AnonyMouse_22106 Posted September 28, 2014 Posted September 28, 2014 I'm trying to make our rules pictorial rather than just words, which I'm finding is easier said than done One (of what seems to be growing!) rule is; We walk, don't run - but I'm struggling to find a picture suitable for 2/3/4 year olds (preferably of young children) Can anyone help?
AnonyMouse_2157 Posted September 28, 2014 Posted September 28, 2014 (edited) What about a photograph of a child/children walking in your setting? We have done this and it is very effective. We use the phrase 'walking legs' (dropping the negative 'don't run') and remind children of this if we see them breaking into a run inside which is often at the moment! As we have visually impaired children in our setting it is even more important that we emphasise this rule. We also use a large digital photo frame in each group to support children with not only understanding the rules/boundaries within the setting but also to help them to get to know the environment and what is on offer in the different areas. Here's the picture we use for 'Walking legs' but there are lots if you use google images Edited September 28, 2014 by apple 2
AnonyMouse_7120 Posted September 28, 2014 Posted September 28, 2014 We also have walking feet, kind hands and quiet voices, I think as long as staff show the pictures to reinforce what your are wanting children to do it doesn't matter which symbol you choose to represent them...as Apple says some useful ones on google images.
AnonyMouse_22106 Posted September 28, 2014 Author Posted September 28, 2014 We also have walking feet, kind hands and quiet voices, I think as long as staff show the pictures to reinforce what your are wanting children to do it doesn't matter which symbol you choose to represent them...as Apple says some useful ones on google images. Those are my rules too! Just trying to find the images that is the problem, go onto google images and I'm there for hours, it's same when I go on Pinterest :1b 1
AnonyMouse_33773 Posted September 28, 2014 Posted September 28, 2014 Perhaps just pictures of feet, hands and a mouth will be enough as a reminder? 1
AnonyMouse_7120 Posted September 28, 2014 Posted September 28, 2014 Mine are very simple black/white version, I get through a lot of 'kind hands' giving them to parents to reinforce the message at home if we are having un- kind hand issues
AnonyMouse_30128 Posted September 28, 2014 Posted September 28, 2014 ok only my thoughts here........Although i agree with the info here i really don't get the 'kind hands' thing! Perhaps it's having worked with too many children with difficulties over the years but do you explain to your children (until they understand) what 'Kind' is? walking and running are actions quiet and loud are concepts but kind is a subjective word which will mean different things to different people...hence why it is so difficult to find a picture format for it! Personally although i understand that messages can be written in positive ways i have always found that no hitting is the best option in this case. I just use clip art pictures or makaton symbols if i can find appropriate ones 2
AnonyMouse_7120 Posted September 28, 2014 Posted September 28, 2014 (edited) Fair point ....we gently stroke their hand/arm at the same time to try and get the message across with young children, with older we talk about kindness and what they think being kind/ unkind means and how it can make you feel, they pretty much get it....something picked up from some training many moons ago . I like this one ... Edited September 28, 2014 by Mouseketeer
AnonyMouse_30128 Posted September 28, 2014 Posted September 28, 2014 Fair point ....we gently stroke their hand/arm at the same time to try and get the message across with young children, with older we talk about kindness and what they think being kind/ unkind means and how it can make you feel, they pretty much get it....something picked up from some training many moons ago . I like this one ... I tend to avoid stroking hands (get bitten!!!!) and my older ones would be fine if they spoke english! :rolleyes: .....every setting different and if it works then :1b ! (as you can tell i have a very challenging group this year!!)
AnonyMouse_7120 Posted September 28, 2014 Posted September 28, 2014 The difference in where our settings are based I guess Finleysmaid, We are quite rural
AnonyMouse_30128 Posted September 28, 2014 Posted September 28, 2014 The difference in where our settings are based I guess Finleysmaid, We are quite rural I have assumed over the years that settings are like mine....i am beginning to understand that we are a bit more weird than the average! or maybe it's just me :blink: 1
AnonyMouse_39602 Posted September 28, 2014 Posted September 28, 2014 We explain ' kind hands ' at register time and ask the children what do kind hands do? Share , don't hurt , shake hands , give things to each other etc
AnonyMouse_39602 Posted September 28, 2014 Posted September 28, 2014 It's like saying sorry , many children don't understand but just say it 2
AnonyMouse_7120 Posted September 28, 2014 Posted September 28, 2014 Wouldn't it be a fab excercise to swap settings for a day ......well half an hour in your case maybe finleysmaid ;-p, I'm sure it would make myself and my staff realise how easy we have it really compared to some 2
AnonyMouse_1469 Posted September 28, 2014 Posted September 28, 2014 We talk about 'gentle' hands rather than kind ones.
