TRAINING
With a wealth of experience in training and educating both professionals and the general public, Smart Consultancy and Coaching can offer a wide portfolio of topics. Our philosophy is to ensure that our presentations are not only enjoyable, informative and up-to-date, but focus on the practical aspects of the topic and their relevance to everyday application.
To discuss your training needs, please contact us for further information.
The following offers examples of training programmes available and these can be tailored to suit specific organisational or professional need:
Foundation Phase/Stage; |
Primary |
| Whatever the Weather Sticky Fingers On Your Marks Busy Bodies We Can Play too Do and Discover |
Can’t Write Won’t Write Take Ten Get the Ball Rolling Smart Moves Additional courses options |
Secondary |
Adult Education |
| Supporting Learners with Developmental Co-ordination Disorder. | Supporting Students with Specific Learning Difficulties. |
Workplace |
|
| Supporting Employees With Specific learning Difficulties. |
Foundation Phase/Stage
| Who should attend: | Practitioners working within the early years settings with children age 3-7 years |
| Location: | To be provided by the host organisation |
| Duration: | Half or full day workshops available |
In order to meet your training needs we are able to mix and match programme contents, so feel free to contact us to discuss your requirements.
Whatever the Weather
This workshop focuses on playful outdoor activities to enhance children’s motor skills, learning and development. The session aims to be fun and practical where you will be able to explore and share lots of new activity ideas to enhance and inspire children’s play and learning outside.
What will you take away?
- An understanding of the importance of outdoor play for the developing child
- How to use your outdoor space creatively
- How to create active and stimulating learning opportunities with low cost no cost resources to support key areas of the Foundation Phase/Stage curriculum
- How to listen and respond to children needs in outside spaces
Sticky Fingers
This is a hands-on and fun workshop aims to provide you with oodles of creative ideas for you to take back to your setting which will stir the imagination and curiosity of young children and enhance their fine motor skills.
What will you take away?
- An understanding of the importance of fine motor skills development for the developing child
- How creative play supports learning across the Foundation Phase/Stage curriculum
- Lots of new stimulating creative activities and ideas with low cost no cost resources to take away
On Your Marks
Mark making is an important activity in the development of children communication language and literacy skills as well as problem solving and number skills. This course will consider the journey of children’s mark making as well as offer lots of hands on ideas to take away.
What will you take away?
- An understanding of the development of children’s mark making from scribbles, emergent writing and drawings
- Dozens of creative and fun activities to use across the areas of learning in the Foundation Phase/Stage
- Ideas for resources to use within individual settings
To get the most from this course, we ask you to bring a sample of children’s mark-making and a child’s portrait of themselves.
Busy Bodies
It is said that movement is the young child’s preferred mode of learning – because they best understand concepts when they’re physically experienced. This active workshop will explore motor competencies needed for children to play and learn, so bring your trainers and wear something comfortable!
What will you take away?
- An understanding of the sensory motor skills young children need for living, learning and behaviour
- How to plan a range of exciting physical development activities that includes every child, all the time.
- To develop a bank of ideas and resources for use within individual settings
We Can Play Too
This workshop offers an introduction for Early Years Practitioners in facilitating and enabling play and learning opportunities for children with disabilities. Whilst the workshop contains some theory, there will be lots of hands on practical activities to join in with.
What will you take away?
- An understanding of the range of disabilities which may be encountered in early years settings
- How to adapt toys and activities so all children can play
- How to write effective play plans
- Lots of sensory and physical ideas to try
Do and Discover
The early years Foundation Phase/Stage highlights the importance of creativity in learning and development. Creativity is fundamental for children to explore, experiment and problems solve in order to make sense of the world around them. This fun and practical hands-on workshop will unleash your creative side and provide you will loads of ideas to try out in your settings.
What will you take away?
- Ideas for working with different materials and media
- Ways in which to incorporate music and movement into the areas of learning
- Using the outdoors to make discoveries and inventions
Primary
| Who should attend: | Teachers, SENCO’s Teaching Assistants/Learning Support Assistants |
| Location: | To be provided by the host organisation |
| Duration: | Half or full day workshops available |
In order to meet your training needs we are able to mix and match programme contents, so feel free to contact us to discuss your requirements.
