Buttercup Posted January 6, 2005 Posted January 6, 2005 I have just logged on and read all your advice on implementing bttm. Alot of people have promised examples of planning they do with 0-3 and how their assesments link to bttm but no one has posted anything. I am a childminder with four children under three and am trying to look as ways of having more formal plans and assesement. At the moment I have themes for my older children and adapt them for the 0-3 but I do not record evidence of this. Any ideas or examples of plans that i could adapt for my setting. thanks
Rea Posted January 6, 2005 Posted January 6, 2005 Hi angelaw, cant help I'm afraid, just wanted to say hello and welcome. Somebody will be along to help I'm sure
Beau Posted January 7, 2005 Posted January 7, 2005 Hi Angela, Afraid I can't help either - Scotland is still formulating their BTTM so at the moment it's not something I need to worry about. From what I've read though, at this point there doesn't seem to be a necessity to plan in a formal sense - this will follow this year. Do you have a copy of the Framework document? By the way - welcome to the forum!
Helen Posted January 8, 2005 Posted January 8, 2005 Hello Angela, and welcome Many thanks for making your first post. I run a nursery for 2 year olds + but don't do different planning sheets for the under-threes. I'm not sure what other settings, though. We are waiting for the BTTM training to cascade down this year, and I'm hoping there will be a suggested, manageable system of recording and assessment! I am concerned that this may double all our planning and that it will all become a paperwork nightmare! When Steve and I set up this site, I have to admit to the BTTM forum being an "add-on"; we really wanted to focus on the Foundation Stage. Your post has reminded us that there should really be closer links between the two. Let's hope this is the year one flows seamlessly and effortlessly into the other
Guest Posted January 8, 2005 Posted January 8, 2005 Hi Angela, I, too, am a childminder and mind a range of children from 6mths to 3 1/2 years providing preschool ed for the 3 year old (NEG funding). At the moment Ofsted are just expecting you to be formally observing and assessing under 3s to be able to provide appropriate activities for their further development using the bttm as guidelines for activities. With the nature of learning of under 3s it is difficult to formally long term plan for this age group. Indeed planning on a short term level is about all that you can do for this age group as they need lots of repetitive activities to reinforce new schemas. Planning has to be done on an individual basis as well e.g.I mind two 14 month olds a boy and a girl. The girl is very proactive on her gross motor skills i.e. she is walking but isnt very good at coordination using shapesorters etc. The boy who is only 2 weeks younger is very good with shape sorters, stacking cups etc but isnt walking. Therefore you are really looking at providing I.L.P.s for each child and working with these rather than plans. I hope this all makes sense!!!
Buttercup Posted January 8, 2005 Author Posted January 8, 2005 thanks alot for your replies I do think that we all get stressed out about what needs to be written. I'm sure what I'm doing is fine but its good to get suggestions from other people to develop your own systems and perhaps make them better.
Guest Posted January 11, 2005 Posted January 11, 2005 Hi Angelaw I look after 2-3 yr olds in a day nursery and we also have a baby room with 6 mths to 2 yrs. I do a weekly planning sheet showing each day. Each day I aim to include a couple of activities, usually based on our main nursery topic. Along with this we fill in a daily activty sheet which shows the activity, how it is relevent to BTTM, extension activities, resources needed and observations made. I am trying to help the staff in my group to understand how the BTTM needs to be taken into account when doing these activites therefore why I do the seperate daily sheets. I also keep a checklist as we go along of the BTTM broken down and tally marked to show what areas have been covered. It's a lot of paperwork but at the end of the day it does make life easier. Also being only 2 I find that half the time we can't stick to the plans but they are there displayed on the wall and in a folder for OFSTED (aaaggghhh) to see. For the babies we do a simpler version again and also the daily sheets. We dont usually use ILP, except for those who have special needs but this might be an idea I consider in future. We Do keep observation books and observe and assess the children. This information gets transferred into their Surestart profiles and onto progress sheets, which are given to the parents when they leave. Ok I can breathe again now. I start talking and can waffle for England If you want I will email you some samples or copies of weekly plans, etc if they are of any use. P. S. Welcome by the way
Guest Posted January 11, 2005 Posted January 11, 2005 Hi Amethyst Can you tell me more about the SureStart profiles. We have a profile (A4 ringbinder) for each child which is divided into the four aspects (from Birth to Three Matters) and observations, photographs and examples of work are written/put in under these areas. The profile can be shared with children and parents whenever they ask. The child's keyworker writes a progress sheet every 12 weeks that outlines the child's progress and next steps (this is shared with parents/carers). Do you do something similar? We have a similar profile for the 6 areas of learning for the Foundation Stage but we also use our LEA's Nursery Stage Profile (similar to Foundation Stage Profile for Reception aged children) with the over 3s, to ensure progression through the stepping stones and to monitor attainment. I have mixed-age groups and use one daily planning sheet (A3 size) for each group, the focus child leads the planning and a possible learning experience is taken from either Bto3 or FSD for that particular enhanced activity. Continous provision plans are up in the rooms outlining learning experiences and resources in each area (water, creative, music, imaginative area, etc) Hope that makes some sense. Where are you in Essex? I used to live/work in Grays and went to uni in Colchester. I miss Essex sometimes.
Sue R Posted January 12, 2005 Posted January 12, 2005 Hi Angelaw and welcome! As I can't remember if I've welcomed magpie, hello to you, too! I have some planning sheets we use for BTTM purposes, will try to make them anonymous and send to you, but as has already been said, at the moment it's more guidance. You just need to show, perhaps in your obs and general medium term planning your awareness of the document and it's contents. This will probably change soon, so keep alert to any announcements! Sue
Guest Posted May 8, 2005 Posted May 8, 2005 This information gets transferred into their Surestart profiles and onto progress sheets, which are given to the parents when they leave. Hi Amethist can you please tell me where you got the surestart profile from? i have not heard of it before, i have just been looking around the surestart website but did not come across anything about a profile we are just about to do some training on this, it would be nice ot know a little more about it! Karen
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