hali Posted May 18, 2004 Share Posted May 18, 2004 totally agree Beau Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 18, 2004 Share Posted May 18, 2004 One of my plans for the coming year is to run a hands-on workshop on the Foundation Stage for parents and carers. The format is still under construction in my head but I envisage lots of activities for the parents to have a go at for a short while with half-an-eye to what learning they think is taking place. Perhaps a tick sheet would be a good idea especially if they could add what they enjoyed or otherwise about the activities. After that we could brainstorm what learning they thought was going on and we could show photos of their children at the same activities (hey powerpoint would be good!!!) and talk through all the learning opportunities & how it links to the ELG's. What do you think????? No harm in trying............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted May 18, 2004 Share Posted May 18, 2004 LJW, I think that's a great idea! Hope you get lots of take-up, I tried a similar thing some while ago and was totally underwhelmed by the response, but - Go for it!!!!! Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dahlia Posted May 18, 2004 Share Posted May 18, 2004 I work at a Pre-school and we recently held an evening for the parents to explain the Foundation stage to them. We had a representative from SureStart and our local Reception teachers attend. The SureStart rep gave her speil as to what the FS is all about and had a Q & A session. We had lots of activities for the parents to have a try at. The feedback we received was very good. The parents gained alot from this evening esp. as the reception teachers were involved in supporting us. Still doesn't stop them asking were their childs work is though, although as time goes by they seem to be understanding the FS principals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubblejack Posted May 18, 2004 Share Posted May 18, 2004 These posts remind me of a comment that an Ofsted Inspector made in to me during one of my first inspections "Not enough formal teaching for the rising fours and too much physical play" She was gobsmacked when I told her that I did not want to be the person to ruin the childrens chances for later. I have always thought and worked this way. Her delayed response was "next time you are inspected ask for an inspector that specialises in Montessori or High Scope. Fortunately things have come round more to my way of thinking now and I am happy with the Foundation stage curriculum. I just wonder who divises the curriculum and its a shame that early years practioners were not consulted in the first instance. It would not have taken 10 years to get it right would it if they had asked us!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted May 18, 2004 Share Posted May 18, 2004 Hear, hear! Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dahlia Posted May 18, 2004 Share Posted May 18, 2004 Hear, hear! exactly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mundia Posted May 19, 2004 Share Posted May 19, 2004 Coulnt agree more. Difficult isnt it. I suppose Im in quite a forunate position in that our parents have little or no experience of the British education system, as most of the them did not grow up here. LJW, We do 'inspire workshops' with parents twice a year and they are always well attended and popular (provided that we can get all the translators that we need). Usualy this will involve making something that they can take home and 'play' with their children, like a game for example. Id certainly give it a go, at least you will have tried even if you are 'underwhelmed' like SueR, by the responses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted May 19, 2004 Share Posted May 19, 2004 hi LJW never tried anything like that myself, although I have been to 1 in a parental capacity! Our parents give us pretty much 100% attendence at parents evenings- possibly because we hassle until an appointment is made and kept! But we get very little support in terms of "information" sharing. I have been trained to deliver ths Share Foundation stage programme which has excellent materials and resources for improving/ extending learning at home. No interset whatsoever!! There were some pretty influential names involved in the Curriculum Guidance materials but I am becoming increasingly disillousioned with the profile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 19, 2004 Share Posted May 19, 2004 Susan what exactly is the share foundation stage programme? I would be interested in undertaking training in it. Could you give me any information about the same Thanks Leo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rea Posted November 27, 2004 Share Posted November 27, 2004 The PLA run courses for parents in the setting their child attends. The courses last about 2 hours and are aimed at giving parents an insight into how the children learn through the activities they encounter and how staff use the FS to channel their learning. I'm finding out more on Tuesday so will come back then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted November 27, 2004 Share Posted November 27, 2004 I used to do these, Rea, in their pilot stage. Please let me know how they are developing! Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 28, 2004 Share Posted November 28, 2004 I recently had a conversation with one of the parents, he has a son with us now and his daughter used to attend, he said his daughter was unhappy at school, (she left us Sept 03) just moved into key stage 1, she moans because she doesn't have time to play or draw . Our local primary has a very "academic" philosophy, the head boasts that most children progress to grammer schools. His wife lectures at our local teacher training college and both parents are soooooo disalussioned at the present expectations & misconceptions of the Foundation stage of education. He said they are even considering moving so their son doesn't have to attend the local primary. and yes you've guessed it they had an oustandingly good OFSTED. This all made me think, this September my numbers fell so low with school intake that I have had to apply for a sustainability grant. I am seriously thinking of offering free lunch and afternoon sessions to enable parents of children aged 4-5 yrs to choose to let their children stay at preschool, come next september. I do tell parents that their child doesn't have to legally start school until the term after 5 yrs but they are scared of losing a place. Also parents choose to send their child to reception class because there are no more costs. (although their 1st term is normally only pert-time after being with us all day, affecting work timetables etc) What do you think? shall I offer my own "Reception Class", the reasons I have justified to myself is that the children will still follow the same curriculum, they don't have to start "formal" schooling at too young an age, I will still receive NEG, and my numbers will not be so low. The younger children will benefit, some having more time with their siblings. It will be interesting to see how parents react to my idea when I propose it to them in the new year. Peggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beau Posted November 28, 2004 Share Posted November 28, 2004 Peggy, It's very difficult to say without knowing all the ins and outs of the situation. One of the drawbacks as I would see it is that the children would still have to join the class once they reached 5yrs and would have the disadvantage of not knowing the other children or the routines in the school. My family moved around quite a lot when I was little and I'm a very shy person. I can't describe to you the trauma of going into a setting where everyone else was established and knew 'what was what' to someone like me. It really does set you apart and is not a nice situation to be in. I'm sure that your intentions are good but you also have to think about the children and how they might feel in this situation. Sorry to be so negative! Hope others can come up with different viewpoints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rea Posted November 28, 2004 Share Posted November 28, 2004 Peggy, I agree with Beau, that while your intentions are admirable (and I wish children did'nt have to go to school until they were 6) what about the parents fear that they might not get a place, would they still kepp their children with you? Have you got a close relationship with the teachers at the local reception class? Would they like to visit to see the children learning through play? Probably not I know, but it seems they need educating just as much as the children! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 29, 2004 Share Posted November 29, 2004 We had a parent who kept her child at pre-school until they were nearly 5. Both the parent had strong characters and this is the only reason they managed it, they later said the son missed out on the friendships the others mde and found it hard to settle in, as well as being behind with his "work" Others have tried and failed. The feeder school has not said they will not keep the place available but have said by inference that the place might not be there. Basically it is money!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 30, 2004 Share Posted November 30, 2004 I agree entirely with you in some respects Peggy - I've got children who come into my Recep. class who could have benifitted greatly from another term or so at pre-school, where the adult child ratios are so much better - I like to think that I take fully into account the young age of the children and do expect 'less' of them, but they are in school with children so much older than them, who are ready to concentrate for longer periods, on very different things! I also see what other people mean about missing out on that bit where children do 'bed in' together - last year I had a girl in class who missed several weeks of the autumn term due to illness, and as a shy one anyone, it took her the rest of the year to find her feet again! There is no easy answer, is there? We YR teachers do our best, but Y1 is definitely too formal still in many, many schools Dianne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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