ELLI Animals

The children have been using the different characters called ELLI animals to help them spot ways in which they learn. They have been working hard to become aware of the characteristics of learning.

We have introduced these through a story.

Owls are aware of their feelings, thoughts and ideas for doing things differently in their learning. They have a toolkit of strategies they use for different situations and they take time out to think about them.

Chameleons know that they can get better at learning over time. They believe that through effort their minds can get bigger and stronger just as their bodies can.

Unicorns like to look at things in different ways, to find another angle. They are playful with ideas and like to use their imagination and inklings which bubble up in their minds.

The tortoise likes a challenge and is willing to have a go, even if they are finding things tricky. They accept that learning is sometimes hard for everyone and that to get something wrong is OK.

Curious cats like to find things out, to get to the bottom of things and find out what is really going on. They like to ask the question WHY?

Spiders are on the look out for connections between what they are learning and what they already know – from life experiences or earlier learning. They like to see how things fit together.

Busy Bee’s like to work with other people, learning from them and learning with them. They can learn on their own too.