Adult Initiated Activities

[Guest]

Hi ya, am a bit confused having been to a meeting this afternoon .

Would anyone be willing to share the adult initiated activities they had available this week? I don't think what I call adult initiated is open ended enough and would really like to re think this part of my planning for next term.

Thank you

[Marion]

The definition of adult initiated might help I know lots of us get confuded:-

experiences where the practitioner provides the resources to stimulate and consolidate learning. These experiences may not always require the direct involvement of an adult.

 

We change ours daily so today

Fine motor

graphismo leaves

 

Art/creative

Apple printing

 

dry sand tray

substituted conkers/leaves/cones etc and woodland animal glove puppets

 

Investigation table

seeds/leaves magnifying glasses clip boards and pencils

 

malleable table

marzipan and seeds (check for nut allergies) making hedgehogs (supposedly)

 

small world

city block park and animals

[Guest]

Hi Marion, thanks for that. Do you introduce these activities or do the children access them in their own way? Also does that mean that child initiated learning is what the children get out themselves or choose to spend their time doing? I teach a mixed R/1 class 17 Reception and 12 or the youngest year 1's. Today I have joined with other teachers in my LEA to begin phase 2 of a project about Transition. I am very excited but it has really got me questioning my planning and provision .

[Marion]

We introduce the activities and direct the children to them. Also one member of staff floats/monitors to make sure the children are using the activities as intended.

Child initiated;

where the child makes choices from within the learning environment to meet his/her own outcomes for earning. Skilful adult interaction supports and extends the play to enable the child to make progress.

[Guest]

What are graphismo leaves??? Sorry, just had to ask Marion!

[Marion]

I think graphismo originates in French schools but I may be wrong. The idea is to provide an outline for the children which they follow inside getting smaller and smaller to the centre it encourages handriting skills.

We use coloured finefelt pens and they can be very pretty. It doesn't have to be leaves it can be any simple shape.

[Guest]

Marion

Hello!

How much/often do you direct the chlidren to the activities and how much d you let them choose where they go? So for example, if you were working with a group on a focused activity and the others were on activities - would they be directed or CI and how much of each.

 

The reason I ask is because in that situation my 'free' children choose their activites - sometimes an activity we've set up and sometimes something they've come up with - but they do choose to do it (apart from occasionally pulling them into an Art activity or their group for the focus activity). BUT - should I direct my children to activities more? I can never decide the best way to do it.

 

By the way - we do have a planning board - but again the childen choose the activity / area.

 

Thanks

kelly x

[Marion]

At this time of year the Reception aged children have 60% approx child initiated and 40% adult focused/directed. Sometimes our adult focused input is very short whole class and then a group of children are directed to a task we wish them to complete without adult intervention (this may be for a formal observation )

All the other children are free to choose what they do and what equipment they use and where they work indoors or out.

[Guest]

Thanks Marion. Sounds similar to what we do although so far I have rarely directed a group unless they are doing a focused task. I might try doing that after half term - perhaps to a simple task / activity til they get used to doing it independetly, e.g. water, and set them a simple task a short time limit, e.g. 5 / 10 minute sand timer.

[Marion]

It is usually a simple task such as sequence 3 pictures by size or make a collection of 5 red objects find somethings that are attracted to a magnet and show them to an adult once they have done that they can move to an activity of their own choice.

[Guest]

Thanks again - that sounds manageable