Heuristic Play Part I - The Treasure Basket
Heuristic play was a term coined by a child psychologist Elinor Goldschmeid in the early 1980's. Heuristic play describes the activity of babies and children as they play with and explore the properties of 'objects'. These 'objects' are things from the real world. For babies and toddlers heuristic play is very different, In this article we will focus on heuristic play with babies which revolves around the treasure basket, and later in 'part II' we will revisit heuristic play in regards to toddlers.
We live in a world where plastic toys dominate the shelves of toy shops, but plastic is dull and disappointing for babies, and while each rattle may look different each one smells, tastes and feels the same - it is unstimulating to a babies senses. Using heuristic play with babies stimulates all the senses, creating a rich learning experience. Heuristic play with babies revolves around the use of the Treasure Basket - the Treasure Basket can be used with babies from the time that they can sit unaided to around 16-18 months, during this phase the primary question a baby would ask if they could talk would be 'What is the object like?'. The Treasure Basket is a ridged low sided round basket filled with 'objects' from the 'real world' these 'objects' are made from any material but plastic, and come from a variety of sources in nature and the around the house. It is through handling and exploring these objects that a baby develops contact with the outside world, and begins to make their own choices and decisions.
The predominant way that babies under the age of one discover and learn about their world is through sensory motor development, during this stage a baby's primal instinct is to explore objects by handling and mouthing them in order to find out about their physical characteristics. By using a treasure basket with children at this age you are providing them with rich mental stimulation, which not only activates the growth of the brain but also provides richly satisfying experiences for the baby.
For a Treasure Basket to be an effective tool in the play and development of babies, the most important factor is an attentive and calm caregiver, who creates a relaxed atmosphere and is available to the child during their play and exploration. The adults role in the use of the treasure basket is to sit near by and be attentive, responsive and unobtrusive - the baby needs to be able to make their own choices about which objects they are going to pick up and how they are going to explore them without interference. To an outsider looking in on baby exploring a treasure basket, it may appear that the adult is doing 'nothing', but a baby will have a much richer and more stimulating experience, developing confidence and concentration when they can explore at their own pace, with out being 'shown' things and 'how' to use them by an adult, as there is no right or wrong way for a baby to explore or use the materials.
Another important factor in the effectiveness of the Treasure Basket as a learning tool, is when, where, how often and how long each 'play session' lasts. The treasure basket should never be left out 24/7 for your baby to play with, as they will soon bore of the objects and become uninterested in them. It is important that the time of day you allocate to a session exploring the treasure basket is when your child is feed, well rested and calm, the environment in which the play session will be must also be calm, turn off the tv, remove any distractions and make sure there is minimum disruption. Ideally each play session should last between 30 minutes to an hour, and a baby should have opportunity to explore the treasure basket every day, but only if all of the conditions are favorable.
The treasure basket comprises of a ridged side round basket and 60-80 different objects. The treasure basket is not a static plaything, over time objects can be added, taken out and replaced, every time you go some where new, you can collect objects to go into the treasure basket (e.g shells from a trip to the beach or pine cones from a visit to the gardens) so that the basket grows, reinforces learning experiences and becomes a catalog of memories. Every treasure basket will be a unique collection of objects. To make the treasure basket, set aside a couple of days, where your main purpose is to build the foundations of a treasure basket for your child. Aim to establish a collection of 20-30 objects, which comprise a variety of textures and materials. Once you have built up this 'base' of objects to go in your treasure basket, you can add more to it over time, which will keep your baby interested with a new object to explore every now and then, and will take the pressure off you to find all 60-80 objects at once.
Below you will find a list of ideas of objects to collect for your treasure basket:
Paper / cardboard objects: Egg boxes, notebook, sturdy cardboard tubes,greaseproof paper.
Wooden objects: Door wedge, small turned bowl, dolly pegs, egg cup, wooden egg, spoons, curtain rings, coaster, bracelet, block, napkin rings, dowel, empty salt and pepper cellars.
Leather, textile, rubber, or fur objects: Small knitted toy, bean bag, piece of flannel, velvet powder puff, bags of herbs, bag of lavender, leather key ring, coloured ribbons, leather purse.
Rubber objects: Ball, bath plug with chain, soap holder, door stop, coaster.
Metal objects: Honey drizzler, an egg cup, curtain ring, egg poacher, measuring spoons, tea strainer, whisk, powder compact, bells, lemon squeezer, small bowl,
Natural objects: A lemon or orange, coconut shell, grass rope, sheepskin, pumice stone, loofah, shells, pine/fir cones, driftwood, avocado stone, large pebbles.
