A good day all round

I had a good feeling about today from the moment I got out of bed, and I wasn't disappointed. 

I have had a lovely day painting a castle! (of the Role Play variety) but nevertheless it was most therapeutic. The basics are done and now waiting for the children's creative input to make it totally theirs....can't wait to see what ideas they come up with.

The morning got even better when my wonderful friend and colleague appeared bearing precious gifts.....AMAZING!! These are just perfect, even if you did have to scale trees to get them for me...

not only content with giving me one set of gifts but take a look at this too...

........thanks for thinking of me - I am glad I remind you of a huge roll of giant bubble wrap!

I am not sure yet what it will be used for but I am sure it will definitely have some part to play in any future Sensory Stories I write. 

Just feeling good about things when a fleeting visit from another friend and former colleague brought more good news..... she has just delivered a Sensory Story "The Bear Hunt"  at the local Children's Centre and has all the resources ready if I wish to use them.  Thank you so much!

I am now continuing to write the information that will go with my Sensory Story. So far I have included things like: 

• Contents page
• Information page
• Resource / Stimuli list
• How to deliver the Story  
• The Story (mustn't forget that!)
• Symbol picture cards
• Links to the EYFS and Planning ideas
• Assessment
• Extension/follow up whole class activities
• Acknowledgements (people to whom I am hugely indebted!)

I am currently working on: 

• a page to explain the reasoning behind the way the story is to be delivered 
• a pro forma page where children can begin to assess their own learning......
• a PowerPoint of the Story

Is there anything else that people would find useful? .....now there's an open invitation.

More classroom activities

I have spent today making lists, tidying up my documents and trying to get my head around Twitter - it had to be done!  Highlight of this week so far - my Twitter followers are now in double figures!! 

Anyway back to my journey...


I keep thinking of more and more extension activities that could be done with the whole class....not quite sure how many to include but here are a few to have a look at whilst I decide....   

For Maths a simple sorting and counting activity could be made using natural objects such as fir cones, acorns, conkers, leaves  - this could be extended to making repeating patterns.

In the Sensory Story 'bread' is used as a stimuli - encourage use of mathematical language such as longer than, shorter than, big, small, flat and so on. Have a go at bread tasting e.g. french bread, pitta bread, soda bread etc. and introduce the children to creating tally charts to represent the most and least popular breads (remember to check for food allergies/cultural and religious dietary requirements first though!)


For Physical development (fine motor) make your own snack! Another stimuli used in my Sensory Story is Bramble Jelly....let the children make their own jam sandwich! Just think of all the fine motor skills needed in this activity. 

For more fine motor activities make a collage hedgerow - let the children tear (green) paper into leaf shapes, encourage the children to roll small amounts of red and purple tissue paper into 'berries' and stick onto the torn paper leaves.

I appear to have digressed into whole class activities.....not to worry I will be back with the Sensory side of things soon. Oh and by the way you can follow me on Twitter, tweeting away (or trying to) by searching for Pam Rudge. 

Week 4 - Nothing like digging the garden to get the ideas flowing!

Nothing like digging the garden to get the ideas flowing!

Alien Plant rescued!
It does have a name
but we renamed it
the 'Alien Plant!'

Lots of thoughts going around in my head today - but one particular thought won't go away!  I have been thinking about how much we are all affected by the sensory stimuli that surrounds us on a daily basis and the impact (either good or bad) that this can have on us as individuals. 

I began to consider how we as individuals react differently when presented with certain stimuli.

Those of you who know me really well know that I suffer from Koumpounophobia (fear of loose buttons!) Since I was little I have always had a fear of buttons - not buttons on clothes, but loose ones (the black 4 holers from men's trousers are the worst!) Even writing about this now is causing me extreme discomfort.....so imagine if I was given a tin of loose buttons to experience as stimuli....ARGHHHHHHH! My anxiety levels are heightened just blogging about it let alone having to actually put my hands in the tin! I feel nauseous and can feel my elbows going into spasm.....yet.......my youngest daughter could happily put her hands in the tin and find it quite therapeutic!

This got me thinking . . . 