AnonyMouse_30128 Posted September 28, 2014 Posted September 28, 2014 Wouldn't it be a fab excercise to swap settings for a day ......well half an hour in your case maybe finleysmaid ;-p, I'm sure it would make myself and my staff realise how easy we have it really compared to some Any time you like...the only problem is my staff might decide to desert when they realise it's easier elsewhere! 1
AnonyMouse_4562 Posted September 28, 2014 Posted September 28, 2014 I always take photos of the children to display around the rules. We say "we keep our hands and feet to ourselves." If an incident has happened I keep it very simple and state "no hitting/no biting/no kicking etc." I agree that it is good to keep things positive as much as possible and state the desired action. However, having been done some speech and language training, I'm also aware that it is very easy to complicate things for children and lose the actual meaning of the message you are trying to convey by using too much language. Green Hippo x
AnonyMouse_22106 Posted September 28, 2014 Author Posted September 28, 2014 The difference in where our settings are based I guess Finleysmaid, We are quite rural Rural too Mouseketeer :1b I find it interesting sometimes when you are reading replies, to guess whether people are inner city, rural, day nursery, school or playgroup - or is that just me 1
AnonyMouse_11396 Posted September 28, 2014 Posted September 28, 2014 Photos for us, of our children in our setting in black and white. Our album of photos are out daily in our book area.
AnonyMouse_7120 Posted September 28, 2014 Posted September 28, 2014 Rural too Mouseketeer :1b I find it interesting sometimes when you are reading replies, to guess whether people are inner city, rural, day nursery, school or playgroup - or is that just me Not just you, would be lovely to put names to settings and check out each other's web sites, but that would give all our identities away....and when I'm at training and things I often wonder if I might be sitting next to /talking to someone from here....I recently had a child join from 50 odd miles away, looking through previous LJ thought this looks familiar, it was the observation sheets I'd added when EYFS changed ..that was weird lol 5
AnonyMouse_14268 Posted September 28, 2014 Posted September 28, 2014 In my group a couple of years ago I had a child who was unable to control his hands, we tried many strategies but none worked. One day When the child had been kind with hands in a certain situation I used a smiley face inks stamp on the back of his hand. This had a positive effect and used alongside other things had a good effect. I really need some ideas now for a child I am working with now who just cannot control his hands.
AnonyMouse_2846 Posted September 29, 2014 Posted September 29, 2014 we use 'kind hands' and to introduce it we have a chat about what is kind and unkind! We do an activity where the children do handprints and cut them out then on the front during group time we talk about what is kind and unkind we write kind things for eg helped another child put the tap on or tidied up or shared a toy and over the term the staff and children can nominate someone else to get a hand put on the kindness tree (a big twig brought in from outside) we ensure all children get a chance to go on there. But also very effective is we write unkind things the front of these paper hands on discussion for eg snatching hitting throwing toys dropping on the floor and the staff leading will have a bin infront of them 'so what do we do with our unkind hands?' in the bin ofcourse! because noone wants to see unkind behaviour at preschool do they children? the childrens faces indicate that it does register with some and we will often repeat it if we have a spell of 'unkindness' too! 2
Guest Posted October 29, 2014 Posted October 29, 2014 I'm gonna be the devil here We don't have many rules and we don't have one for running, we find at the beginning of the session after welcome time that some children (and that is very few) need 5 to 10 mins of running (I do have a large hall) after that they settle and we have no more We do offer free flow but it is not ready until 9.30-9.45 I shudder at quiet voices Many visitors comment on how peaceful our setting is I have 3 rules, no climbing on the stacks of chairs, no throwing sand (outside), no playing in the lobby as I can't see the children. Being kind, learning to share are not rules they are behaviours that we hopefully teach and I by role modelling, through story telling and general conversations .
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