Brushes: Scrubbing brush, pastry brush, baby's hair brush, nail brush, makeup brush, paint brush, shaving brush, wooden toothbrush.
Other objects: small vanilla essence or food colouring bottle, hair rollers, small mirror, scent bags, bone shoe horn, ceramic bowl
A note on safety - it is never a good idea to let small children and babies to chew on keys, as these frequently have lead and other heavy metals in them which can be ingested if mouthed - also ensure that you do not have any objects in the treasure basket made of pewter as this is also high in lead. If you intend on putting objects made from leather into your treasure basket, make sure they are genuine leather, and not imitation leather (which is made of PVC, and is very toxic for babies to be mouthing). In regards to choking, use a film canister to test object to make sure that they are not a choking hazard (anything that fits into the canister is small enough for a child to swallow or choke on). Give everything a good wash and rinse before offering it to your baby to play with in the treasure basket, and check the treasure basket regularly for broken objects.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Excursions/Seatbelts
Kohanga reo probed after kids found without seatbelts
By Kiri Gillespie of the Bay of Plenty Times 3:17 PM Friday Mar 16, 2012 Email
Print
Expand File photo / ThinkstockThe discovery of pre-schoolers travelling in a kohanga reo van while not correctly buckled in has outraged early childhood care providers, and spurred an investigation by the body in charge of kohanga.
The van was stopped on February 29, the first day of a three-month child-restraint campaign involving checkpoints throughout the Western Bay of Plenty region.
Five children were in the van. Two were in car seats secured with tether straps, but the van's seatbelts were not threaded through the frame of each seat.
Three children - two of whom were pre-schoolers - were sitting in the back with just lapbelts on.
Project Kiddiclick authorities refused to reveal the name of the kohanga reo involved.
Local Maori language-based pre-schools in the area contacted yesterday said they were not the culprit but teachers spoken to were appalled by the find.
Rose Walker, a kaiako (teacher) at Te Kohanga Reo o Poike, said local health organisations regularly visited to offer advice and pamphlets regarding child restraints and child safety. There was no excuse for ignorance. The kohanga needed "a good talking to" she said.
Te Kohanga Reo National Trust is the governing body of all kohanga reo in New Zealand.
Trust chief executive Titoki Black said staff from each of the 501 kohanga nationally were trained in the correct installation and use of child restraints in vehicles in 2008.
ACC provided 1800 child restraints for use in kohanga vehicles. The programme trained participants about legislation, different types of restraints, vehicle compliance, how to select the correct seat for the individual child's weight group, and included a practical test that qualified participants as technicians.
"An investigation will be conducted."
At Te Kohanga Reo o Hairini a teacher, who would not be named, said the checking of child restraints was policy there.
No shortcuts were taken with it. If there was no appropriately installed car seat in any car being used by the kohanga reo, the child was not taken, she said.
The offending driver should have known better.
"They could have been busy but there is no excuse for that really," she said. "They should have checked that the seatbelts were all secure before they loaded the children in."
- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES
By Kiri Gillespie of the Bay of Plenty Times
By Kiri Gillespie of the Bay of Plenty Times 3:17 PM Friday Mar 16, 2012 Email
Expand File photo / ThinkstockThe discovery of pre-schoolers travelling in a kohanga reo van while not correctly buckled in has outraged early childhood care providers, and spurred an investigation by the body in charge of kohanga.
The van was stopped on February 29, the first day of a three-month child-restraint campaign involving checkpoints throughout the Western Bay of Plenty region.
Five children were in the van. Two were in car seats secured with tether straps, but the van's seatbelts were not threaded through the frame of each seat.
Three children - two of whom were pre-schoolers - were sitting in the back with just lapbelts on.
Project Kiddiclick authorities refused to reveal the name of the kohanga reo involved.
Local Maori language-based pre-schools in the area contacted yesterday said they were not the culprit but teachers spoken to were appalled by the find.
Rose Walker, a kaiako (teacher) at Te Kohanga Reo o Poike, said local health organisations regularly visited to offer advice and pamphlets regarding child restraints and child safety. There was no excuse for ignorance. The kohanga needed "a good talking to" she said.
Te Kohanga Reo National Trust is the governing body of all kohanga reo in New Zealand.
Trust chief executive Titoki Black said staff from each of the 501 kohanga nationally were trained in the correct installation and use of child restraints in vehicles in 2008.
