One child says, 'need two of these' and counts out two long bricks. She then states that the plane needs to be big enough for everyone to get in. The children work together to make a large aeroplane for all of them to sit in. One child watches as the other children make the front of the plane. She then copies their actions to make the back.
Work continues until the aeroplane is ready.
Role play begins, with children taking on roles of passengers, air hostesses and pilot. Observation of such activities, as part of wider assessment, is embedded in good early years practice and is an integral part of any teacher's role. Baseline assessment will help to formalise this process when it becomes a statutory requirement from September 1998. Baseline assessment has two main purposes. The first is to provide information to help teachers plan effectively to meet children's individual learning needs.