Observation in setting
Tamara has shown interest in the telephones in the office and role-play areas over several weeks. She is often observed pressing buttons randomly and engaging in pretend conversations with members of her family. The electronic till in the shop is also a favourite toy and she repeatedly presses the key to open the drawer. When staff recently introduced a new listening centre, Tamara was excited and eager to explore the buttons, showing delight at the results of her actions.
Information from home
When practitioners talk to her father about their observations, he reports that Tamara is also fascinated by technology at home. She is keen to help programme the washing machine and often experiments with the television remote control. When they arrive home from nursery, she wants to be the one to press the keys to deactivate the burglar alarm, although her father explains that this can be difficult because of the need for speed. Tamara also loves to sit on her father's knee while he works at the computer and likes to move the mouse around the mat as she watches the screen. At bedtime, she insists on being the one to turn off the light, standing on her toy box to reach the switch.
Practitioners' response
Assessment of learning
After observing Tamara over a period of time, staff recognise that she has become very aware of the technology around her and shows a keen interest in operating equipment. This is true both at home and at nursery, and the team agrees that there is evidence that Tamara is working confidently within the yellow stepping stone band for 'information and communication technology'
(ICT)within the area of knowledge and understanding of the world.
Next steps
The practitioners decide to plan an activity that will motivate Tamara and support her development in ICT. Because they feel her learning is firmly embedded within the yellow stage, their objectives for the planned focus lie within the blue stepping stone band.
They have identified several children within the group who are exploring everyday uses of technology and plan to broaden opportunities in role play within this context, building particularly on home experiences such as introducing a disused burglar alarm casing and key pad into the home corner in response to Tamara's interest.
Short-term planning
Operating a remote-control car
Key early learning goal
Find out about and identify the uses of everyday technology, and use ICT and programmable toys to support their learning.
Key objective
To be able to start and stop the remote control car using the buttons on the handset.
Area of provision
Large carpeted area.
Resources
Remote control car, teddy
Content
* Invite a group of six children to sit in a large circle and show them the car.
* Pass the car and the handset around the circle.
* Encourage each child to explore the buttons on the handset.
* Show the children how to start and stop the car.
* Introduce teddy. In turn ask the children to start the car and, when teddy calls 'stop', to stop it.
* Explain that you are going to 'drive' the car to one of the children sitting in the circle. Say the child's name, point the car in her direction. Stop the car just in front of her.
* Ask the child to choose a friend in the circle to send the car to. If might be a good idea to use teddy to 'help' children control the car.
* Continue until all the children have had a turn.
Meeting all children's needs
* For a visually impaired child attending the setting, use tactile pads on the handset to identify the different controls.
* Make sure that all children understand the words 'stop', 'start' and 'forward'. Prepare them by playing games that require them to respond to these simple instructions.
Adult role
What will the adult do?
* Motivate children by stimulating interest in the car.
* Teach children the skills needed to stop and start the car.
* Model the control skills.
* Support the children in controlling the car.
What will the adult say?
* Model the use of key vocabulary: stop, start, forward.
* Talk about the features of the car and handset.
* Ask questions: How do you think we can make the car move? How can we stop the car? What does this symbol mean? How can we make the car go to Liam?
Evaluation
How did the children respond?
Lots of children wanted to participate in this activity but taking turns was difficult for some of them. They needed time to explore the controls before being expected to perform specific operations. Some children who had access to remote-control toys at home quickly mastered the skills required for this activity, while others need reinforcement.
Tamara enjoyed playing with the car and displayed high levels of concentration and involvement. She excitedly told her father about the experience when he picked her up from nursery.
What links to other areas of the curriculum were identified?
There were strong links with the area of physical development (using tools and materials) and children needed a certain level of skill and co-ordination to be able to manipulate the controls on the handset.
Recognising symbols and knowing that they convey meaning also linked to the children's reading development.
What follow-up will be planned?
The remote-control car will be available to children, with adult support, for a time slot every day over the next week with the purpose of reinforcing the 'stop/start' skills. A further focus will be planned to explore the reverse, left and right functions. Arrows identical to those on the handset will be displayed around the setting to direct children, for example to the toilets or an area of provision, and staff will use these to help familiarise the children with the symbols.
As the children's confidence in operating the car grows, adult support will be reduced and they will be encouraged to explore what they can make it do.
To address the issue of taking turns, a system will be introduced whereby children select their name/photograph card and display it on the 'waiting list'.
Focus activities will also be planned to encourage children to develop control skills, such as 'driving' the car along large roadways chalked on the tarmac in the outdoor area and parking it in a garage.
Are there any implications for the long-term planning of provision?
The team will look at opportunities to develop ICT skills, knowledge and understanding in each area of provision. They will buy a set of walkie talkies to be used in the outdoor area. Practitioners recognise the need for the direct teaching of skills and will plan more adult support time in areas where children are operating ICT equipment. In role-play areas, the role of adults in modelling the uses of everyday equipment will be highlighted on long-term plans.
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 interests or needs.
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.