Galway City & County Childcare Committee Workshop ...
Transcript of Galway City & County Childcare Committee Workshop ...
What we will cover….
� Welcome
� Overview of Aistear
� Aistear: Defining short, medium & long-term curriculum planning)
� How do we start?...
- Observing, Documenting & Displaying
� Templates
Aistear: See handouts
4 Themes
4 Aims under each Theme
6 Learning Goals under each Aim
________________________________
Themes
Well-Being
Identity & Belonging
Communicating
Exploring & Thinking
Aistear:
Activity for 6/9mths – 18mths
Row Row the Boat
Learning goal: anticipation, waiting,
eye contact, choice, gross & fine motor
skills.
Aistear Links: C, A 1, LG 6. W, A2, LG 3.
Aistear
Each theme offers some ideas and suggestions for
the types of learning experiences that adults might
provide for children in working towards Aistear’s
aims and goals. These ideas and suggestions are
known as sample learning opportunities. They are
presented in three overlapping age groups:
� babies (birth to 18 months)� toddlers (12 months to 3 years) � young children (2½ to 6 years).
Aistear
� While most of the sample learning opportunities can be adapted and developed for different types of settings, some may be more suited to one type than to another. Most of the sample learning opportunities can also be adapted for use indoors or outdoors. Using the outdoor environment can often give children more space and freedom to move, to explore, and to express themselves, which in turn can bring even greater enjoyment, satisfaction and learning.
Long-term PlanningYour approach/philosophy/ethos/pedagogy
Medium-term PlanningOnce a term…..
Developmental goals for each group
Interest based themes
Seasonal Celebration
Short-term Planning
Weekly (Activity) planning
(Child) Interested Based
Seasonal Celebrations
Dev. Goals
Long-term Planning
For example….(Our Ethos).
Siolta’s standards and the Aistear National Curriculum
Framework guides our practice, through positive
consultation with parents, family and the community, we
aim to promote each child’s sense of identity and well
being. Through our knowledge and understanding of how
children learn and develop, we facilitate each child to share
and communicate their ideas, whilst they explore and
problem solve through meaningful play experiences.
Long-term Planning
Using the 4 themes of Aistear we encourage each child to be confident and competent learners:
� Exploring & Thinking: Supporting children to make sense of things, places and the people in their world.
� Communication: Supporting children to share their experiences, thoughts, ideas and feelings with others.
� Well-being. Supporting children to be confident, happy and healthy individuals
� Identity and Belonging: Supporting children to develop a positive sense of identity where each child feels valued and respected as apart of a family and community.
Medium-term planning?
Medium-term plans focus on each term. This
plan sets out goals for a fixed period of time and gives a
broad outline of activities, at the same time being flexible in
order to take account of children’s ideas and interests.
Observations as well as communication and on-going
consultation with staff, parents and children guide the
development of the medium-term plans.
Short-term Planning
Short-term plans outline the experiences to be organisedfor children, for a week or fortnight. They are more specific
than medium- and long term plans. Short-term plans can
address individual children’s needs and interests. Listeningto what children say and incorporating what they want to
do, involves them actively in the planning process.
It is important, to include the interests of individual children
in the short-term plan drawn up for the full group.
The Curriculum Plan Checklist(1) Long-term plan - the
ethos/approach to how you work with the children.
(2) Medium-term Plan (a brief outline)
Discuss with staff re; upcoming seasonal celebrations, dev. goals and the children’s interests. (once a term)
(3) Observations (ongoing)For each child (once a term)
for e.g. Learning recordsSuggestion *Each practitioner could be assigned to observe a specific group of children for the term.
(4) Short-term Activity Plan(weekly/fortnightly)
This is a visible activity plan
• incorporates the children ‘s interests - refer to your observations of the children
• Addresses how you will support the children to meet their dev goals
• Your plans for up coming seasonal celebrations
Medium-term Planning(once a term)
Age Group: 3 to 4 years Time period: Jan-April
General Developmental Goals: Self-help skills, Fine/Gross Motor dev, Personal Hygiene
Festivals/ Celebrations: Easter, Mothers Day etc
Interest – based Projects: Role Play – Restaurant, Jungle Animals…
Aistear is reflected in our weekly curriculum planning.
Daily Curriculum Plan
Time Activities Aistear Links
Arrival Welcome Well-being: Aim 1, LG 2 & 3
Breakfast Socialising, conversations, settling in….. Well-being: Aim 2, LG 6
Free Play
Indoor/Outd
oor
Children choose what materials/equipment to play with– availability and
accessibility to interest areas in the room.
Exploring & Thinking
Aim 3 LG, 4 Aim 2 LG, 3 & 4,
Circle Time An opportunity to consult with the children about their interests or tell a
story that leads onto your next activity. Talk about upcoming
celebrations, project theme, news, songs, music etc…
Communicating: Aim 4 , LG 1 & 5
Identity & Belonging: Aim 2 LG1 & Aim 3
LG 1.
Project
activity Idea
Your planned project/activity idea: This comes from your Short-Term
planning
Aistear Themes, Aims and Learning Goals
are incorporated into our short term
planning and linked to each
project/activity idea
Lunch
/Dinner
Socialising , Health and Well-being Communicating : Aim 2, LG 1.
Well-being: Aim 1, LG 2 & 3 & Aim 2 LG 6
Free play/
Planned
activity
indoor/outd
oor play.
This could be an opportunity for you to observe and/or play alongside
individual children, gather information for future activities. Perhaps you
may want to continue your project /activity idea.
Aistear Themes, Aims and Learning Goals
are incorporated into our short term
planning and linked to each
project/activity idea
Winding
down!
This could range from a variety of activity ideas: Storytelling, music,
dancing, exercising, meditation, sensory play, arts &c crafts etc..
Well-being: Aim 2 LG 2 & 6
Home time Preparing for home-time - Meeting with parents, communication
books…
Well-being: Aim 1, LG 1
Short-term Planning
*Observations guides our Short-term planning
For example - Learning Story/Record
• Remember to take photos
(written permission needed)
Photo:
Describe
Learning Record
Child’s Name:_____________ Date of observation: …../..…/..…Signed:_____________ Date: _____________________.
What does it mean?
What could we do next to extend the learning?
Observations
� The Learning Records/Observations can be stored in a individual folder/box for each child.
� To be updated once a term (4 observations for each child)
Note:
If you do a Learning Record of a Group Activity – display this on your walls. This in itself
Is your short-term curriculum planning because you have made it visible for parents and
visitors to see, they can see the Aistear curriculum in action and how you are meeting and
promoting the holistic needs of the children attending the service.
(See: Documenting and displaying the learning process – it is similar to a learning record)
Monday ../../14 Tuesday ../../14 Wednesday ../../14 Thursday../../14 Friday ../../14
Schema/Interest
observed
Bugs & Insects
Schema/Interest
observed
Bugs & Insects
Schema/Interest
observed
Bugs & Insects
Seasonal Celebration
Getting ready for
Easter
Seasonal Celebration
Easter Egg Hunt
Aistear Links: C, A 4, LG, 1 & 3
Aistear Links: Aistear Links: Aistear Links: Aistear Links:
Activity
Bugs & Insects: Looking
at bugs and insects
outside with the
magnifying glass.
Activity
Bugs & Insects:
Outdoor and arts &
crafts activity; building
houses for the bugs &
insects.
Activity
Bugs & Insects: Finding
out about the living
habits of the spider,
centipede & worm. Using
videos, books, internet
etc.
Activity
Getting ready for
Easter Egg Hunt –
preparing clues, map
making, cutting out
egg shapes etc…
Activity
Extension Ideas:
Going outdoors and
building house/huts for
the bugs & insects using
junk material.
Extension Ideas
Research project:
Finding out more about
the s the spider,
centipede & worm.
Extension Ideas;
Group Learning Story;
Putting together our
learning story about bugs
& insects – what we have
learned…
Extension Ideas
Include an obstacle
type course
Extension Ideas
Short-term Activity Planning
Week: 4 Age group:
A more detailed approach to Short-term Planning (Activity Planning)
A. Planned Activities: A themed project that is based on the children’s
interests or seasonal celebration.
B. Individual / Group Goal/s…..(knowing the stages of play – can help)
C. Plan the activities, you can refer to the following interest areas as a guide:
� Role Play/Home Corner
� Constructive Play/ Small World Play/Block Play etc
� Creative Activity: Sensory Play , Arts & Crafts, Sand & Water
� Music and/or Movement
� Story-time
� Outdoor Play – Physical Play
D. Link activities to Aistear’s Themes: Aims & Learning Goals
E. List equipment needed
F. Health & Safety Considerations
G. Possible Challenges / Questions to ask…
What we know already…
Schema/Interest observed: Animals in the Jungle
Age Group: Age 2.5 yrs old
Stage of Play observed: Parallel Play
Specific Learning Goals: An open-ended activity that will
encourage self expression and the opportunity for
cooperative thinking. (associative play)
Health & Safety
Considerations
Remove tripping
hazards
Short-term Project/Activity Plan
Aistear Aim s& Learning Goals
Aistear Links: C, A 4, LG, 1 & 3.
Week 3 Date/s:
Equipment Needed
Camera: to take
photographs of the children.
Storybook: “The Dancing
Tiger”
CD: Different types of
music, lots of space,
scarves, instruments-
shakers.
Reflect on Activity
Extension ideas .Going outdoors and building
house/huts for the jungle
animals using junk material
Questions to ask the
children
I wonder how the animal
will move to this music?
I wonder what will the
animal do next?
Is your body moving fast
or slow
Project Idea:
“Going to the Jungle”
Picture/story book or
video – of different
jungle animals.
Music & Movement -
Play different types of
music – child acts out
different animals while
listening to the music.
Documenting and Displaying the Learning Process
Notes to remember: Take photographs of the activity. Observe and take brief notes detailing the children’s interest and conversations.
Activity: Being Constructive“Digging & Building”
An example of how you could display the children’s work and learning
Children’s Conversations & Observed Play:Include comments the children
made or observational notes
about their play.Children’ Conversations
“Look, the big truck doesn’t fit but
the small truck fits on the digger”
ObservationsThe children really enjoyed
transporting objects back and forth,
especially when the natural materials
were introduced.
What did we learn?We used our fine motor
skills to pick up objects and
construct buildings.
We problem-solved – we
visualised, planned and
created.
We learned about how much
our digger could carry.
We learned mathematical
concepts: height, weight,
size and composition.
We learned about different
textures, using natural
materials
Extension Ideas: What we could do next….
We could develop & extend the construction area in the playroom – add natural
materials & miniatures (lollipop sticks, play dough, trailers, big & small bricks etc)
Aistear Links:
Workshop Activity
How can we plan our curriculum from our
observations and conversations with children?
Examples of interest based, dev. goals &
seasonal curriculum planning.
Lets look at the video clips…..
The Role of the Adult� Listening, observing � Open-ended questions (“I wonder…What happens…..let the child
have ownership over their ideas)� Descriptive language: extends their understanding, learning and
language skills, inflection in voice - interested (Assimilation & Accommodation).
� Encouragement & support � Enthusiasm (tone of voice)� Could you add something to extend the learning – suggest? – “I
wonder”…� Remember some of the scaffolding stages (they will help – for
example: simplify the task, reduce frustration (perhaps model a solution- demonstration – ask for help from the child) marking critical features.
� Reflecting/Mirroring what the child is doing: make it meaningful(similar to parallel play.
“Encourage possibility thinking”
Examples of open-ended questions
� Tell me about …
� I wonder…
� What would happen if…
� How did you make…
� What would you like to change
� What made you think of doing…
� How would you figure out …
� What else can you try..
� Describe your favourite part
SummaryHow to organise…..
� A folder with your Long-term plan (ethos, approach) & Medium-term plans (for each term - 3/4).
� Short-term plans: in other words your activity /project ideas - These will incorporate your medium-term plans…
- Dev. Goals- Seasonal Celebrations- Interest-based
� Observations for each child (once a term – 3/4 observations for each child). Each child can have a folder and you can put their learning records/observations inside.
*Give yourself credit for all this work – show off what you do with the children
and display photos of the children’s activities, artwork and active learning on
the wall. ( See slide “Documenting & Displaying the Learning Process” &“Group Learning Record”)
Photo:
Describe
Learning Record
Child’s Name:_____________ Date of observation: …../..…/..…Signed:_____________ Date: _____________________.
What does it mean?
What could we do next to extend the learning?
Monday ../../.. Tuesday ../../.. Wednesday ../../.. Thursday ../../.. Friday ../../..
Interestbased/dev.goals
/seasonal celebration.
Interestbased/dev.goals/
seasonal celebration.
Interestbased/dev.goals/
seasonal celebration.
Interestbased/dev.goals/
seasonal celebration.
Interestbased/dev.goal
s/seasonal celebration.
Aistear Links: Aistear Links Aistear Links: Aistear Links: Aistear Links:
Activity Activity Activity Activity Activity
Extension Ideas: Extension Ideas Extension Ideas; Extension Ideas Extension Ideas
Week No: Age group:
Short-term Activity planning
What we know already…
Schema/Interest observed:
Seasonal Celebration:
Age Group:
Stage of Play observed:
Specific Learning Goals:
Health & Safety
ConsiderationsShort-term Project/Weekly Activity Plan
Aistear Links
Week: Date:
Equipment Needed
Reflect on Activity
Extension ideas .
Questions to ask the
children
Project/Activity Idea
Information on Aistear
� www.ncca.ie – click on Aistear – for more information.
� www.ncca.ie – click on Aistear – Aistear Toolkit – choose a theme (you will be able to access the sample learning opportunities for each age category.
� To access the sample Aistear documents: Go to www.ncca.ie, click on Aistear - Aistear Toolkit - Planning, documenting and assessing.
See link below…
www.ncca.ie/en/Curriculum_and_Assessment/Early_Childhood_and_Primary
Education/Early_Childhood_Education/Aistear_Toolkit/Planning-and
documenting.html
EquipmentThe equipment should reflect the developmental needs and the interests of the children
Therefore consider equipment that can encourage the followingactivities:� Arts and Crafts.� Role play� Games with rules.� Free play/ Open-ended play� Appreciation of nature� Quiet Time� Opportunity for messy/sensory play� Constructive play