Guest Blog: Authentic Resources
We are so incredibly lucky this week to be joined by the highly creative Zoë a Reception Lead Teacher. We are going to be looking at how we can resource to create curiosity, intrigue and excitement and then use this as a hook to deepen levels of learning.
Finding the perfect items to enhance my Reception setting has been a labour of love and turned into a real passion and perhaps a little bit of an obsession! I scour the second hand venues and sales, charity shops, local selling pages and car boot sales as well as eBay, Wish, Amazon. Wherever I am I consider how I can use these items to enhance my provision; to bring an element of wonder, to create an aspect of curiosity that goes beyond picking something up for the first time. This intrigue will fuel imagination, invite a friend along for the journey, transform into something completely new or take them to a once uninhabited place. Sometimes it is an unbelievable bargain that cannot be passed up on. I think I have a collector gene from my Romany Nana, whatever it is I feel I just know what works within a setting where the environment is the third teacher.
The authentic items instantly give me a buzz considering the reactions of the children, how they'll play with the item, what knowledge will they bring, how they will discuss and share. I like to place them on the shelves and let them discover the new things during their play. I always explain to parents that it is like going to your grandparents house and seeing all of the treasures out on view but you mustn't touch them, you mustn't be excitable about them and you can only look on, longingly wanting to put one tiny finger out to test it, touch it, feel its texture and weight; then to understand it more. The difference is that they can explore these treasures at school and they are allowed to pick them up to look closely to see how they work.
I want them to question and to wonder why? They have the chance to use their senses to find their way around these objects. One of my favourite resources I had sourced was 2 old fashioned type-writers. The children could not comprehend that this clunky thing could actually make letter marks on a page. ‘ It’s like my mum's laptop but it has no screen!’ They spent an extended amount of time feeding in paper, rolling it up and down, whizzing it back to the beginning as they haphazardly hit the keys. It was such a joy to observe. They were extremely proud of their typing capabilities and talked about the ‘olden days' and began to question how old it was/why didn't they use a computer instead? This opened up so many opportunities for discussion.
I love to look for inspiration from different objects and often find beautiful pieces that radiate everything you'd want from an enabling environment. I never enter my ‘Aladdin’s cave' with a set plan other than in the back of my mind I want authentic, unusual , metal, wood, baskets, loose parts, frames. I search for board games with various player pieces, especially chess or chequers- great for creating patterns, counting, building, decorating; so many options.
When it comes to frames I remove the glass and the backing, leaving just the frame. These frames are a staple in my setting and can be the starting point in so many ways, encapsulating the children's initial desires and expressing their understanding on using the loose parts available to them. Rolling out old wallpaper across the floor, adding frames loose parts, mark-making tools is another regular activity. It is important to remember that there is always loose parts there to hand, they are familiar and used regularly; and then there are enhancements where different items have been added for a set period of time.
As you walk around my setting you would find various authentic mirrors. I generally go for dressing table types and have now collected quite a few. The mirrors bring a whole new dimension to the play the children are taking part in. They are carefully placed behind the invitation/ enhancement and become part of their learning. They are able to see the reflection, feel the space around them, show emotion and reaction and enjoy watching their creation unfold. I have on many occasions observed children happily talking to the mirror about what they are going to do next. There are so many opportunities for observations during this time as they are often highly engaged. They are taught to be respectful of the items and most of all we trust them to be mindful of the provision and each other.
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My most recent find was a solid old, wooden spice rack that rotated with little holes for the pots. This has become the perfect home for our little peg people. These peg people have no features or clothing, they are plain and can be interpreted in various way, taking on many roles. I suppose the key to collecting is look beyond what the item is, look for the possibilities and you will only see some of them; the child's imagination will find so many more.
Introducing the environment at the beginning of their time in Reception and reiterating care and compassion, respect and kindness at every opportunity, encouraging discussion and listening to each other; these are just some of the things we do to enable our children to access the environment with this trust and they guide each other to be good role-models within our setting.
New items are added each week, if something breaks they will be mindful of the delicacy of different materials and they will learn from the experience. Authentic materials are important for the children as they have the opportunity to be part of ‘real life ‘ and not just a replicate. I have passed on my love and fascination of authentic resources and loose parts to my colleagues and the children; as well as the families. They started their time at school saying ‘I feel like I'm at home' and ‘this place is cosy and snuggly!’ When we get the environment right, with the right resources true learning will take place with children that feel safe and secure.
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By Zoë Clark
Reception Lead Teacher
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