Challenge In Continuous Provision

[Guest]

Hi have been looking into how i can introduce more challenge into my continuous provision. I have read alot about "talking tins" and "talking postcards". I was wondering if anyone already uses these and could pass on any tips and ideas of how to use them and also where i could perchase them from.

Thank you all in advance for your help

Edited November 18, 2010 by Guest

[Susan]

Talking Tins and Talking Postcards along with some other materials are available from TTS.

 

havent been fortunate to have any to use so cant help on that one but they do look super and are on my wish list!

[finleysmaid]

we have a couple of talking tins - i have used them in a variety of ways so far from a "ding dong" doorbell on the home corner ....that changed sound everyday. A firebell for the 'firestation' etc to adding sounds to my phonic display so it said something like 'd is for dog woof woof woof' worked really well in getting a child with sen into learning about phonics.I want to get some more to make truly interactive displays ...great fun! ( tts supplied ours)

Edited November 18, 2010 by finleysmaid

[Guest]

We got ours from TTS, I recorded questions and added them to our Autumn display to make it more interactive e.g - can you find two leaves the same shape? - can you find three red leaves? -which leaf do you like best?

Children did respond well, but they also enjoyed investigating talking tins and often wiped off my question, recording classroom noise!! All good exploratory play I suppose, will have to train them to do their own recording. Further up the school they use them when rehearsing writing, to recall what they want to write.

[Guest]

we use talking postcards for children to record an observation while out for a walk, or just outside generally, to share with people indoors when they came back in - it turns into a kind of hide and seek sometimes 'I saw some red flowers. Can you find them too' kind of thing.Ours came from TTS and have withstood a term's use. Recording button is on the back, so recordings are fairly safe!

[Guest]

Thank you all for your great ideas on using the talking postcards. I will certainly be visiting the TTS

website to purchase some for next term

[mundia]

I have found teh talking tins great for using with EAL children and getting parents to record simple object names in their home language alongside the English.

 

Also great for getting chidlren to leave their own instructions or questions for each other

[Guest]

Last year I used ours to send home when children had done something fab. I recorded a comment (e.g. I'm really proud of Josh today because....) then they took home to play to their parents. The parents would then often record a comment back and the children brought them back to school the next day. Both children and parents loved it, v motivating! I'm also thinking of using them in different areas of the classroom with challenges on for the children e.g. Can you make a castle using the Duplo.

[Susan]

Ive been investigating this--what is an optimium record time? Neither 10 secs nor 40 secs sounds very long for challenges?

[Guest]

I have been on the TTS website today looking at the talking postcards. The most recording time i have found is 60secs which isn't long but probably just enough to give a concise instruction to a group. I have found the longer the record time the more expensive they are!!!!!!

[mundia]

Yes the longer ones are a bit more expensive (about £6 rather than about 5). I found the short ones fine for most simple words or instructions, but you might need the longer ones in year 1 or 2