Curriculum for Excellence

1
Active Learning in Pre-school and
PrimarySaturday Seminar - Glasgow

• Curriculum for Excellence
• Active Learning

10th May 2008
Lynda Bancroft Trevor Gray Learning Teaching
Scotland
Lynda Bancroft
Early Years Development Officer LTS
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Active Learning

• Active learning is learning which engages and
  challenges children's thinking using real-life
  and imaginary situations. It takes full
  advantage of the opportunities presented by
• Spontaneous and planned, purposeful play
• Investigating and exploring
• Events and life experiences
• Focused learning and teaching
• Supported when necessary through sensitive
  intervention to support or extend learning.
  (Building
  the Curriculum 2 - 2007)

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Sean
I hate 7 !!
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Principles of CfE
Active Learning

• Actively challenged?
• Actively learning to deepen understanding?
• Actively making choices?
• Actively making connections in their
  learning?

• Challenge and enjoyment
• Breadth
• Progression
• Depth
• Personalisation and choice
• Coherence
• Relevance

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Traditional room layout

• No clearly defined areas
• Space dominated by centrally positioned
  furniture
• Resources stored round edges
• Places to play?
• Can children make choices?
• Can children independently access the resources
  they need?

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Learning from nursery creating areas for learning
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Contexts for LearningThe Counting Castle
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Creating areas for learning imaginative play
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Creating areas for learning imaginative play
Clothes Shop Building Yard
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Creating areas for learning - learning
outdoorsOutdoor Mathematicians

• Play opportunities extended
• Outdoor maths box.
• Physical activity.
• Space to play without the big boys.

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Further afield Mini Beast Detectives
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Responsible citizens in the local woodland
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Classroom Management

• Waiting time reduced
• Self registration lunch choice
• Straight to play and work
• Planning and Recording
• Started with areas visited
• Tasks completed
• Building up to daily task sheet

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Planning Resources

• Planning more frequent and responsive
• Workbooks out and active resources in
• Resources borrowed and made or existing
  materials used for different purposes
• Contextualised learning
• Children as resources

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Children finding the leading edge of their
learning no limits floors or ceilings.
Independence fostered, childrens interests and
learning styles.
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Wheres the evidence?

• Folios
• Special pieces of work
• Photographs learning documented
• Computer
• Each child has named file
• Shared learning books new concepts, stories
• Individual learning logs
• Video

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Learning Logs

• Learning recorded
• Photographs added
• Shared with parents
• Next steps identified

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Building whole family relationships

• Programme of shared events
• Open doors P1 - Nursery
• Buddies in P1 P7
• Sharing success resources
• DVD This is what we do in P1
• PE and active sessions together
• Treasure Hunt photographs of staff school
• Encouraging ownership of class

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What is different?

• Positive impact on children
• Welcomed by parents
• Greater flexibility more time with children
• Child centred approach building on strengths
  interests

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Parent Comments

• They are so involved in what they are doing and
  so excited about what they are achieving.
• I have never seen the children look so
  enthusiastic.
• When I ask Rebecca about what shes doing at
  school, the response I get is that we just play,
  play, play, then its tidy up time.

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Active Learning in Pre-school and
PrimarySaturday Seminar - Glasgow

• Curriculum for Excellence
• Active Learning

• 10th May 2008

Lynda Bancroft Trevor Gray Learning Teaching
Scotland
Lynda Bancroft
Early Years Development Officer LTS