Writing 'Next Steps'

[Guest]

Hi everyone,

 

I am just after a bit if feedback on how settings write their Next steps for their children. We do them 3 times a year which we are happy with but it is an onerous task and it feels like we are setting targets for the sake of it! At the moment we set next steps for the under 2s in the Prime areas only but for the toddlers and pre-school children we do both Prime and Specific areas.

I am thinking to possibly cut it down to Prime areas only or alternate between Prime and Specific. Just wondering what everyone else does?

 

Thanks in advance

[woodlands1997]

We do next steps every half term - usually 3 or 4! Linked to the eyfs but not one for every area x

[thumperrabbit]

We do termly

2 year olds - Prime areas

3&4 year olds - Mixture of Prime & Specific

We have 2 or 3 per child

[Susan]

Unless your child has a "Specific" need then I would have thought Prime areas would be sufficient.

[Guest]

like Thumperrabit

[Harmony1985]

Our next steps are done on a continuous cycle as we take an observation.

[Wildflowers]

We set new next steps as children achieve their current ones, so this happens continuously. Termly doesn't seem like enough.

[Melcatfish]

We do it half termly and one for each area unless they are very young or still really focusing on prime areas in which case I give them only prime areas.

 

Mel

x

[Guest]

Ours are done as achieved often weekly

[finleysmaid]

we write one next step for each child every two weeks (it can be changed if achieved in first week. They are smart targeted which means we can write the same sort of steps for all of our children including those with sen or salt

[sunflower12]

are all children expected to write their own names before going to school. I can we have children trace their names thank you

[Wildflowers]

No

[Guest LOSINGTHEWILLTOLIVE]

We encourage the children to recognise their names first then begin to trace their names if they want to.The fine motor skills are the starting point and I think these should be embedded so the children can hold their pencil correctly and make the correct movements - we use Write Dance for the first term - it is fun and the children enjoy the stories. We then start to explore the letter sounds and shapes in our Nursery, but even then we do not write them down until the Spring, we mostly get them to use "air writing" or make the shapes on the carpet with their fingers on in the sand/malleable trays etc. By the time Summer term comes most of them can write their name (although not all the letters are formed correctly) and the others will at least have a try at writing some letters in their name independently.

Hope this helps?

Edited July 18, 2014 by LOSINGTHEWILLTOLIVE

[sunflower12]

Thank you wildflowers - thought not.

[Guest saz123]

Please please don't trace or dot to dot names ofsted really frown upon this.

[bindia]

We do next steps after each observation but would like to use the next steps that are automatically done on tapestry

[Guest jakip]

We use the next steps generated by tapestry to plan future activities. We also add next steps on each observation and either plan these are put on continuous planning.

[Clare_Matthews]

How far do you plan in advance jakip if you use tapestry generated obs?

[zigzag]

We set three for each child and review monthly.

[thumperrabbit]

We set 3 per child using mainly the Prime Areas

[Hoolahoney]

Saz 123 I've never heard of that before with Ofsted. We always start of by tracing to help children get used to character formation. Now worried about O picking us up on it. How do others help children with name writing?

[Guest jakip]

We use the next steps from tapestry to plan activities for the coming half term in each area. At start of each term new next steps are generated.

[MarshaD]

When I taught in Reception we still started with hand writing patterns and air writing before going on to formal handwriting. Remember a child won't be able to write lines and circles if they can't run in a straight line or circle so as always gross motor skills are really important. Also boys' thumb muscles generally develop later than girls so they are less likely to be writing their name before school. I think if you are going to be looking at writing an important thing is direction because although a letter may look right if the circle goes clockwise instead of anticlockwise this is really tricky to unlearn when it comes to cursive. Also some schools teach full cursive and others don't so that's an added complication. So that's a bit waffly but I'd say focus on patterns unless a child is ready and try to get direction embedded from the start.

[Wildflowers]

I'd say focus on patterns unless a child is ready and try to get direction embedded from the start.

I have created sheets for patterns for practise and assessment of readiness to start writing. However, the county moderator/advisor wasn't keen on these.

Edited March 22, 2015 by Wildflowers

[MarshaD]

Wildflowers did they recommend something else instead?

Edited March 26, 2015 by MarshaD