﻿Hello everybody. My name's Emma. I'm really looking forward to today's session and I hope you are too. But before we get started, just a quick reminder. We hear at Oak, are trying to support any approaches you might already be using and any work that you might have already been set. We know this lesson is going out to so many different children and families. So if you're not sure or have questions, then please contact your usual speech and language therapy team, or your child's school. In today's session, I will be doing some talking to tell you all about early attention and exploring. We'll have the opportunity to do some thinking together about how exploring can help you with your language and communication development. We'll also have some time to play. During this play, I'll be setting the adults some tasks to really help them to help you to get the most out of your play time together. So before we begin, for today's session, you'll need your adult, some bubbles, and some toys. Adults, you'll need some writing equipment, and the downloadable resource that's available on the Oak website with this lesson. Before we begin, find a quiet place where you won't be disturbed for the lesson. Turn off any distractions or notifications that you might have running on the device that you're using to watch this lesson. Make sure that you're both sitting comfortably, and then when you're ready to begin, let's get going. Okay. Let's start by doing some talking and thinking about more early attention. As we know, in the early stages of development children begin to move or react depending on their situation. These movements are early signals to show things like their likes or dislikes. These movements are signals that adults can then respond to. Over time, the child learns that if they do X, Y will happen. And then their signals can become more intentional. Play gives the fantastic opportunity for children to be able to explore, which is crucial in developing more early attention skills. By exploring objects and situations through their senses, children can have more opportunities to respond and therefore more to develop their communication skills. Through active exploration, children learn about their world and this prepares that brain for further development. So pause the video here. I'd like you to take a moment to have a think what are the senses that children use while they're exploring? When you finish thinking together, come back to the video and press play, and we'll continue with the lesson. Well there are five key senses that children use when they're exploring and developing their early thinking skills. Children explore both people and objects at this early stage of development. And they do this by looking at them, touching them, smelling them, hearing them and tasting them. New objects and experiences should always provide as much of a broad sensory experience as possible. This will be sure to provide the most opportunity for responding. When adults are supporting children to explore, they need to remember a few key things. Adults need to remember to stop, look, and listen. They need to use lots of enthusiasm and excitement in their voice and face, to really capture and model what attention looks like. And they can also begin to use a few key words to label and comment on the experience or the object. I'm going to show you some bubble play. Adults, use this opportunity to really observe how I'm using my voice, and a few key words throughout the activity. Are we ready? It's time for bubbles! Big bubbles. Open. Open. Big blue bubbles. Ready, steady. Bubbles. Bubbles! More bubbles? More bubbles. Okay, more bubbles. Open. Oh! Open! Oh! Blow bubbles. Blow bubbles. Blow bubbles. Bubbles go pop pop pop! It's important that when we're introducing new objects that provide good sensory experiences, that we're watching the signals from our children, we need to be watching for messages such as I like this, I want more, or I don't like it. And if the signal is positive, it is crucial that we respond with more or repeat the action. If the message is I don't like it, or I'm not that interested, or I've had enough, we can always try exploring the object or activity in another way, before moving on. I might help to capture their attention in another way. Now, it's time to bubbles at home. Adults, use this bubble time to observe how your child responds to this activity. When you blow the bubbles, take the time to stop and look. Observe any messages that your child is giving you throughout bubble time, and then respond to them. When you finished with your bubble play, come back to the video and press play so we can continue with the rest of the lesson. We can introduce objects into our children's play that have high sensory outputs. For example, balloons, toys with flashing lights, wind up toys that move or make a noise, with toys that have different touch or feel elements to them. This will create the opportunity for more exploring and more responding. When we're introducing these objects though, we need to be mindful of these six points. The first thing, is that when we're introducing the object we should place it where the child can see it, and reaching for it first. You might want to consider having two of the objects. One for the child, and then one for you. This would give you the opportunity to model, exploring the objects whilst the child has their own that they could engage with as well. Whenever we're introducing an activity or an object, we to give ourselves the opportunity to stop and wait. Remember to give the child plenty of time to organise a response to the new object. They might want to reach for it, or look at it for a little bit of time, and that's okay. If the child doesn't register the object, show them. Show them how to explore it by looking at it, moving it, or making it make an action or an output. For example, if it's a flashing ball, dropping the ball so it flashes and catches their attention. Observe any messages, that this showing has created in your child. Are they now looking at the object? What's changed about their behaviour or their interaction in the play? Then respond to those messages. Give them more, if it looks like they like it. Give them more time or help them to feel it or explore it in a different way. Don't forget you can also take this opportunity to add a few simple words. Okay. Now it's time for a little bit more play. Children, I'd like you to find something you really want to play with with your adult. Adults, it's time to follow the child's lead. While the child is playing, let's see what happens when we add a new object or activity into the play. Stop, look and listen to how the child responds, then respond to their signals. Don't forget to give yourself plenty of time to then stop and look at how the child has responded to your response. When your finished, come back to the video and press play and we'll continue with the lesson. Welcome back. Before we continue, adults, I'd like you to just take a moment to reflect on how the child responded to the new object or sensory experience that you added into their play. When you've had a few moments to think about this or maybe write some ideas down, press play and we'll continue with the lesson. When we're supporting our child to explore new objects and activities. it's important that we keep this short and sweet. Avoid turning this or any kind of play-based activity into a battle of wills. But more, keeping encouraging the child by saying their name and showing lots of excitement and enthusiasm in your voice. You could even try objects that increase fascination with your face or eyes. For example, strange oversized glasses to really give yourself another appealing factor that the child would likely want to look at and engage with. Maintain warmth and positivity throughout all of your play together, and praise any kind of joint engagement or early attention no matter how fleeting. Perseverance with positivity is absolutely key. So before we go, adults remember downloadable resource is available for you to give you more ideas on the types of play that could really broaden your child's exploration and thinking, and promote that early attention. Use the resources in the part, to record and reflect on how your child responds to these experiences. So before I go, it's just a big well done from me for all the fantastic play and attention you've achieved today. There are two final things I'd like to ask. The first, adults, if you could look back on your notes and identify three of the most important things that you're going to take away with you today, that would be great. The second thing, if you're able to, please take a picture of your special time or some of the toys that you've been playing with, and record this in your Special Time Diary in the downloadable resources attached. You could ask your parent or carer to share this with your teacher at school, so that they can see the fantastic progress that you're making with your attention too. And if you'd like, you could ask your parent or carer to also send that picture of your Special Time Record Book to @OakNational on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. That would help me to see the lovely progress that you're making too. So all that's left for me to say is thank you, but take care and enjoy the rest of your learning today. Bye bye.

Explore new objects and situations through senses.

Attention time part 1 (holding attention for up to 5 mins)

In this lesson, we will explore new objects and situations through senses.
Through this active exploration, children learn about their world. 
This prepares the brain for further development. 
 Resources provided by University of Gloucestershire (CC BY-NC-SA: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0)

Lesson overview:Exploring For More Early Attention

Core Content

Equipment Required

Attention and listening: