help please

[lindsay westwood]

Hi to everyone.....this is a strange question but it's bugging me.I had 1 hour EYFS training which was bad, 2 women reading out the poster to us all!! However we had to think of an actitivity which linked the 6 EYFS criteria...I was with my leader who said we had done a snowman - 2 plates and cut out boots,gloves,eyes,nose etc.Apparently after we'd all gone the 2 trainers said she shouldn't have used that with the kids as it is a work sheet? I think it was what they said.....So can anyone please help explain because I can't see the difference between downloading a colouring sheet and that...I'm really stuck as I'm doing NVQ2 and want to do things properly.If there are any EYFS experts out there can you please help me.....thanks

[tutu]

worksheets are lazy, they dont allow for creativity , choice or freedom of expression. i dont know a good setting who uses them. why not have pictures of snowmen n the table or wall and the children can make their own why do you need to print off a template for them to put together they aren t stupid are they?? never use colouring sheets or worksheets use your imagination and skill to support the imaginations and skills of the children. you dont need to be an eyfs expert to see how much better that is?

[Ruthierhyme]

Hiya, you've hit on a topic that many practitioners feel passionate about.

Personally I feel a balance between inspiring creativity and supporting it in all ways is good.

The activity your leader exampled is one of the unfortunate ones that's been highlighted as potentially negative due to how it's been or how it can be used with the children - how they take part in it, with it possibly being adult led, adult directed, overly pre-planned, limited in what can be achieved and maybe with the children being corrected in their efforts with it, however it is also an absolutely perfect activity for attaching links to any area of the eyfs and very understandable for her to know it fitted with what was being asked by the 'trainers.

What would give the activity mentioned scope for individuality would be in the additional items you could provide for self expression /choosing own materials to adapt and modify - glue, sticky tape, pads, glitter, snow, sequins, tissue paper ..

Colouring sheets, mark making, work/ aka activity sheets or cut and paste can be used very effectively & as effectively as any other resource in a setting. Pre cut shapes are great for examining problem solving, picture building, positioning, size, communicative language, shapes, fitment, fine & gross motor skills, techniques, formation, jigsaws, and in finalisation the piece has the potential to label, inform and notify .. as with many ideas its more important how it's presented & participated in with everyone knowing what it's there for - you can promote a specific learning outcome or focus in the activity if wanted which can allow for greater versatility.

xx

[lindsay westwood]

Thank you Tutu, I agree with you and thanks to Ruthierhyme.....your comments were much appreciated and gave an overall balanced view....I wanted to make sure that if and when I came to plan activites I was doing the right thing for the children
Many Thanks

[cabin]

It's all about finding balance.
We have pre-drawn sheets - even some printed activity sheets. But we do not use them for planned creative activities, they are just in a tray and children use them if they want..... Last week we had a four year old that found an old activity sheet -she sat for most of the session completetly unaided colouring,cutting and glueing the shapes needed to make a perfect little penquin and she was extremly pleased with her end result, (so were we), she then photocopied it (bit of ICT) and stuck the copy in her learning journey.
Staff were so impressed they wanted to make it a whole group activity - but I wouldn't let them as I felt this would not have been a creative activity- whereas the single child doing it as free choice was. (it was coloured in very strange colours!)
I wouldn't totally ban pre-drawn sheets, just ensure staff know how to use the correctly and not just as a 'lazy option' for group work.
The same with some very basic templates(masks and things) - personally I feel you just have to ensure that all activities are differentiated enough to cater for all needs, and staff have to allow free choice and not dominate the creation. You may end up with a snow snowman with 12 heads but that's fine.
Children need to be given the confidence to choose for themselves- some want to cut up things, some just want to stick things, others just want to play elsewhere!!
xx

[lindsay westwood]

Thank you too Cabin......it's nice to read constructive opinions as well. I really appreciate all the comments posted.
Many Thanks
Lins