Guest Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 I'm in the process of reviewing and changing our Reception planning and although I'm not happy as yet with our timetable -don't feel i can make too many changes for the sake of upsetting everyone ( I'm new to the school) - so i just need some advice on this - currently we have a session that runs from 9.30( after we've escaped from assembly ) - 10.10. The main focus of this is MD- with about 15 minutes of some whole class number rhymes and teaching - then it's planned that a group does a focussed activity with either the TA or CT or both. Previously all the independent activities were then focussed round the MD learning objective (this felt that there were some very tenuous links!!!)however we're moving away from this to where the independent activities are more open to other themes and covering other areas of the curriculum - are we are we heading the right way? This MD session however feels rushed as then after snack and play we have to move on to the CLL learning objectives which takes us up to lunch! Any advice gratefully recieved - thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 I have short text level, phonics and numeracy inputs throughout the morning - about 10 minutes for each. We do text level first thing in the morning, numeracy after break and phonics before lunch. I have an integrated morning with most of the independent activities being drawn from our book for that week. If I can't think of meaningful numeracy activities that relate then I don't force it but will provide something that supports our whole class work. I aim to provide around 8 or 9 independent activities (at least one for each area of learning) plus my continuous provision (materials' tray, role play, writing area etc). The activities stay out all morning rather than being split into MD or CLL sessions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 I prefer integrated mornings much like Moose discribes rather than specific numeracy and literacy sessions with activities that appear and disappear and would be looking to see that children accessed focused activities over several days, usually. So, I would think you are moving in the right direction!!! Your morning session after asembly and before snack sounds very short and I always found it difficult to use these short sessions and especially if children had already sat through assembly, carpet times could be difficult afterwards. It is a shame that you can not extricate yourself from that---my school went backwards in that respect, we had only 1 weekly whole school assembly at one time which was managable, just, but a new deputy introduced a daily one and that was a nightmare as FS were expected to attend and it broke the morming dreadfully. You may find that you need to adjust and tweak your timetable at regular intervals to suit your children. I used to have 3 teaching focuses--first thing, after staff break/ fruit, and after lunch. PE, library, ICT suite, music room had allocated slots and the rest I described as activity time on my timetable. This enabled me to be flexible and respond to the childrens needs and what else was happening in school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 Thanks for those helpful replies - it's reassuring to hear I may be going the right way - assembly is really a nightmare especially as at my previous school we had it in an afternoon which was great for having long sessions and allowing children to work at activities for quite long periods. I feel really sorry for the children having to sit again once back in the classroom so am trying to make things as interactive as possible for them. Moose, our independent activities are now planned round a theme for the week too - usually based round the big book and these now stay out all morning. I used to have 3 teaching sessions in a morning at my previous post - one first thing, one very short one after play and then another just before lunch which focussed on a either CLL or Md- the opppsite of what ever we had been focussing on for most of the morning - Activities that were out covered the other areas of learning as well as supporting some of our morning focus. At the moment changing the planning is one step forward and when I'm feeling braver and more settled I'd like to change the timetable more- luckily the head is very interested in Early Years so perhaps then I'll mention those assemblies!!! Thanks for your replies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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