Planning for Schematic Learning in the Early Years : A Practical Guide 9781136495458, 9780415697118

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Planning for Schematic Learning in the Early Years What are schemas and why should you know about them? How can schemas be identified in young children? What does schematic learning look like and how does it meet the needs of individual children? All children are different: they look different, sound different, behave in different ways and, crucially, they learn differently. It is a constant challenge in early years settings and reception classes to provide opportunities that are relevant and valuable for all the children. Being able to recognise and identify schemas in young children enables practitioners to plan a play-based curriculum that allows for individualised learning based around each child’s interests, that will support the next steps of their development. Drawing on current research, this book clearly explains what schemas are and how they can be identified in children. Looking at how settings can plan to incorporate schemas into their schemes and topics and providing real life examples of schematic learning in practice, features include: • • • • •

examples of schemas alongside descriptions of common behaviour patterns a chapter on using schemas to support children with additional needs photocopiable key checklists to help identify different schemas guidance on developing schemas to support children in their next steps advice on using schemas to aid the transition to Key Stage 1.

Including case studies and photographs to illustrate practice, this highly practical book aims to inspire practitioners, teachers and students to be creative in the way they work with children and ensure the best for those in their care. Karen Constable is an experienced early years teacher, working for almost 20 years in nursery and school settings. Specialising in how children learn and using the outdoor environment, Karen has worked across schools in Somerset supporting teachers and students to improve children’s learning. She is currently a reception class teacher and early years leader, working with children ranging from two to five years at Mark First School, UK. Sandy Green worked within the early years sector for over 35 years, initially as a nursery nurse in both education and social services settings and later as a lecturer in further education. She is now an educational consultant and has written extensively on early years education.

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Planning for Schematic Learning in the Early Years A practical guide

Karen Constable Edited by Sandy Green

First published 2013 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017

Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2013 Karen Constable The right of Karen Constable to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. The purchase of this copyright material confers the right on the purchasing institution to photocopy pages which bear the photocopy icon and copyright line at the bottom of the page. No other parts of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Constable, Karen. Planning for schematic learning in the early years: a practical guide/Karen Constable; edited by Sandy Green. pages cm Includes index. 1. Individualized instruction. 2. Education, Primary. I. Green, Sandy, 1957– II. Title. LB1031.C56 2013 371.39’4–dc23 2012046777 ISBN: 978-0-415-69711-8 (hbk) ISBN: 978-0-415-69712-5 (pbk) ISBN: 978-0-203-14042-0 (ebk) Typeset in Optima by Florence Production Ltd, Stoodleigh, Devon, UK

Contents

List of figures Preface Acknowledgements

vii ix xi

1

Children learning through play

2

Identifying schematic learning in young children

15

3

Children with Special Educational Needs and schematic learning

29

Case studies

39

4

• • • • 5

1

Hudson, the Connector 39 Ellie, the Transporter 43 Jenson and the Trajectory schema 46 Madison, the Enveloper 50

Creating an appropriate curriculum • • • •

55

Rockets and aliens 58 The outdoor classroom 70 All about me! 82 Towns and cities 94

v

Contents

6

Transition

109

7

Conclusion

113

Appendix Appendix Appendix Appendix Appendix Appendix

1 2 3 4 5 6

Piaget’s stages of development Deep Level Learning Formal observation form The WOW letter Visual checklist for observation Schema key ring cards

Useful reading Index

vi

119 121 123 125 127 129

131 135

Figures

1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 3.1

Through repeated opportunities to develop their schema children become experts in their chosen interests (Connection) Enveloping: following a present wrapping session at home one of the children wanted to continue the activity Enclosure: Chloe was building a house for a small teddy, but was cross because there was no door Enclosure: later the same day Chloe repeated the activity with a friend and they built a house with a doorway Deep Level Learning: Oli was completely engrossed in this activity, paying no attention to the noise around him Amelia’s play rated as a five on Laevers’ Deep Level Learning Scale Rotation: Chloe was fascinated with the way the dough rolled when she used her hands, rather than a rolling pin Rotation: Wills wanted to roll across the whole playground Boundaries: this child eventually made a small field for each of the horses on the farm Enclosure: these girls were building a house for some of the toys Enveloping: the tablecloth had been on the table when Katie had been hiding Connecting: children who are connectors often enjoy threading activities Enveloping: these girls wanted to play hide and seek and asked for some help to cover themselves with leaves and branches so they were well hidden

3 4 8 9 11 13 21 22 23 24 25 26

31

vii

Figures

4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14

viii

Hudson, the Connector Ellie, the Transporter Jenson Madison would often paint the back and front of her hands Rotation: Megan replicated a whole class circle time with a small group of teddies Trajectory: Amelia enjoyed rolling and flicking the marbles through the paint Enveloping: some of the children thought that leaves would help to keep the animals warm Trajectory: some of the children wanted to roll the logs across to a new area to make a bridge Trajectory: Tom lay the bundles of sticks in a straight line, before going away to collect some more Trajectory: Jenson joined his straight piece of paper to make a crown Enclosure: following their visit to the outdoor classroom some of the children wanted a den in the playground Trajectory: Emmie hung some of the teddies on the washing line to dry after their bath Trajectory: Christopher was enjoying using the computer to draw people with lots of legs Connecting: Lewis built a block of flats, he told his friend he wanted to live in a house with lots of windows Rotation: Noah was just making the wheels go around against his hand, rather than pushing the car along Enclosure: Katie wanted to write her own letter to post in a numbered letter box Enveloping: Aimee always wanted to play the bride and explained that she needed to wear a veil over her head Trajectory: Ben made a traffic jam across the mat using cars and trains

40 44 47 52 59 68 71 75 77 79 81 83 93 95 98 103 105 107

Preface

When my son was at nursery he returned home every day with a stack of empty boxes taped together. His bedroom was cluttered with little handmade, cardboard beds for various bears and toys. He took empty packets off the kitchen side and helped himself to tape and glue. The house was filled with stuck together junk boxes disguised as houses, rockets, cars, trains and toy sized beds. Then, one day, it just stopped. My daughter could retreat into her world of play, leaving behind the noise and bustle of the family home. She would become so engrossed in her learning that it would be hard to gain her attention and harder still to remove her from the activity that was captivating her. This is the point at which I first became interested in the theory behind children’s learning. My own children displayed some peculiar and, at times, rather irritating habits. Finding out there was a succession of old and new complex theories behind their play was inspiring and, if I’m honest, a huge relief. Perhaps my children weren’t so strange after all. Now, in my work, I gain enormous satisfaction working with other people’s children, treating them as individuals, taking into account their interests, quirks and eccentricities. I enjoy sharing my knowledge and enthusiasm with their parents, explaining that the behaviours they are so concerned about are a normal and healthy part of their child’s extraordinary journey. In my classroom children have the opportunities to explore, experiment and discover for themselves. There are quiet times, busy times and uninterrupted times. There is work with adults and work without; play with friends and play on their own. Each child is respected; their passion and enthusiasm is nurtured and their flair and creativity is developed on a daily basis.

ix

Preface

All the children have the chance to achieve in an environment that allows them to be themselves, learning in the way that works for them and yet also for the rest of the class. Every day a child in my class reminds me that life is fun, inspiring and complicated. They teach me that my own learning journey is far from over, that theirs is just beginning. They remind me we are all different and that it’s okay to stray from the crowd. There is never a day when I am not inspired to find out more about the children in my care. I hope that you find some of that passion and enthusiasm within this book and that it enables you to provide the very best care for the children entrusted to you.

x

Acknowledgements

The author and publishers would like to thank the following for their cooperation and support during the process of publishing this book: My family for their continuing support and encouragement. In particular Charlotte, for her unreserved belief in me and her efforts to improve my writing, Nick for his patience and encouragement and my parents for their time and knowledge during the entire writing process. The staff of Mark Church of England First School and Mark Harvest Pre-School for providing me with the inspiration and encouragement to write this book and for letting me include them in this publication. The children I have studied and monitored in order to collate the material used throughout the book and their parents for allowing me to include them.

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Children learning through play

Play is the means through which children find stimulation, well being and happiness, and is the means through which they grow physically, intellectually and emotionally. Play is the most important thing for children to do. (White 2008:7) This book begins by identifying some of the theories that have shaped the way children in modern-day society are taught across schools and early years settings. It identifies how individual learning styles impact on the experiences children choose and explains how adult intervention can improve opportunities and challenge thinking. It is widely accepted in modern western society that children will go to school, pre-school, nursery, day care etc in order to learn and socialise, with most parents anticipating that during their time in pre-school and compulsory education, their child will have the best opportunity to become literate and well educated. Over modern times in the United Kingdom, young children and their learning have been under constant review by the British Government. In 2000 the unpopular and formalised Desirable Learning Outcomes were replaced with the Early Learning Goals, and the Foundation Stage for children under five years of age. Various updated documents have led to the now compulsory curriculum used by all settings, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The 2012 revised version of the EYFS upholds the beliefs that children learn best through play and hands-on experiences. This curriculum covers the learning and education of all children until they reach the end of their first year in school, and is widely accepted as the most appropriate form of education for children in their formative years. This book will be identifying some of the aspects of a developmentally appropriate curriculum, in particular recognising schematic behaviour and identifying how staff

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can be sure that they are identifying and applying it in their workplace. The book will be looking not only at schemas in children attending pre-school settings but also whether children entering into school show the same schematic behaviour. There will be discussion and studies that identify schemas in children within a reception class and some examples demonstrating how their individual styles of learning can be used to ease transition into the next year group. To make the concept of schematic behaviour relevant and usable there will be advice and guidance about the benefits of understanding and using schemas in order to plan effectively. In order to fully comprehend why schemas are a valuable tool in the classroom it is necessary to return to some of the theories surrounding how children learn. From the early twentieth century onwards there has been a major change in people’s attitude to childhood and it is now recognised as a stage in life that is unique. Children are no longer considered small adults, but rather developing adults, children. It is the twentieth century that has been responsible for the majority of today’s thinking about how children learn, with a succession of educationalists and psychologists discussing theories related to learning and development. As childhood became a more established right for all children and law prevented young children from working, there became more of a focus on educating the next generation. Compulsory schooling was introduced for all and the school leaving age has continued to rise, ensuring all children have a reasonable chance of receiving the necessary foundation for adulthood. During this time theorists have published their own ideas about development, education and learning. Some of these have been similar to one another and in some cases build on previous knowledge, others have been more radical and contradictory. But regardless of whether they were right or wrong their work has kept the welfare of children firmly at the core of education and they have helped shape the modern schooling system and the statutory curriculum across the western world.

Jerome Bruner One of these key theorists was Jerome Bruner who was born in the early twentieth century in the United States of America (USA). Through his work as a psychologist he began to take an interest in finding out how children learnt. He disagreed with the theories Jean Piaget had published, contradicting his concept that children would progress well without adult intervention. Bruner believed that cognitive growth was directly related to the environment and affected by experiential factors. He suggested that intellectual development took place in stages, but that it was directly affected by how the mind was used. His theory highlighted that children should therefore

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Children learning through play

Figure 1.1 Through repeated opportunities to develop their schema children become experts in their chosen interests (Connection).

learn in a practical way and that how they learn is considerably more important than what they learn. It was Bruner who first made the phrase ‘spiral curriculum’ commonplace. He recognised that children needed to acquire skills through practice, returning many times to perfect and understand concepts and knowledge. This repetition was of the skills involved in learning rather than the content, with the children becoming more adept and fluent as they retraced stages through their development. Understanding more about schematic learning highlights that children actually do this without prompting or intervention. Practising their skills through a schema is the child’s way of becoming expert in this aspect of their learning.

Lev Vygotsky Lev Vygotsky was working at the same time in the twentieth century as Bruner, but he took the belief that it was social interaction which was crucial in the role of

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Children learning through play

cognitive development. He suggested that every function in a child’s learning journey needed to take place at least twice. The first time was when an adult or peer interacted and shared their knowledge. The second visit needed to be at an individual level to allow the child to process the information internally. Vygotsky’s second theory was that of the Zone of Proximal Development. This backed up his first theory, that a child would only reach their maximum potential through adult guidance or peer interaction.

Maria Montessori Maria Montessori, whilst not making any lasting and significant contribution to the theory associated with the cognitive learning process, has made a noticeable impact on everyday teaching practices. She insisted that the learning environment be prepared,

Figure 1.2 Enveloping: following a present wrapping session at home one of the children wanted to continue the activity. Santa’s Workshop was opened to allow children to wrap presents for each other.

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Children learning through play

ordered and clean. It should be proportioned to the size of the child and should contain everything he or she needs for learning about the adult world. The space needed to allow for freedom of movement should only contain materials that are conducive to learning. There is a need for people following Montessori’s approach to remember that children are indeed children and that whilst they should be exposed to the real world outside their play experiences, childhood is a phase they need to visit and stay within for some time. There is no reason why knowledge of schematic learning should hinder people taking this approach in their child care setting. In fact it creates an environment that closely resembles the familiar home environments of many children, providing familiarity and comfort. This will give children the confidence to continue exploring and playing across both their home setting and their early years day care environment.

John Dewey Working in America John Dewey supported Lev Vygotsky’s theory that development of the mind was directly related to the amount and quality of social interaction the child received. With a reputation for being a pragmatist, Dewey suggested that education was not about the facts, but rather the method, skills and experience the children were introduced to. He wanted the education system to develop an approach that celebrated problem solving and critical thinking skills. Whilst his work was not single handedly responsible for a change of attitude in people working with children, it complemented and added to a raft of other available information which has since influenced modern primary curricula. This approach also fits nicely with the theory of schematic behaviours and supports the view that children need to have independent, child-led opportunities to practise and rehearse their thinking.

Jean Piaget As we can see over the last century in the UK many of these well-known theorists have also discussed children’s learning habits, identifying in particular how children learn through repeated behaviour. Jean Piaget was one of the first to publish the ideas that most closely resemble schematic behaviour as we now identify it. During his work with children under the age of five years old Piaget was able to observe and monitor repeated patterns of behaviour. He identified four developmental stages that each child visited in their early years on their way to understanding their world. During the sensorimotor stage babies explore using their senses. The next

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Children learning through play

stage is often known as the pre-operational stage, when children use symbolism to help them develop and they learn to use sound and then words to make meaning and be understood by others. Learning about cause and effect happens during the stage Piaget labelled concrete operations and the final stage, the formal operations, is when children begin to use their existing knowledge to help them to understand further (see Appendix 1). Piaget was an avid believer that in order for children to learn most effectively they had to be active learners, therefore they needed to explore for themselves. It is this theory that is the foundation of modern thinking behind schematic behaviour.

Chris Athey At the beginning of the 1990s it was Chris Athey’s belief that children in the UK were being used in a political debate over the effectiveness of early years education (Athey 1990:9). She was concerned that it was becoming standard practice to assess children’s learning through testing and by producing finished articles of work as evidence of the learning taking place. Athey was adamant that learning and understanding were psychological and pedagogical and that any call for standardising practices and formalising teaching for young children was wrong. This is a view taken by many practitioners today, who are still unhappy about the process of assessing young children formally, in particular once they start their first years of school life. Using the Early Learning Goals as guidelines practitioners are now asked to assess children against extensive learning objectives, allowing the teacher to make accurate statements about the ability of that child at that moment in time. Although there are some practitioners who feel that the assessment is not suitable for all children it is clear that the current assessment will show any cognitive or social problems early on, allowing for intervention to take place if required. The revised EYFS document (2012) has simplified this assessment, allowing practitioners to state whether they feel a child is exceeding, working within or working towards the early learning goals for the end of the foundation year. But despite a call for reduced and unnecessary paperwork, there will still be a requirement for evidence to be collected in order to prove the teacher’s judgements are accurate. To provide a developing and individual curriculum for the children in their care teachers and early years practitioners are aware of the essential need for detailed information about each child; how they play, behave, socialise and interact with others will provide a sound knowledge of the child as an individual. Athey was a firm believer in children as individual learners with their own styles of absorbing and processing information and as one of the most influential modern

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Children learning through play

researchers on early childhood her work is well respected, although perhaps not used, understood or developed universally. Her work carried out with the Pen Green Centre is of great importance in those settings which have embraced schematic behaviour as a method of providing for their young children.

Active learning and schemas Working with staff, parents and children in the late twentieth century, Chris Athey suggested that some of the active learning she was witnessing was schematic, the use of a particular pattern to reinforce ideas. This repetitive pattern helps children to develop their own ideas and to work through the variations of a schema until they are ready to move on. Athey described this schema as ‘a repeatable behaviour into which experiences are assimilated and gradually co-ordinated’ (Athey 1990:37). The term repeatable is crucial; children not showing repeated behaviour patterns, whilst learning actively and individually, are not learning schematically. This idea of schematic behaviour is not a new one and children have been displaying schematic behaviour since the beginning of time. However the idea of using this learning style and recognising it in schools is only just becoming popular. With the inclusion of individualised learning becoming even more high profile in the revised Early Years Foundation Stage (2012), it is only likely to gain more importance. Up until now whether this behaviour has been recognised has been at the judgement of those looking after them, but it is thought that children are born with a desire to explore and that schemas are indeed central to the learning that takes place. Children do not use schematic behaviour exclusively to make sense of their world; they have many other strategies as well. They learn through their environment and through social experiences, they explore using their senses and play by copying behaviour of those around them. Schemas are more individual and cannot be influenced by others; a child is either learning through a specific schema or they are not. They cannot be taught to play in a specific way, but rather their play can be developed through informed intervention at appropriate times. Similarly children learning within a schema may choose to play alongside a child learning in the same way, but they cannot be made to cooperate in play which makes no sense to them. It was not until the 1970s that Athey was to explore how educators could use Piaget’s theories to improve children’s learning. Athey went on to pioneer observations of children learning through schemas and used that information to make learning experiences individual for the children in her care. Athey and her colleagues used Piaget’s theory of developmental stages to support their findings, developing the idea of schemas further.

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Children learning through play

Wherever children have plenty of material and freedom of choice in early year’s education, schematic behaviours will be obvious to the aware observer. (Athey 1990) Athey also believed that early schemas were the foundation for later learning, although there is no concrete research to substantiate her claim. But experienced practitioners know that a child learning in an appropriate way for himself or herself, as an individual, is usually happier and more confident, so perhaps this is transferred to later learning, providing improved opportunities? It should also be noted that not all children display schematic tendencies, some may be involved in one schema, others in several, known as clusters. As with all child development it varies tremendously. A child showing interest in one schema is likely to feed and extend their schema, finding ways of using available resources to explore in an appropriate depth. Many seemingly endless activities that children take part in (for example, moving toys from one place to another, and then back again) can be explained through schemas.

Figure 1.3 Enclosure: Chloe was building a house for a small teddy, but was cross because there was no door.

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Children learning through play

Figure 1.4 Enclosure: later the same day Chloe repeated the activity with a friend and they built a house with a doorway. Chloe found her own way of extending her schematic behaviour, with the support of a friend.

Cathy Nutbrown (1999), writing after Athey’s findings, agreed with her work, stating that early education needs to challenge thinking and extend learning in young children. Therefore, she believed, it is important that adults understand how to extend schemas in order to provide opportunities for development.

Developing schematic learning in the early years Encouraging development of schematic play recognises a child’s fundamental interests, it shows a child that their world, thoughts and ideas are valid and important to others; this in turn supports their self-esteem and confidence. Helen Bilton (1998) suggests that although confidence and high self-esteem are not a replacement for learning, children with a high self-concept are proven to be more effective learners. So it stands to reason that if the adults working with the children can do even the

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Children learning through play

smallest thing to improve self-worth then it should be followed through by all those responsible for the child’s learning. There are some progressive nurseries that use schematic learning as a form of planning, alongside more traditional styles of preparation, but there are few schools prepared to make the bold step towards following a child’s schematic interests. This could be for several reasons. Maybe the staff are uninformed about schematic behaviour, not trained to spot and work with this style of learning. Some settings believe that schemas are just something witnessed in younger children and whilst in some cases this may be true, there will always be children learning at different rates and some children will be starting school showing very strong schematic tendencies. Perhaps it is seen as complicated, confusing and unnecessary in a busy classroom with a low adult to child ratio? However, planning for individuals is not a problem introduced by the knowledge of schemas, it has been an added problem in teachers’ planning for many years. Children have varying learning styles, work at different rates and come armed with varying amounts of knowledge. Knowing the activities that are likely to occupy some of the children could in fact help practitioners plan more effectively, rather than provide another problem to overcome. Nutbrown (1999) believed that planning broad themes and topics allowed the inclusion of large numbers of activities that would challenge children following schemas and she wanted teachers and early years providers to ensure that known schemas are planned for within everyday learning and topics. It is likely that planning for schematic learning encourages children to play in different friendship groups, choosing their activity according to the learning experience rather than who is playing there already, helping to develop social skills alongside.

Ferre Laevers’ Theory of Involvement Another major factor to take into account when considering children as individual learners is a theory that relates to the child’s involvement with their activity. Ferre Laevers, a Belgian professor, has been working over the last 30 years at Leuven University where he has developed the idea that to assess children’s learning it was important two criteria were monitored, their emotional well-being and their level of involvement in their play. By examining a project called Experiential Education (EXE) Laevers was able to ascertain that it was not the teacher’s practice that needed monitoring, or the resources that were available, but rather what the children were doing that was important. Through his network of pre-schools Laevers was able to see that generally the children’s well-being was being taken care of. Their play was spontaneous, full of social interaction and with clear signs of high self-esteem and

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Children learning through play

participation. With this knowledge Laevers went on to explore the theory that one of the most important variables in children’s play was their level of involvement – concentration, persistence, motivation and satisfaction. It should be noted that involvement and well-being were just two aspects being studied in the EXE project. Other variables were also suggested, such as the child’s level of freedom to make a choice, the types of activities provided and the time the children had to play with them. Having established that the children he was observing were stable, in a warm and inviting environment, Laevers went on to monitor how they played and the learning that went with this play. He looked predominantly at how involved they were in their activity. For this he would observe concentration, motivation and the child’s ability to be creative. He would note their facial expression, their posture and the amount of satisfaction they gained from their task. Deep Level Involvement would only take place when all the variables were right and when the learning

Figure 1.5 Deep Level Learning: Oli was completely engrossed in this activity, paying no attention to the noise around him.

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Children learning through play

and playing directly matched the individual child’s capability. This became known as the Zone of Proximal Development, taken from research and outcomes by Lev Vygotsky. It was clear that this aspect of learning was not linked to a particular age or stage of development. It did, however, highlight the need for the practitioners to have a very good understanding of each of the children in their care, in order to promote a level of involvement that ensured quality learning experiences took place. Laevers concluded that the children learned best when they were free to choose their activity, stay at the activity as long as they wanted and return to it as often as necessary. Observing children engrossed in schematic play it is easy to understand the phrase ‘level of involvement’ and Vygotsky’s theory about the zone of proximal development can actually work very well together. Despite such evidence, many reception classrooms and some early years providers still expect children to stop what they are doing at specific times to fit into the school day, breaking their level of involvement and therefore disrupting the learning taking place.

Deep Level Learning This high level involvement has also been described as Deep Level Learning. Children learning this way are generally self motivated, satisfied with their work and working at an appropriate level. Because the task is self chosen they are unlikely to fail and these Deep Level Learning experiences provide them with the potential to be very effective independent learners in the future. Having established that Deep Level Learning existed, Laevers went on to develop the Scales of Involvement (see Appendix 2). These are child centred and assess the process rather than the outcome of play, with most observations looking at the physical action of the child in order to prove the activity’s success. Level one indicates very little involvement or interest and movements are random and uncoordinated. By the time the child is assessed at level three they are showing some interest, but with little motivation or concentration. Level five indicates a child learning at maximum deep level, they are concentrating and enjoying their activity. They may be frustrated and bothered by noise and interruption and will certainly be reluctant to leave the activity until they make that decision for themselves. Despite all this knowledge and research there are many education providers still focussing too strongly on the outcomes of an activity, rather than the learning and thought processes children are going through in their play. This attitude can be blamed for leading practitioners away from a developmentally appropriate curriculum

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Children learning through play

Figure 1.6 Amelia’s play rated as a five on Laevers’ Deep Level Learning Scale.

and towards a more structured environment providing academic learning to all children regardless of their individual needs.

Summary What this book aims to do is to provide some suggestions, based on the experts and theories that are so well respected in early years education. It will highlight how schematic play is a valuable and valid method of finding out how children learn, but without disregarding the concept of Deep Level Learning and individual learning styles. Through the detailed planning and case studies there are ample opportunities to explore what is observed and how educators have reacted to what they have witnessed. This book does not criticise the approaches currently taken by teachers, practitioners and the education world in general, but rather it aims to show how existing ideas can be linked to new ones and how older theories can be brought into the modern setting and used effectively to promote learning in all children.

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Identifying schematic learning in young children

On-going assessment (also known as formative assessment) is an integral part of the learning and development process. It involves practitioners observing children to understand their level of achievement, interests and learning styles, and to then shape learning experiences for each child reflecting those observations. (EYFS 2012) This chapter has been written to identify and examine some of the methods used to help practitioners identify schematic learning taking place in their setting. With a close look at observation techniques, which include parental contributions, the chapter sets out how to use this knowledge to show patterns of learning taking place daily. There is some discussion about how this collected data can be analysed and used in future play opportunities to enhance the child’s experiences and improve their skills and knowledge. The chapter then goes on to identify individual schemas, highlighting specific traits to look for and develop to ensure the child is receiving appropriate and challenging experiences.

