Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Find Opportunity

Finding Opportunity
Posted by Sandra - Parent Support Worker Ottawa West-Nepean
Drop-in programs are a wonderful place for parents/caregivers and their children to come and play in a way that meets their timetable.  It’s fun and there is no commitment.  As a facilitator, that means we have our “Hi again!” mixed in with our “Hey!  It’s been a while!”  We also have quieter days mixed with filled to capacity days. 
 When drop-ins are full, it is challenging to connect with parents on the learning that happens through play.  For the occasional families, you don’t have too many chances to make those connections either.  For me, that means looking for opportunities wherever I find them. 
Here’s what I’ve been doing to maximize those opportunities:
·         I take pictures of children learning in various areas and post them around the room in relevant play areas with some general documentation of what a child learns.  As the grown-ups move around with their children, they can take a moment to quickly read these short blurbs.
·         During circle time I take short breaks in between songs or activities and talk about the stations and what are some of the root skills their child is learning this week in the various play area to help them understand and learn some of the ELECT principals.
Here is an example of a blurb you might find in the playroom:

 

SENSORY PLAY

*fine motor; grasp
*hand eye coordination
*body awareness
*vocabulary
*natural consequence; cause and effect
*turn-taking
*trial and error; pouring and dumping
*prediction


2 comments:

  1. thanks Sandra, I think the use of pictures is really the way to go. Picture says 1000 words is really true, and it sparks conversation. the idea of 'stations' has got me thinking about re-organizing our storyboards.We have parents eating lunch in our room, so we use the lunch tables like bulliten boards and put our storyboards on them using clear mac-tac.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maria Neves-Pantano, RECE, OEYC Ottawa SouthMonday, December 03, 2012 2:13:00 pm

      I like the way you are bringing attention to the areas around the room during circle time and talking about the develpment in each area of play. Will try this with my groups.

      Delete

Please respect policies outlined on blog when commenting. Any comments which do not respect the policies will be removed.
Thank you.
Veuillez respecter les politiques du blogue lorsque vous écrivez vos commentaires. Les commentaires qui ne respectent pas les politiques seront supprimés.
Merci.

DISCLAIMER/ AVIS DE NON-RESPONSABILITÉ:

By using this site, you confirm that you have read and understand the policies and that you will respect the policies at all times.
Lorsque vous utilisez ce site, vous confirmez avoir lu et compris les politiques et que vous respectez les politiques en tout temps.