birth to 3 matters
by: Frances - 14-04-06 09:26
Hi Jo
In response to your request for weekly plans. I think the most important thing to remember about birth to three is that it is a framework not a curriculum, which you do have to put some organisation into but most of it you are probably doing already. It is about how you document this that is important. I would take a step back and look at your environment, what is it like for a baby in your care? Think about routines, such as nappy changing where you can continue to interact with a baby and stimulate their development. I would start with what is accessible. Can the babies reach items and self select off the shelves? This is what I call the continuous provision as it is available all the time. Then think about what you set up every morning, when I ran my baby rooms, I always put out two or three little areas with interesting things for them to do - these are enhancements to what you are providing daily. Then think about what you need to supervise such as paint, water, sand etc., as I wouldn't neccessarily make these accessible all of the time, wanting to ensure the children are safe and there is an adult on hand to support the children. This is what I would call supervised provision. It doesn't matter how you set it out or what you call it, you don't need to link it to a theme, I would suggest you don't as this will give you more flexibility to change things or use spontaneous opportunities. Some settings focus on one component or aspect per plannig period. What I do think is important is that you observe your children and use these as your starting point for developing your provision. In this way you link the learning environment to what the babies are doing and what they need to do next. I wish you the best of luck with it. Frances