Child Initiated Learning | Moorwell Miracles

Child-Initiated Learning

At Moorwell Miracles Nursery, we believe children should be children for as long as possible because they have many years of more structured teaching ahead of them. Our commitment to supporting children’s well-being and involvement has led us to elect a very child-led, spontaneous approach to routine. We focus on having a setting where all children feel secure and engaged in what they are doing.

Play is a fantastic outlet for creativity, problem solving, social interaction etc. so we aim to provide a wide variety of play experiences and materials through which the children can try new things, experiment, ask questions, talk to each other, sing, dance, get messy, explore, and listen. When children are deeply engaged their brains are developing new synapses, creating memory. These memories play an important role in a child’s learning and development.

Play is child-led so every child can choose their own learning pathway in line with their individual likes and interests. Practitioners extend a child’s learning experience using spontaneous planning linked to children’s interests ‘in the moment’. This creates a calm, relaxed environment for children to become deeply engaged in their choice of activity, progressing their learning and development.

We believe that children are active agents in shaping their own development, they are not simply blank slates who passively and unthinkingly respond to whatever the environment offers them. They have their own thoughts and motives so we give them the opportunities to choose their own activities, play and relationships. As practitioners, our role is to provide the resources needed for play and exploration, and to facilitate learning by listening and being intuitive to the children’s needs and wants. We do this through observation, carefully planned interactions and using consistent boundaries for the children to follow.

Well-Being plays a crucial part in a child's intellectual and mental health. We use well-being and involvement scales to ensure that all children are happy at nursery and are focused, engaged and interested in their activities. This allows them to feel secure in their learning.