Learning Through Play: Mathematical Development
Subtitles
Associated Teachers TV programme
Learning Through Play: Mathematical Development
0001 10:00:09:23 10:00:12:22
(narrator) Since 2004,
a radical experiment
0002 10:00:12:22 10:00:16:02
in the early years provision
has been going on in Wales.
0003 10:00:16:02 10:00:18:06
At over 40 schools
across the country,
0004 10:00:18:06 10:00:20:19
they've been piloting
a new play-based curriculum
0005 10:00:20:19 10:00:22:15
for three-to-seven-year-olds.
0006 10:00:22:15 10:00:27:00
And from 2008 it will be
implemented in all schools.
0007 10:00:27:00 10:00:29:14
Welcome to the Foundation Phase.
0008 10:00:30:11 10:00:34:09
(children) # Ten green bottles
hanging on the wall
0009 10:00:34:21 10:00:38:14
(narrator) TroedyrhiwInfant School
is in a town near Merthyr Tydfil.
0010 10:00:38:14 10:00:40:11
They're piloting
the Foundation Phase
0011 10:00:40:11 10:00:42:11
in their nursery
and reception classes.
0012 10:00:42:11 10:00:47:14
This programme looks at how they
encourage mathematical development.
0013 10:00:47:14 10:00:52:15
(children) # Nine green bottles
hanging on the wall
0014 10:00:52:15 10:00:56:00
We decided, when we found out
we were a pilot school,
0015 10:00:56:00 10:00:58:14
that, rather than work in isolation,
0016 10:00:58:14 10:01:02:16
it would be a really good idea to
bring our early years into one unit.
0017 10:01:02:16 10:01:04:07
We knocked through the wall
0018 10:01:04:07 10:01:07:16
to create our nursery and reception
area into an under-fives unit.
0019 10:01:07:16 10:01:10:16
The classroom was re-divided
into two main areas.
0020 10:01:10:16 10:01:16:12
There's a quiet area with
an interactive whiteboard.
0021 10:01:16:12 10:01:19:23
There's the busy area with
a lot of free-choice activities
0022 10:01:19:23 10:01:23:13
and the role-play area is
in that part of the room as well.
0023 10:01:23:13 10:01:25:20
We have open access to the outdoors.
0024 10:01:25:20 10:01:29:05
A key feature of the Foundation
Phase is the outdoor classroom,
0025 10:01:29:05 10:01:33:10
which we've spent a lot of time and
money on, the last couple of years.
0026 10:01:33:10 10:01:38:07
And if the children aren't withdrawn
by an adult for a specific activity
0027 10:01:38:07 10:01:41:20
they have a free-choice activity,
either indoors or outdoors.
0028 10:01:41:20 10:01:46:14
An abundance of activities
are put out and rotated each day.
0029 10:01:46:14 10:01:51:23
We've got a target sheet out there
with numbers of 5, 10, 25 and 50.
0030 10:01:51:23 10:01:53:22
And this is an aiming activity
0031 10:01:53:22 10:01:56:12
where the children
focus on a particular number
0032 10:01:56:12 10:01:59:23
and then use the beanbag
to aim at that particular number.
0033 10:01:59:23 10:02:03:07
It's good for adding as well.
The children total their scores.
0034 10:02:03:07 10:02:06:07
And it's a competitive game
the children enjoy doing.
0035 10:02:06:07 10:02:09:04
Which number are you
going to try to hit?
0036 10:02:09:04 10:02:12:05
The one in the middle? Number 50?
OK. Say, "Number 50."
0037 10:02:12:05 10:02:15:13
- Number 50.
- (gasps) Excellent!
0038 10:02:15:13 10:02:18:16
And then we moved on
to the number dominoes,
0039 10:02:18:16 10:02:21:23
where the children use that
as a free-choice activity,
0040 10:02:21:23 10:02:26:00
where they've got numbers one to six
and they match the numbers.
0041 10:02:26:00 10:02:29:16
They work as a team so they develop
their personal and social skills,
0042 10:02:29:16 10:02:32:17
team-building skills,
and just helping each other
0043 10:02:32:17 10:02:35:19
to problem-solve
the number dominoes.
0044 10:02:38:16 10:02:40:00
Having made the decision
0045 10:02:40:00 10:02:43:11
that we were going to
change the curriculum in Wales
0046 10:02:43:11 10:02:46:04
and try and ensure that
we benchmarked ourselves
0047 10:02:46:04 10:02:49:15
against the best in the world,
we then had to look about -
0048 10:02:49:15 10:02:52:01
what were we going to put
into this curriculum?
0049 10:02:52:01 10:02:55:23
And we decided that
we wanted to focus on outcome
0050 10:02:55:23 10:02:58:22
so that children
could move through the curriculum
0051 10:02:58:22 10:03:03:16
and as they developed
a skill in an activity
0052 10:03:03:16 10:03:06:24
that was registered and
they could move on to the next one.
0053 10:03:06:24 10:03:11:24
So they'd be encouraged, to an
extent, to move at their own pace
0054 10:03:11:24 10:03:15:11
but they'd be encouraged to develop
to the best of their ability.
0055 10:03:15:11 10:03:17:23
We feel quite successful
in what we're doing
0056 10:03:17:23 10:03:21:07
because the school
has had an inspection
0057 10:03:21:07 10:03:24:03
and the under-fives
were highly praised
0058 10:03:24:03 10:03:27:09
in their delivery
of the Foundation Phase.
0059 10:03:27:09 10:03:31:03
And that gives the school
confidence to carry it forward.
0060 10:03:31:03 10:03:35:22
We need to find the right numbers.
We don't want to build any old wall.
0061 10:03:35:22 10:03:38:14
We want to put
the numbers in order, OK?
0062 10:03:38:14 10:03:41:23
So if we get really stuck,
we've got a number line to help us.
0063 10:03:41:23 10:03:46:22
(narrator) A key aspect
is the lower adult-to-pupil ratios.
0064 10:03:46:22 10:03:50:19
At Troedyrhiw, this means that
teachers withdraw small groups
0065 10:03:50:19 10:03:55:19
from their free-choice sessions to
do specific teacher-led activities.
0066 10:03:55:19 10:04:00:02
(Rebecca) The day is set up
into five 45-minute work sessions.
0067 10:04:00:02 10:04:03:02
There are eight members of staff
in the under-five unit,
0068 10:04:03:02 10:04:06:15
and there are seven areas of
learning for the Foundation Phase.
0069 10:04:06:15 10:04:10:21
And each week a member of staff is
responsible for an area of learning.
0070 10:04:10:21 10:04:12:18
Then we have
a spare member of staff,
0071 10:04:12:18 10:04:14:17
so sometimes
we double up on activities.
0072 10:04:14:17 10:04:17:18
- What number would you like to do?
- Five.
0073 10:04:17:18 10:04:20:02
- What number's that one?
- That's six.
0074 10:04:20:02 10:04:22:04
Good girl. Go on, then.
0075 10:04:24:22 10:04:28:05
Down and a big round... Yay!
0076 10:04:29:10 10:04:31:10
(Rebecca) We use
a multi-sensory approach
0077 10:04:31:10 10:04:35:00
where the children are practising
recognising and forming numbers
0078 10:04:35:00 10:04:39:09
using sand, salt, shaving foam.
They're using the water tray
0079 10:04:39:09 10:04:42:24
where the children use the water
to develop their number language.
0080 10:04:42:24 10:04:46:01
We're using all the areas
that you can think of.
0081 10:04:46:01 10:04:49:18
There is a lot of forming numbers,
but not necessarily pen to paper.
0082 10:04:49:18 10:04:53:21
It could be using the pens and
the whiteboard to write numbers,
0083 10:04:53:21 10:04:57:18
multi-sensory approach,
problem-solving skills.
0084 10:04:57:18 10:05:00:08
Not necessarily sitting down
and pen to paper.
0085 10:05:00:08 10:05:02:11
It's whenever they're ready for it.
0086 10:05:09:23 10:05:13:19
(Rebecca) Lots of sorting activities
go on in the unit as free-choice
0087 10:05:13:19 10:05:16:16
and as teacher-directed activities.
0088 10:05:16:16 10:05:19:19
We use lots of sorting
for different types of criteria.
0089 10:05:19:19 10:05:22:15
Today the children were sorting
Teddy into the colours,
0090 10:05:22:15 10:05:25:06
so they had to match
the colour of Teddy
0091 10:05:25:06 10:05:26:24
to the colour tray that they have.
0092 10:05:26:24 10:05:30:08
Then some of the children
were actually counting their teddies
0093 10:05:30:08 10:05:33:02
to ten and beyond,
quite independently.
0094 10:05:33:02 10:05:35:02
- One...
- That's good.
