A day of progress

We arrived early for Day Care today to continue to role model setting up provocations. We were delighted to see the tables already outside with children sat around them all waving with huge grins when they saw us. It is such a warm feeling knowing we have made bonds with all the children and they get so excited when they see us, its really going to be hard to say goodbye next week!
Teacher Selvin was just setting up the table for the children with provocations, with this we hurried over and helped her continue. Some of the older children were inside and younger ones outside as we got told today the older ones (3-4 years) had exams today!! We were very curious to see what these exams entailed as we were surprised at this age they would be taking them. There exams were to start at 9.30, so we continued our free flow and provocations with the children until then.
Some of the children moved from each table exploring the things that were displayed, once again water play was a huge hit, and we are now thinking we really need to invest in water aprons here :-).
Exams started for the older Day Care children and one by one each child went to Teacher Celin whom had a piece of paper for each individual child and they had to say the pictures/ letters in English to her. This consisted of every day life things like car, cup, apple, sun and letters a,b,c,d,e. She ticked them as the child said it correctly. The exam finished in time for snack time which today we had outside. It was lovely sitting outside as there is so much space and it was nice and cool. At snack time the older children go and get their bags and get their own snack brought in from home (the school does not provide snacks, just lunch). We noticed that their bags are all piled in a corner or on one of the beds so after seeing this we asked James and Alice if we could provide some hooks for the children belongings (like our peg trolleys in Yellow Dot) so that each child can feel valued and have a sense of belonging. This also provides them with more responsibility as they are able to collect and return their their belongings as they need to. We found 2 planks of wood within the school playground and we will provide some hooks for them by the end of the week.
The builder Ben came to measure up a lockable cupboard for all the resources too today and we have asked if that could be made by the time we leave so we can help Teacher Selvin and Teacher Celin organise the cupboard so it provides free access for the children throughout each day.
Before lunch time we encouraged the Teachers to engage children in rings games so that someone was able to set up the lunch time tables. The children love rings games and will play for hours here, its a great social interaction had by all. Lunch time is going really well and we think we have pretty much mastered it!
Over the next couple of days we will be visiting the Day Care's routine to set a structured routine for the Teachers and children and support the transition times. We will also be visiting the WOW factor, Values and Schema's with the Teachers to help them understand each individual child and how they learn and how this can be supported through play.
Tonight we are off out for dinner, we think we have eaten the hotel menu twice over already (its not a very big choice of menu). James and Alice will be joining us to talk about future progression for the school.

A busy day....

Today we arrived at the school for 7.30 am to prepare the day care ready for the children's arrival. When we arrived there were about 10 children inside already. We were greeted by all and then had a quick chat to the teacher about what the plan was for the day. We moved tables outside to set up a free flow environment and laid out provocations on each table. We then encouraged the children to access all the activities choosing freely to play inside or outside. The children continued to arrive until 9am, all calm and happy, the parents greeted us and shook our hands (its the traditional way of greeting in Kenya). Although the children accessed the activities at the table they sat there until they were shown what to do, as this was a new experience for them. We placed out playdough, sensory bottles, colouring in items, scissors, hand gym for the older children for pre- writing skills, duplo and most importantly water play with different sized, shaped and textured sponges. There was lots for them to choose from but as this was new to them they would sit at one table for long periods of time until we encouraged and showed them that they can move around freely and independently gaining experience of all activities. After some time all children were happily moving around, it was a happy and stimulating environment for all.
We worked with Teacher Selvin and role modelled how children learn through play by talking about the colours, sorting, free drawing to develop skills, maths and for the younger children to explore more sensory activities.
We supported Teacher Selvin during transitioning stages so the children would understand and adapt to a routine. This included things like encouraging the children to tidy up, which they were very enthusiastic about and wanting to help with everything, getting ready for snack, washing hands using the new outside tap (which was funded by YD parents over the Christmas period, so thank you), and getting ready for lunch which was served in the classroom today rather than the children waiting for it outside the kitchen.
We noticed at the end of the session Teacher Selvin collecting all the things we brought and taking them to the office to be locked away. We asked why this was happening and she replied saying it would get stolen if it wasn't locked away. After some thought we asked James and Alice to get a quote for putting in a lockable cupboard in the Day Care classroom so it would be easy access for Teacher Selvin and the children throughout the day, gaining more free play and children choices.

Reflecting on today we feel Teacher Selvin and the children in Day Care had a fun packed day filled with laughter, smiles and learning while playing. Teacher Selvin is an amazing teacher in Day Care, she cares so deeply for each individual child and is passionate about children. She takes everything we suggest and advise on board and is a fast learner. She truly inspires us every day and we wish we could bring her back with us to England!
We have another early rise tomorrow, but we are looking forward to what it will bring. Today has been inspiring for the both of us and we feel we are making an impact on the children's learning and development.

