A Creative Curriculum – nurturing creativity and

imagination at the Thomas Coram Children’s Centre

Introduction

Bernadette Duffy

• Head of Thomas Coram Centre for Children and Families

• Chair of the British Association for Early Childhood Education

• Author of ‘Supporting Creativity and Imagination in the Early Years’

Today we will be looking at the work we have been doing at

Thomas Coram on:-

• The importance of creativity for children• Being a creative practitioner• Creating an environment that encourages creativity• Working with artists and others to encourage a

culture of creativity

Part One The importance of creativity for

children

England and the EYFS

The aim of EYFS is to:-• Increase coherence, provide a flexible approach to care

and learning and raise quality and play a key role in improving the life chances of all children

• End the sometimes unhelpful distinction between care and learning and between birth-to-three and three-to-five provision.

• Help us see children’s learning and development as a process starting at birth

EYFS Principles

A Unique ChildEvery child is a competent learner from birth whocan be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured

Positive Relationships Children learnto be strong andindependent froma base of loving andsecure relationshipswith parents and/ora key person

Enabling Environments The environmentplays a key rolein supporting andextending children’sdevelopment andlearning

Learning and Development Children developand learn in differentways and at differentrates and all areasof learning anddevelopment areequally importantand inter-connected

Child People Contexts Curriculum

1. 1 Child Development A Unique Individual A Skilful CommunicatorA Competent learner

1.2 Inclusive Practice Children’s RightsEquality and DiversityEarly Support

1. 3 Keeping Safe •Being Safe and Protected• Discovering Boundaries •Making Choices

1. 4 Health and Well BeingEmotional Well-beingGrowing and DevelopingPhysical Well-being

2.1 Respecting Each Other •Understanding feelings •Friendships •Professional Relationships

2.2 Parents as Partners•Respecting diversity•Communication•Learning Together

2.3 Supporting Learning •Positive Interactions Listening to ChildrenEffective Teaching

2.4 Key Person Secure AttachmentShared CareIndependence through Support

3.1 Observation, Assessment and Planning Starting with the ChildPlanningAssessment

3.2 The Learning Environment •Children’s NeedsThe Learning JourneyWorking Together

3.3 The Physical Environment The Outdoor EnvironmentThe Indoor EnvironmentThe Emotional Environment

3.4 The Wider Context •Transitions and continuity•Multi-agency working•The Community

4.1 Play and Exploration •Learning through Experience • Adult Involvement•Dispositions for Learning

4.2 Active LearningMental and Physical InvolvementDecision Making Personalised Learning

4.3 Creativity and Critical ThinkingMaking Connections Transforming UnderstandingSustained Shared Thinking

4.4 – 4.10 Areas of Learning and Development •Personal, Social and Emotional •Communication, Language and Literacy•Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy•Knowledge and Understanding of the World •Creative •Physical

The EYFS and Creativity

4.1 Play and Exploration

• Learning through Experience

• Adult Involvement

• Dispositions for Learning

4.2 Active Learning

• Mental and Physical Involvement

• Decision Making

• Personalised Learning

4.3 Creativity and Critical Thinking

• Making Connections

• Transforming Understanding

• Sustained Shared Thinking

4.4 – 4.10 Areas of Learning and Development

Personal, Social and Emotional, Communication, Language and Literacy, Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy , Knowledge and Understanding of the World , Creative , Physical

‘’Children’s creativity must be extended by the provision and offered support for their curiosity, exploration and play. They must be provided

with opportunities to explore and share their thoughts, ideas and feelings, for example, through a variety of art, music, movement, dance,

imaginative and role-play activities, mathematics, and design and technology.’’

[EYFS 2007 Practice Guidance p 104]

Practitioners ensure that children have the opportunity to develop the following aspects of creativity:-

• Being Creative – Responding to Experiences, Expressing and Communicating Ideas

• Exploring Media and Materials• Creating Music and Dance• Developing Imagination and Imaginative Play

When am I most creative ?

What is creativity

We have been influenced by Anna Craft s work on - “Big c ” and “little c” creativity

‘Creativity enables individuals to find routes and paths totravel...It is a process of conscious invention and describesthe resourcefulness of ordinary people rather thanextraordinary contributors.’

