Need some advice please

[esargeant76]

Hi, im newly registered and am starting work next week with 2 children of different ages but both under 5. I just wanted to get some feedback on what i was planning to do with planning, activites, observations and EYFS, as am not sure if i am doing the right thing. Am planning to try and do a course soon as really dont think the 2hrs we spent covering it on my childminding course was very helpful, aam feeling quite overwhelmed by it all at the moment:(

I was going to choose a monthly theme and plan activites that fit in to the 6 areas of learning around this. Then i was going to do an individual weekly plan for each child with activites that come under this theme but also activites that might not but ones that the indivdual child enjoys (having noted when observing)
I was also going to have a general weekly plan for day to day activites which i will have out, eg small world, construction, role play etc and link them to EYFS.

I have then got a tracker for each child so that i can tick off when they reach EYFS learning goals, a daily diary and a scrapbook for photos and observations.

Please can somebody let me know if i am on right track. I am looking forward to starting work but just need to know if what i am doing is what Ofsted want!!!!:eek:

[sandy64]

hi slow down give yourself and lo time to settle in and get use to there new surroundings and play put a variety of toys out and sit back and observe that way you will have a better idea on what you want to do next ie planning,activities etc :)

[eviesnanny]

You are most definitely on the right track and seem to have grasped what it is all about, well done you:clapping: However, as Sandy64 says, slow down, let the children settle in. Your planning is supposed to be tailored to children's interests and you wont know these until you watch them for a while and make observations.

Remember this whole childminding thing is a work in progress, you are not expected to be perfect!!! The children come first, Ofsted second:thumbsup:

[esargeant76]

Thank you, will slow down and just spend the next few weeks getting the children settled in and observing. Have felt a bit overwhelmed and also felt that all the paperwork is taking the actual enjoyment out of what i will be doing. But was a bit worried that if Ofsted phone for a visit and i dont have enough written down i will be downgraded. Anyway am going to stop getting in a panic and enjoy what i am doing:clapping:

[Madame Gazelle]

Your ideas sound great, I wish I had such a good grasp of it when I first started. I would say what the others have said, take a step back now and enjoy the first couple of weeks of having the children, play with them, ask parents what they like etc, get a copy of the EYFS develpment stages and highlight them when you see it being done, go through with the parents after a couple of weeks and see if they have been seeing the same things at home and whether they have anything new to add. This can then be kept as a note of their 'starting points' - this is all you need to worry about to start with I think, start planning themes etc when you know the children better, for the first month or two just go purely on their interests, give them toys they've not seen before and see how they react etc.