I can communicate with words, I can tell you of this irrational fear - I cannot explain it, but I can let you know that I cannot touch a loose button, it makes me feel physically ill. But what about the child who is unable to express his/her feelings vocally?

How do I address this issue in my Sensory Story? How do I know if the stimuli I have chosen will cause anxiety or stress to the child?  Do I need to introduce some kind of 'symbol' card or sign to enable the child to 'tell' me ..."I am not happy at experiencing this stimuli."

Gosh! There is so much to think about on this Sensory Story journey! It is more than writing a few poetic lines and waving a nice smell under your nose!

A sneaky peek

Well all has been a little quiet on my blog recently, however that's not to say that I haven't been busy!

I have been working on writing some 'follow up' extension activities relating to the Sensory Story that can be used in the classroom or nursery environment. 

What I have found out whilst I have been working on this venture, is that my Sensory Story and accompanying activities will benefit all the children in class not just the small group of children for whom it was originally written for. 

Although we probably don't think about it we use our senses all the time to help us learn things. I am sure all of us can draw on memories associated with different senses - for example that special song or a precious photo. Whenever my middle daughter smells freesias she recalls holding the basket of flowers when she was a bridesmaid - age 2!  She is now 22! What an impact that one smell had on her! 

With this in mind my challenge today was to think around writing examples of different learning activities that could be used with the whole class once the Sensory Story had been delivered. 

Most of you may have realised by now that my main character is a squirrel. The setting of the story is in a wood. The time of year is Autumn. So here is a sneaky peek at just a few of my ideas that I have included along with the story to support and extend the children's learning further. . . 

Personal, social and emotional development - 

Talk about different feelings.  How was the squirrel feeling at different points in the story? Are there times when you feel happy? Sad? Scared? Talk about looking after the environment, and safety issues regarding picking berries that grow in the wild. 

Literacy - 

Use descriptive words to describe the stimuli such as 'prickly' fir cones, extend into writing simple sentence.  Draw maps of the places that Squirrel visited when he was looking for food and encourage labelling. Read stories such as ‘Ferdie and the falling leaves’......

Understanding the World - 

Baking – Make individual blackberry crumbles (also covers Maths development with weighing and measuring etc.).  Become a nature detective – go for a walk and explore a hedge! It's amazing what you can see in there! Find out about habitats - which animals live in the hedgerow? 

http://www.hedgelink.org.uk/hedgerows/children.html   

I have also written activities to cover Maths, Communication and Language, Physical development, and Expressive arts and design....but I felt it would be too much to include in tonight's blog.

Enough written for tonight as my sewing machine is beckoning me from afar…….will be back soon with more news of my Sensory Story journey.

Jam, Jam and more Jam!

Gosh what a busy day! Up early and off to Nantwich! First stop Bridgemere Garden World and my first amazing find.....

Yes the actual thing BRAMBLE JELLY,  and it even says HEDGEROW too! Whooo hoooo!

I now seem to have Bramble Jam coming at me from all directions (a huge thank you to those of you who have supplied it for me) .....I might have to include this stimuli in a few more stories with the amount I am gradually acquiring. 

Next stop Dagfields  http://www.dagfields.co.uk/   hoping to find something WOW to include in my story.  For those of you who haven't experienced Dagfields - well - let's say it is not quite your average kind of shopping experience! 

Unfortunately I didn't find that WOW thing I was looking for - however the visit fulfilled the Rudge annual pilgrimage, where once a year the family Rudge set ourselves a challenge - this year it was to buy an item for £1 or less which best suits your personality!! Not sure why I didn't win with this entry.... I mean the title says it all!

Anyway I digress.....back to my venture.....my resources (stimuli) are coming along nicely however one particular sensory resource is proving very difficult to get. I am trying to capture the smell of woodsmoke  - but this is a little bit tricky. How come when you have a garden fire or go to a bonfire your clothes smell smoky for ages? Yet trying to capture (and more importantly retain) that smell in a tupperware pot - well it's just not happening. I have one last idea of something that may work - it means another trip out and probably a few funny looks from people  - but hey ho - never a dull moment. I will let you know if I am successful. Watch out people of Wilmslow...that's the only clue I am giving at the moment.

