The questions that you pose for adults working with young children are great, in my view if we are to have curious and creative children then we need adults who also have these characteristics.
Angela Sugden, Earlyarts 10 Great Techniques to Make Your Teaching More Creative
I thoroughly agree with your suggestion of continuous provision - it is so important, but again often lacking, especially around creative workshop type areas. Often these are severely lacking in resources and materials. Children do need opportunities to make their selections and combine materials together in whatever way they wish and importantly for children to have the opportunity to return to their creations.
Angela Sugden, Earlyarts 10 Great Techniques to Make Your Teaching More Creative
Love the idea of 'embrace chaos' - often early years spaces can be too tidy and too limiting. I often use the phrase 'organised chaos' as this is how I often work.
Angela Sugden, Earlyarts 10 Great Techniques to Make Your Teaching More Creative
I totally agree with you that children need time - time to develop their thoughts and ideas. There are some absolutely fantastic early years provision - but often as I go around early years settings with my Ofsted inspector hat on, I see for what I can only describe as children being 'herded' e.g. time for snack, time for outdoor play, group time, time to clear away for some other event etc. Which of course does not allow children the time they need as Tina Bruce so eloquently puts it 'to wallow' and thoroughly develop their understanding of how a particular material works .
Angela Sugden, Earlyarts 10 Great Techniques to Make Your Teaching More Creative
I'm pleased that you have introduced the theory of loose parts - and hope that more early years practitioners and settings take these ideas on board. I have worked for decades using open-ended materials which I truly believe support higher order thinking and helps to develop divergent thinking. So much of what is offered to children limits this as many toys and resource allow one way for a problem to be solved.
Angela Sugden, Earlyarts 10 Great Techniques to Make Your Teaching More Creative
Many thanks for the free creativity guide. I think that this would be a really useful resource for all early years staff
Carol Graham, StorySpace
I have always been moved and inspired by the work of Sir Ken Robinson, the first Earlyarts Patron, and how we are all creative and that there are many different ways that this is expressed. By exploring and celebrating the unique gifts of each child they can grow to realise their true potential. The arts are a vital part of the human experience and all young children should have the opportunity to use their imaginations in the making and telling of stories and then to sing, dance, paint, draw, or weave those tales with wool, or shape them in clay….
Michael Gasper, Earlyarts 10 Great Techniques to Make Your Teaching More Creative
Your emphasis on creativity and developing thinking by questioning more deeply is also very helpful and positive. I'm sure this will be a valuable contribution to more creative approaches to learning.
Liz-Anne des Vignes, Earlyarts 10 Great Techniques to Make Your Teaching More Creative
I would like to thank you for sending me the Guide to Creative Teaching. I think it is really good and so glad that I managed to find your website. I am organising a creative experience in the summer for the 140 children, parents and staff of our Early Years Education Centre. Thank you again for your inspiration and the work that you do!
Developing Communication, Language and Expressive Skills Through the Arts Training Day 23.3.15
The course gave me practical ideas for activities that encourage children to explore and extend their creative skills through language and movement.
Donna Griffiths - ISA Training Day
Just a very brief note to say hi and how good it was to see you in action yesterday. I thoroughly enjoyed the day and feel prepared to do more creative activities with my class, especially the stone stories! - ISA Training Day, 3rd March 2015
Delegate at Developing Communication, Language and Expressive Skills Through The Arts 10.2.15
Great day, thanks!! Think I'll incorporate some of this into our parent group especially the video of what happens to baby when communication from mother is taken away.
Delegate at Developing Communication, Language and Expressive Skills Through The Arts 10.2.15
Excellent venue, a vast area of creative activities to engage learners . Very interesting course.
Delegate at Developing Communication, Language and Expressive Skills Through The Arts 10.2.15
Really enjoyed this course, it was very hands on with lots of lovely ideas to use in the classroom, especially the memory bag and imaginary walk for story writing. My topic at the moment is mini zoo so I will definitely use the "Giraffe Can't Dance". I loved it!!
Delegate at Developing Communication, Language and Expressive Skills Through The Arts 10.2.15
As always a fantastic day!! All of the sessions were valuable to my practice and delivery was excellent.
Delegate at Developing Communication, Language and Expressive Skills Through The Arts 10.2.15
A very interactive and engaging training day. Very enjoyable - thank you!! Plenty of opportunities to allow me to thing from a child's perspective.
Delegate at Developing Communication, Language and Expressive Skills Through The Arts 10.2.15
A very enjoyable informative day which refreshed my knowledge and hopefully my practice. So many different ways of communicating!!!
Gilly Baskeyfield - Delegate from M6 Theatre Training 6.3.15
As we knew it would be, your seminar was a huge success, and everyone who attended went on their own personal journey of discovery in a wonderfully bonding experience.
Delegate at Developing Communication, Language and Expressive Skills Through The Arts 10.2.15
Good ideas to take back and put into practice. Made me think outside the box and also took me out of my comfort zone at times! Sharing ideas at the end was good.
Delegate at Developing Communication, Language and Expressive Skills Through The Arts 10.2.15
- Whole concept of identifying different ways to engage with children was very interesting.
- I will use the "conducting the play" concept in my setting giving the children more control
- Venue was too far away
- Resources used were very user friendly and easy to replicate back home.
- Really enjoyed the music (Giraffes Can't Dance) exercise and would like to do this with the children
- Also enjoyed the drawing to music exercise - again would like to try this.
- The whole session was interesting - even the theory. Not long winded or too much info
Learnt a lot!!!