Devondaisy Posted March 22, 2012 Posted March 22, 2012 Does anyone have any experience of working with schemas with very young children - birth to around 16 months? I'm doing a baby placement at the moment and was interested in introducing the staff in the baby room to schemas as a way of thinking about children's play and ways they can develop it, but whilst I can identify schemas in the play of the older babies, I'm struggling with the younger ones (youngest is about 6 months old), I'm not really sure what I'm looking for. Are schemas relevant for such young children?
Upsy Daisy Posted March 22, 2012 Posted March 22, 2012 Absolutely. At six months old a child might be developing his/her understanding of object permanence. S/he might spend lots of time holding and dropping different objects, waiting for the adult to pick the up and return them. You might also see the baby moving things out of sight and back into view and it's around this time they might start to worry if a familiar adult leaves the room and smile when they return which is all part of developing the same schema. You don't have to look for a particular named schema that someone else has already identified. It's about seeing children making links in their learning and wondering how you can offer experiences which reinforce and develop their understanding. 1
Devondaisy Posted March 22, 2012 Author Posted March 22, 2012 Thanks for your insight Upsy Daisy. I'm trying to put some information together for the baby room staff at the moment. I have done an overview of schemas, background, why I think they're important and how thinking about them may help staff in the planning for the baby room, which is okay. I'm also trying to put together examples of different types of schema, what to look for and ideas develop that type of play further. I have attached my first draft and would welcome any opinions on it please. Also, whilst on my placement last week I noticed a 16 month old banging repeatedly onto different objects with whatever was to hand; she later was absorbed for some time dropping wooden bricks over a room divider. Am I right in thinking these may be examples of trajectory (vertical, up and down) schema? Types of Schemas.docx
Guest Posted May 15, 2012 Posted May 15, 2012 (edited) Trajectory is where the child throws things or is interested in straight lines such as Throwing games, Woodwork, Football, Playing with running water, Percussion. A child may gaze at your face, drop things from their cot, make arcs in their spilt food with their hand, play with the running water in the bathroom, climb up and jump off furniture, line up the cars, bounce and kick balls, throw. It sounds more like Enveloping. A child may cover themselves in a flannel when washing, wrap dolls and toys up in blankets and fabric, cover their painting with one colour.Dens, Things in boxes, Dressing up, Envelopes, Wrapping 'presents'. You could try and extend her learning by making sandwiches,Burying treasure and objects,Tunnelling,Blankets over tables, Bubble painting for example these are all enveloping extensions, I'm sure you can think of plenty more. Edited May 15, 2012 by Guest
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