Dominic Gunn
Self-Regulation in Early Childhood Education – A Neurological Perspective on ‘Play’.
What role does children’s ‘play’ have in acquiring self-regulation, the most important of all skills?
Secure mental health, stable relationships, successful employment and sustainable attitudes to the environment in later life, are all rooted in the development of self-regulation skills when young. Since September 2021 it has been a component of the Early Years Foundation Stage in the UK, a curriculum which uniquely straddles statutory and non-statutory education and which predominantly requires child-led play to be effective.
In this 1 hour workshop, we will look at how recent studies in neuroscience are informing our Early Years teaching pedagogy and, in many cases, supporting long-established good practice with clearer evidence. We will also have the opportunity to consider examples of simple but powerful adult-child interactions, often delivered by practitioners with vastly different levels of academic training.
The workshop will include key research references and routes for further engagement, both in the form of study and practical resources. Interaction from attendees throughout the presentation will be encouraged.
Attendees will leave the workshop understanding more about the critical role Early Childhood Education has in reducing social, emotional and mental health needs in young people and adults and how resilience is built. The over-arching theme will be one of an ethical, equitable, affordable future of hope, situated in a most pleasurable, relationship-based workplace.
This session will be of interest to anyone already working with young children, and to those who want to find out how ‘play’ holds the key to peaceful, productive futures even for individuals facing adverse childhood experiences or genetic pre-dispositions which could impact on social, emotional and mental health.
Self-Regulation in Early Childhood Education – A Neurological Perspective on ‘Play’.
What role does children’s ‘play’ have in acquiring self-regulation, the most important of all skills?
Secure mental health, stable relationships, successful employment and sustainable attitudes to the environment in later life, are all rooted in the development of self-regulation skills when young. Since September 2021 it has been a component of the Early Years Foundation Stage in the UK, a curriculum which uniquely straddles statutory and non-statutory education and which predominantly requires child-led play to be effective.
In this 1 hour workshop, we will look at how recent studies in neuroscience are informing our Early Years teaching pedagogy and, in many cases, supporting long-established good practice with clearer evidence. We will also have the opportunity to consider examples of simple but powerful adult-child interactions, often delivered by practitioners with vastly different levels of academic training.
The workshop will include key research references and routes for further engagement, both in the form of study and practical resources. Interaction from attendees throughout the presentation will be encouraged.
Attendees will leave the workshop understanding more about the critical role Early Childhood Education has in reducing social, emotional and mental health needs in young people and adults and how resilience is built. The over-arching theme will be one of an ethical, equitable, affordable future of hope, situated in a most pleasurable, relationship-based workplace.
This session will be of interest to anyone already working with young children, and to those who want to find out how ‘play’ holds the key to peaceful, productive futures even for individuals facing adverse childhood experiences or genetic pre-dispositions which could impact on social, emotional and mental health.
