Ok, there, I’ve said it – let’s talk about death. Not a nice subject and very emotive but sometimes it has to be discussed...
The death of a loved one – the death of a childminded child’s parent – the death of a young child – the death of a family member or beloved pet. How do you deal with it? What do you say? How do you explain what has happened? How do you prepare children if you know death is imminent? What about sudden unexpected death – the parent who does not arrive to collect their child? How do you cope with death and the aftermath?
We all have our own coping mechanisms and ways of managing. We all say different things to children about death depending on our individual beliefs.
However, when we are caring for a childminded child and someone or a pet dies, many childminders struggle to know what to say and do next. They don’t want to offend the child’s family but at the same time they need to stay true to their own beliefs.
…………
It is important that we raise the subject of death with children. This can begin very early when they start to understand the seasons and the passing of time – they learn that flowers and trees die in the autumn and grow again in spring. Children can then start to learn through conversation and discussion that while this happens to flowers and trees it does not happen when people or animals die.
Do you have a fish tank? Fish die quite regularly and the children will quickly learn that death means they disappear from the tank. They can be replaced with new fish of course – which you cannot do when a grandma or favourite uncle dies. Similarly, a much loved family dog might die and a little while later the children will be excitedly choosing a new puppy … so again, we need to support children as they learn that the death of fish and animals, like plants, is slightly different to the death of a person.
However, there are so many euphemisms for death – passing over, visiting the angels, resting in the sky, with the stars, gone to sleep - are just a few. These might be very confusing for a child and may lead the child to think that the dead person is coming back just like the flowers! They might think the dead person is visiting heaven like they visit the zoo and be waiting for them to reappear.
It is important to talk to the children’s parents about what they are saying to their child about the death – and to emphasise the importance of finality in the words that are used. A dead person, unlike a tree, plant, replaced fish etc is not coming back.
…………
Talking to parents
We must always ask parents what they might want us to say about death. Yes, I know, this is not an easy subject to raise and some families might feel awkward if their feelings about death have been repressed or confused over the years.
However, they should respect your need to understand how they are dealing with the subject at home. For example, do the family believe in heaven or an afterlife? Do they believe that they will come back as animals or insects? Do they teach their children that death is final or a journey to another world?
You also need to find out how the family are managing the death. Are there lots of relatives in the house crying all day? Has the child’s routine been completely disrupted? Are they going to be more tired than normal? How might the family’s grief impact on the child? Sometimes, struggling through the day is the best you will manage to achieve in the early stages of grieving.
Explain to parents that you need to know these things so you do not confuse the child. If they are reticent to tell you, reinforce that your job is to put their child’s needs first and, to do that, you need to understand their child’s life at home.
…………
Get in touch with your own emotions
Think about how you deal with death – this will be linked to your life experiences and the ways death has been explained to you. If you are in touch with your own feelings on the subject you will be better placed to support the child. If you need help, ask for it! Nobody hands out medals to childminders who are struggling to cope with something and end up ill as a result – we all need to ask for help from time to time.
There are clear and defined stages of grieving that everyone – children and adults – go through when they learn that someone has died. This is a good link which explains it very sensitively - http://singleparents.about.com/od/communicatingwiththekids/a/stages_of_grief.htm.
…………
Teaching and learning opportunities
Respecting the feelings of others is an important part of helping children to cope with death. If they do not understand why someone is crying then they will not be able to stop themselves from saying or doing things that might cause others hurt. Some children do laugh when you talk about death – but this might simply be their coping mechanism if they feel uncomfortable or anxious in a situation. If you know the child well you will be able to support them through their reaction and help them to manage their own feelings of awkwardness or repressed grief.
Ask for a photo or small memories of the dead person which you can keep in a special little booklet or decorated memory box for the child to look at during the day. It is important that children are allowed to remain in contact with the dead person and they will find it comforting. It will also help them to grieve in a supportive environment with lots of time, conversation and cuddles available to them.
Helping children to learn about their emotions is a key part of PSED as we teach children to verbalise how they are feeling. Resources such as books, feelings fans, posters, drawings, mirrors etc will all support children to talk about their feelings rather than hold them in or hide them. Similarly, children (all children – boys and girls) need to know that it is ok to cry. I’ve heard parents say - often to boys – ‘don’t cry, be a big man’ – but crying is good and cathartic and part of the grieving process. This enforced repression of emotions should be avoided.
Next time you spot a dead bird or animal don’t walk past – stop and talk to the children about it. Show them that the bird is dead – it is not moving and will never fly again. If they are interested or they have some experience of death in their family, they might ask to bury the bird – it would be good if you can support this extension of their interest by maybe saying some prayers (within the child’s belief system) or some comforting words before moving on.
If children say something that upsets you about the death of a loved one, be ready with some activities to support their understanding. They are not being deliberately cruel, they simply do not have the capacity to deal with crying adults or half stories about angels and heaven. Even young children can be supported to understand that they need to show understanding of the needs of others – a little empathy with some sympathy thrown in can make a big difference. A 3 / 4 year old should have enough understanding of how to behave so that others are not upset by their actions after a 3 or 4 year focus on PSE development as required by the EYFS.
…………
Books to support learning
There are lots of books on Amazon or Play.com such as –
• Everybody Feels Sad by Jane Bingham (Crabtree)
• Granddad’s Bench by Addy Farmer (Walker)
• Water Bugs and Dragonflies by Doris Stickney (Looking Up)
• Badger’s Parting Gifts by Susan Varley (Andersen)
• Always and Forever by Alan Durant (Picture Corgi)
And many more … your library should be able to recommend some good ones.
…………
Resources to support learning
Many childminders have an empathy doll who talks to the children about difficult situations in their lives. The doll sits on the shelf watching the children – rather than playing directly with them – and comes down from the shelf to chat.
An empathy doll is very useful in these situations because s/he can share stories with the children and listen to them or give them a hug when they need one – especially if you are busy dealing with other children and the child cannot wait for support – or if you are struggling with your own emotions and need a moment to collect yourself.
…………
Keep talking
It is important that you keep talking about the person who has died. Just because they are not here any more does not mean they have vanished from the child’s memory. Observe the child and if they seem to be struggling during the day, give them a quiet, cosy place to go and daydream – children do not need to be distracted all the time with activities and singing and dancing and games – sometimes they need time to sit quietly and grieve.
Children’s behaviour can often be affected when they are grieving and it is important that you have systems in place to support them. Make sure they understand that while the inappropriate behaviour is not and will never be acceptable you understand why it is happening and you are always there for them.
And… remember… if you are struggling, ask your colleagues for confidential support. You don’t have to deal with it on your own.
