When we introduced Jigsaw at the school, children sat in a circle on the carpet. At first, they were so keen to have their turn holding their year group’s Jigsaw Friend that they found it difficult to focus. However, over a series of lessons, this improved as the children became more familiar with the sequence of a Jigsaw lesson. Teachers displayed the sequence in the classroom and ensured that the content and purpose of each part of the lesson was made clear to the children. Children particularly enjoyed the ‘Connect Us’ activity and the ‘Calm Me’ time. It was suggested that we could try the children sitting on chairs in a circle rather than on the carpet. The children enjoyed this change and said, ‘It makes us feel as if we are in a grown-up meeting’.
The children sit with great importance on their chairs and readily prompt the teacher for the next ‘piece’ of the Jigsaw. They are always full of enthusiasm and energy during the ‘Connect Me’ section and are aware of including everyone. However, as soon as the ‘Calm Me’ section begins the children immediately do just that – calm down and demonstrate the behaviours that are needed to make the next part of the Jigsaw session effective. This is because they can clearly see, and feel, the benefit of this part of the sequence. Children take ownership of their calming, think about the best way to sit and where to look to enable themselves to become calm. After this, the children are ready to move on in a more focused way.
The inclusive nature of the sequence enables all children with a variety of needs to participate fully. The children show that they understand the importance of listening to the views of their peers, and will often build upon ideas that they have heard.
Teachers feel that the children have developed improved listening skills. They show that they understand the importance of listening to other children by the way that they comment on and extend views and ideas that they have heard. This skill has been used to great effect in other areas of the curriculum and has enhanced teamwork. Children understand what ‘feeling calm’ and being ‘ready to learn’ really means and understand the need to feel calm when thinking and learning. In fact, children will sometimes ask for a ‘Calm Me’ activity when they are struggling to focus! Strategies for becoming calm and ready to think and learn have become embedded in the school day – e.g. the whole school spends five minutes after lunchtimes engaging in a ‘Calm Me’ activity (finger tracing to calming music).
This technique has also been reported as being used at home, as well as at school, when children have become cross or upset, which shows that they are learning to recognise their emotions and independently manage their own behaviour.