Challenge cards for pre school parents

[Guest]

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone had any examples of practice using challenge cards for maths and literacy that they send home with their pre-school children.

 

I've just taken over a new pre-school and one of the most impressive factors for me was the strong relationship practitioners have with parents/carers.

 

I have quite a few children who are able to rise confidently and willingly to new challenges and I thought to extend their learning (and probably their parents too) at home, I would creating challenge cards that the parents can take independently from the nursery notice board to captive their children's interest in maths and literacy.

 

I have managed to locate maths challenge cards which I am yet to introduce to the children/parents but would like to know if anyone has used or created any literacy challenge cards?

 

The maths challenge cards ask things such as, "Who's got the biggest feet in your family?" and "Can you recognise all the numbers around your kitchen?"

Here's the document for maths challenge cards incase anyone else is interested?

 

challenge card1.docchallenge card1.docBlurb for Maths home challenge cards.docx

 

Look forward to hearing your thoughts...

Edited March 7, 2016 by SophieSaxby

[gillpen]

What a wonderful idea, Sophie! Thanks so much for sharing! Cards for literacy can't be created too (e.g. What can you find around the house beginning with 'S'. Can you draw them/write the letter.

We have activity packs that are available for parents to take home but I think these would be a lovely way to supplement them and I like the idea of parents coming up with new ideas too.

That's enthused me for the day now ::1a

[gillpen]

oops, should have said COULD be created

[twinthinguk]

oh wow brilliant! just what I was looking for, I am planning a maths skills workshop for parents after Easter so these will be just right! Thank you for sharing. B)

[Stargrower]

Thanks very much for sharing this! :1b

[Cait]

We had a maths challenge in the summer term one year, where children were given a challenge a day. I'll see if I can find it - it might be on here, I'll have a search then look on laptop. I did sheets of stickers with the challenge on, and stuck them to the child's home journal at home time.

[Cait]

Here we are. Lots on this thread, including my stickers.

 

http://eyfs.info/forums/topic/35435-maths-homework/?hl=%2Bmaths+%2Bchallenge

[Rob6692]

I just thought I'd be a killjoy and say to make sure your 'challenges' are age-appropriate. Looking at the maths ones, they all seem difficult for preschool children (not all, but a child at 36 months is going to really struggle - if they attempt them at all) and fall in the 40-60 months category on Development Matters. They look great for use in a reception class, but I'm not sure about preschool. I would be concerned that parents may think their children are underachieving if unable to complete the tasks, or misjudge where their child should be.

Also, have you considered looking at the other areas of Learning and Development too? I would be tempted to offer challenges on all areas, opposed to just Mathematics and Literacy. For example: 'Can you sing a song? Do you have a favourite song?' or 'Can you climb the stairs? Holding the rail, with two feet on each step? Without holding the rail? With one foot on each step? Holding an object?'

As in idea to implement it, do you send Learning Journeys (or equivalent) home? This isn't always appropriate but if you do, you could stick in a challenge per week (or whatever you feel works) for them to do at home. Sort of like homework. It's great for parental involvement, home learning and parent/home observations.

I noticed an error in the first question on card 22 by the way - just a mistype I figure

I hope that helps!

[Stargrower]

I think some of them are difficult, but others are definitely do-able! I guess it's just knowing your children, what they're able to do, and what will challenge them. I love the idea! Really like the idea of other areas of learning too. Yet another thing to add to the TDL! :lol:

[Rob6692]

Yeah definitely! And I wasn't sure on the age of the children at the setting.

That's partly why I suggested the learning journeys thing, since you could give each child something applicable to their stage of development

[Guest]

This is fab - love all the ideas thanks Lisa

[Cait]

It was only used once. I was fortunate to have a pre-reception year group of children who were all high achievers, all but two were Autumn born, and the two were Spring born. They were all like sponges and we did incredible things that year, and I look back at it with fondness! We made a pentagon den, copied Hokusai and other artists' paintings, measured, recorded, had some fabulous learning walls and even learned a bit of French! These were child initiated, and the maths challenge was a development of things that were going on at preschool. This was done in the summer term, when they were all 4 years old and achieving 40-60+ across all areas. The parents were all completely 'on board' with the challenge. I did try it again a couple of years later in an attempt to encourage parents to be more involved, with different challenges in different areas, and that worked well, on the whole.

[Mouseketeer]

Fab idea....I could send a weekly challenge out via tapestry :-)

[sunnyday]

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone had any examples of practice using challenge cards for maths and literacy that they send home with their pre-school children.

