The week ahead in our Early Years Foundation Stage Unit includes several activities based on the theme of weather.
The kite activities were such a success last week because they provided an exciting stimulus for talk.
Engaging early years children in writing is not always easy but the golden rule is to make any writing activity motivating, purposeful and have an audience for the child to present their writing to.
Talking, listening and communicating are crucial elements of the EYFS. The summative assessment culture of the English education system has lead to teachers and practitioners feeling pressured to move straight onto the actual physical act of producing writing in the Reception class. To produce quality writing, young children must have be given time to formulate their ideas, fire up their imagination and voice their experiences.
I used to get so worried that we were not doing enough writing but experience has shown me that if children have access to truly inspiring, sensory and meaningful activities it will prompt them to talk about them.
When children are confident to talk, structure and sequence their thoughts they are more likely to be able to write them down..
So, in the morning, we have a delivery of a letter. The letter is from the Year 1 class. It says:
Dear Children,
You had a lot of fun with your bag kites last week.
How did you make them?
Can you write some instructions for us please so that we can make a bag kite too?
Love from Y1.
We will then embark on talk partners. This involves the children pairing up and discussing through recall how they made their bag kites.
I will ask them just 2 questions. What did they use to make the kite? What did they do to make the kite?
The final part of the session will involve me listening to feedback from the children and modelling the writing process on the board. I will use a series of pictures drawn by my own fair hand and labels.
I will write 3 or 4 simple sentences to describe how we made our kites.
The carpet session will lead nicely into the individual and small group writing input where children will have the opportunity to write their own set of instructions.
We will make these into a book (after copying them for their learning journeys) and give the book to Y1.
Hey Presto! Motivation, purpose and an audience for EYFS writing!
