Our January group planning

[sarah707]

I've had a few requests to share how I do my group planning...

Attached is my planning for this week - I tend to write about 1 x A4 page per week for my group planning.

It is not a definitive list of everything we are doing this week - it is an overview of some of the activities we are planning around our theme.

I use continuous provision to make sure children are busy and engaged in the other curriculum areas - this is just our themed planning ideas. We don't do them all - it depends on the children.

The theme is usually chosen with and often by the children to follow their interests - or it is something new to support their learning about the world around them, introduced during group times when we chat about it and the children suggest what they would like to do next.

I then use my individual play plan - Play and Observation (http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/freeresources/Free%20downloads/playandobservation.html) to note each EYFS child's interactions with the planning, if they have learned anything new, how they have enjoyed the activities, if they were pitched right, how I differentiated / changed them to suit the individual etc...

I have added 2 new sections to the play plan since it was uploaded into forum files -

- I now note each child's wellbeing - because EYFS requirement 3.6 says we must respond to 'Deterioration in children’s general well-being' and you can't do that unless you note their normal wellbeing... I put smiley or sad faces on their play plan each week AND...

- I have a small section at the bottom of page 2 to note which part of my monthly planning has been shared with parents for them to try at home.

Feel free to ask me if anything doesn't make sense :D

[mama2three]

Thanks sarah - all that information and the 'main' thing Im going to take from it is the phrase -'' learning intentions''. Ive struggled with what to call these for ages!!

[phoenix2010]

Hi Sarah
thanks for this , ill be doing something similar myself
Im using the 2013 plan on childcare . co.uk , its a real godsend , ill be adding my own activity ideas to it and adapting to suit my children

How many planned and evaluated activities would you do , I have around 10 activity ideas for each week, but was actually going to fully document how Ive planned and evaluated one activity each week , do you think this is enough.

Heres my evaluation sheet so you can see what i mean
i hope ive attached it right

[karensmart4]

Thank you Sarah, that's brilliant and you are an Angel for sharing :thumbsup:

[cherry]

Thank you Sarah :thumbsup:

[jadavi]

Are we not able to see attachments on iPhone app?
Xx

[Shamai]

Thank you Sarah, really helpful x

[sarah707]

Hi Sarah
thanks for this , ill be doing something similar myself
Im using the 2013 plan on childcare . co.uk , its a real godsend , ill be adding my own activity ideas to it and adapting to suit my children

How many planned and evaluated activities would you do , I have around 10 activity ideas for each week, but was actually going to fully document how Ive planned and evaluated one activity each week , do you think this is enough.

Heres my evaluation sheet so you can see what i mean
i hope ive attached it right

I am so pleased you are finding the planning I wrote for childcare useful! I love writing the little Information Guides as well - I can answer lots of peoples' questions in just a few pages and make life easier for them!

I think evaluating 1 activity a week is more than enough - I have an evaluation sheet for the month and I think about things like what the children have got out of the activities, feedback from parents, what I've done well and what I might improve...

If you are working with full time children then 10 activities for 10 sessions (morning and afternoon) is probably about right - ish. However, don't forget you are going out some of the time so your planning will be whatever the experiences children have at toddlers or the park or visiting friends which will be different from planning you are writing for when you are in the house.

Build up a file and use it over the coming weeks and months and even years - that way even if something goes wrong or doesn't happen your planning is not wasted.

Hth :D

[loocyloo]

Thank you (& I love the planning on childcare too ) xx

[silvermist]

Thank you for sharing Sarah. Really useful xx

[phoenix2010]

Thankyou Sarah

my planned activities this week are

Messy play tray fake snow and winter animals
Paper plate Gruffalos child animal masks
Make ice hangings from items collected on a walk and talk about freezing and melting
Make a winter word display
Make bird feeders using lard and seeds
Go on a winter walk in Abington park , talking about how the trees have changed
Look for birds visiting the garden and count how many we see
Make an outdoor winter picture using natural objects such as twigs and leave we collected on walk
writing our names in Braille
feeling for and guessing objects in a box with hole cut out

we also visit 2 or 3 groups each week and one soft play session , so as you can see trips are incorperated into the planning

so this looks about right then ?? :)

ill be documenting the planning and evaluation of the ice hangings activity

and Im going to follow your idea and do a monthly overall evaluation too

thankyou so much for your time and help

sally

[phoenix2010]

ps . we probably wont do them all and thats fine
i take each day as it comes to a certain extent
and if they dont feel like doing something we do something else :)

[sarah707]

Are we not able to see attachments on iPhone app?
Xx

Best ask Richard I don't have one sorry! xx

[sarah707]

A lot of members have asked me to share more group planning ideas - so I have just put our February week 1 plan - for Chinese New Year - on this post -

http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/forum/activity-ideas/112861-chinese-new-year-feb-week-1-planning.html#post1196221

Hth :D

[miffy]

Thank you Sarah.

I like the idea of doing an overall monthly evaluation too. Do you have a sheet for this or do you just write down your thoughts?

Miffy xx

[sarah707]

Thank you Sarah.

I like the idea of doing an overall monthly evaluation too. Do you have a sheet for this or do you just write down your thoughts?

Miffy xx

I have a sheet that I print on the back of my monthly planner - the one that gets scribbled on and changed etc. It's hand written just now though because I am still playing with different formats :D

[thills]

I've had a few requests to share how I do my group planning...

Attached is my planning for this week - I tend to write about 1 x A4 page per week for my group planning.

It is not a definitive list of everything we are doing this week - it is an overview of some of the activities we are planning around our theme.

I use continuous provision to make sure children are busy and engaged in the other curriculum areas - this is just our themed planning ideas. We don't do them all - it depends on the children.

The theme is usually chosen with and often by the children to follow their interests - or it is something new to support their learning about the world around them, introduced during group times when we chat about it and the children suggest what they would like to do next.

I then use my individual play plan - Play and Observation (http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/freeresources/Free%20downloads/playandobservation.html) to note each EYFS child's interactions with the planning, if they have learned anything new, how they have enjoyed the activities, if they were pitched right, how I differentiated / changed them to suit the individual etc...

I have added 2 new sections to the play plan since it was uploaded into forum files -

- I now note each child's wellbeing - because EYFS requirement 3.6 says we must respond to 'Deterioration in children’s general well-being' and you can't do that unless you note their normal wellbeing... I put smiley or sad faces on their play plan each week AND...

- I have a small section at the bottom of page 2 to note which part of my monthly planning has been shared with parents for them to try at home.

Feel free to ask me if anything doesn't make sense :D

The smiley face thing seems like a quick and easy way of recording each child's well being, I think I will start doing that thanks :)

[LittleLaura]

Hello,

I am new to the forum and would like to view your planning attachments but am not able to open them. Would anyone be able to help? Not sure who I should be asking for help!

Many thanks x

<Note from admin - attachments are protected by the forum software until new members have made 4 qualifying posts>

[b miller]

Thank you when I come to group planning these ideas etc will be vey usefull

[tori4]

I've had a few requests to share how I do my group planning...

Attached is my planning for this week - I tend to write about 1 x A4 page per week for my group planning.

It is not a definitive list of everything we are doing this week - it is an overview of some of the activities we are planning around our theme.

I use continuous provision to make sure children are busy and engaged in the other curriculum areas - this is just our themed planning ideas. We don't do them all - it depends on the children.

The theme is usually chosen with and often by the children to follow their interests - or it is something new to support their learning about the world around them, introduced during group times when we chat about it and the children suggest what they would like to do next.

I then use my individual play plan - Play and Observation (http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/freeresources/Free%20downloads/playandobservation.html) to note each EYFS child's interactions with the planning, if they have learned anything new, how they have enjoyed the activities, if they were pitched right, how I differentiated / changed them to suit the individual etc...

I have added 2 new sections to the play plan since it was uploaded into forum files -

- I now note each child's wellbeing - because EYFS requirement 3.6 says we must respond to 'Deterioration in children’s general well-being' and you can't do that unless you note their normal wellbeing... I put smiley or sad faces on their play plan each week AND...

- I have a small section at the bottom of page 2 to note which part of my monthly planning has been shared with parents for them to try at home.

Feel free to ask me if anything doesn't make sense :D

:-( I can't see the attachment

[Mrs.L.C]

Thank you for sharing. Gives me an idea of how others are planning. I was doing something similar but recently been told I need to put the learning outcome wording in thats in the EYFS (A Unique child). Do you know if this is a must for all children or just funded children? Im trying to do a group plan for 6 children as 3 of them only come on the odd days and trying to cut the paper work side of things down rather than doing a planning sheet for every single child each week

Getting in a right pickle!!!

[BusyKids]

Sarah - with your activity ideas and outside play focus do you then record how those things went anywhere?

Is there anywhere that gives a step by step guide to planning? Not ideas but literally how you start and how much to do? I'm a bit bamboozled reading it all as everyone does it differently and I'm worried I'm going to miss something. A checklist would be good for noobies :thumbsup:

[sarah707]

Sarah - with your activity ideas and outside play focus do you then record how those things went anywhere?

Is there anywhere that gives a step by step guide to planning? Not ideas but literally how you start and how much to do? I'm a bit bamboozled reading it all as everyone does it differently and I'm worried I'm going to miss something. A checklist would be good for noobies :thumbsup:

I have written something for childcare.co.uk gold members... I also have lots of threads dotted around the Forum and in free resources with information.

I will put your idea on my 'things to do' list thank you! :D

[BusyKids]

Ahh that was what i was going to join except I lost track of which website it was lol

[Emmalou77]

Sarah I love your planning sheets, I'm so lost with it all and this gives me some direction. I can't thank you enough :-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-)

[sarah707]

Sarah I love your planning sheets, I'm so lost with it all and this gives me some direction. I can't thank you enough :-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-)

Thank you emmalou you are very welcome!

If anything ever doesn't make sense please feel free to ask :D