0095 10:05:35:02 10:05:38:04
..two...
0096 10:05:38:04 10:05:40:21
three... four...
0097 10:05:40:21 10:05:43:16
(Rebecca) We don't push
the children to form numbers.
0098 10:05:43:16 10:05:46:19
But when we know the children
can recite their numbers
0099 10:05:46:19 10:05:49:16
to ten and beyond,
then we introduce the number to them
0100 10:05:49:16 10:05:51:20
so they need
to recognise the number,
0101 10:05:51:20 10:05:53:13
then we move on to form numbers.
0102 10:05:58:10 10:06:01:21
(Claire) The system we've got now
is a lovely way of teaching,
0103 10:06:01:21 10:06:06:08
because you can allow
the children to explore things
0104 10:06:06:08 10:06:08:10
and sort of come up
with your own ideas.
0105 10:06:08:10 10:06:11:24
It gives you freedom. If they want
to move in a particular direction,
0106 10:06:11:24 10:06:14:16
if they've got an interest,
you've got freedom
0107 10:06:14:16 10:06:17:24
to go with that idea and follow
it through throughout the week.
0108 10:06:17:24 10:06:21:22
Boys and girls, this week, what is
Tilly and Timmy's favourite colour?
0109 10:06:21:22 10:06:23:10
- Green.
- Green.
0110 10:06:23:10 10:06:25:12
We've got green things
in our course
0111 10:06:25:12 10:06:28:02
that Tilly is going to cross, OK?
0112 10:06:28:02 10:06:33:14
First, I want you to show me that
you know where these positions are.
0113 10:06:33:14 10:06:37:01
Can you put Tilly
on something for me?
0114 10:06:37:01 10:06:39:22
Um...
0115 10:06:39:22 10:06:42:15
- Where's Tilly? Can you tell me?
- On the bench.
0116 10:06:42:15 10:06:45:14
On the... Shall we call that
a table? A jumping table?
0117 10:06:45:14 10:06:48:09
On the table. Good boy.
Now, bring him back.
0118 10:06:48:09 10:06:51:05
In the hall, I was using
an obstacle course
0119 10:06:51:05 10:06:56:07
and encouraging the children
to use positional language.
0120 10:06:56:07 10:07:00:00
I was introducing it, then
letting them choose their own route
0121 10:07:00:00 10:07:02:07
across the obstacle course
0122 10:07:02:07 10:07:05:10
and saying where
they put the teddy bear.
0123 10:07:05:10 10:07:09:02
- On the table.
- That's right. On the table.
0124 10:07:09:02 10:07:10:15
- On the mat.
- Good.
0125 10:07:10:15 10:07:13:15
(narrator) The Foundation Phase
gives teachers more freedom
0126 10:07:13:15 10:07:16:11
to lead activities
away from the classroom
0127 10:07:16:11 10:07:21:19
and using the outdoors to extend
learning is especially encouraged.
0128 10:07:21:19 10:07:25:04
We've set up a fruit and veg shop
in our eco-village,
0129 10:07:25:04 10:07:28:23
where the children have experience
of buying and selling,
0130 10:07:28:23 10:07:31:14
using money,
using the weighing scales,
0131 10:07:31:14 10:07:36:03
using mathematical language,
0132 10:07:36:03 10:07:40:05
and also bilingualism, as we speak
about 20% of the day in Welsh
0133 10:07:40:05 10:07:41:23
as part of the Foundation Phase.
0134 10:07:41:23 10:07:43:23
(speaking Welsh)
0135 10:07:49:12 10:07:54:14
This was a bilingualism activity
where the children asked:
0136 10:07:54:14 10:07:57:13
(speaks Welsh)
0137 10:07:57:13 10:08:01:16
And then the child who's the wolf,
who had a wolf badge on,
0138 10:08:01:16 10:08:05:05
had a clock and they'd say:
(Welsh) or "one o'clock".
0139 10:08:05:05 10:08:08:04
The children were waiting
for the wolf to say: (Welsh).
0140 10:08:08:04 10:08:13:03
And when it was dinnertime the wolf
chased the children to catch them.
0141 10:08:14:24 10:08:16:22
(all scream)
0142 10:08:18:03 10:08:20:06
(Gail) It's been very positive.
0143 10:08:20:06 10:08:23:19
They report that their children
are happy coming to school.
0144 10:08:23:19 10:08:27:12
They also report that the children
are enthused in their learning,
0145 10:08:27:12 10:08:30:22
which is unusual
to hear from parents.
