Classic Toys and Games
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Score: 99.2%
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This is the first article in a new series on traditional tales from around the world. Judith Harries explains how to utilise them as a source of ideas to focus on developing children’s respect for their own cultures.
PRACTITIONER
PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Beauty and the Beast SEN
How to spot Autistic Spectrum Disorders
Autistic Spectrum Disorders: what are they and what steps can you take to ensure that children affected are dealt with in the best possible way? Mary Mountstephen investigates.
Spectrum Disorders? ‘Autism
...used to refer to people who had severe communications and social disabilities. Over the last twenty-five years or so, however, professionals working and researching in the field have realised that there are many people who have some of the characteristics of autism, but who are not as severely affected as others. This wide range (spectrum) of abilities led to the term ‘autistic spectrum disorders’ or ASDs’ Taylor 2011
What are Autistic
What Causes ASD? Nobody has discovered precisely what causes ASD, even though there has been much research into this and many theories have been proposed over the years. Taylor (2011) claims that ASDs tend to run in families, although their occurrence is ‘unpredictable, varied and patchy, which suggests that ASD is not a disorder caused by a single gene…
..In the old classification, severe ASD was and still is called autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). A milder form of ASD results in a specific pattern of differences often known as Asperger Syndrome (AS).
they too young? As practitioners, you will be well aware that children develop at different rates and while you may be concerned about a particular child’s progress developmentally,
Can I spot the early signs of this in children in my setting or are
you need to bear in mind that there are many factors which can affect development. A child may have strengths in some areas and be more delayed in others. The role of the Early Years Practitioner is to meet the individual needs of all children and to identify where there is a need for specialist interventions. This can be achieved in a number of ways, depending on the individual setting. In this article, I will provide ways to support practitioners in the identification of factors which might indicate ASD and suggest what can be put in place to support the child effectively.
How common are ASD? There are indications that the number of children being diagnosed with ASD has risen dramatically in recent years as practitioners and parents have become more aware of the condition. In 2007 the National Autistic Society suggested that one in 100 children is affected, if the widest spectrum is included.
Some key vocabulary ‘Syndrome’: a syndrome is a group of signs and symptoms that together are characteristic or indicative of a specific disease or disorder (Ansell, 2011). What this means is that, to have a diagnosis of ASD, a child needs to show evidence of a number of behaviours typical of the syndrome, but not necessarily all of them.
‘Triad of Impairments’: children with ASD have difficulties in
Beauty and the Beast originates from France and was first printed in 1695 as part of a collection of stories popularised by Charles Perrault.
three main areas of their skills. This is known as the ‘Triad (relating to a group of three) of Impairments’. The three areas are: difficulties in social interaction, communication and imagination.
Triad of impairments: What might you observe?
Difficulties of social
Beauty and the Beast Belle lives with her father and two sisters in a small farmhouse. Her father is in debt and things are very hard for the family. He hears that one of his ships has returned and tells his daughters to each choose a gift. The older girls demand jewels and fine clothes but Belle asks for a simple rose.
Unfortunately, the trip is fruitless and on his way home he gets lost in a strange forest. He stumbles across an amazing palace, with tables laden with delicious food and wine, just for him. In the garden he sees a rose bush, and
n Their speech development may be delayed, with repetition of words and phrases.
interaction n The child may behave as though other children just do not exist and show no interest in them or show no sympathy if, for example, they are hurt.
n They may not give eye contact or enjoy activities such as peek-a-boo or hide and seek.
n They may sometimes stare at nothing or appear to wander about with no purpose.
For the Early Years Foundation Stage
n Their understanding of language may be poor, as well as their ability to interpret non-verbal communication such as gestures, facial expression and body language.
PPS MONO SEPTEMBER
2011.indd 3
n The child may not respond to his name when called and there may be concerns about his hearing. He may act as though he is deaf, although hearing tests show no obvious difficulty in this aspect of his development.
Practical Pre-School September 2011 13
Communication difficulties n The child does not tend to use their index finger to point or ask for something, but may take you by the hand to show you what they want.
remembering Belle’s request, picks the best one for her. This causes the hideous Beast who owns the palace to reveal himself and demand that in exchange for the rose, the father must die or return with his daughter.
