The Early Years and Key Stage 1: 4-8 year olds

For practitioners working with 4- to 8-year-olds, there are many aspects of learning and development that need to be considered. This chapter highlights four of these aspects that we consider important for supporting children, namely relationships, interactions, transition and responding to events in children’s lives such as the recent Covid-19 pandemic. We discuss practitioner relationships and interactions with children and how positive relationships between children, including the development of friendships, can be supported. As children move from one setting to another, these relationships and interactions are vital in helping them to make positive transitions. For some children, transitions and relationships are more challenging, and this chapter encourages you to consider individual needs, as illustrated in the case studies. Relationships, interactions, transitions and key events will all be explored within a culture of inclusivity that considers the needs of individual children and families.