ssing their progress and then reflecting that assessment in the environment that we create and the planning that we put into place.
Alongside that we should be spending a HUGE amount of time talking with children and giving them something that they want to talk and write about.
Getting children with limited interest or vocabulary to talk can be hard work. So pick things that will provoke a reaction.
Something to make them laugh
make them think, make them go ‘Yuk!’
or give them a mild fright!
(This is one of my activities where you make 'dinosaur poo' out of playdough with soil and coffee grinds mixed in. In some of the poo, you put boiled chicken bones, in some vegetation. The children have to disect the poo using tweezers (and hygienic gloves) and work out if the dinosaur who did the poo was a herbivore, carnivore or omnivore and then record their results! Get's them talking and writing every time!)
Once you have got them talking – then you will get them mark making and writing. Hold on, that sounds like a good idea for a conference. It just so happens I know a bloke who is running a really good one on just that subject! You can find the details here. If you're lucky he will bring his false teeth!
Thanks for the inspiration Granny. I am sure you are smiling down on us all (albeit a gummy one due to the fact that I have got your teeth!)
Happy talking...and writing