What does it mean to be two? - Practical Pre-School Books

2What does it mean to be two?BooksA practical guide to child developmentin the Early Years Foundation StageREVISED AND UPDATEDJennie Lindon

BooksREVISEDEDITION2What does it mean to be two?A practical guide to child developmentin the Early Years Foundation StageJennie LindonContentsFocus on two-year-olds 2-9Personal, Social and Emotional Development 10-17Communication, Language and Literacy 18-27Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy 28-33Knowledge and Understanding of the World 34-41Physical Development 42-49Creative Development 50-55What should concern you? 56-57Further resources 58-61Acknowledgements 62Published by Practical Pre-School Books, A Division of MA Education Ltd,St Jude’s Church, Dulwich Road, Herne Hill, London, SE24 0PB. Tel. 020 7738 5454Revised edition © MA Education Ltd 2008First edition © MA Education Ltd 2006www.practicalpreschoolbooks.com Illustrations by Cathy Hughes. Front cover image © iStockphoto.com/Rosemarie GearhartAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmittedby any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.What does it mean to be two? (Revised edition) ISBN: 978 1 904575 39 9

Focus on two year oldsFocus on two-year-oldsWhat Does it Mean to be Two? explores the developmental needs and likely skills of twoyear-olds.However, it makes sense to show how twos develop within their own personaltimeline. So you will also find some examples that include slightly younger children andthe content links closely with the other three titles in this series, especially with WhatDoes it Mean to be Three? The approach and ideas of this book are relevant to anypractitioner, working with twos anywhere in the UK. The structure of the book, however,follows the framework for England of the Early Years Foundation Stage: guidancecovering from birth to five years of age that will be statutory for early years provisionfrom September 2008.Children’s learning can only be effectively and appropriately supported when adults -practitioners and parents alike - are guided by sound knowledge of child development. Thelayout of each of the four books in this linked series includes:• Descriptive developmental information within the main text, organised within thesix areas of learning used by the Early Years Foundation Stage.• ‘For example’ sections giving instances of real children and real places andsometimes references to useful sources of further examples.• ‘Being a helpful adult’ boxes which focus on adult behaviour that is an effective supportfor children’s learning, as well as approaches that could undermine young children.• ‘Food for thought’ headings which highlight points of good practice in ways thatcan encourage reflection and discussion among practitioners, as well as sharing inpartnership with parents.Where are the twos ‘officially’?Two-year-olds are competent and, for their age, often articulate learners, so – as their older selvesmight announce – it is ‘really unfair!’ that this age group has sometimes been seen as a bit of anoddity from the perspective of early years provision. Young children can end up as two-year-oldsquare pegs jammed into three- or four-year-old round holes. Potential problems arise from thehistorical split between care and education, which has long troubled good quality experiencesfor children in early years services across the UK. The problem arises because:• Nursery schools and classes, playgroups and pre-schools developed to cater forthree- to five-year-olds and came to be labelled as early education.• Daycare settings and childminders accepted children as young as babies and werelargely seen as carers.The care-education division is total nonsense from the children’s perspective. Care – or nurture- and learning are inseparable and good early years practice in any kind of provision is alwaysorganised around that central understanding.Unfortunately, official statements and the structure of much inspection have persisted inpresenting the two as separate. This approach would matter less if it were separate yet equal,but care and caring are so often treated as the poor relation. If adults undervalue care, thatWhat does it mean to be two?What does it mean to be two?

