nellie2008 Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Hi, We've been asked to mark children's work with next steps for writing and refer to the EYFS. However the profile points are too wide and the steps needed too great to be "next steps". Would anyone have a prompt list of smaller achievable steps that i could use when marking please. They need to be "Iwill try to..... " statements. Everything I've read so far seems to be about what the adult will do in terms of provision eg. provide ops. for mark-making in role-play etc Sorry if I'm being dim but I'm new to all this copming from KS2 and didn't expect to be doing formal recorded writing until later in the year unless they were ready, now i've got to do some "writing " in the literacy book every week and include next steps--- MY BRAIN IS PORRIDGE! THANK YOU IN ANTICIPATION OF YOU WONDERFUL IDEAS! XXX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmajess Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 The Ros Wilson / Big Writing criterion scales are broken down into smaller steps - I find them quite useful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest muckygravy Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Hi,We've been asked to mark children's work with next steps for writing and refer to the EYFS. However the profile points are too wide and the steps needed too great to be "next steps". Would anyone have a prompt list of smaller achievable steps that i could use when marking please. They need to be "Iwill try to..... " statements. Everything I've read so far seems to be about what the adult will do in terms of provision eg. provide ops. for mark-making in role-play etc Sorry if I'm being dim but I'm new to all this copming from KS2 and didn't expect to be doing formal recorded writing until later in the year unless they were ready, now i've got to do some "writing " in the literacy book every week and include next steps--- MY BRAIN IS PORRIDGE! THANK YOU IN ANTICIPATION OF YOU WONDERFUL IDEAS! XXX I don't think that children this early in the year are ready for next steps or should be made to write weekly in a literacy book. If you were to write next steps you will have to read them out to each child as they presumably won't be able to read them. I have two children who are writing independently and the rest are all making initial attempts at emergent writing. I usually write on their work how much support they have had e.g 'Lucy had oral support with segmenting the sounds in some words. She used a phoneme mat to find the sounds she wanted to use in her writing and made excellent attempts to write the correct letters in response to these sounds' I would then write in my evaluation section of my planning - Lucy recognises most single phonemes but needed support with 'ai' and 'ee', further activities and support required with these phonemes or I might comment about her letter formation. I often give oral feedback to pupils or draw smiley face and give stickers to reward pupils for their early attempts at writing. Sometimes I might set small group next moves or spend time with individuals to observe and support their needs. It takes lots of modelling, support and encouragement before pupils are ready to write and sometimes pupils will be coming to the end of Reception or in Year 1 before they develop this confidence. Who is making you write weekly in literacy books and give feedback to Reception age pupils in this way? Some staff in Senior Management don't get the EYFS at all and feel that they can just dilute K.S.1 practice and expect the FS to work with this. There is a good discussion about Big Talk and how this leads to developing ideas for writing on this forum somewhere. I am an Early Years Co-ordinator who came down to Early Years from K.S.1 several years ago and initially tried to teach in the same way I taught older pupils. I eventually found my way and love teaching Foundation Stage. I like that the EYFS curriculum is child centred and treats children as individuals with very different needs. I am sure there are lots of other more qualified people on this forum who could give you advise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nellie2008 Posted November 9, 2009 Author Share Posted November 9, 2009 Thank you for your replies. I totally agree and evrything i've read and done so far tells me that most of the children I have are not really ready. They are mainly just drawing pictures, some are still scribbling and when i ask them to tell me about their writing sometimes come out with a sentence that i write underneath. At the start of term i was doing this and saying if it was supported in any way or completely independent. But as i said this now isn't enough. you are right about who is leading this approach but what can you do but tow the party line? I will look up the Big Talk thread and keep checking the forum. thank goodness for this site I think it'll help preserve my sanity this year. we move a lot in our school so I'll probably only be here this year- shame as I'll probably be getting into it by then. thanks again muckygravy x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 you are right about who is leading this approach but what can you do but tow the party line? we move a lot in our school so I'll probably only be here this year- shame as I'll probably be getting into it by then. Is it just me or does this seem a very sad state of affairs? (Not a reflection on you of course!). The management obviously don't recognise the unique approach FS needs and if people are only there for one year they're never going to get the confidence or the knowledge to speak up and say 'actually this doesn't work here'. You should make yourself that person! Gather some evidence (there's plenty in various documentation) about what is best practise and some about where the children are currently at and see if you can hit your senior managment with it all (not literally!) Don't be tempted to tow the party line without first attempting to make a change for the better. Recently I was told I had to do something by an experienced member of staff, which I knew wasn't right for my class, I then went to the person who had actually set up the initiative (the maths co-ordinator) to point this out and now I don't have to do it that way at all. If I hadn't spoken up and just gone with the first thing I was told things would never have changed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nellie2008 Posted November 10, 2009 Author Share Posted November 10, 2009 Thank you for yoy reply. Unfortunately i'm not one to rock the boat and don't feel I have the confidence to speak out just yet. I do agree with the SMT not understanding the EYFS and the completely different approach nedded- neither did I but the lights keep going on! We are due an OFSTED so I think we're just having to do what everyone else is doing and they want us to show progression in these 2 books although why the evidence journals don't do this i'm not sure. I guess it's just too RADICAL for them at the mo. I'll start to gather some documents and wait tilthe advisor visits again i think Thanks for the advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Nellie, Iknow how difficult it can be and I understand exactly what you mean when you say that you wont rock the boat, but there are ways of tackling this without doing that. If, as you say, Ofsted are due I think I would be seeking out the advisor and asking for help in tackling this either in the how or in talking to SMT. You should at least make your feelings known, dont be in the position of taking the blame for inadequate practise. Good Luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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