0146 10:08:30:22 10:08:32:23
They are supportive of us.
0147 10:08:32:23 10:08:35:08
We meet with them many times.
0148 10:08:35:08 10:08:37:14
We keep them informed,
0149 10:08:37:14 10:08:41:03
and each new set of parents
who come in, we keep informing them.
0150 10:08:41:03 10:08:44:00
It is important they know about
the principles and practice
0151 10:08:44:00 10:08:45:20
of Foundation Phase.
0152 10:08:45:20 10:08:50:18
Some parents commented last year,
"She's not writing her name yet."
0153 10:08:50:18 10:08:52:16
"She hasn't done this yet."
0154 10:08:52:16 10:08:56:19
And I've just said, "Well,
that's because she's not ready."
0155 10:08:56:19 10:08:59:18
Same with numbers,
same with phonics.
0156 10:08:59:18 10:09:03:14
Parents accept that. When they've
got older brothers and sisters
0157 10:09:03:14 10:09:05:20
who haven't been through
Foundation Phase,
0158 10:09:05:20 10:09:10:12
who may have been taught to write
their name at an earlier age,
0159 10:09:10:12 10:09:11:22
they compare to that.
0160 10:09:11:22 10:09:15:09
But they've been very supportive.
They understand the benefits.
0161 10:09:15:09 10:09:17:14
They see as the child
goes through the unit
0162 10:09:17:14 10:09:21:17
that when those skills are laid down
and the foundations are in place,
0163 10:09:21:17 10:09:24:02
that child's learning
excels rapidly.
0164 10:09:24:02 10:09:29:14
I think at first it was a bit sort
of unsettling because it was new.
0165 10:09:29:14 10:09:32:14
But I think parents
are getting used to it now.
0166 10:09:32:14 10:09:35:14
For children who start it
from the nursery, it's not bad.
0167 10:09:35:14 10:09:38:12
They don't know, and the parents
don't know any different.
0168 10:09:38:12 10:09:41:12
But for us, whose children
have changed their learning,
0169 10:09:41:12 10:09:45:11
and have changed from how
our older children were learning,
0170 10:09:45:11 10:09:49:10
then it's more difficult
for us to get used to it.
0171 10:09:49:10 10:09:52:15
We've had very, very few concerns.
0172 10:09:52:15 10:09:54:14
If a parent does come to us,
0173 10:09:54:14 10:09:58:15
to perhaps chat about the outdoors,
the rainy weather,
0174 10:09:58:15 10:10:03:14
then we sit and explain
and discuss the ethos.
0175 10:10:03:14 10:10:07:06
And every parent comes around
to our way of thinking.
0176 10:10:07:06 10:10:08:23
It's getting used to organising,
0177 10:10:08:23 10:10:11:18
making sure they've got
appropriate clothing.
0178 10:10:11:18 10:10:15:19
They are outside a lot, doing
activities in whatever weather.
0179 10:10:15:19 10:10:18:11
I have one child. He's come
straight to the Foundation,
0180 10:10:18:11 10:10:20:15
which I'm very, very
glad he's done.
0181 10:10:20:15 10:10:23:02
I feel I'm fortunate
he's gone straight in.
0182 10:10:23:02 10:10:26:03
I think we're very fortunate
to have this in this area.
0183 10:10:26:03 10:10:28:11
Parents' reactions
have been interesting
0184 10:10:28:11 10:10:34:00
because when you first talk to
parents about the Foundation Phase,
0185 10:10:34:00 10:10:38:05
I think many of them were concerned
that their children
0186 10:10:38:05 10:10:42:10
perhaps wouldn't be prepared enough
inside the formal learning regime.
0187 10:10:42:10 10:10:45:06
But the experience
of the parents in the pilots
0188 10:10:45:06 10:10:47:17
has been almost
unanimously positive,
0189 10:10:47:17 10:10:51:03
because they've found
that in fact this new mechanism,
0190 10:10:51:03 10:10:53:13
this new way of learning,
"learning by doing",
0191 10:10:53:13 10:10:56:04
is bringing their children on
in leaps and bounds.
0192 10:10:56:04 10:11:00:13
Today we're going to be detectives
and we're going to look in this yard
0193 10:11:00:13 10:11:04:14
to see if we can find
some of these 3-D shapes.
0194 10:11:04:14 10:11:07:21
Do you remember?
These are the flat shapes.
0195 10:11:07:21 10:11:11:13
- What's different about these?