Can’t Write Won’t Write
A large percentage of the school day involves writing related activities. Despite technological developments, handwriting remains the primary means of recording information in schools today. In many classrooms there are children with a developmental co-ordination disorder, who find it difficult to write swiftly and fluently enough to cope with the demands of the curriculum. As a result school can be a source of constant frustration for these children whose finished work often does not reflect their abilities.
Implications of children’s handwriting difficulties for teaching and learning:
- Full participation in all aspects of the curriculum
- Ability to demonstrate knowledge and understanding
- Presenting neat and legible work
- Maintaining pace with peers
- Idea generation, organisation and sequencing of written work
- Working independently
- Copying information from text or board
The teacher and support staff can play an instrumental role in preventing secondary issues from arising as a result of frustrations with recording. Often this can be achieved by having a greater understanding of the issues faced by these children and being able to implement practical strategies which can be incorporated into on routine teaching and learning situations
What will you take away?
- An understanding of the issues relating co-ordination disorders and writing
- Mechanisms for assessing handwriting difficulties
- Approaches to involve the children in developing mechanisms for recording
- Inclusive ideas and strategies for the classroom
Smart Moves
This is an introduction to implementing a motor skills development programme for children with co-ordination difficulties and related developmental disorders. This programme has been devised by Sharon Drew and is being successfully implemented in many authorities across the UK. The programme can be used as a specific ‘catch up’ scheme to develop gross motor skills or as an integral part of the PE and games curriculum.
This is a one day workshop with a mixture of theory and hands-on activities. It has the ability to be delivered in two formats:
A. Based on the availability of a suitable venue and a small group of primary-age children to undertake specific activities.
Participants are able to gain hands-on experience by working with the children to gain practical knowledge of how use the screening and programme..
This has proved to be a very popular and successful delivery mode which both children and participants have enjoyed very much. There is a maximum of 30 participants for this option and a minimum of 10 children.
Note: Permission will need to be sought in accordance with local policy and procedure
B. This option whilst still requiring a suitable venue is delivered without the participation of children and offers a more general overview of the programme and its tools. The presentation will draw upon video footage and practical exercises to gain an understanding of the programme’s application.
There is a maximum of 50 participants for this option.
Delegate fees will include a free copy of the Smart Moves Motor Skills Development Programme in both training options.
To discuss your requirements for these dynamic training options, please contact us
Take Ten
Many teachers will have children in their classes who experience difficulties using their hands with precision and control to hold and use a pencil, control scissor and manipulate construction materials. There may be several reasons for this; a lack of pre-school experience, differing rates of development, gender, or there may be a specific cause.
Children who need help and support in this area may require a variety of approaches to develop their fine motor skills. This may be a specific catch up programme, a particular piece of equipment to make the task easier, or an adjustment to the environment. This informative but fun packed workshop will provide you with a range of skills and practical tools to try out in your settings.
What you will take away?
- Understanding of the requisites for fine motor skills
- Tips for assessing fine motor skills and target setting
- Lots of ‘easy to implement’ activities that require few and commonly found resources within the classroom.
Get The Ball Rolling
Many children with co-ordination difficulties find it hard to participate fully in PE and games lessons as well as join in everyday play ground games with their peers. This interactive workshop will give you the opportunity to consider the way in which children move as well as add to your repertoire of games and activities to use in your settings. This workshop gets very physical so come in comfortable clothing and suitable footwear.
What will you take away?
- Understanding of movement difficulties for children with developmental co-ordination disorders
- Tips for assessing gross motor skills and target setting
- Ideas for low cost no cost equipment and resources to add to your PE cupboard
- Oodles of new games to use in PE, after schools clubs or even the classroom
Other Options
Sharon is also able to deliver training on a variety of other topics. As with all of the training, the sessions are a mix of theory and practical with lots of ideas to take away.
- Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (Dyspraxia)
- Supporting children with Physical Disabilities
- Supporting adults with specific learning difficulties in the workplace
- Supporting students with Developmental Co-ordination Difficulties in FE/HE
A tailor made programme can be devised to suit your particular training requirements. Please feel free to call us to discuss your specific needs.
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