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Kathy Brodie: Free CPD for Early Years Professionals

Kathy Brodie is an author, Early Years Professional and Trainer specialising in online training and courses. She is the founder and host of the Early Years Summit and Early Years TV, weekly Professional Development for Early Years practitioners and educators.

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Schema booklet

Posted byuserKathy Brodie on April 4, 2012.

I have written in the past about schema. This only gave a brief overview of schema and how they relate to children’s learning.

In this article I also detailed some resources and for which you can use for children to support their schemas. Since then there’s been a new booklet published by in the picture, entitled ‘Spot the Schema: why do children do these things?’

This is a lovely little booklet that explains and describes the 8 most common schemas: transporting, trajectory, transforming, enveloping, enclosing, connection, positioning and finally rotation. Each schema has a double page spread to itself, what signs to look out for and things you can do to extend learning and thinking are detailed.

For example, the trajectory schema page explains how this schema can often be seen as challenging behaviour, where children throw or kick things. However, if the child has been identified with a trajectory schema, the sorts of things that can be done to extend learning and thinking are:

Provide games such as marble run skittles.

Spray and splatter painting.

Making paper aeroplanes.

Throwing and aiming games using balls and other toys.

The sort of activities these children might enjoy could be based around rockets and spaceships.

This is really straight forward, clear advice that could be used by all practitioners.

The real beauty of this booklet is its instructions and lovely pictures that accompany them. In full colour and good production quality it is a booklet that will stand up to the ravages of time in any setting. At the back there is included a comprehensive reading list where practitioners can get further information about schema and associated items.

This booklet could be used to inform parents or during a staff meeting for practitioners. It will certainly be useful for training courses on schema to leave with practitioners for them to look at, at their own leisure.

‘Spot the schema’ is available from www.inthepicture.info/schemas.

The kind people at inthepicture gave me a free preview copy.

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Fabulous Resources

Posted byuserKathy Brodie on March 22, 2012.

As a trainer and lecturer, I’m always on the look out for resources that will support best practice in settings as well as resources that will make my lectures and tutorials interesting.

In the last week, just like buses, I have come across not one, but two exceedingly good resources.

The first is from ‘in the picture’, who are already well known for their training and information videos and DVDs. They have now branched out into some eye-catching booklets, the most recent of which is ‘Spot the Schema’*.

Schemas are a fascinating part of children’s development. By spotting schemas practitioners, parents and carers can support children’s learning more effectively and make sense of seemingly unconnected behaviour.

However, some of the standard texts about schema can be highly academic and this can sometimes discourage people from finding out more about this extremely interesting subject.

The “Spot the Schema” booklet produced by in the picture solves this problem wonderfully. The booklet is beautifully produced, in an easy to read format, in bright colours. Eight of the most common schemas are covered, including transporting and enveloping.

Each schema has a double page spread with signs to look out for, irritating behaviours and, most importantly, things you can do to extend learning and thinking. These are laid out in a stylish way and accompanied by some charming photographs of children playing.

But the real beauty of this booklet is its accessibility. Practitioners with little or no knowledge of schema can use this booklet immediately. Each schema is explained clearly with some really practical activities, which can be incorporated into the daily routines. The ‘signs to look out for’ sections summarise the salient points for each schema, including the children’s learning and development opportunities.

Particularly useful are the ideas for outings. All too often the advice given to practitioners concentrates on activities within the setting, without exploring the rich learning opportunities on trips and visits. These ideas are deceptively simple, but are the sorts of things that children would remember for a long time afterwards, such as watching marching in parades or visiting a train station. My son still remembers the elephant weeing at the zoo….

There is also a comprehensive reading list for those practitioners and parents who would like to read further about schema.

This booklet is suitable for those just coming across schematic play for the first time, as well as experienced practitioners, parents and carers who are looking for new ideas to support their children’s learning. The high production quality values will ensure that it will become a resource that I will be using time after time.

The second resource is on another subject close to my heart – the under 3s. Produced with Nursery World, this set of DVDs, entitled Enhance Active Learning When Working with under 3s, is a set of 4 DVDs aimed at supporting sensory play, communication and language, music rhymes and story telling and physical activities.

Each DVD also includes a power point as well as examples of good practice.

I feel these DVDs will bring life and demonstrate good practice well, both on training courses and during lectures. The presentation is very upbeat and not too ‘teachery’ – just what you need on a late night course!

If you have already used either of these resources, why not leave a comment and tell everyone what YOU think about them?

* Disclaimer: Victoria from in the picture sent me an advance, complimentary copy of this booklet to do the review.

The image comes from Jeffrey Beall Thanks, Jeffrey.