It’s Finished!

The Reception Space Station

My role play area is finished and I absolutely love it! It was made entirely by my teaching assistant and it looks amazing! I can’t thank her enough!

The role play area for this half term is a space station. We have used a mixture between pictures and images from Twinkl and things that the children have made themselves. There are lots of speaking and listening opportunities as well as fine motor and construction.

The planets and the rockets hanging from the ceiling were all made by the children themselves. As you can see, the wall is interspersed with images of space from the internet.

We blacked out the windows to allow the children the feeling of being in space. Space images were placed on top to give the children the space experience.

An alien one of the children created, hanging from the ceiling. I want the children to know that if they create something amazing then it will be displayed.

The children have been very creative using their construction and fine motor skills to make some amazing aliens to show us.

Using some boxes we had left over from Christmas gifts, and some kitchen foil, we made this amazing computer for the children to use in the role play area. I saw some children using this computer, they were planning their trip on the space station. Very cute!

I made these badges for the children and I was recently handed one so that I knew I would be allowed into the space station to join the children for a Space Party! Very exciting!

The box for our space shuttle here was almost thrown away! I managed to nab it and it has become the space shuttle. Painted grey and with shapes put on the outside (to encourage shape language) has inspired some wonderful pretend play!

Space is one of my favourite topics so we obviously have some role play costumes and resources already in th classroom. The children have really enjoyed the topic and are even giving me some topic based writing examples!

New Role Play Area

The Space Station

I think role play areas are my favourite! I do like creating these lovely spaces for the children to work in.

This term, it’s a space station!

It’s not quite finished yet,  but I think my TA has done such a fantastic job building it that I wanted to show you what it looks like already!

I have more photos of the details!

Learning Through Play

It’s about Developing Knowledge

I’m having a bit of a preach I’m afraid.

Members of staff working with older children can often think that all we do in the foundation stage is play.

I have told the children in my class that we work with the toys in the classroom, and the head teacher will tell me off if I let them play when it’s not play time. The children now delight in correcting me if I say ‘play’ by accident.

Children in the foundation stage work very hard when they are playing. They are developing relationships with other children, learning about who they are and how they relate to other people. If they actually do the activity as it is intended, they will be learning about numbers, shapes, writing, sounds and ICT.

The role of the Learning Through Play Manager is essential for ensuring that the goals in the Early Years Foundation Stage are met. It is not all about teaching knowledge but it is also about developing that knowledge.

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!

Learning Through Play Manager

It’s More than Just Playing

I talk a lot about a Learning Through Play Manager. It’s an important role in any foundation stage classroom as the children will learn using activities but sometimes they can go a bit off task, as we all know.

Picture from www.allkidsfirstnj.com

The Purpose of a Learning Through Play Manager

There of many purposes of a Learning Through Play Manager, each of them importing.

1. Assessment
   While we can assess the children in test situations, it is not until the children use the learning in their own independent play that they have truly assimilated the knowledge.
   
   The Learning Through Play Manager is in a perfect position to observe children using their knowledge in their play. The LTPM can use observation sheets, post it notes or magic moment cards to capture these fantastic displays of knowledge.
   
2. Moving Learning On
   Sometimes children can retain misconceptions in their learning. They may continue to miss out the number 4 when counting, or write their ‘s’ backwards. The LTPM can correct miss conceptions.
   
   When children are playing in the role play area or are writing a story or even counting, the LTPM can ask ‘what happens next?’ or ‘what comes next?’ This encourages the children to think about and develop their play. Asking open questions is a fantastic way to move children’s learning on.
   
3. Crowd Management
   Most teachers know that when the children are left to their own devices things can get a bit silly.
   
   While one adult is working with a focus group, the Learning Through Play Manager can ensure that children stay on task and focused on their activities. The LTPM can control the mood of the classroom and prevent children from becoming too silly.