What do thinking skills look like in the early years and how do we go about promoting the cognitive development of our younger learners?
Yeomans, J (2023, March 30). EYFS Thinking Skills. Retrieved from https://www.structural-learning.com/post/eyfs-thinking-skills
Rethinking the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS): putting the foundation back into the early years curriculum.
The first five years of a child's life are a time of rapid change and development. The illustration below shows the large differences in the development of synapses in the developing brain. Synapses are the way in which the neurons in the brain send messages to each other.
These connections are crucial for learning and development and can be affected by factors such as adverse environmental factors such as ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) or genes. Note especially the small difference between the age 2 and adult illustrations.
Source: Urban Child Institute, www.urbanchildinstitute.org
Therefore, what happens in the early years is crucial for later learning and development. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is a wide-ranging curriculum that seeks to support development and learning in the first five years of life. The non-statutory guidance 'Development Matters' includes guidance about creating and thinking critically.
However, when examined in detail, this section of Development Matters has very little to say about how children learn, focussing on task-orientated activities (such as sorting or sharing out strawberries). If we dig a little deeper into the non-statutory guidance, it is possible to find a section that deals with 'observing how children learn'.
This is not part of the statutory framework and can be overlooked. Given the emphasis in the statutory guidance on the products rather than the processes of learning, it is perhaps unsurprising that all too often there is a very narrow focus in the early years curriculum which, in my opinion, is due to an over emphasis on content rather than process.
A consistent feature of my frequent observations in Nurseries and early years settings is that much of the learning is task orientated. An over-emphasis on the early learning goals, which are just one element of the EYFS, is a contributory factor here. Overall, therefore the ‘foundation’ in the EYFS is lacking because children are mostly taught what to learn, not how to learn.
The ‘how’ of learning relates to the cognitive thinking skills that are important for children to develop because these are a foundation for accessing the ‘what’ of learning. The table below suggests some of these cognitive thinking skills.
One important aspect of learning is creative learning, which encourages children to explore and experiment with different ideas and concepts. This type of learning helps children to develop their problem-solving skills, as well as their ability to think outside the box. By developing creative learning environments, children are able to approach tasks and challenges in a more innovative and imaginative way, which can lead to greater success in their future academic and personal endeavors.
The cognitive thinking skills in the table are drawn from the work of Professor Reuven Feuerstein. Feuerstein suggested that cognitive functions, or thinking skills, can be divided into three phases:
Focussed perception: using all the senses to explore and gather information
Exploring a toy using hearing, sight, touch, taste.
Playing reciprocal games where baby/child has to use all senses in order to look and then imitate
Playing and exploring characteristic of effective learning: finding out and exploring
Listening and attention (ELG 01)
Spatial concepts
During outdoor play, running round and round or going up and down
Mathematics development (ELG 12)
Physical development (ELG 04)
Systematic search
Looking carefully at objects and materials in the environment (for example, sand, water)
Playing and exploring characteristic of effective learning: finding out and exploring
Listening and attention (ELG 01)
Labelling
Using labels and language to assist/direct play
Communication and language development (ELG 02)
Mathematics development (ELG 11/12)
Planning
Deciding what to do first, second....etc
Choosing ways to do things and finding new ways (creating and thinking critically)
Need for precision and accuracy
Being skilful in use of tools
Moving and handling (ELG 04)
Cause and effect, logical and inferential thinking
Use of switched toys
Ask ‘what would happen if………..’ questions during play/exploration of materials (what would happen if I put some white paint into the red paint?)
What happens if………..I turn this upside down, put my hand in it, take my socks off
The world (ELG 14)
Literacy development (understanding what is read ELG 09)
Creating and thinking critically (mentions cause and effect)
Using what they know if their play
Comparison
Being able to label and talk about toys and materials being used, using words such as ‘same’, ‘different’
Literacy development (ELG 09/10)
Mathematics development (ELG 11/12)
The world: similarities and differences in relation to places…(ELG 14)
Planning and sequence
Planning play, following a sequence
Role play area play, where play sequences can be demonstrated (making a cup of tea, booking an appointment for the doctor)
Mathematics development (ELG 11)
Language: narrative sequence (ELG 03)
Creating and thinking critically (mentions sequence)
Choosing ways to do things
Categorising
Activities that involve sorting and classifying such as grouping animals in a zoo or farm, sorting out the crayons into colour groups
Finding out and exploring
Mathematics development (ELG 11/12)
Defining the problem
Setting up a problem solving situation: for example, after hearing the Billy Goats Gruff story, think of ways to cross a river, how to cross the bridge without disturbing the troll.
