Key takeaways:

- Alistair’s Advocacy for Play-Based Learning: Alistair Bryce-Clegg, a former head teacher and speaker, promotes play-based, child-led learning via abcdoes.com, aligning with Tales Toolkit’s ethos. He emphasizes creativity, language development, and wellbeing, using open-ended resources to foster engagement over rigid assessments.

- Settling-In and Wellbeing Focus: At the start of the school year, Alistair prioritizes children’s wellbeing over immediate assessments, advocating for a welcoming environment to build confidence. He uses tools like Leuven Scales to track wellbeing and involvement, delaying formal assessments until children are settled for accurate results.

- Environment as a Learning Tool: He distinguishes between assessing within an environment and creating an environment for assessment, recommending basic provision initially (broad, age-appropriate resources) that evolves into continuous provision tailored to children’s developmental needs and interests, avoiding over-themed setups that limit imagination.

- Skill-Based Provision and Common Play Behaviors: Alistair emphasizes skill development (e.g., pouring, rolling) through continuous provision, analyzing common play behaviors to provide resources that challenge and advance skills, rather than repetitive, low-level tasks. Open-ended resources allow children to interpret play based on their interests.

- Sustained Shared Thinking: Drawing from his work on *Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds*, Alistair highlights the impact of prolonged adult-child interactions, fostering imagination, language, and empathy. He encourages incorporating time for sustained shared talk and thinking, even in busy settings.

- Observations with Purpose: He advises against rote observations, promoting purposeful ones like contextual “learning stories” (e.g., letters to children) that document progress meaningfully. Observations should inform next steps, not just fill folders, and excessive photo-taking should be avoided unless actionable.

- Balancing Play and Formal Expectations: For settings with rigid timetables, Alistair suggests using research (e.g., Upstart Scotland’s resources) to advocate for play-based learning, distinguishing it from free play. Connecting with other play-focused settings can persuade hesitant leaders by sharing successful journeys.

- Resources and Support: Alistair recommends his books *Continuous Provision in the Early Years* and *Continuous Provision: The Skills*, alongside his blog (abcdoes.com), for practical guidance on skill-based, play-focused environments. He encourages emailing him for tailored research or support.

‍