The spade remained in the shed!

After promising myself that I would give the laptop a rest today, I couldn't resist just taking a sneaky peek around different websites looking for appropriate 'symbols' to support the story. At this point of my journey I am not sure which symbols to opt for. 

One way of using symbols would be to show the symbol card to 'cue' the child in to the sensory experience...for example using the symbol of the 'ear' would indicate that we will be using our sense of hearing for that particular part of the story. 

Another way would be to use symbol cards that relate specifically to the story e.g. symbols representing the Sack, Pine Cone, Jam.... and so on. Using the symbols in this way would enable the children to retell the story. How? The child could respond to the adult asking "What comes next?" or the child could order the symbol cards in the sequence as they appear in the story. I like this idea as it will promote further participation from the children and can also be used as a tool for assessment by the adult. 

I am now on the hunt for appropriate symbols that won't break the bank to download. I want to maintain my focus of keeping costs to an absolute minimum.  If my search for 'free' symbols is in vain I may consider taking and printing photographs of the stimuli instead.  

As for the digging in the garden? Well......the spade remained in the shed!

Week 3 - Planning documents completed!

Well what a day (and couple of nights too!)

I have spent the best part of today working on just two items. Just two!!! I can't believe how long it has taken me to complete some 'user friendly' examples of planning. However, I am pleased with the result, and have now produced two pro forma's that I am really happy with. They show the user how the Sensory Story experience can sit comfortably with existing short term Early Years plans or as a stand alone plan covering one specific Area of Learning: Communication and Language. They also demonstrate how the story links to the 'Development Matters' of the EYFS. 

I think tomorrow will be a day away from my laptop as I need to find space to do some more 'thinking' about my next stage of the journey. Digging the garden over seems to work for me in that respect - so let's hope for a sunny day and a place that needs digging!
Plus points today - the computer didn't 'hang' on me; the printer ink cartridge didn't need replacing; and the jewel in the crown - I have been asked if I would write another 'bespoke' story for a different target audience!!! 

A small price to pay

Well it is official - I am going to go blackberry picking! 

I am keeping a keen eye on the local bramble hedge and wondering whether installing CCTV will ensure that I get first pickings? Am I taking up jam making? No, not just yet, however this morning provided me with a perfect opportunity to chat with my favourite jam maker, Margaret.... and I just happened to mention my difficult quest to find Bramble Jelly. The conversation resulted in her offering to make my Bramble Jelly (aka Blackberry Jam!). All I need to do is I pick the blackberries whilst she is away. A small price to pay for such a rich sensory reward. 

After taking a day off from writing anything at all yesterday, I have been busy this afternoon creating examples of how my Sensory Story can be incorporated into nursery and school planning. (At this point I must say "thank you" to those who have shared their Early Years planning pro formas with me to help me with my research for this project - you are all so kind!). Looking at the current content of my own examples, I am sure that other early years providers such as Childminders and Pre Schools would be able to adapt these plans accordingly.......mmmmm I can see this mission going further afield! For those who are familiar with the Early Years terminology, I am half way through including links to the three Prime areas and the four Specific areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage and am considering including a page for extension activities in the classroom....any thoughts on whether this would be of value would be greatly appreciated.

 

Looking forward to the week ahead as I have some exciting places to visit in my Sensory Story adventure...more will be revealed later in the week.

Questions in the car park

 "Have you got your fir cone yet?"  a question posed to me early this morning in a car park in Macclesfield! Well let's just say that conversation led to this afternoons unexpected doorstep delivery of this.....

Well I didn't take delivery of the apple just the pine cone. I have placed the apple alongside the cone so that you can see the size comparisons! I just want to say a HUGE thank you to Dawn for hand delivering this fine specimen!! It is perfect!  

Today I have been looking at the aim of my particular Sensory Story experience. I am writing the current story tailored to the needs of the children in my setting, therefore it takes a slightly different approach to other Sensory Stories which have been written by other individuals. My aim is not only to bring about engagement and enjoyment with the story, but also to develop good attention and listening skills, build vocabulary, and widen the children's experiences.

