sarah707
20-07-2012, 02:34 PM
A lot of childminders ask me questions about planning… and are concerned about what they have to do to meet the requirements.
The EYFS 2012 says that, ‘Each area of learning and development must be implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mixture of adult-led and child-initiated activity.’
This means that children’s play needs to be balanced - and you must decide on the balance depending on the needs of the individual child.
The balance you are aiming for includes daily elements of…
• Adult led play - you set up the activity and help the children access it, supporting their learning and listening to their ideas about what they want to do next.
• Child initiated play - the children decide what they want to do - within safe and healthy boundaries of course - nobody is talking about a ‘free for all’!
You make sure they have the resources available to follow their interests. Your observations will tell you what the children enjoy doing so you can reflect on how to meet their needs before they arrive each day.
• Adult guided play - this is a new term slipped in to the EYFS - ‘Children learn by taking part in play which is guided by adults’.
Adult guided play happens when you set up activities for the children to enjoy and then sit by and help them if they want you to participate, giving them vocabulary, extra resources, activity ideas etc so they can learn through their play.
What play needs to be planned?
You need to plan for…
• Inside play - using all your resources including your continuous provision (toys, games, books etc), activity ideas you know the children will enjoy etc.
• Outside play - the EYFS says that, ‘Providers must provide access to an outdoor play area or, if that is not possible, ensure that outdoor activities are planned and taken on a daily basis’.
• Outings - so parents understand the value of outings for their children and you are aware of what the children are learning, so that you can complement their experiences when you get back to the provision.
A lot of your planning will be delivered through your daily and weekly routines… some might need to be written down… much of it can be noted after it has happened, especially if it is child led.
Your planning must not take you away from the children or stop you from being available to meet their needs… it must be flexible too so that you can respond quickly to a snowfall or a child’s new interest.
Think about how you organise your time with the children and set out their days and consider whether you currently offer a range of activities which include all 3 types of play planning.
I have updated e-book 15 ‘EYFS planning’ to reflect the requirements of the revised EYFS.
E-book 15 costs £4.99 and is available on my Knutsford Childminding (http://www.knutsfordchildminding.co.uk) website :D
The EYFS 2012 says that, ‘Each area of learning and development must be implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mixture of adult-led and child-initiated activity.’
This means that children’s play needs to be balanced - and you must decide on the balance depending on the needs of the individual child.
The balance you are aiming for includes daily elements of…
• Adult led play - you set up the activity and help the children access it, supporting their learning and listening to their ideas about what they want to do next.
• Child initiated play - the children decide what they want to do - within safe and healthy boundaries of course - nobody is talking about a ‘free for all’!
You make sure they have the resources available to follow their interests. Your observations will tell you what the children enjoy doing so you can reflect on how to meet their needs before they arrive each day.
• Adult guided play - this is a new term slipped in to the EYFS - ‘Children learn by taking part in play which is guided by adults’.
Adult guided play happens when you set up activities for the children to enjoy and then sit by and help them if they want you to participate, giving them vocabulary, extra resources, activity ideas etc so they can learn through their play.
What play needs to be planned?
You need to plan for…
• Inside play - using all your resources including your continuous provision (toys, games, books etc), activity ideas you know the children will enjoy etc.
• Outside play - the EYFS says that, ‘Providers must provide access to an outdoor play area or, if that is not possible, ensure that outdoor activities are planned and taken on a daily basis’.
• Outings - so parents understand the value of outings for their children and you are aware of what the children are learning, so that you can complement their experiences when you get back to the provision.
A lot of your planning will be delivered through your daily and weekly routines… some might need to be written down… much of it can be noted after it has happened, especially if it is child led.
Your planning must not take you away from the children or stop you from being available to meet their needs… it must be flexible too so that you can respond quickly to a snowfall or a child’s new interest.
Think about how you organise your time with the children and set out their days and consider whether you currently offer a range of activities which include all 3 types of play planning.
I have updated e-book 15 ‘EYFS planning’ to reflect the requirements of the revised EYFS.
E-book 15 costs £4.99 and is available on my Knutsford Childminding (http://www.knutsfordchildminding.co.uk) website :D