It is about:-• thinking along unorthodox lines• breaking barriers

• using non-traditional approaches to problems. • making new connections

Through creativity we:-

• Promote the full range of human potential

• Explore values and ways of working

• Understand our own and other cultures

• Respond

• Experiment

Why is it important

Through their creativity children:-• Express their thoughts• Think about and create new meanings• Solve problem and gain mastery• Gain self esteem• Create their own view of the world

The creative process

• Curiosity • Exploration • Play • Creativity

The difference between Representation and Reproduction

How we use the arts to promote all areas of learning

Personal Social and Emotional 1.Concentration, staying on task , problem-solving , planning and seeing things through to completion2.Representing experiences, feelings and thoughts . 3Learning to share, interact and relate to others through meaningful experiences.4.The creative processes that links children with the idea of creation in world religions. 5 Exposure to the arts helps children learn about their own and other cultures6A sense of self-respect and valuing of others..

Communication , Language and Literacy1.Opportunities to speak and listen , for example when negotiating roles and sharing resources2.Understanding the elements of music ,such as rhythm and pitch , from which develops children's ability to speak3.Understanding the process of representation which leads to understanding the symbolic nature of written language4.The fine motor skills which are needed for writing . 5.The narrative skills necessary for storytelling ,

Problem Solving, Reasoning and numeracy1.understanding patterns in two and three dimensional representations which helps children to identify number patterns later on2.concepts of shape, size, line, and area which they will use to classify and sort objects3.the opportunity to explore spatial concepts through block play and other forms of three dimensional representation4.the opportunity to explore measurement in meaning full contexts while constructing models and textiles5.symbolic representation which introduces children to the concepts they will need to record data

Knowledge and Understanding of the World

1.exposure to a wide range of materials and their properties .For example , through using a wide range of methods for fastening - sticking , tying nailing - discovering the most appropriate method for a particular task2.Cause and effect. For instance , through experimenting with different ways of balancing blocks3.Representations based on observations of the natural world which develop an understanding of life and living process4.opportunities to cut , fold and fastenProblem solving. For example , deciding the best media to use to create a representationIntroducing the children to ICT in meaning full contexts such as imaginative play .

Opportunities to reflect on what children know about their locality and the wider world. For instance, through representing their local environment using a variety of media1.sequencing events and objects .For example, when creating a pattern on a piece of clay2.expressing views on attractive and unattractive features of the environment3.exposure to artefacts, dance and music from a variety of cultures and times which helps children to develop a sense of time and place4.representation and a sense of spatial awareness which is needed in map making

Physical1.opportunities to

develop and practise fine motor skill .For example ,through cutting, drawing , sculpting, playing an instrument

2.gross motor skills .For instance , through dance and block play

3.planning , performing and practising physical skills,

4.linking actions and work with others .For example , through dancing together and working on large construction

5.exposure to dance traditions

6.exploring mood and feeling using movement

7.body control , balance, co-ordination and poise

Part two Being a creative practitioner

Who helped or hindered your creativity ?

The role of the adult

• Our role is to: -– create conditions within which children support

children to be creative thinkers– develop children's creative thinking through our

interactions with them

Creating conditions which inspire children

• Be aware of the nature and value of creativity and imagination

• Be aware of the importance of equal opportunities and the need for equality

• Be honest about personal prejudices and challenge our own assumptions

• Value each child's representations• Encourage the children to use adults as a resource• Communicate with parents and others• Provide access to artists, crafts people, musicians,

dancers

Developing children’s creativity through our interactions with them

• offer children secure relationships which allow curiosity to flourish

• be facilitators • recognise that the process may be more important than

the product • value children's self initiated activity• work alongside children as a partner • be genuine and honest

Examples from Audit Are there :-

• Outside spaces that complement the inside space?• Spaces for storing and displaying a range of equipment

and resources • Materials organised in ways that encourage children to

combine them in new and creative ways? • Materials and resources organised in ways the allow the

children to take responsibility for their environment?

Part four :- Working with artists and others to encourage a culture of creativity

Music day

Developing the garden

Using found materials

The tunnel project

Garden Room Project

Conclusion