Early Years

To read some of Michael’s articles click the links below.

Date Publication Title Description
2009
June/July Special Children Signing Success Does signing with your baby help? A review of the debate and details of how signing is used successfully with young children in a Children’s Centre.
October Special Children Lost for words What is stammering and how can we help?
December Early Years Educator Are You Looking at Me? The importance of non-verbal communication for language development.
2010
January Nursery World Attention Seeking How to sustain and develop children’s involvement and language in a busy Early Years setting.
May Early Years Educator Interesting Vocabulary How young children can learn new ideas and vocabulary very quickly.
June Nursery World Marking Time Linking mark making, construction and role play outdoors.
July Early Years Educator Pack away the daytime Meeting the challenge of working in a ‘pack away’ setting.
June/July Special Children On Your Marks! The importance of mark making and movement in learning to write.
August Nursery World Sign Posting How using sign language with hearing children can help their vocabulary development and storytelling skills.
September Nursery Education Plus Reading, writing and ‘children’s culture’ Developing children’s language and early writing through comics.
September Nursery World Time To Chat An approach to building the confidence of quiet children in early years settings.
November Nursery World It’s Fantastic A description of an innovative project to develop children’s imaginative play and language using small fantasy figurines.
November Nursery World Our world, our story A highly imaginative approach to developing children’s language, role-play and storytelling.
December Nursery World Back to front How to involve children in stories by sharing related activities first.
2011
February Nursery World It’s not a box! How cardboard boxes are brilliant for every area of learning!
March Nursery World Come on in! How to give your book area a ‘makeover’ so that children and adults can have the best space to share books and conversation.
April Child Care The great sock challenge Childminders having fun with socks, to develop language and communication.
May Nursery World Out of the box Projects with shoe boxes, to develop language and wellbeing.
June Bulletin Talking inside the box Reflections on three years of the ECaT project.
August Nursery World Premier League Playing football can offer children a chance to develop language and role play and help them express their identity.
2012
January Nursery World Super boys and super girls Exploring boy’s and girls’ reactions to superhero play, and its links to the development of imaginative language.
February Early Years Educator Baby Room Brilliance What is best for babies in day care settings?
March Early Years Educator Successful Additions Using British Sign language with hearing children, to promote understanding and use of maths vocabulary.
April Nursery World With a Bang! Children exploring music, social skills and language through adult led and spontaneous percussion sessions.
August Early Years Educator No pressure to speak Supporting children with shyness and selective mutism in early years settings.
August Nursery World Keep on talking How ECaT has been continued in Hampshire, and it’s impact on a ‘packaway’ setting in Aldershot.
September Early Years Educator Building blocks to literacy Using wooden blocks to develop storytelling and writing
2013
July Early Years Educator Building conversations Using wooden blocks and natural materials to develop children’s narrative development, conversation and social skills.
August Early Years Educator Effective talk with babies How ‘being in the moment’ can enhance babies’ communication.
November Early Years Educator How a Child Learns to Talk Exploring the main theories of language development, and their practical applications
December Early Years Educator Are You Looking at Me? The importance of non-verbal communication for language development.
2014
January Early Years Educator Dances of Conversation How early interactions between adults and babies using ‘Parentese’ lay the foundations for children’s social use of language
February Early Years Educator Universal baby sounds How important is cooing and babbling for later language development, and how big a role to adult interactions play?
March Early Years Educator The power of pointing The reasons why babies and toddlers point and the role this plays in moving them towards using first words.
March Nursery World In the Moment How to engage young children in meaningful talk in busy settings
April Early Years Educator Getting to First Words How we can help toddlers establish their first words
May Early Years Educator When Words Combine Supporting children with using two word phrases
September Early Years Educator Play, gender and talk Are boys and girls different in the ways they learn to talk?
October Early Years Educator Conversation starters How to have a rewarding conversation with young children and those with speech and language delay
2015
February Nursery Management Today Mind Your Language! How what we say to children has an immediate impact on their behaviour.
February Teach Nursery Get Them Moving! Using ‘Write Dance’ to link music, movement, language and handwriting skills.
September Journal of Health Visiting Helping parents support their baby’s early communication and language
2016
May Early Years Educator Focus of your attention Developing Sustained Shared Thinking in busy settings.
June Early Years Educator No mystery to mark making Why everyone in the setting should be clear about mark making.
June Teach Early Years Up for discussion Sharing ideas with young children.
October Teach primary 3-7 Up for discussion Sharing ideas with young children.
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