ACC provided 1800 child restraints for use in kohanga vehicles. The programme trained participants about legislation, different types of restraints, vehicle compliance, how to select the correct seat for the individual child's weight group, and included a practical test that qualified participants as technicians.
"An investigation will be conducted."
At Te Kohanga Reo o Hairini a teacher, who would not be named, said the checking of child restraints was policy there.
No shortcuts were taken with it. If there was no appropriately installed car seat in any car being used by the kohanga reo, the child was not taken, she said.
The offending driver should have known better.
"They could have been busy but there is no excuse for that really," she said. "They should have checked that the seatbelts were all secure before they loaded the children in."
- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES
By Kiri Gillespie of the Bay of Plenty Times
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Transition to School
The transition from ECE to school from the viewpoint of ECE centres, a qualitative investigation
Back to News
Government has signalled it wishes to review the transition from ECE to school. In response the ECC asked 30 of its members for their views. The members were questioned in February 2012.
ECC policy recommendations
The ECC has taken the best ideas from its members’ feedback to develop seven broad recommendations to improve the quality and effectiveness of transitioning children between early childhood education services and primary school.
The ECC endorses:
•the Ministry of Education taking a leadership role to work with the ECE and primary sectors to design and implement an effective, consistent, national transitioning model
•a “managed transition” approach. This, we believe, should involve clear expectations from the Ministry on both ECE services and on primary schools.
•a requirement that all primary school principals engage with the ECE services in their catchment to develop a transitioning plan, and that the Ministry monitor the establishment of these and work with schools/ECE services where this does not occur or is ineffective.
The ECC further believes that an effective transition model can be further strengthened by:
•the publication of best practice examples of effective transitioning
•a requirement on ECE services to provide information to parents on their transitioning approach with primary schools when the child turns four years of age
•a requirement that all primary teachers participate in compulsory practicum periods with ECE services as part of their teacher training
•a requirement that primary school new entrant teachers regularly visit ECE services in the school’s catchment area to establish and maintain an effective relationship.
The following details the eight specific areas explored with ECC members and their ideas around effective transitioning.
One: the nature of current ECE-school relationships
Only about a quarter of those centres questioned (7/30) have a transitioning agreement with schools. Just under a third (9/30) have a formal report they provide to parents. And only 2/30 have a formal transition report they provide to schools. Some provide families with information on local schools. Some centres ask local schools what they want their centre/centres to do in order to prepare children for transition. These centres also report some frustration in the uptake and participation in transitioning by primary schools.
Two: how centres currently prepare children for transition
Almost all centres undertake specific activities with children to prepare them for school. These include programmes focussed on some or all of the following: numeracy, literacy, ‘holding the pencil’, co-operation, listening, following instructions, and responsibility for belongings. Some centres conduct primary school visits for their four year olds, while some see this as a parental responsibility.
All centres maintain a child portfolio for each child, but only a third answered ‘yes’ when asked if this accompanies the child to primary school. (Many, it seems, provide this to parents and do not know whether or not it goes to school.)
Three: what centres see as problematic with the current transition to school
About half of centres answered ‘yes’ to the question: ‘Is there a problem with transitioning to school in your area?’ Some said it was a ‘big’ problem.
Problems included the following:
•Primary schools not recognising ECE learning;
•Primary schools not understanding ECE learning/assessment information;
•ECE centres and/or schools lacking sufficient time to run transition processes;
•Children attending ECE centres closer to a parent’s place of work than the residence and therefore outside the locality of the primary school they will attend, making centre-school relationships difficult to maintain;
•Lack of ECE teacher knowledge of the school curriculum.
Some reported ‘no interest’ from local primary schools in transition to school processes. And others reported, for example, that new entrant teachers placed ‘no value’ on ECE ‘portfolio books’ provided to them. One centre said: ‘We have been told by two schools in our area, in no uncertain terms, that ECE learning is of little consequence when the child goes to school’. One tried hosting an afternoon tea for families and teachers, but no primary school teacher attended.
One said some centres were preparing children for school with parent-supported but developmentally-inappropriate school-like work.
Most believe, on the basis of parental, school and other informal feedback, that most children enjoy a positive transition to school. But some said poor transition to school processes were most damaging to ‘below average’ and special needs children.
