Early years pedagogy

What is early years pedagogy?

When we talk about pedagogy in the early years, we mean how we teach, or all the things that adults do to foster children’s learning and development.  It covers a broad range of actions and activities, as the following quote illustrates:

Teaching in the early years should not be taken to imply a “top down” or formal way of working. It is a broad term that covers the many different ways in which adults help young children learn. It includes their interactions with children during planned and child-initiated play and activities, communicating and modelling language, showing, explaining, demonstrating, exploring ideas, encouraging, questioning, recalling, providing a narrative for what they are doing, facilitating and setting challenges. It takes account of the equipment that adults provide and the attention given to the physical environment, as well as the structure and routines of the day that establish expectations. Integral to teaching is how practitioners assess what children know, understand and can do, as well as taking account of their interests and dispositions to learn (characteristics of effective learning), and how practitioners use this information to plan children’s next steps in learning and to monitor their progress.

The role of the adult is crucial, and their ability to establish positive relationships with children:

Warm, trusting relationships with knowledgeable adults support children’s learning more effectively than any amount of resources. Follow the child’s lead to the meeting of minds. Tuning in, observing and wondering come first. A knowledgeable practitioner can decide when to stand back, when to interact, and what to offer the child. Learning together with adults and with other children is important across all contexts.

Observation, assessment and planning are at the core of effective early years pedagogy.

early years pedagogy
Diagram from Realising the Ambition: Being Me (Education Scotland, 2020)

Find out more

For a more in depth exploration of aspects of early years pedagogy, you can: 

Become a member

To receive our termly Early Education Journal, with each issue focusing on an aspect of early years pedagogy

Find out more

Professional learning

Join one of our courses or events to learn more about early years pedagogy

Find a course

Articles about early years pedagogy

Picture books

The power of picture books How wonderful it is to enjoy children’s picture books and escape into their imaginative worlds reading them aloud with children.

Read More »

Reggio Emilia

Last updated Spring 2018. The preschools of the Reggio Emilia in Northern Italy inspire us with their pedagogy and practice in giving children rich encounters

Read More »

Settling children

Healthy settling for high wellbeing How can we best help children feel at ease so that they are secure and settled in their new provision?

Read More »

Transitions

This page was written following our Community of practice about transitions. We had a lot of sharing and questioning about this and so we thought we

Read More »

Additional resources and toolkits

SPACE to Flourish

Find resources from our ongoing project Supporting Pedagogy, Arts and Creativity Everywhere

Outdoors and Active

Handbook from a project supporting childminders, practitioners and parents to get children outdoors and active, commissioned by London Borough of Newham from Early Education and Learning Through Landscapes.

Child-Centred Competences for Early Childhood Education and Care

An e-book produced with a group of partners across Europe, funded through the Erasmus+ programme.

Using Early Years Pupil Premium effectively

Handbook from a DfE-funded project to support effective use of Early Years Pupil Premium.

Exploring the Wider World

Handbook from a project commissioned by Stoke-on-Trent Opportunity Area to support practitioners in building children's understanding of the World

Podcasts

PedPods

Welcome to our Early Education Pedagogic Podcasts (PedPods) featuring pedagogical conversations with early years leaders, teachers and trainers. All our podcasts are available to download for free.