We provide specialist face-to-face and on-line early years’ SchemaPlay Pedagogy (TM) training across England and, from 2022, SchemaPlay(TM) Pedagogy training is being delivered across Western Australia by accredited SchemaPlay (TM) licensed trainers. Early years’ settings that are based outside England/Western Australia are most welcome to access our training on-line. To request face-to-face training for an early years’ setting, or to access training via Zoom/Teams on-line, please contact admin@schemaplay.com. We offer affordable flexible training to meet your needs and therefore whatever your budget/time constraints we can design a program for you. Some of our most popular training workshops are listed below. If you would like to engage in our SchemaPlay Educator and Setting Accreditation, you will need to request the training SP1 and SP2 (described below) All our training supports child-led learning through play, sustainable citizenship and dynamic, positive, parent partnerships:
A Peep into SchemaPlay
This 1 hour 30 minute workshop provides an introduction to SchemaPlay Pedagogy and the ‘Zone of Proximal Developmental Flow Model’ (Siraj-Blatchford & Brock, 2015). In this introduction, the first two schemes often observed in children’s free play – the ‘trajectory’ scheme and the ‘containing’ scheme are explored. We discuss how to facilitate learning (anchored in these schemes) across the curriculum (including fostering sustainable citizenship) and how to develop our partnerships with parents as we apply SchemPlay (TM) pedagogy . We introduce the terms ‘ZPD’, ‘Flow’, ‘Child-Led’ and ‘Sustained Shared Thinking’.
Scheme Spotting – Practicing observing schemes.
In this 1 hour 15 minute training, we explore four common schemes that children draw upon in their play and practice observing these schemes: We identify schemes together and then consider children’s possible lines of enquiry and how we can support their unique investigations further, promoting children’s self-identity, confidence and a joy of learning.
An Introduction to the SchemaPlay (TM) Curriculum Wheel – a joy of learning across the curriculum and in education for sustainable citizenship.
This 2 hour workshop considers both adult’s and children’s cognitive overload and provides an example of how children’s learning outcomes are best supported when there is a continuity in the learning experiences we provide. We follow a child’s journey over a 6-month period in a day nursery, to demonstrate the educator’s use of the SchemaPlay (TM) Curriculum Wheel in action.
SP1: SchemaPlay (TM) Pedagogy – Birth – 3 Years. This training supports educators to observe and identify the early schemes that very young children apply in their free play. We know that to truly care for young children we need to tune into what they are thinking and what their interests are. Young children need to know that their behaviours are understood. Scheme behaviours are evident from babyhood; in their early physical and sensory actions. When we know how to affirm and respond to very young children’s scheme behaviours, we can support them to make connections in their thoughts, foster their self-belief, confidence and motivation to explore and learn in free-flow play. This training can be offered as a one day inset training or broken down into smaller sessions to meet your needs. SP1 and SP2 can also be combined in a one day inset.
SP2 SchemaPlay: An Embodied, Ecological and Child-Centred Pedagogy (Introducing the SchemaPlay Curriculum Wheel: Focus 3 – 6 years). Young children will all be demonstrating interests in applying ‘schemes’/patterns of movements in their play and they will be applying them in a particular way/they will have a particular investigation. When we observe schemes being explored and we tune into how they are being applied in a child’s self-chosen play, this enables us to understand children’s current lines of enquiry and respond effectively. Schemes are operational anchors that we must build upon if we are to effectively scaffold young children’s learning and their sustainable citizenship; taking children from their current capabilities to engage in new challenges within their reach.
Operational schemes are also pre-requisites to later complex operations, such as reading, writing, measuring, recycling, conserving, etc. In this workshop we review some wonderful case studies showing real journeys in children’s learning journeys and their outcomes – each one unique, each one showing how children learn to combine and chunk schemes, and each driven by the individual child’s play motivation and affirming/responding educators. After this training you will be able to start to embed SchemaPlay pedagogy into your practice and start to see how effectively you are able to respond to children’s lines of enquiry and open up a world of knowledge and learning across the curriculum, fostering sustainable citizens and improving outcomes for all children.
SP3 SchemaPlay and Citizenship. Although the term ‘citizenship’ is not currently included in the early years’ curriculum in England, it is very applicable in the early years. This is when the foundations for personal well-being, social responsibility, solidarity, care for others and care for the environment are laid. This training provides an insight and practical solutions into to how we can contribute to the future state of human relations as well as environmental care. We share great sustainable activities and learning that you can support from the anchors of children’s scheme applications and schema knowledge. Making engagement in sustainability meaningful!
SP4 The SchemaPlay Educator & Setting Accreditation. After engaging in the earlier training SP1/SP2 above, settings are welcome to engage in our accreditation program. Please book a telephone appointment via our ‘contact’ page to discuss.
A couple of quotes from settings engaging in SchemaPlay Pedagogy:
“We can see a huge difference to children’s language development, their resilience, active problem solving and we are so pleased that we are enabling’ flow’ by ensuring new activities are challenging, but within their ZPD capabilities, as the engagement is wonderful – even in our toddler room is wonderful.”
“The impact that embedding SchemaPlay within the setting has had on the children is vast. It has enabled the staff to be able to identify and support each child effectively with a child centered approach to learning, thus allowing children to flourish and thrive as they are leading their learning alongside the practitioners and from effective seeding of resources in the enabling environment around them. Staff have grown in confidence and are able to reflect on their practice, their sustainable citizenship modelling, and are constantly developing and improving learning experiences and education for sustainable citizenship for all. Parents have engaged and feel their children are seen as unique and valued as individuals not to fit a mold. The sharing of scheme information with parents is truly partnership building”
Contact: admin@schemaplay.com
The SchemaPlay train the trainers’ course in November runs over three mornings from 9.15am – 1pm and is delivered via Zoom. The course content delivered enables trainers to be able to use our SchemaPlay trainers resources (after the course a license is issued) with settings who would like to apply SchemaPlay in their practice and work towards the SchemaPlay Setting Accreditation and the SchemaPlay Educator Accreditation. After supporting a setting to their accreditation, trainers are fully accredited.
Trainers receive our training materials and they also receive our theory book Siraj-Blatchford & Brock’s “Putting the Schema back into Schema theory and practice” and our SchemaPlay Activity Ideas Guide, Brock & Siraj-Blatchford, which will support settings with ideas to help children apply their schemes across the continuous provision/curriculum and to build upon their schemes –
building upon what they can already do and know to engage in new learning and develop new schemes – furthering their self-identity/engagement/outcomes from their own lines of enquiry – we support their investigations to be extended from their ZPD.
It is a busy three mornings, but we have great fun. After the training you are able to access our trainers directory where we add new materials and attend our quarterly international trainers chatter, with fellow SchemaPlay trainers joining us from across the World. I also provide three months of support to new trainers as they work with their first setting – as you support a setting through to their first accreditation.
For more information, please drop me a line at admin@schemaplay.com
For anyone looking to book keynote speakers/conference workshops on SchemaPlay, please contact Lynnette at admin@schemaplay.com
SchemaPlay (TM) Pedagogy - Early Years Training 