Using what they know in their play
Choosing ways to do things
Language (with increasing precision and accuracy according to age/stage)
Labelling and talking about experiences
Labelling what they have made or done, telling practitioner about what they have made
Communication and language development (ELG 03)
Restraining impulsivity (reducing trial and error behaviour)
Giving time to think about an activity before doing it
Offer choices of toys and materials to promote comparison and encourage thought before choosing
Being involved and concentrating
Managing feelings and behaviour (ELG 07)
Need for precision and accuracy
Dependent on level of motor development, making a precise and accurate imitation
Communication and language development (ELG 03)
There are also a number of behaviours that can affect learning and the use of the above cognitive functions. Feuerstein called these non intellective factors. They include behaviour such as:
How has this skewed approach to learning in the early years happened? I would suggest that it’s because there is too little knowledge about or recognition of the importance of developing children's thinking, reasoning and problem solving skills, what we might call ‘cognitive skills’.
It might be argued that many of these cognitive skills are developed through the rich variety of play activities that are offered in early years settings. However, because many adults in early years settings are not trained in how to support these skills, their emergence is more by chance than due to any structured, intentional input, or shared thinking and problem-solving.
Whilst this might not be an issue for typically developing children, it can leave children with additional needs lagging behind as they are less able to benefit from incidental learning through play and thus are less likely to develop critical thinking skills or creative thinking.
Mediation is an important way of supporting and promoting the development of cognitive thinking silks. This is a very specific and intentional way of developing these skills.
There are specific characteristics of mediation that distinguish it from teaching. The essential characteristics are that the interaction is intentional, responsive to the needs of the child, emphasises meaning (‘we’re doing this because....’) and makes links to past and future problem solving (bridging).
Here are some examples of what these essential characteristics might look like in an interaction with a young child:
Mediation shares some common ground with sustained shared thinking (SST). SST was identified as one of the characteristics of effective pre school learning by a large scale research project. The EPPE (Effective Provision of Pre school Education) project comments:
‘Sustained shared thinking’ occurs when two or more individuals ‘work together’ in an intellectual way to solve a problem, clarify a concept, evaluate an activity, extend a narrative etc. Both parties must contribute to the thinking and it must develop and extend the understanding. It was more likely to occur when children were interacting 1:1 with an adult or with a single peer partner and during focussed group work. In addition to sustained shared thinking, staff engaged in open-ended questioning in the settings where children made the most progress and provided formative feedback to children during activities. Adult ‘modelling’ skills or appropriate behaviour was often combined with sustained periods of shared thinking; open-ended questioning and modelling were also associated with better cognitive achievement.’ (Sylva et al, 2004).
A Cognitive Curriculum for young children (Haywood et al, 1992) is one approach to supporting and promoting cognitive thinking skills. Bright Start is aimed at children aged 3 to 6 years and its focus is on the processes of learning.
In contrast to the EYFS, Bright Start teaches and promotes cognitive thinking skills very explicitly, using mediation. Therefore, the children who are less likely to ‘pick up’ these skills incidentally through play are given enhanced opportunities to develop their critical thinking, reasoning and problem-solving skills. The Bright Start website notes:
‘The primary goal of a cognitive curriculum in EYFS is to "stretch the mind:" to help children understand how they learn and think. It can help them to learn new information, skills and attitudes towards learning.’
This type of approach can be used with both typically developing children and with children who have additional needs. It is delivered to groups of 4 to 6 children for twenty to thirty minutes at least twice a week (daily is preferable).
It is delivered in small groups and focuses on developing thinking skills through various activities and exercises. The curriculum is designed to improve children's problem-solving, decision-making, and creative thinking abilities.