Mini e-book 51 from www.knutsfordchildminding.co.uk discusses offering end of life care for childminded children.
Sarah x
Friday, 7 February 2014
Thursday, 6 February 2014
Observations and the EYFS
There are lots of different types of observations and they serve different purposes.
Typical observation sheets offer you the option of filling in a series of boxes and can be useful as prompts. However, you do not have to use them – and if they don’t make any sense to you or there are boxes that are never filled in, change them to something that you feel more comfortable using.
For example, if your observation sheet has a gap for ‘parent comments’ and they never write anything – why set yourself up for a fall? Remove the box and ask them verbally for feedback which you can write on their behalf.
There are lots of reasons why you might want to write an observation such as to find out –
• The child’s current interests;
• How they interact with other children;
• The child’s learning styles – characteristics of learning ;
• What the child has learned by asking questions and watching their play closely to see how it has developed over time;
• What they know and you need to teach them next;
• Whether the child likes or dislikes something;
• Whether the child is happy or sad / involved or disengaged;
• How they interact with other adults;
• Where they prefer to play so you can support their learning in other areas;
• Whether behaviour is linked to a time of day, play with another child etc.
You might just want to write a short observation –
Jack makes a tower with 3 bricks.
EYO link – physical development (handling)
Ideas for next steps – build more towers with jack to support his interest. Maybe use Lego as well.
…………
You can focus on Jack’s learning at home –
After mum said that Jack really enjoyed playing with the bricks at the weekend, we got them out here. He made a tower with 3 bricks.
EYO link – PSED (following Jack’s interests)
Ideas for next steps – find out more about what Jack enjoys doing at home and plan some activities to link into his interests.
…………
You can write a long observation to look at what Jack did in more detail – this is often called a focussed / narrative observation –
Jack was playing with the bricks. He carefully selected 3 of the same size and shape (maths) and made a tower with them (PD). Jack pointed to the tower and started making counting noises using some of his new counting words – one, two (maths / C & L). I sat with Jack and we counted together using his counting finger to point at the bricks. Jack started laughing and knocked the bricks down with a big shout (PSED)!
Jack is learning about / EYO link…
Next steps activities to extend Jack’s learning might include…
…………
If Jack has done something new for the first time you might write a WOW observation to share with parents –
WOW! Jack made a tower today!
He has never played with the bricks before!
He was so proud of himself and we all clapped
…………
Some childminders use time sample observations to look at parts of a child’s day and note what they are playing with and what areas of provision they might need extra support to access –
9 – 905 – Jack came in happily, greeted his friends and went to read a book.
905 – 915 – Jack was invited to join us to welcome everyone, sign the register, talk about the day and weather and sing our ‘hello’ song. We had also planned to read a story. Jack got up and wandered off very quickly.
915 – 930 – we had a planned activity building some towers in the construction area. Jack was busy with the playdough but he did come over and play with the bricks – he made a tower with 3 bricks.
Etc…
You only need to look at a short part of Jack’s day to know you are not meeting his needs during the group session… he enjoys playdough… he likes adult led activities as well if they interest him!
…………
Your observations might include the child’s learning characteristics –
Jack made a tower with 3 bricks, counted out the bricks, knocked it down and re-made it – we have noticed that he is concentrating for longer during his play when it interests him and that he is making lots of towers and lines of toys.
Links to learning characteristic – Jack is learning using a trajectory (straight line) schema.
…………
Some childminders – but mostly group providers – carry out group observations to see how a group of children are learning or interacting.
It is not easy to maintain confidentiality if you do group observations and I tend to do them in my head rather than recording the information.
I then use what I have seen to plan my days better, for example –
• If a 3 year old needs my attention to make a model and the baby wants milk, I might decide to organise model making while baby is asleep…
• If a 4 year old needs to read his book after school and the little ones need attention at the same time, I might read the older child’s book while the little ones are having their tea with my assistant.
…………
An observation might link a child’s learning in another setting –
Jack’s pre-school key worker told me that he really enjoyed using the blocks today so we got out our big blocks in the garden. Jack….
EYO link – physical development (handling) or maybe maths (counting) depending on the focus of your observation.
…………
You should aim for a range of different types of observations through the months. This will keep your Learning Journey files interesting and will stop you getting bored!
For a part time child I try and write a range of observations from different settings as well - 1 x inside the house… 1 x in the garden… 1 x on an outing… 1 x from home… 1 x from another setting (if relevant). This will give you a good overall view of the child / what the child can do / what the child is learning / how the child learns etc which you can feed into the child’s individual planning.
I have written an e-book about observations including lots of ideas and sample documentation - it is e-book 14 and you can buy it from www.knutsfordchildminding.co.uk.
Thank you. Sarah x
Typical observation sheets offer you the option of filling in a series of boxes and can be useful as prompts. However, you do not have to use them – and if they don’t make any sense to you or there are boxes that are never filled in, change them to something that you feel more comfortable using.
For example, if your observation sheet has a gap for ‘parent comments’ and they never write anything – why set yourself up for a fall? Remove the box and ask them verbally for feedback which you can write on their behalf.
There are lots of reasons why you might want to write an observation such as to find out –
• The child’s current interests;
• How they interact with other children;
• The child’s learning styles – characteristics of learning ;
• What the child has learned by asking questions and watching their play closely to see how it has developed over time;
• What they know and you need to teach them next;
• Whether the child likes or dislikes something;
• Whether the child is happy or sad / involved or disengaged;
• How they interact with other adults;
• Where they prefer to play so you can support their learning in other areas;
• Whether behaviour is linked to a time of day, play with another child etc.
You might just want to write a short observation –
Jack makes a tower with 3 bricks.
EYO link – physical development (handling)
Ideas for next steps – build more towers with jack to support his interest. Maybe use Lego as well.
…………
You can focus on Jack’s learning at home –
After mum said that Jack really enjoyed playing with the bricks at the weekend, we got them out here. He made a tower with 3 bricks.
EYO link – PSED (following Jack’s interests)
Ideas for next steps – find out more about what Jack enjoys doing at home and plan some activities to link into his interests.
…………
You can write a long observation to look at what Jack did in more detail – this is often called a focussed / narrative observation –
Jack was playing with the bricks. He carefully selected 3 of the same size and shape (maths) and made a tower with them (PD). Jack pointed to the tower and started making counting noises using some of his new counting words – one, two (maths / C & L). I sat with Jack and we counted together using his counting finger to point at the bricks. Jack started laughing and knocked the bricks down with a big shout (PSED)!
Jack is learning about / EYO link…
Next steps activities to extend Jack’s learning might include…
…………
If Jack has done something new for the first time you might write a WOW observation to share with parents –
WOW! Jack made a tower today!
