Your Opinions Please!

[Guest]

im studying BA(hons) Pri Ed and am now thinking about my dissertation... as im an EY specialist i can do anything really, but my interest lies in how structured should the reception classroom be. ive seen both ends of the scale through my training but havent really had the chance to explore what impact it has on the childs dev.

it still is very broad and i need to narrow it down alot.

i am thinking of focusing on social development, playing with same children w/o T.I, or maybe i could go down a completely diff route and focus on transitions.

 

my mind is boggled!!

 

does anyone feel this is a worthwhile route to go down or can anyone give me any other ideas around this subject?

 

thanks,

 

lisa x

[Guest]

I am certainly no expert but transition is a very interesting subject! All schools and settings do things so differently and some schools place high emphasis on this phase and (in my experience) others place very little! It could make for very interesting reading on how children cope with transition when its placed high on the agenda and when its not? And indeed the teachers themselves of course, how it effects them etc!

 

Thats just me and my personal interest though and I am not experienced in dissertations!

[Guest Wolfie]

My work colleague has handed in her dissertation on transitions today..I've been with her every step of the way and it's been really interesting stuff. She concentrated particularly on the multi-agency approach to children with additional needs - not just SEN - and how information is communicated during transitions; it was very relevant to us because we're in a Children's Centre and multi-agency work is at the very core of what we do. A very hot topic at the moment....

[Rea]

Cant help with reception I'm afarid but I was watching something similar yesterday.

 

I visited a nursery linked to a school which has a whole load of top down pressure, although the nursery is a surestart one, the staff were telling me how they send homework out, go to assembly, eat in the main hall and spend time in R. I also heard staff asking children to remember 'where are you allowed to go? Thats right here, here and here, nowhere else til later'. The children were aimless, boistrous.

 

Then I went next door to playgroup, there were some adult led activities, but staff were mostly playing alongside children. The children were engaged and busy, moving around the room.

 

The children in the nursery were all 3 and up, the playgroup children were 2.5 to 4.

I know which children appeared to be the better learners.

[Guest]

thats shocking!!! i had my last placement in somewhere similar, where in 'free time' the teacher delegated the children himself to the activities out that he had chosen. needless to say i didnt see much enthusiam from them!!! it is a very frustrating topic for me as ive seen the completely opposite end of the scale and seen how well it works and how creative the 4yr olds can be if they are left to learn on their own without (some) teachers worrying if they can sit still for 25 minutes!!!

 

i do understand that ks1 is completely different and the children are expected to behave in a certain way, but are teachers 'preparing' them too early?

[Guest Wolfie]

It sounds to me as though you would really enjoy researching this subject in more detail!

[apple]

Have you thought about looking at the transition into Nursery... this is a really underedeveloped area of research and would think that it would be a good one to explore too

[Rea]

i do understand that ks1 is completely different and the children are expected to behave in a certain way, but are teachers 'preparing' them too early?

 

Isnt there something written about how we should let a 3 yr old be a 3yr old, a 4 yr old be a 4 yr old?

Rather than try to always be preparing them for the next step, we should allow them to enjoy the step they're on.

 

I'd hate to be the person who had to try to prepare me for my 50's!!

[Rea]

I was trying to find the thing about 3's being 3 etc, but found this instead. Its American and

quite an interesting read.

Let children be children

[HappyMaz]

Great article, Rea. I particularly liked the point that too much academic instruction (and yes, worksheets were mentioned here ) can make children 'docile learners'. The author also says that whilst children from pre-school where learning was highly formal did well at school initially, later on when teachers began to ask children to think about what they had done or read they began to fall behind their peers who had enjoyed a more informal, learning through play experience at pre-school.

 

Interesting reading!

 

Maz

[Beau]

One of my pet hates is the idea that children are constantly having to be 'prepared' for whatever comes later. The reason that it comes later is that by this time the children are ready for it and not before! Aaargh!! Don't get me started.

[Guest]

thanks everyone, this is why i wanted to research this topic, i get really wound up about it!! it looks like im not the only one!!!!!! thanks for the article too Rea, that will be going in my bibliography!

 

ive slept on it and ive decided to focus on nursery -> reception, i know more about the fs than ks1 and i think theres alot around about 'letting children be children' as such.

[Guest]

Hi,

 

I'm finishing my dissertation at mo on Transition from nursery to reception, so much info out there!!

 

Just a word of advice.... make sure you start early,,, I used the mosaic approach (by clark and Moss) and some of my major regrets is that I didn't start the project in the summer term before to complete observations etc, for before and after,, also regret not doing a sample of children as it can be a bit overwhelming at times!

 

If you would like any more info just let me know, but I'm sure you'l be fine because there is so much info out there on the transition, recommend the DfES seamless transition pack (2006), some good case studies to get you going and anything by Hiliary Fabian and Aline-Wendy Funlop

 

Good Luck!!

 

Essc

[Guest]

Sorry it's Aline-Wendy Dunlop!!

[Guest]

wow thanks, great advice, ive been stuck in the library getting books out and there was actually another diss. about transitions - focusing on one child - but alot of fabian was used there. i have also ordered seamless transitions.

my housemates have only just finished their diss's (who are obv in their final year), looks like its guna be a tough year!!!

but it is a great topic and the dis i read today was v interesting. im sure i can do better though!!!

[Rea]

thanks everyone, this is why i wanted to research this topic, i get really wound up about it!! it looks like im not the only one!!!!!! thanks for the article too Rea, that will be going in my bibliography!

 

ive slept on it and ive decided to focus on nursery -> reception, i know more about the fs than ks1 and i think theres alot around about 'letting children be children' as such.

 

 

When I worked at playgroup we were told by various reception teachers that it was easy to tell the children that had come via us rather than local nurseries, both private and LEA.

Our children were more independent and more sociable.

Those from nurseries tended to wait to be told what to do.

This was at least 3 years ago though.

[Guest]

Hi

Thought I'd add a bit about SEN. I teach reception in a special school (Deaf) and we are looking forward to the new EYFS as the developmental steps fit in much better with our children and will make the transition from pre-school setting to Reception a lot easier. It will help us to justify a more relaxed and 'nursery style' organisation for the reception class. Our children learn much better with adult 'Play Partners' who fade in and out of their play, leading and nudging children in new directions. .... which really ties in both of your topics!

Good luck!

Bev