Its Worksheets Again!

[HappyMaz]

I've never done this before, and don't really know what I'm doing - so please be gentle with me.

 

My dissertation for my BA is about worksheets and their use with pre-school settings. I wonder if you would be prepared to help generate some statistics about the numbers of settings who use worksheets? At this stage I don't need to know what your feelings are about whether worksheets should or shouldn't be used in pre-school - just whether or not your setting uses them!

 

Your responses will help me compare those I get from groups in my Borough, so that I can get some perspective as to whether the results are likely to be representative. Not very scientific, but it will give me some data!

 

Perhaps I should give my definition of a worksheet. I'm thinking of the kind of activity where a child is asked to colour in every picture that begins with a certain letter, or to colour in a certain number of dots on a ladybird, or to follow a series of wavy/wiggly lines with their pencil. I would also include sheets with dotted letters to trace over to encourage correct letter formation. However, I am not thinking of a writing frame, or a telephone message pad for use during role play, or a picture that children can colour in, or decorate with collage materials.

 

Many thanks in advance...

 

Maz

[Guest]

It looks very technical!!! I'll be interested to see the results!

Han

[Guest Wolfie]

I'll be interested to read the dissertation!

[Guest]

Have just voted.....good luck

mrsb

[catma]

Can't really vote cos I'm not in a setting but do have opinions on workshets - I would also classify "outlines" that children fill in with collage etc as a worksheet - I would always want children to draw their own outlines if they needed a space to fill in! I also have a personal aversion to colouring in pictures, again I would much rather a child coloured their own drawings as there is much more creativity inherent in that. I do agree however that frames like a shopping list pad can be less worksheety but again personally I would try to provide the real thing! I believe strongly in asking children how they would set something down on paper rather than giving them a layout, that way you can really encourage thinking skills and creativity particularly in maths. In my ideal setting there would only be the tools for recording anything in anyway!

Cx

[Andreamay]

No we dont use them

[louby loo]

Got to be honest here - I can state that worksheets have not been used inmy presence - but I do have the sneaky feeling they come out when I'n not in!!!!!!!!

 

My staff seem to love them, and when I took over last september I sorted out loads and put them all in a box which the children freely acces - but seldom do.

 

xxx

[Guest]

Would just add that on our latest EYFS training they are stricktly a no go area.

[HappyMaz]

Would just add that on our latest EYFS training they are stricktly a no go area.

I'm very interested in this, Sadie. Was this actually pointed out anywhere in the documentation or do you think this was down to the opinion/philosophy of the trainers?

 

Maz

[HappyMaz]

I'll be interested to read the dissertation!

No pressure there, then Wolfie!

[hali]

done

[HappyMaz]

I've never done this before, and don't really know what I'm doing

Clearly: I've just realised that knowing whether respondees are in a group or a childminder, because the poll doesn't tell you which category of respondee answered 'yes' or 'no'.

 

Ho hom - you live and learn.... the data is still useful though - so please vote if you haven't done so already

 

Maz

[Guest]

have not actually seen it in black and white but trainer was Kate Reed and she did help write the EYFS. We are doing the planning module on May 14 so will clarify it with her

[beth1]

As far as I am concerned (i have asked a long standing member of staff) that the preschoool I work in as not done any worksheets as descibed in your post.

 

Good Luck with your disertation.

 

 

Beth

[HappyMaz]

have not actually seen it in black and white but trainer was Kate Reed and she did help write the EYFS. We are doing the planning module on May 14 so will clarify it with her

Oooh now there's a contact. Don't suppose you have an email contact for her do you? And if you did, I don't suppose you could email her and ask permission to send it on to me??

 

Pretty please?

 

Maz

[Guest Wolfie]

What's the actual title of your dissertation, Maz?

[Rea]

I've voted Maz. Although its not a permenant setting it is a regular one. They really like worksheets in pre-school, just like the ones you describe. If you want to put something together that I could take in to various places or at least this one, I'd be happy to do so, obviously after asking permission.

