Staff promotes learning by being well organized, each member of staff has a set responsibility and work on a rota system. All the equipment and resources are at child level and nearly everything has label or has a picture for where things belong. They follow a self tidy up rule which the parents are asked to implement at home also. The teacher ensures in her planning that all six areas of learning are covered throughout all activities which I will discuss in more depth; this includes outdoor play which is also specially planned for. “Well-planned play, both indoors and outdoors, is a key way in which young children learn with enjoyment and challenge.” (DfEE/QCA, 2000:25) Resources are brightly coloured and are in interesting, familiar shapes. The home corner is quite realistic and the children role play ‘families’ thus developing communication, sharing and turn-taking skills. I also observed that each area for learning e.g. the sand area, are set separately, with at least 100cm between them. I believe this is a good strategy as the children are less distracted when working/playing and finished what they were doing instead of leaving things half done.
Mathematical development is promoted through nearly all activities. In the wet sand area the children can choose different sized buckets and a variety of spades. They often talked about making bigger sand castles and were beginning to use simple mathematical vocabulary such as bigger, smaller, more than, take away. The water area promotes mathematical development in a similar way. The only difference I observed was the resources included measuring jugs and cylinders. Both activities have many toy animals and people which the children counted while throwing them into the water or placing them in the sand. They were becoming more confident in counting up to five and establishing the relationship between numbers and objects.
The construction area also promotes mathematical development in a very indirect way. They have building blocks of different sizes and colours and I found the children were sorting blocks by colour and size. I believe that resources are differentiated through size and colour in all activities to reach all the mixed ability children. Children used the cars and planes at different speeds and directions learning special awareness.
The math’s table is set up with two or three simple activities each day. The children are not limited to these activities they can still choose other games. At the start of the day the teacher modeled the games which involved counting using objects and numbered cards. I found that repetition is vital in building confidence and competence in learning numbers. Drury, R, etal, (2000) state that children can often recite numbers like a song, however this does not mean they are able to count successfully. “This means that the child must assign one number name to each object…” (Drury, R, etal, 2000, pg.142) I therefore kept this in my mind before planning my lesson.
I also observed a wonderful role play game which promoted number recognition and money. (See appendix 2). For my lesson, I used the number line in the playground with a large dice. The children rolled the dice and enjoyed running after it. They counted the number of dots and moved their objects that many spaces along the line. This activity was popular amongst the boys as well as the girls and through repeated counting they were already becoming more confident in counting up to ten which was extremely satisfying to see. (See appendix 4). According to the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage “Mathematical understanding should be developed through stories, songs, games and imaginative play…”). This was clearly evident at the nursery and I saw many examples of this through stories e.g. Six in a Bed, and through songs such as ‘speckle frogs’ and ‘mother duck’.
Communication, Language and Literacy is another area which is developed in every activity. The staff is constantly modeling language through discussion and questioning. The children are at such an innocent, young age and willing to talk about anything and everything and I believe it is the responsibility of the adults to encourage meaningful communication. The home corner and planned role-play activities allows children to talk to other children which is very egocentric and staff are always encouraging a friendly and caring atmosphere. This is essential especially for children who haven’t developed their speech properly yet and enables them to participate in activities more confidently. It is also important for children who have English as an additional language. “The ability to communicate gives children the capacity to participate more fully in their society. They do so with adults who understand what they say through developing close relationships with them in an affectionate atmosphere.” (DfEE/QCA, 2000, pg.44)
A writing table is set up which is stocked with pens, pencils, crayons, felt tips, different papers, staplers, hole punchers, scissors, dry-wipe markers and boards. Children choose what resources they want to use and are encouraged to try and write their names on their work. The teacher also introduces a letter of the week which the children can practice in this area. The children are kept motivated by the variety of resources available and the freedom to choose and explore at their space and time. “It is also important that all the resources …are attractively displayed, and organized in such a way that children can access them independently.” (Keating, I, 2002, pg.15)
The book corner is full of a wide selection of books which the children can access at any time. It is set up with a comfortable little sofa and cushions and the children sit with books and tell stories to each other in accordance to the pictures. Although the children are unable to read the words they are becoming familiar with seeing words and can often follow the story by the pictures.