- They're big and those are small.
0196 10:11:11:13 10:11:16:22
And you can see all around them.
That's right.
0197 10:11:16:22 10:11:19:09
We plan for our LSAs
0198 10:11:19:09 10:11:21:06
as an area of learning a week.
0199 10:11:21:06 10:11:23:06
We know our LSAs very well
0200 10:11:23:06 10:11:27:23
and we're very fortunate that
we've got very high-skilled LSAs.
0201 10:11:27:23 10:11:30:02
We know where
those individual skills are,
0202 10:11:30:02 10:11:33:18
so we sort of best-match an LSA to
a learning activity for that week.
0203 10:11:33:18 10:11:38:09
Shall we go and look in this yard
to see if we can find those shapes?
0204 10:11:38:09 10:11:39:10
Yeah.
0205 10:11:39:10 10:11:41:13
- What shape is that?
- Cone.
0206 10:11:41:13 10:11:46:05
- A cone and a...? A c...
- Cylin...
0207 10:11:46:05 10:11:47:19
Cylinder.
0208 10:11:47:19 10:11:51:09
What we're gonna do today,
we're gonna hide Tilly.
0209 10:11:51:09 10:11:55:12
And what Mrs Callum wants you to
do... Can you see my Bee-Bot robots?
0210 10:11:55:12 10:11:58:18
I want you to see
if you can program these robots.
0211 10:11:58:18 10:12:02:02
What can you tell me
about this arrow here?
0212 10:12:02:02 10:12:05:13
- Left and...
- (girl) Right.
0213 10:12:05:13 10:12:09:18
(Claire) They're using the outdoors.
They've got little Bee-Bot robots.
0214 10:12:09:18 10:12:12:12
They help us for early years.
0215 10:12:12:12 10:12:14:20
They... It's using
directional language
0216 10:12:14:20 10:12:19:10
to say which direction the robot
needs to move in to find the teddy
0217 10:12:19:10 10:12:21:17
who's hiding in the eco-garden.
0218 10:12:21:17 10:12:26:04
It also involves asking the children
to say how many steps forwards.
0219 10:12:26:04 10:12:28:18
It's predicting, problem-solving.
0220 10:12:28:18 10:12:32:02
"He's not there. How many more steps
do you think he needs to take?"
0221 10:12:32:02 10:12:33:15
So it's directional language
0222 10:12:33:15 10:12:37:09
and obviously number
and problem-solving as well.
0223 10:12:39:07 10:12:41:09
- You're nearly finding Timmy.
- That way.
0224 10:12:41:09 10:12:43:04
You're nearly there.
0225 10:12:43:04 10:12:47:03
So which way do you need to go now?
You're nearly there, by Timmy.
0226 10:12:47:03 10:12:49:01
(Rebecca) They succeed
in all they do.
0227 10:12:49:01 10:12:51:22
They know there's always somebody
to support them.
0228 10:12:51:22 10:12:54:23
There's always somebody
to work alongside them.
0229 10:12:54:23 10:12:57:15
So they succeed
in everything they do
0230 10:12:57:15 10:13:00:21
and they're more interested in
the process of things they do
0231 10:13:00:21 10:13:02:03
rather than the outcome,
0232 10:13:02:03 10:13:06:02
which is something we've wanted to
promote as a school for a long time.
0233 10:13:06:02 10:13:08:17
# Five little speckled frogs
0234 10:13:08:17 10:13:11:15
# Sat on a speckled log
0235 10:13:11:15 10:13:14:20
# Eating some most delicious grub
0236 10:13:14:20 10:13:16:00
Yum-yum!
0237 10:13:16:19 10:13:21:02
(Claire) We wouldn't go back to the
national curriculum way of teaching.
0238 10:13:21:02 10:13:25:21
If we feel that as teachers, then it
would be hard to see any teachers,
0239 10:13:25:21 10:13:28:19
wherever they are,
would disagree with us.
0240 10:13:28:19 10:13:32:03
(singing continues)
0241 10:13:32:03 10:13:35:19
(Rebecca) We feel privileged
to be a pilot school.
0242 10:13:35:19 10:13:38:15
And we've just
really enjoyed the experience.
0243 10:13:38:15 10:13:42:19
It's been a long journey but a
really valuable and worthwhile one.
0244 10:13:49:16 10:13:52:01
Visiontext Subtitles: Tanja Laden
0245 10:13:52:01 10:13:54:01