Picture being a Year 1 teacher. Your class have just come up after a 6 week break from Reception where every teacher and leader knows and accepts it as a fully play-based environment. In fact, it’s actively encouraged that children play and go outdoors and explore different areas of provision. Suddenly, you’re faced with the daunting task of trying to get your 30 Year 1s sitting down and listening on a chair, writing in a book they’ve never seen before and probably being told to stop talking so much, even though that was praised just over a month prior! This probably feels like an impossible task which inevitably leads to a lot of disruptive behaviour and stress for you as the teacher.
This was very much a reality for me (Katie) and I wondered what I was doing wrong a lot of the time. Why weren’t my class settling when everyone else said theirs were? Why was it so difficult to just teach a basic lesson? And why am I so EXHAUSTED?!
Hundreds, if not thousands of teachers in KS1 feel this way when they are made to teach formally. Here comes my favourite Alistair Bryce-Clegg quote:
Just because it is developmentally possible, doesn’t mean that it is developmentally appropriate.
Is it easier to teach formally? Arguably yes. Is it the most effective? Arguably no.
When I used to ask my class what their favourite time of the day is, they would always say break or lunchtime. I reflected on the amount of talk that happened in my formal Year 1 classroom and realised it was only when I had asked them to talk to their partner with a specific learning focus in mind. How much time did my class actually explore? There were too many children in my class that could easily go ‘under the radar’ because I didn’t have time in the busy schedule of the day to chat to them all and really get to know them.
Take a reflection… what words come to mind when you think of an EYFS classroom environment to learn in? You may write down words such as enabling, unique, dynamic, exploration, discovery, play, talk, communicate, active, inspiring, enriching. Would these words resonate with a KS1 setting? Why don’t they? Why shouldn’t they?
Changing my classroom to a provision-based environment is hands down the best implementation I have made in my teaching career. We know from research that children’s development changes at 7 when children begin to think in the abstract (Bredekamp, 1987) and develop the ability to plan ahead, to approach problems more logically and understand another’s point of view (Robinson, 2008). Why are we then forcing our 5-7 year olds to think and learn in a way that isn’t appropriate for them? I know what you will be saying to me. The National Curriculum, Katie!
What if I told you that you can have it all. The demands of the National Curriculum can be met whilst providing a rich learning environment based around play and provision.
Here are your first steps:
- Learn about your cohort’s interests from the EYFS teachers. What are they naturally interested in and gravitate towards and how can I provide this?
- Which areas of learning can I provide in my classroom space and also what do my cohort need? What does the EYFS data tell you? If many children were lacking in communication skills, let’s consider a role play area.
- Ensure resources are organised carefully with spaces for children to revisit their learning, such as saving their construction models to continue developing.
- Resources and shelves must be labelled carefully to include lots of opportunities for incidental learning
Loving what you’re hearing and want to know more about the nitty gritty? Become a member of The Powerful Play Club for curriculum resources, guides, enhancements for your class and short training videos aimed at developing your practice with real advice and experience.
