Monday 6 November 2017

Learn Create Share

In today's staff meeting we were looking at how Learn, Create Share has helped bring about acceleration. We looked at one child in particular and focussed on what evidence of acceleration there was. and what particular examples of learning (that implemented Learn, Create, Share) may have supported this acceleration.

My inquiry this year has been looking at implementing  the Quick 60 Literacy Programme and improving Oral Language. In looking at Oral Language in particular many of the children come in with very low skills - operating at 1-2 years below where a 5 year old should be.  There are several components of our programme that have supported the acceleration of Oral Language acquisition. 

We regularly have the routine of sharing in a group of 3. We practice asking a question to a buddy and then the buddy answering using a set language pattern. This modelling and repetition has really had a positive impact on oral language skills. For one particular child his early testing showed that he struggled to say a three word sentence. He could say a dog, and reply to the question 'What colour is the dog?'  by saying black  but couldn't say a black dog. Last week when talking about the bike track said "You have to ride bike carefully." Although his lformation of words is still at times difficult to understand he is continuing to improve in putting his ideas together with more complexity and sharing them with others.

However when reflecting about what impact Learn Create Share has had, I came to the realisation that we could  have been taking this learning further by sharing it online and making it rewindable. Part of the difficulty is needing to manage the children learning these routines, and being on hand to support the process. However despite these challenges it would be good to try to regularly capture what happens in these sessions. I know the children really enjoy seeing themselves on the TV or online, and it will help for them to hear themselves talking. It also will be a great way to record their progress. 

Another way of accelerating oral language is giving the children loads of opportunities to play. Having times where the children can be building, playing with sand, dressing up, making things with play dough, and drawing,  provides situations where the children are being imaginative, sharing ideas and negotiating with others. This all help extend the children's language and vocabulary.  
While I have captured some of these moments it would be good to regularly record this to be able to play it back to the children and share it with family.









Sunday 5 November 2017

Dramatic Play

Here is an interesting article I read today about dramatic play. It is the realisation I have come to  also that giving children opportunities to play in their own imaginative way is great for their social skills, language skills and thinking skills. This is an area I would like to definitely like to explore more next year. I think those experiences would also be a great starting point for extending oral language in the more structured way I have been doing this year.


https://www.longwortheducation.co.nz/single-post/2016/06/24/Dramatic-Play-and-Urges