Bringing it all together

Bringing it all together

I believe;

• A child begins their learning at birth.
• A child’s learning is heavily impacted by their social and cultural environment.
• Children learn best through play.

Because;

There is significant research to suggest literacy begins when adults begin communicating with children.  Even before birth, parents will talk to their baby.  Adults coo and sing to babies, they tell children what is happening and what is nearby, they tell stories and play.  Everyday experiences offer opportunities to extend literacy and numeracy learning such as taking a walk or going shopping.  As children and their understanding develop, they are able to participate actively in these tasks, such as pointing out signs, letters or numbers.  (Makin & Whitehead, 2007, pp12-13)

Learning to read and write is not a simple cognitive skill.  Emergent Literacy skills are complex and consist of social, linguistic and psychological aspects.  These skills are multidimensional and closely tied to both home and the formal learning environment.  By participating in meaningful every day activities, skills are strengthened.  (Strickland, 1990, pp19,20 )

Children have individual interests and levels of knowledge about literacy.  They will have experienced many different literacy opportunities at home and in their community before they arrive at a formal early childhood setting.  (Makin & Whitehead, 2007, p3)

For example, one three year old may be able to read, another may use a computer to write their name.  One may be totally uninterested in books and one may love drawing.  Educators need to recognise and respond positively to these differences.  (Makin & Whitehead, 2007, p3)

Theoretical perspectives have differed about what literacy is and when and how it should be taught.  Current theoretical trends tend to reflect either a developmental framework or a sociocultural framework.  (Makin & Whitehead, 2007, p9)

Piaget’s (1971, cited in Ormrod, 2011, p29) stages of Cognitive Development propose that as a result of brain maturation, children will move through distinct stages in their learning. 

In the 1920’s, Vygotsky developed a sociocultural perspective.  The central ideas in Vygotsky’s theory are that adults convey to children the ways in which culture interprets the world.  Every culture passes on physical and cognitive tools to the next generation with the aim of making daily living more productive and efficient.  Thought and language become increasingly interdependent in the early years and complex mental processes begin as social activities but evolve into useful internal skills children can use independently.  (Ormrod, 2011, pp39,40)

Vygotsky also proposed that children could learn more by attempting new tasks.  With assistance and support, their zone of proximal development could move from one’s actual developmental level to their potential development.  (Ormrod, 2011, p41)

Research has shown, early in life, humans are uniquely attuned to the psychological experiences and intentions of other people.  Shared Intentionality happens when participants share a psychological state.  For example, when two people engage in an activity together, each contributing to the task, they take part in Shared Intentionality. Shared Intentionality sets the foundation for critical developmental milestones such as language and pretend play. (Goodman & Tomasello, 2008, p21)

Infants will look to trusted adults for social referencing.  They look for emotional cues to help them determine how they should respond to uncertain situations.  Even at this early age, children are able to tune in to the attention and behaviour adults direct toward a third party.  (Goodman & Tomasello, 2008, p23)

Constructivist theories recognise play being central to a child’s development.  Piaget recognised the individuality of a child and the value of what each child brings to any given situation.  Input is valued and in Piaget’s view, essential for development.  A child’s spontaneous and autonomous activities are always linked to play.  (Van Hoorn et al, 2011, p28)

Piaget described three types of knowledge; physical, logical-mathematically and social knowledge.  It is through play that children learn to make generalisations about the properties of objects.  They learn about the relationship between objects, people and ideas through play and their social knowledge is acquired by being with other people.  (Van Hoorn et al, 2011, pp30-31)

Vygotsky believed collective play was beneficial to problem solving.  Children become active agents in the process of problem solving, sharing ideas and solutions.  Rogoff (1990, p190) expands on this;

     “Cognitive development consists of coming to find, understand, handle problems, build on tools inherited from previous generations and the social resources provided by other people.”

