Early Years In Action:The Learning Environment
0001 10:00:00:21 10:00:03:12
(narrator) This time
on "Early Years in Action",
0002 10:00:03:12 10:00:07:07
we're focusing
on the learning environment.
0003 10:00:09:14 10:00:13:17
In Lewisham LEA, Kim Scott
has made the learning environment
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central to her role
as early-years advisor,
0005 10:00:16:04 10:00:20:22
and coauthored a book on developing
a stimulating learning environment.
0006 10:00:20:22 10:00:23:22
The physical environment
has a huge influence on learning.
0007 10:00:23:22 10:00:28:14
It gives children clear messages
about how we value their learning.
0008 10:00:28:14 10:00:33:05
At Lewisham LEA, we've been making
learning environments a priority.
0009 10:00:33:05 10:00:36:17
(narrator) In this programme,
Kim visits ForsterParkSchool
0010 10:00:36:17 10:00:40:08
and offers some handy tips on how
best Helen Runnalls and Ruth Marley
0011 10:00:40:08 10:00:44:01
can develop a highly stimulating
yet low-cost learning environment.
0012 10:00:44:02 10:00:47:16
Kim is going to focus
on their small-world area,
0013 10:00:47:16 10:00:50:21
indoor and outdoor role-play zones,
and outdoor den-making.
0014 10:00:50:22 10:00:54:03
After today's session, she'll
leave them for a couple of weeks,
0015 10:00:54:03 10:00:56:22
then return to see
how they've put them into practice.
0016 10:00:56:22 10:00:59:20
Wow, Ruth,
this looks so stimulating.
0017 10:01:01:02 10:01:03:00
(narrator) First,
Kim looks at a video
0018 10:01:03:00 10:01:07:02
showing how the classrooms
are currently being used.
0019 10:01:09:09 10:01:11:18
(Kim) That's the role-play area
in your room?
0020 10:01:11:18 10:01:12:20
(woman) Yeah.
0021 10:01:12:20 10:01:16:16
A lot of the resources don't seem
to be commercially produced ones.
0022 10:01:16:16 10:01:19:03
They seem to be things
that have been home-made.
0023 10:01:19:03 10:01:22:19
As a class we thought about all the
things we wanted to put in the area,
0024 10:01:22:19 10:01:24:17
and then we made them together.
0025 10:01:24:17 10:01:28:15
It's important that you gave them
ownership, and it was their choice.
0026 10:01:28:15 10:01:31:07
I really like the way
you've got that interest table.
0027 10:01:31:07 10:01:34:11
I can see there's things
to support literacy skills,
0028 10:01:34:11 10:01:36:05
there's books they can access.
0029 10:01:36:05 10:01:39:17
We put in as many resources that
the children can use as possible,
0030 10:01:39:17 10:01:43:14
so they can just
go and use them independently.
0031 10:01:46:07 10:01:49:14
I love the way you've organised
those graphics tools, Ruth,
0032 10:01:49:14 10:01:52:22
because as well as being able
to find exactly what they want,
0033 10:01:52:22 10:01:55:03
it's really supporting
their maths skills.
0034 10:01:55:03 10:01:57:00
They're successful when tidying up.
0035 10:01:57:00 10:02:00:23
The children can see
when a pot's missing.
0036 10:02:00:23 10:02:03:08
(Kim) I love that child.
Look at his tongue.
0037 10:02:03:08 10:02:05:04
He's so involved in what he's doing.
0038 10:02:05:04 10:02:08:20
What a brilliant idea. That's your
writing area, your graphics area.
0039 10:02:08:20 10:02:12:16
It was my teaching assistant's idea
to turn it into a car,
0040 10:02:12:16 10:02:17:10
because the boys were reluctant
to use the writing area,
0041 10:02:17:10 10:02:19:11
and making it into a car
enticed them in.
0042 10:02:19:11 10:02:22:18
(Kim) It was linking it to
something they were interested in.
