challenge in the pre-prep

Leading Change

with Parents

18th November 2014Moor House

Samantha Jaspal Steed, B.A. (QTS)

Headteacher, Berkhamsted Pre-Prep

What do we mean by progress? Learning to Read

Hothousing:Learning to Read and Write

Communication Friendly Spaces

How to Develop Mastery:Austin’s Butterfly

What do we mean by progress? Learning to Read

How to Challenge in the Pre-Prep

What do we mean by Progress?

Ik heet Irene en ik lees graag.Ik lees graag longe boeken.

What do we mean by Progress?

Learning to Read

Ik lees graag korte boeken.

What do we mean by Progress?

Learning to Read

Ik lees graag boeken met plaatjes.

Ik lees graag verrietige boeken.

What do we mean by Progress?

Learning to Read

Ik lees graag grappige boeken.

Reading Task: The Krinklejup

A krinklejup was parling a tristlebin when a barjamstipped. The barjam then grupped the krinklejup. The krinklejup zisked zoelly.

Comprehension Exercise:

What was the krinklejup doing?

What do we mean by Progress?

Reading Challenge

What stipped?

What did the barjam grup?

How did the krinklejup zisk?

parling a tristlebin

a barjam stipped

the krinklejup

zoelly

Reading Task: The Krinklejup

A krinklejup was parling a tristlebin when a barjamstipped. The barjam then grupped the krinklejup. The krinklejup zisked zoelly.

What do we mean by Progress?

Reading Challenge

Reading Task: The Krinklejup

A krinklejup was parling a tristlebin when a barjamstipped. The barjam then grupped the krinklejup. The krinklejup zisked zoelly.

Comprehension Exercise:

What do we mean by Progress?

Reading Challenge

NOUNS: krinklejub, trislebin, barjam

VERBS: was parling, stipped, grupped, zisked

ADVERBS: zoelly

Reading Task: The Krinklejup

A krinklejup was parling a tristlebin when a barjamstipped. The barjam then grupped the krinklejup. The krinklejup zisked zoelly.

Comprehension Exercise: Questions that probe deeper

Describe what a krinklejup/ a tristlebin / a barjam looks like.

What do we mean by Progress?

Reading Challenge

Why you think the barjam grupped the krinklejup?

Describe how to stip, grup and zisk?

What would make you zisk zoelly?

Reading Task: The Krinklejup

A krinklejup was parling a tristlebin when a barjamstipped. The barjam then grupped the krinklejup. The krinklejup zisked zoelly.

What do we mean by Progress?

Reading Challenge

Reading Task: The Wolf

A wolf was chasing a little girl when a huntsman appeared. The huntsman then shot at the wolf. The wolf ran away frightened.

How to Challenge in the Pre-Prep

What do we mean by Progress?

Reading Task: The Wolf

A wolf was chasing a little girl when a huntsman appeared. The huntsman then shot at the wolf. The wolf ran away frightened.

Comprehension Exercise 2:

What do we mean by Progress?

Reading Challenge

Describe what a krinklejup/ a tristlebin / a barjam looks like.

Why you think the barjam grupped the krinklejup?

Describe how to stip, grup and zisk?

What would make you zisk zoelly?

How to Challenge in the Pre-Prep

What do we mean by Progress?

It is too easy to think that a

young child has grasped a topic,

idea or skill.

How to Challenge in the Pre-Prep

What do we mean by Progress?

How to Challenge in the Pre-Prep

What do we mean by Progress?

Hothousing: Learning to Read and Write

Hothousing

Hothousing “is the process of inducinginfants to acquire knowledge that istypically acquired at a later developmentallevel.”

Sigel 1987, p.212

Hothousing

Learning to Read and Write

“One can teach very young children a lot ofmaterial that can be learned in a rote,mechanistic fashion but without theirunderstanding. Why bother to spend thetime and energy to teach material earlier,when the probability is very high that mostchildren will learn it all later anyway, moreeasily and with understanding?

“In sum, my basic argument derived from research oncognitive development is that acquisition and use ofknowledge involve understanding because understandingallows for generalisation of acquired knowledge to variouscontexts.” Sigel 1987 p.215-6

Hothousing

Learning Words

12 months Children move from sounds to words.

18 - 24 months Vocabulary of 20 – 50 words

5 years old Vocabulary of 2000 words

Hothousing

Learning to Read and Write

“Categorizing words and learning the alphabet involves attending to sounds of speech.” p.47

Nursery Rhymes play an important part in this process as they demonstrate an implicit awareness of the sound and rhythm of spoken language.

Jack and Jill went up the Hill

Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall . . .

Peter Piper . . .

Fee, Fie, Fo, Fum

Hothousing

Learning to Write

“Few children will have established the skills involved inwriting until the age of four, no matter how good theirconversational language or how exposed they are to booksand other forms of writing.”

Blakemore and Frith The Learning Brain 2005 p.48

Hothousing

Learning to Write

“The brain’s motor cortex, which controls hand and finger co-ordination is not usually fully developed until five years old . . .Development continues through the primary school years.Because there are large individual differences in the speed ofacquiring fine motor coordination, it is pointless to be cross witha young child who makes little progress in writing simplybecause they cannot control their hand movements. Whetheror not coordination should be accelerated through handwritingor through other kinds of finger exercises is an open question.”

Blakemore and Frith The Learning Brain 2005 p.48

Hothousing

Learning to Read and Write

“As vocabulary and grammaticalcompetence increases, childrenbecome able to give a continuousaccount of events – to “tell a story.”This narrative form of talk is related tothe independent expression oflanguage need for writing.

Children who have competentnarrative skills learn to read and writemore readily than those who have notestablished these skills.” p.48

Hothousing Reading and Writing

Summary of Lessons Learned

1. Pictures help children learn to read.

2. Answering questions rote does not mean understanding.

3. Children develop language skills through creative role play.

4. Nursery Rhymes help children learn sound, rhythm and rhyme.

5. Some children will not have developed sufficient motor skills to write at a young age.

Hothousing Reading and Writing

Summary of Lessons Learned

1. Pictures help children learn to read.

2. Answering questions rote does not mean understanding.

3. Children develop language skills through creative role play.

4. Nursery Rhymes help children learn sound, rhythm and rhyme.

5. Some children will not have developed sufficient motor skills to write at a young age.

Hothousing

More of the same?

“I really wish I hadn’t told my teachers that I could write because then they just made me do

it more.”

Communication Friendly Spaces

How to Develop Mastery:Austin’s Butterfly

Case Study: Drawing Butterflies

Austin’s Butterfly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqh1MRWZjms

Case Study: Drawing Butterflies

Austin’s Butterfly

Further Reading and References

• Blakemore, SJ and Frith, U. The Learning Brain, 2005

• Lindon, J. Reflective Practice and Early Years Professionalism, 2010

• Sigel, I. ‘Does Hothousing Rob Children of Their Childhood’ Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 2, pp. 211-225 (1987)

• Sutherland, M. Gifted and Talented in the Early Years, 2005

• Sutherland, M. Developing the Young Gifted and Talented Learner, 2008

• Wallace, B. Teaching Thinking Skills Across The Early Years – A Practical Approach for Children Aged 4-7, 2002

• Austin’s Butterfly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqh1MRWZjms

Samantha Jaspal Steed, B.A. (QTS)

Headteacher, Berkhamsted Pre-Prep and Day Nursery

Email: preprephead@berkhamstedschool.org

Twitter: @preprephead

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/samanthajaspal

Blog: www.preprephead.blogspot.com