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Rain starts play

Changing weather concentrates the minds of practitioners keen to cater for children's latest interests, as Jane Drake demonstrates Observation in setting
Changing weather concentrates the minds of practitioners keen to cater for children's latest interests, as Jane Drake demonstrates

Observation in setting

Karl entered enthusiastically today, eager to tell the practitioners about an incident that had taken place on his way to nursery. 'Car... went very fast... then swoosh! It (rain water) went on my face and it went in my wellies!... And now I'm all wet and so is Mummy!'

The rain continued throughout the day and Karl, with his friend Imran, was observed watching drops of rain running down the outside of the window pane. From inside, he followed each drop with his finger from the top of the pane to the bottom. In the outdoor area, Karl enjoyed splashing around in the puddles, and he was interested to see that the tubs were full of rain water. He stirred the water in one of the tubs with his hand, saying, 'It's muddy... it's wet and muddy'.

Information from home

Karl's mother told staff that he had wanted to jump in every puddle he saw on the way to nursery. He had also tried to catch raindrops in his mouth, and he was excited by the sensation of raindrops falling on his upturned face. She also reported that at home, Karl had been fascinated by the heavy rain pouring down the drainpipes from the roof guttering and into the drains.

Practitioners' response

Assessment of learning

Karl's keyworker, having listened and talked to both Karl and his mother, registered that he was showing curiosity and excitement about what was happening in the world around him and describing simple features of events in nature. Her observations found, in this context, some evidence of learning within the blue stepping stone band of 'exploration and investigation'.

She also noted the early handwriting opportunities offered by letting Karl and Imran follow raindrops down the window pane with their fingers. Through this and using large shoulder movements, the two boys were able to explore vertical lines and direction.

Next steps

The team recognised that Karl and the other children were excited by the recent torrential downpours. They agreed that this interest would be a motivating starting point for planning further learning experiences and decided to focus on the area of 'exploration and investigation' (knowledge and understanding of the world). They needed to act quickly as there was no guarantee that the rain would continue although the short-term weather forecast predicted showers.

Short-term planning for a focus

Key early learning goals

Investigate objects and materials by using all of their senses as appropriate

Find out about and identify some features of living things, objects and events they observe

Look closely at similarities, patterns and change

Ask questions about why things happen and how things work

Key objectives

* To find out more about the rain through sensory explorations

* To look at ways of collecting, moving and using rain water

Areas of provision

Nursery garden, outdoor water area

Resources

Wet weather clothing (splash suits, wellies), deep and shallow trays, buckets, watering cans, funnels, lengths of plastic guttering and drainage tubing, toy vehicles and play people, digital camera

Content

* Where appropriate, support children in putting on outdoor wear.

* Listen to the rain on the roof before going outside.

* Outside with the children, feel the rain on your faces and on your hands.

* Look for puddles and 'streams'.

* Follow the 'journey' of the rain water from falling on the roof to going down the drain.

* Feel the different surfaces (such as tarmac, soil and grass) and talk about how they feel now that they are wet.

* Check if there is any rain water in the containers in the outdoor area and pour any collected rain water into the trays and buckets.

* Use other equipment to build systems for collecting and moving water.

* Move toy vehicles through shallow water and look at the spray they produce.

Meeting all children's needs

* Make sure the children are dressed appropriately so they can explore the rain freely by, for example, splashing with their hands and feet in puddles, walking through wet grass, mixing rain water and soil. Be aware of and respond to signs of individual interest.

* Extension: Ask questions that encourage the children to make predictions or give simple explanations. Challenge them with 'problems' to solve.

Adult role

What will the adult do?

* Support children's developing ideas by adding appropriate resources.

* Play alongside children, modelling ideas.

* Encourage children to talk about or represent their experiences of rain.

* Use the camera to record children's experiences.

What will the adult say?

What does the rain feel like on your face? What happens when you jump in the puddle? Where do you think the rain water goes when it disappears down the drain? How can we move the water from here to there without using a bucket? What happens to the water if you tip the guttering?

Evaluation

How did the children respond?

Many children enjoyed the rain, and just being outside during a heavy downpour provided a wealth of opportunities for sensory learning. Children needed plenty of time to feel and listen to the rain and to explore the puddles. Guttering and buckets that were left outside overnight collected water that was then used to fill the indoor water tray in the morning.

After a couple of days, Karl and several other children rushed outside as soon as they arrived at nursery to check the water levels in their buckets.

After the weather changed to drier conditions, children's interest in the water investigations continued and they brought ideas to the indoor water area as well. An attempt to move water through cardboard tubes collected from the technology workshop instigated a further investigation into which materials could be used to hold or transport water and which were not effective over a period of time.

What links to other areas of the curriculum were identified?

There were opportunities for developing language for thinking as children attempted to verbalise their ideas and explanations. There were also lots of ways to develop children's mathematical understanding, particularly in the area of 'shape, space and measures'. Practitioners identified key words to model, such as 'full' and 'empty'.

What follow-up will be planned?

Continue to support children's self-initiated investigations and provide a range of materials for them to explore in water - for example, cardboard drums, plastic containers, paper bags, lengths of plastic and metal piping.

Talk with them about their findings and encourage them to apply their knowledge to solve practical problems. Ask questions such as, 'Which do you think would be the best container to collect rain water for watering the plants? What do you think would happen if we used the cardboard shoe box?'

Are there any implications for the long-term planning of provision?

Weather resource boxes need to be updated and readily accessible to ensure that the children can respond spontaneously to the changing weather conditions. Think about links that can be made between weather conditions and the permanent areas of provision. Order more splash suits and make an appeal to parents for discarded Wellington boots.

SERIES GUIDE

To deliver the Foundation Stage curriculum effectively, practitioners need to consider three levels of planning:

* long-term plans, which chart the learning opportunities that will be offered through continuous and permanent provision

* medium-term plans, which cover the enhancements that will be made to the permanent provision over the next two to six weeks

* short-term plans, which cover how to respond to an individual child's interests or needs over the next few days.

Settings have tended to focus on medium-term plans (often based around topics) at the expense of short-term planning. This series aims to illustrate the importance of short-term planning in furthering children's learning by taking practitioners through the key steps involved in identifying and responding to a child's current interest or need.

Good practice points

* Value the role of observation in the assessment and planning process and make ample time within the framework of your day to observe and plan.

* Recognise that children's learning takes place not only within the setting. Share information with parents and carers to help identify and address a child's needs.

* Be prepared to abandon or postpone plans in order to respond immediately to an observed interest or need.

* Be aware that while a focus may be planned in response to an individual child's needs or interests, the activity will probably motivate several children in the setting. Consider, therefore, how all children can access learning at their own stage of development and build on what they already know and understand.

* Be aware that planning a child's 'next steps' may mean 'moving forward', but often children need to be offered experiences at a similar level, with a similar objective in different contexts for their understanding to become firmly embedded.

* Ensure all learning experiences are rooted in a meaningful context.

* Always evaluate plans so that you can analyse children's responses and highlight any implications for future planning.

* Although formats for short-term focus planning may vary in appearance and organisation, they should include key elements as demonstrated in the series.