EYFS and Themes

**mertonparker** · 03-05-2008, 06:39 AM

Hi all,

Have been reading alittle of the EYFS and i seem to get the general impression that they dont want us to plan a theme anymore. Is this correct or am i barking up the wrong tree

I use a theme to run in the background of all the other plans i have in place so therefore there is always something to do should the child wish to participate.

Any advise/suggestions please

mertonparker.x

**sarah707** · 03-05-2008, 07:00 AM

Funny you should ask this now... I have just read the latest newsletter from www.bromleycma.org.uk and this is one of their headings...

Ideas for Themes for the coming Weeks
With the imminent arrival of EYFS we added a new feature to our last monthly newsletter. Themes for the coming weeks. This will hopefully provide you with ideas for events, festivals and occasions that you might like to plan activities around with your minded children.

EYFS is not saying - 'do not plan from themes'... what it is saying is there is no point having a series of elaborately planned themes done in September for the whole year, if the children are not interested.

We need to plan to the children's interests, but also plan to what we know they will enjoy. We need to introduce them to things that happen in the world around them... things that affect their lives... multicultural and seasonal happenings... all these need to be planned to the child's abilities and age / stage (which we have learned about from observations).

So they lift a stone, are fascinated by the little crawly things and out comes your theme on minibeasts... while they are interested... then move on... etc.

I hope this makes sense

**mertonparker** · 03-05-2008, 07:20 AM

Originally Posted by sarahnev707

Funny you should ask this now... I have just read the latest newsletter from www.bromleycma.org.uk and this is one of their headings...

Ideas for Themes for the coming Weeks
With the imminent arrival of EYFS we added a new feature to our last monthly newsletter. Themes for the coming weeks. This will hopefully provide you with ideas for events, festivals and occasions that you might like to plan activities around with your minded children.

EYFS is not saying - 'do not plan from themes'... what it is saying is there is no point having a series of elaborately planned themes done in September for the whole year, if the children are not interested.

We need to plan to the children's interests, but also plan to what we know they will enjoy. We need to introduce them to things that happen in the world around them... things that affect their lives... multicultural and seasonal happenings... all these need to be planned to the child's abilities and age / stage (which we have learned about from observations).

So they lift a stone, are fascinated by the little crawly things and out comes your theme on minibeasts... while they are interested... then move on... etc.

I hope this makes sense

Hi Sarah,
Thanks for the reply.
I read the bromleycma newsletter last night and thats what prompted me to post a tread. After reading the newsletter i was then slightly confused as what to do with the themes in relation to the EYFS.
clearer now though, thanks again.
Have just purchased 2 of your books, great job your doing there-keep it up

**crazybones** · 03-05-2008, 07:20 AM

This is a direct quote from my inspection last month under the recommendations for improvement bit.

"continue to improve upon the planning systems".

What I have been doing is filling up loads of different folders with bits and bobs and ideas for different themes. As I will lose all my mindees to school etc in September I (Hopefully) will have new ones and so I dont know what their interests will be so I am hoping to have things in place ready to use as and when they show an interest in something whilst getting to know them. Once they start then I can develop the folders making new ones and whip them out as and when necessary. The folders can interchange with each other for example my 4 year old mindee is interested mainly in dinosaurs so I have a folder with stuff about dinosaurs, a list of toys in relation to dinosaurs etc but as the weather is getting nicer we have made a dinosaur garden, therefore using the folder I use for gardening and he has planted seeds and collected things from the garden to decorate his dinosaur garden. I also found a printout for dinosaur dominos, which I keep in a maths folder so therefore developing an interest in maths.

Does that make sense, I hope I am on the right tracks.

**sarah707** · 03-05-2008, 07:44 AM

Annie that sounds brilliant!

I started doing that January last year and I now have a year's worth of folders sat waiting for a child's interests... I use them soooo much and they make my life much easier...

Every time I see something relevant in a magazine or read on here etc I pull it out and pop it in one of my folders too... amazing how it builds up... like a mini library of activities!

