Helping Every Child to Thrive in the Early Years: How to Overcome the Effect of Disadvantage

Maureen Hunt

Jun 2022 · Routledge

About this ebook

Helping Every Child to Thrive in the Early Years shows how a personalised and relationship-based approach to education and care can help overcome the ‘disadvantage gap’ in the early years. It examines the challenges that children from disadvantaged backgrounds face and looks at what settings and practitioners can do to enable every child to succeed.

Drawing on the latest research and using the insight gained from many years of working in early education the book considers the impact that disadvantage can have on children’s development and argues that building strong relationships with children and families is key to closing the gap.

Chapters cover:

• The different kinds and effects of disadvantage
• The importance of having a clear vision and shared values
• The culture of early years and how it has shaped practice
• Developing strong parent partnerships
• Supporting children with additional needs
• Smooth transitions

Full of practical advice and supporting anecdotes and case studies, this is essential reading for early years practitioners, setting managers and teachers working with children in Reception and KS1.

About the author

Maureen Hunt taught for 22 years in Nursery and Infant Schools across Southampton. She went on to work for Action for Children (now NCH) and then as a Regional Lead for Cornwall LA Children’s Services. In 2013 Maureen was appointed as Head of Early Years at Achievement for All and developed an award-winning national programme to support Early Years settings to improve outcomes for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children.

Maureen is currently working as an Independent Education Consultant specialising in Early Years and Primary Education.