Plan time at your setting for children to play with mathematical and construction toys including jigsaws, blocks, train sets, threading, sand and water play and dens. Toys or activities that involve counting things, sorting, building, shapes and sizes etc. are all designed to help promote the Learning and Development area of Mathematics.
Many of these ‘Mathematical’ and construction activities also help to promote the COEL: Creating and Thinking Critically. They are designed to help children to test their ideas about space, shapes and sizes, to find new ways to do things, to make links and to change strategy as needed. They offer you plenty of opportunities to ask children to review what approach worked and to try something differently next time.
These sorts of activities also naturally lend themselves to observations about a different COEL: Active Learning when children take pride in what they have built and keep on trying to get something to work. Remember to praise the children about how they approach the task and how they keep on trying. In other words, remember to ‘praise the process’ rather than just the end result.
Do you have enough of these sorts of toys? These toys are the sorts of things people sell second hand all the time, so check online and in charity shops before buying anything new.
Characteristics of Effective Learning Pack
What does ‘playing and exploring’ or ‘active learning’ or ‘creating and thinking critically’ actually mean that you are supposed to do?
By improving your understanding of what the COEL really mean, you can make a massive positive difference to children’s futures.
The COEL are in many ways, more important than many of the Learning and Development goals. The COEL are the characteristics that set children up for becoming learners for life. This affects how well children perform in school and even how successful they will be as adults.
Confused by the Characteristics? This pack can help. It contains information about the Characteristics of Effective Learning, broken down in a way that is easy to absorb, as well as business tools, printable posters and activities.