0043 10:02:22:18 10:02:25:15
That's the way to get
them excited about their learning.
0044 10:02:25:15 10:02:27:13
We can see that you're providing
0045 10:02:27:13 10:02:30:24
some really high-quality learning
experiences for the children.
0046 10:02:30:24 10:02:33:02
What did you want me
to help you with?
0047 10:02:33:02 10:02:36:14
We always talk about our classrooms
and try to come up with new ideas.
0048 10:02:36:14 10:02:39:06
We just wanted
a fresh perspective on them, really.
0049 10:02:39:06 10:02:42:19
OK. Let's look at the classrooms.
Where are we going first?
0050 10:02:42:19 10:02:44:23
If you come to my classroom first.
0051 10:02:44:23 10:02:49:04
If we start over here. This is where
we keep a record of their birthdays,
0052 10:02:49:04 10:02:51:16
so we've got two birthday cupcakes,
0053 10:02:51:16 10:02:55:13
and we move their names across
as they move from four to five.
0054 10:02:55:13 10:02:58:12
That's great. It helps them
to recognise their names,
0055 10:02:58:12 10:03:00:24
but also really supports
their self-esteem.
0056 10:03:00:24 10:03:03:15
Great. What have you got
over here, these models?
0057 10:03:03:15 10:03:07:02
This was when we were doing
about a book with a monster in.
0058 10:03:07:02 10:03:09:17
We recorded their speech
in speech bubbles.
0059 10:03:09:17 10:03:11:16
Having that on display really shows
0060 10:03:11:16 10:03:14:03
how much value
you give to the things they make.
0061 10:03:14:03 10:03:17:01
And also parents can come
and see that too, can't they?
0062 10:03:17:01 10:03:20:00
Tell us about what you've done
with these drawers here.
0063 10:03:20:00 10:03:23:20
On each drawer we've got a label
saying what's inside the drawers.
0064 10:03:23:20 10:03:27:14
It means they're not reliant on an
adult. They have a bit of ownership.
0065 10:03:27:14 10:03:30:12
That's so important.
If we want independent learners,
0066 10:03:30:12 10:03:34:16
we need to make sure that they can
go off and be able to access things,
0067 10:03:34:16 10:03:36:16
and put them away independently.
0068 10:03:36:16 10:03:39:09
So what would you like to develop
in your classroom?
0069 10:03:39:09 10:03:42:12
Here's the small-world area.
This is what we're working on.
0070 10:03:42:12 10:03:44:14
I do want to move it on from here.
0071 10:03:44:14 10:03:49:08
I'd like to get writing
opportunities from the small world.
0072 10:03:49:08 10:03:52:03
(Kim) What are the children
in your class into?
0073 10:03:52:03 10:03:55:19
Recently we've been making
a lot of maps in the role-play area.
0074 10:03:55:19 10:03:59:23
OK. I think we could really
develop that in a small world, then.
0075 10:03:59:23 10:04:02:24
The whole maps idea
would link in really well with cars,
0076 10:04:02:24 10:04:05:18
then get lots of different text
linked to cars and maps,
0077 10:04:05:18 10:04:08:10
so that children are drawn in
to get involved with it,
0078 10:04:08:10 10:04:11:08
but wherever they go
there's writing opportunities
0079 10:04:11:08 10:04:14:12
that hopefully will really
get them excited about writing.
0080 10:04:15:05 10:04:17:04
- Hi, Ruth.
- (Ruth) Hiya.
0081 10:04:17:04 10:04:20:15
- So this is your classroom?
- Yes, this is my classroom.
0082 10:04:20:15 10:04:24:06
OK. Talk us through some things
you've been developing in here.
0083 10:04:24:06 10:04:27:20
At the minute, the children
are really into space and aliens,
0084 10:04:27:20 10:04:29:14
so we've had that out today.
