Comments on: All Right Now! Engaging groups of children at storytime and in assembly, with help from Free, Queen and The Wiggles! /2013/09/all-right-now-engaging-groups-of-children-at-storytime-and-in-assembly-with-help-from-free-queen-and-the-wiggles/ Supporting children's language, communication and learning Wed, 24 Sep 2014 08:00:07 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.3 By: Michael Jones /2013/09/all-right-now-engaging-groups-of-children-at-storytime-and-in-assembly-with-help-from-free-queen-and-the-wiggles/#comment-7769 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 09:41:31 +0000 /?p=754#comment-7769 Hi Lucy
I got lots of great ideas from visiting your fab school, and regularly show a slide of you talking with a little quiet girl: helping her share an idea in front of the class. Your social development targets for each child; including ‘I can come to school happy’ and ‘I can talk to other children’ are an inspiration!!
Keep in touch
Michael

]]> By: Lucy Jenkins /2013/09/all-right-now-engaging-groups-of-children-at-storytime-and-in-assembly-with-help-from-free-queen-and-the-wiggles/#comment-7768 Mon, 09 Sep 2013 21:27:09 +0000 /?p=754#comment-7768 Hi Michael,

This is great reading and it’s all so very true 🙂

Need to get back in contact as our new unit is open and would love for you to visit soon!

Kind regards

Lucy

]]> By: Michael Jones /2013/09/all-right-now-engaging-groups-of-children-at-storytime-and-in-assembly-with-help-from-free-queen-and-the-wiggles/#comment-7767 Mon, 09 Sep 2013 12:41:59 +0000 /?p=754#comment-7767 Hi Elly!!
I like to mess about, but this is an important subject. Children we are teaching, and especially in groups, are an ‘audience’ and deserve to have the best-prepared and relevant lessons/assemblies.
More soon!!
Michael

]]> By: Elly Foster /2013/09/all-right-now-engaging-groups-of-children-at-storytime-and-in-assembly-with-help-from-free-queen-and-the-wiggles/#comment-7766 Mon, 09 Sep 2013 10:21:55 +0000 /?p=754#comment-7766 What a great way to start us off in the new term. You really make me laugh out loud. Your message sticks. Thanks Michael

]]> By: Michael Jones /2013/09/all-right-now-engaging-groups-of-children-at-storytime-and-in-assembly-with-help-from-free-queen-and-the-wiggles/#comment-7765 Sun, 08 Sep 2013 14:47:31 +0000 /?p=754#comment-7765 Wow Carol… Reading! I’d never have the nerve to ask anyone to shush at a festival. I did ask a head teacher to be quiet once, and he was furious!!
Magic carpet and lavender oil… A brilliant idea!!! I think my year 4 class would have loved that. They used to ask me if they could put out my Turkish rug and cushions and cuddly toys so they could sit and do quiet reading.
Thanks for your comment
Michael

]]> By: Carol Adams /2013/09/all-right-now-engaging-groups-of-children-at-storytime-and-in-assembly-with-help-from-free-queen-and-the-wiggles/#comment-7764 Sun, 08 Sep 2013 12:23:39 +0000 /?p=754#comment-7764 Your comments about the audience not listening struck a chord with me. We have recently returned from the Reading Festival, where during a particularly loud performance in one of the marquees (The Bronx) my husband felt it necessary to ask a couple right in front of him to stop talking. They were not best pleased and told him to move if he didn’t like it; he then pointed out that they had already pushed themselves in front of me (5ft 3in)to hold their conversation and that if they were not interested in the music they should go outside to talk. Surprisingly they moved. I may not be as loud as The Bronx but I have realised over the years that no matter how interesting you make a group session there will always be one or two children who prefer to chat to their neighbour. One year I had a little American boy in my class who talked continuously and nothing I said or did would make him stop. I would ask him politely to stop talking and he would reply, “yes ma’am”, then turn to his neighbour and resume his conversation. I gave up in the end. So as you say the answer is to be well rehearsed, keep it short and sweet, use plenty of visual stimulation and hope for the best. With regards to singing I know many adults feel self-conscious about their vocal skills. In a previous role I used to run music workshops for parent and toddler groups and the first thing I used to say to the adults is that young children are not bothered if you can’t sing, they just enjoy you joining in. I used a variety of songs, instruments and recorded music that were well known and easy to join in. At the end of the session I used to calm things down by rolling out my magic carpet, liberally sprinkled with lavender oil, and getting the little ones to lay quietly and listen to Greensleeves. There used to be a lot of yawning and thumb sucking; this pleased the parents as they had sleepy children to take home for their afternoon nap.

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