The experiences we offer in the early years should be hands -on, purposeful and meaningful to the child. They should encourage children’s independence, and offer risk, challenge and opportunities to experience success along the learning journey. They should be rooted in real-life, authentic contexts, to engage children in deep levels of involvement and long periods of uninterrupted active learning. Experiences can include children’s own choices or emerge from local or current interests. They should support holistic child development, helping children to make connections across their learning experiences. There should be plenty of opportunities in our settings for children to return to experiences, to revisit and consolidate their learning. As they begin to attribute meaning to their marks, children should have a variety of opportunities to experiment with a range of mark -making instruments and materials. These experiences help young children to notice and develop their understanding of symbolic representation using objects, pictures and symbols. They support young children to recognise that marks, signs and symbols carry meaning.
