ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with the teachers’ approaches and philosophies, and how they resourced their teaching. Teachers’ anxiety to compensate for what they saw as deficiencies in the children’s backgrounds seemed to leave out of account the strengths and advantages that lay in those backgrounds, and ran the danger of marginalising cultural and linguistic relevance. The materials teachers used influenced children’s ability to make sense of new knowledge. At Bridge, the play curriculum included activities involving books, home comer, cookery, music, clay, painting, writing, sand, water, wooden bricks, and in the outdoor area wheeled toys, climbing equipment and gardening. Resourcing at Westside was similarly a high priority throughout the school, not only in terms of materials used in lessons but also of creating a comfortable atmosphere for children and staff to work in, which Chris thought of vital importance. Physical resources in the two nurseries similarly provided for comfortable areas in which children could play and work.
