MULTILATERAL PROJECT: Strengthening Activity – Oriented ...A) The children • Structured...

MULTILATERAL PROJECT: Strengthening Activity – Oriented Interaction and

Growth iN the EArLy Years and TransitionS

WORK PACKAGE: IMPLEMENTATIONKalliope Vrinioti, Eleni Griva, Giannis Thoidis & Klio Semoglou

University of Western Macedonia - Greece

Reykjavik Meeting June 18-19, 2014

Project Framework

Duration FRAMEWORK OF THE PROJECT

March-May 2014

INITIAL NEEDS ANALYSIS

June– August 2014

I) INSTRUMENT DESIGN and SELECTIONII) PROJECT MATERIALS DESIGN

September-October 2014

FIRST STAGE (PRE-STAGE) OF THE PROJECT

November-April 2015

MAIN STAGE OF THE PROJECT: IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INTERVENTION

May- June 2015 POST-STAGE OF THE PROJECT: EVALUATION OF THE INTERVENTION

Reykjavik MeetingJune 18-19, 2014

Initial Needs Analysis

(March-May 2014)


School partnership

• A public Primary school, located in Florina, a city in Northern Greece.

• This school is supervised by the School of Education of the University of Western Macedonia.

• 42 students attending the 1st Grade


CHILDREN

TEACHERS PARENTS

A pre-record and

analysis of the target situation was

conducted


Phase 1- Children’s interviews


A) The children

• Structured interviews were conducted with the total number of children in an attempt to identify their preferences to classroom interaction and cooperation and their participation in favourite games.

• Interviews were conducted in a playful context, through using flashcards, which stimulated children’s motivation for their participating in the “question – answer” process.


• The verbal data, after being coded qualitatively using the techniques by Miles and Huberman (1994), resulted in 39 codes, which were grouped into eight categories classified into four basic themes: – Children’s preferences in games

– Justification for their preferences

– Cooperation in the play

– Children’s reaction to game disruption

Children’s Interviews


Thematic strands/ Categories

Codes- operational definitions Occurrences

CHILDREN’S PREFERENCES IN GAMES

1.Group activities and games

CHAS=ChaseHISEK=Hide and SeekBANOBA=Banana- non BananaFOTB=FootballTHEPOL=Thieves and policemenOTTHRL=One, two, three red lightSECAG=Secret agentsTHAPL=The applesTHFAIR=The FairiesSTRLPI=Strong like a pig

262154131111

1.Individual games PIKFL=Picking flowersGCLIMB=Go Climbing PLPLAY=Playing Playmobil

221


JUSTIFICATION FOR THEIR PREFERENCES

3. Playing alone PLESAT=Get Pleasure and satisfaction 4

4. Playing with others GENJOY=Get enjoymentPARROU=It is part of children’s routineFECOMP=Feel the companionshipASHECO=Asking for help and cooperation

13

222



Reykjavik Meeting-June 18-19, 2014



COOPERATION IN THE PLAY

5. Cooperation with classmates

FELFAM=Feel familial with classmates

FESECL=Feel secure while playing with classmates

HCOMIN=Have common interests

15

1

1

6. Cooperation with children of other school grades

GPLENJO=Get pleasure and enjoymentLIKCO=Like cooperating HAMFRI=Have more friends

12

31




CHILDREN’S REACTION TO GAME DISRUPTION

7. Children’s active/intensive response

RECGAM=Reconstitution of the game SECLHE=Seeking classmates’ help SHOVIO=Showing violence EXPSAD=Expressing sadness SEMOHE=Seeking for mother’s help

SETEHE=Seeking for teacher ‘s help CHCOPL=Change co-playerCHAGM=-Change Game EXPANG=Expression of AngerCLCOGA=Claim for the continuation of the

play

1127681 22

4

8. Children’s indifferent response

CHASPC=Change space AVOQUF=Avoid quarrel and Fight CONGAM=Continue with the game TEAINT=Teacher’s Intervention

1211


Phase 2- THE GAME


The children participated in a physical activity wi th the title “Restructure the Song”.

While the children were playing in groups of four

three researchers were recording their communicativ e strategies in a “communicative strategies instrument ” created for the purposes of the project.

Μια φορά ένα παπί

είχε χάσει ένα Πι

είχε µείνει µε το Πα

κι έλεγε όλο ΠαΠαΠα

The example:


Αν όλα τα παιδιά της γης πιάναν γερά τα χέρια

κορίτσια αγόρια στη σειρά και στήνανε χορό

ο κύκλος θα γινότανε πολύ πολύ µεγάλος

κι ολόκληρη τη Γη µας θ’ αγκάλιαζε θαρρώ.


Γύρω-γύρω όλοι στη µέση ο Μανώλης

χέρια-πόδια στη γραµµή

κι όλοι κάθονται στη γη

κι ο Μανώλης στο σκαµνίReykjavik MeetingJune 18-19, 2014

The game: Restructure the songRequirements:• cones, ropes, hula hoops, balls, baseball bases etc. Eight pieces of paper

(with the lyrics of two different kid songs scrabbled) two pictures (matching to each song)

Description:• There are two teams consisted of 4 kids each.• First, we set up an obstacle course (e.g., a piece of rope to jump over, a hula

hoop to crawl through, cones to run around, etc. In the middle of the course each kids takes a piece of paper (with a part of lyrics) and goes back to his team

– Objectives: ‘circuit training’, developing locomotor skills, running, jumping, hopping etc.

