How Do You Do It?

[Guest Cathryn1974]

Hi

 

I am currently working in a developing Reception class. We have a long way to go but we have also come a long way. I haven't been at the school long and have also been out of teaching (having children of my own) for a few years.

 

I have a few questions about issues I feel we need to address,

 

With regards to the balance of child intiated adult led activities. Out whole day is child intiated in a strong enabling environment and open access to outside. We then have a PSRN carpet session and a CLL carpet session a day. This planning is done on a weekly basis and comes from the needs of the children. The carpet groups are small and split into key worker groups .We also do 2 PSRN focus activites (children are encouraged but not forced to partake) and 2 CLL focus activities. These normally take place in the a.m. and totally come from the children normally incidental observations from the previous day (well this is supposed to be what is happening but doesn't always). We then have our 20 mins letters and sounds each day.

 

I think we should have a quick daily meeting to feed back incidental observations and also make sure every child has a long formal planned observation twice a half term which forms part of their learning journals.

 

I also think the key worker should be responsible for the learning journals (this isn't happening at the moment anyone does them and they are full of inconsitencies and irrelevant information - there seems to be more emphasis on quantity rather than quality progression).

 

I know this is a bit rambly but any advice or just information about how you do things would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you so much in advance.

[Guest Cathryn1974]

Just wanted to add that the focus activities are one a day (2 PSRN and 2 CLL a week) Do you think this sounds a good balance?

 

Thanks

[Susan]

Cathyrn, I'm not working in reception at the moment but what you describe does sound ok, although I think I would more focus activities and that I would want to have some PSE circle time at least once a week that every child participated in and some focus activities from other areas of learning although maybe you can link this with your PRSN and CLL focus?

 

I also think that you should be aiming for all children to complete the focus activities, otherwise how can you be certain that they are acquiring these skills and concepts to use in the CI activities?

 

I would also be looking at leaving the focus activities out to enable the children to access them freely, to repeat and internalise the concepts or skills that you have modelled.

[Guest]

I have to say I agree about the children all doing the focus activity. If a child opts out of several session in a row they are potentially missing a huge range of skillls which is going to make life difficult for them in year one when they have to work to plug those gaps as well as aquire new skills very quickly.

 

I also agree about the PSE session. I would think at least one a week would be very useful to the children and similarly perhaps in the afternoon you could have focussed sessions on other things. If a lot of children have shown an interest in playing with magnets then that is an ideal opportunity to plan in a short whole class session where you investigate them together on the carpet and possibly spark more children to be interested and choose this activity in CI time, as well as increasing the meaningfulness of the play without an adult having to be there 'in the moment'.

 

If you find that this is too much whole class time per day then I would suggest keeping letters and sounds everyday but cutting your whole class PSRN and CLL sessions to one every alternate day like you do with your focussed activities.

[Guest]

Hey Kathryn, i agree Katriana. We do an alternate numeracy morning, then a literacy morning. But you also have to remember that everywhere does it completely different so you have to do what works for you as well x x x

[Guest Cathryn1974]

Thanks everyone that is all great advice. XXXXX