[HappyMaz]

What's the actual title of your dissertation, Maz?

I've no idea yet Wolfie!

 

At the moment my working title is "The 'W' word: do worksheets have a place in pre-school"

 

However in a moment of levity I also considered:-

 

"Worksheets: the love that dare not speak its name"

 

I'm hoping that something more profound will assail me as the project unfolds...

[HappyMaz]

I've voted Maz. Although its not a permenant setting it is a regular one. They really like worksheets in pre-school, just like the ones you describe. If you want to put something together that I could take in to various places or at least this one, I'd be happy to do so, obviously after asking permission.

Thanks Rea! It would be interesting to see what happens in other areas of the country, but for my (very small scale) project, I really just want to find out if our practice is in line with what most groups like mine do...

[Hello Kitty]

I don't particularly like them either but I have to say that both my daughters (now 13 and 4) always loved (and still do) doing the activities in pre-school comics and the children I mind literally fight over the activity books so I ended up taking them out and letting them choose one each that they keep in their tray!

I was quite surprised to hear that my younger one in reception had been told she had to colour something until no white paper showed - I thought that was quite outdated these days!

So in conclusion I have them for children to access as they wish but have never given them as a task. Same went at the pre-school I worked at.

 

Sounds a very interesting topic. Will you be looking at the learning value (or lack of) of them or purely adult views and use?

[dublinbay]

They're not allowed in the door of the pre-school where I work................worksheets I mean!!

Good luck with your dissertation Maz.

[HappyMaz]

Sounds a very interesting topic. Will you be looking at the learning value (or lack of) of them or purely adult views and use?

I don't have time to do a proper investigation of whether worksheets help children learn (and anyway I think that demands a bigger, higher functioning brain than mine!), so I will be exploring whether our parents actually want us to offer these sorts of activities (and I have a pretty good idea of what the results there will be) , and in order to see whether our group's approach is typical of those in our Borough, I'm doing a detailed questionnaire for settings and practitioners.

 

Then, I'm going to do some work with the children - two traditional worksheets (one literacy, one numeracy) and two activities which will be more hands on. That way I can monitor the numbers of children who take part, as well as their levels of engagement, using the EEL observations.

 

Does all that make sense? Sometimes you do rather lose the ability to see the wood for the trees...

 

Maz

[Guest Wolfie]

Have you got the worksheets you need? I often use that approach when working with parents and use a worksheet where children draw a line between matching socks and then a washing basket full of socks to match and peg on the line - could send you the worksheet if it's of any use?

[HappyMaz]

Have you got the worksheets you need? I often use that approach when working with parents and use a worksheet where children draw a line between matching socks and then a washing basket full of socks to match and peg on the line - could send you the worksheet if it's of any use?

Oh yes please - I would like to build a collection. Am starting tomorrow with one I've downloaded from Sparklebox. You know the type where you practice writing the letters, and identify which of a group of pictures begins with that letter by colouring in?

 

Lovely!

 

Maz

[Susan]

Dont use anything like that Maz. Although I have joined in and I do like some sort of paper/ pencil tasks for writing/ letter formation.

[Beau]

Oh yes please - I would like to build a collection.

 

I am seriously starting to worry about you now!

[Guest]

I am seriously starting to worry about you now!

 

 

:wacko:

 

.................and will you be sorting them out into the EYFS catagories (but I wonder if they would fit into any )?????

 

Peggy

[Guest]

Had an observation where My reception paired up leaves in 2's to make a Jack in the beanstalk game. They were counting non stop through the activity and one little boy counted to 30 in 2's and another said it was odd and evens like his sister did

They did tire of the activity before they got to the top of their beanstalk however, but I was pleased with the counting that was happening. My feedback was that it was poor, and I got the impression that no maths was seen! because it wasn't an obvious maths worksheet!!!!

[Guest]

Hi there. I have never replied to anything on here before so here goes! I haven't used work sheets this academic year. I am a nursery nurse working in a children's centre.

[womble]

I never use worksheets in my nursery class but did occasionally use them in Reception.

Womble