To theme or not to theme?

[Guest]

Hi everyone :1b,

 

Do any of you have an EYCC who does not like the word 'theme'?

 

If you have, how do you explain your way around it?

[Wildflowers]

There are some views expressed on themes in the thread on long and medium term planning,

and possibly another recent one, I think.

[Stargrower]

We haven't worked with themes for quite a few years now. We plan based more on the interests of the children as we find they are much more engaged and therefore more receptive to learning than if we plan themes that might not interest them at all.

 

Edit to say I think you'd have to have quite a strong argument to persuade me to go back to planning with themes!

Edited September 1, 2013 by Beehive

[Fredbear]

No themes with us either. We let the children guide us through their interests, then we provide resources to support and expand this learning. Only thing we do plan for in away is our cooking each half term, as more preparation is required.

[Guest]

We still have a mixture of both and this works for us. I think each settings needs are individual (unique even!! ) so what suits one may not suit another. We sometimes, although not always, have a broad theme, like minibeasts, but this just starts us off and the children take us in all directions. Not all staff plan around it which is fine and again works, but we find it gets our creative juices flowing and encourages us to branch out and think up new ideas. In some cases, children have enjoyed a longer topic/theme, although we would always run other things along side of course so all children are engaged. We tend to see what happens at the beginning of term.

I know some practitioners are very against it but it depends how themes are used and I wouldn't judge anyone else's setting on how they plan.

[Rufus]

We use themes because its good to have something to gel everything. However the themes are decided from the children's interests, so we don't decide on our themes until the children are showing us what they are in to. Themes may last 4 weeks or they may last 1 week depending on where the children take them. Also we could have 2 themes running alongside each other.

[flowlow]

I think it depends on what you class as 'theme' for example do you mean we are looking at 'minibeasts' or 'all about me' because you are on a two year cycle and this is the time when you would 'do' those themes, which can still mean that you go with children's unique ways of learning and therefore alter the way you deliver the 'theme'. Or do you class theme as 'well the kids are into pirates so we will run sea and beach role play this term and make hats and props for pirates in craft etc...'is this still a theme?

 

We follow the children's interest and therefore if they show an interest say in dinosaurs then we will plan lots of activities taking account of this and it may run for a whole half a term. So I guess this may be classed as a theme but we don't have a cycle of themes like we used to which are repeated every two years and we don't choose the theme ourselves.

Edited September 1, 2013 by Johanna1

[Guest]

I do a long term plan outlining what we could plan for but it's like anything you do it's all flexible and child led, nothing set in stone.

I do still like to have a bit of a plan to fall back on or extend learning or incorporate something topical - like the Olympics -

[Stargrower]

Seems Johanna1 hit the nail on the head when she says it depends what you class as a theme. I've said we don't plan themes, but we do some of the things that people have described above, Just not the long term cycle of half a dozen themes that you rotate year in year out!

[green hippo]

Hi,

I'm going to be possibly controversial now and say that we do still do 'themes'. This was initially because the SMT wanted it and wouldn't really accept our arguments otherwise. But we literally have a 'title' ready and have our medium-term aims which are completely decided on from assessment of the children - e.g. we do not say "we're going to look at (DM Statement).. because it fits into that theme well" (like in the old days!). The children then take it in which-ever direction they wish and as adults we broaden their experiences as we see necessary and the themes are linked to times of year so we can link in what we are likely to 'do' anyway e.g. planting in Spring. We use mind-maps as in 'Mindstretchers' and they work really. Having read the 'Mindstretchers' view of theme, I think they are important in how children gain n understanding of new learning - the ability to look back and reflect on what they have learnt, revisit etc and also through doing a speech and language course, revisiting the same language and using it in context also helps with the development of vocabulary. Within these over-arching 'themes' we also incorporate the children's interests into our resources and activities depending on who different things are aimed at. So, for example, if I wanted some children to have a go at making marks and I know they are into Ben 10/Pirates/Dinosaurs - I may put together a box with different mark-making items linked to their interests (despite the 'theme' we are doing).

I'll duck and run for cover now...

Green Hippo x

[Guest]

Green Hippo, as I said earlier, each setting has a way that works for them and ultimately, we are all passionate about our childrens learning and all doing what we think is the best for them. This way clearly works for you and the other staff. I think its very interesting hearing how other people work and share ideas and we shouldn't feel embarrassed about how we do things just because some people don't 'do it that way'.

Maybe there isn't a right or a wrong way.