Guest Posted January 17, 2004 Share Posted January 17, 2004 Can anybody give me some advice on how I should be delivering literacy in reception. I know we don't have to implement the full hour until the last half term before Y1, but thought we had to cover all the elements throughout the day. I tried in the Autumn term to use the QCA later foundation stage medium planning - but I found it incredibly confusing and not teacher-friendly. I have looked at the Hamilton Trust site, and Literacy Matters sites too - but the tasks set for the more able groups on Hamilton are way beyond anything my children could attempt/achieve. I would like to deliver literacy through our topic work - currently food - so lots of recipes, shopping lists, labels, menues etc. Perhaps covering text work through stories about food - lots of lovely books around. We will be doing lots of role play - speaking and listening activities in our greengrocers and Chinese Restaurant. However, I'm worried that if I do this I may not be covering everything I should. What does everybody else do? If anybody has any thoughts, examples of a literacy medium term plan/weekly plan that they would be willing to share I'd be eternally grateful. I'm beginning to despare - please somebody help Harricroft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 17, 2004 Share Posted January 17, 2004 Can anybody give me some advice on how I should be delivering literacy in reception. I know we don't have to implement the full hour until the last half term before Y1, but thought we had to cover all the elements throughout the day. I tried in the Autumn term to use the QCA later foundation stage medium planning - but I found it incredibly confusing and not teacher-friendly. I have looked at the Hamilton Trust site, and Literacy Matters sites too - but the tasks set for the more able groups on Hamilton are way beyond anything my children could attempt/achieve. I would like to deliver literacy through our topic work - currently food - so lots of recipes, shopping lists, labels, menues etc. Perhaps covering text work through stories about food - lots of lovely books around. We will be doing lots of role play - speaking and listening activities in our greengrocers and Chinese Restaurant. However, I'm worried that if I do this I may not be covering everything I should. What does everybody else do? If anybody has any thoughts, examples of a literacy medium term plan/weekly plan that they would be willing to share I'd be eternally grateful. I'm beginning to despare - please somebody help Harricroft. Your ideas sound brilliant. I personally found the hamilton plans fantastic. Could you not diffrentiate them to meet your needs. I also find it easier to have the hour, 45 minutes. First we do are phonic work, then text then off the kids go to play in well planned areas that link to the topic objective being meant. Small world, role play, etc...and a adult initiated activity. Works well, I do the same for mathematics in the afternoon, then it is free-choice from well planned activities., indoors and out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cat33 Posted January 17, 2004 Share Posted January 17, 2004 Harricroft, we use a mix of both. The first year of the Foundation Stage, we went for play in a big way but, sad to say, we had lots of critisism from Y1. Also rseults were not so good. Ofsted destroyed our confidence further by not liking our free choice from well planned activities in the afternoon. This year, we decided to put lit and num in place far sooner but make it less formal. We do aspect of both lit. and num.and we feel that over the week everything is covered! We do use our topic for lit. and we use abacus maths for num. I think that for now there is no real answer to what is right or wrong on FS2. What is good practise? I am not too sure at the moment. I do believe that the children are the greatest guide and if they are happy and learning, then all is well. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 17, 2004 Share Posted January 17, 2004 Thanks Cinderella and cat33 for your prompt responses. It's great to know there are lots of practitioners out there willing to help. Cinderella, is your adult initiated activity always linked to your text work (like in the Hamilton plans)? I'm having trouble fitting everything in and it seems we're doing lots of bits - but nothing in enough detail. We try to do literacy and numeracy in the morning (plus two P.E. sessions and two laptop sessions a week!!!) and topic work (C.D., K&U etc.) in the afternoon. Perhaps moving numeracy to the afternoon would be better. I also find the children need an adult with them for all areas to get anything decent. Chris - I too was critisised by Ofsted for allowing free choice of planned activities. I was told I should have targetted specific children and directed them to an activity. What happened to child initiated tasks or allowing children to select and use their own resources? I'm confused Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_73 Posted January 17, 2004 Share Posted January 17, 2004 Harricroft, please dont despair, as Crestacat says, so much depends on the children, and even within one school, what works well one year can be a complete disaster the next. You will see from reading around in the frum that there is no definitive 'right' way and many people in recveption still feel caught in some way between the expectations of the early years curriculum and the demands of KS1. Personally we dont have separate plans for literacy and numeracy, never had, and never had had any problems with that when we were inspected. We tend to base out topics around a book or books anywaty, so they lend themselves very well to literacy work. This term we are doing 'bears' and have started with 'Brown bear brown bear what can you see' A great book for the high frequency words ..I can see...... We acknowledge that a lot of literacy is covered through play and self initiated activties but we also do short focussed whole group or small group activities. We dont to a literacy 'hour'. We dont use published plans, although we may borow an idea if we like it. Persoanlly I dont like Hamilton especially the numeracy. Im happy to send you our plans but they are at school at the mo and Im off sick so wont be in for a few days. Keep smiling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_79 Posted January 17, 2004 Share Posted January 17, 2004 OH Mundia, thought you'd been quiet recently or I've been posting in different places! Hope its nothing too serious and that you are feeling better soon. Harricroft, I thinkyou have the same dilemma as all of us. I am having a problem with this at the moment. I have trialled some of the Hamilton plans in my classroom and like you have found them inapproprite but feel that I probably need something quite structured to ensure coverage as I feel that is something I am going to have thrown at me! Adapting plans is also tricky too but sometimes published plans leave me with a "what? why?" feeling. I don't like planning specifically for literacy or numeracy, although I do have a focus each day but find the structured planning formats in NLS restrictive and difficult to appropriately implememt with play based activities. My head is dead against maths or numeracy only mornings so integration isn't a problem. Make sure you offer elements of everything over a week and you'll be ok I think but as I explore this I'll get back to you. Try something different if you fancy, if you don't keep it as you are, as that sounds good to me! Susan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cat33 Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 Mundia, I agree with you about Hamilton trust but I have two reception teachers who need the support it gives. Perhaps by next year, we will be ready to make our own numeracy plans. At least we have got away from an over reliance on sheets! Hope you feel better Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 Mundia, Sorry to hear you're off sick, hope you're soon A1. Thanks for the offer of plans - I really appreciate it. Susan, Integrated day? We have a literacy/numeracy class session (text/phonics) then children go off to 'play' at various other activities - not necessarily lit/num based - while I work with a group. We were asked to do a timetable for Ofsted with subjects and time allocation. We had to put down literacy and numeracy sessions, P.E., laptops, circle time, R.E. so that inspectors knew what they were coming to see - I found that really difficult as it doesn't really work like this when you've got lots of different things going on. I just blocked KU/CD under the umbrella of topic. What does anyone else do!! Harricroft Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_73 Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 Thanks for you good wishes, Im sure Ill be back to normality (whatever that is) soon. Harricroft, Im sorry that you had to do time allocations for your inspection- as you say it isnt really the essence of what teaching in the early years is all about. The more I read on here about OFSTED the more I think what a great team we had- we are quite informal about many thngs but they gave us a glowing report. We didnt even have any planning for the nurserry as it was only the second week of September and we were still settling children. But I am interested in the timetble slot you have called 'laptops' What's that all about? (we have just acquired 1 laptop for the whole of the phase-thats 8staff and 100 chidren) CAt33, you are right about the support that a scheme like hamilton can create. When I was MACO, we 'trialled' the Hamilton plans as everyone said that is saved their planning time, but actually found that the quality of taching went down not up. We put the reason down to the fact that some teachers were not actually thinking about what they were teaching but were simply following the plan, regardless of whether or not it was appropriate. But for some teachers it was a useful 'crutch' until they were condfident enough to say 'I can do better myself'. OOps I seem to have gone into waffling mode.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cat33 Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 Mundia, good point. I agree and will have to monitor what is going on. Can you recommend any other scheme? We tried LCP maths too. I think next year I wull try and use the topic very much more for maths. Fingers crossed nobody leaves and we have the same team. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 Mundia, I'm really interested in the way you plan and wonder if it would be possible for you to email me a copy of your plans as well? I'm an NQT in a reception class and am trying to persuade the powers that be that their expectations including formal literacy and numeracy hours, are not appropriate, particularly since a I have a third of my class EAL, including 3 newies with no English! In addition to their insistances, I am constantly being told that I should be working more in line with the year1 teacher rather than the nursery and so I should have no more than ONE child initiated session a week! Sorry, I seem to have gone off on a rant, but I'm trying to collect together examples of plans from other schools so I can put it to them that they are expecting far too much. annette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_79 Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 Hi Annette, difficult situation you're in here, but don't jepodise your NQT year over it. You are of course right! There are statistics for CI time and observation time and they add up to a good proportion of the working week. Don't know where you can source them though? QCA? Inspection guidelines? Anyone else know? Don't get too despondent. Susan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_79 Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 Yes, Integrated day! with well defined teaching focus identified. Interesting points about the pre published planning, aspects that I hadn't thought about although I do find that the plans need to be considerably ammended which can be as difficult as writing your own if not more so !! The Abacus scheme is easier to use if you purchase it, for some reason! We have Collins Maths in school which has lines that read "Teacher says......." awful!!!!! Susan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 Thanks for your support Susan, I will try to source the info from the places you suggested. As for the abacus maths scheme, while you are SUPPOSED to purchase it, you can download the FS1 and FS2 weekly pdf.'s from http://www.myprimary.co.uk/user.asp?s=16 for free! annette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_73 Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 Cat 33, I cant recommend a scheme personally because we dont use one, but others have already so feel free to take their advice and try some out- even bettter if you can get them for free. We dont use any published plans because we feel straight jacketed by them- we wnat to be free to do what we feel is right as we know the children, and also waht the children's interests are. I suppose Im a bit of a rebel really, I dont want someone else telling me what I should teach, and if I have to spend ages and money buying stuff that I then have to adapt, I think 'what's the point, I could do better myself' But I have been at it over 20 years, Im sure I would have been thrilled with the ease of access to a multitude of good stuff when I was a new teacher. Annette, Im sorry you are having such problems with your 'powers that be'. I do know what that is like. I also teach EAL, almost 100% in fact, and many of our children are not articulate in their HL so we really are starting from very basic language skills. But Susan is also right, dont jeopardise your NQT year over it. Dont you have a phase coordinator who is on your side? And of course I will send plans once I am back at school. Susan I have recently read some research on effective early years education and do rememeber something about the the CI to AI ratio. But I cant remember where, so Ill get back to you on that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 Mundia, again thank you for the support! While the nursery teacher has been very supportive and has very similar feelings about what I am expected to be doing, she too is in the same boat as me - we both have the same phase coordinator - the year 1 teacher! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 Mundia, again thank you for the support! While the nursery teacher has been very supportive and has very similar feelings about what I am expected to be doing, she too is in the same boat as me - we both have the same phase coordinator - the year 1 teacher! You and Susan have both made me feel much more positive aout the situation, just to know that there are other suportive people ou there, thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_79 Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 Annette, thats what we're here for- and a great strength of this site. Keep talking to us and keep your chin up, you are right but you might need to play it carefully and go along with your school abit. Who is your mentor? Do you go on LEA training, is there an early years specialist there you can talk to? What about your head or deputy? You had an interview for this appointment presumably and they choose you so perhaps you have a mission in life after all, perhaps they need you to change the practise? Susan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 mundia, hope you're back at work now (this is a genuine query not a repeat plea for plans - though of course I look forward to seeing them!). In reply to your query - laptops, what's that about - we don't have a computer suite because of lack of space, but we have recently bought 15 laptops for which we have two one hour slots. We don't use them with the whole reception class - usually four laptops and eight children. I have to admit the first half term plus they were a nightmare - children didn't recognise numerals and so logging on was a nightmare, and we don't have plug in mouses (mice!!) and even I find the pressure pads difficult. This term I have given children computer partners - one more able with a child who is less competant - this seems to be working better. I even have two or three computer wizards who sometimes act as trouble shooters for me . The main problem now is find suitable work for them to do on the laptops. This could be a new topic - watch this space Thanks to all for advice on my literacy plea. Harricroft Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 Susan, My mentor is my deputy head, she is the person who is most adamant that I am part of KS1! We have occasional LEA training but it is usually for all primary NQT's, usually there are only 2 other foundation NQT's who attend. I do have regular contact with the LEA EY advisor who has been very supportive (she is also good friends with the nursery teacher which has been of great benefit!) but she when she last came into observe me just before Christmas, she mentioned th issue to my mentor but told me she would 'reassess attitudes' when she returns, thankfully that's now just a week and a half away! I wil let you know how it goes! Annette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_79 Posted January 22, 2004 Share Posted January 22, 2004 Hi Annette, seems to be only 1 response really & that's "oh dear!" FS should be considered as a stage in its own right, not part of KS1 as I'm sure you're more than aware! I hope you can get adequate support from your LEA lady. Don't rock the boat too much to jepodise yourself in anyway and look for a move? Susan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 I have been working hard on my Literacy delivery in Reception and seem to have hit on something rather successful. I had previously been doing pretty much everything described here, but felt frustrated by the delay in children actually getting the knowledge and skills they need to read and write independently. I have found mahy confidence issues with the fact that children just can't read and write - they know they can't and come to school expecting me to teach them - I have actually had children asking 'when are you going to teach me to write?' I have decided to follow a phonics fast and first approach this year to give them the information they need to read and write independently. I spent the first term pretty much doing word work and once the children had been introduced to one spelling for each of the 44 sounds, and used these to practise blending for reading and and segmenting for writing, they had such confidence to read adn write anything and all our literacy work since has been so successful and so exciting. I would really recommend it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 Just reading through this thread again, there was talk about Child initiated/adult initiated ratios. In the autumn term (Reception age) it's meant to be 60% CI time, falling to 40% CI time in the summer time!!! I'm really sorry that I can't point to a proper source for this - if I find something I'll post it. I am pretty certain about this though (I get many a sleepless night worrying about this as in my somewhat formal setting I'm probably squeezing in about 30%!) Dianne xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_79 Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 Jasmine, I agree with you and am happy for you that you are having so much success. I have been following a similar approach but have unfortunately been critisced for not having evidence for the autumn term, evidence in terms of books of writing! and boxes ticked on profile booklets!! I am not going to be swayed on this one but it is demoralising. Keep upthe good work! Susan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 Oh Susan, how frustrating! I wondered if that would happen to me - schools do love to play the evidence game. But it's all so now, now, now! isn't it?? If only they coul just wait for the next couple of terms, when your evidence will be better than it ever would have been had they been expected to 'write' before you had taught them to! Good for you for sticking with it. I did it, you have to be brave but it's worth it. Sadly, this criticism comes from those who really don't know what is possible and what can be achieved instead of what we have all been led to believe for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 7, 2004 Share Posted February 7, 2004 hi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_73 Posted February 7, 2004 Share Posted February 7, 2004 Now that could be the shortest post on record, Cinderella. Clear and to the point.... And hi to you too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted February 7, 2004 Share Posted February 7, 2004 Hi Cinderella! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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