Four: how centres think transition to school could be improved
Centres suggested the following:
•‘Primary school teachers need to develop the understanding that we are professional teachers and not babysitters’;
•Better centre-school working relationships;
•ECE centres and schools ‘getting together to have a common understanding of who the child is and their background before the child transitions’;
•Local schools seeking cooperation with centres whose children arrive inappropriately prepared for school;
•Better teacher training regarding transition;
•The provision of funds so ECE teachers can be released to visit primary schools;
•Children starting school when they are ready, rather than on their fifth birthday;
•ECE centres running transition to school evenings at which parents, ECE and local school teachers meet.
Five: what centres see as the ideal role for ECE services in the transition to school
Views on this varied and included the following:
•To ensure children experience, in ECE centres, a school-like environment (sitting still, listening, holding a pencil, literacy, numeracy) as they near five years of age;
•Organising school visits for children;
•Sharing information about the child with the school;
•Addressing concerns with families well before the child goes to school;
•Supporting parents so they can better manage transition processes themselves.
Six: what centres see as the idea role for schools in the transition to school
ECE centres thought schools should:
•Take ECE centres seriously;
•Be familiar with Te Whaariki, and understand what ECE centres do;
•Read new entrant ECE portfolios;
•Use these portfolios as the basis for meetings with parents and children;
•Tell ECE centres what they expect of new entrants;
•Attend ECE-run transition-to-school teacher-parent functions;
•Organise visits to schools for older ECE children so they can transition gradually;
•Providing a new entrant teacher as a contact point for parents and ECE centres.
Seven: how centres think the Ministry of Education should identify or monitor transition to school processes
Centres suggested:
•A B4 School-type check list that ECE centres pass on to schools;
•Surveys of schools and new-entrant parents to establish satisfaction levels;
•The monitoring of transition processes via ERO reviews;
•Surveys of schools to measure their satisfaction with the preparation of children for school.
Some expressed concern new transition to school processes would mean more paperwork. Some said transition was as responsibility of individual centres and schools and should not be monitored by central government.
Eight: what ECE centres see as the ‘idea transition to school approach’
About 80% of those asked thought ECE practicums should be a compulsory part of primary teacher training.
Others suggested there should be:
•A common understanding of what ECE children should achieve prior to starting school;
•ECE programmes focussed on school-ready skills such as listening, following instructions, focussing on one task, numeracy, literacy, and how to use a lunch box; and
•A series of school visits (some suggested once a week for a few weeks) in the lead up to leaving ECE for school.
Some were specifically opposed to a ‘checklist’ approach that might lead to ECE children being focussed on ‘drill exercises’, while others thought ‘having some information as a starting point is a good thing’.
There was almost unanimous support for the idea that primary school principals be required to have a transitioning plan in place for their catchment area, and that this be developed in collaboration with the ECE services in their area.
Back to News
Government has signalled it wishes to review the transition from ECE to school. In response the ECC asked 30 of its members for their views. The members were questioned in February 2012.
ECC policy recommendations
The ECC has taken the best ideas from its members’ feedback to develop seven broad recommendations to improve the quality and effectiveness of transitioning children between early childhood education services and primary school.
The ECC endorses:
•the Ministry of Education taking a leadership role to work with the ECE and primary sectors to design and implement an effective, consistent, national transitioning model
•a “managed transition” approach. This, we believe, should involve clear expectations from the Ministry on both ECE services and on primary schools.
•a requirement that all primary school principals engage with the ECE services in their catchment to develop a transitioning plan, and that the Ministry monitor the establishment of these and work with schools/ECE services where this does not occur or is ineffective.
The ECC further believes that an effective transition model can be further strengthened by:
•the publication of best practice examples of effective transitioning
•a requirement on ECE services to provide information to parents on their transitioning approach with primary schools when the child turns four years of age
•a requirement that all primary teachers participate in compulsory practicum periods with ECE services as part of their teacher training
•a requirement that primary school new entrant teachers regularly visit ECE services in the school’s catchment area to establish and maintain an effective relationship.
The following details the eight specific areas explored with ECC members and their ideas around effective transitioning.
One: the nature of current ECE-school relationships
Only about a quarter of those centres questioned (7/30) have a transitioning agreement with schools. Just under a third (9/30) have a formal report they provide to parents. And only 2/30 have a formal transition report they provide to schools. Some provide families with information on local schools. Some centres ask local schools what they want their centre/centres to do in order to prepare children for transition. These centres also report some frustration in the uptake and participation in transitioning by primary schools.
