Play and Practice in the Early Years Foundation Stage

Natalie Canning is a Lecturer in Education – Early Years at The Open University. Her background is in playwork and social work, particularly in supporting children to explore personal, social and emotional issues through play. She has published a number of articles relating to professional development and the early years and has presented at national and European conferences. Her main research is in the area of children’s empowerment in play and she is currently involved in research on developing children as autonomous learners. She has taught across a variety of Early Childhood undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

• Introduction - Natalie CanningPART ONE: A UNIQUE CHILDCase Study: Playing with Cardboard Boxes - Natalie CanningIdentifying Unique Qualities in Play - Natalie CanningCelebrating Children′s Play Choices - Natalie CanningIncluding and Enabling All Children as Individuals - Mandy AndrewsPART TWO: POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPSCase Study: Play and Family Support in a Children′s Centre - Rosie WalkerThe Role of Play in Supporting Positive Relationships - Mandy AndrewsParental Partnerships - Michael Reed and Rosie WalkerMaking Connections between Home, the Setting and Key Workers - Sue Callan with Carole Ellis and Helen RichardsPART THREE: ENABLING ENVIRONMENTSCase Study: Using Indoor and Outdoor Spaces - Natalie CanningExploring the Possibilities of the Play Environment - Natalie CanningPlay Environments in Practice - Natalie CanningInspiring Environments for Inspirational Play - Natalie CanningPART FOUR: LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENTCase Study: Going to the Moon - Natalie CanningPlaying and Learning: Ways of Being in Action - Karen ApplebyCreative Play for Flexible Learning - Natalie CanningThe Need to Measure Play? - Natalie CanningConclusion - Natalie Canning

′This book is a well conceived, carefully formulated, coherent and cohesive treatise on different aspects of playful pedagogy. Using the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) as a focus, it challenges practitioners to question the EYFS, but is realistic about the need for practitioners to put play into their practice. Full of useful, practical and theoretical scaffolding for practitioners who want to (and should) play more with children, it covers all the major areas of play′ - Professor Emeritus Janet Moyles, Early Years & Play Consultant