At the moment I am working on developing an information sheet to show how my Sensory Story and it's delivery links into the Development Matters of the EYFS.  My laptop currently has several half written documents open, and I am busy playing around with different layouts, colours and formats. I know how I want it to look, but technology is getting the better of me. I think in reality I should focus on actually writing the information first and then play around with layouts - but hey ho that's for another day.

 

Might have to take up jam making!

Great success with resourcing my mini potato sack, it arrived today and is just perfect! I love the feel/texture and hope it retains its unique smell. 

Had a lovely time in the Peak District today, beautiful weather and stunning scenery. Had an hour and a half all to myself in Bakewell, so after coffee and a read of the paper in one of Bakewell's delightful coffee shops I began my mission of hunting down anything that might act as a good sensory resource. I found myself once again in the depths of the charity shops rummaging through all kinds of bric a brac, and feeling textures of bags and fabrics. My other (impossible) task was trying to locate Bramble Jelly!  Might have to take up jam making! 

Spent last night and this evening writing and formatting the information pages to support the delivery of the story. So far, so good but there is a danger of information overload. I need to work on achieving the right balance for what to include and what to leave out.  Once again another online link caught my eye - I found some really interesting information about Sensory Integration. Not exactly Mills and Boon but well worth a dip into for those interested in Sensory Integration Theory.

http://www.atotalapproach.com/docs/si.pdf

Productivity reaps rewards

Things are beginning to fall nicely into place! 
It has been a productive day, even if I haven't moved very far from the comfort of the sofa! Time spent editing and formatting the story was well spent, and am pleased with the final result. The story fits neatly onto one side of A4 paper (that had to be a must!) and I managed to find a font type and size that is clear for the reader to use. 

On the down side, I must admit that I got myself fairly overwhelmed as I decided to look into what was needed should I want to copywrite the story. There is so much online information with regards to this issue that I didn't know where to start, so have put that on the back burner for the time being.


This afternoon I have been busy reading information produced by The Communication Trust http://www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk/  

with a view to their resources helping me with writing the 'bespoke' guidance notes for delivery of my particular Sensory Story. Now busy working on other blurb such as how it fits into the planning, extension activities and links to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). 

Two highlights of the day - Story printed and a new follower on Twitter! Maybe one day I may be famous? 

Week 2 - Unexpected finding

Have you ever wondered whether those wonderful volunteers who work in the charity shops go home and tell their families all about the goings on of the day? Well, I think I might have cropped up in some of their conversations across their tea table tonight....I mean...why don't charity shops sell giant pine cones? or potato sacks for that matter? It just had to be done - I had to ask them! 
After feeling slightly dejected and reflecting on why on earth I just asked someone if they ever had giant fir cones in their shop, my spirits lifted as I just happened to stumble across an unexpected finding of a different sort...the perfect Sensory Story storage box! To be honest I have to make that plural - boxes!! Quite by chance there they were shouting out to me "buy me, buy me!" Had to buy two really because as I was pulling the one I wanted precariously off the shelf, I happened to see another design and immediately ideas were jumping into my head like popcorn in a microwave!  Can I really write another story? I mean seriously? A peacock adventure! Well lets get the squirrel done and dusted first, but just had to find a clean page in my notebook to include all my new peacock ideas. 

BIG NEWS! (drum roll......) I think (yes only 'think') I have written my first Sensory Story! After several attempts at reducing the word count whilst retaining an actual story, I have managed to prune it right back to 11 sections, each section (sentence) corresponds to a particular sensory stimuli.

Whilst feeling positive about this and yesterday's success at technological wizardry, I am now left wondering whether the stimuli I had planned to use are good/rich enough? My aim is to make a 'WOW' situation from something quite ordinary - why? Because the purpose of the stimuli is to transmit an event or feeling from the story. With this in mind, I believe that it is the way the stimuli is used is going to be key to the success of this venture. 

