Planning for mixed age groups

[AnonyMouse_35585]

Hi all,

 

We have a mixed age group of children at our setting from very high level 3yr olds to very low level 2 year olds.

 

I am finding it difficult to plan activities for our little ones as they seem so low in terms of development. I've planned their next steps but since they come back after the summer and the couple of new ones we had, I think I may have set them too high (only 16-26 month age bracket). I think it is more the fact that they want to explore all the new things around them instead of doing a set activity.

 

Our improvement advisor said that we should do an adult led activity every session, based on children's next steps/interests.

 

Do you plan adult led activities for your little ones?

 

Also, do you plan a different adult led activity for your older ones?

[AnonyMouse_33773]

Our adult led activities tend to happen as part of our routine, such as circle times, meal times and story time and the various practical things we do as part of our day. The activities are generally so broad so some of every child's next steps are covered. For example younger may learn to eat using a spoon and older ones to coordinate knife and fork, or younger ones to sit still and focus attention in one direction and older ones to understand how a story is constructed. Younger dress to themselves with help and older ones independently. Examples of other adult led activities that contain differentiated challenges are e.g. older ones copying sound patterns whilst the younger ones explore sounds. If we initiate the construction of an obstacle course, the little ones learn to balance holding an adult's hand and older ones balance by themselves.

Edited September 21, 2013 by Wildflowers

[AnonyMouse_11396]

No we certainly wouldn't be planning any next steps, but settling them into our setting, looking at the child's interests and the way they currently access and play with the resources at this part of the new term, and generally getting to know them, or reaffirm what we already know about them, noting any changes.

That doesn't mean we are not observing friendships forming, play developing but just not making any assessments.

Adult led for us at the moment would possibly be settling including some toileting care, snack time, lunch club, story time, song time.

[AnonyMouse_35585]

No we certainly wouldn't be planning any next steps, but settling them into our setting, looking at the child's interests and the way they currently access and play with the resources at this part of the new term, and generally getting to know them, or reaffirm what we already know about them, noting any changes.

That doesn't mean we are not observing friendships forming, play developing but just not making any assessments.

Adult led for us at the moment would possibly be settling including some toileting care, snack time, lunch club, story time, song time.

 

That's what I thought, but didn't know if that was enough! We are due Ofsted anytime and want everything to be right :1b

Edited September 21, 2013 by klc106

[AnonyMouse_11396]

Are you pleased with how it's going?. Are your children settled and happy, engaged in purposeful play, then I certainly wouldn't be worried about the rest.

As long as you can show a mix of child initiated play and adult led and give the rationale behind your thinking I'm sure you would be fine.

I think it's more important to show next steps in terms of opportunities available in your setting, obviously the goal for us is for them to achieve them, but for the children it should be all about the experiences we provide through play.

Hope this makes sense.

[AnonyMouse_31752]

We have changed this term. We used to go with children's interests etc... but we would plan an activity and differentiate but the activity was still the same thing. So for example it might have been a craft activity so although you would respect different levels of ability it would be the same craft activity. We don't do this now we look at the skill they may need or what we want to teach and take it to them. So you could teach the same skill at five in five different ways at five different activities. This becomes our adult led (we use the term to mean that the adult is there to extend and facilitate but not always to invent or plan the play) the adult is still there to maximise learning opportunities and progress is improved as we are catching more children with what they are into. Does this help?

[AnonyMouse_33773]

This becomes our adult led (we use the term to mean that the adult is there to extend and facilitate but not always to invent or plan the play) the adult is still there to maximise learning opportunities and progress is improved as we are catching more children with what they are into.

We do this - facilitating learning in appropriate situations as relevant to individual children's stages of ability and what they are about to learn, but didn't think of it 'adult-led' learning. I must have muddled up adult-led with adult-initiated, such as learning provided through our adult-planned routines and adult-provided activities.

[AnonyMouse_834]

Can I ask how you record your adult led activities for the day as that's the bit we are struggling with (planning doc)

 

Also does each key person do activities for their key children each day or is there just one activity per day?

 

We just seem to find it hard to 'fit' activities in

Thanks

[AnonyMouse_33773]

An Ofsted inspector called what we do "retrospective planning" - writing on a white board displayed to parents
at the end of the day (could be sent via e-mail) the learning opportunities that had been available to all children during the session, e.g. an adult turning a log over and encouraging children to observe and talk about what was there, e.g. the adult sharing knowledge about woodlice and stimulating thinking about why the plants are yellow and not green. Today I brought large blunt needles and thick cotton in case any child wanted to thread rose hips, which many did. I also spontaneously started to draw shapes on a plank with chalk and initiated and led a discussion about their differences. We painted a large picture on wall paper lining in the afternoon, to put onto the wall. Example of adult led activities are also those that are part of our daily routine, such as shared story making, taking turns adding a part to the plot. Thinking about it, we have quite a lot of adult led activities going on, but they simple seem to happen following the mood, discoveries and resources available. Not sure if I've answered your question though...

Edited September 26, 2013 by Wildflowers

[AnonyMouse_31752]

To be honest if we do a specific activity as a starter that would be on planning but with everything else we kind of don't really. We have the objectives we are working towards every week. Some of the children's observations may show the adult input. Essentially though we look more at demonstrating child progress and engagement rather than adult led activities. Or at least this is our new way. We do analysis the way the provision went the week before so some of it is implicit in that.

 

We don't work in key groups in our setting it just doesn't work for us we are in an open plan hall and everybody is in together, the children happily engage with all adults although they do still have 'preferences' lol