He has never played with the bricks before!
He was so proud of himself and we all clapped
…………
Some childminders use time sample observations to look at parts of a child’s day and note what they are playing with and what areas of provision they might need extra support to access –
9 – 905 – Jack came in happily, greeted his friends and went to read a book.
905 – 915 – Jack was invited to join us to welcome everyone, sign the register, talk about the day and weather and sing our ‘hello’ song. We had also planned to read a story. Jack got up and wandered off very quickly.
915 – 930 – we had a planned activity building some towers in the construction area. Jack was busy with the playdough but he did come over and play with the bricks – he made a tower with 3 bricks.
Etc…
You only need to look at a short part of Jack’s day to know you are not meeting his needs during the group session… he enjoys playdough… he likes adult led activities as well if they interest him!
…………
Your observations might include the child’s learning characteristics –
Jack made a tower with 3 bricks, counted out the bricks, knocked it down and re-made it – we have noticed that he is concentrating for longer during his play when it interests him and that he is making lots of towers and lines of toys.
Links to learning characteristic – Jack is learning using a trajectory (straight line) schema.
…………
Some childminders – but mostly group providers – carry out group observations to see how a group of children are learning or interacting.
It is not easy to maintain confidentiality if you do group observations and I tend to do them in my head rather than recording the information.
I then use what I have seen to plan my days better, for example –
• If a 3 year old needs my attention to make a model and the baby wants milk, I might decide to organise model making while baby is asleep…
• If a 4 year old needs to read his book after school and the little ones need attention at the same time, I might read the older child’s book while the little ones are having their tea with my assistant.
…………
An observation might link a child’s learning in another setting –
Jack’s pre-school key worker told me that he really enjoyed using the blocks today so we got out our big blocks in the garden. Jack….
EYO link – physical development (handling) or maybe maths (counting) depending on the focus of your observation.
…………
You should aim for a range of different types of observations through the months. This will keep your Learning Journey files interesting and will stop you getting bored!
For a part time child I try and write a range of observations from different settings as well - 1 x inside the house… 1 x in the garden… 1 x on an outing… 1 x from home… 1 x from another setting (if relevant). This will give you a good overall view of the child / what the child can do / what the child is learning / how the child learns etc which you can feed into the child’s individual planning.
I have written an e-book about observations including lots of ideas and sample documentation - it is e-book 14 and you can buy it from www.knutsfordchildminding.co.uk.
Thank you. Sarah x
Wednesday, 18 December 2013
Jury Service and childminders
Everyone aged between 18 and 70 (soon to be raised to 75) in England is eligible for jury service. Many people see it as an honour to be called for jury service and will love the opportunity to see first hand how the court system works.
However, some childminders will be concerned about the impact of taking 2 or more weeks off work - on their own families, on the children for whom they care and their families and on their income.
Everyone who is called for jury service will receive a letter informing them that they can apply for discretionary excusal and, if you have a good enough reason, then you might be excused.
If you do not want to take part in jury service, you should fill in the form giving your reasons for why you would like an excusal and send it back to the Jury Central Summoning Bureau as quickly as possible.
Reasons for excusal might include -
• You have a holiday booked (and paid for)
• You have an operation scheduled / you would be recovering from an operation during the weeks when you have been called / your child is scheduled for an operation and there is no one else available to care for them
• You have an academic exam due
• You are pregnant and have severe morning sickness / you are due to give birth at the time of the jury service / you are breastfeeding a small baby
• Your child has a serious medical condition such as diabetes and you would struggle to find a childcarer who could administer medication through the day
• It would severely disrupt the care of your own children because they are very young - you might not have a partner or your partner might not be able to take time off work to care for your children
• You are sole carer for an elderly relative - a job which you combine with your childminding. The relative would have to go into a home, your own children would need to be sent to a childcarer and all this combined with the disruption to your childminded children and families and the loss of income from childminding would leave you in serious financial trouble - for example, you would not be able to pay the mortgage or bills
• You childmind for lots of children every day whose parents will struggle to find alternative care. If possible, ask parents to give you a letter which you can send along with your form explaining the impact you being called for jury service will have on them and their children.
• You childmind for disabled / SEN or other disadvantaged children and it will be a huge upheaval for them if they have to go elsewhere
• You have a stress related medical condition which you manage while childminding but which you are very worried will recur if you have to go through the worry of sending your own children to a childminder and re-organising 5 / 6 / 7 childminded children with other childcarers for an unlimited period of time
• Outcomes for the your own and the childminded children will be severely affected by the children being split up and sent to lots of different childcarers
• You have a medical condition, for example a bad back which means that you are unable to sit all day. You manage this while childminding but you are very concerned about the effect it will have on you if you have to sit in a jury box
• You live in a rural area and alternative childcare options for parents to access are very limited
• You have spoken to childminder colleagues who live nearby and none of them have enough vacancies to take a family of 2 / 3 children. Parents will find it difficult and children will find it traumatic if they have to be split up between different childcarers
• It will be very difficult to re-settle 5 / 6 / 7 (or more) children back into your care if you have to take a lot of weeks off - maybe you only ever have 2 weeks off a year because you value continuity of care for the children very highly
• It is against your religion to judge another person - the bible states, ‘Judge not, that ye be not judged’ (Matthew 7 verse 1)
• Jury service can continue for many weeks and this will affect you very seriously financially as you are a single parent / your family cannot survive without your childminding income
Note - there is some funding available if you have to use a childminder for your own children while you are on jury service so you cannot use lack of funds to pay for a childminder as a reason for excusal.
If they refuse to excuse you...
If you are refused excusal, you have the right to appeal. In some cases childminders are asked when they can attend - and have no alternative but to offer to do jury service on the weeks they have taken as holiday so their partners are at home to look after their own children.
If you are again refused excusal, you will have to attend - you can be fined up to £1000 if you refuse.
Claiming back expenses
If you do have to attend jury service, there is some financial remuneration available, but Government payments are capped. You might be able to claim -
• Reasonable travel expenses (not parking)
• Food costs - either from a canteen or a reasonable amount to eat elsewhere
• Loss of earnings - this payment is capped (currently at £64.95 a day for over 4 hours service). If you have to stay on jury service for longer than 2 weeks the amount increases.
Some childminders have been asked to take proof of earnings to the court service and have been paid based on these - however, available information suggests that this has changed. The court service will help you to claim your full amount. You can find more information about claiming here
Insurance and expenses
If you are insured by Morton Michel your policy (underwritten by DAS) states, ‘We will pay the attendance expenses of an insured person for jury service’ (page 20).