Well with the story written you would think I was near completion of the project? No so! There is so much more involved. For instance my ultimate goal is to use the theory and principles behind Sensory Stories to create a bespoke Communication and Language intervention programme for use within the Foundation Stage at my place of work. Well today has been a day for making lots of notes...reflecting on my chosen resources and what I will do with them and wondering how I can adapt the Sensory Story idea to meet the needs of individual children. Where I go from here is anyone's guess!

Success with the 'techie' stuff!

Well I must say I impressed myself today! Blog clock sorted, photo inserted and a link to where it all started too! 

http://clc2.uniservity.com/Grouphomepage.asp?GroupId=63971

For someone who really didn't want anything to do with computers many years ago, I have (over the years) succumbed to the inevitable challenge of moving with the times, and so I continue to teach myself how to to become a real 'techie'. Getting a little too confident now and am playing around with powerpoint animated graphics...what is that old saying...? Pride comes before a fall? 

A day for pottering about

Well it's a cloudy morning here in Cheshire. Lots of little things to work on today. First of all I need to learn how to use this blog to it's full potential. I want to include links to web pages so that I can give due credit to those individuals whose work has inspired me. I would like to learn how to insert a few photos too. Additionally I need to sort out the 'times' displayed on each blog. It appears on my screen that I am posting on here at some ridiculous hours of the day/night, well I can assure you that I am not. I can safely say that I am usually tucked up in bed by half past ten most nights, I love my sleep!
Once I have all those 'techie' things sorted then I am off out pottering - my aim - resourcing some 'rich' sensory stimuli. Happy days!

Acorns vs Pine Cones

Just settling down for the evening, mug of coffee at my side, Sensory Story notes from the past week strewn across the sofa and several related web pages open simultaneously on my lap top.

Well today's leg of the journey took a slow start. I had an issue with my 'Wise Old Owl' (one of my characters). The problem being that I had him sitting in the Old Oak Tree. Loved this line of the story..."Wise old owl in the old oak tree...." of course my inspiration for that piece of text came as a result of listening to Tony Orlando singing 'Tie a yellow ribbon....'  as part of Radio 2's golden oldies!  However the problem was that my owl was giving pine cones to the greedy squirrel at the bottom of the tree. Why was the owl giving out pine cones? Well that's easy - much easier for me to resource pine cones as a sensory stimulus than acorns! Reluctantly I had to move away from the oak tree idea and put my owl into a pine tree instead!

Well so far I have a lovely 'autumnal' themed story in the making - however it needs to be reduced from three sheets of A4 to only 10 sentences!! If you are not too bored with reading this blog and want to know why the story has to be pruned to 10 sentences please continue reading below and you will see why.

Where it all started

One could say that this Sensory Story journey really started in June this year, when I first heard that there was such a thing. I couldn't believe that I had been around in the 'education' sector for so long and had never come across this concept before. I have often used props to support story-telling with children, and during my years working at Pre School, I made countless Story Bags! But a Sensory Story was something new to me. I was intrigued!

Well I had the opportunity to go and visit Park Lane School, Macclesfield (yes, my first place of work in Macclesfield when we moved here 27 years ago!!) to watch a Sensory Story in action and from then on I was hooked!

Without going into copious amounts of detail, here are a few interesting things that I have found out about the concept of a Sensory Story - let's call it research! At this point I must acknowledge the work of the staff at Park Lane School, Jo Grace and Pete Wells.  

• A Sensory Story uses the five senses alongside each part of text to tell a story using a multi-sensory approach.
• Sensory Stories appear to be primarily used for particular groups of children/young adults such as individuals with profound and multiple learning difficulties, autism, sensory processing disorders and those with communication and language difficulties.
• A Sensory Story is usually no more than 10 sentences long.
• Stimuli must be good yet affordable.
• A Sensory Story is consistent in its delivery.

....so not much pressure then!

My new mission - Week 1

A few details needed to be addressed before I could really start on this new venture. 

So here I am. I have managed to get to grips with technology and am now (hopefully) functioning well in the 21st Century. Twitter account sorted. Blog set up.

Now all I have to do is begin the project!

Creating a Sensory Story is a whole new experience for me, and through this blog I hope to give you a sense of my journey. I will be sharing the celebrations and challenges along the way. So here I go.....