How to create a setting that supports children?

Write a brief description of how you achieve the following within your setting.

Divide the setting into areas so that children can experience a variety of activities.

• 1. Messy area which includes painting table, water play, Gluing, sticking, modelling and play dough table.
  2. Reading area.
  3. ICT area.
  4. Home corner.
  5. Puzzle and game table/snack table.
  6. Drawing and cutting table.
  7. Group area for story time, show and tell, singing etc.
  8. Kitchen area.
  9. Loft.

• Provide space between the activities for children and adults to move freely.

• 1. All areas within the setting have adequate space between for access.

• Carefully place activities to promote development.

• 1. Home corner area, promotes communication, negotiation, sharing and socialising skills.
  2. Messy area develops hand to eye co-ordination, fine motor skills, mathematics in water play, creative, communication and personal and social development.
  3. Reading area develops communication, literacy, concentrating and listening skills.
  4. ICT area promotes language and literacy skills, mathematics, fine motor skills in dragging and clicking the mouse, sharing, socialising skills, concentrating and listening to instructions.
  5. Loft area helps develop physical skills.

• Ensure access areas are clear.

• 1. All equipment is safely stored in correct cupboards etc.
  2. All chairs are pushed under tables or stacked away.
  3. All children help to tidy away toys in correct storage boxes or cupboards at ‘tidy up time’.
  4. All fire exits are clear.

• Encourage independence.

• 1. All children are encouraged to hang their own coats up and to try and put their coats on by themselves.
  2. All children are encouraged to go to the toilet and wash their hands by themselves.
  3. Outside area to explore new physical skills such as climbing, riding a bike etc.

• Ensure surfaces are safe and washable.

• 1. All snack tables have wipe down table cloths.
  2. Messy area has mop for any spillages.
  3. Separate mop for cleaning toilet area.

• Celebrate diversity.

• 1. Celebrate different themes such as Easter, Christmas, diwali and hindu festivals, Chinese new year and may day etc.
  2. Planning activities, books and crafts.
  3. Children’s show and tell group times.

• Ensure areas for display are visible and accessible to all the children.

1. Displays of children’s finished work within nursery and main school’s corridors.
2. Toys set up and arranged or planned activity such as painting, all equipment out ready for use.

• Provide opportunities for a link between home and the setting i.e. a home corner.

1. Home corner which includes ovens, kitchen equipment, washing machine, food, tea set and table, ironing board and clothes, baby dolls and cot etc.
2. Kitchen area to make and try different foods (normally to take home after session).
3. Rugs and soft chairs.
4. Dressing up clothes.

• Ensure the outdoor environment is an extension of the indoors, i.e. painting, stories, etc, can be conducted outside.

1. Large sand pit.
2. Water play area.
3. Toys include cars and garages, construction toys such as lego, mobilo etc.
4. Chalks for chalking on the concrete.
5. Dressing up clothes such as helmets, doctors kit etc.
6. Painting area.

• Ensure outdoor surfaces are safe and varied.

1. Risk assessments in place including children to adult ratio.
2. Regular safety checks.
3. Appropriate age related equipment and toys.
4. Soft padded area for boisterous play.
5. Sheltered area for different weather conditions.

• Provide safe paths for bikes, etc, as well as visible areas for children to play quietly.

1. Safe paths for bikes and designated area for cycling.
2. Sand pit area.
3. Carpet area for construction toys etc.
4. Wendy house.
5. Designated area for climbing.
6. Area for water play.
7. Garden area for digging and planting.

Accessible: all children, regardless of any special needs, can use the environment.  This means that a disability or special need does not prevent them from benefiting.

Including children in making decisions builds their self esteem and confidence giving them a feeling of belonging.  They will respect their environment and feel their views and opinions are valued.

0 – 3 Years:

• Free choice of activities.
• Free choice of toys and games.
• What snack they would like to eat.

4 – 7 Years:

• Choose own friends.
• Choose helper within setting.
• Select own library books.

8 – 12 Years:

• Join after school clubs.
• Have hobbies or sports activities.

13 – 16 Years:

• Choose options for further educations or career.
• Choose relationships / friends.

What happens if children / young people are not allowed to make their own decisions?

Children will lack confidence and have low self esteem; they will never be able to learn from their own mistakes and experiences.  They could become distressed and unhappy within the environment.

• Home Corner.
• Dressing up clothes.
• Food
• Tea sets.
• Dolls.
• Shopping accessories.
• Different types of books.
• Dolls house and furniture.
• Puzzles.
• Themed topics.
• Skin tone pencils, crayons, paper and paint.
• Cooking and trying food from different cultures.
• Labels on equipment / items etc.
• Wendy house.

K2D64 – The relationship between self esteem, confidence and resilience.

Why is it important to recognise achievement?

It builds children’s self esteem and confidence it will help to develop their independence, communication and emotional skills and help them to grow into secure and happy young people.

How are you going to do this?

• By encouragement and praise.
• By being supportive and given children guidance.
• By being a good role model by maintaining positive body language and facial expressions.
• By celebrating achievements.
• Displaying completed work.
• By providing a secure and positive environment.

What does it build in the children?

• Confidence.
• Self esteem.
• Independence.
• Resilience.
• Positive behaviour.

What happens if we over praise.

• Children become bored.
• Frustrated in activity or task.
• Over confident stop trying.
• May start to lack confidence.
• May lower self esteem.
• May lower their expectations.

Children learn from birth to use their five senses:-

Name the 5 senses:

1. Taste.
2. Touch.
3. See.
4. Smell.
5. Hear.

Give 2 examples for each area how you develop the children’s senses in your setting.

1. Snack time, cooking and tasting sessions.

1. Sand pit, Water play, cooking, play dough, digging, painting, touch and feel books.

1. Books, ICT, rhymes and action songs, painting, drawing, craft and puzzles.

1. Cooking, snack time, smelling sessions, flowers, plants and the orchard.

1. Music, story time, games, musical instruments, outside sounds, audio books, sound books and talking.

Take one activity from each senses and say how it will develop children?  What skills are they developing?

Taste:-

Cooking:-

• Hand to eye co-ordination.
• Science and mathematics.
• Sharing and taking turns.
• Negotiations skills.

See:-

ICT:-

• Hand to eye co-ordination.
• Mathematics and literacy.
• Following instructions, persistence and concentration.
• Sharing and taking turns.
• Communication and reading skills.

Touch:-

Digging:-

• Socialising skills.
• Communication.
• Hand to eye co-ordination.
• Sharing and taking turns.
• Gross motor skills.
• Knowledge and understanding of the outside world.

Smell:-

Outside play:-

• Knowledge and understanding of the wider environment.
• Socialising and sharing with others.
• Communication and language.
• Physical development.

Hear:-

Story time:-

• Communication.
• Reading and literacy.
• Listening.
• Concentration.
• Creative imagination.

How to make the environment appropriate to the ages and stages of children’s development?

Consider the different types of equipment, activities and how the environment needs to be adapted as children grow.

K2D76 – The requirement and importance of physical play and how to help children who have limited physical play opportunities.

K2D80 – The importance of regular physical activity and exercise to physical and mental health.

1. Why is physical play important?

1. • Healthy life style.
   • Knowledge and understanding of outside world.
   • Develops gross motor skills.
   • Develops hand to eye co-ordination.
   • Develops communication and language skills.
   • Helps in the development of their bones and muscles.
   • Encourages socialising and negotiations skills.
   • Encourages children to take risks and understand their own health and safety.
   • Fresh air.

1. List the different types of activities you can offer the children – indoor and outdoor activities.

1. • Dancing action songs and rhymes.
   • Water play indoor/outdoor.
   • Sand pit.
   • Climbing equipment.
   • Digging.
   • Bikes, carts etc.
   • Loft and Wendy house.
   • Cooking.
   • Arts and crafts such as painting, modelling and play dough.
   • Balls and bats.
   • Hoops.
   • Construction toys.
   • Tyres, crates and pipes.
   • Home corner and wooden boat.

Take two of the above activities and explain what they help develop?

1. How can you help children who have limited physical play opportunities?

1. • Making space more room.
   • Re-arrange furniture and room for activities.
   • Walks in surrounding area/community.
   • Working with other local schools and outside community to arrange access to playgrounds, parks etc.

1. How can you adapt these activities for children with additional needs?

1. • Encourage child to take part in everything that you offer be adaptable and flexible with the activity.
   • Take activity or equipment to child’s level.
   • Ensure that you are aware of the additional or special needs of said child.
   • Have appropriate space and equipment for child.
   • Depending on needs of the child have one to one carer.

K2D75 – The importance of consistent routines for children’s development.

K2D76 – The requirement and importance of physical play and how to help children who have limited physical play opportunities.

The importance of consistent routines for children’s development.

Why are routines important?

• Children know what is going on in the environment.
• To reassure the children so they have an understanding of the daily routines.
• Children have an understanding of what is expected from them.
• Children will feel secure within the environment giving them a feeling of being safe.
• Children have an understanding of expected behaviour.
• Help develop independence in allowing children to be involved in the daily routines.

List the different routines you have in your setting?

• Morning registration and group time.
• Snack time.
• Free play time.
• Dinner time.
• Structured learning time.
• Lead activities.
• Outside play.
• Quiet time.
• Assemblies.
• Physical education.

Why it is important for children to have quiet periods?

How does this help after a physical activity?

• Re-charges the children giving their bodies a rest.
• Calms them down for the next activity.
• Children can reflect on what they have been doing or learning giving them time to speak about their experiences.

All children will vary in how much rest they require due to their age or family routines and this should always be taking into consideration.

Using a display board and table I directed several small groups of children in making a new ‘summer’ display within the reception area.

I encouraged the first group to use their imagination to draw a summer time picture using pens and chalk.  I asked the children to think about summer time and what it means to them and to think of objects they could draw to represent summer. I then mounted all finished work and attached it to the display board.

Working with the second group of children using coloured card and pens, the children made flowers and a sun which they labelled and cut out. Finished work was also mounted onto the display board.

Finishing off the display with the third and last group of children, the children drew different insects, ladybirds, butterflies, bees and caterpillars using coloured pens and crayons and carefully cutting out their finished work.   The children also labelled the different insects and helped me decide where to mount them on the display board.

The whole display was finished off by adding a bucket and spade, shells and pebbles, model snail, worm and bee, clay strawberries which the children had made previously and some factual books.

K2D74 – How the values and principles of the sector can be reflected in the environment.

How we display within your setting?

• On Display boards in the main corridors of the school.
• Photographs.
• Display tables in the main corridors of the school.
• On the classroom’s walls.
• Themed displays of projects/topics.
• On a washing line across the classrooms.

How do you make the displays interesting and stimulating within your setting?

• Mounting work on brightly coloured paper.
• Naming and labelling work either with bold print or children’s own hand writing.
• Making the display bold using varied textures.
• Using brightly coloured backing paper on wall mounts.
• Using themed work together in the display.
• Using different mediums such as fabric, play dough, cardboard models and everyday items as props.
• Ensure all displays are neat.
• Use stencils and have bold headings.
• Laminate finished work.
• Use visual displays.