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Focus in detail on one workplace to explore people's jobs, as in this example of the post office in a two-part project by Judith Stevens Approach
Focus in detail on one workplace to explore people's jobs, as in this example of the post office in a two-part project by Judith Stevens

Approach

The Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage (page 11) emphasises the importance of providing children with a balance of adult-led and child-initiated learning opportunities. This project, therefore:

* identifies adult-led activities, to introduce or develop children's understanding of the topic through stimulating, meaningful experiences which offer challenge

* suggests ways to enhance areas of core provision, to consolidate children's learning about the theme. It is the practitioners' role to make daily observations of children's learning which inform individual child profiles and future planning. Children should be encouraged to use the resources to support their own learning. This means that the possible learning outcomes will be wide-ranging and varied

* advocates that settings should be organised and resourced using a 'workshop' approach so that children can access resources autonomously and independently.

Adult-led activities

At the post office

Plan at visit to your local post office.

Key learning intentions

To question why things happen and give explanations

To use developing mathematical ideas and methods to solve practical problems

To show an interest in the world in which they live

Adult:child ratio 1:2

Resources

* Digital camera

Preparation

* Arrange a visit to your local post office. Discuss, in advance, what the children can see and do. Staff may be happy to show the children various aspects of their jobs, such as stamping forms or weighing parcels. Most offices will be able to give children forms and leaflets to take away, and all will be able to sell the children stamps and envelopes.

* Carry out a risk assessment for the trip, and talk to the children and all adults involved about the visit, including where you are going, who you hope to meet and what you will do. Discuss with the children what they would like to buy at the post office, for example, envelopes, stamps, cards or parcel paper.

* Write a group letter to the setting, so that you can buy a stamp and post the letter during your visit.

Activity content

* Take a slow walk to the post office, chatting about significant features in the environment as you go. Draw on children's personal interests, such as the homes of familiar people or favourite shops or parks.

* Look closely at the outside of the post office and take lots of photographs of it.

* If you have planned to talk with some of the workers, support the children as they ask questions.

* Support them when they buy the stamp and other items and post the letter.

* Back at the setting, encourage the children to write more letters and post them in a post box in the setting.

* When the group letter is delivered, open it with the children and discuss the journey it has made.

Extending learning

Key vocabulary

Post office, stamp, parcel, letter, post box, post, cost, money, coins, postal worker, counter, visit, journey, deliver

Questions to ask

* How do you think the postal workers know who the letters belong to?

* Why do you think all letters are franked?

* Where do you think the letters go after they are collected from the post box?

* What would happen if we forgot to write an address on the envelope?

* Why do you think it costs more to post a parcel than a letter?

Extension activities

* Make a book about the visit.

* Make a display of the letters that the children have written and any replies they receive.

* Set up a role-play post office.

* Provide envelopes, used stamps, assorted greeting cards and writing paper in the writing area to support early writing.

Special delivery

Deliver some parcels with the help of a programmable toy.

Key learning intentions

To use writing as a means of recording and communicating

To count reliably up to ten everyday objects

To use programmable toys to support their learning

Adult:child ratio 1:up 6

Resources

* Bee-Bot programmable toy and shell, with trailer (see Resources) * 36 cards of 15cm square * digital photographs of a post office, local houses and/or shops * glue stick

Preparation

* Make small 'parcels' with clearly written addresses - these could be made by adults, or by children as part of an earlier adult-initiated activity.

* Print the photographs at the size of 15cmx10cm.

* With the children, decorate a Bee-Bot shell to look like a post office van.

* Use the 15cm squares to create a 'road' with photographs of shops and/or homes on either side.

* Make a small post box for the parcels.

Activity content

* Talk to the children about the visit to the post office, and the post office van which perhaps visits the setting sometimes with deliveries.

* Remind the children how the Bee-Bot programmable toy works. Discuss the purpose of the arrow keys: 'clear' button, 'pause' 'and 'go'.

* Look at the photographs of the post office, shops and homes.

* Look at the parcels in the post box and read the address labels together.

Discuss where they need to be delivered and put them in the trailer.

* Support the children as they plan their journey and programme the Bee-Bot post office van to move from one location to another, delivering the parcels.

Extending learning

Key vocabulary

Forward, backward, stop, go, arrow, clear, left turn, right turn, switch, memory, post box, post office, collect, deliver, address, parcel

Questions to ask

* What do you think could be in the parcels?

* Who might have sent them?

* Where do you think that parcel needs to be delivered?

* Can you think of a way to move the post office van from the post office to the block of flats? What do you have to do first? And next?

* How do you think you can make the van turn around?

* What would happen if you forget to press the clear button?

* Why do you think that happened?

Extension activities

* Encourage the children to make their own road plan to use with the Bee-Bot.

* Use a transparent grid (see Resources) over the children's own maps/drawings or a floor play mat.

* Act as a scribe for the children as they verbalise the instructions they use to programme the Bee-Bot. Read the instructions so they can repeat the manoeuvre.

* Make a larger post box with the children to use as part of a post office role-play situation.

