What Is Your Topic When You Go Back?

[Guest]

I'm not sure yet, maybe Ourselves but a little bored of this now! what are your ideas?

 

Rachel.

[Guest]

Our theme is loosely based on "Physical activities" we have broken this down to

Summer hol's,

Seaside,

Finger games,

Outside games,

Circle rhymes,

Football

& dance.

After half term we will foucus on music & song.

[Guest]

Ours is Breakfast, which is quite nice and makes a nice change. That's what comes of moving year groups!

[Guest]

ours is shape untill half term then festivals.

[jennim]

I'm not sure yet, maybe Ourselves but a little bored of this now! what are your ideas?

 

Rachel.

 

We'll be doing ' We are special' - incorporating elements of all about me and others. This will enable us to cover cultural diversity, as well as feelings and behaviour connected to the new routines we are now facing! A new one for us, so I hope it goes ok!

[hali]

we are doing space and planets.....

[Guest sandcastles]

we are talking about 'jobs' when the term starts.

[Guest]

Hi,

 

We are doing "We are all special" too-same ideas as jennim for about 6 weeks then winter leading into xmas.

 

Been into class today trying to sort it out-panicing a bit now-back in reception after many years and having just finished in Yr 6!!!

 

Have ordered all new furniture for role play area, reading area and outside area, but just want to get it all right after all this time.

 

Moisy

[Guest]

Sorry hope I don't sound too boring, I am doing 'ourselves' (although renamed 'We are all special').

 

I find it is such a good way to get to know the children and their families and their set up, I think it helps to familiarise practitioners with personal stuff so as to give you a base to interact and help to settle children in the new environment.

 

Also it leads into so many areas of learning - gives us initial starting points to observe and find out what individual interests are.

I love to be able to remember as many details as possible, it is amazing to ask a child how their pet dog is and call it by name it always impress's parents and let's them know the children have chatted to you about their homelife.

Edited August 15, 2007 by Guest

[Guest]

We are doign 'my favorite things' eg my favorite place, toys, stories, food etc. Another take on 'ourselves' really.

[HappyMaz]

Sorry hope I don't sound too boring, I am doing 'ourselves' (although renamed 'We are all special').

 

I find it is such a good way to get to know the children and their families and their set up, I think it helps to familiarise practitioners with personal stuff so as to give you a base to interact and help to settle children in the new environment.

 

Also it leads into so many areas of learning - gives us initial starting points to observe and find out what individual interests are.

I love to be able to remember as many details as possible, it is amazing to ask a child how their pet dog is and call it by name it always impress's parents and let's them know the children have chatted to you about their homelife.

Although that's not always so positive. I asked one mum how the "muppet" was and she looked blank. I explained we had been talking about what our mums and dads are called. One little boy said his dad was called "dad" so I asked what his mum called his dad, and then the penny dropped...

Fortunately, she has a good sense of humour!

 

Maz - no theme for us in September!

[Guest]

We are doing Traditional Tales.

[Marion]

No planned theme for us either waiting to see what wonderful ideas the children have when we return

[Guest]

We are doing 'FOOD' it links nicely with harvest and healthy eating and our bodies, oh and there is a bit of changing materials in there too. I too was a bit fed up with ourselves as they do it in the nursery in Sept and the children always said 'oh we did this at nursery too!' Hmm. So we still talk about our families and all that when we talk about manners at the table and our favourite foods at home.

[Guest]

Not got a 'topic or theme' planned, will see what the interest children come up with but will loosely cover something to do with the lines of 'settling in' especially with quite a few new children and after the long 6 weeks hols.

[Lorna]

We are doing a mixed bag hen we get back... call it getting to know you..... includes work on getting to know the children and their families, and harvest... 2nd half term more focus on myself and my school ans Christmas.

[Jo jo]

We are doing the environment, starting with the immediate environment, the classroom getting used to new spaces. covering the rules looking after the classroom etc. Then on to the wider school and playgroung finding their way around the school and meeting other staff for example head teacher, office staff so they know where to go if they need their help. Finally the local town and wider environment.

[Guest]

Hi I do hope this forum is still active as it is right up my street!

