The Voice of Early Childhood

Reusing materials in early childhood education fosters creativity, problem-solving, and environmental awareness. This article and podcast episode explore the benefits of incorporating loose parts and open-ended materials into play, particularly in the construction corners of the classroom – highlighting real classroom experiences where children repurpose materials to build meaningful projects.

Read Dylan's article here:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/the-value-of-loose-parts-and-open-ended-materials/

This episode is in partnership with Male Childcare and Teaching Jobs.

Male Childcare and Teaching Jobs advocate for greater male participation in education and caregiving roles, offering support and guidance to enhance gender inclusion in nurseries and schools.

To find out more visit: https://malechildcareandteachingjobs.co.uk/

Listen to more:

If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like to hear more at https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/articles/men-in-early-childhood/

Share your voice:

Do you have a topic or guest you would like to hear on the podcast? Get in touch here! – https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/contact/

Episode break down:

00:00 – Welcome! 02:00 – Dylan's journey and background 05:20 – What are loose parts? 08:30 – An overfocus on academics vs creativity 11:00 – Loose parts facilitating choice and agency 12:30 – Changing the educators' perspectives 15:00 – Bringing secondary and early years together 17:00 – Brain activity and loose parts 18:00 – Technology for student-led enquiry 19:30 – Involving families in changing pedagogy 25:00 – Sustainability and loose parts 30:00 – How you can implement loose parts play in your practice

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

This special episode addresses some deep topics, including the power of the decision maker, impartiality, belonging vs inclusion, the true opportunity for voice and representation, active participation and critical consumption of knowledge…as well as a Q&A from the early childhood community where Adam and Angelica unpick the show 'Adolescence' and implications for safeguarding, including the new EYFS changes.

Get in touch with your thoughts, comments and topic/guest suggestions here:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/contact/

Find all of the links we mention in the episode, including book recommendations here:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/the-power-of-the-decision-maker/

Episode break down:

00:00 – Welcome! 01:00 – A special episode! 04:00 – Why was 'voice' so important in this startup? 08:00 – The power of the decision maker 13:00 – Decisions on what type of content is shared and consumed 14:50 – Impartiality, balance and challenging views 22:00 – Are there really equal opportunities for all voices to be shared? 25:00 – High quality content and pitching at the right 'levels' 27:50 – Are everyone's voices really represented? 29:00 – Does everyone even want to share their voice? 30:00 – One single voice can enable and represent so many voices 32:00 – Learnings from bringing the sector together through CPD 35:00 – Going against the norm to enable participation 38:00 – Creating a community 39:00 – Feeling belonging and not just feeling included 42:00 – The power of in-person events and collaborative communities 43:45 – Ofsted actively participating in the TVOEC community 46:00 – Making Ofsted feel like they belong! 48:00 – The divisive nature of the education sector 51:00 – Q&A: Questions sent in from TVOEC's community 51:30 – Q: What are your top early years book recommendations? 55:30 – Q: Does the sector want to be brought together? 59:00 – Q: What is AI's place in early years? 01:00:00 – Q: What are your thoughts on the show 'Adolescence'? 01:04:00 – New EYFS safeguarding changes 01:07:45 – How safe are our nurseries? – Is this propaganda by the BBC? 01:14:00 – What topics or guests would YOU like to hear? How to get in touch…

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

This episode is sponsored by Funding Loop:

Funding Loop automates the process for nurseries of collecting funding forms from parents and typing that information into council portals. Funding Loop is used by over 2000 nurseries including over 80% of the top 25 nursery chains in the UK including Busy Bees.

To find out more visit: https://www.fundingloop.co.uk/home

In this episode:

This podcast episode is for leaders in any industry, with valuable reflections to take away around your own and the leadership of others. In this episode we discuss accidental leadership from an educational perspective.

You start as a talented practitioner; amazing with the children, knowledgeable and caring, and you build strong relationships with staff and families. Your potential does not go unnoticed and before you know it, you are promoted into a leadership role.

A familiar, almost expected pathway, one that many have trodden before.

This article and podcast episode explores the impact of 'accidental leadership' in settings, and the need, now more than ever, to shift to intentional leadership.

Read Jenny's article and inquire regarding Jenny's work here:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/accidental-leadership-in-early-years/

Share your voice:

Do you have a topic or guest you would like to hear on the podcast? Get in touch here! – https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/contact/

Episode break down:

00:00 – Welcome! 02:00 – What is accidental leadership? 06:00 – How do you lead if you have never been prepared? 13:50 – Your identity as a leader 22:45 – First steps in preparing a leader 29:00 – Drawing on the talents of those around you 32:20 – The importance of delegation 37:30 – Figuring out priorities 41:00 – The process is where the learning happens 43:00 – Shared reflection and dialogue 44:45 –Intentional leadership book coming soon! 47:00 – Inquire on working with Jenny 48:00 – Further reading and listening on this topic

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

What if children's attention isn't a skill to train, but a response to their environment, emotions and engagement? Dr Gemma Goldenberg and Professor Sam Wass encourage us to think about attention in this newer, different way. In the article and podcast episode they discuss shifting our understanding of attention from a 'mental muscle' to a holistic, responsive process—one that educators can meaningfully support through informed, inclusive and practical adjustments to practice.

Read Gemma's and Sam's article here:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/its-time-to-rethink-attention/

For more on this topic:

Dr Gemma Goldenberg's previous research: The science of outdoor play series: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/contributors/gemma-goldenberg/

Understanding neuroscience in early childhood, by Mandy Worsley:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/understanding-neuroscience-in-early-childhood/

'It's not time out, it's time in' for both of us: Co- and self-regulation, by Julie Robinson and Charlotte Hannah: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/its-not-time-out-its-time-in-for-both-of-us/

Self-regulation, co-regulation and mental health, by Dr Mine Conkbayir: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/self-regulation-co-regulation-and-mental-health/

Should we punish and reward children's behaviour? By Samantha Dholakia: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/should-we-punish-and-reward-childrens-behaviour/

This episode is sponsored by Funding Loop:

Funding Loop automates the process for nurseries of collecting funding forms from parents and typing that information into council portals. Funding Loop is used by over 2000 nurseries including over 80% of the top 25 nursery chains in the UK including Busy Bees.

To find out more visit: https://www.fundingloop.co.uk/home

Episode break down:

00:00 – Welcome! 02:50 – Concentration as a 'gateway skills' 05:30 – Attention capture vs attention control 09:00 – Concentration training 10:30 – Visual clutter and distraction 13:00 – Visual field 14:30 – Background noise 17:40 – Music regulating stress 20:45 – Varied environments for varied needs 21:40 – ADHD, Autism and other neurodivergence 24:20 – Self-calibrating: Giving children control 25:45 – Fidgeting: Rhythmic and repetitive movements 28:50 – The Goldilocks Zone 31:00 – Predictability and repetition 33:45 – Neuroscience training and research 36:00 – Processing time and content input 37:15 – Screen time, fast paced content and stress 40:00 – Ai and targeted diffrentiation of progress 41:00 – Passive consumption of media vs active engagement 42:00 – Responding to simulated danger: Fight or flight

43:20 – From screen time to green time 44:15 – The effects of the outdoors on attention

46:30 –Stress contagion and mood states 47:30 – Practical tips in Gemma's and Sam's book

49:00 – Making micro-adjustments to classrooms

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

Exploring how physical development, physical activity, physical education, and physical literacy contribute to a child's holistic development. This article and podcast episode highlight the importance of creating engaging, inclusive environments, empowering practitioners, and fostering a lifelong love of movement through early exposure and meaningful physical experiences.

Read Josh Candy's article here:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/fostering-a-love-of-movement-for-life/

This episode is in partnership with Male Childcare and Teaching Jobs.

Male Childcare and Teaching Jobs advocate for greater male participation in education and caregiving roles, offering support and guidance to enhance gender inclusion in nurseries and schools.

To find out more visit: https://malechildcareandteachingjobs.co.uk/

Listen to more:

If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like to hear more at https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/articles/men-in-early-childhood/

Episode break down:

00:00 – Welcome! 02:00 – Josh Candy's background 05:00 – Developmental milestones & checklists 11:00 – Increasing physical activity opportunities 14:00 – Don't let lack of space prevent physical activity 18:30 – Environment and risk 21:45 – Empowering adults to encourage movement 24:00 – Structured and unstructured play 30:00 – How can busy parents support physical activity? 33:00 – Fostering a positive experience of movement 37:45 – Key takeaways

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

This episode is sponsored by Mini Minds Matter. Find out more here: https://www.minimindsmatter.org.uk/

Neuroscience plays such a crucial role in understanding child development, principally in regard to brain growth, mental health, and emotional wellbeing. As children navigate their formative years, knowledge of brain function and neuroplasticity can inform practices that promote healthy development. In the article and podcast episode we explore these aspects, including the roles of key brain areas, and their implications for early years settings, along with mindfulness practices that can enhance children's development.

