Aussie Childcare Network Forum

Hey there
I've been working on this plan for a project 'Going to bigschool' and I need some feedback

With my Rationale I've written:

Rationale
When I arrived on my first day, Child A had given me the role of the doll ‘teacher’ who was taking charge of the class (in the dollhouse) and had to wait by the door upon parent arrival. The play evolved around the theme of ‘classroom’ ‘family’ and ‘students’. (See reflective Journal week 1) I watched as this play also continued more than once with other children being involved and children imitating roles of teachers in dramatic play e.g. Child B coming to pick up Child C from class. I followed up from this observation and started to talk to the children about what they know about the classrooms which then turned into topics of going to Big School and what we do at Big School- (See web 1).
The child care centre also had a visitor from an ‘ex-student’; who used to attend the 3-5 room and was now in Big School ‘year 1’. The children appeared excited to be able to participate in a Q&A about what happens when you go to year 1. Questions evolved around “How many teachers do you have?” “What do you take for lunch” – “What are the routines/what do you do at Big School?” “Do you make a lot of friends?” “Is that your uniform?” “Do you have to wear the same uniform every-day?” This then gave them information about what happens at Big School. (See web 2 - what do we want to know about BigSchool)
The plan was evaluated by my director through email and face to face conversation and talked about the plan with other staff as well. If this interest of Big School does not continue the way that I feel it will follow I will be more than happy to go with whatever pathway the children take me.

Learning Outcome 2.1 Children will develop a sense of belonging to their age group and community of .....(place's name)

Preparation/provisions/ location/aesthetics:

- Indoors set up on a table with 4 - 6 chairs
- A4 Exercise Books to introduce literacy
- Pencil Case/with spread out Pencils (in coloured boxes)/paper/rubbers/rulers
- Lunchbox/laminated pictures of food
- Matching card game (containing matching pictures of people/subjects of bigschool)
- book: day before kindergarten
- Laminated pictures of big school

(so the idea is to look like a child is getting ready for their first day at big school)

My first day plan is a little dodgy so I would like opinions on this:

I was thinking of having a table set out like a home environment where a child would be packing to go to Big School, with laminated pictures of bigschool on thewall, and resources on the table representing big school and these products would be spread out and ready to be packed away in a backpack. (here is the dilema with the backpack) I don't want to include the backpack as it is something a child can pick up from what is supposed to be my provocation table and take it away, and as it is too expensive to buy 20 backpacks I need another solution.... What else could i substitute a backpack with?"

I was thinking of the school uniform one, i looked up online sort of things they wear and tried to remember mine, and maybe I can get school shoes (Do you think practising tying shoelaces is too much?), and hats and ribbons to put in hair but I got to look further into that and so that it's not too expensive. I might be able to buy bulk online of uniform role play.

The paper bag and name tag idea is brilliant, thank you. I like the idea of the children making their school bag, that could be fun. For future reference I'll keep in mind the puzzle idea I do have other ideas already planned, I just need more resources. I'll see if I can buy craft material and paper in bulk. I know I can get bulk paper in Reverse Garbage, so that's fine, and you can buy heaps of cheap craft but still useable in Kmart so that should also be fine, and the paper bag idea I think I know a party place where I can buy them in bulk which also shows sustainability brilliant, I'm a little excited now thanks! I'll look further into what kind of resources I could use.

I have also thought of the name tag! I was going to use those paper cut out squares which people use in conferences sometimes to know who you are where you could write your name on it with a marker

I was also thinking of having containers with laminated pictures of food and the children can pack the food away into these containers or should I actually incorporate this into a cooking experience and have them make wraps or sandwiches and then they can choose what to pack away in their lunchboxes with a fruit and water/orange juice or something and then maybe they could actually have that for lunch and take it hom (debating on this one)

It's only a 4 day project but I think it's a good idea to be prepared plus it could turn out to be exciting.