Inspiring creativity and critical thinking through foundational STEAM experiences in the Early Years
How to ensure progression and learning across the curriculum through authentic experiences.
STEAM is a powerful vehicle for helping children to gain content knowledge and skills in the different areas of learning and development, and to develop characteristics of effective learners. In settings that embrace a developmentally appropriate STEAM approach it is ongoing and embedded in play, exploration, curiosity, observation, and questioning. It builds crucial skills for learning and life, in particular critical thinking, and creativity.
However, it can be hard to interpret what STEAM can look like for younger children, and how to effectively implement, manage, resource, and extend it.
In this session I will show how many early years practitioners already provide a range of STEAM experiences such as woodwork, cooking and constructing without always being aware of the potential of these for greater stretch and extension. I will show how to grow these to become more meaningful and challenging and to ensure progression within them.
Delegates will leave feeling inspired and informed as to how they can make STEAM work in their setting.
During this session, I will focus on:
- Focus on STEAM in its broadest and simplest sense taking inspiration from Froebel, Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and Planning in the Moment
- Interpret how this can look for young children from 3 years plus, by showing how to build in foundational STEAM experiences.
- Show how this approach can impact positively on outcomes for children across the curriculum and beyond traditional STEAM areas.
- Highlight the great boost that real world STEAM experiences can give children’s language development, physical development, and social and emotional development.
- Focus on progression in knowledge and skills within the different STEAM experiences from nursery to KS1.
- Explore a possible working model for developing a sequenced STEAM curriculum.
- Use real examples from schools and settings to explore what STEAM can look like, particularly focusing on the child’s ideas and autonomy.
KEY INFORMATION
Target audience: All those working with young children from 3-6 years old
Date: Tues January 16th 2024
Time: 4pm – 6pm
Individual ticket: £30 per delegate
Team Pass (up to 10 delegates in the same setting or school): £120
Recording will be made available to all who book tickets. You will also receive a certificate of participation.
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About Me
33 years ago I started work as a pre-school assistant in Norfolk and went on to teach and lead in London schools. I worked as an early years advisor for Lewisham local authority in London and went on to strategically lead the service. I now work nationally and internationally as a trainer, conference speaker and consultant.
I’ve spent the majority of my career working with leaders and managers in schools and settings, providing them with the support and challenge needed to effectively lead and sustain improvements in play-based learning.
As well as supporting at local authority and leadership level, I spend a significant proportion of my time working directly with practitioners in schools, day-care and pre-schools. This hands-on, current experience is key to ensuring that I retain a deep understanding of the reality, challenges and rewards of working with young children and their families. My work involves sharing what I have learnt about play and the difference it can make to children’s outcomes, and helping schools and settings to ensure that children are enabled to learn in as joyful, inspiring and memorable ways as possible.
In response to Covid, I created an EYS online professional learning platform called ‘The Place to Learn’. This is a subscription-based service which provides excellent value, on demand access to my entire collection of training courses for whole teams. Specific modules or whole courses are also now available to purchase separately for both individuals and teams.
To find out more please go to www.kymscottconsultancy.com or email [email protected]
