We are now surrounded by the words, 'spontaneous play', 'child directed', 'play based', 'intentional teaching', 'extending learning' and the list goes on. All of these terms have their place in the Early Years Learning Framework but I am here to assist in making this all a little less confusing and overwhelming. Each week I will post a blog that I hope will assist you in all endeavours when working with young children that will make yours and the children in your care daily experiences much happier and meaningful.
When developing a 'playbased' or 'child directed' curriculum your first step is understanding what this means. As Educators (and/or Parents) we occasionally forget how amazingly intelligent our children are and that their ability to freely express themselves is one we should nurture.
Children know what they want to learn!
This is no revelation, we know this by observing them. The way a child looks at a flower, happily spins around on the spot, embraces their friends and loved ones, builds in a sandpit, uses a broom as a horse and role plays. It is US who unknowingly squash this natural curiosity by filling their heads with we think the SHOULD learn!
It is time for US to get the EDUCATION!!
I will start our journey together with a story, one that changed the way I interacted with children and still has a significant impact on my life. Its called "The Little Boy" and I hope it inspires you. See you all next week!
The Little Boy
by Helen Buckley
by Helen Buckley
Once a little boy went to school.
He was quite a little boy and it was quite a big school, but when the little boy found that he could go to his room by walking right in from the door outside he was happy;
And the school did not seem quite so big anymore.
One morning when the little boy had been in school awhile,
The teacher said: "Today we are going to make a picture."
"Good!" thought the little boy. He liked to make all kinds of things like; Lions and tigers, Chickens and cows, Trains and boats; and he took out his box of crayons and began to draw.
But the teacher said, "Wait!" "It is not time to begin!"
And she waited until everyone looked ready.
"Now," said the teacher, "We are going to make flowers."
"Good!" thought the little boy, he liked to make beautiful ones with his pink and orange and blue crayons.
But the teacher said "Wait!" "And I will show you how."
And it was red, with a green stem.
"There," said the teacher, "Now you may begin."
The little boy looked at his teacher's flower then he looked at his own flower.
He liked his flower better than the teacher's but he did not say this, he just turned his paper over, and made a flower like the teacher's.
It was red, with a green stem.
On another day when the little boy had opened the door from the outside all by himself,
The teacher said: "Today we are going to make something with clay."
"Good!" thought the little boy; He liked clay. He could make all kinds of things with clay: Snakes and snowmen, Elephants and mice, Cars and trucks and he began to pull and pinch his ball of clay.
But the teacher said, "Wait!" "It is not time to begin!"
And she waited until everyone looked ready.
"Now," said the teacher, "We are going to make a dish."
"Good!" thought the little boy, he liked to make dishes. And he began to make some that were all shapes and sizes.
But the teacher said "Wait!" "And I will show you how."
And she showed everyone how to make one deep dish.
"There," said the teacher, "Now you may begin."
The little boy looked at the teacher's dish; Then he looked at his own.
He liked his better than the teacher's but he did not say this.
He just rolled his clay into a big ball again and made a dish like the teacher's.
He was quite a little boy and it was quite a big school, but when the little boy found that he could go to his room by walking right in from the door outside he was happy;
And the school did not seem quite so big anymore.
One morning when the little boy had been in school awhile,
The teacher said: "Today we are going to make a picture."
"Good!" thought the little boy. He liked to make all kinds of things like; Lions and tigers, Chickens and cows, Trains and boats; and he took out his box of crayons and began to draw.
But the teacher said, "Wait!" "It is not time to begin!"
And she waited until everyone looked ready.
"Now," said the teacher, "We are going to make flowers."
"Good!" thought the little boy, he liked to make beautiful ones with his pink and orange and blue crayons.
But the teacher said "Wait!" "And I will show you how."
And it was red, with a green stem.
"There," said the teacher, "Now you may begin."
The little boy looked at his teacher's flower then he looked at his own flower.
He liked his flower better than the teacher's but he did not say this, he just turned his paper over, and made a flower like the teacher's.
It was red, with a green stem.
On another day when the little boy had opened the door from the outside all by himself,
The teacher said: "Today we are going to make something with clay."
"Good!" thought the little boy; He liked clay. He could make all kinds of things with clay: Snakes and snowmen, Elephants and mice, Cars and trucks and he began to pull and pinch his ball of clay.
But the teacher said, "Wait!" "It is not time to begin!"
And she waited until everyone looked ready.
"Now," said the teacher, "We are going to make a dish."
"Good!" thought the little boy, he liked to make dishes. And he began to make some that were all shapes and sizes.
But the teacher said "Wait!" "And I will show you how."
And she showed everyone how to make one deep dish.
"There," said the teacher, "Now you may begin."
The little boy looked at the teacher's dish; Then he looked at his own.
He liked his better than the teacher's but he did not say this.
He just rolled his clay into a big ball again and made a dish like the teacher's.
It was a deep dish.
And pretty soon the little boy learnt to wait, and to watch and to make things just like the teacher.
And pretty soon he didn't make things of his own anymore.
Then it happened -
The little boy and his family moved to another house, in another city, and the little boy had to go to another school. This school was even bigger than the other one.
And there was no door from the outside into his room. He had to go up some big steps and walk down a long hall to get to his room.
And the very first day he was there,
The teacher said: "Today we are going to make a picture."
"Good!" thought the little boy. And he waited for the teacher to tell them what to do.
But the teacher didn't say anything.
She just walked around the room.
When she came to the little boy she asked, "Don't you want to make a picture?"
"Yes," said the little boy.
"What are we going to make?"
"I don't know until you make it," said the teacher.
"How shall I make it?" asked the little boy.
"Why, anyway you like," said the teacher.
"And any colour?" asked the little boy.
"Any colour," said the teacher. "If everyone made the same picture, and used the same colours, how would I know who made what, and which was which?"
"I don't know," said the little boy.
And pretty soon the little boy learnt to wait, and to watch and to make things just like the teacher.
And pretty soon he didn't make things of his own anymore.
Then it happened -
The little boy and his family moved to another house, in another city, and the little boy had to go to another school. This school was even bigger than the other one.
And there was no door from the outside into his room. He had to go up some big steps and walk down a long hall to get to his room.
And the very first day he was there,
The teacher said: "Today we are going to make a picture."
"Good!" thought the little boy. And he waited for the teacher to tell them what to do.
But the teacher didn't say anything.
She just walked around the room.
When she came to the little boy she asked, "Don't you want to make a picture?"
"Yes," said the little boy.
"What are we going to make?"
"I don't know until you make it," said the teacher.
"How shall I make it?" asked the little boy.
"Why, anyway you like," said the teacher.
"And any colour?" asked the little boy.
"Any colour," said the teacher. "If everyone made the same picture, and used the same colours, how would I know who made what, and which was which?"
"I don't know," said the little boy.
And he began to draw a red flower with a green stem.
