Dec
2017
Visit 4
I began the day by attending the briefing. As the briefing finished, I looked to the pin board as I usually do where I saw that I was in the Garden (outdoor play in the nursery) both in the morning and afternoon. I had met a lovely practitioner, named ‘T’ who had started work again this week as she was off sick recovering from an operation.
I immediately took a liking to her as she spoke clearly and was able to give me tasks and challenge me throughout the day whilst still maintaining friendliness and professionalism. She had asked me to observe 3 children throughout the day: I observed one child, particularly looking at his social development in terms of communicating his needs with children and adults, and his use of language. I was observing the second child for his physical developmental growth, for example the way he climbed the climbing frame, and I was observing the last child’s ability to play with modelling materials and his language.
Having been asked to write observations was very exciting for me as I could finally implement the skills I have learnt on previous and current courses into actual practice to gain an outcome that directly helps children and their parents understand their child’s development better as practitioners would use the observations for their reviews.
A boy, ‘J’ who is supposed to currently be in reception was excluded and sent back to the nursery as he had trouble adjusting; J is autistic. He attended for an hour on Friday with his father in the room close by while he played outside with T who is his key worker. When I interacted with J, he seemed very well spoken, smart and authoritative (perhaps this was the issue) as he played and interacted with his key worker and 2 other children.
Throughout the day, I was outdoors and noticed the free flow of children’s play more as children came outside so was easier to notice as opposed to being inside (the nursery room) since it’s noisier and more focused on a specific group of children.
At the end of the day, I attended the briefing which was very brief although the importance of it was emphasised. I was also told that the following Friday was a Parent Review Day so it was unnecessary to attend, therefore I offered that I attend on the Thursday instead as university would’ve officially finished for the term and I was available to which the deputy head was very happy and grateful for.
Themes: Free-flow Play, Friendships/Relationships, Re-adjusting, Theory in Practice