TEY 13.2

KATHERINE COOLING-SMITH IS AN AWARD-WINNING CHILDMINDER WORKING IN ESSEX Packing the day with planned activities can negatively affect children’s learning – there’s a better way, says Katherine Cooling-Smith … 5 ways a slow pedagogy improved my practice Childrenwill meet their milestones whether we pack learning in or take it slowly W hat if we took a step back and made a conscious decision to strip out our pre- planning? What if instead we created an environment filled with rich resources that met our children’s developmental needs holistically? And, what if we spent time out in nature, following the intrigues and interests of the children without any rushed time constraints? This might feel quite daunting and like we aren’t “doing enough”; however, cramming in activities to evidence teaching often negatively impacts learning. Rushed sessions or moving quickly from topic to topic can be overwhelming and doesn’t always offer children the optimal conditions for embedding new knowledge and skills. Over the last couple of years, I have made the move towards a slow pedagogy, and in doing so have levelled up my provision. Here are five ways it has improved my practice… 1. Embracing simplicity Deeper opportunities for emotional and cognitive connection lead to empowered children who love to learn… While meandering along the Essex Way on a warm morning back in May, my three-year-olds shot off to splash through a long, shallow puddle they’d spotted just ahead. Backwards and forwards they ran until I caught them up with my two-year-old, who had fallen behind after stopping to study paint, revisiting the rock-splashing experiment, exploring the hedgerows, building a bridge for ants, and attempting to skim flat stones, before finally settling down on the bank to read some nature books. Our morning had begun with no set plans, bar the children asking to visit the horses at the stables. It had taken us an hour to reach the puddle after pausing with a snack to watch two pigeons building a nest. The return journey was no different: more ladybirds were carefully studied, strange bugs were Googled, and our nature books were used again to identify the clouds we could see high above us. It would be a further two hours before we finally made it back to the setting. In one wonderfully unhurried, unplanned morning led by a small group of preschoolers, we had effortlessly covered all areas of learning and supported everyone’s next steps. On paper, that might feel far too simple, but simplicity is exactly what I strive for now. The complexity and meaningful learning opportunities come from what I as the educator add in the moment. It’s the skill of standing back and letting children notice, explore, and test for themselves before stepping in at just the right moment to add opportunities for them to take it further. 2. Teachable moments I’ve gained greater confidence in my role as a mindful educator… a ladybird sunning itself on a leaf – a moment quietly shared between the two of us. Setting our bags down, I observed as all three delighted in running, jumping, and dancing in the water, until my littlest decided very abruptly to sit himself down right in the middle of it. I watched as he swished his legs from side to side, feeling the force of the water as he displaced it with his movements. I could see that he was noticing that smaller movements made little ripples, while bigger movements made larger waves. I then watched as his attention turned to a big stone. Picking it up carefully with two hands, he noticed that his wet fingers made some striking marks on its dusty surface. My other two were occupied carrying and dropping large rocks from a height, exclaiming that the bigger they were, the larger the splash! I pulled out some watercolour palettes from our rucksack, and for the next few hours we stayed where we were, mark making with water and 32 Teachearlyyears.com