Morton Michel childminder insurance schedule
Attendance expenses are stated to be, ‘The insured person’s salary or wages for the time that the insured person is off work to attend any arbitration, court or tribunal hearing at the request of the representative or while attending jury service. DAS will pay for each half or whole day that the court, tribunal or the insured person’s employer will not pay for.‘ (page 32).
As childminders are not employed - but this statement is part of the insurance schedule for childminders - I suggest that you contact Morton Michel for further information.
For more advice you can contact the Jury Central Summoning Bureau - 0207 202 6800.
You can also find more information here - https://www.gov.uk/jury-service/overview.
This is not a statement of law I am simply sharing best practice. You should always contact the jury service direct for clarification. Blog information can go out of date.
Sarah
However, some childminders will be concerned about the impact of taking 2 or more weeks off work - on their own families, on the children for whom they care and their families and on their income.
Everyone who is called for jury service will receive a letter informing them that they can apply for discretionary excusal and, if you have a good enough reason, then you might be excused.
If you do not want to take part in jury service, you should fill in the form giving your reasons for why you would like an excusal and send it back to the Jury Central Summoning Bureau as quickly as possible.
Reasons for excusal might include -
• You have a holiday booked (and paid for)
• You have an operation scheduled / you would be recovering from an operation during the weeks when you have been called / your child is scheduled for an operation and there is no one else available to care for them
• You have an academic exam due
• You are pregnant and have severe morning sickness / you are due to give birth at the time of the jury service / you are breastfeeding a small baby
• Your child has a serious medical condition such as diabetes and you would struggle to find a childcarer who could administer medication through the day
• It would severely disrupt the care of your own children because they are very young - you might not have a partner or your partner might not be able to take time off work to care for your children
• You are sole carer for an elderly relative - a job which you combine with your childminding. The relative would have to go into a home, your own children would need to be sent to a childcarer and all this combined with the disruption to your childminded children and families and the loss of income from childminding would leave you in serious financial trouble - for example, you would not be able to pay the mortgage or bills
• You childmind for lots of children every day whose parents will struggle to find alternative care. If possible, ask parents to give you a letter which you can send along with your form explaining the impact you being called for jury service will have on them and their children.
• You childmind for disabled / SEN or other disadvantaged children and it will be a huge upheaval for them if they have to go elsewhere
• You have a stress related medical condition which you manage while childminding but which you are very worried will recur if you have to go through the worry of sending your own children to a childminder and re-organising 5 / 6 / 7 childminded children with other childcarers for an unlimited period of time
• Outcomes for the your own and the childminded children will be severely affected by the children being split up and sent to lots of different childcarers
• You have a medical condition, for example a bad back which means that you are unable to sit all day. You manage this while childminding but you are very concerned about the effect it will have on you if you have to sit in a jury box
• You live in a rural area and alternative childcare options for parents to access are very limited
• You have spoken to childminder colleagues who live nearby and none of them have enough vacancies to take a family of 2 / 3 children. Parents will find it difficult and children will find it traumatic if they have to be split up between different childcarers
• It will be very difficult to re-settle 5 / 6 / 7 (or more) children back into your care if you have to take a lot of weeks off - maybe you only ever have 2 weeks off a year because you value continuity of care for the children very highly
• It is against your religion to judge another person - the bible states, ‘Judge not, that ye be not judged’ (Matthew 7 verse 1)
• Jury service can continue for many weeks and this will affect you very seriously financially as you are a single parent / your family cannot survive without your childminding income
Note - there is some funding available if you have to use a childminder for your own children while you are on jury service so you cannot use lack of funds to pay for a childminder as a reason for excusal.
If they refuse to excuse you...
If you are refused excusal, you have the right to appeal. In some cases childminders are asked when they can attend - and have no alternative but to offer to do jury service on the weeks they have taken as holiday so their partners are at home to look after their own children.
If you are again refused excusal, you will have to attend - you can be fined up to £1000 if you refuse.
Claiming back expenses
If you do have to attend jury service, there is some financial remuneration available, but Government payments are capped. You might be able to claim -
• Reasonable travel expenses (not parking)
• Food costs - either from a canteen or a reasonable amount to eat elsewhere
• Loss of earnings - this payment is capped (currently at £64.95 a day for over 4 hours service). If you have to stay on jury service for longer than 2 weeks the amount increases.
Some childminders have been asked to take proof of earnings to the court service and have been paid based on these - however, available information suggests that this has changed. The court service will help you to claim your full amount. You can find more information about claiming here
Insurance and expenses
If you are insured by Morton Michel your policy (underwritten by DAS) states, ‘We will pay the attendance expenses of an insured person for jury service’ (page 20).
Morton Michel childminder insurance schedule
Attendance expenses are stated to be, ‘The insured person’s salary or wages for the time that the insured person is off work to attend any arbitration, court or tribunal hearing at the request of the representative or while attending jury service. DAS will pay for each half or whole day that the court, tribunal or the insured person’s employer will not pay for.‘ (page 32).
As childminders are not employed - but this statement is part of the insurance schedule for childminders - I suggest that you contact Morton Michel for further information.
For more advice you can contact the Jury Central Summoning Bureau - 0207 202 6800.
You can also find more information here - https://www.gov.uk/jury-service/overview.
This is not a statement of law I am simply sharing best practice. You should always contact the jury service direct for clarification. Blog information can go out of date.
Sarah
Tuesday, 8 October 2013
Unsupervised children, childminders and Ofsted
EYFS 2012 requirement 3.27 states - ‘Children must usually be within sight and hearing of staff and always within sight or hearing.’ The EYFS framework covers the legal requirements for all early years providers who care for children from birth to starting year 1 at school.
The Childcare Register (legal requirements from birth to 17) does not contain legislation about leaving children unsupervised and there are no laws which state the minimum age at which a child can be left unaccompanied. However, the NSPCC states that ‘it is an offence to leave a child alone when doing so puts the child at risk.’
To clarify the age of a ‘child’, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that a child ‘means every human being below the age of 18 years unless, under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier’.
I have recently been asked to support 2 childminders from different areas of the country who have received safeguarding actions from Ofsted inspectors who judged them to have left children unsupervised because they have not kept children within sight and hearing at all times -
• One childminder was actioned during her inspection because she let one child outside to play and then changed another child’s nappy inside the house - the inspector said that the child playing outside was not within her sight (and was unlikely to be within her hearing) at all times.
• One childminder was actioned as the result of a complaint because, during a visit to the park, someone informed Ofsted she did not have all the children in her hearing (and possibly sight) because they ran off to play.
