| What do children think of their experiences of the curriculum? |
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Research taster
The Russian psychologist Vygotsky suggested that play presented a natural environment for the introduction of reading and writing to young children. He also maintained that reading and writing should always have a purpose  . Early years teachers are well used to using play to develop their children’s literacy skills etc. For example, they might set out rows of chairs in a corner of the classroom to create an imaginary aeroplane ready for take off. Whilst playing, children may take passports they have made to the airline desk, fill in forms, get issued with tickets, and choose an in-flight meal from a menu etc. If you teach older pupils you may also use role-play or an element of ‘fun’ to motivate pupils and help them with their learning.
Your evidence
You might like to gather information on how the children in your class feel about the curricular activities you offer them. One way you could do this is to simply ask them to write a comparison of two different kinds of activities you used to teach a particular area of the curriculum, such as literacy. You may find it helpful to structure their comparison by asking the children to make notes under headings such as:
You can analyse the children’s responses and identify any patterns in the children’s perspectives.
Moving forward This activity should give you valuable information that will help you with your future planning and provision. If, for example, you discover that some children were poorly motivated, lacked interest or questioned the value of an activity, you may want to reconsider your choice of activities and/or discuss with the children their ideas about other ways of achieving the same goal. Find out more  Vygotsky, L.S. (1978) Mind in Society, The Development of Higher Psychological Processes Massachusetts/London: Harvard University Press
A summary of Vygotsky’s work is available on the GTC’s Research of the Month website at: http://www.gtce.org.uk/research/romtopics/rom_teachingandlearning/vygotsky1/ |
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