0085 10:04:29:14 10:04:31:09
- This is our small world.
- Right.
0086 10:04:31:09 10:04:34:06
That's just some wallpaper paste
with some snakes -
0087 10:04:34:06 10:04:36:00
very popular with the boys.
0088 10:04:36:00 10:04:38:12
(Kim) It's really gunky, isn't it?
0089 10:04:38:12 10:04:40:16
What you can do
in these sorts of trays
0090 10:04:40:16 10:04:43:06
is really support children's
fine motor skills.
0091 10:04:43:06 10:04:47:13
So you might add things in here like
small scoops and things like that,
0092 10:04:47:13 10:04:51:08
lots of the tiny pouring - it gets
children to concentrate and focus,
0093 10:04:51:08 10:04:53:22
and develops those
fine motor skills for them.
0094 10:04:53:22 10:04:55:01
OK.
0095 10:04:55:01 10:04:56:23
You've got a sand tray over here.
0096 10:04:56:23 10:05:01:24
Children like putting animals
in there - dinosaurs...
0097 10:05:01:24 10:05:05:01
The sand is fantastic
for supporting maths.
0098 10:05:05:01 10:05:09:04
What's really nice is that idea
of burying things for them to find.
0099 10:05:09:04 10:05:13:18
Then if you give children special
boxes or baskets that they can hold,
0100 10:05:13:18 10:05:16:21
they can dig around, count out
the things as they find them,
0101 10:05:16:21 10:05:19:13
match them to labelled objects
and things like that.
0102 10:05:19:13 10:05:23:01
So what is it that you'd really like
to develop in your classroom, Ruth?
0103 10:05:23:01 10:05:26:21
We change our role-play area every
half term, and it's half term now.
0104 10:05:26:21 10:05:30:04
It was a school.
It's become quite tatty now.
0105 10:05:30:04 10:05:34:09
Our new topic is plants and animals,
and I wanted to do a garden centre.
0106 10:05:34:09 10:05:37:18
I think that would be great.
You've got a nice, large space here.
0107 10:05:37:18 10:05:41:04
What we really need to think about
is how we can support all six areas
0108 10:05:41:04 10:05:43:09
of the foundation-stage curriculum.
0109 10:05:43:09 10:05:45:12
So, for example, for PSE,
0110 10:05:45:12 10:05:49:00
if it's a garden centre, we might
think about why people send flowers.
0111 10:05:49:00 10:05:51:21
The links to knowledge
and understanding science
0112 10:05:51:21 10:05:55:07
and the growing and everything
are huge here.
0113 10:05:55:07 10:05:56:18
Literacy...
0114 10:05:56:18 10:06:00:15
I could get some non-fiction books
on plants and growing.
0115 10:06:00:15 10:06:05:04
We'll measure plants, and we'll get
maths and money from this area.
0116 10:06:05:04 10:06:07:03
Right, OK. I'll look forward to it.
0117 10:06:07:03 10:06:10:01
(Kim) Resources can be
a bit limited for outdoors.
0118 10:06:10:01 10:06:12:06
It's important
to look at what you've got,
0119 10:06:12:06 10:06:14:22
and inject
a bit of extra life into that.
0120 10:06:14:22 10:06:17:22
You've got things like pop-up tents,
and they're great,
0121 10:06:17:22 10:06:20:17
but commercial resources
don't have that longevity
0122 10:06:20:17 10:06:23:00
of resources
that children have made with you.
0123 10:06:23:00 10:06:26:22
I think it might be good to get some
garden canes and things like that,
0124 10:06:26:22 10:06:30:07
loads of masking tape, to actually
make some dens themselves.
0125 10:06:30:07 10:06:32:23
I see you've been doing
a bit of role-play out here.
0126 10:06:32:23 10:06:35:02
- Is this an ambulance?
- Yes.
0127 10:06:35:02 10:06:37:11
OK, and it's nice
you've got the costumes.