Fromberg believed play was symbolic, meaningful, active and fun but for me, Bruce et al (2008) sum it up when they write;

     “Play, for children, is not just recreation – it’s their approach to life!  Every action is undertaken with the whole being:  mind, body and spirit.  Play is basic to children’s wellbeing; it’s their way to discover the world around them and to express how they feel and, sometimes, to cope with difficulty.  Children’s play must be respected.” (Bruce, et al 2008, p3)

Therefore;

I hope to foster a learning environment that is based on a child’s interests and needs.  I aim to remain a keen observer and use this information to help form the base of a child’s learning. 

I am aware that many factors influence a child’s learning and it is important for me to understand this so that I can remain in tune with each child and develop strong relationships that will enhance the learning process.  No matter what is happening at home, I hope to provide a stable and somewhat predictable setting that offers children a sense of safety. I would also use various teaching techniques, such as questioning for example, to establish where children are currently at with their learning.  I have been a social worker for ten years so I am confident of my communication skills.

I hope to supply an array of resources relevant to those I am working with.  For example, if a child shows interest in ballet, I would try to use this interest in literacy and numeracy activities. If a child loves being outside and in the dirt, I would provide opportunities for tactile play such as a sand tray or I might even have children gardening!

However;

I am aware that most services (school, kindy’s and childcare centres) are subject to financial constraints.  It is important for me to build a knowledge base of low budget and fun activities.  I am a creative person so I hope this ability helps me find unique learning opportunities for children.

I am also aware that some children will be under severe stress at home and may be experiencing all sorts of social issues.  I think the challenge for me will be coping with this.  I have experience at leaving difficult situations at work, however when it comes to children I’m not sure my experience will help that much!  I hope to build rapport with other educators to see what works for them. 

 

References

Bruce, T., Huleatt, H., McNair, L., Siencyn, SW., (2008). Community Playthings, “I made a Unicorn”, p3.

Goodman, M. & Tomasello, M., (2008). “Baby Steps on the Road to Society – Shared Intentionality in the Second Year of Life”, Abstract from May 2008, Zero to Three., pp21-23.

Makin, L & Whitehead, M., (2004), “How to develop Children’s Early Literacy; A guide for Professional Carers & Educators”, PCP Publishing Ltd, London, pp3-13

Ormrod., (2011), Cognitive & Linguistic Development, Educational Psychology:  Developing Learners, 7th Ed, Pearson Education Inc, Boston, pp29-41.

Rogoff, B. (1990), Apprenticeship in thinking:  Cognitive Development in social context, “Chapter 10:  Shared Thinking and Guided Participation:  Conclusions and Speculations.” New York:  Oxford University Press, p190.

Strickland, D., (1990), “Emergent Literacy: How Young Children Learn to Read and Write”, Educational Leadership (47.6), (Mar 1990). http://upd.sagepub.com/ pp18-23.

Van Hoorn, Nourot, Scales & Alward, (2011), “Conclusion:  Integrating Play, Development and Practice, Play at the centre of the Curriculum,” 5th ed, Boston., Pearson Education Inc, Allyn & Bacon, p355.

Child as Analyst

Child as Analyst

Observation

Jarif and his family are new arrivals from the Middle East.  Jarif is two and is having a difficult time settling into childcare.  He is clingy and cries a lot.  He mutters words but the educators cannot understand him. 

Analysis

As I am not privy to the circumstances that led Jarif’s family to Australia, I will assume it was to flee a war torn country for a better life.  Given that, Jarif would undoubtedly be traumatised by what he saw in his home country, the anxiety his parents felt and the long journey to Australia.  He speaks no English and to Jarif, this is not home.

One of three criteria required to entitle a person to refugee status in Australia is the threat of   persecution to the extent that return to one’s country of origin would endanger life.  (Swi & Chaney, 2013, p87). 

Jarif and his family are obviously living in the community however it is unknown if they were in mandatory detention for a time.  A 2004 Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission

National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention identified several risk factors for the high rates of psychiatric disorder and developmental delay seen in detained children. These factors included parental hopelessness, mental illness and reduced parental autonomy, lack of a safe predictable environment with child-friendly play and educational facilities and

exposure to repeated traumatic events.  (Swi & Chaney, 2013, p89)

If we consider these factors it is no wonder Jarif cries when he is left at childcare.  Perhaps he is unsure whether his parents will return to pick him up.  Perhaps he has memories of being in detention or maybe he is frightened just being in a foreign place where he can’t communicate his needs or understand the language.

