Please Help

[skippy]

I am really struggling as how to put the framework into practice. Where to start and formats to use i have scanned this forum but am still struggling . I really wanted to get this sorted before i go back. pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease help.

[Rea]

The setting I'm in at the moment has a 'wow' folder for each child and they use this to note wow moments and mark them against the BTTM. I'm not convinced this is the best way but it's a start. I found a format on here I think and then altered it to suit more how I wanted it to be. I'll try to attach it. I'm still looking to do a course on B23 but i get the gist that you dont write anything in a plan untill you've observed the children and discovered a bit about their interests/needs. Hope the attatchment works I'm really bad at this

 

Yep, really bad, I'll try again but dont hold your breath

 

Really dont know why two posts became one or where the attachment is. I will be back

 

just testing something, this isnt a real post

[Rea]

Sussed it, ''I'm... not permitted to upload a file with that extension'' Dont know why though

 

 

The format was a page of boxes with these headings :-

 

Activity

Focus-Stepping stone/BTTM component

Resources

Adult role

Observations

What do I need to do next

Additional resources

Individual needs

 

I havent used it yet so dont know if it well suit. I work with a maximum of 7 under 3's so thought it might be easy to observe and plan for the next step.

[skippy]

Hi Rea many thanks for your reply, I just feel i'm going round in circles as i haven't worked with these under threesbefore. So i know nothing about them, their interests etc, therfore donot know where to start and what i should be documenting or have prepared????????????????

[Guest]

Hi Skippy

have you seen the 'little baby books' series from featherstone education at

www.featherstone.uk.com

they are really good and give you ideas of what kind of activities fit into the framework

 

although the way i see (and im noy the expert here!!) is that each keyperson plans for their group of children

so someone working in a room where the ratio is 1;4 they will plan for their four children by looking at where there development is first of all, you should only have four children

 

also you will change these four children and see to their personal needs - this way a relationship builds up.

 

example

a child is just learning to crawl and the adult is thinking about what they need next - they plan an activity using a coloured ball to encourage them to move forward and reach out to it - this will encourage them to crawl.

 

you plan based on your short observations of each child

all others in the room also plan for their group of children

 

then you come together and merge your plans into a weekly overview

 

some children may need the same expereinces or opportunities so here you double up or share an activity with a colleague

 

over the course of the week you ensure all aspects are covered

 

hope this makes sense

[Rea]

I'm in the same boat skippy with regards to working with U3's. I'm about to apply for a BTTM course and hopefully that will help. Working on supply I get to see a lot a different methods, no-one works to the same formats and interpretations of the B23 are very different even in one council run setting to another. Go with what works best for you and your children and be prepared to change things if they dont work. I used to give myself a term before fully evaluating how things had gone and then change them accordingly, I'd always got a reason for why I was doing things in a particular way and ideas of how I might change things so if Ofsted or EYDCP mentor arrived I was clear in what was doing at that point. There are no sure fire ways of doing it, observe, record, evaluate, amend. Good luck

[skippy]

Hi Rea when you say 'also you will change these four children and see to their personal needs' , do you mean you change keyperson regularly? My situation is i have a group fo 12 children with 3 staff so it could be split three ways between them, what i am woried about is i am going to go back with nothing?

 

Makes me feel a bit better that at least i'm not the only one who feels unsure. Thanks to you all for your support and advice

[Guest]

Hi Skippy

If you haven't worked with these children before perhaps you would be best spending the first couple of weeks observing them and getting to know them. When we start back in September we will spend the first two weeks settling in, that includes those children who are returning to us. They change so much during the 5 weeks holiday and also because they are now in the older group they can be different. The new children we obviously won't have worked with so we will need time to get to know them and their needs so we are going to spend that time observing them and during the third week our staff meeting will concentrate on the future planning.

Linda

[Running Bunny]

Hi Rea when you say 'also you will change these four children and see to their personal needs' , do you mean you change keyperson regularly?

