Guest Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 Hi all, as sad as this seems I am trying to plan for September in my new Reception class. I am moving from y4 and I need to get my head around everything because I hate being disorganised. The current reception teacher did not really have a clue what they were doing so I am relying on you guys. Really it is just my literacy and numeracy I am concerned about. I know my topic for the 1st half term is ourselves but I am unsure how to plan over my six areas. I want to teach in literacy the phonics at the start of the lesson and then teach to an objective maybe by using a book related to ourselves. The rest of the lesson would then consist of a guided reading with myself and a guided writing with my TA. The rest of the groups would take part in the continuous provision related to the objectives of the lesson and the topic. I am going to have one week I do the guided writing and the next week I swop with my TA and she does the guiding writing whilst I do the reading. The guided reading and writing would not be everyday of the week as we have a 6 day cycle, which gives me chance to be around the other areas for observation. My numeracy would also be similar, where I have carpet time and then areas of provision with a directed or supported activity with myself or my TA. The topic 'Ourselves' will then carry on through the six areas of learning for the other subjects throughout the day. Does this make sense and will it work. My problem is that our timetable is set in stone because it is a private school and the children go to another teacher for frence, swimming, PE and music so I need to be really organised with how I am going to do it to make sure I cover everything. I need some feedback so I know I am doing it correctly. Thanks for your help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 hi and welcome Wilkinson 252 My first thoughts are that although that sounds lovely, it is probably too formal for a Reception classroom. I know I would have difficulty making that work in that way although there is no reason why you cant deliver elements of literacy throughout the day. You will find that especially at the beginning of the year, your input needs to short and sharp and then you can work with the children to develop their learning through their play or through focused activities. Guided reading and writing in the way you describe is not that appropriate either, you will need to be very play based. Unless children in private schools are different!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 hi and welcome Wilkinson 252 My first thoughts are that although that sounds lovely, it is probably too formal for a Reception classroom. I know I would have difficulty making that work in that way although there is no reason why you cant deliver elements of literacy throughout the day. You will find that especially at the beginning of the year, your input needs to short and sharp and then you can work with the children to develop their learning through their play or through focused activities. Guided reading and writing in the way you describe is not that appropriate either, you will need to be very play based. Unless children in private schools are different!? I fully understand when you say it is formal but I think it will need to be with the way the timetable is. That is why I feel it needs to be done this way. I don't plan for music or pe because they go elsewhere. They are a very able group of children and have come from the nursery where they learn a great deal. My guided reading/ writing is set out that way because the children were very into books in nursery and even took them home. So I feel they are ready. To be able to provide each group with this I felt I needed it at four times a cycle. It is very difficult because I have looked at other people's plannning but their setting is quite flexible with the timetable whereas mine I have to stick with the time and the lessons on it. The timetable even is labelled as subjects so I have to link it with other areas as well. It's so difficult! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marion Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 I agree with Susan. Young children will really struggle to sit through a phonics session and then go straight into another teaching session. They will unlikely be ready for guided reading or writing until later in the year. remember you will just be introducing letters and sounds so until they have mastered at least some they won't be able to read words and until they have been taught letter formation they won't be ready for writing in a formal way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marion Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 Take a look at EYFS guidance and the DVD that accompanies it. Lots of good practice http://www.teachers.tv/video/browser/501 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 Take a look at EYFS guidance and the DVD that accompanies it. Lots of good practice http://www.teachers.tv/video/browser/501 will do. thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 Just to say welcome to the forum - I'm almost in the same boat as you, but moving from a Y5/6 class to a mixed YR/1/2 class. It really is a completely different mindset and I would follow Marion's advice and read as much as you can. I've had about 10 attempts at a timetable so far - like you I'm tied to a Literacy slot because of Y1/2, and the support available in school, but have decided to carve it up into chunks over the week for YR. I also want to avoid going down the route of never teaching YR myself, and leaving it all to my (fabulous) support staff, so this way a control freak like me can keep her eye on things. In fact, the more I read, the more I'm starting to think our current Y1 group would get more out of the EYFS style of working, too, so watch this space! Tracylu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJK Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 Hi all, as sad as this seems I am trying to plan for September in my new Reception class. I am moving from y4 and I need to get my head around everything because I hate being disorganised. The current reception teacher did not really have a clue what they were doing so I am relying on you guys. Really it is just my literacy and numeracy I am concerned about. I know my topic for the 1st half term is ourselves but I am unsure how to plan over my six areas. I want to teach in literacy the phonics at the start of the lesson and then teach to an objective maybe by using a book related to ourselves. The rest of the lesson would then consist of a guided reading with myself and a guided writing with my TA. The rest of the groups would take part in the continuous provision related to the objectives of the lesson and the topic. I am going to have one week I do the guided writing and the next week I swop with my TA and she does the guiding writing whilst I do the reading. The guided reading and writing would not be everyday of the week as we have a 6 day cycle, which gives me chance to be around the other areas for observation. My numeracy would also be similar, where I have carpet time and then areas of provision with a directed or supported activity with myself or my TA. The topic 'Ourselves' will then carry on through the six areas of learning for the other subjects throughout the day. Does this make sense and will it work. My problem is that our timetable is set in stone because it is a private school and the children go to another teacher for frence, swimming, PE and music so I need to be really organised with how I am going to do it to make sure I cover everything. I need some feedback so I know I am doing it correctly. Thanks for your help! Hi, I was also in the same boat last year. I planned far too much at first and it took me a term to get to grips with the lack of formality and moving from strict objectives in KS2. But I love the way the fs works now and when I teach KS2 again, i will use alot of the same fundamental principles. It is better. I also taught in a formal private school a few years back. What I would say is take the specialist lessons out of the equation- you can't change them. Have your text for the week. Have a short carpet session and put your phonics as a separate block- maybe just 10 mins each day,but keep referring to them throughout the day informally- when you line up and so on. You can have more than one area happening at the same time, through your focus group and your TA's focus. Dee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 Hi, I was also in the same boat last year. I planned far too much at first and it took me a term to get to grips with the lack of formality and moving from strict objectives in KS2. But I love the way the fs works now and when I teach KS2 again, i will use alot of the same fundamental principles. It is better. I also taught in a formal private school a few years back. What I would say is take the specialist lessons out of the equation- you can't change them. Have your text for the week. Have a short carpet session and put your phonics as a separate block- maybe just 10 mins each day,but keep referring to them throughout the day informally- when you line up and so on. You can have more than one area happening at the same time, through your focus group and your TA's focus. Dee That is really helpful thank you. i am going to do like you say with the phonics and the text. i will in the first week allow the childrne to join in with the planning of teh role play area and what kinds of things you think we will be looking at. I will then plan from their ideas and fit in the areas of learning. I will ignore where it says the subject names on my timetable and kind of arrange my own timetable from the one tehy give me. It should not make a difference to them as long as they go to tehir specialist subjects at the correct time. Does this sound better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 I would definitely say so! The children learn so much hrough good play provision + even more so when they are fully involved in developing it with you - it also seems to me that everything in EYFS supports this cross curricular style of working. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 Another thing to be aware of is a rich language environment. The children will also need lots of activities to encourage creativity in their story telling/ speaking. I use lots of role play, dressing up (insode and outside) and story sacks to accompany stories to help with this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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