It can therefore be easily fitted into the group time model that is often used in early years settings. Bright Start helps children to:
‘acquire effective tools of systematic, logical thinking, self-regulation, social interaction, and learning. These tools are essential for young children as they enter the early grades (about age 5-6) so that they effectively learn reading, writing, and mathematics, as well as, thinking through and understanding science, social sciences, arts, etc.’.
Bright Start consists of eight Units:
Each Unit consists of up to 20 lessons. All lessons have a consistent structure. Cognitive functions (thinking skills) are identified for every lesson, as well as a rationale.
There is a main activity, sometimes with additional activities that provide some variation. All lessons contain a ‘bridging’ activity or discussion. This final part of the lesson delivers an important characteristic of mediation, where the child is assisted to make links to past and future learning.
Here is an example: In Unit 1, Self Regulation is introduced by playing a game with rules. The bridging activity and discussion is about other games that have rules and why rules are needed for certain activities.
This type of approach actively encourages shared thinking where there is a collaborative approach to learning. It provides opportunities for children to develop and apply problem-solving skills, using a range of learning opportunities and approaches (such as open-ended questions)
In conclusion, the curriculum currently delivered in many early years settings lacks an emphasis on the ‘foundation’ element of the EYFS. It’s a little like building a house without digging the foundations; sooner or later the house will collapse.
Learning without the foundations of cognitive thinking skills is like a house with no foundations. If we give children the foundations for learning by using an explicit cognitive curriculum such as Bright Start then we might help to prevent later learning failure.
Here are five key studies looking at thinking skills in the Early Years Foundation Stage, with a summary of each:
Each of these studies contributes to our understanding of how thinking skills can be developed from a young age, stressing the importance of active learning, social and emotional development, and the strategic use of open-ended questions and exploration to foster cognitive growth.
References
Haywood, H. Carl, Brooks, P. and Burns, S. (1992). Bright Start. Watertown MA, USA: Charlesbridge Publishing. Revised edition 2021 available via https://www.brightstart-ccyc.com
Sylva, K., Melhuish, E., Sammons, P., Siraj, I and Taggart, B. (2004). The Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE) Project: Findings from Pre-school to end of Key Stage1. University of London Institute of Education.
Rethinking the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS): putting the foundation back into the early years curriculum.
The first five years of a child's life are a time of rapid change and development. The illustration below shows the large differences in the development of synapses in the developing brain. Synapses are the way in which the neurons in the brain send messages to each other.
These connections are crucial for learning and development and can be affected by factors such as adverse environmental factors such as ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) or genes. Note especially the small difference between the age 2 and adult illustrations.
Source: Urban Child Institute, www.urbanchildinstitute.org
Therefore, what happens in the early years is crucial for later learning and development. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is a wide-ranging curriculum that seeks to support development and learning in the first five years of life. The non-statutory guidance 'Development Matters' includes guidance about creating and thinking critically.
However, when examined in detail, this section of Development Matters has very little to say about how children learn, focussing on task-orientated activities (such as sorting or sharing out strawberries). If we dig a little deeper into the non-statutory guidance, it is possible to find a section that deals with 'observing how children learn'.
This is not part of the statutory framework and can be overlooked. Given the emphasis in the statutory guidance on the products rather than the processes of learning, it is perhaps unsurprising that all too often there is a very narrow focus in the early years curriculum which, in my opinion, is due to an over emphasis on content rather than process.
A consistent feature of my frequent observations in Nurseries and early years settings is that much of the learning is task orientated. An over-emphasis on the early learning goals, which are just one element of the EYFS, is a contributory factor here. Overall, therefore the ‘foundation’ in the EYFS is lacking because children are mostly taught what to learn, not how to learn.
The ‘how’ of learning relates to the cognitive thinking skills that are important for children to develop because these are a foundation for accessing the ‘what’ of learning. The table below suggests some of these cognitive thinking skills.
One important aspect of learning is creative learning, which encourages children to explore and experiment with different ideas and concepts. This type of learning helps children to develop their problem-solving skills, as well as their ability to think outside the box. By developing creative learning environments, children are able to approach tasks and challenges in a more innovative and imaginative way, which can lead to greater success in their future academic and personal endeavors.
