Find the best way to awareness of geography with advice from nursery teacher Jane Drake
Young children begin to make sense of the world through first-hand interaction with their environment. They need freedom to explore and time for revisiting. The immediate nursery environment will offer such opportunities for the development of early geographical skills and a sense of place.
Very early on in the foundation stage, children will show awareness of 'landmarks' around them and will begin to talk, and ask questions, about aspects that interest them.
Practitioners can help children to explore and feel confident in finding their way around the setting by playing such games as hide and seek, follow my leader and hunt the teddy. As well as raising their awareness of what is around them, these activities will also encourage children to make reference to features and different areas when giving instructions and directions to others.
Stories can provide a stimulus for exploration, and trails set around nursery are an effective way of encouraging route following. For example, children follow the arrows to the Three Bears' house or use picture clue cards to find Spot the dog. Children enjoy setting their own trails and often come up with imaginative ideas.
Some children will be familiar with the purpose of maps and plans, but others may not have encountered such material. It is important to include atlases, road and street maps and perhaps examples of architects' and landscape architects' plans in the provision. Equally important are the ways in which adults model using them - role play can be a meaningful context or, for example, an adult may refer to a plan of the school with children as they make their way to the main office.
Treasure hunts, which are usually greeted with enthusiasm, provide a good opportunity for the introduction of simple maps. A clear plan of the outdoor area, showing a few static 'landmarks' (such as the climbing frame, a tree, and the gate) can easily be photocopied for use with children. The 'treasure' is hidden in a different place each day and marked with an 'X' on a map. Children take a copy of the map and, perhaps with a friend, try to locate the treasure.
These photocopied plans may be made available to children for a range of purposes, such as planning where to plant vegetables, or plotting a route to the outside den. Bike riders often enjoy following a route marked in chalk or paint on the tarmac. This route could also be mapped on the photocopied plan and the sheet laminated and clipped to the bike for easy reference. Children will, of course, want to make their own plans, and so maps and clipboards, mark makers and paper should be provided for them at all times.
Children should be encouraged to talk about features they have identified in the setting and perhaps to draw what they have seen. Photography is also an effective way of recording places and landmarks. It may be appropriate to let the children take photographs themselves (with adult support). They should certainly be involved in decisions about subject matter. Drawings and photographs can be successfully displayed together to produce a large-scale plan of an area. Photographs of areas of provision can also be used as clue cards for 'hide and hunt' games.
Small-world equipment enables children to build their own environments, which may represent a familiar or imaginary area. Small people, trees, stones, animals and vehicles can be used in many different ways such as in water, in sand, on the carpet or on grass.
Large 'map mats' can be effective in encouraging talk about route and direction. Just as useful is a roll of wall lining paper on which children can draw their own roads, paths, parks and fields.
Looking a little further afield, the local area around the setting will offer rich opportunities for learning. Walks to the park or the shop will enable children to observe features at first hand, to express opinions about those they like and dislike, and to find out more about where they live. Again, the camera can be a useful tool - back at nursery, a photographic record of the walk will promote further discussion about the route taken and significant landmarks.
It is a good idea to take along a large-scale street map and to make frequent reference to this, marking on it any features pointed out by the children. Parents and carers involved in visits and trips should always be aware of the learning focus, so discuss appropriate questions and vocabulary before you set off.
Parents unable to join their children on such trips will probably welcome suggestions about how to support learning at home, such as talking about landmarks passed on journeys, local bus routes, or the number of bus stops passed on the way to Grandma's house, and comparing different styles of housing.
Visitors to the setting can also offer a valuable learning experience to children. A local gardener may be willing to work with staff and children to improve aspects of the outside area by planting out flower beds and pots. Perhaps a bus or taxi driver will talk to children about routes, journeys and destinations. Or practitioners could invite local people to talk about places of work in the community, such as the supermarket, auto garage, hairdressers' salon or doctor's surgery. Grandparents and other family members often have very interesting tales to tell about what the local area was like when they were children and how it has changed.
Case study: hunting for bears
Aaron is a three-year-old attending Cottingley Primary School nursery in West Yorkshire. He explores the indoor and outdoor areas of the setting with confidence, often encouraging other children to follow him on 'bear hunts' around the nursery. He is able to give simple directions using 'landmarks' as clues, for example, 'You go and look for the bear behind the trees and I'll look for him near the shed.'
Nursery staff have drawn plans of the outdoor area with Aaron and together they have marked the spot where the 'bear' was found. Aaron has been urged to look out for features on a picture list on his way home from nursery, ticking off lampposts, post boxes and so on, as he spots them. He tries to describe the location of his house by referring to local landmarks.
Aaron sometimes accompanies his Dad on journeys in his van. He shows an interest in his Dad's road maps, wanting to navigate and asking questions such as 'Where are we going? Which way are we going?'
Back at nursery, Aaron has used a road atlas in imaginative play. After constructing a bus using large wooden blocks, he 'followed' the route to the White Rose shopping centre and dropped off friends at a number of stops en route. Staff have encouraged Aaron to make his own maps and have compiled a nursery atlas of children's work.
10 key points
Use these key points for discussion at staff meetings or with parents and carers:
1. Do you involve parents and members of the community in your investigations of the local area?
2. Are you familiar with the local area yourself? If not, you will probably want to explore the vicinity yourself, making notes of landmarks.
3. How do you support the development of geographical skills through visits and trips?
4. Do you use photography to raise children's awareness of features in the environment?
5. Have you involved children in organising any areas within the setting? Are they encouraged to express opinions about improvements?
6. Have you watched children to see how they use small-world equipment to build environments? How can you support this play?
7. Have you considered how speaking and listening skills are linked to early geographical awareness? Think about the questions you ask children, their responses, discussion of observations, use of vocabulary, giving and following verbal instructions and directions.
8. Do displays reflect early geographical learning? Is the children's own work in evidence - for example, plans and maps that they have made, drawings from observation, model environments?
9. Is mark-making equipment readily available so that children can spontaneously make plans and maps during their play?
10. Are maps and atlases provided in play areas to encourage discussion of place and route?