 

I've just taken over a new pre-school and one of the most impressive factors for me was the strong relationship practitioners have with parents/carers.

 

I have quite a few children who are able to rise confidently and willingly to new challenges and I thought to extend their learning (and probably their parents too) at home, I would creating challenge cards that the parents can take independently from the nursery notice board to captive their children's interest in maths and literacy.

 

I have managed to locate maths challenge cards which I am yet to introduce to the children/parents but would like to know if anyone has used or created any literacy challenge cards?

 

The maths challenge cards ask things such as, "Who's got the biggest feet in your family?" and "Can you recognise all the numbers around your kitchen?"

Here's the document for maths challenge cards incase anyone else is interested?

 

challenge card1.docchallenge card1.docBlurb for Maths home challenge cards.docx

 

Look forward to hearing your thoughts...

Thank you so much for sharing! :1b

[lashes2508]

My leaflet http://eyfs.info/forums/files/file/570-numbers-leaflet-for-parents/

[finleysmaid]

As someone who disagrees with homework for youngsters anyway I guess im not that keen on this idea but I do have some concerns regarding these.....you are assuming for one that all your parents are literate and numerate ! and some of the cards contain things like look at your windows upstairs and downstairs.....do they have an upstairs and downstairs ...what happens if they live in a flat?

If I was sending them out I feel they would need to be completely universal with no stereotypical information, which makes this quite hard to do. There is also a lot of writing numbers, I think I would be inclined to link it more with development matters to ensure it was giving me targeted information

[thumperrabbit]

I agree Finleysmaid, but at my last inspection I was asked by the inspector - how did we encourage parents to carry on with their child's learning at home

We had with that particular cohort done things like above luckily as that was what the inspector wanted to see; also the parents that year liked it and totally took it 'onboard' - have to say I don't think this cohort would bother with whatever we sent home, so after the first couple of attempts we have kind of given up will try again next year

[finleysmaid]

I agree Finleysmaid, but at my last inspection I was asked by the inspector - how did we encourage parents to carry on with their child's learning at home

We had with that particular cohort done things like above luckily as that was what the inspector wanted to see; also the parents that year liked it and totally took it 'onboard' - have to say I don't think this cohort would bother with whatever we sent home, so after the first couple of attempts we have kind of given up will try again next year

we have a lending library and we set termly next steps...things that we need parents on board for (toilet training/putting on coats improving gross motor skills etc. I find the issue with sending some stuff home is that I need to make it very clear how to do it...like teaching phonics instead of letter names...or pencil holds etc etc. we have always found the setting 'homework' type activities tend to backfire with our parents ...they either get negatively competitive or just don't want them!

[Guest]

As someone who disagrees with homework for youngsters anyway I guess im not that keen on this idea but I do have some concerns regarding these.....you are assuming for one that all your parents are literate and numerate ! and some of the cards contain things like look at your windows upstairs and downstairs.....do they have an upstairs and downstairs ...what happens if they live in a flat?

If I was sending them out I feel they would need to be completely universal with no stereotypical information, which makes this quite hard to do. There is also a lot of writing numbers, I think I would be inclined to link it more with development matters to ensure it was giving me targeted information

 

I appreciate your feedback on my post and recognise that its not something that would be appropriate for all. I would say that it wasn't really labelled as 'homework' as parents would pick and choose whether they wanted to select a challenge card to extend their children's learning at home with the help and guidance of the setting. In my setting, there has been a growing interest verbalised by parents of almost school aged children, requiring some guidance on how to create more learning opportunities at home. As I said these are just a example that I found and will adapt according to what fits in best with the group of children and their families I am working with at the time.

 

I think its very valuable sharing ideas on the forum and helping each other out, so thank for all your inputs everyone.

[sunnyday]

As someone who disagrees with homework for youngsters anyway I guess im not that keen on this idea but I do have some concerns regarding these.....you are assuming for one that all your parents are literate and numerate ! and some of the cards contain things like look at your windows upstairs and downstairs.....do they have an upstairs and downstairs ...what happens if they live in a flat?

If I was sending them out I feel they would need to be completely universal with no stereotypical information, which makes this quite hard to do. There is also a lot of writing numbers, I think I would be inclined to link it more with development matters to ensure it was giving me targeted information

I think it's all about knowing your children - I have six or so that would suit these challenges really well and parents that would welcome them too :1b