0128 10:06:37:11 10:06:41:02
Role-play takes on a whole different
dimension when it's outside,
0129 10:06:41:02 10:06:44:18
because it can really
be on a much larger scale,
0130 10:06:44:18 10:06:46:13
children can be physically active,
0131 10:06:46:13 10:06:50:12
and we can make good use
of things like the bikes over there.
0132 10:06:50:12 10:06:53:01
What I'd like to do
is link them to your role-play.
0133 10:06:53:01 10:06:57:01
So maybe if we looked
at something like pizza delivery
0134 10:06:57:01 10:06:59:13
or something like that.
0135 10:06:59:13 10:07:02:19
We can get boxes, tape them
on to the front of the bikes,
0136 10:07:02:19 10:07:06:05
and you've got a section, you can
have your pizza boxes in there.
0137 10:07:06:05 10:07:09:17
I can see you've got this
kind of open playhouse as well -
0138 10:07:09:17 10:07:12:09
children have obviously
been playing out here.
0139 10:07:12:09 10:07:16:14
It would be nice to give this a real
focus and tie it in with role-play.
0140 10:07:16:14 10:07:20:05
It would provide a perfect base
for a pizza restaurant, wouldn't it?
0141 10:07:20:05 10:07:22:20
The pizza place up the road -
we could get some boxes.
0142 10:07:22:20 10:07:26:00
Yeah, we could ask them,
couldn't we?
0143 10:07:26:00 10:07:29:06
We'll get loads of literacy,
loads of reading and writing there.
0144 10:07:29:06 10:07:31:16
Maybe they'll make
real pizzas inside with you,
0145 10:07:31:16 10:07:33:18
and make their own recipe books.
0146 10:07:35:09 10:07:37:23
(narrator) After some
helpful hints from Kim,
0147 10:07:37:23 10:07:42:05
Helen will look at her small-world
area and incorporate writing,
0148 10:07:42:05 10:07:45:22
by focusing on something the
children are really interested in.
0149 10:07:45:22 10:07:48:15
Ruth is going to focus
on her role-play zone,
0150 10:07:48:15 10:07:51:05
trying to develop
all six areas of learning.
0151 10:07:51:05 10:07:55:15
Making sure that the learning
opportunities don't remain indoors,
0152 10:07:55:15 10:07:58:22
Helen and Ruth are going to utilise
the large space outdoors
0153 10:07:58:22 10:08:02:07
for den-making
and a pizza-delivery role-play.
0154 10:08:02:07 10:08:04:19
It's been three weeks
since we left Helen and Ruth
0155 10:08:04:19 10:08:06:19
to develop their environments.
0156 10:08:06:19 10:08:10:15
That's plenty of time. Let's take
a look and see how they've got on.
0157 10:08:25:20 10:08:28:21
Wow, Ruth,
this looks so stimulating.
0158 10:08:28:21 10:08:31:11
- You've worked so hard.
- It is lovely, isn't it?
0159 10:08:31:11 10:08:33:22
(Kim) It's fantastic.
Tell me what you've done.
0160 10:08:33:22 10:08:36:02
(Ruth) The children
have made flowers.
0161 10:08:36:02 10:08:38:18
I got a lot of the flowers
from the pound shop.
0162 10:08:38:18 10:08:40:10
It's all been quite cheap.
0163 10:08:40:10 10:08:44:07
It looks fantastic - just those
real baskets and that trellis there
0164 10:08:44:07 10:08:46:14
really make it visually so exciting.
0165 10:08:46:14 10:08:50:17
I love the little dragonfly lights
you've got draped along there.
0166 10:08:50:17 10:08:54:00
(Ruth) I put some PSE in, asked them
why we send people flowers.
0167 10:08:54:00 10:08:56:08
We've got goodbye cards,
birthday cards.
