EYFS is in the spotlight at the moment and there is plenty of discussion around the extent to which we should let nature or nurture dominate a pre-school and reception year child’s early academic and social life. Most are in the nature camp with their commitment to choice, play-based provision as the ideal way for children to learn, whereas I’m in the nurture camp with a belief that if a child does not know (how to do) something that the majority can do, it’s because it needs to be taught or modeled in a friendly and no-nonsense way and then for that knowledge to be embedded via plenty of practice/experience. Of course, I then have to defend myself when experts assume practice = sitting down all day writing. When analysing this difference in opinion, the main issue does seem to come down to the concept of practice to automaticity and…
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