AnonyMouse_26037 Posted December 12, 2012 Posted December 12, 2012 My head and our advisor have suggested I start 'Have a go' books with my reception class. From their description these are blank books one for each child which they can take and use anywhere in the classroom for whatever mark making they do, noting anything down for problem solving etc. The idea is then that I take them in on a regular basis, look through and date them so that I have an ongoing record of their development in mark making etc. Does anyone else do this? If so, how did you introduce it and how do you maintain their interest/use of them? I'm worried that they won't really 'get' what they're for and also that they'll use them lots for a week or so then they will become just another pile of paper in my classroom. Any help gratefully received!
AnonyMouse_30128 Posted December 12, 2012 Posted December 12, 2012 we have scribble books which are similar. They live in a treasure box in the classroom. Last years group were really in to them this years not so much at the moment.(but they are REALLY young) as we are pre-school i introduced them gradually to those who were in to mark making....when they used them their friends wanted to have a go too
Guest Posted December 12, 2012 Posted December 12, 2012 ooh me too, finlaysmaid how old are your children?
AnonyMouse_30128 Posted December 12, 2012 Posted December 12, 2012 ooh me too, finlaysmaid how old are your children? 2 and a half to 4 + !! we were given a whole load of excercise books so each child has one with their name on the front.
Guest ChunkyMan Posted December 12, 2012 Posted December 12, 2012 I used them last year, the children chose a photo of themselves from a large bank of obs photos and wrote their own name on the front. I kept them by the writing area and they were free to use them for what ever they wanted. They were fab for CI writing evidence. They loved that they could do what they wanted in them (within reason) some filled theirs and some just did a few pages. I just kept highlighting them to the children and showing good examples etc. Cx
Guest ChunkyMan Posted December 12, 2012 Posted December 12, 2012 I am going to introduce them to this year group after Xmas Cx
AnonyMouse_26037 Posted December 12, 2012 Author Posted December 12, 2012 Thanks for the feedback. ChunkyMan - did you just explain them as 'their book that they could do anything in?'
AnonyMouse_1469 Posted December 13, 2012 Posted December 13, 2012 I have been doing this for a couple of years now ( preschool), each child has a pad or book in their drawer and they use them as they see fit. Little ones scrawl, older ones tend to 'make lists' or write their names, or.......write an adventure. I'm not worried what they put in them, I just want them to mark-make or 'write'.
Guest Posted December 13, 2012 Posted December 13, 2012 I like the sound of these books - please give us updates as to how your children take to them. Just a thought, how about also providing some photos of the children, you know the 'spare ones' after staff have printed off photos for learning journey, children could perhaps then be encouraged/supported to recall details of photo and make marks, sticking photo in book also ?
AnonyMouse_79 Posted December 13, 2012 Posted December 13, 2012 Just a thought, how about also providing some photos of the children, you know the 'spare ones' after staff have printed off photos for learning journey, children could perhaps then be encouraged/supported to recall details of photo and make marks, sticking photo in book also ? That sounds like a really good idea, real writing for a purpose!
AnonyMouse_3975 Posted December 13, 2012 Posted December 13, 2012 Like the sound of this. We ave several chidren who love mark making. we have lotsnof note books around and sometimes we don't know who has made the marks.
Guest Posted December 13, 2012 Posted December 13, 2012 We had books like this last year and they did work really well. We didn't start them until after Christmas when most of the children in our Reception Class were beginning to have a go at emergent writing. Will definitely be doing it again this year
AnonyMouse_30128 Posted December 13, 2012 Posted December 13, 2012 just wanted to add that i deliberately didn't put mine around the other mark making areas to try and encourage those 'other' children to get involved!
AnonyMouse_26037 Posted December 13, 2012 Author Posted December 13, 2012 Thanks for yet more feedback - I like the idea of having spare photos that they could stick in. I also like the idea of spreading them around the classroom - could put the ones for the children who spend forever in construction near there, some in the reading corner, some in the role play etc. 1
AnonyMouse_4562 Posted December 13, 2012 Posted December 13, 2012 Hi, I was thinking of doing just this, this year. My idea was to get spiral bound note-pads and put a string through so they could hang on their pegs, in the attempt to encourage and promote their use both indoors and outdoors? Think I will do this after Christmas too. We have always provided little workbooks, both indoors and outdoors and find hardbacked notebooks particularly useful outdoors as they can walk and write! Green Hippo x
Guest Posted December 18, 2012 Posted December 18, 2012 I introduced these Busy books a couple of years ago for everyone they kept them in their drawers when they came in in the morning I gave them the option of using them at the tables instead of looking at books on the carpet. Every seat was full and I'd never seen so many boys writing and drawing mainly ideas for models numbers and friends names. I will introduce after Christmas as I have a big group interested in construction and really imaginative ideas!
Guest Posted December 20, 2012 Posted December 20, 2012 We called ours 'Busy Bee' books, and yes we made a real fuss of children who did work in them. They could do anything in them, mostly drawing and writing, but we did encourage them to try to record their attempts at the provocations around the room. (Talking cans in each area of provision with a challenge - maybe - in Maths area; 'Shake the dice and collect that many bears. Shake again - collect them. How many did you get altogether?) When children had done the task and wanted to show an adult we'd look congratulate and suggest they might add it to their busy book. Sometimes they'd take a picture (if it was a model) or draw what they'd done. Sometimes they'd stick their photo in and write about it. Will be starting mine after Christmas again.
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