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First of all, here's a quick appeal. Those of you who have followed the adventures of our two setting exchange reps, Callum (Travelling Ted) and Rosie Rabbit, will know that they have been missing in transit for a while. The happy news is that Ted has been re-united with the FSF community and is once more journeying around the country. However, Rosie is still missing. If you still have Rosie and she has outlived her welcome, please could you let us know her whereabouts? You can do this by emailing us here. Those others of you who have no idea what this paragraph is referring to can safely delete its contents from your memory...
After a request, we have set up a new forum area for members undertaking a BA in early childhood studies, which you can find here.
The March competition will be based around the Children in Need theme of 'Do Something Funny for Money', so anyone wanting to enter should let their imaginations begin to wander!
We're delighted to welcome Gloucestershire, Norfolk and North Tyneside to the FSF LA scheme. Teachers, practitioners, and other providers from these areas can now register and subscribe free of charge (visit the LA index page to learn more).
Additionally the following authorities have renewed - members need do nothing, their individual accounts will automatically be re-subscribed:
Welcome back to you all!
NVQ 3 Guidance: CCLD 302 (Part 1) Knowledge Specification
Part 1 of guidance for Unit 302: Develop and Maintain a Healthy, Safe and Secure Environment for Children
The Drawings of Reception Boys: Fantasy and Frustrations
Drawing is an activity that most young children enjoy and there is much evidence to show how it can offer them a powerful means of communicating their ideas, experiences and feelings. In this article, Exeter PhD student Emese Hall tells us about her research in how (and what) young children communicate through drawing.
Brain-based Learning
This is the second in a series of articles looking at recent research into how young children learn. Here we examine how a better understanding of brain development can enrich early years practice.
Here's a small sample of some of the discussions since the last newsletter:
Bogged down with literacy
"...I'm reviewing my timetable for my Reception class and have realised that am lot of my week is taken up with CLL directed teaching. We do phonics daily from 9.30- 9.45 (though by the time we have got back from assembly, got into groups then sat down and ready to start it's more like 9.40 - 10.00). Then we do guided reading, individual readers and/or handwriting until 10.30 (playtime). So the first session of every morning is taken up with literacy based activities. I have then been told I have to also fit in a daily Literacy and Maths lesson which, when you add 2 x PE and 1 x RE (we're a church school) leaves around 3 sessions for KUW, Creative, PSED & Physical plus time for observing and working with the kids in CI activities! How do other YR teachers manage their week and fit everything in?..."
Child initiated activity and targets
"...Hi, I'm new to the forum and prior to a head teachers observation I thought I was beginning to understand the basics of the EYFS. How do you answer the allegation that child initiated activities do not challenge the children sufficiently and how can I show their targets are being addressed. I am a Reception teacher with a full time teaching assistant. One of us generally takes a focus group whilst the other observes or interacts with play activities. Some practical ideas would be really helpful. The school is expecting an Ofsted very soon and I am trying to stay calm...."
Ages and Stages
"... Having been stranded at home today I have had a very productive day working on my new continuous provision sheets. I had not gone far when it soon became apparent that I was going to drive myself mad constantly typing out the 'ages and stages' statements. So I found a document that had them all on but not in a form I could use and spent the next 2 hours cutting and pasting them into a form that was usable to me. That is one I could easily cut and paste statements quickly onto whatever I needed. Having always got so much from everyone on here I would like to attach them for anyone to use. I haven't divided them up into 30 - 50 and 40 - 60mths as for what I was doing I didn't need to. I have checked to make sure they are in the right order but will say sorry for any mistakes. It did make a real difference when for me so hope it will for you...."
Socket covers - NW article
"... I've alway used socket covers, but having just read a short article in this weeks Nursery World it seems we shouldn't use them, and says that Ofsted and other inspection bodies no longer recommend them!
Do you use them or not?..."
Role Play for boys
"... Has anyone got any really good ideas for a role play to attract boys, something that would keep them really busy?
..."
Do you have to have evidence?
"...We initially get the parents to fill in all about me, interests etc form on starting the setting. Our LEA has given us a profile that is split into the same age bands as the practice guidance which we have to fill in with our obs and next steps etc. We also have our scrapbooks which we fill with photos, the postit obs and any examples of work we can. We then reference the scrapbook eg photo 1 or post it 10 or work 5 as evidence. But what about if we know a child is capable of doing something or more than likely the parent knows their child is capable are they allowed to highlight it in the learning journal without providing evidence? I think we should be able to do this using our own judgement and the knowledge of the parents..otherwise it may mean we are constantly following children around trying to get the proof for their learning journals... or they are bare!..."
Self Reflection
"...I just wondered whether you do anything with your staff that helps them reflect on what they are doing, how they interact with the children. As a big part of the EYFS is being reflective.... do you do anything in your setting to encourage this with the staff and if so how do you go about it?..."
Local Forum discussions
If you subscribe via one of these LAs, why not pop in and join in on the current conversations? (NB - you'll only be able to access the pages if you're a member from that authority). Does anyone know anything about Home Link workers in Oxfordshire?
Drop in and say hello if you're a rural childminder in Kent. Or share the costs of Write Dance training in Cambridgeshire.
If you're getting more email notifications of topic replies or new topic responses than you want, you can control them very flexibly - cancel them all, or arrange to have them delivered in a daily digest if you'd prefer. Go to your user control panel (click the 'My Controls' link towards the top of the screen in the green bar), then find 'Subscriptions' on the menu down the left hand side. Click 'View Topics' and 'View Forums' in turn and you'll see a list of all topics that you're subscribed to. Uncheck all of these boxes, or those in which you're no longer interested and you'll no longer receive notification by email.