David Cahn

I am going to be a childminder, hopefully this fall. I am aiming to make a place for children (and their families) whose "behaviour" is too often talked about with families at pick up time.

Are you interested in becoming a Speech Bubbles drama practitioner? If so, please email info@speechbubbles.org.uk for an application pack. We are particularly interested in hearing from people with global majority background and with lived experiences of communication needs.

Today's successful strike action at Orchard Day Nursery led to the closure of the setting to all parents and children with almost 100% of the workforce withdrawing their labour

Thanks to all the parents and children of Orchard Day Nursery who took the time to express their support and solidarity to our members A special thanks goes out to those who took the time to visit the picket line and the many who brought biscuits, drinks, and sweets ❤️

Members at Orchard Day Nursery are gearing up for a further 2 days of action next week Join them on the planned picket lines Tuesday 21st March from 7am Thursday 23rd March from 7am #solidarity @unisontheunion @NorthWestUNISON @The_TUC @TUCNorthWest @LivEchonews @BBCNWT

I have to be honest and say the past 2 years spent campaigning to stop these ratio changes and for the government to announce in January they had cancelled the plans and now for them to be just announced as if it was something brilliant the government have come up with to cure the cost of living crisis when actually it puts children at significant risk with less eyes per child during vital time such as feeding, playing and throughout their development. The government sadly or run a mile of any accountability when something goes wrong in the future involving safeguarding and a child in the early years sector. I hope and Pray that not a single setting besides to actually lower their ratios going forward because the accountability lays fully at your own doors. I am so sorry to everyone that our campaign has just been totally ignored by the government. They have failed to release any of the consultation documentation from last year ear because I'm pretty sure it only shows that the sector does not want these changes and will not take up these changes put the government have just gone ahead with it anyway. Sorry 💙

@CathyEarlyYears @beckycarlzon @DrRLofthouse @JGjanegreen @PookyH @eyfs4m @taniachoud @co_productive Thank you kindly but I'm honestly an awful speaker! I would recommend @WFarahslt though.

@beckycarlzon Me 😊 and @DrRLofthouse on #AttunedTeaching approaches Just presenting on this tomorrow. + @JGjanegreen @PookyH @eyfs4m @taniachoud @co_productive @DavidN_Cahn For starters…

@SkyNews Unless this is actually properly funded this will do zero for families. Increasing ratios of children with adults isn't going to lower costs and it's going to make quality care and learning even harder to happen.

BREAKING: The chancellor will promise to provide 30 hours of childcare a week to parents of one and two-year-olds, Sky News has learned news.sky.com/story/budget-2…

the amazing @mildredboveda has a doctoral student who is expanding this study to the UK. 👇🏿👇🏿👇🏿

@CWPT_CovKidsSLT Hey is there any chance you know of any right on, switched on about gestalt stuff, NHS SLTs in Leeds?

How can we identify children who are Gestalt Language Processors? Here is a handy summary of some of the most common signs. #GestaltLanguage #NeurodiversityAffirming

@WheelieMrW Ed Emberly drawing book?

EYFS folk and parents - what do I want to get as a birthday present for a kid who’s turning four? Preferably arts and crafts related, and definitely not glitter because I actually like their parents and want to stay friends 😂

Over the years I've seen some great writing from autistic and other neurodivergent people writing about their play as children. Can anyone link to any of these? Has anyone made a collection of these somewhere? They are important.

Just wrote my first 2 year old check report as a childminder. It felt great not using a template that grades someone's young child against a single (racist, ableist) standard of measurement.

@speechieHayley @eyfs4m @WFarahslt @DivergentSLT I'm a childminder and looking for someone neurodiversity affirming to possibly refer families to.

@DavidN_Cahn @eyfs4m @WFarahslt @DivergentSLT I work in Leeds, what sort of help do you need?

Coming back because I could use some help finding any neurodiversity affirming paediatric occupational/physical/speech and language therapists in or near Leeds? Hopefully ones who work with younger children. @eyfs4m @WFarahslt @DivergentSLT

A thread about the Policy Exchange's report into the Trojan Horse Affair. (Please RT and Like: especially those who didn't make the Policy Exchange's McCarthy-esque list of tweeters who praised the podcast series.)

@PACEYchildcare @ClaireCoutinho What exactly is she doing for anyone - educators, families or children - in early years education?

Like other types of early years and childcare provider, childminders provide a professional and enriching learning environment for children. Thank you @ClaireCoutinho for championing their role 👏🌟 #notababysitter #childcarechampions

@ClaireCoutinho Yeah and how many childminders are leaving the field because DfE funding rates are literally not enough for them to run? You have families paying some of the highest fees in the world and an accelerating EYs staffing crisis. Congratulations

Postboxes, bananas and zoo animals. This morning I went to see a wonderful childminder on the job. It was a good reminder of how hard but rewarding the job is and why childminders get such good results for their children they look after.🦒

Ofsted, still perpetuating standard language ideology in November 2022. Report from an Early Years setting: "Staff model correct language... and they expect the children to use that language. As a result, children are confident and articulate in talking to each other and adults".

Among the other findings that interested me was the fact that “word of mouth” remains the dominant determinant in picking schools, higher even than Ofsted and much, much higher than Sat scores, which barely register 9/

Our cat Steven has been truly going above and beyond with a variety of new humans coming into our house. He is like a childminding cheat code!