Language is a complicated system.  All human languages have patterns and rules to follow that meet the needs of the speaker.  Learning another language in early childhood is similar to learning a first language.  A child learning a new language uses a ‘bridge-building’ strategy.  This means they will start to use actual words from the new language but keep to the grammatical rules and patterns of a familiar language.  Over time, young bilinguals become more attuned to the gestures, tunes and sounds of different languages.  There is research to suggest these children become more flexible thinkers and better problem solvers.  (Mqkin & Whitehead, 2007, pp86-87)

However this learning evolves over time, so what can we do for Jarif now?

Plan

Firstly, I think it would be important for the educators to learn a few words in Jarif’s language.  Words such as hello, goodbye, play, toilet, food and children for example may help Jarif settle more.  In doing so, Jarif would be given the message he is important and understood more.  Does he have a favourite toy or blanket to bring to childcare? 

It may also be helpful to keep in mind the types of games, images, books and surroundings Jarif is exposed to in the childcare setting with the aim of helping him feel more comfortable. I would also converse with his parents and use their cultural capacity to learn more about Jarif.  They could be invited to cook, sing or tell stories.  This would also expose the other children to a different culture.  (Makin & Whitehead, 2007, p86-88)

If Jarif’s parents find English difficult, educators could show photos of Jarif participating in activities throughout the day or provide examples of his artwork. (Makin & Whitehead, 2007, p90)

In doing so, educators are supporting the EYLF Outcome 1:1, Children have a strong sense of identity; Children feel safe, secure and supported and Outcome 1:4, Children learn to interact in relation to others with care, empathy and respect.

References

DEEWR, (2009), Belonging, Being & Becoming, The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia, Commonwealth of Australia, pp21,24,.

Makin & Whitehead, (2007), How to develop Children’s Early Literacy, A guide for professional carers and educators, Paul Chapman Publishing, London, pp8690

Swi, K. & Chaney, G., (2013), Refugee children: Rights and wrongs, Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health Volume 49, Issue 2, pp86-90.

Child as Technician

Child as a Technician Literacy and Numeracy Birth to Four

Observation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsvVHfSx4v4

Name:  Richard

Age:  4 years

Setting:  At home

Adult Participant:  Mum

• Richard is reading a book, “I Went Walking”.
• Richard begins with closed book on his lap and tells us he will read “I Went Walking”.  He reads the book from left to right, turning the right hand pages to progress through the story.
• When Richard speaks quickly and cannot be understood, Mum immediately interjects and tells him to slow his speech down.
• The book has few words in large font and big colourful pictures of a young child walking along meeting colourful animals.  The story depicts two voices, the young child who says “I went walking” and another who asks “What did you see?” The child responds with a rhyming answer such as “I saw a black cat looking at me!”
• The illustration depicts a black cat.  The next and following pages ask the same question and we meet a brown horse, red cow, green duck, pink pig and yellow dog.  The animals follow him but he doesn’t see them until he turns around and says, “I went walking” “What did you see?” “I saw a lot of animals following me!”
• Richard looks at the pictures and points to the words as he reads.  Richard makes a couple of mistakes and Mum corrects him.
• When reading about the red cow, Richard asks his Mum why the cow is red.

