Medium term planning

[snufflepuff]

Im trying to do some medium term planning (so far i have my long term and i do a general plan and individual plan each week) but im a bit stuck on what to include. Mindee is only 15 months so i feel it would be a bit pointless to set a theme. I have a sheet divided in to 6 boxes for the 6 areas of learning and have managed to get some activties/ aims in each box but i feel like next months will be pretty much the same! Eg activities to encourage her to stand holding on to furniture may continue for months until i can change it to encouraging her to stand unaided.....does that make sense?
(I only have the one mindee at the moment which is why the plan only includes acticities for her, obviously once i have more mindees my medium term plan will feature activities for them too)

[huggableshelly]

no need to set themes .. you are doing right to set EYFS goals as in next steps .. how do you plan to do these?

stand unaided ... placing items on the sofa, finger puppets to encourage communication - reaching - toys books placed on a low table or shelf but slightly out of reach so she needs to stand to get them. place toys that will encourage her to use both hands so she will have to let go of whatever she is using to support her ... maybe a doll with a cup so she can feed the baby - personal n social skills. when she is busy and not holding on to anything as in standing unaided encourage her to clap and tuns of praise count the claps, self appraisal and numeracy.

dont write tuns like I do as i just waffle LOL
themes are for schools and do not meet the childs individual likes and dislikes ( others may disagree but thats my opinion and i am sticking to it!)

[snufflepuff]

Thank you. I agree re. themes- i had to use them as a nursery nurse and found they sometimes limited the learning and made things more difficult, especially for children who had no interest in the particular theme.

[FussyElmo]

But say you have a child who has a like in dinosaurs so you do some planning for this around this interest there is nothing stopping you from saving this particular theme for the next set of children coming to you. Then the planning is already done and can just be added to.

I follow the child's interest at all time but I also try to forward think my mindee was mad on farms and most children like animals so I put this planning into my medium term because I can come back to it at any time.

Long term planning - festivals, birthdays etc mothers day.
Medium Term - anything I can come back to dinosaurs farms etc
Short term - what the child wants to do that day/week.

At 15 months dont really think you need to plan in great depth what are doing is fine.

[hop04]

How long would you say a medium term plan would last for? Long term is a yr and short term daily/week(???) so would you saw a medium plan is roughly a month - 6 weeks? Sorry if thats a daft question!
Ive only got one mindee who is 15 months and i just wrote up his first review for his parents and put a copy in his L.J. attached to that i put what his interests are and how i will extend this "next steps". So are these next steps my medium planning??
Sorry if i have rambled im just very confused!!!:D

[sarah707]

How long would you say a medium term plan would last for? Long term is a yr and short term daily/week(???) so would you saw a medium plan is roughly a month - 6 weeks?

It lasts as long as the children's interest lasts and goes in the direction they want it to...

Instead of planning on a daily basis, try doing it for over the week, some in advance and some filled in when the children have decided what they want to do.

So long as you keep in mind what each child enjoys doing and follow that through you'll find it much easier.

Ive only got one mindee who is 15 months and i just wrote up his first review for his parents and put a copy in his L.J. attached to that i put what his interests are and how i will extend this "next steps". So are these next steps my medium planning??

A 15 month old doesn't need planning like you are thinking about above... he is too young.

That kind of planning is used for over 3s who are interested in following through themes etc.

A 15 month old needs activities that follows his interests... so if he's throwing you sort activities to go with that.

If he likes cars you add them to the sand pit... etc

Sorry if i have rambled im just very confused!!!:D

Does that make sense? :D

[hop04]

Thankyou Sarah that does makes sense! I think i , and many others worry if ive done enough, not enough etc all the time!!!
Ive attached a copy of the mindees play plan is it ok? And would this be classed as medium term planning???
Hope you dont mind looking everyones input is welcome!!!:) xxxx

[sarah707]

Is that meant to be for a week or month?

If it's weekly I'd say it's probably too much in depth... you have a lot of aims there and a lot of routine to fit in too if you think about it.

If it's monthly it's about right, just watch for new things to observe to work alongside it and when his interests / needs change, you can write them down as well.

So all the time you are linking observations with the Eyfs with planning with observations, over and over again.

Another thought...

There's no mention of what his parents are saying he is doing at home... you could add in little comments like...

'mum says C is stacking bricks... use bricks on the patio and count with C 1, 2, 3 all fall down as he loves 1, 2, 3 boo games'..

I dunno something to show you are extending home interests would be nice is all I'm thinking :D

[hop04]

Sarah you are a star!!!!!:D :D :D
Yes it is for a month or so until interests change etc... Fab idea about putting in parents comments too. At the bottom of the sheet there is a section for parents to add comments but not sure they will but doing it.... that way is lots better thankyou! :clapping:

[Rubybubbles]

looks good to me:D

Like the way you have put parents comments on there:) I have a settling in sheet for my mindies, and as mum tells me things I update my own sheets, but to put it all together would be much easier thanks sarah;)

Just when I think I know what I am doing haha