New Playgroup Help For Observation Assessment And Planning

[Guest terrydoo73]

Hi my name is Jacqui and I am from NI. I have just been appointed Leader in a new playgroup and new help with observation, assessment and planning. We are planning to open with 6 little ones who have just turned 3 so are not yet preschoolers if you understand me! We have been advised to focus on their PSED, Language and Physical and not to worry about the other areas of learning.

 

Obviously it will all be focused on the settling in process. Most of them have never left mummies before and it will be a long slow process getting them used to us, the setting etc. Some of them will be part time ie 2/3 days a week others we hope for the full week - we are providing 2 1/2 hours are every morning.

 

Can anyone give me any hints on how to fill in the planning in terms of the 3 areas mentioned above. I do not even have guidelines in terms of what we should be observing etc. So at a real loss. We are not going by any curriculum as such but any help in this respect would be most appreciated.

[Guest]

Hi wow you really need to contact department for childern,schools and families.....you really need a pack to help you out they can sent you one out 0845 6055560.....it can be downloaded at www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/eyfs

Hope that helps and you really do have to focus on all 6 areas...

Personal,social and Emotional development

Communication language and literacy

problem solving reasoning and numeracy

Knowledge and understanding of the world

Physical Development

Creative development

 

 

If you ring up quote ref 00261-2008pck-en.....and ask for the May 2008 copy..

 

hope this is a start for you XX

[SazzJ]

Hello Jacqui

 

First things first you will struggle to get your hands on a hard copy fo the EYFS so ask around as they no longer are producing it.

 

Secondly if you put your continous provision in place and then just concentrate on helping these littles ones feel safe and secure. I wouldn't plan any activities just yet. You will cover development matters without planning activities.

 

Your focus can be helping them to settle taken for PSED feeling safe etc

 

http://www.foundation-stage.info/forums/in...showtopic=27871 this topic has copies of the development matters if don't have copies

 

I was in your place last year so know how it feels. Any help/support or advice you need I am happy to help as are 100's of others on this forum.

 

Have you got any support networks in place? Playgroup Alliance or playgroup netwrok etc?

[Guest terrydoo73]

Thank you so much for your replies - it is all a bit overwhelming at the moment. We are a small Community Playgroup and are depending on the families to give a small amount each week to cover incidentals such as snack - the Management Community Committee is funding the positions for the first year!!

 

In NI we can join an organisation called Early Years for an annual membership fee. They provide a Development Worker who comes in for 3 visits in the year. She basically helps when we have a problem or need advice etc. Her advice to us has been to keep it loose. She will come out to us once we have been operational for a few weeks so we need help in actually getting going. I know it will all be about separation issues, personal development etc but it is just having it clear in your head to know what to look for! As Leader I feel I need to take the lead and also know what I am about myself.

 

I will go now and check out the website and download the document to help me. I have been so caught up the past month with getting the building registered, buying in resources and working out areas with labelling of each and now it just seems another hurdle for this week! We are planning to open on Wednesday morning - we have 9 completed registration forms but as yet do not know if this means we will have them every day or some for 2/3 days at most.

[Guest]

cover all areas not just those 2 every child is different and in my experience some of our 2 1/2 year olds can be quite a long way on the developmental lines in lots of areas

 

we always spend time settling and getting them used to the routine and their key people.

start by doing long obs and tracking obs this will give you a base and show you where their interests lie

and then you can plan around their interests

Edited January 16, 2011 by Suer

[mundia]

Hi there and welcome to the forum. I was just wondering as you are from NI, you will have a different document from the EYFS? I understand that NI are currently consulting on a 0-6 strategy but Im not sure what you've currently got, but I have a feeling the areas of learning are not quite the same, as the learning and development section of the EYFS only applies to England

 

Any other members from NI able to enlighten us?

[Scarlettangel]

I can understand concentrating on PSED ie settling the children in but surely all the other areas would have to be covered too......

 

Even if you don't specifically plan for them I am sure the resources will lend themselves to meet most areas in an holistic way

 

When we have new childre start we concentrate on the settling process but planning is in place even if its just making sure that there are toys out the children will be interested in..... we use the information given to us from the profile and the parents visit.

 

Good luck!!!