Water fun

Today we couldn't wait for lunch time to produce our cups, sippy cups and jugs to the children that we bought yesterday. I honestly wish you could have seen their VERY happy faces when we explained that they will each have their own cup and meal times and they can pour themselves water throughout the day, the amazement and excitement was priceless. We set up the tables using their new silver spoons, cups, sippy cups and jugs for them. During lunch time they sat at the tables holding onto their cups and happily drank all of their water and we offered them more water showing them how to pour from the jug and encouraging them to help themselves.

After lunch we unpacked our 4 suitcases full of things that YD parents kindly donated - again a HUGE THANK YOU for this as it makes such a difference. We are excited for the children to actually see and use different coloured pens and pencils and chalks. We also had 3 footballs given to us from the Asante Coffee Shop. We gave Teacher Selvin a football to go and share with the Day Care children. She was very excited and had so much fun. We watched them playing different games with the ball, all sharing really nicely and waiting for their turn. The reaction of having a football to play with was amazing!

In the afternoon, we went to the food market to buy food for the nursery that will last for the next 2 months. This consisted of rice, beans, maize and corn. The school use the same lady called Linda who is very faithful. The market is full of natural fruit that grows locally it is very busy and chaotic and lots and lots of flies. Linda offered us fresh watermelon which was delicious and very refreshing in the heat and then gave us half the watermelon to bring back with us to our hotel.

Today was a cooler day in Kisumu, 29 degrees which the Kenyans think it is cold and most are wearing jumpers and long trousers. When the weather changes the children don't attend school as much as they get sick very easily - mostly chest infections (by the sounds of it). Due to the heavy storm we had last night, which put the hotel in darkness and we had to eat our dinner in the dark, some children didn't attend Day Care due to the dampness. We were very relived it was slightly cooler today.

This afternoon, the day care children began exploring a large container of water out in the playground (this was the container filled with water for hand washing). Water play is not something provided for the children normally due to the cost. Usually, the children wonder the playground which has not a single resource to play with so you can imagine the excitement and the fun that they had with this. We need not say alot as the pictures say it all! 

We have the weekend off this weekend and going to explore the Kenyan surroundings. We hope that you have a lovely weekend and have enjoyed reading the blog this week.

More to come next week.........

"Chocolate meat"

Arrived at the Day Care at snack time, which was a calm and welcoming environment, all the children were happy and enjoying their snack at the tables. This was lovely to see - it feels like we have already made an impact by observing and talking to Teacher Selvin, who is the teachers assistant. She is very on board with what we have to say and truly cares for all the children. She is passionate, is constantly engaged with the children and always has a big smile on her face!
Before lunch we asked if we could do boogie mites outside with the children. We gathered all the children under the big tree in the fresh air. The children absolutely loved boogie mites and picked up the "English Moves" quickly which made it very enjoyable for both us   and them. After enjoying taking pictures of us hosting our boogiemites session, James came over and was singing "yummy yummy yummy Chocolate meat!", which of course made us giggle! (for those who don't know, its chocolate cake!) This continued for half an hour until lunch was ready. We sat with the children during lunch hour in a calm and happy environment, as all children were sitting on chairs, eating at the table.

 We have noticed over the last few days that the children have to share 2 cups between the whole class after lunch for a drink of water. Today we decided to go to town and buy some necessary utensils for the Day Care and some materials for the uniform. We brought 54 cups, 5 jugs and then noticed some sippy cups for the younger children so we brought 12 of them. We also brought 100 silver tea spoons for the children to use during lunch times as at the moment, they use plastic spoons. Tomorrow we will be setting up the table with the silver spoons a jug in the middle of each table with a cup for each child - this is something we do at Yellow Dot and know it will be an even smoother transition and an enjoyable meal time for the Day care.

A squash and a squeeze..