Belle goes to the castle where the
Beast is a gracious host, serves her with fine food and beautiful clothes and keeps her company each evening. They soon become good friends. He asks her to marry him each night but she refuses and then goes to bed and
dreams of a handsome prince.
Belle is very homesick and so the Beast gives her an enchanted mirror so she can see her family and check that they are okay. One day she sees that her father is ill and so Belle begs the Beast to let her visit home. He agrees to let her go home for just one week and gives her a magic ring that will transport her back to the castle in an instant.
Her older sisters are jealous of
Belle’s experiences at the castle and trick her into staying with them for
longer by pretending to be sad and using onions to make themselves cry! But when Belle uses the magic mirror to check on the Beast she sees him lying almost dead on the ground and uses the ring to return to his side. As she weeps over his body, her tears transform the Beast into the handsome prince of her dreams and he explains about the spell he has been trapped under. She finally agrees to marry him and they live happily ever after.
Story delights
EYFS points covered, PSED: n 40-60+ months: Maintain attention, concentrate and sit quietly when appropriate.
CLL: n 40-60+ months: Listen with enjoyment and respond to stories.
Introduce the story of Beauty and the Beast using a picture book (see resources) or the story summary (see above). Talk
Changing tales
EYFS points covered, PSED: n 40-60+ months: Be confident to try new activities, initiate ideas and speak in a familiar group.
n 40-60+ months: Work as part of a group or class, taking turns and sharing fairly.
Explain that traditional stories are often passed on by word of mouth before they are written down and that they can be changed by the storyteller by creating different versions. Try playing this version of ‘chinese whispers’ to show how this happens. Sit in a circle and whisper a couple of words or a simple phrase from the story to one child and ask them to whisper it to their neighbour and so pass it round the circle. Are the words unchanged by the time they have passed around all the children?
Mask of the Beast
EYFS points covered, PSED: n 40-60+ months: Select and use activities and resources independently.
CD: n 40-60+ months: Explore colour, texture, shape, form and space in two or three dimensions.
Talk about the different illustrations of the Beast from books and film. What do the children think the Beast looked like? Refer to the portraits they have already painted (see above). Provide a selection of art materials so that the children can create their own masks to use in role-play activities. Cut out a basic large oval mask shape and let children select from different types of wool, fun fur, fabric, wood shavings, fringed paper, coloured straws, match sticks, shiny paper, paint, glue, elastic, and so on.
Drama delights
EYFS points covered, PSED: n 40-60+ months: Be confident to try new activities, initiate ideas and speak in a familiar group.
September 2011 Issue 128 3 © MA Education Ltd 2011
www.practicalpreschool.com © MA Education Limited 2011 Illustrated by Cathy Hughes
PPS poster front SEPTEMBER
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This month, Brenda Williams continues her series of articles on the natural elements by inviting you to explore the subject of earth with the following activities.
PRACTITIONER Look! Look!
Look! Look! Look around!
See what’s growing From the ground.
Orange carrots, Cabbages green,
The blackest blackberries Ever seen!
Look! Look! Look around!
17/08/2011 09:24
See what’s falling To the ground.
Bright red apples, Plump pink pears, Purple plums
For us to share. Look! Look!
Look around!
See what’s blowing To the ground.
Red, yellow. 22/08/2011 15:32
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Use the poem as an action rhyme by placing items from the poem where children can point to each one and asking children to sit down.
■ For verse one: show children how to slowly grow upwards.
■ Verse two: point to each item as mentioned.
Orange and brown, Whirling leaves
Swirl round and down. © Brenda Williams
i September 2011 Issue 128 ✓PHOTOCOPIABLE © MA Education Ltd 2011
For the Early Years Foundation Stage
■ Verse three: fl utter fi ngers downwards, and gradually sink onto the fl oor.
■ Verse four: point to items. ■ Verse fi ve: blow through cupped hands. ■ Final verse: swirl gracefully around the room, before settling onto the fl oor.
Once familiar, you could split children into groups representing verses two, four and six.
For the Early Years Foundation Stage
Ask children to bring in small transparent jars of soil or pebbles from their gardens. Look at the differences between them. Children still going on sea-side holidays could bring back samples of sand or beach pebbles to add to the comparisons.
Activity fi ve EYFS points covered, PD: ■ Using equipment and materials.
Read and discuss books about farming and farm products, then involve children in planning how to turn the
Add other fruit or vegetables to your ‘Touch and talk’ display, which are grown abroad, for example, bananas and oranges. Use a simple wall map of the world, or a large globe, to show children how to locate Britain, before pointing out where bananas are grown, for example, Africa, and oranges – Mediterranean countries such as Spain and Greece, and parts of the U.S.A such as Florida or California. If you have children from other parts of the world, use the opportunity to point out their home country.
Brenda Williams is a children’s author, poet and early years specialist, and a former primary school teacher, literacy coordinator and home school liaison advisor for First and Middle School.
September 2011 Issue 128 ii © MA Education Ltd 2011
17/08/2011 09:25 Practical Pre-School Awards 2011 45 CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT Look! Look!
Earth is the planet we live on, but for young children, earth is associated more with the ground they stand on, soil, and the trees, plants and fl owers which grow from it. The poem Look! Look! uses this early understanding as a starting point to develop discussions about the features and products of the earth, which children are familiar with, and to create activities which encourage them to identify colours and observe seasonal changes in their environment.
Activity one EYFS points covered, KUW: ■ Exploration and investigation.
Create a ‘touch and talk’ display of items mentioned in the poem. Encourage children to compare them and identify colours. Can children guess where they came from? For example: supermarket; garden; vegetable plot; or farm. Establish that they all grew from the ground. If possible, take children to a farmer’s market, or show them pictures of one. Invite children to add to the collection, with other autumnal vegetables, fruits, colourful leaves, acorns, fi r cones or horse chestnuts.
Activity two EYFS points covered, CD: ■ Developing imagination and imaginative play.
‘Involve children in planning how to turn the role-play area into a farmer’s market.’
Activity three EYFS points covered, CLL: ■ Language for thinking.
Show some images of coastlines and sea from the internet/books, then using the poem as a model to create a new one, invite children to ‘look, look, look around’ and talk about what they see. For example: sand; cliffs; sea. Develop the poem by adding the line ‘see what’s splashing on the sand’. Encourage children to name the colours of the sea, and then continue with something like ‘blue, white, splashing sea, rolling up the sand, to me.’ Other verses might include cliffs or rocks rising from the beach.
Ask parents to bring in photographs of sea, sand, rocks or cliffs, saved from children’s holidays. Use them to illustrate the poem in an album with protected pages for children to browse though.
Activity four EYFS points covered, KUW: ■ Exploration and investigation.
Look! Look!
September 2011 Issue 128
about how this version differs from the Disney film. Compare the characters and the illustrations in the different versions.
For the Early Years Foundation Stage
www.practicalpreschool.com
Celebrate Harvest Festival
PRACTITIONER
role-play area into a farmer’s market, using available equipment, and play fruit and vegetables. Help them sort the produce by type and/or colour, to create attractive stalls. Invite them to paint large adverts of their favourite fruit or vegetable. Ask older children to write phrases for the adverts, such as ‘Apples are good for you’ or just write labels for the products.
Potty training: Empowering reluctant children
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD
Explain how bread and cheese, also products from the earth, come from wheat, or the grass cows eat to produce milk.
Activity six EYFS points covered, PSRN: ■ Shape space and measures.
Link the poem to the season of autumn with the fruit and vegetables harvested then, and the colours of the leaves. Where possible keep a ‘leaf watch’ by observation of the changing colours of leaves, and the growing bareness of the trees.
Measure an area of leaf drop by how far children can walk across it without placing their feet on leaves.
Activity seven EYFS points covered, PSED: ■ Sense of community.
Inject the spark into storytelling Free flow play
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Classic Toys and Games
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