Choices boards...pros & cons?

[enuffsenuf]

Hi everyone I work in several settings (one of which I manage). In the one I run we have complete freeflow. If we run an activity which is very popular and a hug number of children want to do it we simply rearrange the space/furniture/activities so that as many as want to can join in. In one of the other settings they use a "choices board" which limits the number of children at any activity to a maximum of 4. Sometimes children forget to "choose" the activity before they start it and are then made to leave it and go and "choose"it before they can return to it.

 

My personal opinion is that for very small children (some not quite three yet) this is not best practice. I think it causes arguments and frustration (just my personal opinion and observation of the differences in how the children behave here to the other settings).

 

Can I ask what others think?

[louby loo]

Well we do not have a choice board system. I have often considered it, but like you I feel it's not for us.

If it gets a 'tad wild' at any activity we adapt as appropriate .

[fimbo]

if we can open the activity up to more children then we will -we have moved all the furniture and allowed all the children to participate in an activity at times, but for certain activities we have to limit it -so we use a timer, the children know that when the timer goes through ( or if they have finished their 'creation'), then its the next childs turn

[enuffsenuf]

Thanks for your responses guys.

[Inge]

I used to ask why limit the number, what is the reasoning behind it...

 

if it is a space issue, like we had with our sand we did have a number limit (but we used caps,one for each space to join in, no caps no space in that area.. they learnt this quickly, and we did not have a head lice issue with sharing the caps, or passing them on etc. but we id have a lot less sand in eyes and in hair!) Other areas with limits could be water so only enough aprons, no apron wait a turn etc. we believed it does no harm for children to wait for a free space and not get all now.

 

.. timing if needed we used a kitchen timer..

 

otherwise it was a totally free play no number limits

[Mouseketeer]

We,re the same as you Inge, only limit if not enough room ie messy play area.....6 aprons, 0 aprons left no space, but we do have a Velcro number under each apron that they place on the board just as a way to use numbers for a purpose really.

[Devondaisy]

In a setting I worked in previously we used a choices board as part of the 'plan, do review' system from high scope. Children chose what activity they wanted to do at the start of the session by blue tacking their name next to a picture, and it was used to help them think about what they might like to do. We never limited access to any activity unless it got really wild. We went into small groups again for snack part way through the session, and children talked about what they had done. It did work well, although it is not something I have used in my present setting.

[lynned55]

Interesting..... we dont limit- unless it's the obvious such as sand/water trays and then if we did we would use a sand timer.

I have found that generally the activity that draws most of the children to it are ones where they make it themselves.

Yesterday- a group of children started off with just 4, decided to have a 'storytime;' as more and more children joined in more and more chairs were moved into the book corner (not sure why) as each child had to have a chair. Anyway we ended up with around 20 children participating in this. My point is how do you do a choice board for things like this? Things that just develop? Many years ago we tried to have a star system- where if a child wanted to do an activity in the 'quiet' room they had to take a star and stick on the board- 6 stars meant the room was full. Well we soon gave up on that!!