Read Mandy's article here:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/understanding-neuroscience-in-early-childhood/

If you enjoyed this episode you might also want to listen to and read:

'It's not time out, it's time in' for both of us: Co- and self-regulation, by Julie Robinson and Charlotte Hannah: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/its-not-time-out-its-time-in-for-both-of-us/

Self-regulation, co-regulation and mental health, by Dr Mine Conkbayir: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/self-regulation-co-regulation-and-mental-health/

Should we punish and reward children's behaviour? By Samantha Dholakia: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/should-we-punish-and-reward-childrens-behaviour/

Episode break down:

00:00 – Introduction 06:00 – Creating a neuroscientific approach for young children 08:00 – Three parts of the brain linked to dinosaurs 08:30 – 'Calmasaurus': Pre-frontal cortex 09:30 – 'Activeasaurus': Amygdala 10:30 – 'Helpfulasaurus': Hippocampus 11:00 – Bringing knowledge and disciplines together 13:00 – 'Mini mindful moments' 14:30 – Nappy time as a neurological 'Mini mindful moment' 16:00 – Regular caring touch building strong neural pathways 18:00 – Calm touch movements 20:00 – Being more mindful in every day routines and activities 21:00 – Aromatherapy and play-dough 23:00 – Slowing down and not filling every minute of every day 26:00 – Involving parents in 'Mini mindful moments' 28:30 – Forming secure attachments

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

This episode is sponsored by Funding Loop:

Funding Loop automates the process for nurseries of collecting funding forms from parents and typing that information into council portals. Funding Loop is used by over 2000 nurseries including over 80% of the top 25 nursery chains in the UK including Busy Bees.

To find out more visit: https://www.fundingloop.co.uk/home

There is no 'bad' behaviour. Behaviour is only useful or not useful…Setting children up for success starts with understanding behaviour as communication. A balanced, trauma-informed approach prioritises emotional literacy, connection, and self-regulation through teaching and modelling, not rewards or punishments.

Read Samantha's article here:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/should-we-punish-and-reward-childrens-behaviour/

Episode break down:

00:00 – Welcome! 02:15 – No such thing as bad behaviour 07:00 – Children are born good 08:30 – Judgement from others 11:30 – What is a 'balanced approach'? 17:00 – Why are rewards not helpful? 23:30 – Is timeout helpful? 28:00 – Up-regulatory and down-regulatory 25:00 – Preventative, responsive and restorative practices 37:30 – What if a child is hurting someone else? 40:00 – Physical safety and restraining 46:00 – Children learning to navigate risks 49:00 – Further reading and listening material

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to listen to more, take a look at the following episodes:

Matt Bawler – proactively promoting positive mental health – https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/proactively-promoting-positive-mental-health/

Julie Robinson and Charlott Hannah's episode sponsored by Mini Minds Matter –

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/its-not-time-out-its-time-in-for-both-of-us/

Dr Mine Conkbayir's work on Co- & Self-regulation & mental health – https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/self-regulation-co-regulation-and-mental-health/

And the Durham research project episode with Jill Jones and Rebecca Martin on Supporting regulation in the early years: A progressive approach – https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/supporting-regulation-in-the-early-years-a-progressive-approach/

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

This episode is in partnership with T150 Energy. To submit an enquiry on your energy savings and receiving a donation visit: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/the-payback-scheme/

With rising costs impacting education settings, the Payback Scheme offers a practical solution to ease financial pressures. By negotiating competitive contracts for gas, electricity, and water, the Payback Scheme helps providers save money while donating a portion of earnings back to them. This initiative, born from personal experience, aims to improve financial sustainability, enabling early years providers to invest in resources, staff training, and better facilities for children.