Two: how centres currently prepare children for transition
Almost all centres undertake specific activities with children to prepare them for school. These include programmes focussed on some or all of the following: numeracy, literacy, ‘holding the pencil’, co-operation, listening, following instructions, and responsibility for belongings. Some centres conduct primary school visits for their four year olds, while some see this as a parental responsibility.
All centres maintain a child portfolio for each child, but only a third answered ‘yes’ when asked if this accompanies the child to primary school. (Many, it seems, provide this to parents and do not know whether or not it goes to school.)
Three: what centres see as problematic with the current transition to school
About half of centres answered ‘yes’ to the question: ‘Is there a problem with transitioning to school in your area?’ Some said it was a ‘big’ problem.
Problems included the following:
•Primary schools not recognising ECE learning;
•Primary schools not understanding ECE learning/assessment information;
•ECE centres and/or schools lacking sufficient time to run transition processes;
•Children attending ECE centres closer to a parent’s place of work than the residence and therefore outside the locality of the primary school they will attend, making centre-school relationships difficult to maintain;
•Lack of ECE teacher knowledge of the school curriculum.
Some reported ‘no interest’ from local primary schools in transition to school processes. And others reported, for example, that new entrant teachers placed ‘no value’ on ECE ‘portfolio books’ provided to them. One centre said: ‘We have been told by two schools in our area, in no uncertain terms, that ECE learning is of little consequence when the child goes to school’. One tried hosting an afternoon tea for families and teachers, but no primary school teacher attended.
One said some centres were preparing children for school with parent-supported but developmentally-inappropriate school-like work.
Most believe, on the basis of parental, school and other informal feedback, that most children enjoy a positive transition to school. But some said poor transition to school processes were most damaging to ‘below average’ and special needs children.
Four: how centres think transition to school could be improved
Centres suggested the following:
•‘Primary school teachers need to develop the understanding that we are professional teachers and not babysitters’;
•Better centre-school working relationships;
•ECE centres and schools ‘getting together to have a common understanding of who the child is and their background before the child transitions’;
•Local schools seeking cooperation with centres whose children arrive inappropriately prepared for school;
•Better teacher training regarding transition;
•The provision of funds so ECE teachers can be released to visit primary schools;
•Children starting school when they are ready, rather than on their fifth birthday;
•ECE centres running transition to school evenings at which parents, ECE and local school teachers meet.
Five: what centres see as the ideal role for ECE services in the transition to school
Views on this varied and included the following:
•To ensure children experience, in ECE centres, a school-like environment (sitting still, listening, holding a pencil, literacy, numeracy) as they near five years of age;
•Organising school visits for children;
•Sharing information about the child with the school;
•Addressing concerns with families well before the child goes to school;
•Supporting parents so they can better manage transition processes themselves.
Six: what centres see as the idea role for schools in the transition to school
ECE centres thought schools should:
•Take ECE centres seriously;
•Be familiar with Te Whaariki, and understand what ECE centres do;
•Read new entrant ECE portfolios;
•Use these portfolios as the basis for meetings with parents and children;
•Tell ECE centres what they expect of new entrants;
•Attend ECE-run transition-to-school teacher-parent functions;
•Organise visits to schools for older ECE children so they can transition gradually;
•Providing a new entrant teacher as a contact point for parents and ECE centres.
Seven: how centres think the Ministry of Education should identify or monitor transition to school processes
Centres suggested:
•A B4 School-type check list that ECE centres pass on to schools;
•Surveys of schools and new-entrant parents to establish satisfaction levels;
•The monitoring of transition processes via ERO reviews;
•Surveys of schools to measure their satisfaction with the preparation of children for school.
Some expressed concern new transition to school processes would mean more paperwork. Some said transition was as responsibility of individual centres and schools and should not be monitored by central government.
Eight: what ECE centres see as the ‘idea transition to school approach’
About 80% of those asked thought ECE practicums should be a compulsory part of primary teacher training.
Others suggested there should be:
•A common understanding of what ECE children should achieve prior to starting school;
•ECE programmes focussed on school-ready skills such as listening, following instructions, focussing on one task, numeracy, literacy, and how to use a lunch box; and
•A series of school visits (some suggested once a week for a few weeks) in the lead up to leaving ECE for school.
Some were specifically opposed to a ‘checklist’ approach that might lead to ECE children being focussed on ‘drill exercises’, while others thought ‘having some information as a starting point is a good thing’.
There was almost unanimous support for the idea that primary school principals be required to have a transitioning plan in place for their catchment area, and that this be developed in collaboration with the ECE services in their area.
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