Maria Matos

Local Offer

Description

I am Maria Matos I work from home as a Childminder I have teaching qualifications and I did supply teaching around Stockport for 8 years. Also, I have a Degree in special needs.

Every child deserves to be treated as an individual, respected and given equal opportunities in terms of play and learning; I take into consideration the age, stage of development, gender, ethnicity, disability, home language, etc, in order to provide the right support and opportunities.

Having a disabled son on one hand and having a degree in special needs on the other, I have become more aware of how important it is to include a special needs child and the way they need to be supported in all the activities. That support can be getting adapted equipment, for example, adapted toys with switches, or helping throughout activities and giving more attention when necessary.

The transition between home/setting/school should be done gradually. There should be a previous meeting (or meetings) with the parents. It is very important to collect from parents/carers all the information related to the child- what he/she likes and dislikes, fears, behaviour, health issues, needs, etc. Also, it is essential to know what the parents expectations are and work towards those expectations and beyond them. After meeting the child he/she should start with half/an hour per day (each child is an individual) and that time should be increased until we feel he/she’s settled down and is ready for staying a full day.

Through observations we know what they like to do and what is the way we should go in order to grab their attention/motivation, in other words, to keep them focussed. Disabled children need more support for example to use pictures or velcro  on a piece of wood for them to choose/give ideas. To use standing frames/wheel chairs as a way of stimulation/encouragement, for example, when playing on the bike track outside, play games, following instructions and always praise for the good results/behaviour/achievement. A wall board can be put up to show the efforts they have made, to encourage them to have a picture on it.

Observations are very important as they are the starting points to move on. They tell me a lot about the child and learning stage/level. Then I analyse those observations-formative assessment and see where to fit them according to the DM in the EYFS.

What to do to improve the learning and take it to the next level is my aim when I plan.

Educational programmes have planned activities and experiences based on the seven areas of learning and development. Obviously, the EP should reflect individual needs, interests and stage of development as well as different ways that children learn. Through continuous assessments using these as a springboard for the next steps, I’ll have a clear idea of whether they are well prepared or not for school.

Parents are the other part of the partnership so they should be involved in everything and they should support their children’s learning by getting them involved in activities they do at home for example when they are cooking they can name some objects they are using, counting, talking about colours, etc… I’ll engage them by sharing information day-to-day and keep them up-to-date with what we are doing. 

The next step is in terms of learning, what I aim for their child, what they can do or can not do,  what we have to do for them to achieve the next level. I’ll discuss with the parents what they think about this way of sharing information or if they’ve another way of doing it we’ll follow it. I will keep them informed by day to day conversations and proper meetings (parents evenings) to show the progress in different areas.

I will make an appointment to discuss anything that I think is an urgent matter, for example, to find support if through my observations/assessments I realise there is some delay and it needs to be addressed as quickly as possible.

Depending on children’s needs I will try to adjust the setting in order to meet their needs.

I have some knowledge about Makaton and overall alternative communication.

Contact Name

Maria Matos

Contact Telephone

0161 491 1038

Contact Email

maria.matos2@ntlworld.com

Local Offer Age Bands

Early Years (0-4 years)