8 minute read
Under 5 February 2022
by Under 5
Melanie Pilcher, quality and standards manager at the Alliance, shares some ideas for enjoying the winter olympic season in your setting
This month, China will be hosting the Olympic Winter Games and the best athletes from over the world, including Team GB, will compete in exciting events including curling, figure skating, snowboarding and skiing. Next month will also see paralympians take part in sports such as para skiing, para ice hockey and more.
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While we rarely have the weather inEngland to give children a first-hand experience of these sports, we can still build on the fact that many families will be following the progress of their favourite sports persons in their chosen olympic discipline. Children may quickly pick up on the interest being shown in the sports by the key adults in their lives. They will soon come to recognise sporting terminology and familiar faces that are competing for medals.
personal setbacks but can still celebrate thea chievements of others, and when they win, they enjoy achieving what they set out to do. All of which are important life skills that help to shape a child’s personal, social and emotional development.
With Beijing eight hours ahead of British time, some events will be available to watch in the early evening, making them accessible for many young children to watch live with their families at home.
Positive role models
Sporting role models can have a positive impact on children. Children who feel isolated or excluded for a variety of reasons maybe inspired to see their culture, disability or background reflected in a positive way.
Sportspersons can also be seen displaying many of the characteristics of effective learning that as educators we strive to encourage. For example, active learning is clearly visible as sportspersons demonstrate involvement and concentration before and during their challenges. They keep on trying when things don’t go their way, or when the odds are against them. They overcome
Paralympians
When we take a celebratory approach to children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) the emphasis is on celebrating achievement rather than focusing on underachievement. Educators“acknowledge and value each child, emphasising what they can do through a strengths-based perspective on disability”(Birth to 5 Matters).Any child who feels limited by their mental or physical capacity to take part in everyday activities can be inspired by seeing Paralympians challenging themselves.
The International Paralympic Committee cites four qualities of Paralympians. Early years educators will easily recognise these qualities as part of a celebratory approach for every child who needs additional support.
They are:
Courage: to accomplish the unexpected.When educators build on children’s strengths rather than their limitations, the unexpected is more likely to happen.
Determination: to be the best they can be. Ensuring that every child has the opportunity to build their self-esteem in an environment that focuses on ‘risk benefits’, allowing children to ‘have a go’ and to make reasonable adjustments along the way.
Inspiration: to be motivated by theachievements of others and in turnmotivate others.
Equality: as an agent for change to breakdown social barriers of discriminationfor persons with an impairment. Whenchildren can seethemselves reflected inthe sporting community,they feel a sense ofbelonging.
Increasing children’s cultural capital
Ofsted is clear when referring to cultural capital that it is the role of educators to ensure that children“experience the awe and wonder of the world in which they live, through the seven areas of learning” (Ofsted Early Years InspectionHandbook, Sept 2019). When educators respond to children’s interests by building on them and providing new and inspiring
experiences, they are enhancing their cultural capital and building aspiration. With so many opportunities for learning and development linked to the Winter Olympics events the sky is the limit.
CONSIDERING YOUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES
Physical development
Look at how competitors use balance and coordination when snowboarding. The same skills are practiced when children are walking across a low beam or log. Try some virtual skiing by coordinating arm and leg movements whilst bending and twisting to complete a slalom, or crouching low with elbows tucked in, to gain speed down an imaginary slope.
Personal, social and emotional development
As already mentioned, sports persons demonstrate many of the personal qualities that we would want to instil in children. Make sure that whatever activities you provide are fully inclusive, relevant and build on children’s cultural capital. For example, if you have a child whose family are lucky enough togo skiing themselves, think about how you can build further learning opportunities intos omething that the child is already familiar with. If other children have never been skiing, see if you can ‘borrow’ ski equipment so that everyone gets the opportunity to try on a real ski boot or goggles, to explore them properly.
Communication and language
There is plenty of opportunity to increase children’s vocabulary when watching theOlympics. Not only are children hearing the names of new sports, but there are many terms used to describe sporting techniques that arenot used in everyday language.
Have you ever heard of a nose-bonk, or an ollie, both of which are terms that a snowboarding commentator may be heard using? There are also plenty of adjectives for describing the conditions for an individual event, for example the snow could be frozen, slushy or powdery, or the weather could be freezing, icy, or windy. As with any word acquisition, children will quickly pick up on words they hear being used in context.
Literacy
Building on the new words that children will hear during Olympic commentary,
educators can extend the learning by finding appropriate books, poems, rhymes, and songs to share. Have a look at:
Learning to ski with Mr Magee by ChrisVan Dusen – suitable for children aged4-6yrs is a rhyming story about a man and his dog who are learning to ski.
Spots Snowy Day by Eric Hill – for younger children, follows Spot’s adventures as hegoes sledging and plays in the snow.
Heads, shoulders knees and toes by Annie Kubler – a lovely way to en courage children to warm-up for the big event as they sing this favourite action song!
Mathematics
The Early Childhood Maths Group describes important mathematical learning opportunities for birth to seven years, many of which can be found in your Winter Olympic activities.
Why not share some maths ideas to inspire parents who are watching the Olympics with their child?:
Counting by just saying number words – Countdown together with children “three, two, one...go!” Or read the scores out loud as they appear on screen. Use mathematical language such as “first, second and third” as competitors are placed.
Counting objects – Count the number of jumps in a ski race, or the tricks performed on a snowboard.
Comparing sizes and dimensions, capacities and weights – When watching curling, talk about how the heavy stones move easily across the ice. Conduct your own experiments with stones on icy puddles if the weather conditions allow.
Exploring spatially, describing where to find things and giving directions – Add your own commentary to an event as it happens. Encourage children to join in as they notice how the athletes move left, right, up, down, over, under etc…
For more guidance on building children’s maths skills visit Building firm foundations in mathematics - ECMG (earlymaths.org).
Understanding the world
What better way to support ‘understanding the world’ than the Olympics? The opening and closing events are particularly rich and diverse as each participating country displays their national flag and costume.Children will hear national anthems played and will also learn a little more about the host country which can then be followed up using books and technology to help consolidate their understanding.
Expressive arts and design
Watching the Olympics is fun but it is the activities and experiences that children participate in that give meaning to what they have seen or heard. Role playing different sporting events allows children to apply their imagination and creativity. Try ‘figure skating’ in socks on a wooden floor, or imagine hurtling along in a cardboard box bobsleigh, tilting from side to side as you navigate the steep curves of the bobsleigh run.
Remember, that children who are less mobile can join in too. Sport is a good example of how reasonable adjustments can be made so that everyone gets to take part.
