Somebody explain to me why in ds's SALT group 2 year olds are made to...

[emkana]

... sit still and take turns for 20 minutes at a time. These are all children with various special needs, and language problems.

They are mostly only just 2.

I mean I wouldn't expect an NT child to sit still and wait their turn for that amount of time.

Or am I missing something?

Lady in charge says "they have to learn, at school they'll have to sit still as well"

err... yeah, but they are not going to school for a long time YET, and afaik not even in Reception are they made to sit still for this long or are they?

[moondog]

20 mins??
That's odd. Are you sure/

[emkana]

Yes at the beginning of the session today we had a circle time that went on for 20 mins, it involved various activities/action songs but essentially the children were expected to sit in one place and wait their turn.

At the end of the session there were another 10 mins of songs, again the children were repeatedly told to sit down

[bullet123]

I'd say that's ridiculous. Yes they will ahve to learn at school but they have at least another two years before they will be in school, which is a long time at that age.

[TotalChaos]

sounds spookily like DS' SALT group. At least mine was with 3 or 4 year olds though! And thinking about it, the session was divided into 10 minute segments, and there was a snack time. One SALT attempted to make the children cross their legs as well as sit and listen . I think these group sessions do bring out a erm bossy streak in the odd SALT. DS end of SALT report made a snotty comment about how DS was fine at turn taking "after some initial prompting" - FFS wouldn't that apply to all 4 year olds.....

[emkana]

I'm wondering whether to say something...

[nuru]

Hopefully they'll realise it's not working and readjust their expectations!

[saint2shoes]

please say something.
You do get these people who try to teach odd stuff. when dd went to CE when she was diddy, one staff member always made her wait until last for lunch.......as she had to learn to wait made me furious.

[moondog]

It's frighteningly easy to pathologise perfectly normal behaviour. Not saying this is the case here but i find it pervasive throughout mine and other similar professions.

I'll often get reports stating that someone has 'challenging behaviour' for example, only to find it is somethnig utterly ordinary like a 7 year old refusing to go t bed or do her teeth.

[emkana]

so would you suggest saying something or going along with it? I hate making ds sit down all the time when I don't think he gains anything by it.

[moondog]

It's so hard for me to say em. Not professional of me to slag off a fellow salt when I have no idea of context.

What I would say is that yuo are astute and clued up and that you must go with what feels good to you.

I must admit, I misundersootd initially, I though a child was waiting 20 minutes at a time not that child involved in 20 minute session that involved episodes of waiting.

i wil lsay that most salts are obsessed with turn taking. It is one of those things that always comes up in every report/

[emkana]

Okay that's interesting thank you moondog

[callmeovercautious]

DD is at a Nursery and has just turned 2 this month. In a group of 6 DC it can take 20 mins to let them all have a turn at an activity. She is NT btw.

So taking that as a guide, perhaps they are gearing them up for mainstream education? Or perhaps the new guidelines state a 20 minute rule?

DD is happy to watch and join in for that amount of time. Not sit cross legged though I am now worrying that her Nursery are doing the same and will check on them.

I hope you get some feedback from them. A Child with attention issues would really suffer if forced to do that.