Observation techniques In order to have constructive information to input into weekly and daily planning, reception class teachers and early years practitioners have become well practised in the skills of observation. With experience, adults working with young children have devised and modified traditional observation styles in order to use them to get the facts they need and to support the learning taking place.

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Identifying schemas in young children

These observations serve several purposes: • • •

they allow staff to monitor the child’s progress against age appropriate milestones; they inform the planning, allowing activities to be arranged that meet the diverse needs of all the children in the group; they provide a written and pictorial record for the parents.

Despite a universal curriculum for Early Years Settings and Foundation Stage Classroom (EYFS 2012) each environment is, quite rightly, run differently. This diversity gives different children the start they need, it helps parents choose the right setting for their child and it provides well rounded, sociable individual children at the end of it. So it would be wrong for all establishments to have the same ethos, the same approach or the same routines. However, one common factor in all these places is the need to provide a curriculum and play experience that suits the children in their care. In order to do this, all settings will have a rotating programme of observation, assessment and planning. As in many areas of education, staff do not simply plan, deliver and allow children to carry out the work, they are always looking for new, more effective and often innovative ways of providing excellence. There are still some people working in education who undervalue play so this kind of purposeful, valid and useful observation helps to make a good case for a curriculum rich in play experiences. Observing and reviewing play and learning is good practice and all education professionals will have their own methods. However, for an approach that includes identifying and working with schematic behaviour, the practice taking place may need some altering. Unless already confident and aware, staff are likely to need some supportive training in order to use observation to identify and effectively work with schematic behaviour. There are several kinds of observation taking place in settings across the UK, including written, photographic, video recording and informal discussion.

Informal note taking These are often short, unplanned records of incidents noticed during the child’s free play. These observations may be on Post-it notes, sticky labels or written directly into the child’s profile. These brief jottings help to build a rounded picture of the child, noting important social steps, speech and language developments and physical stages of development, amongst other issues. These notes should be dated and will normally have a link to the relevant area of learning. There is nothing more irritating than a collection of valuable notes and jottings without dates that indicate the rate of the child’s progress.

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Identifying schemas in young children

This style is quick, simple and has no strict rules. It is easy for all staff to contribute notes for each child. On their own these notes can be informative, but most settings would also want more detailed observations to be carried out over a more sustained period of time to ensure an even picture of the child.

Formal observation This is a more detailed account of an activity or event and this style of observation would normally be planned for in advance, carried out at different times of the day, in different locations, with different playmates and by different members of staff. It is most helpful to observe the child in an activity chosen or initiated by the child themselves because it gives a true indication of the interests of that child at that particular time, rather than highlighting what the teacher was expecting them to be doing. There is also a valid argument for observing the child at a teacher led activity, especially if it is in an area of learning the child doesn’t visit frequently. This could highlight to an observer how the child tackles new events and opportunities. A true picture of a child’s development and pattern of learning behaviour would come from a wide range of observations. The format for this style of observation varies from setting to setting. It is quite well accepted that this observation is easier to include regularly in a daily routine within an early years setting or nursery due to the higher staff ratio. The reception class teacher finds these detailed observations more difficult to include in a busy schedule, but they are equally useful for these teachers and should be given a high priority. For the information to be progressive and therefore most useful, staff should be planning to observe each child at least once each half term, and the completed observations would be rigorously monitored. For management purposes the children in larger reception classes would be allocated small groups. Through these groups, the adults can ensure that children are observed on a rotation. For example in week one all children in the blue group may be formally observed, in week two it will be the children in the yellow group, and so on. If each adult in the reception class observes each child at a different time in their focus week, it is entirely possible that by the end of the week the child will have been observed a number of times, in different settings and playing with different children. Each adult should be using the same format so that these observations can be easily compared. They should include the date, time and place, the activity taking place and the other children involved. It is helpful if there is a brief record of any conversation taking place. From each observation it is possible to make a link to the main area of learning taking place

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Identifying schemas in young children

and two or three main points should be extracted for further analysis. It is these points which will help form the next steps that the child needs for progression. Formal observations are detailed and informative, but they can be time consuming and do need additional time to extract the key features of the learning taking place. This style of observing could be done through sound or video recording, but this also has some pitfalls. The children in the class would need to be familiar with the recording equipment, otherwise it will almost certainly affect how they behave. But one of the biggest downfalls is that this recording will also need replaying and annotating, adding more time to an already overcrowded schedule. Even with the best intentions this can fail to happen and of course the observation is of no value without it. Watching, taking notes and still photos provide an immediate record with very little follow up required and are still the preferred methods for many.

Information shared from home This material brought from the home environment is often the richest of all observation data. After all, the child spends the majority of their time with their parents, they are most relaxed at home and often have a wider range of different opportunities than is possible in a school environment. Children play and behave differently in this safe and familiar place and the evidence gathered from parents is often used to substantiate that collected in the child’s nursery or school. This evidence can be shared in different ways. Some settings have home school diaries where parents and children are encouraged to add their own observations, pictures, drawing and notes regularly. Other places invite the children to bring annotated photos to school to share their weekend or holiday news with their friends. Wow boxes or boards are becoming commonplace and enable parents to make casual comments which can be collected by the staff, shared with the child and added to their profile (see Appendix 4). Teachers and practitioners, despite their busy schedules, make time for parents, giving each party a chance to discuss their observations, concerns or developments with the other. A record of these two-way discussions can be taken and collated alongside all the other material. All these observation methods discussed are tried, tested and adapted to meet the needs of the individual child, within that particular setting. They each have strengths and weaknesses, but work well alongside each other to build an accurate picture of how a particular child is progressing. Including the concept of schemas into these observations is relatively easy; very few adjustments will need to be made to record this additional aspect of a child’s

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Identifying schemas in young children

development. By simply adding a list of the common schemas into the format of the more formal observations a practitioner can simply tick the style they feel is being explored (see Appendix 3). Of course, not all children will be learning through schematic behaviour, so in some cases these boxes will go unchecked. A quick acknowledgement at the bottom of an informal note would serve the same purpose. Collating these observations will help a key worker identify a child and their schema more easily. For the inclusion of schematic observations at home, more work needs to take place. Parents need to be well informed and willing to contribute in such a way, so opportunities for sharing this approach need to be created, through workshops, parent’s evenings, websites and leaflets. Keeping the parents informed will ultimately help to make home school diaries, wow boxes and discussion times more valid and useful to both parties (see Appendix 4). However, it is necessary to remember not all parents will want, or be able, to take this much time or effort, so if parents are unwilling or unable to participate it would still be possible to track a child’s learning style from the evidence collected in the setting.

Identifying schematic patterns of behaviour Once this information has all been gathered it is important that the key worker is given enough time to collate it and search for emerging patterns in the child’s play. Schematic patterns can only be verified if someone takes a little time to identify them. Using a very simple table would quickly highlight any schemas the child is working within. The detailed evidence has already been collected so a visual checklist will gather the relevant information into one place. It is important to remember, though, that schemas are a pattern of repeated behaviour and just witnessing that type of play on one occasion does not constitute a schema. Collating the observations would highlight the frequency of this play and with several strong examples it could be assumed that the child is indeed showing schematic tendencies (see Appendix 5). Other settings may prefer to have much larger visual displays of the work on schemas being carried out. These displays detail the main schemas the children are likely to be working with, they explain how a child may be exploring the schema and can share photos and examples of work to support each pattern. When a child is spotted working within a schema their name is added to the board alongside the relevant schema details. The same name may be added several times by different staff at different times, and a pattern can quickly be built up of the child’s preferred play experiences. A weekly review with the key members of staff helps to bring this

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Identifying schemas in young children

information together. At this point it would be helpful to ensure parents are aware of the importance being placed on play behaviour. Many parents would enjoy the participation that this interactive display board encourages and contributions from home can add a great deal to the staff’s understanding of that child. This colourful and interactive method of collation shares progress and development with all children and visitors to the setting; it is up to date and serves as a constant reminder that schemas are valued by all. However, whilst this works well in an early years setting, where ratios of adults to children are higher, it can be less effective in a classroom, where time and routines are often cited as barriers to maintaining this method of recording. For the sake of speed and time, the majority of reception class teachers state very clearly that information should be directed straight to the child’s profile, to remove one of the time consuming stages of collation. However, removing one of the key stages, the discussion, from the process may in some cases lead to some behaviours and learning patterns going unnoticed and unshared.

Which schema? Having established a good, workable routine for identifying and planning for schematic learning, it is important that all parties working with the child know what they are looking for. There are numerous types of schemas identified and labelled by various experts over recent years. However, it was Chris Athey (2007) who gave schemas their most recent and recognised names. These are linked to the characteristics children display when they are learning through them.

Dynamic Vertical Children will display a fascination with objects that go up and down: lifts, escalators, helicopters etc. They are likely to replicate these actions through their speech and play. They may want teddy to go in a rocket to the moon and come back again, they may convert their cars into flying cars. Sometimes they will throw toys up and watch them fall; very young children will be exploring the down aspect of this schema when they repeatedly drop toys from their high chair or buggy. It is noted frequently that children can be interested in only the up or the down motion. For example a child dropping a toy may watch it fall and then lose interest quickly, then they are likely to repeat the behaviour with other toys and objects around them.

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Identifying schemas in young children

Dynamic Back and Forth This is similar to vertical, although clearly the fascination is with things moving backwards and forwards: cars, trains, balls, people and themselves. They may draw using sideways actions, filling a page with what could be misconstrued as scribbles, or be engrossed rolling their playdough out using a rolling pin but lose interest once it has been stretched. As early years workers have introduced the concept of learning through schemas, some of these headings have been modified and new titles have been given to reflect the pattern of behaviour more clearly. The Dynamic Vertical/Back and Forth schema is more commonly known as Trajectory. As well as the features described above we may also see the children showing an interest in straight lines, arcs and how items fall. Toys will be lined up, drawings will include a lot of straight lines and often these children like their toys to be ordered and tidy. They will enjoy water play and washing up, watching the flow of the water carefully. They will be keen to kick and throw balls and indeed anything else they can find!

Figure 2.1 Rotation: Chloe was fascinated with the way the dough rolled when she used her hands, rather than a rolling pin.

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Identifying schemas in young children

Dynamic Circular Children working in this schema are interested in circular or rotating toys, wheeled vehicles, hoops, old tyres, washing machines and bikes. They may build or develop models with wheels, becoming frustrated when the wheels don’t turn. They may also rotate themselves, spinning, rolling and travelling in circles around objects. The Dynamic Circular schema is now more commonly known as the Rotation schema. Of course the same characteristics of play will be present and children will be exploring in the same way.

Boundaries This behaviour can present itself as an interest in limits or barriers and in going over, under or through a boundary. The child learning about this aspect may enjoy climbing over fallen logs or under fences and gates. They may create fences and

Figure 2.2 Rotation: Wills wanted to roll across the whole playground.

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Identifying schemas in young children

Figure 2.3 Boundaries: this child eventually made a small field for each of the horses on the farm.

walls with their toys and rehearse finding ways around them with their dolls or teddies. They are likely to be interested in the outer edges of a nursery garden, observing where people come and go. They will be the children that throw toys over the fence, or push them into the hedge until they have gone, disappeared from sight!

Enclosure Enclosure is a more complex version of Boundaries and whilst children within this schema are interested in the edges and ends of things around them, they are keen to find ways to develop that into a separate space, rather than just a fence. They would want a fence to go right around them, so they may try to extend the boundary or cover the entire area. They put lids on things, hide toys in boxes and enjoy dropping things into bins. Often a child in an Enclosure schema will build a structure around themselves, or make a field area for their car to go in, rather than just a road for it to drive on.

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Identifying schemas in young children

Figure 2.4 Enclosure: these girls were building a house for some of the toys. They wanted it to have four walls, a door and a roof.

Enveloping Children in this schema enjoy the feeling of being secure, wrapped in something or hiding underneath blankets. They may make dens in the living room, moving the furniture to hide behind, or pull a blanket from the bed to get underneath. They may also wrap their toys, post all manner of toys into the swing bin and poke random objects into drawers and cupboards. There is a substantial overlap between enclosure and enveloping and only a series of observations can provide enough evidence to make a sound judgement.

Transporting Another regularly observed schema is Transporting. Children move items around, they may put things in bags and carry them about or just take them to another place

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Identifying schemas in young children

Figure 2.5 Enveloping: the tablecloth had been on the table when Katie had been hiding. When she crawled out she put the cloth over her head.

and leave them there. They may be interested in how their toys can be made to move items, for example taking teddy for a drive on a toy car, or pushing things down the slide and leaving them at the bottom. They are keen to bring things from home, or even to take things from nursery home with them.

Connecting The final schema and one of the most observed, that will be frequently referred to in this book, is Connecting. Again this is a schema whose name clearly informs what we would expect to see: linking traditional toys such as trains and carriages, building a road or train track. Children may fix many pieces of paper together, creating a long frieze, often with nothing written or drawn on it. Small animals may be lined up nose to tail and cars used to create very long traffic jams across the carpet. Given string, wool, sellotape and scissors, these children will tie chairs together, link tables,

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Identifying schemas in young children

Figure 2.6 Connecting: children who are connectors often enjoy threading activities.

toys, trees and all manner of other objects with each other. Of course the reverse action is also true and Disconnecting can also be witnessed frequently in young children. Who hasn’t watched a child take their favourite toy apart only to abandon it in a heap some time later?

Summary So for the purpose of this book I will predominantly be referring to the following schema names: Connecting, Transporting, Rotation, Enclosure, Trajectory and Enveloping. There are of course other patterns of behaviour which can also be classified as schematic, and people using this style of working with children may find it useful to be aware of them: Positioning, Transforming, Orientation and Dab are the others most likely to be witnessed, each one clearly suggesting what you might expect to witness when a child is learning in such a way. Sometimes schemas merge and overlap and it can be difficult to ascertain whether, for example, enclosure

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Identifying schemas in young children

and enveloping are the same thing or separate styles. Lots of observation and discussion will help practitioners make decisions about how to develop learning with the child’s best interests at the core. More detail about the traits and appropriate play experiences for each of the above schemas can be found in Appendix 6. These key rings cards, when trimmed and laminated, can be used on a daily basis to remind staff about the characteristics they are looking for.

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3

Children with Special Educational Needs and schematic learning

This chapter sets out how schemas can be used to support children with Special Educational Needs (SEN). It is well known that children diagnosed with various learning difficulties have different learning needs to those who are learning in a more conventional way. Because of these differences, identifying schematic learning can be problematic and in some cases is not appropriate. By detailing a few of the most common difficulties and conditions this chapter will help you examine your own practice with this group of children.

Inclusion in mainstream schools With the twenty-first century approach to inclusion of all children into mainstream schools it has become necessary for teachers to become accustomed to managing a diverse range of academic and physical needs alongside everyday teaching. There is such a range of disabilities and specific learning difficulties that many teachers are forced to learn about their pupils as they go through the year. It is not unusual to train staff about teaching children with a particular condition after they have started in the class. This is especially true in reception classes when children aren’t always offered a place with enough notice for the school to provide adequate training before the term starts. Appropriate training is often only offered to the teacher who is given the specific and necessary detail about the child whereas the teaching assistants and other staff are expected to learn on the job, a challenge for anyone looking after a demanding child. Effective and successful schools recognise this and allow time and resources to enable opportunities for sharing knowledge and information between all

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SEN children and schematic learning

professionals involved in the child’s care. For all people involved with the child to have an awareness of how they learn is essential, and whilst schemas are not the only way children learn they can be a recognisable learning pattern for all staff and provide a good place to start understanding children’s learning. By its very nature, Inclusion means exactly that, every child in a classroom should be able to participate, progress and enjoy every day at school. Children should be a part of what is happening in the classroom and not be working in a side room with just an assistant for company. Children are enrolled into mainstream school in the hope that they will learn some of the skills needed to lead a successful and social life in later years. Removing them from the classroom takes away the opportunities that children need to make friends and work alongside their peers. Children on the Special Educational Needs (SEN) register come with a range of needs and requirements, both physical and academic, and schools need to adjust their working systems to accommodate them. Many have become experts in providing the very best care for the children. Successful integration into the classroom enables the children to work and play in a similar way to their peer group. It has been accepted for some time that such children generally make more progress in mainstream schools than they do in special schools. Clearly being in mainstream education must mean learning and behaving in an age appropriate way, alongside their friends, therefore their inclusion should be valued and respected.

Planning for inclusion There is a big push for primary schools and in particular early years provision to plan for the individual needs of all children in their care, taking into account their interests, likes and dislikes as well as their varying attitudes and abilities. Taken at face value this seems like an almost impossible expectation to be faced with, but when it is looked at in more detail teachers can begin to plan and work in this way and it can become more of a reality. Teachers often find this personal approach more successful than they expected. For inclusion to be successful, staff need to be flexible and willing to adapt their normal working patterns in such a way as to allow individual observations to take place and planning to reflect the findings of them. Cathy Nutbrown (2011) makes a valid point when she suggests that children with SEN need to be treated as individuals, but that this is actually the way all children in early years settings and schools should already be treated. Understanding and applying knowledge about schematic learning can help create a culture in the classroom that does exactly that. There is no doubt that children with SEN need to be observed and their needs met, their progress monitored closely and their learning

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SEN children and schematic learning

Figure 3.1 Enveloping: these girls wanted to play hide and seek and asked for some help to cover themselves with leaves and branches so they were well hidden.

individualised, but they should also have the same opportunities that are presented to others. They should be able to choose their own play and carry it out in a way that suits their own needs, allowing them to explore in their own style and if appropriate through their own schemas. The idea that knowing about schemas replaces any need to understand the specific needs a child may have is not appropriate. Children with specific learning and behavioural needs will need care that extends beyond normal, but while these other needs are met it is entirely feasible that staff may notice schematic play and will be able to work with the child to develop this. Good observation procedures should help staff gather the evidence required to develop an appropriate curriculum for individual children. This chapter looks at just a few of the most common areas of special needs in primary schools: Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Down’s Syndrome, Global Developmental Delay and Attention Deficit Disorder. Whilst each school works with children covering these and a wide range of other needs, the knowledge that each child is unique and the principles of developing the child as an individual regardless of their condition or disability remain the same.

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Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome Autism is a lifelong developmental disorder that affects many areas of everyday life, including communication, acquisition of social skills and the ability to interact with others. The degree to which people suffer is most often described as on a spectrum, because there can be vast differences between sufferers. It is likely that children with Autism will have some learning difficulties and will often need extra help with general day to day tasks. Autism is sometimes confused with Asperger’s Syndrome, or High Functioning Autism. Although usually classified on the same spectrum, the needs of children with Asperger’s Syndrome will be different to those with Autism. They are likely to be better communicators and will probably develop a greater degree of understanding and some reasoning skills. Sometimes children with Asperger’s may be highly talented in one area of learning, art and music being two of the most common. As with Autistic children they may also have problems with social skills and friendships, making school a difficult and seemingly threatening place for them. Autism is usually diagnosed at an earlier age than Asperger’s, with children coming into the latter category often just being labelled as quirky or difficult before a full diagnosis is made. Children with either condition are likely to have some sensory issues, being over or under sensitive to particular noises, smells, tastes or textures. They may find some visual elements of everyday life overwhelming and confusing. These children often find change hard to cope with and show signs of being anxious much of the time. Identifying whether a child with Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome is learning in a schematic way should be just as straightforward as identifying it in all other children. Indeed often these children have additional help and support, so there is a member of staff well placed to carry out frequent observations and make judgements. It is this portfolio of observed behaviour that enables staff to plan for their next steps in learning. Children with Autism probably present the biggest problem because they can be prone to repeated behaviour and actions which may be hard to separate from schematic learning. Beginning with the attitude that a pattern of behaviour is schematic may be a good place to start. If the child is observed practising their schema in a range of places, with a range of toys and equipment, then it would seem sensible to assume it is in fact schematic behaviour. If, however, they are repeatedly using the same toy in the same way then this is likely to be an extension of their autistic behaviour. Autistic children like familiarity and routine so finding out how comfortable they are

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when encouraged to try something new can help to highlight more about their learning style. For example if they are fascinated by the wheels on the train and they spend a significant amount of time exploring this, can they be persuaded to play with the cars instead? Children without Autism are likely to be happy exploring their schema in many ways, children with Autism may not. Defining such behaviour as schematic is going to depend upon the outcome of many observations over a sustained period of time. Working with parents to explain schemas and their helpfulness in understanding their child would be useful. Parents spend far longer with their children than teachers and are likely to be witnessing similar behaviour patterns. Successfully including parents will ultimately help the child to achieve and cope both at school and at home. Perhaps in this case it shouldn’t matter if a child’s behaviour is schematic play or Autistic behaviour. If the child is supported and treated as an individual, they will be learning and developing appropriately and although autistic behaviour may take longer to show progress the same principles can be applied to ensure continued development at the child’s own pace.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in children is not uncommon and is caused by a different reaction to what may seem to others like small or insignificant worries or doubts. In children suffering from OCD these escalate and take over the children’s thoughts and they become much more anxious and need to control them for fear of something happening to them or their family. It is a type of anxiety disorder characterised by obsessions and compulsions, which can’t be cured, but sufferers can sometimes learn to control their impulses over time. Until then the obsessions can become unstoppable and children feel compelled to repeat the action over and over again. Some practitioners may be concerned that schematic behaviour is becoming obsessive, but there are very clear differences between obsessions and schemas. Generally OCD is concerned with safety and cleanliness; the actions are repeats of everyday happenings, closing a door, washing their hands, keeping free from mud and dirt. Sometimes a sufferer needs to count their actions, perhaps the door needs to be checked ten times, or hands washed three times. It is not usual for OCD to be associated with play, for example children are likely to be concerned about the cleanliness of the doll’s clothes, the paint and gluing areas, sticky playdough and mud and sand outside. In most of these cases where a child without OCD is anxious about such things, they can be gently persuaded to enter into the activity with one or two concessions. A child with OCD is more likely to completely refuse to have

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any part in the activity, or respond inappropriately afterwards, perhaps with repeated hand washing. If a child is learning new concepts through their play then they are certainly learning in a normal way. If, however, they appear to be stuck in the play and their actions and learning outcomes are always the same then perhaps it is necessary for more adult intervention. As with all behaviour and learning it will be a series of observations, photos and video evidence that supply the evidence upon which staff can decide the best course of action for that child. Once again parents can be a useful source of valuable and detailed information. If a pattern of behaviour is deemed perfectly normal behaviour then staff need to consider whether they should, or indeed can, move a child through their schema. Is it appropriate for adults to assume they know more about what the child needs than the child themselves? Most children have a purpose to their play and their natural curiosity will lead them to deeper learning opportunities on a daily basis. Perhaps an intervening adult may miss that. If the behaviour does appear to become rather obsessive then more intervention and support will be required for both the child and their family. The early years setting or school can help with the processes required to acquire that necessary help. It is important, though, to remain aware that children with OCD tendencies may also have schematic learning patterns, so splitting the two behaviours may become a challenge even for the most experienced member of staff.

Down’s Syndrome There are approximately 700–800 children born in the UK each year who are diagnosed with Down’s Syndrome (DS), so it would be reasonable to assume that at some point in their teaching career a teacher is likely to teach one of these children. Down’s Syndrome is caused when a baby is born with an extra chromosome, it is not something that will be cured or get better, so including children with Down’s Syndrome into mainstream school is an essential part of ensuring they can, to some degree, cope with everyday life. Down’s Syndrome affects many aspects of learning and developing, including presenting some speech and language problems, in particular with new words, longer sentences and comprehension. Usually these children have a poor short term memory, especially when information is given to them in an auditory way. Children with DS have a poor attention span, can be easily distracted and find it difficult to multi task. Because these children frequently have poor muscle tone they may find some fine and gross motor skills difficult to develop. Of course this is generalising, but it would

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SEN children and schematic learning

be fair to say that some degree of learning difficulties is a concern for all children with DS. Accepting this, setting high expectations and providing suitable care will minimise the impact their issues may have on their everyday lives. Children with DS learn by doing, taking part, copying and having a go. They are generally strong kinaesthetic and visual learners, which enables them to take a full part in the activities on offer, should they choose to. For this reason early years environments and reception classrooms are great places for DS children to learn. Because they are active learners it is likely that they will display one of the common schematic behaviours, especially if they have been able to choose their own play. Working with DS children requires the right amount of intervention to develop social skills and build language, whilst having just the right amount of time to stand back and observe, allowing these children to play and explore their learning environment. Children learning through a schema can be identified and observed and a pattern of behaviour can be seen developing in the child’s own evidence portfolio. As with other children with SEN, having a dedicated adult to work with the child provides a rich opportunity for good development using individual interests and strengths. DS children are known to be quite stubborn; whether they will allow an adult to intervene in their play will depend upon the way the adult handles the situation and how inviting the alternative looks to the child. Whether the observed behaviour is defined as schematic or a fixation will depend upon the member of staff working with the child. Perhaps there is a case for more than one person to be involved, each bringing their own experiences and knowledge. Does it matter if this child’s play is deemed schematic or not? A large portfolio of evidence, careful planning and expert support will provide the child with the rich and varied learning environment needed to make progress, schematic or otherwise. Applying schematic principles to repeated behaviours ensures that this individual care is provided.

Attention Deficit Disorder One of the most familiar learning difficulties witnessed in schools, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) can be classified in two ways and some children can suffer from a combination of both. Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) is the form of the disorder which is most commonly heard of and causes the most disruptive problems for the child, particularly in a school environment. Children diagnosed with ADHD have an attention span that can be very short, they fidget and find sitting still extremely hard.

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They can be witnessed running, climbing and generally moving excessively and usually at top speed, and this is mirrored in their communication when they also have a tendency to talk excessively, frequently interrupting to ensure they are heard. Attention Deficit Inattentive Disorder (ADID) is less physical and the problems these children face are more often associated with cognitive learning and development. For example they have a short attention span, problems listening for a sustained amount of time and they are unable to organise themselves. They can be forgetful and often can’t remember what they set out to do. This can be a challenge in a school environment where sometimes children are expected to follow multiple instructions. Children with ADID struggle to concentrate when these instructions are given and they can’t remember what they have been asked to do, which in some cases may lead to distraction or inappropriate behaviour. For children diagnosed with one or other, or even a combination of both types of ADD, finding out how they learn can be extremely useful, both for them, the teachers and the other children around them and of course for their families. Using their individual learning styles will help to engage them in an activity for a longer period of time, improving the learning experience and preventing too much disruption. Children with ADD can vary in academic ability in just the same way that other children do, although sometimes ADD is seen with particularly bright children, who are often thought to be rather bored with their learning environment. Perhaps with these children there is more of a case for trying to accelerate them through their schematic play and showing them other ways of finding out about the concept they are interested in. For the children in this category, who find learning challenging, the support will need to be equally as vigilant. These children may be more inclined to be disruptive or inattentive if they don’t understand what is going on around them and they will need encouraging to become fully involved in play. These children, if learning schematically, may not be ready to be moved on and in this case will need more opportunities to explore similar play. Allowing them to become experts in their own schematic learning will go some way to improving their self-esteem, enabling them to move on with more confidence when they are ready.

Global Developmental Delay Global Developmental Delay (GDD) is a phrase that is used to describe children who are working at a developmental age significantly below their actual age or who have lower intellectual functioning than is normal. There can be several reasons for

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this delay, Down’s Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Prematurity or an infection such as meningitis at a younger age among other illnesses and disabilities. Generally children with GDD have poor physical skills, their social skills are still developing and their speech and communication may be weaker than other children. They will have problems developing fine and gross motor skills and due to their delay they may be aggressive towards others when they cannot understand or communicate effectively. The most important issue to remember here is that their development is delayed, therefore the way in which they play and learn is also delayed, so schematic learning may take place much later than is normally noticed. These children are likely to eventually arrive at the same stage as their peer group, but it will be some time later. So whilst many children have worked through their schema phase by the age of five years old, children with GDD may not reach this until they are six or seven years of age. Some consideration in the classroom will be needed to allow these children to have access to adequate play experiences in order to fulfil that learning opportunity. This can be challenging in a classroom set up to work towards end of Key Stage 1 SATS testing, so extra support will be required to ensure children with GDD do not slip further behind, or miss out on crucial aspects of early years play experiences.

Summary By examining how we work with children who have special educational needs it becomes apparent that, certainly in the early years, in some ways the differences between children with SEN and the rest of the class aren’t so great. All children, regardless of their ability, learn by doing, taking part and experiencing. This group of children are no different. Just because they may have physical or cognitive delay does not mean they are excluded from experiencing the same need to play as all the children around them. Understanding every child in the classroom will help the teacher to plan and teach effectively in a way which provides the necessary opportunities for children with SEN, whilst not excluding them from the whole class experiences. By recognising and responding to schematic learning in these children it is possible for staff to have more confidence in their ability, allowing the children a little more freedom to play and socialise with their peers. It becomes clearer as you explore further that the common factor between these children and everyone else is the need to observe them, get to know them and understand the children in your care. There has to be a strong belief that the children are playing in a way that is helping them to find out about their world in a way that

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SEN children and schematic learning

is appropriate for them. It becomes harder, with knowledge, to intervene for fear of ‘spoiling’ the learning experience already taking place. Practitioners need to be confident that they are providing opportunities for development for all the children they look after. Being well armed with strategies and next steps will enable all staff to support the children and improve their early experiences, regardless of ability.

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4

Case studies

This is a chapter of case studies, written about four different children learning in pre-school and school settings. The studies highlight how the schemas were identified and how they were consequently planned for on a daily basis. In some cases there is clear evidence that the knowledge of schemas and of the child’s own individual needs supported a smoother transition into the classroom. Each study highlights the importance of understanding the child and recording their preferences over a sustained period of time. It demonstrates a need for all staff in the setting to have a strong awareness of their own role in that child’s development. The case studies are: • • • •

Hudson, the Connector; Ellie, the Transporter; Jenson and the Trajectory schema; Madison, the Enveloper.

Hudson, the Connector Hudson was four years and four months when he first started in his reception class. He had previously attended the local pre-school and had a wide circle of friends that started school with him. He made the transition quickly and settled well into his new classroom. Hudson has no special educational needs and presented as a lively, rather mischievous little boy, but always happy and busy. Hudson followed the rather typical pattern for boys, especially those with birthdays later in the academic year, and was a little slow to settle to the more formal, adult led tasks that he was faced with. Hudson almost always chose free play experiences

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Figure 4.1 Hudson, the Connector.

and outdoor play, rather than work alongside an adult. One of the challenges for his teachers was to integrate him into being a more willing participant in these important tasks as well. When he was interested Hudson was able to concentrate for a reasonable amount of time, but was easily distracted by others around him. Whilst playing Hudson could be rather noisy, he took the lead in a game and often became the decision maker too. Hudson was usually very focussed on his task and had clear ideas about how the games should be played, he willingly allowed others to join him, as long as they played in his way. He happily involved a passing adult in his play, explaining what was going on and what he planned to do next. Following the standard foundation stage practice, of regularly observing and annotating photos, it became apparent to staff that Hudson was learning in a way that was consistent with the schema known as Connecting. They noted that when Hudson was playing with an activity that allowed him to explore this schema the room became rather quieter. Hudson, whilst spending a great deal of time with others, was usually on his own during these schema exploring sessions. If there was

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another child present it was often the same one, who was also showing a tendency to learn in a similar way. Often Hudson would be so involved in this play that he wouldn’t hear the instruction to tidy away or go out for playtime. On more than one occasion it was noted that Hudson was oblivious to being the last child in the room, when all the others had left for playtime. When asked what he wanted to do Hudson would always choose to stay with his activity. Through regular observations adults were aware that Hudson was never keen to join the adult led task, so they began to develop ways of including him in a more indirect approach. Using his schematic approach became a positive focus for the teacher’s planning and he was given further opportunities to develop all areas of learning in the style that suited him best. Hudson’s classroom already had a well-used and stocked writing area, but it was noted that he was never spotted at that table, so the staff developed some strategies to try to encourage his participation. The table already had key word cards, phoneme mats, various writing implements, an old keyboard, some notebooks and an assortment of paper in all shapes and sizes. The class had been exploring well known fairy tales and were all attempting to write a little about one of them. Most of the class had planned their story and had copious amounts of drawing and painting about their preferred story. Hudson had participated in most of these activities, but it was without any real enthusiasm and he was clearly going to be a very reluctant writer in the upcoming task. To encourage Hudson to the writing table the staff produced a stapler; with a flourish and excitement they set about showing how it could join pages together. They then retreated from the area, allowing the children the free flow play they were used to. Over the next couple of days they showed children how to make their own books and they introduced a hole punch and some tags and explained they could make books this way too. They left some blank books on the table and retreated again. Hudson was drawn over by the hole punch and began to try to fix his book together. He succeeded using staples and tags and took it to show a member of staff, who was suitably impressed and praised him for his hard work. There was deliberately no mention that the pages were still blank. The staff were working together and had agreed not to place too much importance on the writing at this stage. Hudson returned and throughout that day made several more attempts at making books. As he worked other children were doing the same task and were completing some simple writing with a nearby adult. Their books were placed on the table with Hudson, who began to take an interest in them, asking the children what their book was. Over a period of several days Hudson returned to the table frequently, perfecting the use of a stapler and a hole punch. On one occasion a strategically placed adult

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was at the table first. Hudson showed them how he was making his books and they entered into a conversation about the title of the book and the pictures and words it would need. Hudson then selected a pencil and began drawing a picture on the front and inside he began to carry out some emergent writing independently. He carried on writing and drawing his little book, until he was able to tell the adult he had written a book about the Three Little Pigs. This was a considerable step forward for Hudson and allowed staff to assess his ability and needs in writing whilst he was still learning in the way that was best for him. In numeracy Hudson had been given bead strings to help him practise his counting and calculation. Other children used counters and buttons, but Hudson was distracted by lining them up so that they all touched and would frequently forget what he was meant to be doing. Using the bead strings fulfilled Hudson’s need for things to be connected and he learnt to focus on the task he was given. Hudson also explored the properties of shape, using Connection as a basis. He enjoyed threading shape cards, counting punched holes, sides, faces and corners and recalling the names of the shapes as he worked. In a similar way Hudson learnt about repeating patterns. He spent several days returning to the beads and laces and linking them together to make patterns. He would always come and tell a member of staff what he had done and could talk about his pattern and whether there were any mistakes in it. In a topic about the Snow Queen the children were designing a sledge that would catch the Snow Queen and be able to rescue the boy. Most of the children were happy to go straight to a blank piece of paper and have a go at drawing out their ideas. Hudson was given the Mobilo and asked to build a sledge. He spent a considerable amount of time considering how many wheels, if any, it should have, how tall it should be and how many people would have to get inside. By the end of the afternoon he had built a sledge that would have caught the wicked Queen. The next day he was able to use his sledge at the table where he could begin drawing his picture. He was enthused and spent a long time explaining to the teacher what every element of the sledge was capable of doing. The drawing was more detailed than was expected and he attempted to write some of the labels independently. With this as a successful model the teacher used the same approach later in the year when the children were asked to design a castle they would like to live in. Hudson was given the Lego and again spent a long time, building his dream castle. He used his model to help with his drawing and once again produced a worthy piece of work. In the outdoor classroom Hudson enjoyed being given rope and string and was encouraged to tie sticks into bundles ready to dry for the fire. He made hanging

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mobiles, tied and dragged logs over the field and tied up tarpaulin and blankets to make dens. His tying skills are not particularly sophisticated but he has persevered and when many other children have given up, Hudson has been observed taking over to help them. Involving Hudson’s parents has produced more information for the staff to use. He has always liked jigsaw puzzles, spends a lot of time at home with his Lego or his Connex, building and developing structures for long periods of time. It also transpired that Hudson’s father, an engineer, had also enjoyed similar activities and still admits to being fascinated about how things fit together. There is no real evidence to suggest that schematic tendencies are genetic, but there is probably some truth in the idea that they can be nurtured. Hudson’s father would have been likely to encourage his son to play with things that he remembers having fun with. So does surrounding a young child with things that connect turn them into a Connector? The teacher has had various successes with Hudson in the classroom throughout the year by using his schema to engage him in other activities and whilst Hudson has shown no signs of emerging from this schematic play he is now becoming more willing to join adults and attempt something in a different way. There is, of course, no way of knowing whether Hudson would have developed to this stage without the knowledge of his schema, but I expect he has had more fun on the way than he might have had without it. He has received a positive educational experience and feels his own ideas are valued and important. He is in a strong position to extend his learning and is considerably more willing to try new things and opportunities.

Ellie, the Transporter Ellie was first introduced to the reception classroom and her new teacher in the term before she started full time school. Ellie’s mum attended a workshop for parents of reception and pre-school children which outlined the work taking place regarding schematic behaviour. Following the workshop Mum approached the teacher and detailed some of Ellie’s frequent behaviour, including carrying bags around the house containing all manner of objects and toys. Through further discussion and considering this information the teacher suggested that Ellie was possibly working with the Transporting schema. As part of the transition programme in place at the school, Ellie was a frequent visitor to the reception classroom, attending weekly for the duration of the summer term. This allowed plenty of opportunities for the staff to observe Ellie in the classroom

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Figure 4.2 Ellie, the Transporter.

and to record details of her style of play and learning. At that time Ellie’s preferred method of transporting in the classroom was large shopping bags. On more than one visit Ellie cleared the role play shop of goods and carried them off in one of the large bags. This caused complaints from the other children and eventually a member of staff had to intervene. It was suggested that Ellie become the bag packer in the supermarket and she was allowed to put the goods into bags for the other children, therefore allowing her to continue to explore her schema, without disrupting the learning of the other children in the class. Whilst this satisfied Ellie for the short term it did not fulfil her need to ‘transport’, so she turned to other areas instead. Still carrying her large shopping bag, Ellie gathered other toys to place into them: dinosaurs, conkers, crayons and even a lump of playdough. Working with Ellie, it was agreed that rather than take toys away from others it would be acceptable for her to choose her own box of toys each day, from where

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she could take her collection and carry them with her. This appeared to be a more pleasing outcome for Ellie and her friends, and on subsequent visits to the classroom Ellie happily chose her own toy box and left the other toys for the rest of the class to play with. Ellie has now been at school for several months and her transporting schema has been very much in evidence throughout her time in the classroom and through continued communication with her mother. At such an early stage of school Ellie has been accessing predominantly free play for the majority of her time. However, there has been specific planning put into place to enable Ellie to access the whole curriculum, as much as possible, through her schematic approach. Whilst much of this planning has been deliberately set out to be led and developed by the children, giving them the opportunity to explore in their own individual way, there are some activities that have been engineered to provide Ellie with increasing experiences that will develop her confidence as well as her understanding. To improve listening skills the children have learnt about conversation and turn taking when speaking. They have used a cloth bag containing small items and passed it around the circle. On their turn the children have been asked to describe what they can feel inside the bag. Ellie has been keen to take part in these times, happily passing the bag around to her friends. This provided her an opportunity to improve her communication and listening skills by engaging her in an activity that used her schematic interests in a new situation. Ellie has been encouraged to help with some of the daily tasks around the classroom: fetching the milk from the fridge, passing the fruit bowl around the circle and carrying the snack trays outside for playtime. In the outdoor classroom Ellie has played with buckets and spades, gathering leaves and conkers to place in the wheelbarrow. She pushes the full wheelbarrow to a different area and tips the contents out, before returning to carry on collecting. She has also enjoyed having a small bucket in the playground, which she fills with conker shells, before bringing it into the classroom and leaving it on a table. Ellie frequently chooses to play with the dolls, pushing prams and buggies in and out of the classroom. These don’t always contain the dolls; sometimes Ellie uses them to carry her shopping bags and other toys. Ellie still plays in the role play area, but has stopped taking the shop contents away. She now empties the coins out of the till, placing them in a large purse, which she puts into either a shopping bag or a buggy. The staff are working with Ellie, encouraging her to count out only ten coins so that the other children still have something to play with. Running errands for the teacher is also proving popular for Ellie. She takes glue sticks to different classrooms, delivers notes to the office and returns books to the

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library. With the support of an adult Ellie chooses her own method of transport and is assisted in finding her way around the school. She has started asking to take a friend with her, rather than an adult, showing a much improved level of confidence. Ellie’s case study is still ongoing and whilst her schema shows no signs of abating staff are now beginning to consider how Ellie’s behaviour can be worked into the long-term plans. Some forthcoming activities include Santa’s present workshop, with parcel wrapping, letter writing and a sack for delivering. This will also engage other children who may be exploring an enveloping schema and the hope is that these children will share their learning. In the outdoor classroom plans have been included to move a large pile of logs to a new area using ropes to pull them along. A larger collection of junk is being prepared to create an outdoor shopping area for role play, including a trolley and some wire baskets. Some of the dolls now have their own changing bags, complete with contents, and small rucksacks have been added to the dressing up box. Ellie’s study has highlighted the significance of a good transition programme between settings. The staff in the new classroom were able to make plans for Ellie’s schematic behaviour and some of the associated problems had been dealt with even before she started school. Ellie came into a familiar environment with an understanding of the expectations of school life and some ground rules for fair play which she was able to adhere to. Ensuring good knowledge of Ellie’s learning style has created a very smooth transition for her and Ellie has made pleasing progress in the first few months at her new school.

Jenson and the Trajectory schema Jenson was four years and one week when he joined his new reception class in the autumn after his fourth birthday. He was quiet and shy, appearing to lack some confidence and self-esteem. Jenson is one of seven children, with the three brothers being very close in age; Jenson is the middle of these brothers. Jenson had a few problems settling in school in the mornings, finding farewell difficult, and if allowed he would often race after Mum as she left the premises. Jenson could be very stubborn and when upset he would retreat to a corner or the cloakroom and refuse to re-join the other children. As the week progressed and he got tired, this stubbornness would increase. Staff in Jenson’s reception class were tolerant of this behaviour and concerned about his lack of confidence. They worked hard to integrate him into daily activities, offering him a great deal of support.

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Figure 4.3 Jenson.

Leaving Mum in the morning became a focus for improvement with both staff and parents trying hard to find a satisfactory solution. It was not a happy way for Jenson’s school day to begin and so it was given high priority. Quite soon after he began school it became clear to Jenson’s teacher that he was in fact following a learning pattern, a Trajectory schema. When he was upset and hiding in the cloakroom Jenson was always drawn to the taps. He would turn them on and off and run his hands through the flow of water, watching how the water changed when he touched it. Using this clear interest, staff were able to cajole Jenson back into the classroom, where he was shown the low sink in the classroom. He was given containers, sieves and spoons and left to play. Eventually when Jenson came to school he would head straight for the sink where he would play for a substantial amount of time. He would let an adult crouch alongside him and talk to him, but he was less happy about the introduction of other children. Jenson was given tasks to do that involved water, washing up, watering the plants, mixing paint, washing the fruit, preparing the drinks etc.

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Following a succession of focussed observations Jenson’s teacher was able to say with some certainty that Jenson was predominantly learning within the Trajectory schema, with some elements of Enclosure also becoming evident. As well as the everyday water play, typical everyday activities included play with Lego, Mobilo, threading beads and cars. Staff in Jenson’s classroom noticed that he was responsible for the ever present traffic jam that stretched across the floor area. This queue of cars was always initiated by Jenson, but once he had used all the cars he would abandon them and move onto another task. He would spend a great deal of time concentrating hard on threading beads onto laces. Whilst other children would turn their threaded beads into necklaces and bracelets, Jenson would always choose to lay his out in a long line, adding several sections throughout his time at the activity. During this process he would become quite cross if someone interfered with his work, but when he had completed his activity he would walk away and leave the beads there. Despite not being keen to pack them away he was happy for others to carry on playing with them once he had finished. This was all helping build a helpful picture of how Jenson was exploring the concept of trajectory. Jenson spent a great deal of time at the sand and water trays. At both trays he would pour from one container to another, changing the pace of pouring and the height he tipped from. He would often stand and watch if another child was playing in a similar way, sometimes holding his hand underneath the flow of their sand or water. He very rarely built sandcastles or dug into the sand for buried treasure alongside the others. Having observed this strong desire to learn in this way the teacher had to ensure that Jenson was given access to the whole curriculum. Therefore using his schematic learning as a starting point she began to ensure that topic related activities could be set up in a way that would include Jenson fully. The staff were hopeful that Jenson would begin to settle and feel more comfortable in the school environment when he was able to continue his learning in the way that suited him the best. This reception classroom, as with the majority of others, planned daily opportunities for indoor and outdoor free play. There were occasions when play would be provided by the teacher and times when the children were able to choose their own activities. Clearly choosing his own play suited Jenson well and as long as it did ensure he was accessing all areas of the EYFS, he was allowed to continue. The teacher began to look more closely at her planning to introduce opportunities for topic linked schematic learning. Initially this was done with Jenson in mind, with a view to widening the experiences as schematic learning in other children was observed. This approach was very successful; Jenson began to choose from a wider range of experiences, always selecting a way of exploring them through his schema. Having had success with this, the teacher began to consider how Jenson could be encouraged

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to be more enthusiastic about the adult led tasks that were taking place alongside the play. She was aiming for Jenson to take part in these more formal activities for a short time each day, with a view to building up the time involved throughout the year. It was quickly clear that this would be quite a challenge for both Jenson and the staff involved. In the early stages of his time in reception Jenson had refused to join the table where drawing and mark making were taking place. He would skirt around the edge of the table, and stand and watch for a few minutes before walking away. He could rarely be encouraged to sit down and, when he was, he never joined in the same way as others. Jenson would draw long lines down his sheet of paper, carefully making sure they reached from end to end and then he would mark make, or do some emergent writing between these lines. This kind of interaction with a group of children was rare and lasted a very short time and by now Jenson’s drawing skills were some way behind his classmates, which created a real need for his more frequent participation. The teacher began to introduce more interesting paper to the table, some plain, some lined, some A4 size, other shapes and sizes and eventually including some long strips of paper, lined and plain. It was the latter that brought Jenson to the table more enthusiastically. He would choose a long piece of coloured paper; interestingly he had no preference for lined or plain, and he would join the others in the task that had been set. He also stopped drawing long lines down the paper before beginning; perhaps he felt the shape and size of the paper was defined enough. Throughout the rest of the year Jenson was able to choose his paper shape and eventually became willing to complete the task either in his book or on the same paper as others. During the free choice activities Jenson did begin to visit the writing table more often and by the end of the year he was enjoying opportunities for emergent writing, but almost always on the long strips of paper. Numeracy posed a similar challenge, although there was the advantage that number lines are by their nature set out in a way that appealed to Jenson. But random number cards are not. Teachers began to ensure that all adult led learning was laid out along a line whenever possible. For example, counting objects that had previously been lined up, laying out the numbers on bingo boards in lines rather than grids, making chains of shapes and patterns and using number beads and washing lines to encourage counting and number ordering. Many of the games that were in the classroom were set on grids that were counted on, in a similar way to a number square. Jenson showed absolutely no interest in these games. When the same games were redone and set out along a line Jenson was much more interested. There was no preference for vertical or horizontal lines and indeed as the year progressed that line could become wobbly or even joined to make a circuit without losing Jenson’s interest.

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Having established some of the ways that appealed to Jenson he began to make up some of the ground he had lost in the early stages of his reception year. Activities that involved ordering became a favourite of Jenson’s and he thrived on lining the pictures up in the correct places. He enjoyed tasks at the cutting and sticking table as long as there were long pieces of paper for him to stick onto. Jenson became quite accomplished at jigsaw puzzles, but only the ones that were a continuous line. He would not attempt a more traditional shaped puzzle. Jenson has some ordering cards that helped him to dress for PE, reminding him which clothes came off or went on first. Other children had their reminders on an A4 sheet, or in a small key ring card. Jenson’s were lined up. The more information the staff gathered about Jenson’s schema the easier it became for them to adapt what they were doing to allow him to access school life completely and with a lot less stress than he had first encountered. With such a large amount of information recorded about Jenson’s preferred way of learning his transition to the next class could be planned in great detail. The aim was to prevent him returning to his evasive ways. The expectation in the next year group would be for more and more formal work to take place, whilst still allowing some free choice. Jenson’s transition did go smoothly and whilst there was still a return to some insecure behaviour, the new teaching staff were well informed about how to reintroduce him into group activities with some degree of success.

Madison, the Enveloper Madison was four years and five months old when she came into the reception class. She presented as a rather quiet girl, who happily played on her own for the majority of her time in the classroom. She has one sister, a little more than a year older and had previously attended the on-site pre-school. Her key worker had shown some concern about Madison’s clumsiness and her apparent lack of ability to make friends easily. At times Madison found the free choice environment of the new classroom difficult to cope with, often needing more adult guidance than is normally necessary to enable her to access the whole curriculum. The exception to this was in the more creative areas of the classroom, where she was free to explore her artistic ability and her imagination. At the art table Madison often became deeply involved in her work, always being engaged in solitary play at these times. Her involvement was often so deep that she showed very little interest when others joined her at the table, on occasions she barely noticed them, not even glancing in their direction. It was noting this, during a planned observation, that the teacher was able to understand why Madison had some problems making friends. She was frequently

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so engaged in her work she didn’t notice or hear the other children joining her. To the other children this would have appeared as if Madison was deliberately ignoring their requests or attempts at chatter. It was noted in several observations that Madison was so fully engrossed she didn’t even hear the teacher asking her a simple question. Having established that Madison was not consciously ignoring those around her the teacher was able to begin some work in a small social group that allowed Madison to engage with other children, without the distraction of high level play. Further observation flagged up that Madison particularly enjoyed painting and is one of those frustrating children who paints a spectacular picture and then proceeds to paint over the top of it. Staff working in Madison’s classroom became quick at removing the masterpiece before it disappeared. However, it was also noticed that Madison was working with the Enveloping schema and that this is classic behaviour for a child exploring that particular process. Being aware of this learning style, the staff were keen that Madison should be able to use the paint in the way that enabled her to continue this learning pattern. She learnt to hand her first picture across to be kept, before beginning another where she could be as free as she wanted with the paint. Madison became confident enough to ask for more paint and paper as she wanted it. What became evident through further observations was that Madison wasn’t just painting randomly over her picture; there was usually a pattern to this behaviour. Frequently Madison started to one side of the piece of paper, using downward strokes to cover her picture, working her way across the paper. Occasionally Madison started at the top of the page and painted horizontal stripes to cover her work. The result was always the same and when the paper was covered Madison folded it in half and left the table with the picture still there. It quickly became clear that it was the process that was interesting Madison, rather than the outcome. In order to support Madison through her schema the staff in her classroom were careful to provide new experiences within the creative area. New sponges, stamps, brushes, cotton wool etc. were added to the table with different paper types and textures. Madison went on experimenting with them all and began to paint her hands as well. She spent a considerable amount of time painting her palms and fingers, and then she would turn her hands over and paint the back of them as well. Initially Madison would then go to wash her hands, but she was encouraged to use her hands to apply the paint to paper before washing them. She enjoyed using this method of paint application on both large and small scale. Madison was also observed in the role play area of the classroom on a frequent basis, in particular the dressing up zone. She entered into deep level play in this area as well, also on her own. Whilst Madison enjoyed all the dressing up she was particularly keen to find the scarves and drapes and became quite creative in her

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Figure 4.4 Madison would often paint the back and front of her hands.

use of them. When one of the other girls began to use one of the scarves as a veil, Madison was quick to copy her and staff placed a bunch of flowers in the same area. What was once a solitary way of playing for Madison became more social and the girls went on to enjoy some role play wedding ceremonies. This is an example to demonstrate how developing Madison’s schema carefully can help her to develop other skills as well, in this case social ones. Madison continued playing on her own in the dressing up area for much of the time, although she was slowly becoming more open to the play experiences other children provided her with. Madison loved looking at books and could often be found quietly curled up in the book area, or at playtimes she would be in the school library. But despite this love of books Madison was quite slow to show much interest in the more formal aspects of reading and writing in the classroom. The challenge for the teacher was to find a way of developing Madison’s literacy skills through her schema. The teacher provided a basket of books that had flaps and windows that needed lifting and

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opening. Under these were simple words and captions. Madison became interested in one of the series of Spot books (Hill 1983) and asked several of the adults in the classroom to read the book with her. She was eager to know what the word said under the flap and learnt some of the words throughout the books. At the writing table a similar approach needed to be taken and the adult led activities were often provided in the form of little books, letters, envelopes and folded paper. Madison was clearly more interested in these tasks and they allowed the staff to provide her with some of the more formal experiences that needed to take place. Sometimes Madison hunched up underneath a cape with a veil over her head, from where she was able to watch the other children play around her. Madison’s teacher recognised this as her way of looking for a little security in a busy classroom and with Madison’s support she made a quiet reflection area. The space was covered with a piece of voile hung quite low over some cushions and blankets. The teacher provided a book basket and encouraged the children to use the area when they needed a quiet few minutes. Madison was a regular visitor to the area and enjoyed the time to explore the books or on occasions the treasure basket that replaced them. In the basket was a selection of coloured pebbles and beads and a variety of small boxes into which they could be sorted. Madison always placed the pebbles in random boxes, but she was insistent that the boxes should have their lids placed on them when she had finished. Once again this interest was developed further to ensure Madison was receiving a well-rounded learning experience at school. Boxes and sorting objects were provided that related to the topic in the classroom: natural materials, during the environment themed work; coloured counters and colour word cards during the ‘colour’ topic. Throughout the work about Materials the contents of the boxes were changed regularly to include shiny and dull objects, quiet and crunchy objects, and natural and manmade objects. Sometimes the objects were provided with pictures, sometimes with words, but always with boxes and lids. Madison was a frequent visitor to these activities. These carefully planned experiences provided more evidence of Madison’s schematic learning that was later used for a smooth transition when she moved into her next class. Should Madison’s new teacher have needed some indicators for how to encourage her participation, she would have been aware that Madison enjoyed learning schematically and in particular through the Enveloping schema. With that knowledge and perhaps some support from the reception teacher, activities and opportunities can be tailored to ensure her full participation across the curriculum.

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5

Creating an appropriate curriculum

At the heart of the educational process lies the child. No advances in policy, no acquisition of new equipment have their desired effect unless they are in harmony with the nature of the child, unless they are fundamentally acceptable to him. (DES 1967: para 9) Of course, this book is predominantly about schematic learning, but this is just one aspect of how a child actually learns, there are many other theories and views to consider if we are looking for effective ways of developing a child, both physically and mentally. Many theories about learning, teaching and children’s development can work side by side, with experienced staff taking the elements they believe in and finding a way of incorporating them into daily practice. It is has been widely accepted for many years, by early years practitioners and researchers of education that a child is deeply affected by the world in which they work and play and the environment that surrounds them. Hurst and Joseph (1998) state this clearly, suggesting that a child cannot learn effectively when all their existing knowledge is ignored in favour of a more structured and a desirable outcome. Basil Bernstein working in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century made similar conclusions, suggesting that children were poor learners if their own identity, culture and social background were not allowed for (Clemson and Clemson 1994). A developmentally appropriate curriculum takes all this into account, along with the child’s individual rate of development and interests. Issues such as social class, parental attitudes, culture, race, available resources and adult help are an important consideration when writing a scheme of work or play for children. It is important that children feel they belong, that their opinions

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count and that their culture is respected and valued by those around them. By carefully planning such factors into account, practitioners are able to ensure that the children in their care are fully integrated into their setting. Once these children are comfortable and settled it often becomes possible to observe and monitor them as happy and contented individuals. Such observations enable practitioners and teachers to provide suitable learning and play opportunities. Teachers select day to day activities according to many variables: the teacher’s own interests, available staff and resources, whole school interventions, cost and time amongst many others. It would be more helpful and beneficial to the children if, in fact, it was the child that selected what they wanted to do and the adult supported their ideas and developed their play alongside them. For example, who suggests it’s too cold to take the bikes outside? Most probably it is the adult that doesn’t want to be outside, not the child. Learning opportunities are lost and wasted because the child’s needs, interests and opinions are not always the first to be considered. Jean Piaget (1962), Lev Vygotsky (1978) and Jerome Bruner (1986) all wrote about the importance of providing an appropriate curriculum, but their ideas about the adult role varied. Piaget thought the adult should be passive, that a child could not be moved through developmental stages any quicker, but Bruner disagreed. He believed the direct opposite, that adults were a valuable resource, able to help develop a child’s stages of development. This role he described as scaffolding, helping children to build on previous experiences in order to move to the next one. Vygotsky’s view was similar to that of Bruner’s. He named his theory the ‘zone of proximal development’, the difference between a child learning on their own and one working in collaboration with an adult. Quite simply he believed that appropriate intervention from an adult would enhance a child’s learning experiences. Effective teachers need to know and put into practice all of these things, intervene when necessary, scaffold when appropriate and be an attentive bystander at other times.

How to plan schematic learning into everyday practice This chapter is about making your knowledge of schemas work for you and your children. It is intended to be used to supplement work you are already planning in your setting or classroom so the topics are deliberately broad, in the expectation that the chapter will be of use to a wider audience. The four topics I have chosen to detail – All about me!, Towns and cities, The outdoor classroom, and Rockets and Aliens – have been chosen because of the likelihood of them taking place in many reception classrooms and nursery settings.

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Creating an appropriate curriculum

The plans are by no means the detailed documents that most practitioners are used to working with; rather, some more simple suggestions to get you started and thinking about where schemas fit into the work you are already carrying out. The handwritten examples are taken from both pre-school and reception classroom settings and highlight the reality of schematic learning in action. Each example is followed with some suggestions for development or an example of where the child took their own learning next. These suggestions are either related to the schema that was observed or to the objective that was being worked towards. Either way is helpful to the child or group of children involved and often it is an idea that was conceived by them rather than by the adult. The letters and number in brackets, e.g. DLL 3, at the end of most annotations refer to the child’s level of involvement in the activity (Deep Level Learning Scale, see Appendix 2). You will notice that almost without exception the children are working within Involvement Levels 4 and 5, perhaps indicating that this approach does offer intensive, age appropriate opportunities to learn. Where there is a comment that states what the child told me they were doing, it usually refers to a conversation that took place after the child had finished. These plans are written on the assumption that, in line with good practice, foundation stage classrooms and early years settings use a model of practice that includes opportunities for free flow play, alongside some more formal adult supported activities. The examples used in these plans are taken from times in the day when the child has been free to develop their own learning practice. Please use the plans and add your own annotations, encouraging other staff members to do the same. You will quickly build a portfolio of successful ideas and will have improved your understanding of how the children in your care are learning.

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Creating an appropriate curriculum

Rockets and aliens Personal, Social and Emotional Development Play and Learning Objectives (Adapted from the EYFS 2012)

Enabling Environments and the Adult Role

Planning for Schematic Learning

30–50 months: Children can keep play going by responding to what others are saying. 40–60 months: Children can take account of other people’s ideas.

Through a circle time introduce a new alien puppet. Pass him around the circle and give the children time to make observations about him. Talk about his colour, size, eyes etc. Suggest he should have a name, ask the children to come up with some ideas.

Next Steps

Provide times throughout the day for the children to sit in circles, either whole class or small groups. Perhaps they can pass fruit around the circle?

(Hand-writing denotes observed schematic behaviours)

Rotational/Circular: Passing items in order around a circle. Following this circle time Megan was observed replicating the circle time with a group of dolls. She was passing a small teddy around the circle, repeatedly saying ‘round and round we go‘. DLL 4

Play Chinese whispers or pass a smile around the circle at the beginning of every day.

30–50 months: Children are confident to talk to others and can communicate freely. 40–60 months: They are confident to talk in a familiar group, sharing their ideas.

Discuss how the alien is different to us. Move on to talk about how we are different from each other. Find some similarities and differences with your friends. Cut out a chain of people and ask the children to make each one different.

Connection: The people chain should be linked through their hands. Ask the children to make a people chain with their friends.

30–50 months: Children are beginning to recognise the needs of others. 40–60 months: They can work as part of a group or class, working fairly and with account of others.

Show the children your moon sack (a small rucksack) and pretend you are going to visit the moon. What will you need to pack? Discuss. Allow the children to play with your moon sack, leave out a collection of items, photos, pictures and word cards.

Transporting: Carrying items with you, packing things in to a bag to take with you.

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Jessie continued this play for several days, although the container for transporting her ‘moon things’ changed between the rucksack, a small box, a carrier bag and her pockets. DLL 5

Creating an appropriate curriculum

Enclosure: Packing the goods securely inside a bag. Next Steps

Provide some small wheeled suitcases and a holiday list. By looking at the items/drawings on the list can the children guess where the holiday will be? Can they find all the things we need to go on this holiday? Perhaps send home a short list of items to gather at home and bring to school.

30–50 months: Children are becoming aware of their own feelings and those of others around them. 40–60 months: Children talk about how they and others show feelings.

Read Laura’s Star by Klaus Baumgart. Talk about how Laura was feeling throughout the story. Use emotion cards or pebbles to show how that feeling might look. Can the children think of a time when they felt like that? Use pictures of events and occasions and ask the children to put the pebbles with the right picture.

Connecting: Matching pictures and emotion pebbles. Matching feelings to an occasion or time. Trajectory: Line the pebbles up from happiest to saddest.

Figure 5.1 Rotation: Megan replicated a whole class circle time with a small group of teddies.

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Creating an appropriate curriculum

Rockets and aliens Communication and Language Literacy Play and Learning Objectives (Adapted from the EYFS 2012)

Enabling Environments and the Adult Role

30–50 months: Children can listen to stories with increasing attention and recall. They can adapt and change the story. 40–60 months: Children are learning to maintain attention and concentrate. 40–60 months: They can sit quietly for an increasing amount of time.

Read or tell stories about aliens, using pictures and puppets as props. Provide a basket of appropriate books and props for free play. Encourage the children to make up sounds for the aliens, what would they say? Would they use loud or quiet voices? Would they use the same words as us?

Next Steps

In the outdoor area a large clear tunnel was provided for the children to crawl through. There were also various other tubes suitable for puppets and small world toys. The children called them space tunnels.

30–50 months: They act out roles and allocate roles to others. 40–60 months: Children can introduce a storyline into their play.

Provide role play opportunities, dressing up, pictures and props. Encourage children to work together in a group, allowing everyone to share their suggestions and ideas equally.

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Planning for Schematic Learning (Hand-writing denotes observed schematic behaviours)

This area of learning is the most challenging to provide schematic learning opportunities, but once activities are underway it often becomes clearer where the links can be made. Enveloping/Enclosure: Two children had been looking through the books in the book basket for some time. They then stood all the books up in a line, creating a tunnel. They pushed the alien puppets into the tunnel, ‘because they are bad and are going to be in prison’. DLL3

Connecting: Children can make links between the stories and their play. They may enjoy using pictures from books to support this play. Enveloping: Children can use the dressing up clothes in ways that may include wearing cloaks, headdresses, scarves and wigs.

Creating an appropriate curriculum

30–50 months: Children show an awareness of rhyme and alliteration.

Introduce the concept of rhyme through songs and poetry. Five Little Men in a Flying Saucer. Three Little Aliens Jumping on the Bed. Find the rhyming words and add new verses. Give the aliens alliterative names: Ronny Rocket, Gertie Greenman, Silver Saucer etc.

Connecting: Children can make links between the songs they are learning and their play experiences. They can identify the connection between the alliterative words.

40–60 months: Children know how to use their phonic knowledge to write letters that match the spoken sound. 40–60 months: They attempt to write short sentences in meaningful contexts, matching letters and sounds.

Provide children with labels and encourage them to write captions and words to add to a display about space. Some of the labels should be star and planet shaped. Help the children to make a book about some of the planets. Watch a video clip about planets, pausing to discuss colour and shapes. Use some pre-printed pictures, children’s own drawings and word cards. Provide an assortment of paper types and colours for writing, along with a selection of writing tools. Encourage children to speak a short sentence before they begin to write it.

Rotation/Circularity: Providing children with different shaped labels may encourage more children to visit the activity.

Next Steps

Cerys was always keen to visit the writing area, especially when there was an adult there to support her. She wrote many labels for our display, always choosing the circular labels to work on. Each word was written around the edge of the circle, rather than in a line through the middle. DLL5

Connecting: Linking words and pictures. Enclosure: Making a book cover and fixing pages inside.

Share some postmodern picture books with Cerys. Good examples are books by Lauren Child, The Princess and the Pea and Beware of the Storybook Wolves. Discuss how the writing goes in lots of directions and provide time for Cerys to explore and try out some of these ideas herself.

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Creating an appropriate curriculum

Rockets and aliens Physical Development Play and Learning Objectives (Adapted from the EYFS 2012)

Enabling Environments and the Adult Role

30–50 months: Children are learning to move freely and with pleasure in a range of ways. 40–60 months: Negotiates space successfully when playing with others, adjusting speed and changing direction as required.

Turn the outside play area into the moon. Ask the children to help decide what it needs. Make a few suggestions if necessary, moon buggies, moon rocks, rockets, craters etc. Turn bike helmets silver using foil and provide white boiler suits for dressing up. Gather large cardboard boxes to use as craters and rockets. Provide buckets of paint and large decorating brushes so that the children can paint their scenery.

Planning for Schematic Learning (Hand-writing denotes observed schematic behaviours)

Rotation/Circularity: Wheeled vehicles, buggies. Planets drawn on the playground or hanging in trees. Jane had been observed several times working within the rotation schema. With this activity Jane was encouraged to help draw the planets and then hang the 3D planets in the tree. She was fascinated with the planets that hung and spent a long time making each of them spin, first clockwise and then anticlockwise as they untangled themselves. DLL 5

Enclosure: Covering helmets with foil, dressing up, climbing into old boxes for role play. Next Steps

Using shiny paper show Jane how to cut a spiral shape and add some string so that it can hang. Provide other materials and some string; fir cones, leaves etc.

30–50 months: Children can draw lines and circles using gross motor movements. 40–60 months: They are showing a preference for a

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Using jumbo chalk draw some large planets on the playground. Provide chalk for the children to continue with drawing themselves. Link the planets with travel routes and encourage children to use them to get from one to another.

Rotation: Children can draw their own planets and walk/run within them. Trajectory: Follow the routes from the planets, change direction and go from straight lines to curved ones.

Creating an appropriate curriculum

Jane spent the afternoon the following day, running between the planets and around each one as she arrived. She got quite cross with the children who did not run around the perimeter of the planet before they moved on! DLL 3

dominant hand and can use anticlockwise movements when drawing and writing.

Next Steps

Help Jane to introduce her game to the children. Can she explain to the others why they should run around each planet, perhaps there can be a consequence if they don’t? Maybe an alien will chase them if they land in the planet? In the group ask for some suggestions to help Jane play her game. What other rules can they have?

30–50 months: Children can move in a range of ways; walking, running, jumping, skipping, hopping etc. 40–60 months: They can travel with confidence and skill avoiding obstacles.

Role play being rockets. Count down and zoom up. Change speed according to take off, gliding, landing etc. Make a rocket shape, point hands and feet in a straight line.

Trajectory: Running, zooming, rolling along. Creating their own line of travel.

30–50 months: Children are learning to use one handed tools and equipment, such as scissors.

In the creative area supply a selection of tools, scissors, brushes, drawing implements etc. to make space pictures. Encourage children to persevere with the things they find the hardest.

Trajectory: There are opportunities for drawing, cutting and painting lines.

40–60 months: Children can handle equipment and tools effectively and with an increasing degree of accuracy.

Rotation/Circularity: Children may choose to paint/draw/cut out the planets. Templates could be provided to help the children to cut circles.

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Creating an appropriate curriculum

Rockets and aliens Mathematics Play and Learning Objectives (Adapted from the EYFS 2012)

Enabling Environments and the Adult Role

Planning for Schematic Learning

30–50 months: Children can recite number names in order up to 10. 40–60 months: They can say which is the next number, placing the numbers in the correct order.

Children can use number lines, vertical and horizontal, to count forward and backwards to 10. This could be your rocket countdown! Put the number cards in the right order, progressing from matching the numbers, to ordering them independently. They begin to say which number comes next.

Trajectory: Children can line the numbers in a row, up or across.

(Hand-writing denotes observed schematic behaviours)

Tom was keen to come to the table where the number cards were laid out. He took a rocket shape and lay the numbers in a line. He repeated this with different shapes, but left the table before gluing them down. Each time he reached the end of the shape he stopped adding numbers. DLL 4

Connecting: Matching the numbers and making links between the spoken and written number.

Next Steps

Provide bigger shapes for the children to add numbers on. Show them how they can extend the shape by taping another shape on the end. How many numbers can they fit on now? Introduce the children to a number square and explain that they could make two lines of numbers in one shape.

40–60 months: The children are learning to use mathematical names for 2D shapes. 30–50 months: They can use familiar shapes to make pictures or recreate patterns.

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Children can make alien pictures using pre-cut 2D shapes. Talk about the names and properties of the shapes as they are using them.

Connection: Children can fix the shapes together to make their own picture. They can use joining methods of their own choosing, glue, sellotape etc.

Creating an appropriate curriculum

40–60 months: Children use everyday language to talk about size, weight, capacity and time. 40–60 months: They can measure short periods of time in simple ways.

Bake some alien biscuits. Children can weigh and measure the ingredients and use a timer to monitor the cooking time. Count and share the biscuits fairly.

Enveloping: Mixing the ingredients together, roll the dough. Rotation/Circularity: The biscuits could be made into circular shapes to represent planets.

30–50 months: Children can use language to describe position, such as behind or next to. 40–60 months: They can compare quantities and solve problems.

Turn the sand tray into a moonscape, providing rocks and shells. Add containers to encourage talk and play that develops understanding of measuring, volume and capacity.

Enclosure/Enveloping: Burying objects in the sand tray for the children to find. Encourage them to continue the game with their friends.

Next Steps

Make some cakes together. When the cakes are in their cases ask the children to add some cherries. Model how they can put a cherry on top and then use a spoon to push the cherry into the cake. When the cakes are cooked the children can eat them, looking for the cherry inside.

40–60 months: Children can order and sequence familiar objects (planets). 40–60 months: They can order by size and shape and can use mathematical language to describe what they are doing.

Hang pictures of the planets on a washing line. They should be to scale so that the children can order them from largest to smallest etc.

Next Steps

Provide numbered pictures of planets to hang on the line and encourage the children to order them correctly.

Lucy was making sand cakes with the shells. She poked a small pebble into each cake, pushing it so far in that it vanished from sight. DLL 4

Trajectory: Lining up the planets, pegging them in a line. Joe wanted the planets to be hung on pieces of string, so we threaded them together. He went on to order them on the washing line, then removed them and laid them on the floor, also in a line. Returning to the washing line he spent some time trying to make each planet hang the same distance below the line. DLL 5

Add some planets with letters on them. Can the children spell their names?

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Creating an appropriate curriculum

Rockets and aliens Expressive Arts and Design Play and Learning Objectives (Adapted from the EYFS 2012)

Enabling Environments and the Adult Role

30–50 months: Children are beginning to show an interest in the texture of things, they can use various construction materials. 40–60 months: They can experiment to create different textures.

Introduce the children to papier mache and explain that we can use it to make some 3D planets. Use a balloon to create the circular shape. Supply a range of paper types and glue mixtures for children to explore.

Enclosure/Enveloping: Allow children to use the paper freely to cover and hide the balloon. Rotation/Circularity: Explore other round items that could be used to create a planet.

30–50 months: Children can explore colours and are finding out how colours can be changed. 40–60 months: They understand that different media can be combined to create new effects.

Make some shooting star paintings. On the painting table provide marbles, straws and brushes. If these items are new to the children it would be helpful to share some ways of using them. Ensure the children are blowing the paint through the straws, not sucking! (If you are going to allow the children to flick the paint this activity will be best done outside the classroom!)

Trajectory: Rolling marbles, blowing through straws and flicking paint. Enveloping: Turning the picture into a night time scene, covering the paper with paint. Connection:

Next Steps

Continue with the painting theme, but provide a deep tray and some marbles. The marbles can be rolled through blobs of paint, creating tracks across the paper. On a larger scale, outside, provide rolls of lining paper and a football. Kick the football gently through paint to create a similar effect.

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Planning for Schematic Learning (Hand-writing denotes observed schematic behaviours)

Jessie was keen to do some painting that included flicking paint at the paper to make her stars. When she had finished she used her finger to spread the paint from one blob to the next. She explained she wanted them to be shooting stars. When she had finished each star was connected to at least one other. DLL 5

Creating an appropriate curriculum

30–50 months: Children are learning that construction items can be joined together in various ways. 40–60 months: They are finding out how to manipulate materials to achieve the desired effect.

Make a moonscape model, using boxes, paper, papier mache, rocks, sand etc. Join the children developing their scenery on a large sheet of hard board.

Connection: Finding ways of fixing the items to the scenery, linking several items to create one aspect of the model. Enveloping: Covering everything with glue, paper and paint!

30–50 months: Children are learning to use the available resources to create props for their role play. 40–60 months: They can create simple representations of events, people and objects.

Provide extensive role play, including dressing up and face painting. Provide white overalls, sliver capes and painted silver boots. Bike helmets can be covered in foil. Turn the role play area into a rocket with astronaut outfits and control panels.

Enveloping: Face painting and dressing up. Wearing overalls to be a space man, putting on a helmet. Transporting: What would you take in the rocket to go to the moon?

30–50 months: Children are exploring how sounds can be changed. 40–60 months: Children can explore the sounds of instruments and can combine with other media to create new ideas.

Use some large posters of the planets to promote thought about sound and noises you may hear. Supply instruments for experimenting. What would it sound like on that planet? Why? What noises would you hear inside the rocket? Can you find an instrument that makes a sound like that?

Connection: Making links between what they can see and hear.

Next Steps

Provide some sorting hoops and sorting cards. Encourage other children to join in the sorting. They can categorise by sound, shape, colour etc.

Daisy was interested in the instruments laid out. She went from each one to the next, carefully placing it down after each try. She then returned to each one and started to group them by sound, she made three groups – bells, drums and all the others. DLL 5

What about sorting songs? Make connections between the words in the songs and some pictures; animals, numbers, counting up, counting down, rhyming etc.

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Creating an appropriate curriculum

Rockets and aliens Understanding the World

Figure 5.2 Trajectory: Amelia enjoyed rolling and flicking the marbles through the paint.

Play and Learning Objectives (Adapted from the EYFS 2012)

Enabling Environments and the Adult Role

Planning for Schematic Learning

30–50 months: Can talk about some of the things they know and have found out about. 40–60 months: The children know about similarities and differences in relation to places, objects and materials.

(Linked to Expressive Art and Design) Develop the role play area into space, with rockets, moonscape and alien dressing up. Allow the children to take an active part in the development of this area.

Enveloping: Dressing up, face painting. Trajectory: Rockets, making the toys and rockets fly, either on their own or by holding them.

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(Hand-writing denotes observed schematic behaviours)

Creating an appropriate curriculum

30–50 months: Shows care and concern for their environment. 40–60 months: Identifies similarities and differences.

Next Steps

Using the outdoor area/outdoor classroom, go to the moon. Put on space clothes and boots and go on an adventure. Tell stories as you go and encourage the children to continue them. Share an appropriate book, for example, Bringing Down the Moon, by J. Emmet. Create a den that is a crater on the moon and think about how it would sound, feel, look etc.

Connecting: Seeing the links between the storytelling and the environment. Building a den. Enclosure: Play inside the den, making the place smaller and darker. When the den was finished Sara asked if there could be a door. ‘I want to be right inside’. She went off and came back with a blanket; we fixed a door to the den. Sara played ‘inside the moon’ for some time afterwards. DLL 4

Provide a box of blankets and sheets, some old clothes airers and pegs and encourage the children to make their own den outside. Invest in some blackout material and make a dark den under a table. Provide some torches and cushions for inside the dens.

