Friday

The first lecture this morning began with an interesting practical learning point. We were all required to go to the wall and stretch up with our hand to see who could reach the highest. Our respective hand-heights were marked with our initials. Then, just as we'd all got safely back to our seats, the lecturer requested us to go and have another try, and this time we all had to beat our first attempt. The point, very well demonstrated, was that most people can do better at something on their second attempt than on their first. We were exhorted to put that second-try amount of effort into our work in the Early Years.

Maths this afternoon was also interesting. We got to use Cuisenaire rods [1], read some stories, sing action songs [2] and make up a tea-party in the role play area. There was also a video to demonstrate some problems that can occur with learning to count. In the average room of students, a video with cute children in it might elicit one or two exclamations of 'awww' from the more sentimental individuals [3]. I love the way that on the Early Years PGCE any video or photo that is even slightly cute will, almost without exception, result in a chorus of 'awww' from the entire assembled gathering.

At the moment I'm supposedly attempting a comprehensive definition of 'play' for the first assignment, whilst trying to avoid drowning in a sea of almost-relevant legislation. But I did find some good reading in the library earlier and today has, on the whole, been a good day. Only it's hard not to compare this evening's occupation rather unfavourably with last Friday's!

[1] I haven't seen them for years, but I distinctly remember Luke utilising our set to turn entire swathes of carpet into multicoloured car parks for his matchbox cars
[2] I had to be a little speckled frog, sitting on a speckled log. Oh, those grubs were most delicious!
[3] Yes, myself included. Of course!