Taking The Foundation Stage Play Based Learning Into Y1 And 2

[Guest]

Hi, I am a newly appointed KS1 and EYFS manager, one of my briefs to get ready for September is to take the very successful Foundation Stage ethos that i have created and show them how to do it in Y1 (and possibly Y2). It is rather a big subject and I don't know where to start; curriculum, resources, look at play based learning first????? Has anyone done this or works in a Y1 or Y2 which has a play based curriculum? Help, the time scale isn't long! What are the priorities to work on first?

[Guest]

I'm sorry I can't help you but we're looking at doing this in the future so I'm interested to hear what people say.

[Guest tinkerbell]

A document and DVD came out a few years ago called 'continuing the learning journey' ( i think) its about transition into year1 and a couple of years ago I had the oppertunity to use it to train TA's and the teacher in yr1/yr2 class.It was very useful because it does emphasis a play based curriculum.

 

Tinkerbell

[Susan]

You need to get your staff on board so they need to understand what is a play based curriculum. Can they visit your reception class to see how things work?

 

They will need to lose the subject boxes with which they work and you may need to rethink your planning formats. You will need to look at topics in much more creative way than they are probably working if they use QCA at the moment and make connections between things in a meaningful way for them and the children!

 

I moved from reception to year 1 this year and although my head cant quite decide how formal she really wants year 1 to be, she is all for a creative curriculum. I have taken until now to understand what exactly I needed to teach so have failed to make things as play based as I would have liked but hope I am in a position to move forward with this more effectively now.

 

You also need the resources to do this!

[Upsy Daisy]

I can't offer any practical help but I just wanted to say what a great idea. My daughter is nearing the end of year one in a combined YR/Y1 classroom and has really benefitted from the play based curriculum.

 

Unfortunately Year 2 will be with an old school type teacher whose focus is on getting them to sit down, get on with their work (no matter how boring) and prepare for SATs. It won't be the same.

 

I know it will be hard work to make the changes but it will be well worth it for the children.

[Guest]

We have worked this way for many years. We took the principles into our Learning and Teaching policy and first looked at the environment and how this could be similar and then the routines of the day and then the curriculum. We did away with the QCA units of work and went cross curricular with 6 very braod themes in a year.

 

We visited other schools and we also worked with High/Scope to develop the principles in our teaching in KS1. The visit to other schools was a real turning point and enabled some of the staff reluctant to change to see the benefits. We did a lot of coaching and mentoring also to bring people on board.

 

The Continuing Learn Journey is a good starting point and we moved it first into Y1 and then when those children moved to Y2 we moved it into Y2 and it works really well.

 

Take the staff with you as this is really important. Look at the Rose Review and at the Robin Alexander Review and you should get some good ideas from that. Also Mick Waters had a really good poster he was sharing on visits around the country. If you pm me I can give you the names of some schools where you could visit.

 

You can find a presentation from Mick here

 

http://www.slideshare.net/naaceconferences...009-mick-waters

[Guest]

Thank you, what does pm stand for? (If you pm me), sorry am new to this site and still finding my way around, I think it is a godsend though!

[Beau]

Thank you, what does pm stand for? (If you pm me), sorry am new to this site and still finding my way around, I think it is a godsend though!

 

pm stands for private message. If you click on someones name, you get a drop down menu appear. One of your options is to send the member a message.

[Guest]

Sorry sladetribe6 should have been more specific!

 

thanks Beau for the explaination!