, the exploring element in science and the problem solving in Maths/numeracy.
Since much of the learning young children do is explored in play, the skills taught to them need to be clear, explicit and of high quality. In order to ensure children get this, teachers need to have varied styles of teaching in order to help the individual child. When my class has struggled to understand a new concept, I find it very rewarding when I then change the way I teach something, and then all of a sudden they all get it and surprise me with how well they can do.