30–50 months: Comments and asks questions about their world. 40–60 months: The children can talk about how different environments might vary.

Encourage the children to help you make a display that includes aspects of the space topic: moon, sun, stars, planets, rockets etc. Develop conversation about the subject.

Connection: Fitting items to the display board. Transporting: Collecting items for the display and returning them to the correct place.

30–50 months: children talk about why things happen and how things work. 40–60 months: They can make observations, talk about why some things occur and talk about the changes.

Design and make some rockets. What can we use to make them? How can we make them go into the air? Experiment with bike pumps, elastic bands etc. Try using baking soda and vinegar, but be very health and safety aware.

Trajectory: Making the rockets fly. Transporting: Carrying toy people on board the rockets.

Next Steps

Read Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson. Discuss how everyone fitted on the broomstick. How can we make a rocket for everyone? How many seats will it need? What kind of seats? Does it need seatbelts? Allow the children to make a big rocket outside using crates, boxes, chairs etc.

Sam was keen that the rocket we were making had room for some people and a dog on board. He drew a paper seat and stuck it on the rocket. DLL 2

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Creating an appropriate curriculum

The outdoor classroom Personal, Social and Emotional Development Play and Learning Objectives (Adapted from the EYFS 2012)

Enabling Environments and the Adult Role

Planning for Schematic Learning

30–50 months: Children can demonstrate friendly behaviour, initiating conversations. 40–60 months: They are confident talking to others about their needs, wants and interests.

Show a puppet around the outdoor area. What is your favourite place and why? How could we improve the area/what would you like to do here?

Connecting: Making cognitive links between themselves and their environment. Enclosure: Walking around the area, finding the boundaries, entrances and exits.

30–50 months: Children can select and use resources independently. 40–60 months: They can say when they do or don’t need help. They are confident speaking others about their needs and wants.

What clothing do we need to keep warm outside? Provide some additional layers of clothing for the children to try out and use to dress up. How do animals keep warm?

Enveloping: Layering dressing up clothes.

Next Steps

Talk about whether plants and animals need to keep warm. What have trees got to keep them warm? What about other plants? Do the children think it matters?

(Hand-writing denotes observed schematic behaviours)

Jessie enjoyed trying out the different clothing, putting on several scarves and mittens. She went on to suggest that they should make the trees warm and wrapped the tree in scarves. She tucked the mittens under the scarves to make it warmer. DLL 4

What about animals? How do they stay warm? Find out about where animals live and how that helps them stay warm.

30–50 months: Children are able to adapt their behaviour to different events and situations. 40–60 months: They understand that their own actions may affect other people.

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How can we stay safe and care Connecting: for each other when we are Making links between thoughts outside? and objects. Discuss and create some rules to keep everyone safe and happy. Find some natural materials that we can use as reminders for our rules. For example, a stick may remind the children of the fire area rules.

Next Steps

Make a mobile using the selected items. On future visits ask the children to recap the rules, using the mobile as a reminder. Share your rules with other children in the school. On subsequent visits add a new item for each new suggestion.

30–50 months: Children can play in a group, extending and elaborating play ideas. 40–60 months: They are mature enough to resolve their own conflicts, taking turns with others and taking into account others views.

Encourage the children to work in groups to make a shelter to keep the rain off. How can they make sure it doesn’t fall down, or let the rain in? Can they make it better by adding anything else?

Next Steps

The tarpaulin had got eyelets but George didn’t know how they would help him with his task. Provide some threading and sewing opportunities in the classroom for him to practise this skill.

Enclosure: Use ropes and tarpaulins to create an area to call their shelter. Connecting: Finding a variety of ways to fix the shelter in place. George wanted the shelter to be tied between two trees, but they were too far apart for the tarpaulin to reach. He spent some time trying to tie two pieces of plastic together to make them fit. He eventually asked for help. DLL5

In the outdoor classroom show the children how they can weave through the fence using long grass and bendy sticks.

Figure 5.3 Enveloping: some of the children thought that leaves would help to keep the animals warm.

Creating an appropriate curriculum

The outdoor classroom Communication and Language Literacy Play and Learning Objectives (Adapted from the EYFS 2012)

Enabling Environments and the Adult Role

30–50 months: Children are beginning to listen with increasing attention. 40–60 months: They can listen attentively in a range of situations.

Go on a listening walk. Encourage the children to listen and find new sounds. They can add things to a sound box to remind them of the sounds they have heard. Make some bingo boards, using pictures to represent the sounds the children have heard. Return to the same place and encourage the children to listen for the sounds they can hear.

Planning for Schematic Learning (Hand-writing denotes observed schematic behaviours)

Enclosure: Providing a box for children to place their objects in. Give the child a lid so that the ‘sounds’ don’t fall out. In his free time after the listening activity Sam rolled some logs together and sat in the middle. He said it was a listening seat. DLL4

Enclosure: Using a grid to contain the pictures of things the children are listening for. Allow the children to colour in the box each time they hear something. Next Steps

The next time the children visited the outdoor classroom they learnt how they could tie some sticks together to make a panel. Over a few weeks the children were able to make an enclosed listening area.

30–50 months: Children are learning how to use talk, pretending that objects stand for something else. 40–60 months: They can use language to imagine and recreate roles and experiences in play situations.

Tell some stories using the environment to embellish them. (For example, this is the wolf’s house.) Give the children a story starter and ask them what they think will happen in their story.

Next Steps

Continuing with the concept of children making connections between experiences, the teacher introduced a story box into the outdoor play. It contained some puppets, masks, a basket, a large cooking pan and some treasure.

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Connection: Children can make links between the objects they find around them and familiar stories and characters. Lucy found a place that was dark and told me the wolf lived there, she went on to show me his fireplace and chimney and his front door. DLL 3

Creating an appropriate curriculum

30–50 months: Children are able to join in repeated phrases. They show awareness of alliteration. 40–60 months: Children can say the initial sound in words, recognising alliteration and rhyme.

Using alliteration ask the children to name various things they can find in the outdoor area. For example, tall trees, busy birds, laughing leaves etc. Make a collection of things beginning with a specific letter and help the children give them alliterative names. Put the phrases together to make a simple verse: Tall trees, mushy mud, fidgety flowers.

30–50 months: Children are beginning to be aware of the way that stories are structured. 40–60 months: They are using vocabulary that is increasingly influenced by their experience of books.

Make some story sticks. The children should attach natural materials to their stick to help them tell a story. They can use a familiar story, or make up one of their own. For younger children this will need to be done in groups with an adult that is supporting.

Trajectory: Use long, straight sticks to attach the items to. Connecting: Use various ways of fixing items to the sticks, tape, string, elastic bands etc.

40–60 months: Children can hear and say the initial sounds in words. They can segment the sounds in simple words and blend them together.

Fill a drawstring alphabet bag. Add natural materials to the bag saying the letter sounds they can hear in the words.

Enclosure/Transporting: Adding items to a bag and being able to pull the bag closed.

Next Steps

Give each child a small bucket and a laminated list of treasure to search for outside. It could include a conker, an orange leaf, a small pebble etc.

Ellie wanted her own bag to use. She walked around on her own filling the bag with random objects. Later in the classroom she transferred the items into a shopping basket and carried them to the playground area. DLL 5

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Creating an appropriate curriculum

The outdoor classroom Physical Development Play and Learning Objectives (Adapted from the EYFS 2012)

Enabling Environments and the Adult Role

Planning for Schematic Learning

30–50 months: Children move freely with confidence, walking, running jumping etc. 40–60 months: They can show increasing control over an object, e.g. pushing. They show good control and coordination in large movements.

Make a log path. Gather some similar size and length logs together, showing the children how they can drag them by tying rope to one end. Roll them to make a path, fixing each end with a wooden stake.

Circularity/Rotation: Children will enjoy looking at the rings inside the logs and rolling them into place. Trajectory: Showing the children how something round can make something straight.

Next Steps

Amy was shown some pictures of different types of bridges, some were brick and some wooden. She was able to see that each bridge was different and she accepted that ours was special. In the classroom Amy was given some art straws, all the same length and some glue. She made a picture of our bridge.

30–50 months: Children can use one handed tools and equipment. 40–60 months: They can use one handed equipment safely and with increasing control and confidence.

Make some shelters. Use rope and tarpaulin to make a den that will keep the rain out. Build a tepee and cover it in a blanket. Crawl inside to tell traditional stories.

Next Steps

On the next visit a big bag of drapes and blankets was taken. The children were shown how to make different types of shelters using these items. Megan enjoyed

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(Hand-writing denotes observed schematic behaviours)

Amy was enthusiastic to make the log path, rolling large logs independently over to the right area. She wanted it to be a bridge for a troll to live under and was insistent that bridges had to be straight. She wanted the edges of each log to line up exactly! DLL4

Enclosure: Making a space that is private and feels safe. Keeping something in (children) and out (rain). Megan enjoyed sitting under the tepee and was keen to leave it standing when we returned to the classroom. On the next visit Megan asked for some extra blankets to make a door. She used the blankets to close the gap that we had been crawling through. DLL 3

making a shelter with a blanket hanging in a tree. She was able to wrap herself in the blanket!

40–60 months: Children show a preference for a dominant hand. They show increasing control over an object.

Gather bundles of sticks. Show the children how they can snap sticks to make them a similar size. Use string to tie them into bundles and hang them on the washing in line to dry out for the fire.

Connecting: Tying objects together to make one unit, one bundle. Trajectory: Using lengths of string for tying. Adding things to an existing line of mobiles and bundles.

30–50 months: Children can use one handed tools safely. 40–60 months: They can use simple tools to effect changes to material.

Use the pen knives and potato peelers to introduce whittling. Encourage the children to peel sticks that they can use for cooking. Alternatively they can try to make patterns along the sticks. There are health and safety implications to these activities with tools. Staff should be confident and well informed.

Trajectory: Peeling the bark in long lengths. Making stripes and zig zags on the stick.

Next Steps

An adult working with the group suggested they should tie the sticks together to make a fence. Christopher was given lots of lengths of string and he spent some time making his fence. He enjoyed being in charge and told the other children they should make their sticks into a line before they tied them.

Christopher used his peeler to make marks on several sticks. Each time he finished one he pushed it into the soft ground beside him, making a line of upright sticks. He called this his fence. DLL 4

Figure 5.4 Trajectory: some of the children wanted to roll the logs across to a new area to make a bridge.

The outdoor classroom Mathematics Play and Learning Objectives (Adapted from the EYFS 2012)

Enabling Environments and the Adult Role

Planning for Schematic Learning

30–50 months: Children are beginning to use some number names accurately in play. 40–60 months: They can count objects to 10 and are beginning to count beyond this number.

Collect and sort some sticks according to their length. Count them and make them into bundles. Help the children tie the bundles together. How many bundles?

Trajectory: Collect straight sticks to bundle up. What else can we do with the straight sticks? Fences, pictures etc.?

(Hand-writing denotes observed schematic behaviours)

Tom laid the bundles of sticks out in a straight line. He then fetched some smaller sticks and laid these loosely alongside his first line. He wanted to make a railway track, he told me. DLL 5

Back in the classroom help the children to make their own railway track using sticks and PVA glue. Look at pictures of railway lines before starting. The children could use a length of plywood or heavy card. Can they make their railway track go all the way around?

30–50 months: Children are showing interest in shape and space. They are beginning to talk about the shapes of everyday objects. 40–60 months: Uses common shapes to create and recreate patterns.

Collect leaves and discuss their shape. Use appropriate language to describe them, e.g. round, flat, straight etc. Make them into pictures and patterns.

Next Steps

Encourage Alicia to look at and use her leaves in some collage that she could take home. She could then use her bucket to make another collection of materials from outside.

40–60 months: Children use everyday language to talk about capacity; they compare quantities and can solve problems using these skills.

Cook using some wild food: blackberries, apples etc. How many spoonfuls of sugar, how many cups of water etc.?

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Transporting: Provide the children with paper bags or small baskets to carry their leaves in. Alicia carried her leaves around for several days in a sand bucket. At the end of each day she left the bucket on a table, picking it up the next morning and taking it outside with her. DLL 5

Circularity: Look closely at the blackberries using a magnifier, what is each berry made up from? What other things can you find that are round?

30–50 months: Children are learning to use positional language. 40–60 months: They can describe the relative position of an object, e.g. beside, next to.

Hang a rope between two trees; this is your washing line. Collect natural materials to hang in the line. Group according to size, colour etc.

Trajectory: Hanging things along a line. Using lengths of string to link items together. Connecting: Tying items together. Making links between them, colour, size, shape etc.

30–50 months: Children show an interest in shape and space by playing with shapes or making arrangements with objects. 40–60 months: Children explore the characteristics of objects and shapes in everyday life. They use mathematical language to describe them.

Make mud faces. Mix mud with water until it is sticky. How much water/mud? Shape it into rounds and push onto tree. How many eyes/ears etc.?

Enveloping: Covering things, including hands with mud. Observing properties of the mud, making it stick.

Next Steps

Talk to the children about wattle and daub and explain how we can make something using mud and straw.

Abi was keen to take part in the mud activity. She was a known enveloper and continued her schematic learning by spreading mud over the back of her hands. She then used the mud to cover the grass around her, pressing it down until the grass didn’t push through any more. DLL4

Using a pre-woven stick trellis, poke lots of smaller sticks into the weaving to make it firmer. Mixing the mud and chopped up straw together the children can cover the framework. These small panels can be used in the outdoor area to create a small dedicated play space.

Figure 5.5 Trajectory: Tom lay the bundles of sticks in a straight line, before going away to collect some more.

Creating an appropriate curriculum

The outdoor classroom Expressive Arts and Design Play and Learning Objectives (Adapted from the EYFS 2012)

Enabling Environments and the Adult Role

Planning for Schematic Learning

30–50 months: Children can tap out simple repeated sounds. They are exploring and learning how sounds can be changed. 40–60 months: They explore the different sounds of instruments.

Make some instruments using natural materials: sticks, long grass, pebbles etc. Sort the instruments according to their sound: knocking, shaking etc.

Enclosure: Putting pebbles and other natural materials into boxes and tubes to rattle and shake. Putting the finished instruments into hoops for sorting.

Next Steps

The children were encouraged to gather materials to take back to the classroom. Here they helped make a display and included a range of boxes, bottles and tubs. The children were able to try out the objects in different containers and compare the sounds they made.

30–50 months: Children can capture experiences through a range of materials. 40–60 months: They can create simple representations of people, events and experiences.

Make pictures on the ground using natural items collected from the outdoor classroom. Consider the colours and shapes being used. Tell someone what their picture is.

Next Steps

The children were shown how to tie the sticks together to make shapes that they could then lay on the ground as part of their pictures. Harry needed some help with tying, but enjoyed laying a triangle next to a square. He told me the square was a swimming pool and the triangle was a park. He lay lots of leaves in the ‘park’, so that children wouldn’t hurt themselves if they fell over.

30–50 months: Children explore colour and texture. 40–60 months: They can manipulate materials to achieve a planned effect.

Collect a rainbow. Give the children a piece of card with double sided tape on. Add some coloured paper along the top edge and ask the children to find petals and leaves that match the colours.

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(Hand-writing denotes observed schematic behaviours)

Hannah put small pebbles and bark chippings in a box and rattled it. ‘This is my rain maker’. DLL4

Connecting: Linking materials together and overlapping them to make a picture. Harry drew a picture of a field; he joined together lots of sticks to make the fence. Then he added another field by repeating the procedure. DLL 5

Trajectory: Make the rainbow in a straight line. The card could be bent around to make a crown when it’s finished.

Creating an appropriate curriculum

Paint colour charts are useful in this activity. The completed rainbow could be turned into a crown. .

Connecting: This may be a new way of joining materials for some children.

Next Steps

Hudson enjoyed the activity in the outdoor classroom and wanted to carry on inside. He didn’t ask for help but set about using normal tape, trying for some time to fix things to the non-sticky side. An adult intervened and helped him fix double sided tape in place. DLL 3

30–50 months: Children are beginning to realise that tools can be used for a purpose. 40–60 months: Children can safely explore and use a variety of materials, tools and techniques.

Make a necklace. You will need some pre-cut elder branches. Help the children saw the branches into small, bead sized, pieces. Support the child with pushing a tent peg through the middle of each piece to create a central hole. Thread the beads to make a necklace.

Circularity: Children will be interested in how the holes are made and the plug that is pushed out of them. Connecting: Linking the bead by threading onto a cord. Joining the cord to make a necklace shape.

Figure 5.6 Trajectory: Jenson joined his straight piece of paper to make a crown.

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The outdoor classroom Understanding the World Play and Learning Objectives (Adapted from the EYFS 2012)

Enabling Environments and the Adult Role

Planning for Schematic Learning

30–50 months: Children show care and concern for living things and the environment. 40–60 months: They can talk about features of their own immediate environment and now how it might vary from another.

Look for seasonal changes in the outdoor classroom. How is the outdoor classroom different from your garden or park at home? Ask the children to find one thing to share with the others. It may be something they can pick/ photograph/describe.

Next Steps

Jessie had made a sensible suggestion, but hadn’t applied it to herself. On future visits small drawstring bags were taken to the area, containing important things, snacks, camera, scissors and wet wipes. The children were encouraged to return these things to the bags after each use.

30–50 months: Children can talk about things they have seen and observed. 40–60 months: Children can talk about things that change.

Light a fire. Talk about what a fire needs to burn. Gather sticks to burn on the fire. What happens to the sticks? Boil some water in a kettle to make hot chocolate. (Be aware of health and safety issues around fire lighting in your establishment.)

Transporting: Gathering sticks for fire lighting. Connecting: Making cognitive links between stick collecting and fuel for the fire.

30–50 months: Children show care and concern for living things and the environment. 40–60 months: They can make observations about animals and plants and explain why some things occur. They can talk about changes.

Share a relevant book, for example, The Very Busy Spider, by E. Carle. Go on a spider hunt. Where will we find them? What are their homes like? Make comparisons with our own homes. Build a dark den and pretend to be living underground. Explore language to describe it. Using rope make a spider’s web between trees for the children to play in. They can add extra rope to make it bigger.

Enclosure/Enveloping: Hiding in a dark space. Making the space darker and smaller as if you were underground.

(Hand-writing denotes observed schematic behaviours)

Transporting: Give the children a collection of buckets, pots, paper bags and baskets to help them collect. Jenny was using the camera to take pictures of the leaves on the ground. When someone asked to use it she insisted it should be carried in a small bag to keep it safe. She went to look for a small bag, carrying the camera in her hand! DLL3

After this activity Ben and Tom wanted to make a den in the classroom. They covered a table with a blanket. Having decided it wasn’t dark enough they put another blanket over the top. DLL3

Trajectory: Tying the lengths of rope into a web. Making the rope straight. Next Steps

Provide a variety of drapes and blankets, in different colours and fabrics. Ask the children to try to decide which makes their den the darkest. The children could take these outside and build a space to experiment. What happens when they use two blankets?

30–50 months: Children can talk about why things happen and how things work. 40–60 months: They can talk about how environments might vary from one to another.

Give the children a small bear each and lay out a selection of clothing. How will they keep their bear dry and warm? Allow them to explore dressing the bear for different weather. Present the children with additional clothes to try out for themselves.

Next Steps

Provide different dressing up clothes for outside. They should be related to the weather. Ask the children what they need to keep cool, warm, dry etc. Allow them to try it out.

Enveloping: Covering the bear with layers of clothing. Dressing themselves up to keep warm and dry. Charlotte was concerned that the bear would be too hot, so she took off his hat. She went on to wrap him in a scarf because he was cold now. DLL3

Ensure a good selection of dolls clothing and bedding is available so the children can continue the activity through role play.

Figure 5.7 Enclosure: following their visit to the outdoor classroom some of the children wanted a den in the playground. They used tables and blankets to create their new den.

All about me! Personal, Social and Emotional Development Play and Learning Objectives (Adapted from the EYFS 2012)

Enabling Environments and the Adult Role

Planning for Schematic Learning

30–50 months: Children can demonstrate friendly behaviour and form good relationships with peers and familiar adults. 40–60 months: They can attend to and take account of what others are saying.

Introduce the children to a simple song about names. My name is …Your name is … Share some greetings around a circle, pass a smile or handshake. Sing a repeating song, say hello, hello etc.

Circularity: Children will enjoy passing spoken or real messages around the circle in order. Connection: Children can link with the person next to them through speech or gesture.

30–50 months: Children are beginning to communicate freely about home and family. 40–60 months: They are confident to talk in a familiar group.

Talk about families. Ask the parents to provide some items from home to discuss, photos and clues from other family members. Use the photos to make a simple family tree.

Connection: Making links between family members can be complicated for young children, but fixing photos onto branches can be rewarding.

Next Steps

To continue Hudson’s enthusiasm for connecting pictures and objects staff planned an activity relating to the story of the week. Children were asked to order pictures taken from the story; although sometimes reluctant to take part in more adult led tasks he was keen to join in with this.

(Hand-writing denotes observed schematic behaviours)

Hudson: was keen to do this activity several times. He began drawing the lines he thought he needed, all of them linked to at least one other line. Then he cut out his pictures. He glued the pictures in a line at the top of the page, each one carefully glued directly next to the previous one. He told me his family were living at the top of the tree. DLL5

Hudson was asked to take control of the daily timetable and enjoyed ordering and fixing pictures along the caterpillar timetable. He was also shown how to add numbers to the tasks to encourage his counting skills.

30–50 months: Look at some pictures of food. Children can take turns Do the children like or dislike the and share resources. food? Talk about favourite foods and provide paper so the children can draw their ideas.

Enclosure: Putting foodstuffs they don’t enjoy under a pot. Using boxes with lids allows children to be secretive about their views.

40–60 months: They can work as part of a group and are becoming more confident speaking out in that group.

Hide the dislike foods under a pot in the centre. Provide each child with a small box where they can put their likes.

Transporting: Children may like to take their boxes away with them and go on adding more things.

30–50 months: Children can express their own feelings and are learning to respond to the feelings of others. 40–60 months: Children are aware of their own feelings and know that some words and actions can hurt the feelings of others.

Talk about feelings. Introduce some symbolic pictures that show some of the more familiar feelings, happy, unhappy, excited, upset etc. Provide round pieces of paper for the children. Explain that they should draw on how they are feeling, happy, lonely etc. Hang a washing line and ask the children to pin up the picture that shows how they are feeling. Give them a chance to share if they want to. It may be more appropriate to follow some of these up in one to one situations.

Circularity: Using round pieces of paper to draw on may encourage more children to participate. Trajectory: Adding things to a washing line, ordering them and being able to rearrange them into different orders but always in a line.

Next Steps

We introduced bath time for the dolls and a laundry for their washing. Whilst Jenson wouldn’t help with the dolls he chose to hang the washing up. He was encouraged to hang socks as pairs and hang the other clothes according to how long they were.

Jenson enjoyed pegging the pictures he drew on the line and over several sessions moved them into different orders. He moved on to fixing small teddies to the line. DLL5

In the outdoor classroom the children were shown how to make natural mobiles to hang on the washing strung between two trees. Jenson took on the role of helping everyone to hang their mobile.

Figure 5.8 Trajectory: Emmie hung some of the teddies on the washing line to dry after their bath.

Creating an appropriate curriculum

All about me! Communication and Language Literacy Play and Learning Objectives (Adapted from the EYFS 2012)

Enabling Environments and the Adult Role

Planning for Schematic Learning

30–50 months: Children are beginning to understand ‘why’ and ‘how’ questions. 40–60 months: They can listen and respond to ideas expressed by others in conversation or discussion.

Provide books about families and homes. Share stories and posters. Help the children to make a scrapbook about them, using their own pictures, photos from home etc. What do they do every day? What do they like to do after school? What is their favourite tea etc.?

Enclosure: Fixing items into a book, creating a cover that can be opened and closed. Connecting: Making links between their own lives and that of others.

Next Steps

The next day the children were asked to take photos of each other. These pictures were printed and laminated and added to a table with symbols to represent facial parts; hair, eyes, nose, mouth, ears. The children were able to sort the photos according to these criteria.

30–50 months: Sometimes gives meaning to marks they draw or paint. 40–60 months: Hears and says initial sounds in words. Attempts to write short sentences in meaningful contexts.

Add letters, words or sentences to their scrapbook. Link this to the phonics stage that is appropriate for them. Or provide words and symbols for children to cut out and stick on the right pages.

30–50 months: Knows that information can be relayed in the form of print. 40–60 months: Children read and understand simple sentences.

Follow instructions to make some gingerbread biscuits in the shape of people. When they are cooked let the children decorate them, either as themselves or a member of their family. Discuss hair and eye colour, favourite clothes etc.

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(Hand-writing denotes observed schematic behaviours)

George noticed that several of his friends liked to play with Lego. ‘We’re all the same now; we always do the same thing’. He then made other statements relating to hair colour, shoes and swimming lessons. (DLL 3)

Enveloping: Mixing all the ingredients together and squishing the mixture into a ball. Covering the finished biscuits with icing. Ella helped make the biscuits and iced hers.

Creating an appropriate curriculum

She covered it in icing and then wrapped it in a piece of greaseproof paper. She told me the biscuit was for her Nanny who was always in bed under the covers. DLL 3

They demonstrate their understanding when talking with others about what they have read.

Next Steps

The following day the teacher supplied some small premade gingerbread people and more icing. The children were able to ice them as members of their own family. At the end of the session children decorated their own paper bag and were able to take the biscuits home with them. Ella asked for a different bag for each person.