Analysis
Richard holds the book in a fashion considered appropriate for the English culture and turns the pages right to left.  He uses expression in his voice and makes the appropriate responses.  His eye movements show him scanning the illustrations before looking at the text. (Makin & Whitehead 2004).  This suggests to me he has had many books read to him in his life and that he well on his to cracking the code of reading.  The dialogue has a flow and it rhymes.  Structure and pattern are key components of mathematical thinking and can be experienced and heard every day. (Tucker 2014)He shows interest in the pictures and appears to use them as a prompt for the text. Both Richard and his Mum are active participants in this activity.  Richard is engaged and inquisitive.  Mum prompts him or corrects him quite quickly when he makes a mistake.  I have no doubt Mum has the best of intentions but my concern here would be it may risk inhibiting his progression, rather than enhancing it. It is important for Richard to develop skills in self correction.  By asking children to self-monitor they identify what they know and what they need improvement on.  (Van de Walle et al 2014)    

Plan

Richard has a good understanding of how books should be read.  I would read more to him.  It seems he enjoys the experience so the more practice he gets the better.  Going on a Word Walk might be fun. We could support Richards learning by pointing out words and letters.  Signs are everywhere so playing games like count how many R’s for Richard we can see, are beneficial.  Teaching him to write his name is a great way to engage him.  Young children have ‘powerful desire to make marks’(Makin & Whitehead 2004). We could extend this by giving Richard magazines or catalogues to find and cut out words and letters that make his name. He shows an interest in the silliness of a red cow.  It might be fun to extend this by making pictures of silly animals and then naming them. It may be helpful for Richards Mum to not jump in so quickly.  Encouragement as a motivator tends to work best when it is given as a way for the child to think through the task for themselves.  The process is more important than the end result. (McNaughton & Williams 2009) If Richard was given a little time, his ability to self-correct may be improved. Exercises like making up silly animals and cutting and sticking words together give him an opportunity to tell his own stories.  It also shows Richard that there can be flexibility in story-telling. If the experience can be nurturing and safe, Richard will be more likely to want to read. (Makin & Whitehead 2004).  I link my plan with the Early Years Learning Framework – Outcome 4 Children are confident and involved learners 4.1 Children develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination and reflexivity and 4.3 Children transfer and adapt what they have learned from one context to another.
References
The Early Years Learning Framework (2009). Belonging, Being & Becoming, Commonwealth of Australia, pp34,36.
Makin, L & Whitehead, M (2004). How to develop Children’s Early Literacy; A guide for Professional Carers & Educators, PCP Publishing Ltd, London, pp52-57.
McNaughton & Williams (2009). Encouraging, Praising and Helping, Techniques for Teaching Young Children, (3^rd Ed), Frenchs Forest:  Pearson Australia, p70.
Tucker, K (2014). Mathematics though play in the early years, (3^rd Ed), Sage Publications, pp60-68.
Van de Walle (2014). Teaching Student-Centred Mathematics; Developmentally Appropriate Instruction for Grades Pre-K-2, Pearson Education Inc, p171.
Williams, S., (1992) I went walking, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

 

 

 

 

Child as a Participant of Literacy and Numeracy – Birth to Four

Charlie is a 2 year old boy I worked with briefly.  We connected by way of reading.  He worked out pretty quickly that if he saw me sitting on the floor, it was a good time to be opportunistic.  With a certain look of shy excitement, he would toddle off to the bookshelf, choose a book then walk to me, turn himself around and plop down in my lap. 

More often than not, other children would join Charlie and it seemed to me they would unite and respond as a group. 

Mem Fox wrote an article on the importance of reading aloud to children.  She emphasised the significance of not teaching our children to read.  Quite the opposite she says.  “The moment we teach is the moment we fail.” (2002) Fox believes the joy of reading occurs during the shared experience of reading where laughter and other expressions are expressed and repeated. 

In this centre there were few books to choose from, Charlie knew them all however. If I asked him to get the shapes book, he came back with the shapes book.  The books were simple board books about colours, shapes and transport. 

The room offered little by way of story books.  However there was a book about a sheep that ate thistles (represented by Velcro in the shape of a thistle) and had soft fur (made from wool).  The children liked feeling the material and pretending the prickle hurt.  They would touch, pull their finger back while inhaling quickly – displaying hurt!  The soft fur would have children touching their cheek saying “aaaahhh”.

Charlie’s Dad and I had a conversation about his love for books which prompted me to reflect on how I could expand his learning, starting with a book.