For my task I chose a singing game ‘Hickory Dickory Dock’ (see appendix 4). I sang the rhyme with the children two times and then I asked the children to see if they notice anything different. I planned to change ‘clock’ to ‘wall’ to prompt a reaction. Some children didn’t really notice any difference but most showed a reaction to the incorrect word. I used a musical instrument to motivate the children. I found this task quite difficult as I found it difficult to pitch my lesson at the right level. However, the children enjoyed singing and met my set learning objectives.
Knowledge and Understanding of the World is effectively executed through role-play activities. A different role-play activity is set up weekly and I observed a bus and shopping role play activity. The children decided where they were going on the bus journey. They chose swimming baths, the park and birthday parties. They imagined the journey and described the bumps in the road and trees and discussed what they were going to do when they got there. This setting builds curiosity and interest and allows the children to make decisions which is recommended in the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage. The shopping trip role play was great as the teacher brought fresh fruit and vegetables from around the world which they also tasted at snack time.
The water area is another example of effective learning. I observed the children playing in the water. They were filling the measuring cylinders and then putting stones in and watching the water overspill. They noticed that the more stones they put in the more water would spill out. It was then that I realized the importance of the foundation stage in learning. The water area had resources ranging from turtles, whales, dolphins and boats. Which I noticed was all related to water in some way. Some objects sank while others would float and the children were learning through play how to use these objects.
The sand area was decorated by desert pictures from around the world and the children tried to duplicate them in the sand. They talked about visiting the sea side and the things they would do there. Making predictions about the weather and the people they would meet.
They also introduced the children to Indian music around the festival of Diwali while the children played outside. This inspired the children to ask questions about the different language.
In conclusion to this assignment, I would like to add that I never imagined the importance of education in the Foundation Stage. I thought it would be very simple basic teaching but in fact it is a very complex and structured process of learning. The children are developing their listening skills, sharing, patience and working together as well as the learning mentioned above. Most importantly they are building upon prior experiences and adding new experiences which will aid them in further education.
Bibliography
Blenkin M, G, Kelly, A, V, (1996), Early Childhood Education: A Developmental Curriculum, Second Edition, London, Paul Chapman Publishing Ltd.
Daly, M, etal, (2004), Early Years Management in Practice, Oxford, Heinemann Educational Publishers.
Drury, R, etal, (2000), Looking at Early Years Education and Care, London, David Foulton Publishers Ltd.
Keating, I, (2002), Teaching Foundation Stage, Exeter, Learning Matters.
Wood, E, & Attfield J, Second Edition, (2005), Play, Learning and the Early Childhood Curriculum, London, Paul Chapman Publishing Ltd.
Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage, (2000), DfEE/QCA.
Nazia Suleman Appendices
Placement Tasks
Task One – The Daily Routine
How often do children work in whole groups and small groups? What is the content of the sessions?
Whole class sessions take place in the last half hour of nursery time. This session includes story time and singing rhymes, it also includes letter focus and number counting. Smaller groups of 3-4 children are used in direct teaching activities. A majority of the time is spent on individual play where exploration and experimentation takes place.
What type of activities are children initiating themselves and what do you think they are learning?
The children are left to initiate most activities at their own space and time. Children are learning through experimentation and exploration and play. The children visit each workspace, sometimes in friendship groups or sometimes individually. They are learning to share, turn-take, develop their communication skills and listening skills. They also learn patience and polite manners are encouraged.
What are your conclusions about children working in these different groups?
Groups are random and of mixed ability. Children are invited to take part in direct learning activities they are never forced into any activity and are free to leave if they want to.
Learning taking place are:- Developing social skills, turn taking, sharing, communicating with adults and children, manners, tidying up after themselves, respecting the nursery and the resources, following the nursery rules, learning to use a variety of materials safely and with confidence and trust.
OBSERVATION
9.00 start. Teacher sits at a table with the register and marks the children as they arrive. NN1 waits at the door to welcome the parents and the children. NN2 sits at the maths table. Children come in and individual play begins where one or two activities are set up on each table to help the children settle into the nursery atmosphere.
After about half an hour NN1 will have a focussed activity set up and small groups are invited to take part. I have observed a shared fireworks activity, making a hedgehog
Task one continue…
activity and a stamping/printing activity. These activities follow the weekly plans which the teacher has prepared earlier. Observations also begin by a designated member of staff of three children per session per day.
The teacher also takes groups of children for direct teaching activities. Outside is then set up for children to play for the last hour of the day. This area also is carefully planned to cover the six areas of learning.
For the final half hour all the children come together for story time, singing and some directed teaching. Listening skills develop, sitting together quietly, turn taking, sharing ideas and not calling out. In groups they are sent to get their coats ant wait for parents/carers to collect them. Any work which they have produced is given to them at the end of the day for them to take home.
Task Two – The Learning Environment
How are children using space, materials and equipment in different ways?
All areas are set up with one or two activities however, they are not limited to these activities, they are free to choose from a number of resources. All the resources are child friendly and accessible. The writing area is used for cutting and gluing which the children really enjoy. It is also used for drawing and colouring.
How do resources reflect children’s own cultural backgrounds?
Songs
Books
Festivals
How do resources reflect multi-cultural Britain?
Figures
Food sampling
Festivals
A bear visiting other countries sending post cards etc
Building blocks – in shapes of mosques
Books in different languages
How do resources promote awareness of differently-abled children?
Mathematical cards are differentiated by colours, shapes, sizes and numbers e.g. the elephants and the cards.
Resources are in different sizes. All resources reach all learners including kinaesthetic, audio and visual learners.
How do resources within the setting support the range of children’s needs?
See above
Resources are differentiated by outcome.
Do they cover the six areas of learning?
Yes
The teacher’s plans specify the activities and how they meet the areas of learning. In my opinion they definitely meet all areas of learning.
To what extent does the learning environment enable children to be motivated and develop their independence?
The children choose their own snack time. They have self registration.
The resources are at their level so they can choose what they want when they want.
The children are encouraged to tidy after themselves and put things in their places. They have marks, labels or pictures to help them.
All areas are set up differently everyday to keep the children motivated. They also enable the children to experience different things.
What opportunities are available for children to develop their ICT skills?
A computer is set up and the children are free to use it as they please. The Dazzle paint programme is set up. They develop the use of the mouse, colours, direction and size.
They also use the digital camera when appropriate.
Task Three – The Role Of The Adult
Which adults engage in the following activities?
Planning: Teacher
Observation: All staff
Record Keeping: Teacher
Support children during child initiated learning: All staff
Directed Teaching: Teacher
Talking to parents: All staff
Is there a difference in the way adults interact with children when they engage in adult and child initiated activities?
Adult initiated
The adult in charge of the task will be following the weekly plans and insuring that the learning objectives are met. There will be a specific outcome which the staff are looking for during the activities. Adults will encourage discussion amongst the children with open-ended questions. They are modelled how to use the equipment and different techniques they could try. The adult will always model a task before the children do it independently.
Child initiated
Observation. To assist the children if they need any help.
Task Four – The Role Of Parents/Carers
Does the school placement have a formal written partnership with parent/carers?
The school has a Behavioural Policy inforce which the parents sign. They are also encouraged to introduce them to the children at home so they find it easier at nursery.
In what ways do adults work in partnership with parents/carers?
The nursery hold a library day where the parent and children choose a book together to share at home.
The teacher finds out the childs interests at home which they incorporate into learning activities.
The staff introduce a letter of the week and they ask parents to find objects at home beginning with the letter and bring it to nursery to share with the rest of the children.
They have a star of the day and parents come in to pin the star on the chosen child.
Task 5 – Planning for Learning
How does the team decide what experiences to plan for?
The team plan after they have found out the children’s interests from their parents.
How does the team plan for play?
Ensuring that there is a variety of activities to keep the children engaged.
The maths table and writing table is changed daily.
There is planned role play weekly e.g. bus and shopping
The workshop area is used differently to introduce new materials.
How are observations and assessment used to inform planning?
Observations are used to identify any gaps in their learning, once identified they are incorporated into their learning. If a member of staff observe a child struggling with an activity or resource, they incorporate into a whole class session incase any other children have the same difficulties.
What do you think is the most important thing to consider when planning experiences for young children?
The planning must begin by building on prior knowledge and experiences, it is ineffective to teach something that the children have no experience of.
Then ensuring they are planned within a context e.g. Autumn, fruit and veg.
Making them enjoyable.
Compare and contrast children’s behaviour/ responses/attitudes in the morning and in the afternoon. What do you notice?
The children are different in the afternoon so it is difficult to compare behaviour. The afternoon children have more problems with concentration, especially at story time when they fidget a lot more. The afternoon children need more supervision than the morning children.
Does the planning reflect children’s responses in the morning and afternoon?
Task five continue…
The planning is the same in the afternoon as the morning but is executed a little differently according to the temperament of the children.