0168 10:08:56:08 10:09:00:09
They take the one when they want,
fill it in, do some more writing,
0169 10:09:00:09 10:09:02:24
and then give them
with their flowers.
0170 10:09:02:24 10:09:06:16
And you've got loads going on over
here around the counter as well.
0171 10:09:06:16 10:09:10:12
(Ruth) We've got opening times,
leaflets, order forms, brochures.
0172 10:09:10:12 10:09:14:15
It's an amazing place. You want
to get in here and play, don't you?
0173 10:09:14:15 10:09:18:12
I love the way you've got so many
good-quality signs with pictures,
0174 10:09:18:12 10:09:20:22
which also show children what to do.
0175 10:09:20:22 10:09:23:13
Fantastic job, Ruth.
Thank you very much.
0176 10:09:23:13 10:09:27:22
(Kim) This looks amazing. Tell me
about what you've been doing here.
0177 10:09:27:22 10:09:30:21
Well, basically,
we've collected lots of resources.
0178 10:09:30:21 10:09:32:23
We've got maps here, which...
0179 10:09:32:23 10:09:36:06
we've just got old ones
that people were throwing away.
0180 10:09:36:06 10:09:41:22
We've got some brochures from car
showrooms and also some storybooks.
0181 10:09:41:22 10:09:43:20
(Kim) What about these?
0182 10:09:43:20 10:09:46:07
This was to encourage them to write,
0183 10:09:46:07 10:09:50:09
so we've got accident reports,
parking tickets and parking fines.
0184 10:09:50:09 10:09:56:16
We've been drawing the maps onto the
paper, then we play with the cars,
0185 10:09:56:16 10:09:59:20
and if they park in the wrong place,
they have to write a ticket.
0186 10:09:59:20 10:10:02:21
If they bump into each other,
they write an accident report.
0187 10:10:02:21 10:10:05:09
They're not just
playing with the cars on here.
0188 10:10:05:09 10:10:07:20
(Kim) OK, that looks
absolutely brilliant.
0189 10:10:09:19 10:10:13:15
This is incredible!
What a transformation!
0190 10:10:13:15 10:10:18:20
(Ruth) It was cheap. The pizza
boxes, we actually ate ourselves.
0191 10:10:18:20 10:10:21:19
A lot of it has come from home.
They're picnic glasses.
0192 10:10:21:19 10:10:26:11
What a brilliant idea. Children will
love this. They'll feel so grown-up.
0193 10:10:26:11 10:10:30:15
But they're actually plastic
picnic glasses, so they're safe.
0194 10:10:30:15 10:10:33:18
What about these chips in here?
They look really realistic.
0195 10:10:33:18 10:10:37:19
- (Ruth) We cut up a car sponge.
- (Kim) OK, what a brilliant idea.
0196 10:10:37:19 10:10:41:02
Bikes have been used,
which were ours already.
0197 10:10:41:02 10:10:44:16
We've attached boxes to the front
and labelled them.
0198 10:10:44:16 10:10:47:09
This is the office part
of the pizza cafe, is it?
0199 10:10:47:09 10:10:50:00
(Helen) Menus over here,
which they've been using.
0200 10:10:50:00 10:10:52:20
They're menus we've collected
from takeaway places.
0201 10:10:52:20 10:10:55:24
We've also got some order forms,
so they can fill out forms
0202 10:10:55:24 10:10:58:15
when people call on the telephone.
0203 10:10:58:15 10:11:02:09
It looks the sort of place that
you can't wait to get into and play.
0204 10:11:02:09 10:11:06:06
(narrator) Amazingly, Helen and Ruth
have only spent £40 in total
0205 10:11:06:06 10:11:08:04
on their class transformations,
0206 10:11:08:04 10:11:13:01
gathering most of the resources from
businesses and parents for free.
0207 10:11:13:01 10:11:16:10
But what's important
is whether the children like it.
0208 10:11:16:10 10:11:18:11
(Helen) There are some pens there.