attitude has a negative effect on the quality of provision for three- to five-year-olds. However, adisrespectful ‘only care’ outlook has even more serious consequences for two-year-olds, becausethey need demonstrably more caring support.Up to 2002 any national guidance across the UK was focussed on the over threes. England,Scotland and Wales each had their own early years curriculum document to guide practitionersworking with three- to five-year-olds. The framework for Northern Ireland covers three- and fouryear-olds,since young children start primary school in the September of the school year aftertheir fourth birthday. Any guidance about good practice with the under threes was developedwithin a local area by early years teams who were concerned about guiding or enhancing thequality of provision. Then in 2002 the Birth to Three Matters framework was introduced inEngland and in 2005 Scotland launched their Birth to Three: Supporting our Youngest Children.The most recent changes 2007-8 are that:• In England from September 2008 the English Birth to Three, and the three to fiveFoundation Stage, will both be replaced by the birth to five years framework of theEarly Years Foundation Stage.• In Scotland, the current developments for change revolve around a Curriculumfor Excellence to cover from three to eighteen years of age. In the earlier years,the main focus for development is for a continuity of more active learning and playfrom the early education of three to five years olds into the first years of primaryschool. The Scottish birth to three guidance remains unchanged.• In Wales, the main focus of development is on the Foundation Phase for youngchildren from three to seven years, bridging the early years curriculum into the firstyears of primary school. There is no national under threes guidance in Wales.• In Northern Ireland the early years curriculum applies to three- and four-year-olds,often mainly threes. There is no national under threes guidance and the main focusfor current development is the Foundation Stage that applies to the first two yearsof primary school, with children agedfour or five years of age.The English and Scottish under threesmaterials had a different appearance andoverall structure, but otherwise they had agreat deal in common, because the teamsdrew on the same source materials, includingresearch about very early development.• Both frameworks place astrong emphasis on theimportance of attachmentand of close, affectionaterelationships for youngchildren. They clearly statethat good quality in groupcare is not possible withouta proper key person system.• Each framework promotes theimportance of a home-likeatmosphere and emphasisesthat good practice with underWhat does it mean to be two?What does it mebe two?

this younger age range do not really benefit from the more complex shape sortertoys. They cannot fit shapes into smaller holes and only use the toy if there is a lid ortop that can be removed. Then the toy is used successfully as a put-in-and-take-outagainresource.Twos benefit from plenty of opportunities to move materials around to a purpose – theirpurpose – through building, piling up, putting things in and out, selecting items that are morelikely to fit. Their actions, repetitions and variations around their own chosen themes of doingthen provide meaning for simple language about position or any other appropriate concept,which adults have helpfully dropped into the play and conversation.Young children learn a great deal through play but they do not only learn through activitiesthat adults would usually label as ‘play’. Twos, just like threes to fives, are keen to be involved infamiliar routines. They warm to feeling like a trusted helper and genuinely learn from being partof organising a snack or tidying up the bricks. Sorting out plates and cups, sharing out food andrealising when there is ‘no more’ are all important, practical examples of quantity and reasons forsomeone – more often an adult than a two-year-old – to count ‘how many’ or assess ‘how much’.For exampleIn Buckingham’s Nursery, practitioners allow generous time for meals and snacks, because theseroutines are valued:• The twos enjoyed breakfast time with drink, raisins and breadsticks. The adult used practicallanguage, related to the routine, like ‘have you had enough?’ and ‘do you want some more?’Another adult said, at an appropriate moment, to one child ‘where do your raisins go?’ andthe child was able to answer ‘in my mouth’. During breakfast several children became veryinterested in when they, as individuals, were ‘gone’, by covering their face with their hands.Numeracy and any use of early mathematical ideas only makes sense within a child’s familiarworld, so observational examples that highlight direct experience of early mathematicalunderstanding most usually also show children’s knowledge and familiarity with their own worldFor exampleYou might like to consider how the examples in this section also contribute to your understandingof these young children’s skills in any other of the six areas of learning and development.• Two-year-old Gary moved around the Windham drop-in with confidence. Sometimes hismother was close by, sometimes he was absorbed in play and she was across the room. Garymoved between the opportunities that were available. He spent some time with the markmakingmaterials set out on a table. He was equally interested to explore letting a wheeled toyrun down a slope to his mother. He spent time emptying a container of keys, exploring manyof them individually – looking and feeling.• In Buckingham’s Nursery I observed two children (in their twos) who persisted in taking thebowl in and out of the wooden play sink. They explored moving the bowl around, trying to fitWhat does it mean to be two?What does it mebe two?