• Afterwards, each team should put in order the jigsawed songs and assign the correct picture.

– Objectives: jigsaw reading, identifying communicative strategies and skills, enhancing work in groups Finally, every team presents a song to the other one.

– Objectives: identifying communicative strategies and skills (presentation skills)


The songs

• If all the children on the earth hold hands firmly boys and girls in order and start the dancethe circle would be large enough to hug the earth once (Yiannis Ritsos)

• Round-round all in the middle is Manolis / hands and legs in the line / and all sit on the earth / and Manolis in the little chair (Greek folk game).


ORAL COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES


Compensatory strategies Strategies: Paraphrasing N (%)

Circumlocution 16 40

Approximation 18 45

Word-coinage 2 5

Strategies: avoidance

Message changing 16 40

Topic changing 18 45

Avoiding communication 2 5

Extra verbal Strategies

Miming 24 60

Gesturing 31 77.5


Interactive strategies

Social strategies N (%)

Asking for repetition 12 30

Asking for clarification 14 35

Turn-taking moves 14 35

Achievement strategies

Repeating 22 55

Self - correction 18 45

Using fillers 14 35

Prefabricated patterns 2 5

Feigning comprehension 6 15

Mumbling 18 45


(Meta)cognitive strategies N (%)

Skimming 19 47.5

Selective (paying) attention 13 32.5

Analysing and reasoning15 37.5

Organising presentation13 32.5


Results of children’s needs analysis

• This preliminary “needs analysis” provided an account of children’s preferences for group activities and physical games, as well as their willingness to cooperating with peers.

• In addition, the game proved to be a useful tool for creating a ‘non-threatening’ and interactive environment, encouraging children’s active participation.

• Moreover, while playing some interactive strategies and a number of verbal and non-verbal compensatory strategies were recorded, which helped children communicate their message in the target language.


Communicatio

n Cooperation

Conceptualisat

ionCreation

The experimental project will be designed and devel oped on the basis of children’s preferences and needs, as recorded in this prelimin ary phase, for :

� providing a suspended task- based framework � in a game-based environment

� following the 4 principles

PROJECT Principles

Phase 3- The teachersQuestionnaires (Johansson, Sandberg, Broström,

Frøkjær, 2010) were distributed to the teachers of the primary school in an attempt to identify:– their perceptions on issues related to classroom

interaction – their attitudes to using games and physical activities

in the learning process– their awareness on personal beliefs and tacit theories – their familiarisation with task-based approach


Children’s parents

• Some focus group interviews were conducted with a number of parents in order to record:– their perceptions on issues related to children’s

participation in home activities– their behavior to children’s interaction within family

environment – their engagement in out of school activities and

literacy practices– their attitudes to children’s involvement in the project.


RESULTS ofTeachers’ Questionnaires



What is learning? - Situations that influence learni ng

Item M

A1_Creative activities 2,29A2_Goal oriented activities in order to develop reading and writing

1,46

A3_Situations which contributes to children’s social development

1,85

A4_Circle time 2,18A5_Free play 2,08A6_Play where children and adults participate together 2,67A7_Conflicts in everyday life which children try to solve themselves

2,27

A8_Situations which build on children’s own initiatives 2,08


What is learning? - Situations that influence learni ng


How do children learn?Item M

B1_See what other children do and say 1,75

B2_See what adults do and say (observe adults) 1,92

B3_Participate in different activities in every school day life

1,62

B4_Self take initiatives to activities 1,83B5_Play with other children 1,85B6_Be challenged by the adults 1, 67

B7_The adults explain and show 2,00

B8_The child are allowed to be in peace and quiet 2,82B9_The child become absorbed in some-thing 2,25B10_Participate in activities together with adults 2,07


How do children learn?


The importance of participation – how do teachers un derstand the concept ‘participation’?

Item M

C1_To be a part of a group and enter into its active being together 1,50

C2_To listen 1,91

C3_Have influence on what happens 2,9

C4_To be involved in current activities 1,46C5_Teachers listen to children and understand their way of thinking

1,67

C6_Teachers encourage children to make their own decisions 1,58

C7_Teachers make up best conditions for children’s independent choices

1,67


The importance of participation


Preconditions for learning - What are the best condi tions for 1st and 2nd primary school grade children’s learning?

Item M

D1_Children experience respect and security from adults 1,64

D2_A good cooperation with parents 1,85

D3_Children get many experiences 1,58

D4_The children meet challenges adjusted to their level of development

1,69

D5_Teachers are in active interaction with children and support them

1,64

D6_Children’s own choices without adult intervention 2,09


Preconditions for learning


We could develop children’s oral skills and communi cative strategies by…

Item M

E1_Making children communicate with adults 1,71

E2_ Making children ask questions to the teacher 1,69

E3_ Making children participate in peer activities 1,31

E4_Children’s communicate while playing 1,69

E5_Making children cooperate within group 1,58

Learning - Playing – Communicating

Language development


Develop children’s oral skills and communicative st rategies by


Children’s participation in games in a task/activit y based context enables them…

Item M

F1_To get involved in decision-making 1.33

F2_To participate in problem solving activities1.92

F3_To interact and communicate 1.38

F4_To develop communicative oral strategies 1.75

F5_To learn by doing 1.43

MULTILATERAL PROJECT: Strengthening Activity – Oriented ...A) The children • Structured...

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