The cognitive thinking skills in the table are drawn from the work of Professor Reuven Feuerstein. Feuerstein suggested that cognitive functions, or thinking skills, can be divided into three phases:
Focussed perception: using all the senses to explore and gather information
Exploring a toy using hearing, sight, touch, taste.
Playing reciprocal games where baby/child has to use all senses in order to look and then imitate
Playing and exploring characteristic of effective learning: finding out and exploring
Listening and attention (ELG 01)
Spatial concepts
During outdoor play, running round and round or going up and down
Mathematics development (ELG 12)
Physical development (ELG 04)
Systematic search
Looking carefully at objects and materials in the environment (for example, sand, water)
Playing and exploring characteristic of effective learning: finding out and exploring
Listening and attention (ELG 01)
Labelling
Using labels and language to assist/direct play
Communication and language development (ELG 02)
Mathematics development (ELG 11/12)
Planning
Deciding what to do first, second....etc
Choosing ways to do things and finding new ways (creating and thinking critically)
Need for precision and accuracy
Being skilful in use of tools
Moving and handling (ELG 04)
Cause and effect, logical and inferential thinking
Use of switched toys
Ask ‘what would happen if………..’ questions during play/exploration of materials (what would happen if I put some white paint into the red paint?)
What happens if………..I turn this upside down, put my hand in it, take my socks off
The world (ELG 14)
Literacy development (understanding what is read ELG 09)
Creating and thinking critically (mentions cause and effect)
Using what they know if their play
Comparison
Being able to label and talk about toys and materials being used, using words such as ‘same’, ‘different’
Literacy development (ELG 09/10)
Mathematics development (ELG 11/12)
The world: similarities and differences in relation to places…(ELG 14)
Planning and sequence
Planning play, following a sequence
Role play area play, where play sequences can be demonstrated (making a cup of tea, booking an appointment for the doctor)
Mathematics development (ELG 11)
Language: narrative sequence (ELG 03)
Creating and thinking critically (mentions sequence)
Choosing ways to do things
Categorising
Activities that involve sorting and classifying such as grouping animals in a zoo or farm, sorting out the crayons into colour groups
Finding out and exploring
Mathematics development (ELG 11/12)
Defining the problem
Setting up a problem solving situation: for example, after hearing the Billy Goats Gruff story, think of ways to cross a river, how to cross the bridge without disturbing the troll.
Using what they know in their play
Choosing ways to do things
Language (with increasing precision and accuracy according to age/stage)
Labelling and talking about experiences
Labelling what they have made or done, telling practitioner about what they have made
Communication and language development (ELG 03)
Restraining impulsivity (reducing trial and error behaviour)
Giving time to think about an activity before doing it
Offer choices of toys and materials to promote comparison and encourage thought before choosing
Being involved and concentrating
Managing feelings and behaviour (ELG 07)
Need for precision and accuracy
Dependent on level of motor development, making a precise and accurate imitation
Communication and language development (ELG 03)
There are also a number of behaviours that can affect learning and the use of the above cognitive functions. Feuerstein called these non intellective factors. They include behaviour such as:
How has this skewed approach to learning in the early years happened? I would suggest that it’s because there is too little knowledge about or recognition of the importance of developing children's thinking, reasoning and problem solving skills, what we might call ‘cognitive skills’.
It might be argued that many of these cognitive skills are developed through the rich variety of play activities that are offered in early years settings. However, because many adults in early years settings are not trained in how to support these skills, their emergence is more by chance than due to any structured, intentional input, or shared thinking and problem-solving.
Whilst this might not be an issue for typically developing children, it can leave children with additional needs lagging behind as they are less able to benefit from incidental learning through play and thus are less likely to develop critical thinking skills or creative thinking.
Mediation is an important way of supporting and promoting the development of cognitive thinking silks. This is a very specific and intentional way of developing these skills.
There are specific characteristics of mediation that distinguish it from teaching. The essential characteristics are that the interaction is intentional, responsive to the needs of the child, emphasises meaning (‘we’re doing this because....’) and makes links to past and future problem solving (bridging).
