In 2018 The Ark Pre-School implemented ‘planning in the moment’. This means that instead of forward planning before children attend for their session, we plan as we go, branching off children’s interests and what is happening in that moment as they play and explore.
Forward planning can take time (which in Early Years you do not have a lot of!) and usually a week after a child shows an interest or been curious about something, that moment has passed to extend their learning, which means all the wonderful moments you could of seen would now have been missed. So, by planning in the moment, we focus on responding to the children in this very moment. Not tomorrow…not next week…right now. By focusing on what is happening in that moment and scaffolding the children’s learning is what is called a ‘teachable moment’. We as educators need to be confident to recognise these moments and to act upon them, furthering the children’s thoughts, learning, and involvement. Instead of writing down lots of planning before the day, we record the teachable moments, the WOW moments, and the outcomes achieved after the magic has happened!
From following ‘planning in the moment’ we saw huge changes, positive changes! Children were getting experiences and moments they usually would have had to wait almost a week for, happening right there and then…as they should of! We saw a change in behaviour, children’s communication skills, and learning through play happening more and more.
The Ark Pre-School Tribe x