 

Just beginning planning and our topic is ' Amazing me!.' I very much wanted to leave it open to find out lots of things about the children and let them shape the planning for this topic. I obviously will be doing lots of circle times, routines, tidy up music and begin baselining children, but just wondered if anyone does a settling in weekly plan and could share any nice ideas and activities, songs etc....????? do you leave it open and let children get to know different areas first. I really planned to spend lots of time of using the provision, where things go etc etc??? any other ideas?

[Guest]

Hi I do hope this forum is still active as it is right up my street!

 

Just beginning planning and our topic is ' Amazing me!.' I very much wanted to leave it open to find out lots of things about the children and let them shape the planning for this topic. I obviously will be doing lots of circle times, routines, tidy up music and begin baselining children, but just wondered if anyone does a settling in weekly plan and could share any nice ideas and activities, songs etc....????? do you leave it open and let children get to know different areas first. I really planned to spend lots of time of using the provision, where things go etc etc??? any other ideas?

 

Love the title for your topic, I do similar planning as you, I think the first few weeks the children need a warm welcome, to start to build a sense of belonging, to become familiar with people and environment and to just feel secure. Showng a keen interest in what interests them helps this process. I know when I am in new situations I like to look on, then explore, in my own time, then I feel able to be me.

I don't write a settling in weekly plan as such, just use my experience as to what activities I think will best suit personalities etc, and a list of activities to draw from ie: specific settling in type circle games etc.

This is also a time in which I spend taking down notes and initial observations to fully inform parents what their little ones have been up to during their first few days with us. My intake is small, being a preschool and I aim to do a "My first day at preschool" observations on each child. This includes a tracking obs which shows which areas of the room they 'flit' to, which areas, if any they choose to stay at for a while. Which children / staff they interact with, how long it took them to settle on arrival, any creations made, specific toys they show interest in, etc. A short narrative obs during an activity to show language. I show this to the parent and then place in their files.

 

I follow the child during settling in rather than 'today we are all going to get to know the art area" ( if you know what I mean)

 

Peggy

[breedon]

We are doing "Where I live" as we are in a rural village close to an International airport, lots of countryside and forest and in our small village we have a garden centre / nursery, a fabulous church and a post office I felt this gives us a lot of scope for ideas.

 

I am still not sure whether we are meant to "theme" but do find it the easiest way to plan. We are hoping for a visit to the garden centre and then take this back to the setting for our role play, hopefully a little trip to the airport and we are doing the "community" bit by taking a trek to the church for our own little harvest festival take!

 

We of course will do the our family bit as well and holidays (linking with the airport ... ) to get them settled in - I have just realised that for this half term I have had all the children in my care for less than two years as the two longest standing were Nov 05. Does that mean I can just revisit my Sep 05 planning and recycle ... doesn't raelly go with the ethos of the children adding to and influencing the planning though!

 

I love the idea of doing "first day at pre school" obs but how do you juggle it !! We have about 6 key children each so we would all be too busy writing to actually play with and encourage the children!

 

Back on Monday so looking forward to having soem fun!

Breedon

[Guest]

"I love the idea of doing "first day at pre school" obs but how do you juggle it !! We have about 6 key children each so we would all be too busy writing to actually play with and encourage the children!"

 

The tracking obs are only for five minutes, it's amazing how much ground a new 2 or 3 yr old covers in that time, flitting from one area to another. The other obs are what catches our eye as of main interests and language obs I use a dictaphone (out of site but as near to activity as possible).

You could always call yours "First week in preschool" and spread the obs over the week.

 

I'm looking forward to some fun on Monday too.

 

Peggy

[millhill]

No planned theme for us either waiting to see what wonderful ideas the children have when we return

 

Not got a 'topic or theme' planned, will see what the interest children come up with but will loosely cover something to do with the lines of 'settling in' especially with quite a few new children and after the long 6 weeks hols.

 

No topics or themes for us either! We gave them up a year ago. Children's interests lead our activities.

Marion and Mrsb do you find the children are so much more interested in the activities this way?

[Marion]

We've found they stay interested for longer, often with adult chosen topics they were a bit half hearted and went off on their own theme anyway.

[Guest heleng]

Our school topic is Ourselves. This topic lasts for the whole term in Foundation and KS1 so I am planning to break it down a bit to have a loose plan and then the children will lead the rest- well that is the plan as this is my first time in Foundation!