A further inspection outcome has come to light recently where the childminder went to the toilet during her Ofsted inspection and the inspector was unhappy that the children were left unsupervised during this time - she said that the childminder should have taken the children with her.
If we are honest, there might well be lots of times when children are quite possibly out of our sight and / or hearing during the day - when we go to the toilet or take another child to the toilet is probably the most common, but also (obviously depending on the layout of your house and garden) -
• Outings to the park when children run off in all directions
• Essential jobs - taking a nappy outside / making a drink / preparing food / answering the door etc while the children are in the playroom
• Leaving the table to get something from the kitchen while children are eating
• Going inside / taking a child to the toilet while other children are playing in the garden
• Taking a child upstairs for nap time or checking a sleeping child upstairs
• Changing nappies if the nappy changing area is in a separate part of the house
• Children moving around the house while you are playing with others
• Taking children into school / pre-school / nursery
• Children sleeping in the garden or a quiet room.
While written risk assessments are no longer a requirement of the EYFS 2012, it is strongly recommended that you still have them. I suggest you think through the times when children might be unattended and, where possible, put controls in place to stop it happening. For example -
• Toilet breaks - personally I do not feel it is acceptable to take children to the toilet. This would be totally unacceptable for a male childminder and most female childminders feel exactly the same. We must not accept discrimination and if this is suggested by an Ofsted inspector I would challenge it very strongly. I make sure older children are occupied, pop any babies or small children in a travel cot or securely in the buggy and go very quickly to the toilet. The children know where I am and we usually sing a song together while I am briefly out of their sight. I can hear the children at all times so I am meeting the requirements of the EYFS.
• Taking a child upstairs to sleep - this is not usually recommended by Fire Safety Officers because, if there is an emergency situation such as a fire, you would have to leave the child in the upstairs room while leaving the house with the other children. However, if you have received different advice or if your risk assessment shows this to be safe in your home and you do take a child upstairs then you must consider the safety of children who are still downstairs. You might feel that it would be safest to take everyone upstairs with you - or you might have a combination of children which mean you can put one in a travel cot with some age appropriate toys for a few moments.
• Leaving the table while children are eating - you must never leave children unattended while eating. If you have to get up to, for example, collect something from the kitchen you should remove plates from in front of the children, check they are secure on their chairs and make sure their mouths are empty before you go. I would recommend you ignore the door and other distractions during meal times so that all children are well supervised.
• Outings to the park - we have all been there - we arrive at the park and the children gallop off in all directions while you are struggling to get the buggy through the gate or the baby out of the pram. Visits to the park must be carefully risk assessed to make sure you are absolutely certain you can manage your ratios safely while keeping children in your sight and / or hearing at all times. You must consider a ‘lost child’ scenario at each park you visit and it is good practice to write a risk assessment which also covers how you monitor children - high visibility vests or matching colourful shirts / coats are popular among childminders.
If you have any concerns about leaving children unattended / unsupervised I suggest you ask your colleagues on the Childminding Forum or Independent Childminders Facebook group for more advice.
I am sure someone will have experienced a similar scenario!
Sarah / Knutsford Childminding
The Childcare Register (legal requirements from birth to 17) does not contain legislation about leaving children unsupervised and there are no laws which state the minimum age at which a child can be left unaccompanied. However, the NSPCC states that ‘it is an offence to leave a child alone when doing so puts the child at risk.’
To clarify the age of a ‘child’, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that a child ‘means every human being below the age of 18 years unless, under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier’.
I have recently been asked to support 2 childminders from different areas of the country who have received safeguarding actions from Ofsted inspectors who judged them to have left children unsupervised because they have not kept children within sight and hearing at all times -
• One childminder was actioned during her inspection because she let one child outside to play and then changed another child’s nappy inside the house - the inspector said that the child playing outside was not within her sight (and was unlikely to be within her hearing) at all times.
• One childminder was actioned as the result of a complaint because, during a visit to the park, someone informed Ofsted she did not have all the children in her hearing (and possibly sight) because they ran off to play.
A further inspection outcome has come to light recently where the childminder went to the toilet during her Ofsted inspection and the inspector was unhappy that the children were left unsupervised during this time - she said that the childminder should have taken the children with her.
If we are honest, there might well be lots of times when children are quite possibly out of our sight and / or hearing during the day - when we go to the toilet or take another child to the toilet is probably the most common, but also (obviously depending on the layout of your house and garden) -
• Outings to the park when children run off in all directions
• Essential jobs - taking a nappy outside / making a drink / preparing food / answering the door etc while the children are in the playroom
• Leaving the table to get something from the kitchen while children are eating
• Going inside / taking a child to the toilet while other children are playing in the garden
• Taking a child upstairs for nap time or checking a sleeping child upstairs
• Changing nappies if the nappy changing area is in a separate part of the house
• Children moving around the house while you are playing with others
• Taking children into school / pre-school / nursery
• Children sleeping in the garden or a quiet room.
While written risk assessments are no longer a requirement of the EYFS 2012, it is strongly recommended that you still have them. I suggest you think through the times when children might be unattended and, where possible, put controls in place to stop it happening. For example -
• Toilet breaks - personally I do not feel it is acceptable to take children to the toilet. This would be totally unacceptable for a male childminder and most female childminders feel exactly the same. We must not accept discrimination and if this is suggested by an Ofsted inspector I would challenge it very strongly. I make sure older children are occupied, pop any babies or small children in a travel cot or securely in the buggy and go very quickly to the toilet. The children know where I am and we usually sing a song together while I am briefly out of their sight. I can hear the children at all times so I am meeting the requirements of the EYFS.
• Taking a child upstairs to sleep - this is not usually recommended by Fire Safety Officers because, if there is an emergency situation such as a fire, you would have to leave the child in the upstairs room while leaving the house with the other children. However, if you have received different advice or if your risk assessment shows this to be safe in your home and you do take a child upstairs then you must consider the safety of children who are still downstairs. You might feel that it would be safest to take everyone upstairs with you - or you might have a combination of children which mean you can put one in a travel cot with some age appropriate toys for a few moments.
• Leaving the table while children are eating - you must never leave children unattended while eating. If you have to get up to, for example, collect something from the kitchen you should remove plates from in front of the children, check they are secure on their chairs and make sure their mouths are empty before you go. I would recommend you ignore the door and other distractions during meal times so that all children are well supervised.
• Outings to the park - we have all been there - we arrive at the park and the children gallop off in all directions while you are struggling to get the buggy through the gate or the baby out of the pram. Visits to the park must be carefully risk assessed to make sure you are absolutely certain you can manage your ratios safely while keeping children in your sight and / or hearing at all times. You must consider a ‘lost child’ scenario at each park you visit and it is good practice to write a risk assessment which also covers how you monitor children - high visibility vests or matching colourful shirts / coats are popular among childminders.
