Child Initiated Learning

[Guest tabithawebb]

I am a newly returning teacher and completely new to this site, my first posting. I am finding it hard to understand exactly how child initiated learning should work. The phrase is clear enough but how do I plan for it? Should I do any planning? Should it be an ongoing feature in the timetable or a separate slot in the day? I feel lost and no one has any answers for my questions at school. Please share with me how you do it and any information will be helpful.

[Sue R]

Hello there!

 

May I be the first to welcome you to the forum, I hope you have many happy hours in front of you!

 

As to your question, I'm in a Daycare setting so realise there will be different needs and considerations, such as the Literacy/Numeracy thing, but we take this sort of approach. I think that provided all, or as many as possible, of your resources for the children are accessible to them, then you will be able to leave it pretty much up to them what they access. We work with one Focus activity a day, which is always attended by an adult as it is the main Learning Objective for the day. Other staff are 'floaters' (or whatever you want to call them!) or assist at the snack bar. You may at first want to have some loose planning in place , but this should follow on from the children's interests as seen, say, during the previous week. You can then present enhancements to aid the children's learning. Talking to the children about their choices and interests is also a great way of 'finding their level' as it were, and I hope you manage to make a go of it, because it really brings out the fun of working with children.

 

Your planning can always be done retrospectively - I think this is acceptable in a school - any teachers out there, am I right?? And, obviously, the day will need some sort of structure.

 

One important thing to teach them, though, is to Put Away when finished with toys/resources!!!

 

 

Has that been any help?

 

Take care, Sue

 

PS, try a forum search, too, as there's been lots on this subject!

[alis2son]

hi, Tabithawebb

 

welcome to the forum. Im not really sure how it would work within a school so ill leave it to the experts, and i think Sue has covered how it works for daycare. Good luck. Ali x

[Guest]

Hi there, welcome to the FSF and I hope you get as much out of being a member here as I do.

I work in a foundation stage unit and we have all of the usual areas of continuous provision set up (large block play, small construction, small world, sand, etc) For each of these areas we have a long term planning sheet which details the anticipated learning which would come from children accessing these areas using the resources available and also any enhancements which may be added to further the play. We then observe children within these areas, evaluate and develop / plan as appropriate. I hope that this makes sense.

I am sure that I have seen similar planning sheets for continuous provision on here before, I will do a search for you and post the link. I would post mine but I no longer have them on the PC (lost after a crash) and have never got round to re-typing. I could photocopy and post (using an envelope and stamp kind of post) if you need them.

Hope this helps! XX

[Guest]

We do write up observations and evaluations afterwards and identify next steps, so yes, done retrospectively in that sense is ok in our school. We do have focussed activities each day with groups working with an adult on specific learning objectives and these activities are planned for in the traditional sense.

[Guest]

I have absolutely no idea how to post a link!! I have found the previous posting of planning sheets kindly shared by Jacquie L, but don't know how to get you there!! I did a search for continuous provision planning and found them there. Jacquie L. Nov 21st 2004

Sorry I can't be more helpful than that!!

Good luck

[Inge]

continous provision sheets

 

Is this the one you were after.

 

 

Inge

[Guest Wolfie]

Have a look in the Resource Library too (under "Resources"), I think you'll find some more things to help you in there.

[Guest tabithawebb]

the continuous provision sheets are great, thanks.

[HappyMaz]

Welcome from me, too!

 

Maz

 

PS Can someone give me a handy definition of 'continuous provision' please?

[Guest]

found this did google search 'continuous provision' it was top of the search list

 

continuous provision what is it

 

Peggy

[Guest Wolfie]

That looks like a really good link Peggy....only problem is that when I click on the links within it - which also look very interesting - each one says "this page cannot be displayed". Is everyone else having the same problem?

[Guest]

Hi wolfie, yes I got the same problem so found the page before which has the same links which do work

 

HERE

 

Peggy

[Guest]

you have to return to the second link ( hereevery time, can't access the links from the linked pages ( )

 

Peggy

[Guest Wolfie]

Thanks for that Peggy - that site is very good!