Here are some examples of what these essential characteristics might look like in an interaction with a young child:
Mediation shares some common ground with sustained shared thinking (SST). SST was identified as one of the characteristics of effective pre school learning by a large scale research project. The EPPE (Effective Provision of Pre school Education) project comments:
‘Sustained shared thinking’ occurs when two or more individuals ‘work together’ in an intellectual way to solve a problem, clarify a concept, evaluate an activity, extend a narrative etc. Both parties must contribute to the thinking and it must develop and extend the understanding. It was more likely to occur when children were interacting 1:1 with an adult or with a single peer partner and during focussed group work. In addition to sustained shared thinking, staff engaged in open-ended questioning in the settings where children made the most progress and provided formative feedback to children during activities. Adult ‘modelling’ skills or appropriate behaviour was often combined with sustained periods of shared thinking; open-ended questioning and modelling were also associated with better cognitive achievement.’ (Sylva et al, 2004).
A Cognitive Curriculum for young children (Haywood et al, 1992) is one approach to supporting and promoting cognitive thinking skills. Bright Start is aimed at children aged 3 to 6 years and its focus is on the processes of learning.
In contrast to the EYFS, Bright Start teaches and promotes cognitive thinking skills very explicitly, using mediation. Therefore, the children who are less likely to ‘pick up’ these skills incidentally through play are given enhanced opportunities to develop their critical thinking, reasoning and problem-solving skills. The Bright Start website notes:
‘The primary goal of a cognitive curriculum in EYFS is to "stretch the mind:" to help children understand how they learn and think. It can help them to learn new information, skills and attitudes towards learning.’
This type of approach can be used with both typically developing children and with children who have additional needs. It is delivered to groups of 4 to 6 children for twenty to thirty minutes at least twice a week (daily is preferable).
It is delivered in small groups and focuses on developing thinking skills through various activities and exercises. The curriculum is designed to improve children's problem-solving, decision-making, and creative thinking abilities.
It can therefore be easily fitted into the group time model that is often used in early years settings. Bright Start helps children to:
‘acquire effective tools of systematic, logical thinking, self-regulation, social interaction, and learning. These tools are essential for young children as they enter the early grades (about age 5-6) so that they effectively learn reading, writing, and mathematics, as well as, thinking through and understanding science, social sciences, arts, etc.’.
Bright Start consists of eight Units:
Each Unit consists of up to 20 lessons. All lessons have a consistent structure. Cognitive functions (thinking skills) are identified for every lesson, as well as a rationale.
There is a main activity, sometimes with additional activities that provide some variation. All lessons contain a ‘bridging’ activity or discussion. This final part of the lesson delivers an important characteristic of mediation, where the child is assisted to make links to past and future learning.
Here is an example: In Unit 1, Self Regulation is introduced by playing a game with rules. The bridging activity and discussion is about other games that have rules and why rules are needed for certain activities.
This type of approach actively encourages shared thinking where there is a collaborative approach to learning. It provides opportunities for children to develop and apply problem-solving skills, using a range of learning opportunities and approaches (such as open-ended questions)
In conclusion, the curriculum currently delivered in many early years settings lacks an emphasis on the ‘foundation’ element of the EYFS. It’s a little like building a house without digging the foundations; sooner or later the house will collapse.
Learning without the foundations of cognitive thinking skills is like a house with no foundations. If we give children the foundations for learning by using an explicit cognitive curriculum such as Bright Start then we might help to prevent later learning failure.
Here are five key studies looking at thinking skills in the Early Years Foundation Stage, with a summary of each:
Each of these studies contributes to our understanding of how thinking skills can be developed from a young age, stressing the importance of active learning, social and emotional development, and the strategic use of open-ended questions and exploration to foster cognitive growth.
References
Haywood, H. Carl, Brooks, P. and Burns, S. (1992). Bright Start. Watertown MA, USA: Charlesbridge Publishing. Revised edition 2021 available via https://www.brightstart-ccyc.com
Sylva, K., Melhuish, E., Sammons, P., Siraj, I and Taggart, B. (2004). The Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE) Project: Findings from Pre-school to end of Key Stage1. University of London Institute of Education.