Today we arrived at the school just after 8am again and went straight into Day Care to see what was going on. So far there were 15 children in with 1 teacher. Most of the children were sat down at empty tables, others on the mattresses on the floor. After about 10 minutes the teacher began getting some toys out for the children. This involved throwing a few handfuls of duplo blocks onto the mattresses and stacking rings. She also got out some empty bottles and gave the children  something to put inside. This included small wooden sticks and pom-poms. However, out of the 6 children sat at the table, only 3 were given them as there were just not enough. The teacher praised them when they completed this task however encouraged them to do it quickly and then took them away, passing them onto children who were yet to have a turn. More children started arriving into class and this continued for the next half an hour. The room became very warm and cramped, totalling up to 4 adults including ourselves and 43 children! (some of which were very distressed). In England, the children's play rooms are measured by square foot and this results in how many children we can legally take within that space, in Kenya, the same rule does not apply. The Kenyan government allow the school to have 45 children just in the Day Care! We also observed that the children aren't settled into the room the same way that they are back at Yellow Dot. Often, they are pulled away from their Mothers, sat down on the floor, laid on a bed or given food. Throughout the morning it became clear that there was nothing similar to our Key Person system we have in place back at Nursery.
Today one of our focuses was lunch time. After seeing the transition over the last couple of days we felt this was something important that we wanted to adapt. We went and collected more chairs to ensure every child in Day Care could eat their lunch sat at the table, ensuring no one was eating on a bed or a mattress. We started setting up the room and moving tables to which the teachers began helping. We explained what it was that we would like to do and they happily moved the mattresses out the way and helped to organise chairs and tables. The children all went and collected their lunch and came back to the Day Care which was already set up for them and straight away were all able to find a chair to sit on. The meal time was much calmer and the children were all happy and comfortable. In England we have to stay in ratio throughout the whole day even over lunch times, however this is not the case in Kenya, at 1 o'clock it is the staff's lunch time at regardless if the children are still eating, sleeping, inside or outside they are left unattended.

Today we also had a look at the Early Childhood Development (ECD) document which is Kenya's equivalent of our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) back in England. The expectations of the children are very basic in comparison to the EYFS and the learning outcomes are very simple. This week we will be looking at how the teachers record each child's development and how they are providing opportunities to achieve these learning outcomes.

After reflecting on our day, one thing we are keen to implement which we have discussed with James and Alice this afternoon is free flow play in the Day Care. We feel that having both the inside and outside environment for the children to choose from will benefit them and create a calmer, happier and more stimulating environment and also less chaotic with up to 45 children in one space! Also, one of our focuses will be the activities and resources the children are engaging in as there seems to be very little. For the rest of the week we will be looking at what resources they have and how they can use these in different ways but also identifying whether they are in need of anything new and perhaps some ideas and strategies.

It has just started raining here in Kenya with lots of thunder and very, very grey skies - which is nice and cool for us!  We hope the weather is nicer for school tomorrow! Goodnight :)

An eye opener day

Today we arrived at school just after 8am and the children were already in their classes working hard. We wanted to see how the day started and also, arriving earlier was much cooler for us! First we visited Day Care where the children are aged 1-4 years old. To begin with, there were 20 children but when we visited again later, 15 more had arrived. The teachers were singing alphabet and number songs. They stood behind desks whilst the teacher was at the front of the class. During one of the songs some of the children were given a musical instrument however some were not as there were not enough. Those who didn't were encouraged to clap. Although the songs seemed quite upbeat and enjoyable they were very repeptitive.
We then moved onto to visit Pre-primary 1 where the children are 4-5 years old. There were 15 children in. Yesterday we had a brief look at their timetable and first thing in the morning they carry out a health check so we were curious to see what this entailed. To our suprise, this was singing all different songs about their bodies and families. After the health check, lessons begin. The teacher starts by annoucning the day of the week, the date and discussing what the weather was like. There was alot of noise coming from the other classroom (both pre-primary 1 and 2 are in the same iron shack, only separeted by a thin layer of iron). We sat at the back of the classroom, near to some of the children sat at their desks and we found it really difficult to hear the teacher. The lesson taking place was called 'Language Act'. The children were learning about the 'i' and 'e' words. There were posters diaplayed around the classroom which had different pictures and sounds on them. The teacher used these during the lesson to demonstrated different 'i' and 'e' words. Again, this process was very repetitive which didnt give an understanding of each indivudual childs knowledge or ability. After reflecting on our time observing the lessons, we felt that perhaps the class were seen as a whole group rather than each child being seen as an individual which is something we embrace back at Yellow Dot.
We then spent the rest of our day back in Day Care. There seemed to be not much of a routine in place and the first thing we noticed was that there were not many resources out for the children. There were 7 children sitting around one table sharing a very small amount of duplo blocks and alot of other children were spread about the room, some sleeping and others not really doing much and not really engaged in anything. Another 8 children were sat round another table; only 2 of them using books and pencils to draw and colour. When asking the teacher what the children were doing in their books, she explained that the younger children just scribble however the older children are developing the muscles for writing for when they move up to Pre-primary 1. All of a sudden it was snack time! It became very chaotic very quickly with no annoucement or transition. The teachers began handing out snacks to some of the children and others were left to get their own or wait for their older siblings to bring it to them. A few children, in particular, were sat for a long time with no snack until we asked the teacher where their snack was. The teacher found a bag on the floor by the door, explaining it was theirs and gave them each a flask of tea with a donut. This is something we saw a few times during our day today and we felt as if the children lacked confidence or understanding in asking their teachers for support. After snack, the children are encouraged to play oustide until 11am. Some children stayed inside as they were sleeping; some on beds and others on mattresses on the floor. During play time, the teachers go to the staff room and have a cup of tea which means both the children inside and out are left to occupy themselves, unsupervised. After play time when we went back into Day Care there was only 1 teacher with 35 children aged 1-4. She encouraged them all to sit, whether this be on a mattress or at a table. No activities took place and the children were encouraged to occupy themselves using the sensory pouches, sensory bottles and duplo scattered around the room. We then decided to encourage the children and their teacher over and taught them some new songs. These included Tiny Tim and Shakey Shakey. The children seemed really engaged and after repeating the songs two or three times were joinging in with actions and some words. When finished, we then encouraged the teacher to do some singing with them too. During this, the second teacher arrived back into Day Care and began singing numbers songs whilst pointing to numbers chalked on the blackboard, encouraging the children to copy whilst stood behind desks. Lunch time soon arrived and there seemed to be a long waiting time where more children fell asleep and others became impatient. They all washed their hands and wait in a line until everyone is ready. Whilst they went to the kitchen area to collect their lunch (which was rice and beans today) we took it upon ourselves to set up the tables and chairs to ensure it was ready when they came back. However there were not enough chairs. With 35 children present, we only had 19 chairs. This meant the other 16 ate on mattresses on the floor or beds. After lunch is play time for an hour and then 2-3.30pm is sleep/rest time and then home time.
It has been nice for us to get to know the teachers and see how they work with the children. We are also able to ask questions during the day to ensure that we understand their way of teaching. Tomorrow we look forward to arriving early again to see the quality of teaching and maybe catch some of the parents along the way.

