Need Some Help, Advice And Ideas!

[Guest]

Just want to ask how people organise and set up their small group activities after a whole class input. Do you have a group working with the CT, a group working with the TA and then groups doing directed activities linked to the input on their own or do you allow all the groups not working with you or the TA to choose their own activity from the continuous provision? Do you then rotate these activities through the week to ensure the CT and TA work with each group on a specific planned activity. For example if you are reading Goldilocks and the three bears and you plan that your activity for the week will be drawing a picture from the story and writing a sentence to describe the picture and your TA will be painting pictures of the three bears, do you ensure that all your groups complete these specific activities planned? Hope that makes sense!

Have had a look at a few examples of planning formats on here but its not always easy to see how people set up their group activities!

Would really, really appreciate any comments, ideas and advice!

[Susan]

I prefer to work as your second example. So, a group with me and a group with a TA and choosing from continuous provision although it might be possible to have other related independent activities but this is not always possible. I like to work with all the children on the same day/ session although again this might be difficult depending on the nature of the activity but would always allow my planning to be flexible enough to continue should need arise. Sometimes directed activities are made available into CI.

I cant remember the number anymore but I think it is suggested that an activity needs to be modelled 4 times before it can be used independently.

 

Hope that helps.

[Guest]

After a whole class input I will work with a small group, so will TA if I have one that session and others will choose from continuous provision. Sometimes if appropriate I will have a small group working on a task independently eg drawing a picture from the story or using an ICT activity. I try to write with all children in small groups 2/3 times a week and hear them all read 2/3 times a week as well as doing small group numeracy activity with them all every day. This means small group activities tend to be short. I recognise that this means I am from time to time withdrawing the children from their CI activity but it helps me keep SMT happy and still enable children to have both adult led and CI activities throughout the day!

[mundia]

I have to say that I never really liked tying down both adults in focussed activities because then who is supporting children in play? I have to also say that both my Head teacher and Mrs O. said that having an adult playing with children was 'waste of an adult', so it was certainly the preferred way of working (to have both adults on directed tasks). The first style Kirstash that you describe, was exactly the format that OFSTED wanted to see but to me it says 'literacy hour',

Whilst I can see that in order to meet the demands of a very busy reception classroom, there would be times that I would do this, in principle, if you are lucky enough to have two adults, I would prefer one adult (and not always the TA either) to be interacting with the children in their chosen activities and also using that opportunity to observe, whilst the other works directly with the directed activity.

[Guest]

I agree that adults need to interact in CI activities too, but we have to meet so many different needs. I incorporate at least one session a day into my planning when children choose their own activities and I interact and observe them at play. You definitely get best observations and ideas from this time, eg children will play write when they refuse to put pencil to paper in a formal situation.

[MrsL]

I work with a group and my nursery nurse works with a group while the other 2 groups choose from continuous provision. This provision usually includes activities related to what we are working on that the children can either choose or not choose to do. Then my NN and I will work with the other 2 groups. On the days when I am lucky enough to have a TA too, she will support the play.

Hope that helps.