Read Matt's article here:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/the-payback-scheme-supporting-early-years-and-schools-through-energy-savings/

Episode break down:

00:00 – Welcome! 01:30 – What is the payback scheme? 04:00 – How the payback scheme came about 05:45 – £1 million goal: Donating to education and the NHS 09:30 – Forecasting the energy market and business analysis 13:30 – Navigating the current energy market 17:00 – A saving of £25,000 on energy 18:00 – Supporting business owners 21:00 – Understanding the challenges businesses face 24:20 – Green energy tariffs 31:00 – 100% renewable gas contracts 23:50 – Waste management 32:50 – Water costs 33:30 – £500 yearly savings for schools 37:00 – Enquire about your energy savings

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

This episode is sponsored by Funding Loop:

Funding Loop automates the process for nurseries of collecting funding forms from parents and typing that information into council portals. Funding Loop is used by over 2000 nurseries including over 80% of the top 25 nursery chains in the UK including Busy Bees.

To find out more visit: https://www.fundingloop.co.uk/home

Incorporating STEAM into the provision of quality early childhood education is vitally important for today's 21st century children. Many educators worry that they may not have the skills or resources to incorporate STEAM into their early years environment. However, the podcast episode and article debunks this myth by highlighting how using simple everyday resources and skills educators already possess STEAM can be sparked in valuable and playful ways!

Read Paula's article here:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/promoting-steam-in-early-years-its-easier-than-you-think/

In this episode…

Education for sustainable development, encouraging more girls to study STEM subjects, normative gender roles, re-considering our view of technology as not just about screens and digitalisation, embedding an understanding and empathy for the world around them, connecting concepts and theories to practice, STEAM being culturally and historically relevant, making STEAM affordable and accessible for all, the role of AI in early childhood…these are just some of the things discussed in this podcast episode! Take a look at the episode break down below.

Episode break down:

00:00 – Welcome! 02:00 – So what is STEM and STEAM? 08:25 – A transdisciplinary approach to solve the world's biggest problems 10:00 – It's not just about preparing children for the future 13:00 – Representing the world children are currently living in 13:30 – Understanding the concept of money 17:00 – Children understand far more than we think! 18:50 – Being aware of STEAM day to day 21:00 – What classifies as a STEAM 'activity'? 22:00 – Technology is not just about screens! 25:00 – Play-dough making is STEAM… 28:00 – The lack of girls in STEM/STEAM 29:45 – Education for sustainable development & STEAM 36:00 – Practically engaging in STEAM 38:00 – Is our classroom up to date? Do we audit our resources? 40:30 – STEAM is culturally and historically relevant 44:10 – STEAM doesn't need to be costly 49:00 – The role of AI in early childhood 58:45 – Aistear: The early childhood framework in Ireland 01:02:40 – The lack of STEAM in frameworks

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

A warning for all viewers and listeners: This episode can be distressing as the topic is around domestic abuse.

This episode is sponsored by Funding Loop:

Funding Loop automates the process for nurseries of collecting funding forms from parents and typing that information into council portals. Funding Loop is used by over 2000 nurseries including over 80% of the top 25 nursery chains in the UK including Busy Bees.

To find out more visit: https://www.fundingloop.co.uk/home

Tina Pokuaah, safeguarding consultant at Kesis Consulting, reflects on the impact of domestic abuse on children:

Domestic abuse has devastating effects on children, often beginning before birth. This article and episode explore the hidden impact of domestic abuse on young lives, from pregnancy to early childhood, and highlights the urgent need for greater awareness and specialised training. Taking a holistic approach, it emphasises the importance of recognising signs of abuse, being professionally curious, and developing cultural competence to provide appropriate support.

Read Tina Pokuaah's article here:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/hurt-from-conception-reflecting-on-the-impact-of-domestic-abuse-on-children/

Episode break down:

00:00 – The role of a safeguarding consultant 03:15 – Statistics around domestic abuse 04:20 – Men as victims of domestic abuse 06:00 – Allowing people to speak up 08:00 – Disclosure is often a journey 08:45 – Creating a safety plan 10:00 – Barriers preventing someone leaving an abusive relationships 11:40 – Recognising specific sings of domestic abuse 14:50 – Being professionally curious 15:50 – Taking a holistic approach 17:10 – When a friend or neighbour is experiencing domestic abuse 20:30 – Perpetrator programmes 21:45 – Barriers to speaking up 25:20 – Cultural barriers and cultural competence 27:15 – The need for more in depth training 30:00 – Educating young people and children around healthy relationships 32:00 – Support services for those in need

For more episodes and articles visit The Voice of Early Childhood website: https://www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com