Quote:
Originally Posted by Amanda Adams
Hi there
Can anyone help me with 'effective methods of consulting with children and young people' (regarding play preferences etc). So, i'm thinking of the usual, for example, asking them what they would like to play with or is there anything they like to play at home (which we can plan for in the nursery). Watch their play and observe play preferences. Encourage children to bring in toys/books etc so that they can share their interests and we can then plan for extended learning opportunities. I'm sure I'm missing something?
Finish date 23rd june - I can see the finish line!!
Amanda x
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Hi Amanda - observing and talking to them is a good method (as you said), also as you speak to parents you will share information and gain a further insight into their interests and activities outside of your setting, some parents will tell you i.e. their child has won a dancing certificate and the child will bring it in, say if they'd like to bring it in, it would be nice to share with everyone.
After the weekend, the children are even more enthusiastic to talk about what they have done - big or small it's important to them.
One child told everyone he'd been to the cinema to see a space film - and his friends were very interested, this interest transferred to the mark making table (lots of fantastic drawings)- and then onto singing time when we sang songs such as '5 little men in a flying saucer'. All week, the theme continued, we listened (audio version) to 'Aliens love underpants' and read Bob, the man on the moon'. The children made their own stories up when playing spacemen.
The following week we all set up a 'space station' (we're lucky enough to have some space costumes and helmets) and used tricycles as 'moon buggies', provided torches to use in a large cardboard rocket and provided the children with black paper, florescent crayons & pencils and gold/silver stick on stars, kitchen rolls tube/boxes, tinfoil/ paint and gluing materials and they spent as long as they wanted to making allsorts of things - telescopes (to see the moon), pictures and models.
We even did moon dancing to a space themed cd we have and on one of our Blacks music books/cd+cd rom we have a video of the first landing of the moon which they watched (not that long, but never the less interesting).
Sharing their news such as this helps them feel they are planning their learning - the resources may seem to be our standard paper/paint/pencils etc but with them suggesting and you adding something suitable for that particular theme such as tinfoil and stick on gold and silver stars, it tunes it into their particular interest.
We are quite happy to chop and change or add to our planning as we go along with their ideas.
So, keep your ears open and they might (if you are lucky) do your next week's planning!
unit 318- support self directed play
Linear Mode