**mertonparker** · 03-05-2008, 07:44 AM

Originally Posted by annie337

This is a direct quote from my inspection last month under the recommendations for improvement bit.

"continue to improve upon the planning systems".

What I have been doing is filling up loads of different folders with bits and bobs and ideas for different themes. As I will lose all my mindees to school etc in September I (Hopefully) will have new ones and so I dont know what their interests will be so I am hoping to have things in place ready to use as and when they show an interest in something whilst getting to know them. Once they start then I can develop the folders making new ones and whip them out as and when necessary. The folders can interchange with each other for example my 4 year old mindee is interested mainly in dinosaurs so I have a folder with stuff about dinosaurs, a list of toys in relation to dinosaurs etc but as the weather is getting nicer we have made a dinosaur garden, therefore using the folder I use for gardening and he has planted seeds and collected things from the garden to decorate his dinosaur garden. I also found a printout for dinosaur dominos, which I keep in a maths folder so therefore developing an interest in maths.

Does that make sense, I hope I am on the right tracks.

Hi Annie,
Thanks for your reply. You sound like you've got it all under wraps

I do a monthly plan and break it down into weeks. eg. we are embarking on minibeasts at the moment. So the theme is minibeasts then wk one is meet the minibeasts, wk 2 creep & crawl, wk 3 Hum & buzz and wk 4 flutter & fly. All the 6 areas of learning are covered within the weekly topic plus taking children out to places of interests which are linked. we keep a file with all photos and activity sheets found that link etc so we can re use next year or extend/individual plan of a particular child. i also send home a sheet to parents so that they are aware of the monthly theme will be and can contribute an item say a book or photo etc. we find it works well and ofsted loved it. All the themes are child initiated.

**crazybones** · 03-05-2008, 07:54 AM

Do you know what - when I submitted that post I was totally pooping myself that I had got the whole thing wrong and you were all going to tell me I was doing the wrong thing. I am pleased you think I am on the right tracks.

**mertonparker** · 03-05-2008, 08:13 AM

Originally Posted by annie337

Do you know what - when I submitted that post I was totally pooping myself that I had got the whole thing wrong and you were all going to tell me I was doing the wrong thing. I am pleased you think I am on the right tracks.

Hey Annie,
Not only are you on the right tracks your going full steam ahead too

keep up the good work

mertonparker

**Tatia** · 03-05-2008, 04:20 PM

I do that, too but I have a sectioned ring inder, as I just started to actively collect stuff. Methinks (mostly thanks to y'all) that I am rapidly running out of space and need separate folders!

**brillminder** · 06-05-2008, 04:16 PM

a lot of my thing are in theme related bags and folder & pc and books etc ..........we need an extension

**sarah707** · 06-05-2008, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by brillminder

a lot of my thing are in theme related bags and folder & pc and books etc ..........we need an extension

I got one... and that's full now!

**miffy** · 06-05-2008, 05:23 PM

The trouble is i now have so many folders it's ridiculous - I just feel my whole house is being taken over by childminding - if it's not toys and craft stuff it's paperwork!!!!!!!!

miffy xx

**MissTinkerbell** · 06-05-2008, 06:20 PM

Don't know if its the same with childminding but when I went on the course for my teaching, we were told to plan a series of monthly themes that could possibly be child-initiated (ie minibeasts, the seaside, princesses , favourite characters, etc) and use these as a basis for our activities.

Then if a child suggested something or told us about something ie a trip to the seaside, we would have the required planning alrready in place. Therefore its child-initiated but you are also prepared.

Plus there will be some weeks where the children don't actually spark an idea so you need something already in place.

Also they said that if you didn't happen to be doing what you said you were doing when Ofsted came as long as you could explain why you were doing something different (ie Johnny went to the seaside and this has led to our seaside themed week/month) then you are OK.

This is what I intend to do - plan monthly themes, broken down into weeks and then use the children's interests to chose the order in which we do them