The Role of The Parent during child-initiated activity

Sometimes children play for plays sake for fun , to let off steam , to establish social contact etc but there should be another element to play and that should be a focus on learning - introducing new words and new ideas, thinking out loud, modelling more complex ways of speaking, posing new problems, encouraging negotiation of conflict , explaining, or demonstrating approaches.

• Offer assistance and support to your child as needed this helps children to be successful in follow through their ideas, including talking about or suggesting strategies, and practical support such as holding an object in place as your child works on it.

• Try and ensure that the learning environment offers a range of stimulating open-ended materials, outdoors and indoors, which children can use in their own way to meet their own purposes.

• Make sure where possible your child has substantial time to develop their activities.

• Encourage your child to use the language of learning as they make their plans and carry out and review their activities, talking about things such as 'I remembered, I tried, we found out, we know, I can, we thought, we solved the problem'

• Adopt a problem-solving approach to resolving conflicts or behavioural issues, helping children to be aware of 'others' points or view and thinking together to agree on a solution.

• Observe your childs' activities carefully, trying to discover what the child is thinking and learning and the goals of the play. So you can accurately support and extend your childs learning focus either at the time, or later by changes to the environment or in planned activities.

Remember not be over rigid with this at the end of the day your childs play should be fun.

Dear Heart

Dear Heart I was beginning to think my writing was getting a little irksome and it wasn't relating to who I am , I am no journalist and yes my grammar  grammar goes awry sometimes. The temptation to quote Yoda is quite, quite overwhelming "No ! Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try" And yet I reminded to blog as you feel , except not to blog when angry. So perhaps I am trying too much , who knows we are all jostling for position in life.

But I do shoot straight from the hip that is just me , empowerment is key in this life and self promotion but not to the degree it starts to taint you. So I think stamping my feet in  a more positive matter is the ticket. Situations can make or break us but it is how you really deal with them that shows us the calibre of person we are.

I am reminded of when I was in hospital having J about to take him home after a quite traumatic pregnancy and the doctor came to give J the once over check.

"He's not got the crease in his hand he may have Downs Syndrome " said the junior doctor.

I was dumb struck it wouldn't have matter to me if he had downs syndrome he was still loved. But the feeling at the moment in time of complete helplessness was to much to bare. We found out later he didn't have Downs Syndrome but again if he had it would not have mattered. It did some what bring a sombre tone the joyous occasion of a happy occasion but again I and my husband just got on with our lives. Let the situation make you not break you.

Childhood Living The Natural Life

Using natural materials outside is fabulous you can use them to create items from mobiles and clay heads to shelters/ Consider the properties of different natural material and help children learn to recognise some of their key features.

This can be anything from using mud to make : mud gingerbread in connection with the " Gingerbread story"

To making mud troll faces due the "Three Billy Goat Gruff "

Use your garden or your school grounds or a local park etc to discover and identify a range of trees and plats. Activities will vary slightly depending on age? ability, but will include the role of plants, leaves, roots and stems and an introduction to photosynthesis ( the requirement for light, water and air why leaves are green and the leaf being a powerhouse for the plant)


And as I was doing the other day with a group of reception tying in with the subject of Spring looking for signs of new life in nature : Looking for buds, daffodils, bird nests etc ...

Why not go kite flying ? It's a perfect way to see nature all around you.

In the words of Mary Poppins "Lets go fly a kite "

History in the making :Hero or villain ?

There are times when a reputation will stick whether its warranted or not such in the case of King Richard.
Was he a hero or was he a villain?
Who knows?

Wandering old Leicester takes me back to my architectural inspection days my eye is always trained for seventeenth brickwork or a sash window after 1850. If my family lose me I am usually to be found by diaper brickwork or a cruck A frame . If we are in a church well that's it I have to hold myself back from giving a full health inspection ...

Childhood explored: How to learn in play

The weather you have to admit has been bizarre snow in March , I know its not unheard of but when the skies are blue you do began to wonder somewhat. Spring is such a joyous theme for crafting and for  children's learning.

• You can aid a child's learning so much much! but avoid going into closed questing ( How many ? What colour What size ?)
• Take some time to observe and find out what your children are playing and what their roles and intentions are.
• Think if you need to enter the play and for what purposes ( such as offering suggestions, introducing new ideas or vocabulary , noise or behaviour management, extending the play or negotiating entry for another child.
• Try and play on the children's terms by taking on a role that they suggest, and following the children's instructions. With younger children . just participating and imitating the children's actions with the same type of materials will signal that you are in tune and start a playful interaction.
• Offer your own ideas when you are sure that they are consistent with the flow of play.
• Always be aware of the qualities of play, and to the knowledge and skills that children are using and applying.