Guest Posted September 17, 2010 Share Posted September 17, 2010 I work in a FS1 class and next week we will be starting a new topic-Robots and we will be reading the book Harry and the robots as our story for the week. I am being observed during the week and the head wants the lesson focus to be on writing. She wants to see an adult led group time and an adult led activity during free play all writing based. Can you please help with writing ideas linked with the topic. Thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 17, 2010 Share Posted September 17, 2010 I work in a FS1 class and next week we will be starting a new topic-Robots and we will be reading the book Harry and the robots as our story for the week. I am being observed during the week and the head wants the lesson focus to be on writing. She wants to see an adult led group time and an adult led activity during free play all writing based. Can you please help with writing ideas linked with the topic. Thanks in advance Coming from a FS1 preschool, I just can't understand this at all, I can't imagine asking our new rising 3 year olds to sit long enough for Harry and the the Robots and then do writing based activities. How old are the children in your nursery class and how many of them and adults are there? I am curious about the difference between preschools and nursery classes and how you make it work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 18, 2010 Share Posted September 18, 2010 Welcome to the forum twinklerj and well done for making your first post. I agree it's not the most appropriate focus for Nursery (which I'm sure you know too) but then I also know that schools are not always flexible and senior management like to expect to see certain things. Perhaps do an activity of drawing their own robot and 'naming' it. Have you got 'older' Nursery and newer younger ones? A good chance to show differentiation (which senior management love) is to encourage more from your 'older' ones who've been in Nursery longer. Take a good hard look at the development matter statements and pick the most appropriate one to use as your objective for the session. Provide lots of opportunities for the children to 'write' if they want to with clipboards in certain areas. Keep your carpet time very short - and try to feel confident enough to explain that its not appropriate to the children's development that they sit for more than a few moments at a time. ooh just thought if you have any evidence of mark-making from the children proudly display it somewhere where the children can see it. Its frustrating when you know as a professional that what senior management want to see is not necessarily the most appropriate thing for your children..and its not always possible to stand up to them! Take a deep breath, put on your best Nursery grin and give it your best shot - I'm sure you'll be fine! And remember they are mostly 3 years old! (wouldn't hurt to remind your head of that information!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted September 18, 2010 Share Posted September 18, 2010 You could do something from Marion's superb list to encourage fine motor skills--after all thats all part and parcel of writing especially at such an early age and much more appropriate probably? Find the ideas here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacquieL Posted September 18, 2010 Share Posted September 18, 2010 I think that you could do some writing in front of the children in the adult group time demonstrating what writing is for, but something really short lived as they shouldn't be on the carpet for long. As Susan suggests something to support fine manipulative skills as the adult focus activity is appropriate. At this stage in the year this would be enough to support early mark-making. Make sure you can explain what you are doing and why and reference it to the EYFS. I do think it is important to stand up for what we do, and what is the right way to move forward with the children, so that bit by bit the message gets across to those who do not understand. to do anything else just confirms them in their beliefs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 19, 2010 Share Posted September 19, 2010 I think that you could do some writing in front of the children in the adult group time demonstrating what writing is for, but something really short lived as they shouldn't be on the carpet for long. As Susan suggests something to support fine manipulative skills as the adult focus activity is appropriate. At this stage in the year this would be enough to support early mark-making. Make sure you can explain what you are doing and why and reference it to the EYFS. I do think it is important to stand up for what we do, and what is the right way to move forward with the children, so that bit by bit the message gets across to those who do not understand. to do anything else just confirms them in their beliefs. looking at the fab list, you could suggest they try building robots from wooden blocks I hope I didn't come across as having a go at you, as I wasn't xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rufus Posted September 19, 2010 Share Posted September 19, 2010 Could you get the children to mark make on a large construction robot made of boxes. They could draw buttons, levers, numbers etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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