 

The purpose of the key person in the under three's is to build up a positive relationship with a key member of staff - groups should not be changed around according to area/activity.

 

Peter Elfer's book on Key person relationships is really worth reading to gain an insight into how to implement an effective system as so many practitioners get it wrong or make a half hearted attempt at this.

 

As far as BTTM planners are concerned - try a forum search as there have been many postings on this topic before. However, try here for some initial ideas...

 

RBx

[Guest]

Hi Rea when you say 'also you will change these four children and see to their personal needs' , do you mean you change keyperson regularly? My situation is i have a group fo 12 children with 3 staff so it could be split three ways between them, what i am woried about is i am going to go back with nothing?

 

Makes me feel a bit better that at least i'm not the only one who feels unsure. Thanks to you all for your support and advice

 

 

It was actually Nefertari that said "change these four children". I think meaning - nappy changing - personal needs, thus building a close relationship.

 

 

 

I have introduced a simple format for all my keyworkers. For BTTM and FSC.

Basically the observations are used for the following week.

We only just started using it at the end of last term, so we are still trialing how it will go.

The staff, so far, like it because it enables them to ensure plans are written for each child on the day they attend. ( it would be so much easier if all children attended every day though)

 

 

Peggy

Planning_from_interests___observations.doc

[Guest]

as you can see

Arif attends Friday only

Alfie; M T W Th

Henry; M T W F

Mickey; T Th

 

 

What do you think, is this enough? How the learning intentions are met is then recorded in their achievement books.

 

I am only a small group, each keyperson does their own plans. We all have a responsibility to know what each other are planning and most of the plans ( apart from child induction) are shared by the other children.

If a plan requires more adult interaction / leading, then an adult led plan is written. for example the plan for Alfie preparing snack foods is adult led ( 1st few times, then he can do it independently), the plan for Arif is adult supported ( he is able to play with small world and practice his language without an adult for some of the time). Henry's display, he can create himself, once introduced to the idea, however his graph ( for friday) will have an adult led plan.

Does that make sense

These are all FSC children ( apart from mickey aged 2.5yrs) , but the concept could easily be adapted for BTTM children.

 

Peggy

[skippy]

thankyou all so much All your help has been greatfully recieved I now have alot of food for thought. The session is only once a week so i will have time to observe and put together some plans. Whilst we are on the topic of planning can any one reccommend any books for using childrens intersets to inform planning thought other staff memers may like to look and something for observing, assesing and planning next steps

[Guest]

thankyou all so much All your help has been greatfully recieved I now have alot of food for thought. The session is only once a week so i will have time to observe and put together some plans. Whilst we are on the topic of planning can any one reccommend any books for using childrens intersets to inform planning thought other staff memers may like to look and something for observing, assesing and planning next steps

 

 

We use this one for formal observations. ( attached as excel and word format)

They could be adapted for BTTM.

 

Can't think of any books ofhand, although sally featherstone is a very good Early years Author.

Plus looking at childrens 'Schema's' is a good starting point for planning from childrens interests.

 

Peggy

CHILD_OBS_SHEET.xls

Childs_Obs.doc

[Rea]

Sorry skippy, I should have been clearer, it's not the children we changed but the planning formats or activities. I used to change how I planned after a term or so if it wasnt clear to me or any staff. I wanted a format that at a glance told everyone where they should be and what they should be doing, what activities/equipment were to be provided for the session (with room for additions) what the focus was,(if any) what resources were needed, evaluation and additional comments. It was like swimming in treacle

We were in a church hall with children from 2.5 to pre-school so observations, personal needs, even focused activities werent necessarily done only by he keyworker but by whoever wasnt doing something else at the time. We got together once or twice a week to share obs in a formal way but we worked closely enough to be able to share most things as they happened so the keyworker was kept up to date. The keyworker would also take time out now and then (no definite time scale) to do indepth obs.

Glad you're feeling a bit better about it