Jenny Barber

Beating excuses for poor practice using reflection

Our daily routines and planning are sometimes based on long-held reasons that may no longer be valid or right for the children in the setting. Although change can be challenging, you should not shy away from it.

Why you need to listen

To truly take note of the childs voice we have to invest our time, patience, understanding and intuitive ability in all that they do, because what they ‘say’ is only a small part of what they are actually ‘telling’ us.

Mocking for excellence

Regular and appropriate observations, and mock inspections, underpin the reflective and analytic processes that drive development and lead to better quality provision and experiences for children.

Singing the same songs

If members of staff work to different standards there is a risk that the care and education received by children will not be the best it could be, which is why consistency is of such great importance in settings.

Leuven wellbeing scales

A childs wellbeing is intrinsically linked to levels of motivation to learn and their involvement, which can also be used to assess the quality of provision and adult support offered in an early years setting..

Catching it all on camera

With the rise of digital cameras and the ability to take pictures on mobile phones, our young children have more opportunities than ever to integrate photography into their daily learning and development.

Play the numbers game

One of the best ways to introduce children to problem solving, reasoning and numeracy is to provide them with meaningful and practical experiences based on everyday activities. Jenny Barber explains.

It is time to get tactile

The importance of tactile activities should not be underestimated in a setting because of the vital roles played by touch, taste, smell and sound in a childs development, as Jenny Barber explains.

More than just hot air

Children of all ages love playing with balloons, whether at parties, at home, or in their setting. Jenny Barber introduces a number of activities to get you started with this fantastic and cheap resource.

Magical, melting ice!

Water has many interesting properties and qualities, especially when it becomes frozen, and as Jenny Barber explains, it lends itself to a wide range of activities that can extend childrens learning.