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New materials which will help embed Curriculum for Excellence, Scotland's new approach to learning and teaching, in nurseries and pre-schools were announced today.

Children's Minister Adam Ingram revealed that a new DVD training resource - Curriculum for Excellence, Supporting the Early Level - will be produced in the autumn to help those working with Scotland's youngest learners apply the new approach.

Mr Ingram, who made the announcement at The Early Years Framework - Putting the Vision into Action conference in Glasgow today, said:

"This government recognises that the early years represent a golden opportunity, when action taken has the biggest influence on chances throughout a person's life.

"That's why we're driving forward with an unprecedented focus in this area, intervening early to tackle the big social issues facing Scotland like deprivation and lack of opportunity through the Early Years Framework.

"We are continuing this focus as we move to implement Curriculum for Excellence, the new approach coming into Scotland's classrooms which will help fully prepare our young people for life in the 21st Century through active teaching and learning that meets their needs in a modern, dynamic world.

"By ensuring the values, purposes and principles of Curriculum for Excellence are embedded as early as possible we can help children get the best start to their education and improve their chances of future success."

The DVD - to be made available to every pre-school and primary setting in the autumn - covers areas such as learning and teaching, improving transitions and involving parents. It will provide training and discussion materials that will help early years practitioners and teachers embed Curriculum for Excellence.

The Curriculum for Excellence guidance, known as Experiences and Outcomes, was published in April. The new approach puts literacy and numeracy at its heart with all teachers equally responsible for teaching and an emphasis on cross-curricular teaching.

The teaching guidance outlines from the perspective of a child or young person what they expect to have learned at appropriate stages in their education. These will guide teachers in their lesson planning.

The Scottish Government has provided local authorities with £17.8 million to prepare for Curriculum for Excellence: £2.8 million in 2005-6, £5.4 million in 2006-7 and £5.6 million in 2007-8 to prepare for Curriculum for Excellence and £4 million for 100 extra teachers.

The Scottish Government and COSLA launched the transformational Early Years Framework - to improve the life chances of Scotland's children and tackle inequalities by targeting the early years - in December.

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