Help... What Kinds Of Experiences/activities Should I Be Providing For

[Guest]

I have a child in my reception class who has SEN and is developmentally behind his peers at 2 and 1/2 yrs. I am early years trained and have some experience of nursery but was wondering if anyone had any ideas for what experiences I should provide? Whilst he does join in counting rhymes and jolly phonic actions he cannot really access most of what the other children are doing. I was thinking maybe sensory activities such as cornflour and creating big circular patterns etc

 

Many thanks

[Hello Kitty]

I know I'm a bit of a rebel but should a child with a developmental delay like that be at school? We had a child at pre-school for an extra year because (after much (non physical) fighting from mum) it was agreed that the child just wasn't ready to be at school.

Of course this doesn't help you!

Definitely sensory activities - I would also suggest treasure baskets. If it's global delay then the child won't be at the same level with regards sharing and so on so some activities to help them gain these skills would benefit everybody - turn taking games are good. Do you have any support from 1-1 or TAs specifically for the child?

[Guest]

I have to agree with Kitty. At our school a child at that level would spend sometime in reception and the rest of the time in the nursery especially if they/or you do not have the support that is needed.

[Guest]

Hi,

 

I feel the same. He does have 1 to 1 and at the moment only attends in the mornings but unfortunately his parents want him in school and they had the choice to keep him at nursery. It really makes me cross that at the end of the day the parents have the rights when they might not be doing it in their child's best interests. He is not ready for school and is finding it hard to cope with all the rules and expectations of school. Grr!!

[Hello Kitty]

Aw bless him It's hard isn't it? Obviously I don't know the whole story but maybe the parents struggle with the whole SEN notion and feel that they need him with his age group so they don't have to acknowledge that he may not be ''normal''. So difficult when we are all striving to work to each child's individual needs to have a child with needs that are possibly not going to be met appropriately.

Does he go anywhere else in the afternoons? Has your 1-1 any specific training in his area of need? At least the new EYFS merges BTTM with FS so the framework is easier to use in this case!