Meet and greet day

Today was another scourching day reaching tempertures of 35 degrees!
We arrived at the school and went to the office to meet the Head Master of High School, acting Head Master of Primary and Head Mistress of Nursery - who we will be working closely with over the next few weeks.
We then went to each class who welcomed us with a song and we had to introduce ourselves to them. Some of the older classes thought our accent was very funny and enjoyed laughing at the teachers mocking our accent, which put us at ease and made the welcome more enjoyable, with lots of laughter. By the time we had visited each of the classes it was lunch time. The younger children get their lunch first. We watched how the older children take care of the younger children, ensuring they are getting their lunch, sitting down and eating, you can clearly see how they all care for eachother.
After lunch the children have a play time which consists of entaining themselves using the outdoor envirinment. We joined with their circle games which again is dancing!! So again lots of laughter coming from the children when they called us up to stand in the middle of the circle and dance, hopefully as time goes by we will be pro's by the end of three weeks.

The Day Care, which is the same as our nursery, is a iron shack with beds, mattresses and tables. Not many toys, if any,  for the children to play with. The Day Care has 27 registed children in the same iron shack, they range from 1 years old up to 4 years of age with a ratio of 1:15. WOW!!! what a difference to the UK guidelines. They had all 27 children in today which meant the shack became very warm very quickly. There were come children who were a litle unsettled as they havent been there very long or it is their first time of seeing a white person.
They have lunch in their classroom. We sat with them and tried to communicate but we didnt get much response due to the lack of English understanding. Through their years at the Life Centre School their English will improve as it is an English speaking school and Swahili is taught as a subject as they get older, but Swahili is their first language at home. So all the classes and exams are done in English. The portion sizes are good size for all ages, and always contain carbohydrates as this is the only meal for most of the children.
We were privileged enough to be offered lunch which was rice, cabbage and potatoes, to our surprise it was very flavoursome and we thoughly enjoyed it. They have a different meal every day throughout the week, so we are looking forward to seeing what is on the menu tomorrow!

Before home time the children gathered around and joined in with some singing and circle games. The children are very sociable, happy and confident, they demonstrate a lot of respect not only for their teachers but for us as well. Every time we moved their was a chair waiting for us to sit on, which we were not used to as in our environment back home we are on the floor with the children engaging with them at all times.

Tomorrow we have planned to arrive at school early where the timetable is busier and we can see more of the Early Years curriculum and lessons in practice as we find after lunch they sleep for two hours or free play and go home.