Encouraging Physical Development Through Movement-Play

Movement-play, put simply, is encouraging physical activity in a child-led manner for the benefit of children′s health, learning and wellbeing. This book looks at the theory behind the importance of movement and:

• how movement play links with all the areas of early childhood development
• physical activity guidelines for young children
• practical advice and photos to support implementation in settings
• how to assess your own setting
• how to best work with parents on this topic
• comprehensive guidance on writing a physical development policy

The early years is one of the critical periods in the establishment of physical behaviours and physical development is also one of the prime areas of the EYFS as well as other, global, curricula.  A must-read for students on Early Childhood and Early Years courses and Early Years practitioners to improve their practice and understanding of psychical development for the benefit of young children. 

Carol Archer has taught in early childhood education and primary schools for over two decades and is currently an advisory teacher for the Integrated Early Years Service in the London Borough of Camden. She also works as a movement-play practitioner/consultant in other education authorities. She finished her Masters Degree at the Institute of Education, University of London on Early Years Education in 2011; and recently published a paper with Iram Siraj on ‘Measuring the quality of movement-play in Early Childhood Education settings’ in the European Early Childhood Education Research Journal.  She is passionate about promoting physical development through movement-play for all young children from birth to 6 years of age in this under researched, under theorised & under practiced area of learning.

Iram Siraj is Professor of Child Development & Education at the University of Oxford. She is Adjunct Professor at the University of Stavanger, Norway, and Visiting Professor at University College London and the University of Wollongong, Australia. Iram’s research projects have included leading on the Evaluation of the Foundation Phase across Wales and she is  a principal investigator of the major DfE 17 -year study on Effective Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education (EPPSE 3-16, 1997-2014) and of the influential Researching Effective Pedagogy in the Early Years project (REPEY). She has led on longitudinal studies/RCTs as a principal investigator in a number of countries including the UK, Australia and Ireland. She is specialist adviser to the House of Commons Select Committee on early education and has undertaken reviews of the Foundation Phase for the Welsh Govt. and of the workforce for the Scottish Govt. She has published widely.