Worksheets vs. Writing Frames

Why We Don’t Use Worksheets in the Early Years

Worksheets have no place in the Early Years! For a start, the children can’t read to answer the questions on the sheets!

I do cringe when I see worksheets used in focus groups or as the main part of the lesson. Every child is writing the same answer, it’s very prescribed and formal.

The Early Years curriculum is designed to be creative, free and individual. There is room for every little person to express themselves and explore their own interests.

Saying all that, I have used worksheets, everyone does. I tend to use them as independent activities that the children can access at their own level. I also use guided work when doing handwriting or letter formation. Worksheets have their place but if you can use an alternative, that’s by far the better option.

Teaching Mandarin

The Government Says We Have To!

According to the Daily Mail, ‘British schoolchildren should learn to speak Chinese language Mandarin, Boris Johnson said today.

The London Mayor said youngsters growing up in the UK needed to understand the culture and history of China to prepare them for the global battle for jobs.

Mr Johnson believes Mandarin should be taught in schools alongside traditional subjects like French and German, to reflect the power shift from West to East.’ Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2462652/Teach-Mandarin-British-schools-children-China-matters-says-Boris-Johnson-learning-himself.html#ixzz2nwQ4dkYT
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Luckily, I speak a little Mandarin! I can read a bit too and have a good enough understanding of Chinese to teach you how to teach the basics!

Obviously this will be aimed at the Early Years but learning a new language is a bit like being in the Early Years.

I haven’t made the resources yet but check back here for teaching Mandarin resources!

Christmas Spirit

Children Using the New Role Play Area

It’s weird, you spend all this time making a role play area for the kids to use. You get the children to help you paint it and construct it, and you fill it with lovely laminated things.

And then you get quite protective of the whole thing and don’t want the children to play in it!

But I managed to stop myself from fussing over the role play area and the kids actually had some fun!

They were dressing up and pretending to be Santa, delivering presents and constructing toys in construction area! Everyone was on task! There were even two children who appointed themselves in charge of the post office!

All in all a successful role play area!

Here’s how I did it!

Newspaper Lesson

An Observed Lesson

One of my favourite lessons that I’ve done incorporates a lot of child independent work and a lot of good resources (if I do say so myself!).

Resources for this lesson:

	Blank News Paper Writing Frame Print this out A3 sized and it will be your display final piece of work. Children can stick on photos they take into the boxes and editors can write the stories. Download here.
	Press Badges Each child will have a job and a press badge to go with their job. The badges are all colour coded so that you know which child is in each group. Also helps the children to remember! Download here.
	Interview Sheets These interview sheets are for your lower attainers. The children write the name of the person they are interviewing and then draw a picture of that person. Download here.
	Reporters Sheets These are for your middle and higher attainers. They can write some notes about the news stories they see, ready to report them back to their editors. Download here.
	Newspaper Word Banks For those groups who are working independently in the classroom, children can write their own news stories in the classroom in their child independent time. Download here.
	Blank Stories for Independent For those groups who are working independently in the classroom, children can write their own news stories in the classroom in their child independent time. Download here.

You could also put out some My News templates from Twinkl, turn your Role Play area into a news room for independent work and leave some fine motor skill activities out for the children.

Lesson Plan: