Seal's How Do You Use It In Your Setting?

[Guest]

Hi all,

As from Spet we will be using the SEAL's materials in our school. I know many of you are already doing this and wondered how you you used the materials in reception i.e how often and do you follow the suggested session plans in the booklets?

[Marion]

The way we work as suggested at the SEAL training was an introductory assembly on Monday morning followed by SEAL lesson in the afternoon and a short SEAL circle activity everyday. It was stressed that is important that everyone in the school follows the same theme and the scheme isnt meant to be dipped into for it to have the best results. The order of the topics/themes have been carefully selected to fit in with the school year starting with New Beginnings.

 

The materials have close links with the idea of accelerated learning and 'Thinking Children' and brain based learning

[Guest Really]

We do the same thing - assembly at the beginning and end of each topic, and we fit our the SEAL topic into an area of the curriculum. For example I am doing Babies/How we have grown in RE and History in Autumn first half so I will fit New Beginnings into that area.

[Susan]

Can it be used as a stand alone resource then?

[Marion]

SEAL materials provide resources for the strategy but like the literacy and numeracy strategies (SEAL is the 3rd stage) can be enhansed with practioners own materials and ideas.

 

SEAL offers a whole-curriculum framework for teaching social, emotional and behavioural skills to all children and is organised into seven themes which can be covered within a school year:

 

New Beginnings

Getting on and falling out

Bullying

Going for goals!

Good to be me

Relationships

Changes

 

 

 

 

Each theme is designed for a whole-school approach and includes an overview, assembly and suggested follow-up activities in all areas of the curriculum. The colour-coded resources are organised at four levels: Foundation Stage, Years 1 and 2, Years 3 and 4 and Years and 5 and 6.

 

Pupil reference material and photocopiable teacher reference material accompany each theme. The ideas are revisited yearly, so that by Year 6 a child who entered the school at Foundation Stage will have experienced each theme at the appropriate level each year.

 

The SEAL resource is intended to build on the effective work that many schools and settings are already doing to develop social, emotional and behavioural skills, and can be used flexibly. Some schools for example may choose to address social, emotional and behavioural skills through core and Foundation subjects, others through circle time or the framework of the National Healthy School standard. Links to PSHE/NHSS and to other whole-school initiatives are suggested throughout the materials.

Edited August 7, 2006 by Marion