PDA

View Full Version : Planning?



melco
16-05-2012, 12:16 PM
Hi,

I have been very proud of myself this morning, I have just finished putting together the learning journals on the 2 mindees that I have on a Monday. They started in March but only have them for 4 hours a day and with all the bank holidays we have had its been hard to get together enough pictures and details on them, but now feel I am sorted.

I also have a mindee starting with me next week and his mum is coming tomorrow to sign contract!! I have been very organised and have printed off my permission forms, contract ready, holiday forms etc etc. Have also made sure I have copies off all my forms so I am ready for any future mindees.

The only problem I am still having is with my planning. Where do other cm keep their planning? Do you have seperate planning folder for each child? Can I keep a blank copy of a monthly plan and weekly plan and just print off and fill in as and when needed?

I have a list of things in my head that I want to put on my planning but am just unsure and worried that I will get things wrong.

The oldest child is 2 and his younger brother is 11months. I have covered all the early years in my learning journal and have had brilliant ideas from other cm's on here, but just don't know where to start. For the 2 yr old, I want to cover counting as he only counts to 2, he only knows the colour red, so everything is red, he does not seem to know his alphabet but don't know whether he is just shy, he is being toilet trained but never wants to do it at my house, sometimes I don't understand what he is saying due to him having a dummy. Are these things that I can put in my planning to cover? I also take him to the library for singing which he seems very unsure about but I am hoping that will change over time as his younger brother really enjoys it. Also he has to be reminded to say please and Thankyou. His younger brother was just starting to crawl when he started with me and is now about to walk, he loves singing at the library, says da da and knows what no means. Is this anything to do with planning or have I just typed up what their next steps will be. Feel such an idiot - Sorry. Any advice would be appreciated and really sorry to go on but just really don't want to get this wrong.

Thanks in advance

Mel

VeggieSausage
16-05-2012, 12:31 PM
Yes you have just listed the childrens next steps and this would go in their learning journey then you could either write in there as well what activities you plan to do to help children achieve their next steps or as I do I have a general planning folder with activity ideas for the next month, then a brief weekly schedule with what we might include doing. You take into account the childrens next steps and what they like doing to influence your activity ideas.

Does this make sense?

Well done for catching up with all the paperwork!

melco
16-05-2012, 01:31 PM
I think I have confused myself, what sort of activities can I put in my planning?

For example I have put in my learning journal that the 2 yr old counts to 2, can I then put in my planning that we will do some activities where we are counting to help him.

Again with the fact that he only knows the colour red, we would then do some activities with different colours, like when we are out and about see how many cars we see that are blue etc?

He has also just come back from spain and I have him tomorrow. I was going to discuss with him about going on a plane and then talk to him about other types of transport their are and I have also brought a book that covers planes, trains and cars etc. Would this be an activity that I can put in his planning? Also would this be monthly or weekly?

Sorry I am just sooooo confused!!

Melco

blue bear
16-05-2012, 04:05 PM
You are making it too complicated.
Before holiday you decided to concentrate on colours and counting.
So for the next through weeks your overall theme is colours and counting.
This week you want to look at aeroplanes, so think of activities based on this but incorporating your overall theme.
Examples I might do are,craft aeroplane pictures from coloured shapes. Different sized and coloured vehicles on the garage. Make an aeroplane from boxes drawing or painiting I. It with different colours.

moggy
16-05-2012, 05:25 PM
Keep it simple! I only plan once a term (I have 0-3 year olds), look through obs, get parent's input on what they have noticed at home, compare to EYFS, write next steps- about 1 per area of learning. Then I just cover those in the next term. The sheet goes in the LJ.
Weekly I follow day to day what the children fancy doing. I rarely write anything down, or just a note to remind me that may be 'child A loved the paint so we'll do that again next week and add some printing sponges', for example. I have a look at the next step sheets to remind myself through the term.
Weekly have a Mon-Fri plan that has our outings on like toddlers, play centre and I will write 'park' or 'nature walk' or whatever to give the parents an idea of what we will be doing and to give me some structure. But if we don't fancy it that morning we do something else. If the children say 'paint' (or, for those who can't tell me, if we have a quiet half hour and fancy getting the paints out) that is what we do!
Personally, I see no point planning for such a small number of young children who I know so well. What if I plan 'junk modelling' on Tuesday and they want to just run in the garden on that Tuesday, then what is the point of writing down 'junk modelling'?
I find it helps to have the resources for loads of activities ready to go- I have a craft cupboard fully equipped, garden resources ready to use, shelves of things to whip out and make up a game with so I can be spontaneous and truly follow the children's interests.
But everyone has their own way so if you find you want to make a more structured then go for it... but do not feel you should or have to. Simple can be very good indeed.

VeggieSausage
16-05-2012, 05:50 PM
I think I have confused myself, what sort of activities can I put in my planning?

For example I have put in my learning journal that the 2 yr old counts to 2, can I then put in my planning that we will do some activities where we are counting to help him.

Again with the fact that he only knows the colour red, we would then do some activities with different colours, like when we are out and about see how many cars we see that are blue etc?

He has also just come back from spain and I have him tomorrow. I was going to discuss with him about going on a plane and then talk to him about other types of transport their are and I have also brought a book that covers planes, trains and cars etc. Would this be an activity that I can put in his planning? Also would this be monthly or weekly?

Sorry I am just sooooo confused!!

Melco

Your planning could be:

1.Medium term planning - this is general not child specific - For example if you use themes, for June you are going to look at transport.

Activities - I would then just put an activity linked to each area of learning that you will cover in that month EG PSRN - you are going to count the cars in your road
CD - you are going to paint pics of planes etc
This would go in your planning folder.

2. Some people put these activities in a day to day plan - short term planning - but you don't need to and would go in your planning folder too.

3. In learning journey - Every now and then, look at obs you have made and decide what are the next steps you will be working on with that child and make a note of them eg Encourage Billy to learn blue, green and yellow - goes in each child's individual learning journey only.

4. In your day to day activities you just work on this with Billy and use your interesting transport activities to help him learn his colours in a fun way and other day to day stuff.

I have made it sound long winded - sorry!