0209 10:11:18:11 10:11:21:10
You've started the road.
Well done, Michael. That's good.
0210 10:11:21:10 10:11:25:04
- That's where the police...
- (boy makes siren noises)
0211 10:11:25:04 10:11:27:24
Oh, no! You just crashed into me.
0212 10:11:27:24 10:11:29:21
You'd better write a report.
0213 10:11:29:21 10:11:33:11
- You write your name.
- All right. Write your name there.
0214 10:11:33:11 10:11:37:10
- Would you like them wrapped?
- Yes.
0215 10:11:37:10 10:11:41:06
- (Ruth) How much do these cost?
- 6p, please.
0216 10:11:41:06 10:11:43:17
- (Ruth) There we go.
- Thank you.
0217 10:11:43:17 10:11:45:23
- Is this the garden centre?
- Yes.
0218 10:11:45:23 10:11:48:06
I'd love some flowers.
Can you help me?
0219 10:11:48:06 10:11:52:17
Yes. There's two flowers.
Which would you like?
0220 10:11:52:17 10:11:55:02
Would you like the pink ones
or the orange ones?
0221 10:11:55:02 10:11:57:17
I'll have the pink ones, please.
0222 10:11:57:17 10:11:59:13
(Kim) When will they be ready?
0223 10:11:59:13 10:12:02:13
- Just a minute, please.
- OK.
0224 10:12:05:02 10:12:08:16
It's fantastic how children can
really get into their role here,
0225 10:12:08:16 10:12:12:00
and how motivated
and excited they are as well.
0226 10:12:12:00 10:12:15:08
Over here we've got
this garden-design centre,
0227 10:12:15:08 10:12:19:02
where children have been drawing out
their own garden designs,
0228 10:12:19:02 10:12:23:01
then choosing from all the
different types of materials here.
0229 10:12:23:01 10:12:26:00
The children working here
are so absorbed and motivated.
0230 10:12:26:00 10:12:31:15
This is supporting them in nearly
all of the early-learning goals.
0231 10:12:35:06 10:12:39:00
Wow, my pizza's here. Would you
like some money? How much is that?
0232 10:12:39:00 10:12:42:03
What's really great
about this new environment out here
0233 10:12:42:03 10:12:45:18
is how well these children
are using it and working together.
0234 10:12:45:18 10:12:47:19
It's really developing
their language.
0235 10:12:47:19 10:12:50:22
There's loads of opportunities
for children to write,
0236 10:12:50:22 10:12:55:10
lots of mathematical opportunities
- they have been counting out money.
0237 10:13:00:00 10:13:02:16
Come on. Hurry up. Jake. Jake.
0238 10:13:05:01 10:13:07:18
- Hi, guys.
- Hello.
0239 10:13:07:18 10:13:11:04
Hello. This looks like
you're having great fun here.
0240 10:13:11:04 10:13:13:01
So tell me what you're doing.
0241 10:13:13:01 10:13:16:00
- Making a tent.
- A tent? Fabulous.
0242 10:13:16:00 10:13:18:08
How are you going
to fix this together here?
0243 10:13:18:08 10:13:22:03
- (boy) Oh, that's too hard.
- (boy #2) It's too hard.
0244 10:13:22:03 10:13:25:00
- Is it very hard to make?
- We're going to figure it out.
0245 10:13:25:00 10:13:28:04
You're going to work it out?
OK, you're doing a fantastic job.
0246 10:13:34:00 10:13:36:06
Money, please.
0247 10:13:36:06 10:13:40:14
The learning environment is hugely
important, but as we've seen today,
0248 10:13:40:14 10:13:44:02
developing a stimulating environment
doesn't have to cost the earth.
0249 10:13:44:02 10:13:47:12
All it takes is a bit of imagination
and a little hard work.
0250 10:13:52:23 10:13:56:13
Visiontext Subtitles: Sarah Johnston