30–50 months: Shows an interest in illustration and print in the environment. 40–60 months: Links sounds to letters, naming and sounding the letters of the alphabet.

Create an All about me! word wall. Draw large overlapping circles on a display board and add headings – Me! My family, my house, my pets etc. Encourage the children to write relevant words and fix to the wall. They may prefer to use symbols instead, in which case an adult can scribe for them. Continue to add to the wall for the duration of the topic.

Enclosure: Add words and pictures inside the large circles, creating groups and clusters. Lewis was adamant that the words should be inside the circles. When other children fixed their words outside or overlapping the edge he re-pinned them inside. DLL 4

Trajectory: Children may enjoy drawing lines from the pictures to the correct word or caption. Next Steps

The staff drew large chalk circles in the playground and introduced a new game. Everyone with blonde hair in the pink circle, black hair in the yellow circle. The children had to decide which circle they belonged in. Change the criteria, but insist children decide where they belong, they can’t be in between!!

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Creating an appropriate curriculum

All about me! Physical Development Play and Learning Objectives (Adapted from the EYFS 2012)

Enabling Environments and the Adult Role

Planning for Schematic Learning

30–50 months: Children are able to move freely and with pleasure in a range of ways. 40–60 months: They are learning to experiment with different ways of moving.

What did I do when I was a baby? What can I do now? Discuss, share ideas, try out new things and talk about what the children would like to do as they grow up. Cut and stick pictures into boxes, can do, want to do.

Connecting: Make some links between things they can do and would like to do. Enclosure: Putting pictures inside boxes, grouping ideas together.

30–50 months: Children run skilfully and negotiate space successfully, adjusting speed and direction. 40–60 months: Children experiment with different ways of moving. They can travel with skill and confidence.

Set up an obstacle course that includes lots of movements, running, jumping, skipping, crawling etc. Ask the children how we can make it harder. Allow them to try out new moves and share them with others. Once introduced, leave the apparatus for the children to explore independently. Although an adult should remain present, their role is purely supervisory and safety.

Trajectory: Crawling through tunnels, running in lines etc. Connection: Linking ideas together.

Next Steps

Following Ben’s initiative we provided more equipment at the next opportunity, including additional blankets and cushions.

(Hand-writing denotes observed schematic behaviours)

Ben had crawled through the tunnel several times before he started moving some of the other obstacles around. He moved the large wooden box to the start of the tunnel and the blanket to the end. He proceeded to crawl across and through all the obstacles. When other children tried to join him he insisted that they weren’t allowed to stop or touch the grass. DLL 4

Gathering the children together we asked Ben to explain his rules and then helped the group modify them a little. We also set out a small obstacle course of some of the toys, so that the children could rehearse their new game.

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Creating an appropriate curriculum

40–60 months: Children show increasing control over an object in pushing, patting, throwing, catching or kicking it. They show good control and coordination in large and small movements.

Provide small apparatus for the children to explore during outdoor play: bean bags, hoops, quoits, skipping ropes and balls. The adults present should join the play and introduce some games for the children to play. These games should provide opportunities for throwing, skipping, catching etc. Once introduced, allow the children to choose and play their own games.

Rotation: Children will enjoy rolling the hoops, playing hula hoop etc. They can roll, throw and catch the balls. They may enjoy aiming for a round target. Trajectory: Kicking and throwing balls and bean bags into a goal or target.

30–50 months: Children are practising moving freely and with pleasure and confidence. Children are learning to use one handed tools (scissors). 40–60 months: They show a preference for a dominant hand. They can move confidently in a range of ways, safely negotiating space. They can handle equipment and tools effectively.

In the outdoor classroom, securely tie up a rope bridge. This only needs to be a few inches from the ground for safety purposes. Lay out some large logs to create a wooden bridge. Children can help roll the logs into place. They won’t need fixing as long as they fit together well. Show children how they can tie rope onto a log and drag it around. Move logs from one place to another in preparation for a different activity.

Trajectory: Tying rope together. Fixing it between trees, edging along it in a straight line. Rotation: Rolling the logs, which ones roll the best, what is stopping some of the others from rolling as well? Transporting: Moving logs around, using rope to help pull, carrying them carefully with a friend.

Next Steps

Following Chloe’s enthusiasm in the outdoor classroom, staff created more jobs that needed doing. The children were asked to move books and toys between classrooms. Small, handled crates were used and the children were encouraged to work with each other to carry them. Small lengths of rope were provided so that the children could tie some of the toys together before they were transported. Chloe continued with this play for some time.

Chloe enjoyed helping me pull some logs across the field to make a new log pile. She needed help to tie the rope on but wanted to move them herself. Back in the classroom I observed Chloe tying the shopping bags together with a shoe lace and dragging them outside with her. DLL5

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Creating an appropriate curriculum

All about me! Mathematics Play and Learning Objectives (Adapted from the EYFS 2012)

Enabling Environments and the Adult Role

Planning for Schematic Learning

30–50 months: Children are able to recite numbers in order to 10. 40–60 months: They can say the number that is one more or one less than the given number.

Practise counting and reciting numbers to 10 and then to 20. Use relevant objects as counters, shoes, hats, scarves etc. Ask the children to gather a certain number of items and bring them back in the basket: 1 hat, 2 shoes etc. What happens if we take one away/add another one?

Trajectory: Children should line up the counters to help with accurate counting. Transporting: Provide a receptacle for carrying the counters in.

30–50 months: Children show an interest in number problems. 40–60 months: In practical activities they begin using the language of addition.

Counting in 2’s. Collect pairs of items, shoes, socks, gloves etc. Ask the children what they have 2 of, ears, eyes, legs etc. Hang socks on a washing line and count in 2’s.

As above.

40–60 months: Children can order two or three items according to height. They use everyday language to talk about size.

Discuss who the children think is the tallest. How can we find out? Outside with a partner show the children how they can lie down and their friend can measure them. Use non-standard measures to see who is the tallest. Fred is 7 books tall, Josh is 6 books tall etc.

Connecting: Measure carefully ensuring each measure (book) is touching the next. Trajectory: Making themselves tall or long when they are lying down.

30–50 months: Children begin to show an interest in shape through sustained construction activities. 40–60 months: They can explore the characteristics of everyday objects and shapes and use

Use the junk modelling box to make some 3D models of their homes. Which boxes do they need? What is the name for that shape? How many windows and doors do they need? What shape will they be?

Connecting: Introduce a range of joining methods for the boxes.

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(Hand-writing denotes observed schematic behaviours)

Holly was keen to build a model of her house, so she selected several boxes. Independently she persevered with joining methods, first trying glue, then sellotape and

Creating an appropriate curriculum

eventually settling for masking tape. She was careful to fix all the edges of her two boxes together. She asked for help to fix the roof. DLL4

mathematical language to describe them.

Enclosure: Ensure the building have doorways and windows so that people can go inside. Next Steps

When Holly had finished we talked about how we could make the model look like her own home. She knew that her bedroom window was ‘on top’ and looked over the front garden. Holly helped select the materials she wanted to make her window.

Introduce a one minute egg timer. How many times can you jump in one minute? Introduce a three minute egg timer. How many jumps can you do now? Discuss the results.

Trajectory: Can you jump really tall and straight?

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Creating an appropriate curriculum

All about me! Expressive Arts and Design Play and Learning Objectives (Adapted from the EYFS 2012)

Enabling Environments and the Adult Role

Planning for Schematic Learning

30–50 months: Children enjoy singing a few familiar songs. They explore and learn how sounds can be changed. 40–60 months: Children have developed a repertoire of songs and enjoy exploring the different sounds of instruments.

Teach the children some songs about their body, e.g. Head, shoulders, knees and toes and the Hokey Cokey. Change the words, add more verses etc. Give some of the children instruments to play along with. Make a marching band. Fix ribbons and belts to some of the instruments so they can be carried and played at the same time.

Transporting: The marching band. Trajectory: Marching up and down the playground, changing the route from a straight line to a circle etc.

Next Steps

Staff included a roll of blank lining paper in the play area, with some large paintbrushes and paint. Around the fence there were pictures of roads and paths. These showed the white and yellow lines and the cat’s eyes. Jack painted some of the paper yellow and moved it along the path. He told his friends he was making a yellow line and that it meant they had to go away! Closer conversation enabled the member of staff to establish that Jack knew what all the lines were for; he had meant they couldn’t stand there!

30–50 months: Children explore colour and how colours can be changed. 40–60 months: They experiment with colour, exploring a variety of tools and techniques.

Paint a self-portrait. Give the children a mirror and help them to mix the right colours for their own eyes, hair etc. Cut out the picture and fix to a stick to make into a mask. Paint a picture of their friends.

Next Steps

In the role play area the teacher added a box of masks and puppets. Madison was interested in the masks that

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(Hand-writing denotes observed schematic behaviours)

Ben and Jack were wearing the big drums hanging around their necks and were marching up and down in single file. Ben went inside and returned with chalk. He marked their path on the pavement in a straight line. DLL 3

Enveloping: Children can hide behind their finished mask. Madison painted her mask and glued it onto her stick. She spent some time throughout the day jumping out from behind it shouting ‘boo!’ DLL4

Creating an appropriate curriculum

could fit over her head, rather than those on sticks or with elastic. She was encouraged to include others in her play and they made a farm, with a cow, a sheep and a monkey!

30–50 months: Children are able to engage in imaginative role play based on their own first hand experiences. 40–60 months: They can introduce a narrative or storyline into their play. Some children will play alongside children who are engaged in the same theme.

Set up a role play area outside with a range of equipment, dressing up and toys. Explain to the children that they can pretend they are going on a day trip. Where would they like to go? What would they do there? Allow the children to access the things they need to fulfil their role play.

Connecting: Making links between what they do at home and how they play in school. Enveloping: Dressing up. Madison wanted to play ‘beaches’ with Aimee. They collected some dressing up clothes. Aimee thought they should be wearing swimming costumes; Madison wrapped both herself and Aimee in blankets saying that they shouldn’t get sun burnt and needed to wear towels all day. DLL3

Enclosure: Using the toys to create a space, e.g. the beach or the fair. Next Steps

Later the same day the teacher set up a computer activity about dressing for the weather. The girls were shown how to drag the right clothes onto the person according to the weather. Madison knew that she needed cool clothes when it was sunny and warm ones when it was cold. Together the girls and the teacher looked for some more appropriate dressing up. They looked at pictures of people on the beach wearing robes and sarongs and added some fabric they could use for this.

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Creating an appropriate curriculum

All about me! Understanding the World Play and Learning Objectives (Adapted from the EYFS 2012)

Enabling Environments and the Adult Role

30–50 months: Children show an interest in different ways of life. 40–60 months: They know the differences and similarities between themselves and others.

Show the children pictures of homes from around the world. Make sure that you challenge the stereotypes, not all African families live in mud huts! Talk about where the children live, what is their home like? Discuss and share similarities and differences.

Enclosure: Children can replicate the houses they see, using bricks etc. Adding doors, windows and roofs.

30–50 months: Children comment and ask questions about the place in which they live. 40–60 months: They can talk about how environments may vary from one to another.

Explore the school environment. How is it different to their home? Do they have a garden or a park where they go and play? Can they talk about it? Make a model of their garden using Lego and bricks. Does their garden have a fence/wall? Are there flower beds etc.?

Enclosure: Children can add boundary divisions to their models, fences gates, walls etc. Connecting: Use construction toys to make replica homes.

30–50 months: Children know that information can be retrieved from computers. They recognise a familiar programme. 40–60 months: They can select and use a familiar programme.

Using a drawing programme on the computer suggest the children try to draw pictures of themselves and their family. Show them how to select simple drawing tools and change colours.

Trajectory: Children can draw straight and curved lines with the mouse, altering the colour and thickness of the line.

Next steps

Christopher had made lots of pictures of people with several legs. Through discussion he made it clear he knew that people had two legs, so I asked him to find out about creatures with more than two legs. We went outside to look for minibeasts, using magnifying glasses

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Planning for Schematic Learning (Hand-writing denotes observed schematic behaviours)

Christopher wanted his picture to have lots of legs. He added a few legs and then asked how to change the colour; he continued adding straight legs in various colours. DLL5

Creating an appropriate curriculum

to inspect them closely. Back in the classroom at the computers he went on to draw spiders and ants, each with the correct number of legs. He was shown how to use the drawing tool that makes the lines straight.

30–50 months: Children show an interest in how technology works. 40–60 months: They recognise that a range of technology is used in homes and schools.

Introduce the children to a programme that allows you to drag and drop clothing onto a model. Children can select their own preferences.

Enveloping: Children can choose which clothing they will use to dress the model. Transporting: Using the mouse to drag objects to different places in the programme.

Figure 5.9 Trajectory: Christopher was enjoying using the computer to draw people with lots of legs.

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Towns and cities Personal, Social and Emotional Development Play and Learning Objectives (Adapted from the EYFS 2012)

Enabling Environments and the Adult Role

Planning for Schematic Learning

30–50 months: Children learn to initiate conversation and take account of what others are saying. 40–60 months: They ask appropriate questions of others.

Beginning with a circle time, find out where the children live. What is their home like, a house, bungalow, flat etc. Share some of the photos you have asked them to bring from home. Encourage the other children to listen and ask related questions. Can they sort the homes into categories, number of windows, colour, houses, bungalow etc.

Circularity: Going around a circle in order, maybe passing an object to indicate who is speaking next. Connecting: Are the houses joined together, on top of each other (flats) or along a straight road?

Next Steps

The teacher created a photo display of different types of homes, including high rise flats, terraces of houses, shanty towns and homes built on stilts.

(Hand-writing denotes observed schematic behaviours)

Lewis left the discussion and he went to the creative area, where he spent several minutes piling junk boxes together. He told his friend he wanted to live in a high house with lots of windows. DLL 4

The children were encouraged to see how high they could build their tower of foam bricks.

40–60 months: Children are confident to talk to others and happy to talk about their own home and community.

Lay out a large hand drawn map of the street where the school/nursery is located. Add some crayons and pencils and encourage the children to contribute by adding the things that they think are missing. This could be done on a larger scale in the playground.

Trajectory: Drawing lines to represent roads and paths. Connection: Showing where the roads all join and reach the houses.

30–50 months: Children can usually adapt behaviour to different situation. 30–50 months: They are becoming more aware of boundaries and expectations.

Talk to the children about rules. Do they know why we have them and can they think of any that apply to the classroom? Move on to discussing rules when the children go out and about the town. What rules do they have? Holding hands, not crossing the roads without an adult? Ask the children to help select some signs and symbols that will help them remember these rules.

Connecting: Model crossing the road holding hands. Try out a walking bus, where all children hold the rope as they walk along.

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Emma told me she always had to hold hands, or hold the pushchair when she crossed the road. She was later observed encouraging the teddies to hold hands in a line.

Creating an appropriate curriculum

Using the creative area turn their ideas into wall display signs and key rings and add to a display. Ask the parents to add any that they may use. Next Steps

Rotation: Making round signs, these can then be threaded onto a keying for children to use in their play.

Staff introduced some circle games and songs that required the children to hold hands: The farmer’s in his den, Ring-a-ring of roses and Here we go round the mulberry bush. The class went on to have a group discussion about why we hold hands and the children were asked to explain a time when they remembered holding hands with an adult.

40–60 months: Children demonstrate friendly behaviour and can form successful relationships with both children and adults.

Throughout the session there should be opportunities for children to access the toys and games they need to fulfil their play. These should include, construction toys, sand, playdough, creative activities and outside play.

This play is likely to fulfil many schemas: Transporting: Moving items around on bikes. Connecting: Building and construction buildings. Rotational: Role play with cars and other vehicles. Trajectory: Making roads and railways.

Figure 5.10 Connecting: Lewis built a block of flats, he told his friend he wanted to live in a house with lots of windows.

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Towns and cities Communication and Language Literacy Play and Learning Objectives (Adapted from the EYFS 2012)

Enabling Environments and the Adult Role

Planning for Schematic Learning

30–50 months: Children are beginning to build a vocabulary that reflects their experiences. 40–60 months: They use past, present and future forms when talking about their experiences.

Talk to the children about travelling around a city. Provide some wall displays and interactive tables to promote this discussion. Encourage the children to add to the table and share their knowledge and experiences.

Rotation/circularity: Wheeled vehicles.

(Hand-writing denotes observed schematic behaviours)

The staff already knew that Billy was working within the rotational schema and were careful to observe his behaviour around the new display. Each day Billy would visit the table several times, helping himself to a few of the toys available. He would then sit under the table and play with the toys. Closer observation highlighted that Billy had stopped pushing the wheeled vehicles around and was turning them over to spin the wheels. DLL 5

Transporting: Discussion about passenger vehicles, trains, buses, trams, etc. Next Steps

A large set of cogs and wheels were introduced to the outdoor play area, alongside a construction set that also included wheels and axles. An adult led activity was set up. The children drew patterns on some circular shapes and then they were laminated and loosely pinned to the fence.The children were able to spin the wheels to watch the colours and patterns change.

30–50 months: Children use care when looking at and handling books independently.

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Create a book basket with relevant books, fiction and nonfiction. Provide relevant puppets and other props to allow children to retell their stories.

Creating an appropriate curriculum

40–60 months: They hold the book the correct way up and turn the pages. 40–60 months: Most children enjoy an increasing range of books. 30–50 months: Children ascribe meaning to marks and writing that they see in different places. 40–60 months: They sometimes give meaning to the marks they make.

What will you see in the town/city? At the mark making table offer pictures and words to match and blank cards for children to write their own labels. Provide envelopes and writing paper, shopping list paper and photos of well-known places around town for the children to annotate.

40–60 months: In context, children write captions and labels.

Create a bingo or snap game with the children. Use pictures taken around the town or pictures from the transport table. For more able children you can make words that match the pictures.

30–50 months: Children show an understanding of prepositions, by carrying out an action or selecting the right jigsaw piece. 40–60 months: Children can follow instructions involving several ideas or actions.

Jigsaw puzzles. Start with a discussion about the pictures. These can be made by mounting a familiar local picture onto card and then cutting it up. Children can provide their own picture to make it more personal.

Enveloping: Using the envelopes during mark making, letter writing etc. Trajectory: Providing alternative, long, narrow, pads of paper to encourage trajectory learners to write a list.

Connecting: Matching cards and pictures. Rotation: Pictures that include vehicles. Lewis was particularly keen to join this activity on a daily basis. He would choose one or two pictures from the selection and then go and find a similar toy. He was adamant that the picture and the toy should have the same number of wheels. DLL 4

Connecting: Jigsaw puzzles Next Steps

Photos of the wheeled vehicles were used to make a simple bingo game. The children had to find a picture that matched the number of wheels in the photo. This encouraged a few of the less willing children to sit and focus for a longer period of time.

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40–60 months: Children express themselves effectively, showing an awareness of the listeners.

Encourage children to write labels and captions for the displays and games. Ask them to consider the sounds they can hear in each word. Adults should be present in this area to encourage discussion, development of an appropriate activity and to provide support and encouragement. They should not be telling the children how they should carry out the task, but should model the tasks themselves.

Trajectory: Using lined paper, providing long strips of paper.

Next Steps

The staff were able to note that this type of writing suited Jenson and in future when activities were more formal a selection of paper of varying sizes and shapes was always provided to allow the children to make a choice that was relevant.

Jenson rarely visited the writing table. On this occasion the paper provided was cut into long strips and had a line along which the children could practise their writing. Jenson spent much of the morning writing labels and captions showing his level of emergent writing.

Figure 5.11 Rotation: Sometimes a child in a schema will play with the toys in a different way. In this case Noah was just making the wheels go around against his hand, rather than pushing the car along.

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Creating an appropriate curriculum

Towns and cities Physical Development Play and Learning Objectives (Adapted from the EYFS 2012)

Enabling Environments and the Adult Role

Planning for Schematic Learning

30–50 months: Children are able to move freely in a range of ways, such as running, jumping, walking, and riding a bike or scooter. 40–60 months: They can negotiate space successfully, adjusting speed and changing direction to avoid others.

Outside the children can be helped to create their own street or town. Using playground marking, playhouses, bikes and trailers, alongside role play shops, vet surgery, garden centre and medical centre. Encourage the children to view this space as one large play area, rather than several small ones. Temporary or permanent markings on the ground can include a zebra crossing and roundabout to encourage controlled movements. Free standing road signs can be added too: traffic lights, stop signs, parking signs etc. The children will enjoy telling you where they see these signs when they are out and about.

Rotation: Steering wheels, wheeled vehicles, roundabout. Trajectory: Creating or following road markings. Connection: Linking areas, playing across several spaces. Transporting: Provide receptacles for carrying goods in – trailers, baskets, bags, trolleys, pushchairs.

Next Steps

(Hand-writing denotes observed schematic behaviours)

Hudson was clearly following a connection schema with various familiar toys and games. During the setting up of this new role play area he was keen to ensure that the road led to all the areas so that he could ride a bike to each one in turn. He told me that if the road didn’t go to the garden centre no one would go shopping there! DLL 4

Provide Hudson and his friends with a large piece of chalk each and encourage them to draw the road. Show them pictures of roads with white lines and double yellow lines, what can they add to their road? Write them a shopping list with pictures of things they have to buy. Where would they go for that item?

30–50 months: Children are learning to control their large movements and show increasing control when manoeuvring large objects.

Provide the children with large apparatus, milk crates, cushions, plastic bread trays and old tyres. Can they turn these things into a large car or bus to play in?

Connection: Fixing the items together in varying ways. Rotation: Finding a way to fix wheels to the vehicles.

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40–60 months: Children can handle tools and equipment with coordination and control.

Help the children make some playdough. Uncooked dough is safer and the children are able to help with all stages. Cooked playdough has a longer life and is usually more satisfactory for play purposes. Give the children a range of apparatus and tools and encourage them to make relevant objects, houses, shops, people, cars etc.

Next Steps

At the junk table encourage the children to make small beds for their people. Can they make blankets with playdough, which are the right size for their dolls?

30–50 months: Children are learning to use one-handed tools such as scissors with care and coordination. 40–60 months: They are showing preference for one dominant hand and are becoming increasingly confident.

In the creative area provide a selection of papers; consider the texture, pattern, size and colour. Some of the paper can be pre-cut into the shapes of houses, cars, trains etc. Allow the children to select their own tools to make a collage of their house. It may be helpful if there are pictures and photos on the table to inspire and perhaps keep the children working within their topic. Whilst an adult should be present their intervention should only be if it is requested by the child. Their role is largely to talk to the children, preferably about their task, but general chatter is also appropriate.

Next Steps

Share some of the stories by Eric Carle, The Hungry Caterpillar, The Little Seed. These illustrations are done by layering tissue paper. Explain to Madison that she could try this approach. Let her look through the books and choose her own subject matter. Look at how the colours are changed when they are layered on top of each other.

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Enclosure/Enveloping: Abi enjoyed making people with the new playdough. She would make a blob of dough and fix two legs to it. Then each doll was wrapped in more playdough. She explained that the dolls were being tucked in because it was bedtime. DLL 4

Trajectory: Cutting and drawing in straight lines. Connecting: Fixing paper together to create a picture. Enveloping: Making a picture that is multi layered. Madison was clearly working within an enveloping schema. She was observed in this area drawing a picture and fixing a layer of tissue over the top. Then she would draw on this picture as well and repeat with more tissue. When she had finished she took her picture of ‘a house at night time’ to show the teacher. DLL 5

Creating an appropriate curriculum

Towns and cities Mathematics Play and Learning Objectives (Adapted from the EYFS 2012) 30–50 months: Children can count in order, numbers from 0–10. 40–60 months: They can count forward and backward to 10.

Enabling Environments and the Adult Role

Using numbered boxes to represent houses, or child made junk houses, fix numbers to the doors in the correct order. Children can act out the role of postman delivering letters to the right houses, by matching the numbers. Adults: Should model the correct language and talk about the numbers, encourage the children to join in and eventually take over their role. Ask the children to try to think of another place where they may see numbers: number plates, road signs etc. Encourage children to 40–60 months: Children recognise and introduce them in to their play. name some two and Make junk models of homes. three dimensional Adults: shapes. Where do the children live, a house, flat, bungalow etc? How many windows and doors? What shape is their roof? Talk about the shape of the boxes, cubes, cuboids, pyramid etc. Ask the children to name the shapes they are using for the doors and windows. Help the children write some labels for their shapes and fix them to the correct shapes. Next Steps

Planning for Schematic Learning (Hand-writing denotes observed schematic behaviours)

Trajectory: Lines of houses. Connecting: Linking the separate houses to make a terrace. Using a variety of materials to build a house, joining in them in different ways. Enclosure/Enveloping: Posting letters. Making a house with an inside. Following a successful session playing with this activity the children wanted to leave the houses so that they could write their own letters. At the writing table Jack wrote a number of letters, putting each one carefully into an envelope and posting it into one of the boxes. He continued with this over the rest of the morning. Several days later he replicated the play, setting up a similar arrangement and posting more letters. DLL 5

The role play area was changed into a post office with an ample supply of notepaper and envelopes, brown paper for parcels and padded envelopes. The class agreed they would write some letters to people around the school. A letter to the Headteacher invited her to visit and play and a postcard to one of the classrooms informed other pupils about a change of play rules. The children were encouraged to write some of their own letters to go in the post box.

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40–60 months: Children can recognise some coins and use money in their play.

Create a large role play area outside to represent the High Street, including shops, bus stops, zebra crossing, vehicles etc. Adults: Provide items to sell in shops, money, bags, trolleys, bikes and trailers etc. Join in the play, modelling how children can pay for goods and how there may be some change. Encourage the children to write price tags for the items and to collect the correct money. Introduce pennies first, encouraging one to one correspondence through counting.

Rotation/circularity: Wheeled vehicles, signposts. Transporting: Carrying goods in bags, trolleys and trailers. Putting money into purses and tills. Enclosure/enveloping: Packing goods in the gift shop, packing in to bags and boxes. Trajectory: Walking or riding along the roadway and pavements, planning a route to the next shop.

40–60 months: Children are learning about addition and subtraction, e.g. 1 more/1 less, increasing to 2 more/ 2 less.

Using the large role play area, create a bus to take people shopping. Adults: Use crates, chairs, cushions etc. to represent seats on the bus. Give the driver a steering wheel. The conductor needs to let people on and off the bus and count them to make sure there is room for all the passengers. They could issue a certain number of tickets, to make sure they don’t get overfull. Help the children to write numbers on the tickets and to give them out in the correct order. Encourage shared playing, so that all children get a chance to play the role they want.

Rotation/circularity: Wheels on the bus, steering wheel. Trajectory: Ordering the seats into a bus formation, walking up and down the bus.

Next Steps

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Cerys wanted to be the bus driver and sat happily with the steering wheel, turning the corners enthusiastically. But she was bothered that the bus didn’t have any real wheels, so she went to collect the rest of the steering wheels, placing them around the edge of the bus (bread crate). Returning to her bus driver role, she began a rendition of ‘Wheels on the Bus’. DLL 5

Further crates and boxes were added to those already outside, together with some old tyres and a number plate. The children enjoyed making their own vehicles. It varied daily: a car, bus, train, moon buggy and rocket.

Creating an appropriate curriculum

Figure 5.12 Enclosure: Katie wanted to write her own letter to post in a numbered letter box.

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Towns and cities Expressive Arts Play and Learning Objectives (Adapted from the EYFS 2012)

Enabling Environments and the Adult Role

30–50 months: Make a junk model of their Children can safely home. Provide a range of junk explore with a range of and joining materials such as materials, tools and tape, glue etc. Ask the parents to techniques. provide a photo of their home and encourage children to use it. Allow the children to persevere with the task and only support when you are asked to help. Next Steps

Planning for Schematic Learning (Hand-writing denotes observed schematic behaviours)

Connecting: Linking and joining materials. Billy used the tape to join two boxes together because he wanted a bigger house. He then left the table and used the tape to wrap around two chairs. He told me he was making a sofa. DLL 4

The making area in the classroom was rearranged to allow Billy access to an increased range of materials. Alongside the more traditional junk boxes, glue sticks and Sellotape the teacher added masking tape, double sided tape, string, ribbon and an increased variety of junk materials.

40–60 months: Painting and stamping pictures of Children can homes and familiar landmarks. experiment with colour and texture. 40–60 months: Children can use simple tools competently, selecting their own resources and adapting as necessary.

Turn the classroom window into a shop window display. Ask the children to gather the things that can be displayed and make the signs. Agree a theme for the window and discuss colours and patterns. For example a garden centre might have lots of green, or flower patterns.

Enclosure/Enveloping: Provide drapes, large sheets of paper etc. Connecting: Making links between the shop window theme and the role play areas.

40–60 months: Children engage in imaginative role play based on first-hand experience. They can introduce a storyline or narrative into their play.

Dressing up area – postmen, shopkeepers, policemen, firemen, shoppers etc. Include props, helmets, hats, bags, post box etc.

Enveloping:

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Aimee enjoyed the new dressing up opportunities; she spent a significant amount of time being a bride at a wedding, draping some voile fabric over her head. DLL 5

Creating an appropriate curriculum

Next Steps

The role play area was turned into a wedding venue, with flowers and extra seats. The dressing up was replaced with a large variety of scarves, drapes, waistcoats and headdresses. There was a table and a selection of table cloths and even a pretend wedding cake!

40–60 months: Children sing songs and experiment with ways of changing them.

Sing familiar relevant songs, change some of the words to make it more appropriate. Add musical instruments. Use instruments to represent different objects and places, swimming pool, road, traffic lights. Using junk materials, make some of their own instruments to use.

Connecting: Joining objects to create an instrument. Enveloping/Enclosure: Adding various materials to the junk to create noises and fixing the boxes so that the items remain hidden inside.

Figure 5.13 Enveloping: Aimee always wanted to play the bride and explained that she needed to wear a veil over her head.

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Towns and cities Understanding the World Play and Learning Objectives (Adapted from the EYFS 2012)

Enabling Environments and the Adult Role

Planning for Schematic Learning

30–50 months: The children can show an interest in the lives of people who are familiar to them.

Good practice dictates that there should be provision of both small and large scale toys for the children to access freely. These need to be available for both indoor and outdoor play. Some examples are: tyres, crates, trolleys, large and small bricks, bikes, push along vehicles and pushchairs.

Rotation: Wheeled vehicles, hoops, quoits. Connecting: Bikes and trailers, linking bricks, rope. Transporting: Opportunities to carry goods and around in various ways.

30–50 months: Children show an interest in different occupations and ways of life. 40–60 months: They can talk about features of their own immediate environment.

Plan a series of role play areas, including shops, cafes, a hairdresser, garden centre, supermarket, post office etc. Include some dressing up clothes, aprons, hats, bags and baskets. Visit the local town and take photos of familiar places and shop windows to add to the areas.

Transporting:

Next Steps

Ellie was given a small trolley and asked to be the messenger delivering items to other classrooms. Ellie’s confidence increased as she was forced out of her comfort zone with the support of an adult.

(Hand-writing denotes observed schematic behaviours)

Ellie used the shopping bags in the same way; however, the role play area was laid out. She would collect some goods from the shop and put them in a large bag and then she would tip the money out of the till into the bag and take it all away. DLL 5

It was agreed that the role play area could be kept tidier if there were some bags to pack everything into, so a variety of shopping bags were brought in for this purpose.

30–50 months: Children show care and concern for their environment and know how they can make a difference. 40–60 months: They can comment and question some aspects of their everyday lives.

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How can we look after our towns and cities? Discuss the things that make these areas nice and not so nice! Do some litter collecting around the outside area. Grow some plants to brighten up outdoor spaces. Introduce some new boxes to tidy away into.

Enveloping/Enclosure: Bury seeds and bulbs in compost. Try growing some seeds in different environments – on a paper towel, in a dark space, in different containers.

Creating an appropriate curriculum

40–60 months: Children show an interest in technological toys and understand how they can make them work. 40–60 months: They know how to operate simple hardware.

Use a programmable robot, such as Bee Bot or Roamer to show the children how they can give it instructions. With the children make a large scale map of a town showing roads and paths for the robot to travel on. Add some landmarks. Can the children programme the robot to travel between these landmarks?

Connecting: Make sure the roads and paths link to enable travel between them. Trajectory: Allow the children to design their own road structure.

Next Steps

An enlarged copy of a town map was laid out on the floor showing where the school was. Some of the children thought there should be a traffic jam at the school, ‘like when we get here’. They laid out lots of cars around the school.

Ben wanted the town to be busy, so while the others were playing with the robot he collected the box of cars and created a traffic jam. When he had run out of cars Ben used the train and carriages as well. DLL 5

It was suggested that the robot would have to go a different way, so the group set about changing his directions to find an alternative way.

Figure 5.14 Trajectory: Ben made a traffic jam across the mat using cars and trains.

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6

Transition

This chapter discusses the process of transition, both from a pre-school environment to a school, and from a reception class to a year 1 classroom. It looks at how the knowledge gained by practitioners can be passed on in an attempt to help the child settle quickly into their new location.

Maintaining a safe and secure environment In a familiar environment children feel safe and secure, they are able, outgoing, selfassured and happy. But new experiences and changes to their everyday life and routine can destabilise them, and those positive feelings and emotions can all too easily become negative and doubting. Changing from a nursery or pre-school to a larger, busy school and moving from a familiar classroom and teacher to a new one can present new challenges and create new emotions and feelings, some of them confusing and conflicting. These emotional disruptions will affect every aspect of a young child’s development, in particular self-esteem. With a reduction in confidence and self-esteem it is highly probable that their learning and development will be affected too. It can be hard for any adult to put themselves into the place of a five year old facing these new situations, and it can be difficult to understand the uncertainty and concern that accompany the experience. But considering how you felt on your first day at work or how nervous you were meeting new people in a social situation will go some way towards understanding the feeling that children must surely be facing in these transition periods. It is important to remember that school is not just about academic achievement and that there are huge obstacles to face and overcome long before learning can

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take place. In new situations familiar routines and activities have to be re-learnt along with the listening and absorbing of more formal aspects of school. It’s a great deal to ask of a young child. The role of the staff providing the day to day care for that child, whether in a school, nursery or pre-school, is to help ease the child’s anxiety and to help minimise the effect that the change has on their confidence and self-esteem.

From a nursery to a classroom The hardest transition for most children will be the move from pre-school care to primary education and the reception classroom. However, with the introduction by many schools of Foundation Stage units, this move is being delayed a little longer. Children are entering this environment at two and half years old and staying there until the end of their foundation year, with the following transition taking them directly into year 1. However, for those children who do make the move into a school reception class it is likely to entail a new building, new teacher, new friends and even a whole new routine at home to deal with. They will have to cope with being the youngest children in the school, manage their personal care independently, get used to noisy lunch halls and busy playgrounds. Some children thrive immediately, but some need a lot more care than others to reach the same stage.

Changing classrooms The transition from the reception class into the year 1 class is less traumatic. The children will be familiar with the school routines, they probably know their classroom and will hopefully have met their teacher. They will have a secure friendship group, a routine at home and a school which feels safe and secure. By the time the child is leaving the reception classroom the teacher will have acquired a wealth of knowledge about them to pass on.

Passing on the knowledge about individual learning With the knowledge that transitions, when not handled with care and thought, can be distressing to young children, it is important that staff consider what strategies

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they need to have in place to reduce the impact. Communication between the settings and professionals needs to be positive and frequent, and records of individuals that are passed on should be relevant. These records should contain information about how the child has developed over their time in the setting, as well as highlighting any particular needs or concerns. They must show the child’s interests, learning style and in the most informative cases indicate what the next stage of learning is for that child. While preparing these records it is useful to bear in mind the theories that suggest that it is not what the child has learnt that is crucial, but how they learn. During the transition between the reception class and year 1 it is usual to pass on the end of Foundation Stage data, which usually consists of a table of numbers indicating which elements of the curriculum the child has achieved. In experienced hands this can be a useful tool, but in the case of less experienced teachers this is little more than a table of numbers. An effective reception class will have been keeping observations, notes, photos, information from home and have a collection of knowledge that supports the child’s development. It would be able to inform new teachers of the child’s interest, their friendship groups and their learning style. It would know what has engaged the child in learning, what did not and how involved they became in this learning. In most cases, many teachers would agree that this would be of more help for the transition period than a list of numbers. Ideally, now that the Early Years Foundation Stage guidance (2012) places such an emphasis on, what they have phrased, the enabling environment, teachers are looking at ways of developing this aspect of their classroom practice. Knowing about, understanding and using schemas would promote this good practice, and this in turn would improve the transition for the children.

Maintaining opportunities to continue effective learning If a teacher has been informed of the potential schematic learners in their new class they can go on to ensure that activities which are presented will be familiar to those children. By asking the child what they have enjoyed doing at school and using passed-on records, the new teacher can identify which activities are likely to help that child continue with their schematic learning (see Appendix 6). This reduces the element of the unknown and unfamiliar for the child, reducing some of the anxiety and stress they may be feeling. Their learning journey is likely to continue immediately and therefore be more successful. Without that level of detail the teacher will spend

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several days or even weeks finding out how to engage the child, during which time their learning experiences will not always be the most appropriate. Perhaps early years teachers need to consider passing on the whole portfolio of observations, notes, planning and individual learning during their handover. It would be helpful to even make suggestions about where the child may take their schema next and the resources that have helped engage the child over the previous year. Opportunities to plan jointly would cement the development of the child further when they begin their new class and would take into account that working with the concept of schematic behaviour may be quite new for some teachers, so good practice would be to share this expertise freely.

Involving parents in the transition process Another consideration in the process of transition is that of the parents and the amount of knowledge and understanding they have of their own child. The modern culture of early years education encourages parents to be involved with their child’s development at every stage. Sadly as children proceed through their school life, the amount of interaction the teachers have with parents varies tremendously from school to school. This is in part due to the developing independence of the children, but can also be because parents’ knowledge is not recognised as important. For the process of transition, and when taking into account the child’s continuing personal and social development, parents should be more widely recognised as experts in their own children. Spending time with the parents of a child will provide the teacher with an open line of communication as well as establishing the child’s interests and habits at home, further improving the transition experience for all involved. To summarise, transition should be a positive experience for everyone involved, in particular the child. They need to continue to feel happy and secure in their surroundings and this can be achieved by maintaining some consistency of activities and expectations. A child needs to remain independent, build their own relationships and make their own choices. A carefully planned and carried out transition will help make the journey smoother and ultimately more successful.

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7

Conclusion

The purpose of this book is to focus on one small aspect of early years education that with some knowledge and willingness a practitioner can use to provide a programme of individualised learning across a range of settings. It has examined some of the theories behind the modern curriculum and challenged some of the ideas that these presented at the time of their publishing and which are still relevant today. By examining the foundations of early years learning it becomes easier to understand, relate to and make decisions about the suitability of provision for all children. It is important to recognise that schemas and their associated behaviours are only one style of learning; there are other concepts that have not been discussed in great detail, but which many teachers and educators value highly in their own provision. The importance of understanding the child and knowing their individual likes, dislikes and interests should stand at the core of their learning experiences. How the teacher plans for this will be down to them and their team, but the crucial issue is that account is taken of learning styles and behaviours. Schemas are easily recognised and quickly understood by an untrained parent; their relationship with the child is apparent and highly visible through much of the child’s play. The observer can relate to the pattern of behaviour and with very little training can recognise some distinctive behaviours that influence how the child develops their understanding. Children with clear and intense schematic learning behaviour can be helped by applying some of the strategies and planning in this book. But what about all the other children who don’t show a learning style preference or have strong tendencies to play in a particular way? The question then becomes whether using just one specific learning behaviour to develop planning is appropriate. Surely if this is how teachers plan their school day

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Conclusion

there will be children for whom the environment is not suitable and for whom the teaching is not progressive enough. The answer to this dilemma must lie with the teacher and their skills and understanding of how children learn in their formative years. Of course any teacher working with young children must have a strong belief in the approach they are using and should be able to inspire others around them to follow their lead. But with a little insight into the theories that have been so influential, it is immediately apparent that even these educators from the past do not agree about a child’s development. Is it therefore realistic to expect all teachers, early years practitioners and parents to believe and trust in just one theory of learning? What is crucial is that teachers believe in something and know and understand enough to make it viable in their classroom or nursery. Trying to work in a theorycluttered environment will lead to misunderstanding and mismatched opportunities for the children. So if you believe in schematic learning, then this is the approach that you should be developing, sharing and using to help the children in your care make the most progress possible. This book has used case studies and aspects of planning from both a pre-school and a reception classroom environment, both detailing the schematic learning opportunities and experiences that have taken place. This overlap of objectives and experiences helps makes a case for more integrated early years thinking. The settings used are linked; opportunities for observation across both sites go some way to ensuring that the children here have continuous and progressive early years provision. Not all places have this experience and whilst the pre-school or nursery may have expert knowledge in schemas and have collated vast quantities of evidence and observations to support the children, the following school may not. Therefore what happens to this wealth of understanding about these individual children? Copious notes about schematic play and planned experiences will be of no value to the child’s next teacher if they either do not know or do not use schematic behaviour in their setting. This brings a stronger case for settings to work together and for the training and updating of staff from all these linked environments to receive the same experiences and to have an allocation of time to work through their approach together. In this way a child’s development will go largely undisturbed by the transition between settings. Of course all the observation in the world won’t highlight schematic behaviour if it’s not there and not all children will be showing these tendencies at all times. Some children never appear to learn schematically and others flit quickly from one schema to another. Some parents are concerned that their child isn’t showing an interest in one particular schema. It doesn’t matter. All children are different and learn and develop in different ways and at different rates. A good teacher will know that and accept that this isn’t the answer for everyone. However, it does ensure that

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Conclusion

a teacher is planning experiences that are relevant and valid for most children and by default will enable all children in the class to learn effectively. There is very little research that identifies what happens to children showing schematic behaviour. Do the schemas change? Does a child ever grow out of their schema? We do know that children grow out of their schematic learning. One day they can be observed playing with the beads and threads, linking, joining and connecting, and then the next day this has stopped and the child is involved in a new style of play. Sometimes one schema becomes another, Enveloping might become Enclosure and Trajectory may develop into Connection. Each individual child behaves differently and it is highly likely that some children don’t ever grow out of their schema, but that it evolves with them as they mature into adulthood. Perhaps the young man obsessed with the game of football is engaging a Trajectory schema. The elderly man building model boats may be learning through a Connecting schema and the young mum gathering blankets and throws for her new baby may be an Enveloper. Perhaps our schemas become our hobbies. It’s fair to say that it doesn’t actually matter whether we grow out of schematic behaviour or not. The important factor is that a child receives a wide and varied educational experience that will allow them to make sub-conscious decisions about the own learning. Throughout the book there has been an exploration of the development and transition of children, identifying how their teachers have been able to use the child’s learning style to develop their strengths and improve their weaknesses. Through the planning and case studies there have been opportunities to recognise how identification of learning styles, in particular schemas, can be planned for in everyday experiences. Identifying how a child’s individual learning fits into everyday school experiences should enable experienced and new teachers to find a way to incorporate it into their own practice. Devising a new way of planning and developing that fits into your practice is the next hurdle to overcome. The opportunities for using schematic behaviour are almost overwhelming, so the advice should be to take one small step at a time, making just a small change to everyday practice, with a view to increasing and developing as staff become more acquainted with the potential of these new concepts. Through regular observations a pattern should emerge and schematic learning will become more apparent. Using this knowledge will then become a small part of each day’s plan, without the need for changes to basic routines or continuous provision and learning experiences. Taking just one or two children as case studies would make a good starting point for any classroom. It is likely that undertaking more detailed analysis will lead to

115

Conclusion

the recognition of other children who may be displaying similar behaviours, thus fulfilling the needs of more than one of the children in your care. It is also crucial that other people in your workplace know and understand what you are doing. Perhaps there would be a need for some training and sharing of knowledge and experience in order to ensure you have their support. During this training maybe resources could be gathered together and discussed in terms of their value in schematic play. Sorting through existing toys and finding out how the children are using them will help all staff recognise the type of play they are witnessing in the future. An opportunity to identify how children’s learning can be developed from that particular activity should follow this, highlighting that schemas can be progressive if staff become skilled in recognising the potential for the next steps of learning. Examples of next steps can be taken from the case study chapters and planning ideas from this book. It would be more beneficial though if some work had already been carried out in the settings and examples used were relevant and personal to your setting. All these ideas and progressive plans could be added to a large wall display visible to all partners in the setting, including parents and visitors. There is a real need to involve parents in this method of developing learning, so consider running a short workshop where ideas, photos and observation notes can be shared. You may be surprised how many parents immediately recognise one of the schemas and can add further detail to your assessments. Introduce the Wow Box and use the contents to continue building the portfolios for individual children. If you have schematic children, and you will have, celebrate their play and recognise that it is important to them. Hopefully, though, your setting already does this regardless of learning styles and play experiences. There can be no doubt that praise and encouragement are valuable tools in improving self-esteem and confidence, therefore leading to improved opportunities. Make sure that during the day there are uninterrupted times for children to explore independently. How would you feel if someone stopped you several times a day when you were busy? That’s how it feels for the children. Remembering this and adapting routines and daily timetables to accommodate some uninterrupted time, whilst challenging in school environments, can be very rewarding for all involved. Then perhaps ask the children what they want to find out about next. By drawing together the information we have gathered it becomes evident that schemas are indeed a useful tool in all aspects of a young child’s development. They are an essential part of who that child is and how they are developing. However, not all children in a reception class of 25 are likely to be showing strong schematic tendencies. This highlights the need for an understanding of schemas to be just one aspect of how a curriculum is planned.

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Conclusion

As with all aspects of life and learning it is passion and dedication that shine through. Enjoy your work and the children that inspire you daily and provide them with experiences that mirror your hard work. The reward will be happy, fulfilled and creative children, a busy, colourful work environment and staff that understand their role and their impact on others.

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APPENDIX

1

Piaget’s stages of development

Jean Piaget observed children being active learners; he believed they needed to have access to a wide range of experiences, in which they could explore in order to become effective learners. He was adamant that children needed stimulating in order to develop successfully, without these experiences he suggested that they were merely passive learners and that their ability to learn was severely impeded. Piaget suggested children went through four separate stages of development, completing in the final stage that leads into adulthood.

Sensorimotor development (from birth to two years) Children are developing an understanding of themselves and of the real world using all of their senses. They are learning predominantly through their own interactions with the world around them. Through a wide and varied range of activities and opportunities the child is learning that they are different to their world and other objects in it.

Pre-operational stage (from two to seven years) The child still needs physical hands-on play to make sense of their world. They are learning to conceptualise abstractly and use symbolism, but learning continues to be most effective when the child is engaged in the process themselves. The child is still very egocentric but is becoming more aware of others around them. They are learning to categorise things around them in simplified ways and according to their

119

Appendix 1: Piaget’s stages of development

features and characteristics. It is in this stage that children begin to make sounds and learn to say words to make meaning.

Concrete operations (from seven to eleven years) An increasing number of experiences have allowed the child to begin to think more abstractly. They can make associations without the need for the physical representations. They are now able to reason and consider without the hands-on aspect that was so crucial in the earlier stages.

Formal operations (from eleven onwards) By now the young adult has become expert at abstract thought. They have well developed logical thought and reasoning skills. They are beginning to be able to plan systematically without the need to explore and experiment first. Any interruption in these stages can leave a child vulnerable to poor development and understanding. This is especially true in the early years when there is a very clear need for significant hands-on and physical interaction to ensure the best for the child. Piaget’s theory about the need for physical interaction and play in the early years is still very relevant today and is the basis upon which the early years curriculum is written and developed.

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APPENDIX

2

Deep Level Learning

In his article published in 2000 Ferre Laevers explained how a team at the Research Centre for Experiential Education at Leuven University had devised a scale which enables education professionals to assess the level at which individual children are engaging in their play. When a child is being given opportunities to choose their own play and develop their own schematic experiences the likelihood of them becoming fully engaged increases. The scale of engagement (as shown below) has five levels that can be used to make a quick assessment of the appropriateness of the task to the child’s own learning. For its success and usefulness the scale was intended as a tool to assess experiences that were child initiated and led.

Ferre Laevers’ Levels of Involvement (Leuven Involvement Scale) Level 1: There is no activity from the child. They show no interest in the environment and no inclination to reach out, get involved or play, either on their own or with an adult or friend. Level 2: The child makes some actions in an attempt at play, but there are many disruptions. They are distracted and disinterested in their environment. They may be watching activity around them. Level 3: The child has selected a specific activity and is playing. They may be playing with others or on their own, but they are easily distracted and show a lack of concentration, motivation and pleasure. Level 4: During their play there are moments of intense mental and physical activity and concentration. They are less distracted by those around them and are still willing to leave their activity if requested to.

121

Appendix 2: Deep Level Learning

Level 5: The child is totally involved in their play. They are deep in concentration, not easily distracted or bothered by those around them. In this level they are likely to be frustrated if they are asked to leave their activity or if someone else interferes and disrupts their learning. In order for deep level learning to take place children need to be observed taking part in play that is at the highest level on the Leuven Scale. Because it is chosen by the child, or initiated by the adult following a period of observation, schematic behaviour is known to provide play at this level. Children working at the highest and most important levels should not be expected to leave their activity or play until they are ready. When the child chooses to move on it will be because they have understood or explored fully. Removing them from deep level play before they are ready will lead to frustration and disappointment, and in some cases may lead to some behavioural problems as the child feels let down and unfulfilled.

How to improve a child’s levels of involvement • • • • • • • • •

Change something to refocus the child’s attention. Move the furniture and rearrange the room. Implement an opportunity for free choice and a selection of toys and games. Introduce new resources, clean up the old ones. Support the children in their play, be led by them, offering suggestions only if invited to. Encourage independence. Plan opportunities that allow children to take the initiative. Develop social skills through new games and experiences. Encourage new friendships.

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APPENDIX

3

Formal observation form

Every early year’s establishment will have its own methods of recording observations of their children. Practitioners will have devised and adapted forms that work for their specific needs and which will enable them to record the aspects of learning that they consider important for tracking development. At the very minimum this written method of recording children’s learning should include the area of learning most dominant, some record of any language used and a space to allow evaluation of the learning taking place. The form on p.124 includes room to include potential schematic behaviour witnessed through play. There is additional space for the observer to make notes about future opportunities to develop these schemas. Used over a period of time and across a wide range of activities, it is possible to collect concrete evidence of schematic learning taking place on a regular basis.

123

Name of Child:

Date:

Observer:

Location:

Area of Learning (please circle)

Prime Area: Personal, Social and Emotional Development Communication and Language Physical Development

Specific Area: Literacy Mathematics Expressive Arts Understanding the World

(Please circle)

Adult Led

Child Led

Who are they playing with? (adults and children)

Schema observed?

Activity Observed

Language Used

Key points: (up to 3 points taken from observation)

Next steps: Schematic Development?

© Karen Constable, Planning for Schematic Learning in the Early Years: A Practical Guide, Routledge, 2013

APPENDIX

4

The WOW letter

Early years settings have always set good standards in relation to the way children and their achievements are celebrated. There is a well-established culture of praise and encouragement, with the result being that children often have high self-esteem and the confidence to try new things and be independent in their learning. The Wow Box takes this celebration a step further by introducing a route for parents to use in order to share the milestones and developmental events that take place at home. The concept behind the Wow Box is that parents can add new information at any time. The practitioners share this news with the children and add the detail to the assessment taking place in the setting. Many of children’s important developmental steps occur in a home setting, and by drawing parent’s attention to this and encouraging the sharing of these occasions, practitioners can begin to build a more comprehensive picture of the child.

125

Dear Parents In our setting we have an ethos of celebrating and praising your children. We spend a lot of time identifying their strengths and working with the children to extend their learning, praise their achievements and reward their great progress. As parents and carers you spend far longer with your child than we do. You may not always recognise them, but many of the milestones of development will take place whilst your child is with you. We want you to share them with us. Some examples may be: • • • •

The first time your toddler uses the toilet independently. Maybe they have just turned on the TV without you. Perhaps they have learnt to ride their bike without stabilisers. Are they singing a new song, or saying some new words, maybe building longer sentences? • Have they painted a brilliant picture, made a play dough model or helped with the cooking?

WOWI We have introduced a WOW Box. This is your chance to tell us about how brilliant your child is, share their good news and celebrate their successes, however small or large. Your job is to let us know, then we can talk to your child, share their news and add these achievements to their profile. We look forward to finding out even more about how amazing your child is!

© Karen Constable, Planning for Schematic Learning in the Early Years: A Practical Guide, Routledge, 2013

APPENDIX

Visual checklist for observation

5

Jenson

TRAJECTORY

CONNECTING

TRANSPORTING

ENVELOPING

BOUNDARIES

ENCLOSURE

SCHEMA OBSERVED

ROTATION

CHILD’S NAME

22.02.12

11.10.11

29.05.12

14.09.11

(photo)

(photo)

(f. Obs)

(f. Obs)

17.03.12

03.02.12

23.09.11

(notes)

(notes)

(f. Obs)

15.11.11

30.09.11

(info

(notes)

from mum)

30.01.12 (photo) 12.02.12 (notes)

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Appendix 5: Visual checklist for observation

Completing the visual checklist Dates and references are added to this table, they relate to Jenson’s schemas and monitor each time one is observed and recorded. There are other times when schematic play has been observed, but which may not have resulted in written evidence. These occasions may be added to the weekly planning for the setting or alternatively they will have been communicated amongst the staff. Following good practice the evidence has been collected in several ways, including taking details about his play and behaviour at home. Jenson’s teacher was able to use this detailed account to plan experiences that she knew would engage and develop him in all areas of the curriculum, whilst developing his schemas, Enveloping and Trajectory.

128

APPENDIX

6

Schema key ring cards

These key ring cards were initially devised to be used as a classroom/setting resource. They can be enlarged, trimmed into cards, laminated and linked together on a key ring. By having such a simple reminder readily to hand, staff have been able to make quick judgements about the schema they are witnessing and how it can be extended through additional play experiences. The cards can be used as part of a wall display, to which relevant pictures and notes can be attached to build an overall view of the learning taking place. They can also be handed to interested parents and provide useful talking points when discussing their child’s preferred learning styles.

129

TRANSPORTING (Key Stage 1)

TRANSPORTING (Early Years) • • • • • •

Carrying things Playing with movable toys Small world play with wheeled vehicles Pipes and guttering, marble runs Small world play Shopping bags and trolleys

• • • • • • • •

Making wheeled vehicles Pushes and pulls Role play – post office delivery Transport Road safety Pulleys Bikes and trailers Running errands for staff

ENCLOSURE (Early Years)

ENCLOSURE (Key stage 1)

•

• • • •

• • • • • •

Covering themselves with blankets etc. Hiding under tables Getting inside cupboards and boxes Stuffing things into envelopes Filling containers with sand, water etc. Making dens and tunnels Putting things into lidded boxes

• • • •

CONNECTION (Early Years) • • • • • • • • •

Patterns Threading beads Using string and wool to join Obstacle courses Junk modelling Building car and train tracks Bricks and blocks Jigsaws Sequencing pictures

Somersaults and rolling Spinning around Cars and trains Circle games Spinning tops Cooking Sand and water wheels Paint rollers Cogs and wheels Play dough and rolling pins

Planning for Schematic Learning in the Early Years

TRAJECTORY (Early Years) • • • • • • •

CONNECTION (Key Stage 1) • • • • • • • • • • •

ROTATION (Early Years) • • • • • • • • • •

Writing and posting letters Making 3D shapes Role play and dressing up Cooking – pies, parcels sandwiches etc Capacity and volume Tidying and sorting boxes and cupboards Story boxes and sacks Framing finished work

Karen Constable

Symmetry and patterns Weaving Threading and sewing Making books Woodwork Joining materials Electric circuits Constructio n toys e .g. Lego Dominos Tessellation Sequencing recipes

Washing up and hand washing Water play Sand play Car and train tracks Skittles Football and running races Spray bottles for water and paint play

TRAJECTORY (Key Stage 1) • • • • • • •

Parachutes Rounders and throwing games Paper aeroplanes Using rulers Writing on lined paper Using number lines Marble painting

ROTATION (Key Stage 1) • • • • • • • •

Cartwheels and somersaults Transport and passing traffic Circle games and rhymes Whisking and stirring Pulleys and cogs Ball games and hula hoops Rolling wheels (and themselves) down hills and ramps Rolling out pastry and biscuits

© Karen Constable, Planning for Schematic Learning in the Early Years: A Practical Guide, Routledge, 2013

Useful reading

Arnold, C. (1994) Understanding Schemas and Emotion in Early Childhood. Sage Publications: London. Athey, C. (1990) Extending Thought in Young Children. Paul Chapman Publishing: London. Bayley, R. and Featherstone, S. (2003) Smooth Transitions: Building on the Foundation Stage. Featherstone Education: Leics. Bilton, H. (1999) Outdoor Play in the Early Years. David Fulton Publishers: London. Bruner, J. (1986) Actual Minds, Possible Worlds. Harvard University Press: Cambridge MA. Cubey, P. & Meade, A. (1999) Thinking Children: Learning about Schemas (Debating Play). Open University Press: Buckingham. DCSF (2008) Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Nottingham. Department of Education (2012) Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. http://www.education.gov.uk Dowling, M. (2000) Young Children’s Personal, Social and Emotional Development. Paul Chapman Publishing: London. Early Education (2012) Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage. www.early-education.org.uk Edgington, M. (2004) The Foundation Stage Teacher in Action. Paul Chapman Publishing: London. Fabian, H. (2002) Children Starting School. London: David Fulton.

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Useful reading

Featherstone, S., Beswick, C. & Louis, S. (2008) Again, Again!: Understanding Schemas in Young Children. A & C Black: London. Fisher, J. (1999) Starting from the Child. Open University Press: Buckingham. Hurst, V. & Joseph, J. (1998) Supporting Early Learning. The Way Forward. Open University Press: Buckingham. Laevers, F. (1993) ‘Deep Level Learning: An Exemplary Application on the Area of Physical Knowledge’. European Early Childhood Research Journal. Vol.1. pp. 53–68. Lindenfield, G. (1994) Confident Children. Thorsens: London. Louis, S. (2009) Knowledge and Understanding of the World in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Routledge: Abingdon. Macgilchrist B., Myers, K. & Reed, J. (1997) The Intelligent School. Paul Chapman Publishing: London. Nicol, J. (2010) Bringing the Steiner Waldorf Approach to Your Early Years Practice. Routledge: Abingdon. Nurse, A. (2009) Physical Development in the Early Years. Routledge: Abingdon. Nutbrown, C. (1994) Threads of Thinking: Schemas and Young Children’s Learning. Sage Publications: London. Piaget, J. (1962) Play, Dreams and Imitation in Childhood. Routledge and Kegan Paul: London. Rodger, R. (1999) Planning an Appropriate Curriculum for the Under Fives. David Fulton Publishers: London. Sanders, D., White, G., Burge, B., Sharp, C., Eames, A., McEune, R. & Grayson, H. (2005) A Study of the Transition from the Foundation Stage to Key Stage 1. DfES: London. Vygotsky, L. (1978) Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press: Cambridge MA.

132

Useful reading

Useful books for sharing with the children Baumgart, K. (1998) Laura’s Star. Magi Publications: London. Carle, E. (1970) The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Penguin Books Ltd: London. Carle, E. (1995) The Very Tiny Seed. Penguin Books Ltd: London. Carle, E. (1996) The Very Busy Spider. Penguin Books Ltd: London. Child, L. (2006) The Princess and the Pea. Hodder Children’s Books: London. Child, L. (2007) Beware of the Storybook Wolves. Hodder Children’s Books: London. Donaldson, J. (2001) Room on the Broom. Macmillan Children’s Books: London. Emmet, J. (2002) Bringing Down the Moon. Walker Books: London. Hill, E. (1983) Where’s Spot? Picture Puffin Books: London.

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Index

Note: SEN = Special Educational Needs. active learning 6, 7–9 adult intervention: appropriateness of 34, 56; and children with SEN 34, 35, 38; indirect approach 41–2, 49; need for adult guidance 4, 50; see also teachers All about me! curriculum 82–93; communication and language literacy 84–5; expressive arts and design 90–1; mathematics 88–9; personal, social and emotional development 82–3; physical development 86–7; understanding the world 92–3 alliteration 61, 73 alphabet 85 animals 70, 71, 80, 92–3 arts and design, expressive: in All about me! curriculum 90–1; deep level involvement 50–1; design skills (case study) 42–3; drawing skills 49, 62–3; Enveloping schema and 51; in outdoor classroom curriculum 78–9; painting 66, 90; in Rockets and Aliens curriculum 66–7, 69; in Towns and cities curriculum 104–5 Asperger’s Syndrome 32–3 assessment 6; on-going (formative) 15 Athey, Chris 6–7, 20 Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) 35–6 Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) 35–6

Attention Deficit Inattentive Disorder (ADID) 36 Autism 32–3 ball games 87 Bernstein, Basil 55 Bilton, Helen 9 boards, display: of schematic patterns 19–20; Wow board 18 books 52–3, 60, 61, 69, 73, 84, 96–7; making 41–2, 61 Boundaries schema 22–3 boxes 53, 72 boys 39 bridges 74, 75, 87 Bringing Down the Moon (Emmet) 69 Bruner, Jerome 2–3, 56 bus role play 102 Carle, Eric 80, 100 case studies 39–53; Ellie, the Transporter 43–6, 73, 106; Hudson, the Connector 39–43, 79, 82, 99; Jenson and the Trajectory schema 46–50, 83, 98, 128; Madison, the Enveloper 50–3, 90–1, 100 castle: designing and building 42 Cerebral Palsy 37 Child, Lauren 61 childhood: changes in attitude to 2 Chinese Whispers 58

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Index

choice, freedom of 11, 12, 50 Circularity schema 22; in All about me! curriculum 82, 83, 85; in outdoor classroom curriculum 74, 76, 79; in Rockets and Aliens curriculum 58, 59, 61, 62, 63, 65, 66; in Towns and cities curriculum 94, 95, 96, 102; see also Rotation schema cognitive learning process 2–4 colours 66, 78–9, 90, 104 communication skills: in All about me! curriculum 84–5; conversation and discussion 45, 58, 69, 70, 80, 81, 82, 94; expressing feelings 83; improving through schematic interests 45; in outdoor classroom curriculum 72–3; in Rockets and Aliens curriculum 60–1; in Towns and cities curriculum 96–8 computers 92–3 concentration 11, 12, 60, 121–2 concrete operations stage 6, 120 confidence 9, 46, 109, 116 Connecting schema 25–6; in All about me! curriculum 82, 84, 86, 88, 91, 92; case study (Hudson) 39–43, 79, 82, 99; key ring cards 130; in outdoor classroom curriculum 70, 71, 72, 73, 75, 77, 78, 79, 80; in Rockets and Aliens curriculum 58, 59, 60, 61, 64, 66, 67, 69; in Towns and cities curriculum 94, 95, 97, 99, 100, 101, 104, 105, 106, 107 cooking 65, 76, 84–5 coordination 87 creativity 11, 50–2 critical thinking skills 5 curriculum, creating 55–7; examples 58–107 Dab schema 26 Deep Level Involvement 11–12, 122; see also Theory of Involvement Deep Level Learning 12–13, 57, 122 deep level play 50–2 dens 24, 43, 69, 80–1 design see arts and design, expressive Desirable Learning Outcomes 1 developmental stages, Piaget’s 5–6, 7, 119–20 Dewey, John 5

136

diaries, home school 19 Disconnecting schema 26 Down’s Syndrome (DS) 34–5, 37 drawing skills 49, 62–3 dressing skills 50; computer models 91, 93; weather-related 70, 81, 91 dressing up 51–2, 60, 67, 68, 104–5, 106 Dynamic Back and Forth schema 21; see also Trajectory schema Dynamic Circular schema 22; see also Circularity schema; Rotation schema Dynamic Vertical schema 20; see also Trajectory schema Early Learning Goals 1, 6 Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 1, 6, 7, 15, 16, 111 early years settings 17, 20, 57; children with SEN and 34, 35 emotional development: in All about me! curriculum 82–3; in outdoor classroom curriculum 70–1; in Rockets and Aliens curriculum 58–9; in Towns and cities curriculum 94–5 emotional well-being 10; disruptions to 109; see also feelings Enclosure schema 8–9, 23–4, 26–7, 48; in All about me! curriculum 82, 84, 85, 86, 89, 92; key ring cards 130; in outdoor classroom curriculum 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 78, 80, 81; in Rockets and Aliens curriculum 59, 60, 61, 65, 66, 69; in Towns and cities curriculum 100, 101, 102, 104, 105, 106 engineering skills 42–3; making a rocket 69 Enveloping schema 4, 24, 25, 26–7, 31, 46; in All about me! curriculum 84, 90–1, 93; case study (Madison) 50–3, 90–1, 100; in outdoor classroom curriculum 70, 71, 77, 80; in Rockets and Aliens curriculum 60, 65, 66, 67, 68; in Towns and cities curriculum 97, 100, 101, 102, 104, 105, 106 environment: children’s concern for 69, 80, 106 environments: comparing 92; conducive to learning 4–5, 11, 55; diversity of ethos 16

Index

equipment see tools and equipment Experiential Education project (EXE) 10–11 EYFS see Early Years Foundation Stage fairy tales 41, 42 families: discussing/depicting 82, 84–5, 92; see also parents feelings: awareness of 59, 83; see also emotional well-being fences 22–3, 71, 75, 78 fire 80 food: likes and dislikes 82–3; see also cooking formal operations stage 6, 120 Foundation Stage 1, 57, 110, 111; see also Early Years Foundation Stage free play 39–40, 41, 45, 48, 57 friends: difficulty making 50–1, 52; observing and comparing 84; support of 9; see also social interaction genetic tendencies 43 Global Developmental Delay (GDD) 36–7 group play 71 hand, dominant 75, 87, 100 hands, holding 94–5 hiding 31; objects 23; see also dens; Enveloping schema Hill, Eric 53 holiday role play 59 homes: discussing and comparing 84–5, 92, 94; making models of 88–9, 92, 94, 95, 101, 104; sharing information from 18–19 Hurst, Vicky 55 individuality 6–7, 10, 30–1, 33 insecurity 46–50, 53 instruments, musical 67, 78, 90, 105 involvement: improving levels of 122; see also Deep Level Involvement; Theory of Involvement

Laevers, Ferre 10–12, 121–2 language skills: of children with Down Syndrome 34, 35; and developmental delay 37; and mathematics 65, 76, 77, 88; prepositions 97; rhyme and alliteration 61, 73; and role play 72; vocabulary building 73, 96; words and sounds 61, 73, 84, 85, 98; see also books; communication skills; reading; writing Laura’s Star (Baumgart) 59 learning: active 6, 7–9; cognitive 2–4; deep level 12–13, 57, 122; environments conducive to 4–5, 11, 55; Vygotsky’s two stages of 4 leaves 76, 80 letter writing and posting 46, 101, 103 Leuven University 10, 121 lines, straight 21, 48, 49–50, 76, 77, 90, 92–3; see also Trajectory schema listening skills 45, 72 literacy see language skills; reading; writing logs: constructing path of 74; moving 43, 46 masks 90–1 mathematics and numeracy: in All about me! curriculum 88–9; counting 42, 49, 64, 76, 88, 101; in outdoor classroom curriculum 76–7; in Rockets and Aliens curriculum 64–5; in Towns and cities curriculum 101–3 mobiles 42–3, 71, 83 money 102 Montessori, Maria 4–5 moon 58, 62, 65, 67, 69 motivation 11 movement 62, 63, 74, 86, 87, 99 mud 77

jigsaw puzzles 43, 50, 97 Joseph, Jenefer 55 jumping 89

names 82 necklace: made from branches 79 note taking, informal 16–17 numeracy see mathematics and numeracy nurseries 17; transition from 110 Nutbrown, Cathy 9, 10, 30

key ring cards 27, 130 Key Stage 1 SATS testing 37

observation 15–19, 56, 113, 114; of children with SEN 31, 32–3, 34, 35;

137

Index

formal 17–18, 19, 50–1, 124; informal 16–17; sharing information from home 18–19; visual checklist table 19, 127–8 Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) 33–4 obstacle course 86 occupations: dressing up 104; interest in 106 opinions, children’s: valuing 55–6 ordering 50, 65, 82, 88; see also sorting Orientation schema 26 outcomes, focus on 12–13 outdoor classroom 62, 69, 70–81, 83, 87, 99; and communication and language literacy 72–3; and expressive arts and design 78–9; and mathematics 76–7; and personal, social and emotional development 70–1; and physical development 74–5; role in case studies 40, 42–3, 46, 48; and understanding the world 80–1 painting 66, 90 papier mache 66 parents: of children with SEN 33, 34; child’s anxiety at separation from 46, 47; choice of learning environment by 16; involvement in interactive displays 20; involvement in transition process 112; possible influence on schematic tendencies 43, 55; recognition of schemas 113, 116; sharing of observation information with 16, 18–19, 43; staff’s communication with 18, 19; workshops for 19, 43, 116; WOW letter to 126 patterns: learning about 42; of schematic behaviour 19–20 Pen Green Centre 7 people chain 58 persistence 11 personal development: in All about me! curriculum 82–3; in outdoor classroom curriculum 70–1; in Rockets and Aliens curriculum 58–9; in Towns and cities curriculum 94–5 photographs: of home and family 18, 82, 84, 94, 104; as observation records 19, 34, 40; taken by children 80, 84, 106

138

physical development: in All about me! curriculum 86–7; in outdoor classroom curriculum 74–5; in Rockets and Aliens curriculum 62–3; in Towns and cities curriculum 99–100 Piaget, Jean 2, 5–6, 7, 56; stages of development identified by 5–6, 7, 119–20 planets 61, 62–3, 65, 66, 67 planning 10, 16, 17, 48, 56–7, 113–16; for inclusion of children with SEN 30–1 plants 70, 80 play 1–13; by children with SEN 33–4, 36, 37–8; deep level 50–2; free 39–40, 41, 45, 48, 57; group 71; at home 18–19; outdoor 40, 42–3, 46, 48, 62, 69, 70–81, 83, 87, 99; undervaluing 16; water 21, 47–8 playdough 100 poetry 61, 73 Positioning schema 26, 77 postal games 101 practice: of learning skills 3 pre-operational stage 6, 119–20 present wrapping 4, 46 problem solving 5 race 55 railway track 76 reading 52–3, 84, 85; see also books reception classes 17, 20; and children with SEN 29, 35; keeping records 111; transition to and from 110, 111 recordings, sound or video 18, 34 records, keeping 111, 112; note taking 16–17; photographs 19, 34, 40; tables of observations 19, 127–8 repetition 3, 7, 19; by children with Autism 32; by children with Down Syndrome 35; obsessive 33 rhyme 61, 73 roads 90, 94, 99, 107 robot 107 Rockets and Aliens curriculum 58–69; communication and language literacy 60–1; expressive art and design 66–7; mathematics 64–5; personal, social and emotional development 58–9; physical development 62–3; understanding the world 68–9

Index

role play 72, 91; bus 102; holidays 59; occupations 104, 106; rockets and aliens 60, 63, 67, 68; shopping 44, 45, 46, 99, 102, 104, 106; town 99; wedding 52, 104–5 Room on the Broom (Donaldson) 69 Rotation schema 21, 22; in All about me! curriculum 87; key ring cards 130; in outdoor classroom curriculum 74; in Rockets and Aliens curriculum 58, 61, 62, 63, 65, 66; in Towns and cities curriculum 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 102, 106; see also Circularity schema rules, understanding of 94 safety, understanding 70 sand tray 48, 65 Santa’s Workshop 4, 46 satisfaction 11 scaffolding, concept of 56 schemas: defined 7; extent of influence on later learning 8; individuality of 7; key ring cards 27, 130; overlapping 26–7; parental influence on 43, 55; practice of skills through 3; as repetition 3, 7, 19; types of 20–6; variability 8 schematic behaviour 1–2; active learning and 7–9; changes in 115; identifying patterns of 19–20; lack of 113, 114; observation of 16, 18–19; Piaget on 5–6, 7; theories 2–7, 10–12, 55; understanding 113–15 schematic learning: and children with SEN 29–38; developing in early years 9–10; as form of planning 10; identifying 15–27; and transition 111–12 scrapbooks 84 seeds, growing 106 self-esteem 9–10, 109, 116 SEN see Special Educational Needs sensorimotor stage 5, 119 shapes 42, 64, 76, 77, 78, 88, 101 shelters 71, 74–5 shopping 44, 45, 46, 99, 102, 104, 106 sledge: designing and building 42 social class 55 social development: in All about me! curriculum 82–3; in outdoor classroom curriculum 70–1; in

Rockets and Aliens curriculum 58–9; in Towns and cities curriculum 94–5 social interaction 3–4, 5, 10, 58, 71, 82, 95; by children with SEN 30; see also friends songs 61, 67, 82, 90, 105 sorting 67, 84; see also ordering sounds 60, 61, 67, 72, 73, 78, 84, 85, 98 Special Educational Needs (SEN) 29–38; in mainstream schools 29–31, 34 spiders 80–1 spiral curriculum 4 Spot books 53 story box 72 story sticks 73 storytelling 60, 69, 72, 73, 74, 96 stubbornness 35, 46 symbolism 6, 83, 85, 94, 119 tables of observations 19, 127–8 teachers: and children with SEN 29–30, 37; discussion with parents 18, 19; importance of understanding child 113–14; influences and constraints on 56; observation of activity led by 17; training 114, 116; see also adult intervention technology 93, 107 tepee 74 testing 6 textures 66, 78, 104 theories 2–7, 10–12, 55 Theory of Involvement 10–12; scale of levels (Leuven Involvement Scale) 12, 13, 57, 121–2 tools and equipment, use of 63, 74, 75, 79, 87, 100, 104 Towns and cities curriculum 94–107; communication and language literacy 96–8; expressive arts and design 104–5; mathematics 101–3; personal, social and emotion development 94–5; physical development 99–100; understanding the world 106–7 toys, size of 106 traffic jams 48, 107 training 114, 116 Trajectory schema 20–1; in All about me! curriculum 83, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 92, 93; case study (Jenson) 46–50, 83, 98, 128; key ring cards

139

Index

130; in outdoor classroom curriculum 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79; in Rockets and Aliens curriculum 59, 62–3, 64, 65, 66, 68, 69; in Towns and cities curriculum 94, 95, 97, 99, 100, 101, 102, 107 Transforming schema 26 transition 109–12; changing classrooms 110; maintaining a safe and secure environment 109–10; maintaining opportunities to continue effective learning 111–12; from nursery to classroom 110; parental involvement 112; passing on knowledge about individual learning 110–11; significance of good programmes 43–4, 46, 50 Transporting schema 24–5; in All about me! curriculum 83, 87, 88, 90, 93; case study (Ellie) 43–6, 73, 106; key ring cards 130; in outdoor classroom curriculum 73, 76, 80; in Rockets and Aliens curriculum 58–9, 67, 69; in Towns and cities curriculum 95, 98, 99, 102, 106

140

treasure hunt 73 tunnels 60, 86 understanding the world: in All about me! curriculum 92–3; in outdoor classroom curriculum 80–1; in Rockets and Aliens curriculum 68–9; in sensorimotor stage 119; in Towns and cities curriculum 106–7 video recording 18, 34 Vygotsky, Lev 3–4, 5, 12, 56 warmth 70, 71, 81, 91 washing line 65, 77, 83 water play 21, 47–8 wedding role play 52, 104–5 weights and measures 65 wheels 22, 33, 62, 96, 97, 98, 99, 102 word wall 85 Wow box 18, 19, 116, 126 writing 41–2, 49, 52–3, 61, 97, 98 Zone of Proximal Development 4, 12, 56