COLs (again!)

[green hippo]

Hi all,

Just checking my understanding on a couple of things to do with the CoLs.

1. Is it correct that the best 'learners' will demonstrate all/most of the characteristics as outlined in the document? I.e. we want children to develop ALL these characteristics where possible?

2. Can someone explain what is meant by 'developing ideas of grouping, sequences, cause and effect' in the Creating and Thinking Critically section and also 'noticing patterns in their experiences'

 

As usual, I think I'm over-thinking things but thought I'd better check.

Thanks

Green Hippo x

[green hippo]

Sorry to pester, but can anyone shed any light on these queries for me?

Thanks

Green Hippo x

[Moorside]

Hi

 

No expert but as you sound in need thought I'd give it a try!

 

I think the characteristics of learning are linked you play and explore which motivates and allows you to make links. Critically thinking is the characteristic which your higher attainers must have, those children that are still emerging may struggle with some of the concepts in this area.

 

Cause and effect doesn't have to be complicated the water tray is a great place to start. Its all about the teacher challenging children to think about their own learning.

 

If you want a good read "How children Learn the three characteristics of effective early learning" by Nancy Stewart is easy to read not long and may add clarity to the characteristics for you.

 

Hope that helps

 

J

[Guest]

Having done my CoEL last week I do think that there is an element of hierarchy within them. Certainly my more developing children have shown less on the Critical Thinking and Creative statements. I used the question prompts linked to on another thread and these really helped to focus my thinking about each individual. I wasn't thinking 'oh this is one of the less able children - they won't be doing anything in the last set of CoEL' but when I looked back I had less to say in answer to the question prompts for those children.

 

However I think it also helps to point out those children who are very capable at the EYFS level but who are perhaps not being challenged enough and lack motivation to self challenge. I haven't got a child like that at present but I did have one in my last job - very able, working at Y1 level in lots of areas, but wanted adult input a lot and wasn't very self motivated. To me he was quite like my own son who hadn't liked to show his abilities in front of his peers because he wanted to be one of the boys. My challenge was to both get him eager to show his abilities and encourage a group of his friends to do that so he didn't feel he stood out.

[catma]

I also think, post all my moderation visits, that the creating and thinking critically element was the one that practitioners reflected on the least in their observations and evidence. So maybe children are doing it but we don't always know what we are looking out for and so miss it??

 

Cx

[Froglet]

Being in the middle of writing my reports I like everyone else have been thinking lots about the characteristics and have decided I need to do lots of work on this next year. I would agree that not always being sure what I'm looking for and therefore missing it is probably likely. I'm also finding the CoEL bullet points a bit overwhelming - there is so much to think about and keep in mind. I'm sure this aspect will get easier over time as I become more familiar with them.

 

One of my first thoughts is that I could probably do with reviewing them for each child more regularly and also possibly find a way of collating the evidence I have towards them. My long observation sheets have space to highlight which CoEL statements I've seen evidence for but it's hard to look back at this and keep an overall picture. I'm wary though of creating an extra piece of paper to be filled in!

[catma]

Just considering what you observe ordinarily in connection with the aptitudes you are also looking for would suffice wouldn't it? You don't need a another record as it's about how the child did the thing you observed as well as what they did. It's the other side of the same coin really. And then considering all the observations would give you a sense of how the child shows those characteristics in different contexts.

 

Cx

[Guest]

Yes the characteristics, at first glance, appear to be developmental; however if we dig a little deeper it becomes clear that actually even the youngest child is capable of creating and thinking critically - after all how did they get from 0 - 3 years without being able to think critically? Think about the child of 6 months who makes links between cause and effect when throwing a rattle out of her pram (object permanence) or discovers that if you shake the rattle it makes a sound - there are different levels of the same characteristic; we just need time to familiarise ourselves with the CoEL and to relate them to the child's playful learning.

x

[green hippo]

Thanks for all your replies - I knew you'd come to my rescue!

My confusion was over some things that I'd read and heard which suggest that we should view the CoELs like we do 'types' of learners e.g. kinaesthetic learners etc - i.e. that is the way they are and that we don't need to 'develop' it - but my understanding had always been that we need to encourage, promote and develop ALL the characteristics in ALL children - we want the children to 'have' all these characteristics if possible as that will make them the most effective learners. We therefore must ensure that our environments, provision, classroom ethos and interactions all enable these characteristics to be developed.

Green Hippo x

[finleysmaid]

Thanks for all your replies - I knew you'd come to my rescue!

My confusion was over some things that I'd read and heard which suggest that we should view the CoELs like we do 'types' of learners e.g. kinaesthetic learners etc - i.e. that is the way they are and that we don't need to 'develop' it - but my understanding had always been that we need to encourage, promote and develop ALL the characteristics in ALL children - we want the children to 'have' all these characteristics if possible as that will make them the most effective learners. We therefore must ensure that our environments, provision, classroom ethos and interactions all enable these characteristics to be developed.

Green Hippo x

When these first became part of the assessment for EY i thought that this was the case too...there was very little information available to say otherwise. Whats interesting is that most of our children (at 3) show one characteristic strongly...but after they've been with us for a while it would be very difficult to chose just one. They may still favour one area rather than another though