Child-initiated learning

Role-play post office

Additional resources and adult support

* Develop a post office role-play area alongside the home corner. Provide resources such as stamps, envelopes, parcel paper and tape, string, post box, post bags, rubber stamps and ink pads, forms, old car tax stickers, air mail and parcel labels, name badges for staff, clock, till, money, 'swipe cards', information texts, computer 'monitor' and 'keyboard', post office role-play print pack, posters and leaflets (from post office).

* Ensure the children are familiar with a post office, through a small group visit and/or viewing a video/DVD (see Resources) and, where possible, meeting a postal worker in the setting.

* Provide dressing-up clothes for a postal delivery worker or counter staff.

* Model the use of vocabulary and behaviour specific to the role play - delivery worker, counter worker, customer who has a missing letter or parcel.

* Extend the children's role play by asking open-ended questions and making supportive, enabling comments.

Play possibilities

* Taking on roles within the play.

* Wrapping and unwrapping parcels.

* Counting letters and parcels.

* Mark-making or writing on forms, envelopes and parcels.

* Sticking on stamps and labels.

* Delivering the mail.

* Creating patterns with the rubber stamps and ink.

Possible learning outcomes

Makes connections between different parts of their life experiences

Uses language to recreate roles and experiences

Uses marks to show meaning

Uses numbers to support role play

Questions why things happen and gives explanations

Uses imagination in role play

Puppet theatre

Additional resources and adult support

* Provide a puppet theatre (which could be made from a large cardboard box, with the back cut away and painted) and assorted people puppets.

* Put the puppet theatre and puppets on a low table outdoors and two rows of chairs in front as seats for an audience.

* Support the children as they take turns as 'puppeteers' or audience members.

* Act as a member of the audience, clapping where appropriate.

* Encourage the children to make links with previous experiences, such as a visit to the setting by a puppet show, or puppets they may have seen while on holiday.

Play possibilities

* Using the theatre as a television set

* Taking on the role of a puppeteer or member of the audience

* Making up story lines for the puppets

* Exploring the use of different 'voices' for the puppets

* Developing new ways of manipulating the puppets

Possible learning outcomes

Displays high levels of involvement in activities

Speaks clearly and audibly with confidence and control

Manipulates resources to achieve a planned effect

Plays alongside children who are engaged in the same theme

Introduces a storyline or narrative into their play

Puzzles

Additional resources and adult support

* Provide a range of puzzles of workers and/or enlarge photographs of workers in uniforms to A4, laminate them and cut into four pieces.

* Discuss the puzzles with the children, talking about their earlier experiences.

* Support the children as they fix the puzzles.

* Promote the children's autonomy and independence and support them as they return puzzles to the correct trays.

Play possibilities

* Fixing puzzles together

* Chatting about the photographs

* Making links with earlier experiences

Possible learning outcomes

Persists at an activity of own choosing

Initiates conversations and takes account of what others say

Manipulates materials to achieve a planned effect

Computer area

Additional resources and adult support

* Load 'Post Office' CD-Rom on the computer (see Resources).

* Provide a clipboard and pencil for the children to record their use of the computer.

* Model the use of the programme, where necessary.

* Support children's independent use of the computer program.

Play possibilities

* Exploring the functions of the programme

* Browsing through the programme to select an activity which interests them

* Engaging in games

* Matching shapes

* Counting

* Exploring photographs and film clips

Possible learning outcomes

Persists at an activity of own choosing

Follows and responds to instructions

Completes a simple programme on the computer

Manipulates the mouse to create planned effect

Judith Stevens is an early years adviser for Lewisham Education

Resources to support the theme

* Bee-Bot programmable toy, 39.99 each or four for 119.96

* Bee-Bot trailer, 10.99

* Transparent grid mat, 9.99

* Plus assorted mats for Bee-Bot at various prices

* Post box, 29.99

* Role-play DVD - Post Office, 27.49

* Role-play interactive CD-Rom - Post Office, 24.99

* Post Office role-play print pack, 4.99

* Trike role-play signs, 12.95 All available from TTS Early Steps, tel: 0800 318 686, www.

tts-shopping.com

Books

* Police Officer by Rebecca Hunter and Chris Fairclough (People Who Help Us series, Cherrytree Books, 9.99)

* Anna the Nurse by Monica Hughes (A Day In The Life Of series, Heinemann Library, 4.99)

Areas of learning

Personal, social and emotional development

Communication, language and literacy

Mathematical development

Knowledge & understanding of the world

Physical development

Creative development

THE IMPORTANCE OF OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONING

One of the key findings of recent EPPE research (Technical paper 10 - DfES/Institute of Education, 2003, London) is that: 'Good outcomes for children are linked to early years settings that provide adult-child interactions that involve open-ended questioning to extend children's thinking.'

However, the majority of questions that practitioners ask (over 90 per cent) are 'closed' questions:

* What colour is your jumper?

* How many cars are there?

* Do you want milk or water?

It is vital that practitioners plan to increase opportunities to ask open-ended questions:

* How do you think we could dry the clothes?

* What will happen if we add water?

* Why do you think Nikki isn't at nursery today?

* Can you think of a way to join the boxes together?

Focus on Planning - Effective Planning and Assessment in the Foundation Stage, LEARN, 2004, page 51