If you have any concerns about leaving children unattended / unsupervised I suggest you ask your colleagues on the Childminding Forum or Independent Childminders Facebook group for more advice.
I am sure someone will have experienced a similar scenario!
Sarah / Knutsford Childminding
Friday, 4 October 2013
Listening to children
I was prompted to write this blog after a discussion with another childminder. She was concerned about a child and asked me, 'how do you know what they are thinking?'
It made me stop for a moment and consider her question - little ones, especially before they can communicate effectively, often struggle to tell us what they are thinking.
We need to clue into their non verbal communications and it is very important that we are always aware of what they are saying to us.
So... a new blog was born! Catchily entitled... listening to children
It is important that children are given opportunities throughout their time with you to voice their thoughts, feelings, emotions and concerns … and that they are listened to and acknowledged when they do tell you things that are important to them.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) states that ‘a child’s opinion should be taken into account on anything that affects them’ and the EYFS 2012 and Development Matters guidance all tell us that we must listen to children and involve them in decisions which affect them.
Some practitioners get confused about how to manage this - they wonder if it means they have to ask children if they want their nappies changing … and not change them if the child runs away! Respectful, listening care means that we do ask children, when we can see they are not busy (not in the middle of a very important game) if we can take them to change their nappy and we do listen to their reply and explain that they need a clean nappy so they are comfortable and do not get sore… and then we lead them gently and respectfully to the nappy changing area and allow them to dictate the type of change they want - quick and efficient because they are busy or longer with a favourite song because they want some one-to-one interaction time with an adult.
It is not enough to write an annual questionnaire and give it to the older children… listening and respecting children’s opinions is about your day-to-day interactions and the ways you support every child - even little babies - to feel that they are an important part of your provision.
Think about the following scenarios and how you react to the babies / children involved -
• Baby is screaming constantly and you don’t know how to help him. He doesn’t seem to improve whether you hold him or put him down - what do you do? How do you best meet his needs? Do you ask yourself whether he is in the right provision to meet his needs or do you struggle on because you need the money? What do you tell parents - that he has been a bit clingy or the truth?
... Baby is telling you that he is not happy and that his emotional needs are not being met… your response if you listen to him needs to be calm and reassuring, letting him cry when he needs to express his emotions and maybe using a sling to keep him close. You should also be working closely with parents and finding out how he is handled at home - maybe a home visit would be useful?
• Toddler is running around the house and your rules say ‘we walk inside’. You have asked him time and time again to walk and you are getting frustrated…
... You need to ask yourself whether you are meeting his needs fully by asking him to walk. Would you be better getting him in his coat and shoes and encouraging him to play outside so he can run around until he has worked the need to run out of his system?
• You are getting 2 children ready for an outing to the park when 1 of them says that he does not want to go. Do you ignore him, knowing he will be happy when he gets there? Do you stop what you are doing and sit and talk to the children to try and elicit more information from him about why he does not want to go? Do you speak to parents and find out when he last went, what might be stopping him wanting to go etc? Do you still go on the outing - regardless of his wishes?
... Children usually have a good reason for saying ‘no’ they don’t want to do something. They might be tired after a later than usual night or disturbed sleep … or they could be hungry, feeling a little ill, remembering a bad experience last time they went to the park etc. We are responsible for keeping them safe and ensuring their mental health as well as physical so we need to consider whether we are doing the right thing if we ‘jolly them along’ and take them when they have said ‘no’.
• An older child is trying to do some jigsaws and struggling. He needs help and asks you to show him where a piece goes. Do you sit with him and show him how to start the jigsaw properly by looking for corner pieces? Or do you ask him how he is doing the jigsaw and chat about strategies he might use to find where the pieces go by himself, encouraging him to use his knowledge about size, direction, colour and shape?
... It is very important to listen carefully to what a child is saying to you and respond appropriately to their questions and concerns. It is very easy for us to use our experience and knowledge to take over their games and lead their play - but often this just puts a child off asking in the future because we disturbed them and they didn’t want us do more than answer the specific question.
• You are organising a game of ‘follow the leader’ and one child always pushes to the front and wants to take control of the game. You are worried that if the child is not allowed to go first he will have a tantrum (this has happened before) … but you are also aware that it is not fair on the other children who have to wait their turn every time. How do you support all the children in this type of situation? What games can you play / what activities can you introduce to help them take turns and share more effectively? In a similar situation, you are sitting reading with a group of children and asking them questions to check their understanding of the book. One child constantly shouts out the answers while another child is quiet and rarely responds. How do you ensure both children are given opportunities to have their voice heard?
... In this sort of scenario, the child who is pushing forward and shouting out needs someone to listen to them and reflect on why they need to be first … working with parents is normally a good place to start in situations like this.
• You are feeding the children when one child pushes his plate away / spits out food he ate yesterday / refuses to eat his sandwich (and you know he likes it). You know that his parents don’t give him any more food at home if they think he is being ‘silly’ with his food. You also know that the child’s nutritional needs will not be met if you do not feed him.
... Childminders are not responsible for making rules about what happens when a child does not eat - and we are not allowed to starve a child! The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) is clear that children have a right to food. It is a good idea to have a little store of food that you know children like that is also nutritious and healthy so you can offer it if they refuse their main meal - we always give children the option of a toastie or sandwich, milky drink or water and yoghurt plus fruit to follow if they dislike something we have made them. While not a perfect meal, they are getting their necessary food groups - and we are respectfully acknowledging that their tastes change and they can sometimes be picky and we understand that they are trying to tell us something when they refuse the food we offer - rather than trying to be difficult.
I hope this gives you just a few examples of how listening to children will help you to manage your provision and time with the children just a little better. I am sure the majority of childminders use these techniques, but it is good to reflect on practice sometimes and ask yourself if you can improve the ways you work. I know I have learned a lot researching to write this blog!
You can find out more about listening to children in e-book 44 from my Knutsford Childminding website.
It made me stop for a moment and consider her question - little ones, especially before they can communicate effectively, often struggle to tell us what they are thinking.
We need to clue into their non verbal communications and it is very important that we are always aware of what they are saying to us.
So... a new blog was born! Catchily entitled... listening to children
It is important that children are given opportunities throughout their time with you to voice their thoughts, feelings, emotions and concerns … and that they are listened to and acknowledged when they do tell you things that are important to them.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) states that ‘a child’s opinion should be taken into account on anything that affects them’ and the EYFS 2012 and Development Matters guidance all tell us that we must listen to children and involve them in decisions which affect them.
