Providing a flexible routine in early childhood settings

[lumamelzem]

Hi I was wondering if you could give me an idea on how to provide a flexible room routine for 3-4 or what does it mean when someone says you need to have a more of a flexible routine,
thank heaps luma

[fchaudari76]

It just means nothing is set in stone, you may substitute something on your plan for that day with something else. Eg. children are outside and having fun making volcanos in the sandpit and so you decide to extend that activity rather than going back inside to continue other activities. Other times you may shorten outside play if the children are doing other activities inside. You need to be flexible enough to include spontaneous learning into your plan as well.
Hope this makes sense and helps

[lumamelzem]

Thanks fefe76 for replying
does that mean if i was doing group time and when group time is finished i directed the children to sit at the table for morning tea not having progressive morning tea is that not been flexible or gathering all the children for group time and not giving the children the choice to keep playing with activitesor sitting down, does that make sense
thans luma

[Barbie]

We recently had accreditation and had to change several parts of our routine. I gather the after examples of what we have been told to now do are to do with this 'flexible routine' its a lot about giving the children choices.
Eg/ Before: we all packed up then had morning tea as a group which we served into bowls and handed to the children.
After: we now have to keep all activities running and ask children if they would like to come and sit at a table of 4
or 5 to have morning tea and they choose what fruit they would like themselves.
Eg/ Before: It was announced we would be now going outside, all children line up and go outside together and all go in
together when educators say.
After: Do indoor outdoor play where some staff stay inside some go outside, door is left open and children can go
in and out as they choose.

[Lorina]

Hey Barbie,

Thanks so much for sharing your experience in regards to establishing a flexible routine for children. it's nice to get some ideas and feedback from those who have been through accreditation so we know what is acceptable and what isn't.

You mentioned about morning tea. How long does morning tea have to be setup for like this? Until all children eat? What happens if children prefer to play then eat? What happens if a child refuses to eat?

Also about outdoor play, I've tried this before but it didn't work, especially if you don't have enough staff to cover ratios... Some children prefer to just sit and play indoors rather than out... If we don't take all children outside then aren't they missing out on physical development? If children are engaged in an experience inside and it's time to go outside isn't it easier to setup the same experience outside too?

I completely understand the importance of providing a "flexible routine" but from what I have experienced, children don't always respond very well to it and I think there is more to being flexible then providing children an option of when to have morning tea and staying inside or out.

Just wanted to share my thoughts,

,
L.A

[Barbie]

You are quite right LA it means some children miss out and morning tea takes a lot longer now. The chef was not happy that so much uneaten fruit was coming back.
The whole giving children choices and putting them in charge of their own learning causes them to miss out on vital learning in my opinion. We had similar set up when I was in high school and there are many parts of the curriculum I missed out on.
As for numbers my centre doesn't follow them at all but obviously if you were on your own you couldn't do the indoor outdoor play.