As early years practitioners, it is important that we create, within our continuous provision, real learning opportunities to develop children's self-help skills - especially under the 'Enabling Environments' for the 'Unique Child' in the EYFS.
At Middleton-in-Teesdale Primary School Foundation Stage Unit, we wanted our children to be able to go outside independently and dig in the ground whenever possible. However, being constantly interrupted by children asking for our help to find stray wellies in the welly box or lost shoes kicked under a unit was distracting and breaking up the flow of learning for other children. This constant interruption is a real problem for many settings, particularly where staffing ratios are low.
We are lucky, as our Foundation Stage Unit has a dedicated outdoor area, which is secure and leads directly off the classroom. Just as our indoor continuous provision allows children to select their resources, so we wanted our children to have the confidence to get kitted out in the right outside gear without an adult on hand every time.
We scanned the mountains of early years catalogues for welly racks, but found nothing to suit the purpose.
After much searching we came across a metal lunch box trolley. It is waterproof, rustproof and simple to keep clean, as its wire meshing allows any mud to fall through; it's just the right height for the children, so they can retrieve their footwear easily; and its sturdy frame and heavy-duty castors make it travel well over uneven surfaces, so it can be pushed wherever the wellies are needed. We think it's perfect!
We then asked parents for donations of wellies in various sizes, and finally we splashed out on excellent waterproof trousers, which we hang up in an old dressing-up unit.
ON THEIR OWN
Each day we simply wheel out the welly rack and waterproof trousers, and leave the children to access them on their own. Within weeks of setting up the new system, the children were assessing the weather conditions independently, studying the ground conditions, selecting appropriate clothing and footwear, following agreed procedures and getting on with their chosen activities with little or no intervention from staff.
Every time a parent or visitor comes to our unit they are amazed at the levels of independence that our three-, four- and five-year-olds demonstrate.
When new children join our setting in September, January or April, the older children simply show them the routine and, without any instruction from the staff, the three-year-old starters are already capable of getting ready to go outside and dig! Our unit is now a calmer and cleaner place.
Tessa Fenoughty is Foundation Stage teacher at Middleton-in-Teesdale Primary School, County Durham
Further reading
- 'Positive Relationships: Let's talk about... independence' (Nursery World, 26 November 2008)
- 'All about...independence' by Wendy Scott (Nursery World, 7 December 2006)
- 'All by myself' and 'A parent's guide to developing independence' by Penny Tassoni (Nursery World, 17 June 2004)
- 'Self-help' by Jennie Lindon (Nursery World, 27 March 2003)
- 'Do it yourself' by Lena Engel (Nursery World, 26 July 2001)
