Early Years Workshop takes a look at how children learn through play and how practitioners can value and develop children's play. Presenter Sheila Sage poses the following questions:- What can we learn about children by watching them at play? How do you as a practitioner best plan for, observe, support and extend children's play? With guidance from Diane Rich of our Early Years Workshop team, we visit Astwood Bank First School in Redditch to see how they incorporate play into an average morning in their reception class. Headteacher Chris Rider and reception class teacher Jo Haynes place a high importance on allowing children to develop their own stories through their play. With a storybook starting point, the children are then free to play in the role-play area, puppet theatre, science lab or outdoors with the dressing up box! Chris finds some interesting play happening in the 'Bug Café' whilst Jo observes a group of children as they explore the world of superheroes.

Video Series: Early Years Workshop
Release Date 2006