Hosted by Debi Keyte-Hartland, this webinar will look at how to support children's working theories, enabling them to think creatively and critically.

This two-part course will consider three questions:

• How to develop an enabling and engaging environment in which to build learning around children’s working theories?

Birth to 5 Matters considers how working theories are the ways in which children think about, enquire into and make meaning about their worlds as they attempt to make connections between prior and new experiences and understandings. But what are the practical ways of supporting children to develop understanding in this way? And what does making connections look like when observing and interacting? To be able to support and develop children’s working theories both inside and outside, what is it that is needed to be able notice and observe, to be able to assess and to plan for its development?

• How to support children to think in creative and critical ways?

Creativity and the ability to think critically are important life skills for all children growing up in a uncertain and challenging future. So how to best practically support the youngest children to demonstrate their creativity and critical thinking and skills? What should practitioners be looking for, what creative qualities and characteristics are involved in creativity and critical thinking? Knowing this will enables delegates to be able and more effectively plan and amplify the possibilities for it to develop and grow in children. In knowing exactly what to observe and how to interact to better ensure that curriculum planning promotes the development of these important characteristics of both learning and teaching.

• How to support children’s creativity and critical thinking across the areas of learning?

When learning and development in the early years is neither developed or planned for as separate or disconnected areas, subjects or disciplines, how then, can practitioners understand and work with children working theories, through the development of their creative and critical thinking across all areas of learning. In learning how children learn in playful, exciting and engaging ways that are meaningful and rich in agency of and for the children, then delegates can see and be more and thus develop more strongly their articulation of the knowledge of the children, how to know the understanding of children and what to do next to support the growth and development of children’s thinking and being in the world in creative ways that are underpinned with critical awareness and evaluation, where to also value others perspectives, other ways of doing things, and other ways of relating to the world that recognises diversity and inclusion as they build stronger, richer and more sustainable relations to the world, its people, and resources.

The webinar will take place over two sessions as follows:
• Session 1: 10th May, 4pm-5.30pm
• Session 2: 17th May, 4pm-5.30pm.