Besides reading being something Charlie liked, I think he also used the activity as a means of getting a bit of respite.  There were not a lot of spaces a small child could spend some solitary time in this busy environment and reading seemed to serve this purpose.  During my research for this topic, I have found little that discusses a child’s need for alone time in child care. 

What learning is going on?

Reading provides many opportunities for Charlie to build on his literacy and numeracy skills.  The simple act of reading to Charlie is teaching him about rhythm.  To read a story, we need to hold the book upright, turn the pages from front to back, read left to right. The rhythm of my voice also acted as a prompt for what was to come – the symbols or pictures on the pages. 

 

According to Freebody et al, (1990) this helps children begin to understand the relationship between spoken sounds and written symbols, and the content of that relationship.

 

Charlie was an active agent whilst reading.  He was engaged and would show this by choosing a book, holding the book, knowing when to respond and when to turn the page.  I was also active and at times would take advantage of his interest and direct the activity.  I would ask him to point out colours or shapes in the room that we saw in the books. 

 

Although these books were not specifically written to teach mathematics, they provide opportunities to further mathematical thinking.  Van den Heuvel-Panhuizen (2009) believe picture books provide cognitive hooks’ by means of “novel images or actions that linger in their mind, which they can combine with previous experiences, and on which they can build new thoughts and understandings.”

 

His literacy and language skills were exercised when he made the noise of the animals.  His memory skills were being strengthened every time he repeated this. 

 

Research by Caine et al (1996) indicated that the brain will register the familiar while simultaneously attempting to discern and understand patterns.  Through reading, Charlie is learning about patterning, a tool that will help him search for meaning and enhance his thinking.

 

Suraya et al, (2012) say that the importance of reading to young children cannot be understated.

   “Learning to read in early childhood remains paramount in assuring the

    acquisition of a level of literacy that can enable the child's ultimate

    educational success for lifelong learning and effective citizenship for full

    participation in our increasingly complex and globalised society.”

 

This is quite a responsibility as an educator and I have considered it well.  I hope to build on the ideas of Comber (1993) and ask children questions about the stories that encourage them to use their current funds of knowledge with regards to numeracy and literacy concepts. 

 

By using correct language and asking purposeful questions I would ask Charlie questions like “Can you point to the presents on the page?  Let’s count them together…Can you group the blue presents together?...Shall we make these boxes our blue presents?”

 

Using magazines and catalogues could prompt children to use materials to ‘label’ things – e.g.; the kinds of people that would buy presents. (Comber, 1993)

 

Unfortunately I did not get an opportunity to continue my work with Charlie however I would have asked his Dad about a favourite book. 

 

Although Marston’s (2014) work focuses on the school years and thinks we could do better than Carle, I believe her ideas around transferring knowledge from story books to real life are appropriate.  For example, the book “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle (1970) is appealing for many reasons.  The colour, content and its simplicity lends itself as a tool or manipulative material (Swan et al, 2010) to extend on. 

 

Finally, I believe this learning can be connected to The Early Years Framework Outcome 2:  Children are connected with and contribute to their world Children develop a sense of belonging to groups and communities and an understanding or the reciprocal rights and responsibilities necessary for active community participation and Outcome 4:  Children are confident and involved learners Children resource their own learning through connecting with people, place, technologies and natural and processed materials. 

 

References

Caine, RN., & Caine, G., (1997), 'How the brain/mind learns', in Caine, Geoffrey & Caine, Renate Nummela, Education on the edge of possibility, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Alexandria, Va., pp. 101-115.

 

Carle, E., (1970), The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Penguin Group, London.

 

Comber, B., (1993), Classroom explorations in critical literacy, The Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, Vol 16, No 1, February, pp73-83.

 

Fox, M., (2002), ' The power and the story: how reading aloud to children will change their lives forever', Orana, vol. 38, no. 2, p4.

 

Freebody, P., & Luke, A., (1990), ‘Literacies’Programs:  Debates and Demands in Cultural Context, Prospect, Vol 5, 3^rd May, 1990, p8.

