Discussion questions and notes to accompany Grade R videos

1. Grade R Video Teacher Training
1-3
Discussion Questions

2. The video covered:
• The Different Areas to set up in your
classroom
• Suggested resources and activities
for each area.

3. 1. Setting up a classroom
Question 1
Please name as many areas as you can
which you should set up in the ideal
classroom e.g. literacy area

4. Answer to Questions 1
Construction area (building numeracy)
Creative area
Literacy area
Imaginative Play
Science Table
Theme Table
Library Corner

5. Question 2
• What kind of things would you
have in a Literacy area?

6. Question 2 answers
• Crayons
• Pencils
• Flash cards
• Paper
• Puppets
• Story tapes

7. Question 3
• What sort of things would you have
in a construction or numeracy area ?

8. Answer to Question 3
• Lego blocks
• Peg boards.
• Threading beads
• Counters
• numbers

9. Question 4
• What sort of things would you
have in a fantasy area?

10. Answer to Question 4
• Clothes
• Hats,
• Shoes
• Dolls
• Tea set
• Baking set etc.

11. Question 5
• What sort of things would you put in
the creative art area?

12. Answers to Question 5
• crayons,
• Pencils
• Paper,
• Glue
• Scissors
• Scraps of material
• Old magazines

13. Question 6
• Everyone is short of space in our
creches.
• Can you think of any solutions as
many creches do not have space for
all these areas?
• Everyone discuss this for a few
minutes.

14. Answers to Question 6
• Some ideas:
• Choose perhaps two main areas you have
space for e.g. literacy area and numeracy area.
• Keep other equipment in boxes or organised
on shelves.
• Set out different equipment at different times
• Fantasy area dress up clothes etc can be kept
in a box and brought out at when you have
scheduled time.

15. • If you don’t have space don’t get
discouraged just do your best to
include all these activities during
your day or week.

16. You have learned about
• The Different Areas to set up in your
classroom
• Suggested resources and activities
for each area.
• Also ideas and tips to adapt these
suggestions to your situation

17. 2. Barriers to Learning

18. The video covered:
• The Different Barriers to
learning
• Tips to help you overcome the
barriers

19. Barriers to Learning
Can you think of some of the
barriers to learning?

20. Barriers to Learning
Language and communication challenges
Negative attitudes
Socio Economic challenges
Disabilities
Lack of parental involvement

21. Question 2
• Language Barriers
For example : Learning not in home
language
Can you think of other barriers to do with
language?

22. Answer to Question 2
• Children who need to communicate in
sign language
• Late speech development or other
speech disabilities

23. Question 3
• What kind of negative attitudes
can be barriers to learning?

24. Answer to Question 3
• Negative attitudes towards
children with disabilities
• Negative attitudes towards
school by the parents and/or the
children

25. Question 4
• What are socio economic
barriers?

26. Answers to Question 4
• Poverty
• Parents who have had very little education
who find it difficult to help their children
• Poor self image
• Parents away at work all day
• Children with no parents
• Parents with alcoholism, drug taking
• Domestic abuse

27. Question 5
• Lack of parental involvement can be
a big problem.
Can you think of ways to get parents
more involved?

28. Answers to Question 5
• Connect parents who have children with
disabilities to social workers who can help.
• Hold Parent meetings which ephasise the
importance of praising children for progress,
reading to children and being more involved
with their progress in school

29. Question 6
• How can you as teachers help
children with hearing or sight
problems?

30. Answer to Question 6
• Put children with hearing or sight
disabilities closer to the front of
the class and closer to the
teacher.

31. List of other Barriers to Learning
• Cognitive
• Perceptual
• Medical

32. Examples of Cognitive
• Down Syndrome
• Autism
• Dyslexia
• Attention Deficit and Hyperactive
disorder

33. Examples of Perceptual barriers
• Barriers related to the senses
• Visual
• Visual Perception
• Visual discrimination
• Visual memory
• Visual sequential memory

34. • Auditory Perceptual problems
• Auditory perception
• Auditory discrimination
• Auditory memory
• Auditory Sequential Memory

35. Examples of Medical barriers
• TB
• Epilepsy
• Lead Poisoning
• Diabetes
• Hemophilia
• Asthma
• Leukemia

36. Barriers to Learning
• There is a lot more information in
the teacher’s handbook (Pages
52-59)on barriers to learning and
how to help children with these
barriers, so please make sure to
read it.

37. The video covered:
• The Different Barriers to
learning
• Tips to help you overcome the
barriers

38. 3.Setting Up an Outdoor
Classroom

39. The video covered:
• How to set up an outdoor
classroom
• The different areas to include
• The types of equipment and
activities for each area.
Safety Guidelines

40. Question 1
What areas should you try to
include?

41. Answers to question 1
• Fantasy area,
• water,
• sand,
• area for gross motor skills like
skipping, climbing, balancing ,
ball games etc

42. Question 2
• What can you practically
implement in your small
space?
• Discuss and think of as many
ideas as possible.

43. Possible Answers 2
• Ball games are not expensive and if you have
e.g. bucket to throw the ball or throw the ball
around a circle of children , or a hoop to throw
the ball through– these ideas don’t take up a
lot of room.
• You can put up a sheet with a couple of chairs
to make a fantasy house etc.
• Bowls of water with plastic cups and toys.
• Plank on bricks to walk across for balance.

44. Question 3
• What ways can you try to make sure
some of the outdoor classroom ideas
are put into action even though you
have very little room?

45. Possible Answers 3
• Go to a park – put it on the schedule
once or twice a week.
• Book a session with Family Africa
• Excursions

46. Question 4
• What safety procedures
should you have?

47. Answers 4
• Always have at least one teachers supervising,
Do not let the children play outside on their
own.
• First aid kit,
• sun hats,
• Safe fenced play area ,
• Gloves in case of blood,
• Emergency phone numbers posted

48. You have learned:
• How to set up an outdoor
classroom
• The different areas to include
• The types of equipment and
activities for each area.
Safety Guidelines

49. Thank you!
• We hope to see you at our next session!