Rufus Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 Hi folks I have been asked some advice from an NQT friend and am passing it on to you nice people! Can you help me help her? Her observations have constantly picked her up on use of learning objectives and success criteria. She has tried.... 1. Telling the children what the objective is for directed activites 'today you will be...'. And for CI activities writing labels and pictures 'Can you build a house for the Gingerbread Man' of 'Count the ladybirds in the tray'etc... However this was not good enough. 2. Shew gave each group a set of feeling fans for the children to self assess how they got on with their adult and independent jobs. For example once they have played tricky word bingo they have to show the face that represents how they found the task. She knows this is way beyond reception children and doesn't really see the point but is trying everything she can. 3. wearing a gold medal around my neck which had the learning objective on one side: we are learning about how to write a label and on the other side she wrote some questions as her success criteria e.g. can you tell me what a label is? If the children could answer her questions then they were winners? I am at a loss how to advise her because I don't work like that or agree with it. The Learning objective on CI activities is decided by how the chidlren to decide to play with the toys, what they choose to do. Afterall that is the direction things are moving in EYFS. In terms of Directed activites I tell the chidlren what the purpose is and that is good enough for me. I assess the success criteria through observations and dicussion with children. I think her superior is quite old fashioned in her approach and being an NQT she cannot rock the boat, but unfortunately has to jump through a few hoops! Any bright ideas how she can inform her children of Learning objectives in a fun, low key way for CI and directed activities. And how she can show what her success criteria is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 (edited) She needs to get her support tutor or her Early Years team in PDQ to chat and observe her doing it how she really feels it should be done and sing her praises to the Head about how well she's implementing EYDS Edited April 21, 2009 by Cait Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 Poor girl! I have read somewhere just recently and for the life of me cannot remember where but the gist of it was whatever has happened to children learning through discovery? All this sharing the learning objective may be OK for older children ( although I have my doubts!) but it is really not appropriate for such young children. let them explore, discover and play and if the adult really does scaffold the learning they will learn and we can then build on this. sorry now advice really as I agree with you rufus! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 Sounds like she has worked really hard and tried lots of different things. The only other thing I can suggest is using smiley faces linked to very simple SC when doing focussed writing tasks. I talk through 3 SC on the carpet when I have finished modelled writing and then adapt these for group work ie before the children start their writing task i remind them that I will be looking for a list, 1st sound in words, and all sounds in some words. Then I mark to these criteria writing them in the book eg list 1st sound all sounds The children like these and seem to understand them. Hope this is useful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 I have a learning bear who says what we are learning and a looking bear (with glasses) who says what he is looking for. We introduced them because the whole school is in the midst of AfL (which I have tried to let other year groups know, we ahve done for years in reception anyway!) The bears are generally used for a carpet session or for an adult directed task. I have used them at times for child intitated times and said that the looking bear is looking for, e.g. children taking turns or talking to each other as they play, or sorting out problems by talking, but by no means are the bears used all the time- just as and when needed. I have been surprised how well the children have used them and got excited by them (Reception and SEN Y1). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 I think there is some concern from OFSTED that children are not challenged, it seems to be very much their new agenda. This had led some Heads into focusing on learning objectives in FS. I don't think this is the way forward as one person already mentioned children can often take something off on an unexpected tangent and learn alsorts of things you hadn't put on your planning! In foundation we provide enabling environments which allow children to explore. However some children will need a prompt a way in to access the opportunities. We have challenge buttons in each area. These are little talking tins that you can buy from TTS and on these we put different challenges. The children choose what they want to do but there is an expectation that they will do one challenge each day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catma Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 We have challenge buttons in each area. These are little talking tins that you can buy from TTS and on these we put different challenges. The children choose what they want to do but there is an expectation that they will do one challenge each day. I'm loving that idea!!! I think it is also about helping children know what "it" will look like when they have achieved this skill. So I would ask them how they would know they were good at x or y. That way they can also self assess. Helping them understand the concept of what good looks like is important and having conversations such as what makes a good friend for example can be ways in to what makes a good writer. And you have to know the skills you are looking for in a good writer aged 5 which is different from a good writer aged 11!! So: today we are going to learn to use this phoneme - how will we know when we are good at using it? Then you can reflect more clearly with the children. Using your assessment for learning is crucial. I saw a session this week where the children could do everything asked of them so easily - no challenge or thinking needed. If we are working directly with them (which is when we would be sharing these criteria, as you have elected to focus on this thing) then you need to be working at the pitch above the current capability otherwise children are treading water. Cx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts