Welcome to our coffee morning / afternoon

Why we want to meet... To give feedback from the questionnaire. To provide information on current good practice. To discuss what children are learning in nursery.

Questionnaire feedback Lots of positive feedback on atmosphere, environment, staff and opportunities offered to the children.

Areas of concern raised by parents Changes to group time have left some children lacking a sense of belonging. The children need more adult led activities Folders are not as they used to be. Children may not use the whole nursery My child isn’t learning and may not be prepared for school.

Changes to group time have left some children lacking a sense of belonging. We are on a journey of change and are incorporating the Care Inspectorate guidelines and Midlothian Council. We are using these guidelines and current documentation to tailor our routines and environment to promote best practice.

The children need more adult led activities “play encompasses children’s behaviour which is freely chosen, personally directed and intrinsically motivated. It is performed for no external goal or reward and is a fundamental and integral part of healthy development which seeks to improve play experiences for all children.” National play strategy “The role of the adult is to enable and facilitate play (but not to control it). Adults can create a supportive framework that gives children time, space and permission to play. Adults provide encouragement, support and access to play opportunities which nurture the child’s development and which allow them to encounter challenges appropriate to the individual.” Midlothian Play Strategy.”

Folders are not as they used to be. Folders now reflect individual experiences and from parental feedback we will add what the child may be learning throughout the experience.

Children may not use the whole nursery As children develop their personalities and sense of self there will be areas where they gravitate to more than others. Within the nursery we ensure there is a wealth of resources which can be transported to other areas. E.g. Rulers and pencils etc. in the brick area.

My child isn’t learning and may not be prepared for school. Children are learning all the time in nursery and are practicing skills, negotiating social interactions, investigating environments and developing an understanding of the world around them. Every child’s brain-development-work is done through play. We want all our children to be ready to transition into primary 1 smoothly, with well timed interventions and staff extending learning opportunities the child is cementing their skills in a meaningful, relevant manner for them. Primary 1 is becoming more play focused and learning through play is still very appropriate at this stage.

Learning in the snack area Maths; weighing, measuring counting how many items to take. Money; snack order and counting the children’s contribution. Science; how items mix together and the end product. Where food comes from. Process and product Communication; explaining to each other what needs done. Socialisation; working together, eating together, negotiating. Independence and routines; the routine supports children to practice skills and build confidence.

Learning through arts, crafts and mark making Fine motor skills awareness of self Pre writing skills pencil grip Creativity and imagination Symbolic representation

Learning outside Health and wellbeing; Understanding senses, developing awareness of self Science experiences; Planting; process and product Exploration of our environment, investigation and experimenting Purposeful socialisation; role play, team work, negotiation, problem solving Gross and fine motor skills Risk management; planning and design

Learning in the construction area Maths; measurement, size, shape, weight, balance Fine and gross motor skills Texture and properties; materials and natural resources. Problem solving Imagination Social skills; negotiating, communicating, taking turns, sharing and team work. Planning and design Risk management

Research on learning “Decades of research has shown that play is crucial to physical,  intellectual, and social-emotional development at all ages.  This is especially true of the purest form of play: the unstructured, self-motivated, imaginative, independent kind, where children initiate their own games and even invent their own rules.”  Dr. David Elkind “Babies and children who are allowed uninterrupted play-time are less likely to learn what ‘boredom’ is - they develop creativity, imagination and a concentration span that they take with them to adulthood.” Nature play- The adult role in child led play

Useful documentation which support the changes. Midlothian play Strategy Building the Ambition How Good Is Our Early Learning and Childcare. Curriculum for Excellence Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC)

Questions Any questions?

12 features of play; Tina Bruce 1. Children use first hand experiences from life; 2. Children make up rules as they play in order to keep control. 3. Children symbolically represent as they play, making and adapting play props. 4. Children choose to play - they cannot be made to play. 5. Children rehearse their future in their role play. 6. Children sometimes play alone. 7. Children pretend when they play. 8. Children play with adults and other children cooperatively in pairs or groups. 9. Children have a personal play agenda, which may or may not be shared. 10. Children are deeply involved and difficult to distract from their deep learning as they wallow in their play and learning. 11. Children try out their most recently acquired skills and competences, as if celebrating what they know. 12. Children coordinate ideas and feelings and make sense of relationships with their families, friends and cultures.