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Child centred planning in the early years (McEvoy & McMahon) - Coggle…
Child centred planning in the early years (McEvoy & McMahon)
Planning for characteristics for effective learning (CoELs)
Early Education, 2012 - children are born ready, able and eager to learn.
Early Education, 2012 - children interconnect with people & their environment through the CoELs.
Bronfenbrenner, 1979 - Human ecological model
Focuses on the importance of the environment, people & the many influences that affect children's lives.
Proposes that children's development is influenced by different levels (strata) in society - different layers contain people & resources in society that influence the way children are brought up.
Represented as a network of concentric circles, that have a common center - which is the child.
Center - micro-system, child & their immediate family.
Circle 1 - meso-system, parents, extended family & setting.
Circle 2 - exo-system, extended family, friends & community
Outer circle - macro-system, local authorities, policies, laws & culture.
Parallels can be seen between this model and the CoELs - e.g. the unique child is at the center.
CoELS are characterised by 3 main principles - playing & exploring, active learning, creating & thinking critically.
These alongside the prime & specific areas enable children to learn & develop.
Planning for & enhancing areas of provision
To ensure the CoEL principles are considered throughout the setting, practitioners must plan appropriate continuous provision.
Continuous provision develops long-term planning & relates to resources that are available & accessible to children at all times.
Continuous provision resources will be changed throughout the year as children develop.
Continuous provision helps create an 'enabling environment'.
To ensure that continuous provision supports the changing needs of children, it's important to regularly check/audit the available resources
Planning in partnership
EYFS, 2017 - "children learn and develop... there is a strong partnership between practitioners and the parents and/or carers".
Collaborative working between practitioners & parents can enhance the planning process.
Mukherji & Dryden, 2014 - it's good practice that quality partnerships between practitioners & parents lead to effective relationships.
Ensure children's learning & development is supported between the home & the setting.
A successful partnership develops through trusting relationships - doesn't happen overnight.
Investing time in finding out about daily routines & the important people in the child's life will help the partnership start from a point of equal respect.
Many settings start this process by conducting a home visit - usually by the key person - which is a good time to build the foundations for a strong relationship.
Also provides an opportunity for parents & practitioners to plan transitions together.
Planning through children's interests & individual needs
In order to plan for children's interests, you will need to regularly observe them to see what they're doing & talking about.
Keyte-Hartland, 2018 - the practitioner must "see the ideas and thinking that is going on" beneath the child's actions.
Not only what you see, but also what you hear & how you interpret their actions.
Essential you continually observe for children's interests to ensure their engagement.
Early Education, 2012 - the CoEL show that if children have well-planned opportunities to play & explore, this will encourage engagement in their learning & development.
When you plan for individual children groups, you should make sure their interests are included.
Talk to parents regularly about their child's interest in the home environment - you can make links between what they like to do at home & activities in the setting.
Every child's individual needs must be met - ensure their individual care needs are met.
Babies should have care plans - it's the key person's responsibility to keep these up-to-date.
Must maintain contact with parents so care plans are regularly updated.
SEND children may also have care plans.
No two care plans will look the same.
Holistic planning & inclusive practice
Each child is unique & therefore their development will not follow a predicted path - taking a child-centered approach takes into consideration children's individual needs.
Early Education, 2012 - supporting the principle of the 'unique child' in practice means that practitioners value & respect children's experiences, their similarities & differences, and can identify any weaknesses.
Holistic planning recognises the importance of understanding the child & how their diverse experiences shape & impact on their development.
Makes a connection between the physical, cognitive & psychological well-being of children - particularly how practitioners see the ways in which children's learning & development are interconnected .
Taking this approach when developing planning enables the practitioner to reflect on the many different ways children explore their worlds.
DfE, 2017 - this approach is supported in the EYFS through the prime areas & the CoEL
Hallet, 2016 - holistic planning is an inclusive approach as it see the child as one who has individual strengths & attributes.
Individual practice ensures all children have equality of opportunity, are valued & provided with an enabling environment.
Engaging in practice that enables you to identify children's interests will help you to plan holistically.
Holistic planning means children are enabled to follow their own interests & the practitioner supports them.
Doesn't mean that all children should engage in the same activity at the same time, or reach the same developmental milestone at the same age.
If concerns are raised regarding specific areas of development, the holistic planning approach will be able to support any additional needs that child may have.
Links to Piaget's children are 'lone scientists' theory.
Planning in the moment
Department for children, schools and families, 2009 - introduced 'moment-by-moment planning', recommended that the adult should always be ready to respond to children & plan for the next moment.
Ephgrave, 2018 - planning in the moment is what any adult caring for children does 'every day'.
About being respectful & inclusive, takes account of the way adults respond to children in a holistic way.
Enables the practitioner to respect the uniqueness of each individual child.
When you plan in the moment, you also need to plan for the 'next steps'.
Use observation & assessment, then plan how to take the child's interests one step further.
Schon, 1991 - do this be reflecting-in-action & considering how you can enhance the activity at that moment in time.
Have to think on your feet & be alert & ready to respond to the 'teachable moment'.
Flexibility in planning
To ensure the principles of planning are effective, you need to maintain a flexible approach to planning.
Children are unpredictable & aren't always interested in what the adult plans.
If children are uninterested in an activity, you need to think about what will re-engage them - if they're disengaged they won't learn.
Take time to reflect on why they're disinterested - may need to focus on observation again to see if their interests have changed.
Take time to talk to the children about their interests - this means you can plan activities you know they will be engaged in.