Some practitioners get confused about how to manage this - they wonder if it means they have to ask children if they want their nappies changing … and not change them if the child runs away! Respectful, listening care means that we do ask children, when we can see they are not busy (not in the middle of a very important game) if we can take them to change their nappy and we do listen to their reply and explain that they need a clean nappy so they are comfortable and do not get sore… and then we lead them gently and respectfully to the nappy changing area and allow them to dictate the type of change they want - quick and efficient because they are busy or longer with a favourite song because they want some one-to-one interaction time with an adult.
It is not enough to write an annual questionnaire and give it to the older children… listening and respecting children’s opinions is about your day-to-day interactions and the ways you support every child - even little babies - to feel that they are an important part of your provision.
Think about the following scenarios and how you react to the babies / children involved -
• Baby is screaming constantly and you don’t know how to help him. He doesn’t seem to improve whether you hold him or put him down - what do you do? How do you best meet his needs? Do you ask yourself whether he is in the right provision to meet his needs or do you struggle on because you need the money? What do you tell parents - that he has been a bit clingy or the truth?
... Baby is telling you that he is not happy and that his emotional needs are not being met… your response if you listen to him needs to be calm and reassuring, letting him cry when he needs to express his emotions and maybe using a sling to keep him close. You should also be working closely with parents and finding out how he is handled at home - maybe a home visit would be useful?
• Toddler is running around the house and your rules say ‘we walk inside’. You have asked him time and time again to walk and you are getting frustrated…
... You need to ask yourself whether you are meeting his needs fully by asking him to walk. Would you be better getting him in his coat and shoes and encouraging him to play outside so he can run around until he has worked the need to run out of his system?
• You are getting 2 children ready for an outing to the park when 1 of them says that he does not want to go. Do you ignore him, knowing he will be happy when he gets there? Do you stop what you are doing and sit and talk to the children to try and elicit more information from him about why he does not want to go? Do you speak to parents and find out when he last went, what might be stopping him wanting to go etc? Do you still go on the outing - regardless of his wishes?
... Children usually have a good reason for saying ‘no’ they don’t want to do something. They might be tired after a later than usual night or disturbed sleep … or they could be hungry, feeling a little ill, remembering a bad experience last time they went to the park etc. We are responsible for keeping them safe and ensuring their mental health as well as physical so we need to consider whether we are doing the right thing if we ‘jolly them along’ and take them when they have said ‘no’.
• An older child is trying to do some jigsaws and struggling. He needs help and asks you to show him where a piece goes. Do you sit with him and show him how to start the jigsaw properly by looking for corner pieces? Or do you ask him how he is doing the jigsaw and chat about strategies he might use to find where the pieces go by himself, encouraging him to use his knowledge about size, direction, colour and shape?
... It is very important to listen carefully to what a child is saying to you and respond appropriately to their questions and concerns. It is very easy for us to use our experience and knowledge to take over their games and lead their play - but often this just puts a child off asking in the future because we disturbed them and they didn’t want us do more than answer the specific question.
• You are organising a game of ‘follow the leader’ and one child always pushes to the front and wants to take control of the game. You are worried that if the child is not allowed to go first he will have a tantrum (this has happened before) … but you are also aware that it is not fair on the other children who have to wait their turn every time. How do you support all the children in this type of situation? What games can you play / what activities can you introduce to help them take turns and share more effectively? In a similar situation, you are sitting reading with a group of children and asking them questions to check their understanding of the book. One child constantly shouts out the answers while another child is quiet and rarely responds. How do you ensure both children are given opportunities to have their voice heard?
... In this sort of scenario, the child who is pushing forward and shouting out needs someone to listen to them and reflect on why they need to be first … working with parents is normally a good place to start in situations like this.
• You are feeding the children when one child pushes his plate away / spits out food he ate yesterday / refuses to eat his sandwich (and you know he likes it). You know that his parents don’t give him any more food at home if they think he is being ‘silly’ with his food. You also know that the child’s nutritional needs will not be met if you do not feed him.
... Childminders are not responsible for making rules about what happens when a child does not eat - and we are not allowed to starve a child! The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) is clear that children have a right to food. It is a good idea to have a little store of food that you know children like that is also nutritious and healthy so you can offer it if they refuse their main meal - we always give children the option of a toastie or sandwich, milky drink or water and yoghurt plus fruit to follow if they dislike something we have made them. While not a perfect meal, they are getting their necessary food groups - and we are respectfully acknowledging that their tastes change and they can sometimes be picky and we understand that they are trying to tell us something when they refuse the food we offer - rather than trying to be difficult.
I hope this gives you just a few examples of how listening to children will help you to manage your provision and time with the children just a little better. I am sure the majority of childminders use these techniques, but it is good to reflect on practice sometimes and ask yourself if you can improve the ways you work. I know I have learned a lot researching to write this blog!
You can find out more about listening to children in e-book 44 from my Knutsford Childminding website.
Sunday, 22 September 2013
Socket covers and Ofsted
Following up on my commitment to answer questions asked by childminders, here is some information about socket covers which you can use if challenged during your Ofsted inspection...
Ofsted state that they ‘neither recommend nor criticise the use of socket covers by childcare providers’.
Ofsted’s remit is to check that the environment in which childcare is provided is safe and meets legal requirements and they state that it is the childminders responsibility to have a risk assessment policy and procedures and risk assessments (which do not necessarily need to be in writing) in place.
If you choose not to use socket covers because you have read about the concerns over their safety you should inform your Ofsted inspector about how you keep children safe without socket covers in place.
If the inspector criticises your decision you should refer them to their own literature - Early Years magazine Sept 2011.
...and to the Fatally Flawed website for further information.
You might find it helpful to read the Fatally Flawed website when writing your risk assessment. You can include references to the Fatally Flawed website and research data to back up your arguments.
You will also find a sample socket cover policy which you can adopt, changing it as necessary to suit your provision.
Note that from September 2012 the revised EYFS does not require childminders to have written risk assessments. However, this is causing a lot of problems because Ofsted inspectors are looking for risk assessments in writing - and childminders are finding it difficult to provide evidence of what they do when they are trying to manage children’s needs in a busy household while answering an inspector’s questions.
I strongly recommend you continue to have a set of written risk assessments for the environment (inside and outside) and covering any outings you go on with the children.
This free document will give you lots of information about writing risk assessments.
You can find out more about Ofsted expectations, including the requirement for a written risk assessment policy and procedures, here.
... and in this Childminding Forum thread .
If you have any questions about socket covers or risk assessments please ask!
