PC3
To ensure the activities are appropriately timed each session is approximately 20 minutes so that they do not exceed the children’s attention span, a child without memory and concentration difficulties may continue with the activity for almost the session or for the whole session, whereas a child with memory and concentration difficulties may just want to do the activity for approximately 3-5 minutes. A child with or without memory and concentration difficulties are not forced complete the activity e.g. sand play, puzzles etc and staying at the activity for the whole session. If the children are forced to stay at an activity for longer than he/she wishes the children may never wish to return to any of the activities, by allowing the children to leave an activity when he/she wishes the children will want to return to the activity at another time especially if there are children with concentration and memory difficulties, the child may gradually stay at the activity for a longer period in the future.
PC4
It is important to allow the children to concentrate while doing an activity and any distractions are minimized for instance if the sun is shinning through the window and the children are facing the window, the children will not be able to concentrate due to the sun being in the children’s eyes and the children covering their eyes with their hands to rectify this problem I would partly close the blinds or move the activity and the children to a different location. To allow the children to concentrate distractions are kept to a minimum by checking the room temperature if the room is too hot e.g. the heating is off due to the warm weather a fan can be used to keep the room cool, on the other hand if the weather is bitterly cold extra heaters can be used to help keep the room warm. If a child requires one-one the child is taken to the quiet part of the nursery where there would be no distractions by other children interfering with the activity. The room would be checked for suitability good lighting, temperature and any other distractions such as ringing of the telephone and any visitors, which may enter the nursery.
PC5 & PC6
To help the children plan, recall and predict events information is shared by explaining to the children at Christmas time we celebrate the birth of baby Jesus by doing a nativity play, where we dress up in our costumes and sing carols. To enable our mummy and daddy etc to come and watch us because there is no room in the nursery department for everybody we will be making lots of visits to the local church. It is also explained that we will also be joining the older children and what time we will be going e.g. 10.30 after we have finished our snack and been to the toilet etc. When we practise our nativity all the children will be shown where they will have to stand and sit. The children who do not take part due to religion etc the parents are informed explaining we are going to practise, and that as there will be no children in the nursery/school their child/children are welcome to sit and watch or if the parents wish they may like to collect their child/children or bring their child/children to nursery/school at a later time when we return to the nursery/school after practise. When all the children were in the nursery on the following day before the next visit to the church the children were asked to sit on the carpet area I read a story of Jesus, to encourage the children and help to structure their memory I asked questions regarding the story i.e. where was Jesus born? who is baby Jesus mummy? Who came to visit Mary? etc. The children were asked if they could remember and recall what we did before we went to the church and the events which took place during the church to prompt the children into recalling I asked the children if they were able to remember who they are in the play? What they would have to do in the play? And who did they have to stand/sit by when they were practising in the church.
PC7
When all the children have arrived in the nursery before snack we have circle time, where all the children and staff sit in a circle and sing our welcome song any information regarding the children is shared amongst the staff e.g. Louise is going home with granddad etc. To enable the children and help them prompt and structure recall the children are asked individually if they have any news they would like to share with us. If a child had a piece of news to share e.g. The child went to a birthday party and the child fell off the bouncy castle, to encourage the child to learn to sequence their recall the child is given plenty of time to talk. The child is prompted by asking questions, who did the child go to the party with and how did they get there? What party games did he/she play? How did you fall off the bouncy castle? What happened next? Plenty of praise is given by telling the child he/she had given a beautiful piece of news although some of the news was a little sad because he/she had fallen off the bouncy castle and hurt his/her mouth, I would reassure the child by asking the child if he/she is alright now and telling him/her he/she is a very brave boy/girl.
PC8
When there are children playing in the dry sand to help and maintain the children’s attention span I would ask them if I can join in, to allow the children to maintain control of the activity I would play alongside the children and follow the children’s lead this will help to build the children’s confidence in their abilities. To encourage the children to focus and extend their concentration span I would ask the children if they would like some water in the sand and if they would like to help pour and mix the water into the sand, I would also add new objects e.g. cars, sea creatures and shells. I would then use the opportunity to encourage a child with memory and concentration difficulties to extend his/her play and encouraging the child to recall his/her experience on the beach while on holiday. The activity may also be used to extend a child’s attention span and memory that has no difficulties with concentration and memory by asking questions regarding his/her day trip/holiday. If a child is cleaning up a spill or tidying up during the activity it is important to praise and make commentary remarks by doing so it may enable the child to complete the task well.
