Sharing Good Practice
At RPS, we are always searching for
interesting items that can be used in
the classroom to stimulate a child’s
curiosity; an Arabic jug, blue stones,
miniature logs, and large shells were
sourced from nearby souks and
were offered as an alternative to the
traditional primary coloured plastic
fruit and veg. These new and intriguing
items were placed on ‘invitation
tables’ outside the classroom as an
enticement for children to enter the
environment. Placing a collection of
interesting and intentionally organized
materials in a location visible from the
entrance sparks a child’s curiosity.
Igniting children’s motivation to come
in, these evocative objects send a
message of welcome to entering
children, making them feel secure in
the transition from home to school.
By trying to provide our children
with the very best of everything, we
may be unwittingly over- stimulating
them. Offering just a few dinosaurs
in a basket or a small pile of mobilo
can have a huge impact in engaging
children and maintaining their interest.
It is also recognized that using non-
representational
(open-ended)
items such as log discs for plates or
pinecones for food is very important
as it exercises the brain’s frontal lobes
responsible for the development of
imagination.
Learning is a natural process that
develops spontaneously. When
we place our trust in the child, we
are often surprised at the immense
amount of learning that takes place
through the child’s interaction with
his or her world.
‘The children came up with the
idea of a car wash after I’d put out
some bubbles and water for them
to splash with when it was hot. The
children were observed putting
their scooter wheels into the water
tray ‘for cleaning’. So, I added a few
sponges, a till and some writing
materials. The children then spent
about 20 minutes in dramatic play,
interacting with each other and
developing new vocabulary. Some
children demonstrated how to
take turns, and some discussed
the concept of paying with money
and writing receipts. Very little
adult guidance was needed during
their play, however, in subsequent
sessions an adult gently prompted
the children to explore questions
related to capacity and materials.’
At RPS we believe that children learn
best when they are free to move
their bodies throughout the day.
They should not be constrained to
desks. For children to really benefit
from access to schools, from the
age of four or five, the environment
needs to remain focused on
fostering a child’s natural curiosity
through play to ensure he or she
becomes a life-long learner.
Many Early Years practitioners are
now using small ‘provocations’ within
the environment. Provocations are
experiences that are set up in response
to children’s interests and ideas. When
a practitioner sets up a provocation,
she is providing hands-on exploration
for children to practise, test, construct
and deconstruct their ideas and
theories. Good provocations motivate
children and develop concentration,
independence, social interaction, and
higher order thinking.
Provocations can be simple, complex,
or super complex. Simple provocations
are those with essentially one function,
complex, those with two, and super
complex, those with more than two.
For example, water in a tray is a
simple provocation. If the practitioner
adds some dinosaurs, it becomes a
complex unit. Adding some rocks and
plants creates a super-complex unit.
The more complex the materials, the
more play and learning they provide.
Here, one practitioner at RPS
describes how she developed a
simple provocation in response to the
children’s interests.
Samantha has an educational career spanning over 20 year