Planning in The Moment
At Acorns we want to create a sense of Awe and Wonder for each and every child.
Children are born with a natural desire to explore and learn and practitioners at Acorns will support them in this.
We do this by creating an enabling environment, both physical and emotional, and through relationships and interactions that the children experience.
At Acorns we do not do any forward planning – rather we remain ‘in the moment’ with the children and respond immediately.
If a child is concentrating on using a hammer at 2pm on Monday, that is the moment in which a skilful adult can interact with that child and ‘teach’ them how to use the hammer effectively. The child is motivated and interested in that moment and therefore keen to learn. It is recognised that to respond immediately is the most powerful way to teach our youngest children and to do this teaching at a moment when it is relevant to the children in a real situation. To be able to do this we provide opportunities and an environment that stimulates curiosity.
Planning
The cycle of observation, assessment, planning and observation is carried out on a moment-by-moment basis.
We use a Key Person system for every child.
We work in this way because …
“Babies and young children are experiencing and learning in the here and now, not storing up their questions until tomorrow or next week. It is in that moment of curiosity, puzzlement, effort or interest – the ‘teachable moment’ – that the skilful adult makes a difference. By using this cycle on a moment-by-moment basis, the adult will be always alert to individual children (observation), always thinking about what it tells us about the child’s thinking (assessment), and always ready to respond by using appropriate strategies at the right moment to support children’s well-being and learning (planning for the next moment).”
From National Standards document Learning, Playing and Interacting P.22 – 23
The revised EYFS advises us to continue using this document
We have focus children
NOT focus activities.
The adult goes to the child. The child is NOT called to come to the adult.
We work this way because high-level involvement occurs in child-initiated activity.
Progress and Development
When children show high levels of involvement, that is when there is progress and development occurring – when the brain is at its most active. High level involvement occurs most often when children are able to pursue their own interests in an enabling environment supported by skilled staff. Planning in the moment helps to make this possible.
An Enabling Environment
We have a workshop style environment indoors and outside. Minimum items are set out on the tables. The children select what they want to do in each area. Due to us having two year olds, we do sometimes put out some toys/activities.
The principal is that resources are accessible to the children and they are varied, open-ended and high quality.
This gives children the opportunity to select resources to support their chosen activity.
The Role Of The Adult
The adults are there to facilitate learning. They do this through observations and interactions.
Our adults know the children very well and have a sound understanding of child development. This ensures that the adults enhance and extend the learning at the appropriate level.
The Ofsted definition of teaching (2015) fits exactly with our way of planning and teaching – in the moment.
Ofsted definition of teaching (2015)
Teaching should not be taken to imply a ‘top down’ or formal way of working. It is a broad term which covers the many different ways in which adults help young children learn. It includes their interactions with children during planned and child-initiated play and activities: communicating and modelling language, showing, explaining, demonstrating, exploring ideas, encouraging, questioning, recalling, providing a narrative for what they are doing, facilitating and setting challenges. It takes account of the equipment they provide and the attention to the physical environment as well as the structure and routines of the day that establish expectations. Integral to teaching is how practitioners assess what children know, understand and can do as well as take account of their interests and dispositions to learning (characteristics of effective learning), and use this information to plan children’s next steps in learning and monitor their progress.’
Three Characteristics of Effective Learning (Revised EYFS)
Playing and Exploring – do they investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’?
Learning Actively – do they concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements?
Creating and Thinking Critically – do they have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.
With a system of focus children, a workshop style environment and records kept on spontaneous planning sheets and learning journeys, the children are learning effectively all the time!!
Intent
To nurture and enrich each unique, individual child through playful experiences in a warm, safe and caring setting.
Implement
Pedagogy
- Loving and caring
- Learning through play
- Understanding how children develop and learn (theory and approaches)
- An ever evolving, child centred environment
Curriculum
- Knowing each child, their stage of development and their interests
- Covering the 7 educational programmes (EYFS)
- Following each child’s individual interests (cultural celebrations, special days, seasons, the world around us)
Impact
We will have developed happy, kind, confident, well rounded children who are ready to transition onto the next chapter in their lives with a willingness to learn