Chat soon, Sarah x
Ofsted state that they ‘neither recommend nor criticise the use of socket covers by childcare providers’.
Ofsted’s remit is to check that the environment in which childcare is provided is safe and meets legal requirements and they state that it is the childminders responsibility to have a risk assessment policy and procedures and risk assessments (which do not necessarily need to be in writing) in place.
If you choose not to use socket covers because you have read about the concerns over their safety you should inform your Ofsted inspector about how you keep children safe without socket covers in place.
If the inspector criticises your decision you should refer them to their own literature - Early Years magazine Sept 2011.
...and to the Fatally Flawed website for further information.
You might find it helpful to read the Fatally Flawed website when writing your risk assessment. You can include references to the Fatally Flawed website and research data to back up your arguments.
You will also find a sample socket cover policy which you can adopt, changing it as necessary to suit your provision.
Note that from September 2012 the revised EYFS does not require childminders to have written risk assessments. However, this is causing a lot of problems because Ofsted inspectors are looking for risk assessments in writing - and childminders are finding it difficult to provide evidence of what they do when they are trying to manage children’s needs in a busy household while answering an inspector’s questions.
I strongly recommend you continue to have a set of written risk assessments for the environment (inside and outside) and covering any outings you go on with the children.
This free document will give you lots of information about writing risk assessments.
You can find out more about Ofsted expectations, including the requirement for a written risk assessment policy and procedures, here.
... and in this Childminding Forum thread .
If you have any questions about socket covers or risk assessments please ask!
Chat soon, Sarah x
Friday, 6 September 2013
Weekly planning and childminders
A lot of childminders ask me how to write weekly planning - how much is enough? What should it include?
Weekly individual planning is easy! It is your individual / next steps / possible lines of development (PLODS) planning and you will already have it in place for every child. You do it every time you follow a child’s observed interests and learning styles with a variety of new and / or exciting activities and experiences which you know they will enjoy. You do it automatically as part of your practice. You also note each child’s characteristics of their learning, so that you are sure the activities and experiences you are offering are tailored to meet their needs.
Writing it down is easy - just make general notes (some in advance and some later) about what you have provided for the child to do. You can then follow it up with the odd observation to show that the child is learning from the activities and experiences you have planned. Job done!
Group activities can also be used to extend a child’s learning and development and are very important to support children with learning to make friends, communicate with others, listen, develop confidence, play games etc - all essential skills for establishing the prime areas of learning and starting school. You can share information with parents about their child’s engagement in group activities in their Learning Journey file by using photos and observations to note the fun they have had.
How much group planning to write down? It’s up to you but I would not suggest you go into a lot of detail about something that might not happen! After all, children’s needs and interests will change through the week and your planning must be flexible enough to allow this. If you have spent most of Sunday coming up with a complicated plan and they don’t want to play, you will feel resentful and stop enjoying your job - so you have to make sure your workload is manageable.
Some retrospective planning is fine if you write it soon afterwards, so you don’t forget what you did and how the children learned and reacted to the activities.
Sharing information with parents can be tricky, especially if they are not able to spend time talking to you during the week due to work or family pressures or they do not understand the importance of their child’s time in your provision.
The revised EYFS (2012) makes it clear that all parents must be involved in their child’s time with you… and that you need to offer ideas to support children’s learning at home which you will do through the child’s Learning Journey or daily diary. Sharing details about your weekly planning will be essential for showing evidence of how you inform parents about the activities and experiences their child if given the opportunity to engage with while they are in your care.
Many childminders pin an ‘activities and experiences this week’ document to their notice board and point it out to parents on their first day of the week. This type of notice board planning should be kept brief because plans will change depending on the children’s moods and to ensure you are flexible and complementing their time spent elsewhere.
Other childminders put information about each child’s planned activities and experiences in their daily diary booklets or send a weekly email to parents - this can work well as long as you remember to ask them for feedback - what has their child said about the activities at home? How have they used the information you have given them to extend their child’s home learning etc?
Remember you are offering a range of activities and experiences through the week. This does not mean that every piece of equipment and every game needs to be out each day. Nor does it mean that children’s every move needs to be documented!! Just make general notes - they will build up over the months to show the child is making progress.
Weekly individual planning is easy! It is your individual / next steps / possible lines of development (PLODS) planning and you will already have it in place for every child. You do it every time you follow a child’s observed interests and learning styles with a variety of new and / or exciting activities and experiences which you know they will enjoy. You do it automatically as part of your practice. You also note each child’s characteristics of their learning, so that you are sure the activities and experiences you are offering are tailored to meet their needs.
Writing it down is easy - just make general notes (some in advance and some later) about what you have provided for the child to do. You can then follow it up with the odd observation to show that the child is learning from the activities and experiences you have planned. Job done!
Group activities can also be used to extend a child’s learning and development and are very important to support children with learning to make friends, communicate with others, listen, develop confidence, play games etc - all essential skills for establishing the prime areas of learning and starting school. You can share information with parents about their child’s engagement in group activities in their Learning Journey file by using photos and observations to note the fun they have had.
How much group planning to write down? It’s up to you but I would not suggest you go into a lot of detail about something that might not happen! After all, children’s needs and interests will change through the week and your planning must be flexible enough to allow this. If you have spent most of Sunday coming up with a complicated plan and they don’t want to play, you will feel resentful and stop enjoying your job - so you have to make sure your workload is manageable.
Some retrospective planning is fine if you write it soon afterwards, so you don’t forget what you did and how the children learned and reacted to the activities.
Sharing information with parents can be tricky, especially if they are not able to spend time talking to you during the week due to work or family pressures or they do not understand the importance of their child’s time in your provision.
The revised EYFS (2012) makes it clear that all parents must be involved in their child’s time with you… and that you need to offer ideas to support children’s learning at home which you will do through the child’s Learning Journey or daily diary. Sharing details about your weekly planning will be essential for showing evidence of how you inform parents about the activities and experiences their child if given the opportunity to engage with while they are in your care.
Many childminders pin an ‘activities and experiences this week’ document to their notice board and point it out to parents on their first day of the week. This type of notice board planning should be kept brief because plans will change depending on the children’s moods and to ensure you are flexible and complementing their time spent elsewhere.
Other childminders put information about each child’s planned activities and experiences in their daily diary booklets or send a weekly email to parents - this can work well as long as you remember to ask them for feedback - what has their child said about the activities at home? How have they used the information you have given them to extend their child’s home learning etc?
Remember you are offering a range of activities and experiences through the week. This does not mean that every piece of equipment and every game needs to be out each day. Nor does it mean that children’s every move needs to be documented!! Just make general notes - they will build up over the months to show the child is making progress.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)