 

Marston, J., (2014), Identifying and using picture books with quality mathematical content, Moving beyond Frank and The Very Hungry Catepillar, APMC 19, (1), 14-23.

Suraya, H., Tarasat, H., & O’Neill, S., (2012), Changing traditional reading paedagogy: the importance of classroom interactive talk for year one Malay readers,  International Journal of Pedagogies & Learning, 7.3 (Dec. 2012), p239.

Swan, P., & Marshall, L., (2010), Revisiting Mathmatics Manipulative Materials, APMC 15(2), pp13-19.

 

Van den Heuvel-Panhuizen, M., (2009), Picture books stimulate the learning of mathematics, Australian Journal of Early Childhood, Vol 34, No2, June., pp30-31.

The Early Years Learning Framework, (2009), Belonging, Being & Becoming, Commonwealth of Australia, pp27&37.

 

 

Child as a User of Literacy and Numeracy

Child as a User of Literacy and Numeracy

Lily is 15months old.  It was during outside play time I noticed her make a beeline for the only small garden bed in the yard.  In this childcare setting, the garden was not part of the play equipment but that didn’t stop Lily digging her hands into the dirt, then squeal with delight! 

I observed her later at the only inside pot plant (again the greenery was for show rather than education), she had recruited a friend.  Both children giggled and chatted however the fun was short lived.  They were abruptly told to stop what they were doing and wash their hands!

In this self-initiated play, Lily and her friend engaged in literacy and numeracy.

They had connected and were communicating to one another, both were sharing the moment.  They were using their sensory skills and learning about texture.  Both children felt the weight of the dirt in their hands and their sense of area was explored when they kept the dirt inside the pot and garden bed. 

I noticed the pot had stones covering the dirt.  I took this to be some kind of deterrent, perhaps a symbol that this area is off limit.  If it was, the children missed this cue.

Pratt (cited in Tucker, 2011) argues the importance of children developing a mathematical disposition.  Outside learning supports a child’s mathematical thinking by offering opportunities to see that mathematics is all around us.

Opportunities for discussion about a child’s environment can be established on the way to the park.  Makin and Whitehead (2004) argue that open spaces are essential not only for physical activity but for the communication it can provoke.

Further learning could be promoted by the introduction of books related to the outdoors.  Giles and Wellhousen (2005) suggest reading books to children as a way of furthering their literacy skills. 

During my time at the centre a number of children under 18 months old showed interest in books.  I would introduce books with themes such as playground antics, getting along & nature’s wonder’s as Giles et al recommend. 

By observing the children who show interest in the earth, I believe they would respond to outdoor activities such as planting, weeding, worm composting, sand play, tactile art projects and outdoor experimentation and discovery.  The introduction of song adds another dimension to the learning experience.  It has been my experience that music activities are generally enjoyed by young children. 

 

These ideas can be linked to the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)

Quality Area 3 – Physical Environment

Which states;

3.2 The environment is inclusive, promotes competence, independent exploration and learning through play.

Element 3.2.1 Outdoor and indoor spaces are designed and organised to engage every child in quality experiences in both built and natural environments.

Element 3.2.2 Resources, materials and equipment are sufficient in number, organised in ways that ensure appropriate and effective implementation of the program and allow for multiple uses.

 

The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) also advocates;

Outcome 4:  Children are confident and involved learners

Among other things, this outcome promotes curiosity, cooperation, creativity, enthusiasm, inquiry, investigation, being able to transfer knowledge and learning through natural materials.

Outcome 5:  Children are effective communicators

It is acknowledged that children communicate verbally and non-verbally. They gain meaning through text and other media sources.  They begin to understand symbols and patterns. 

Being outside seems to be a practical and rich environment to further a child’s numeracy and literacy learning. 

I am passionate about outside play and learning.  I have found that children seem happier being outside.  I think it would be careless of us not to make the most of on this rich resource.  

 

 

 

 

 

References

Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) National Quality Framework

http://www.acecqa.gov.au/Physical-environment

Giles, R. & Wellhousen, K., (2005), “The Reading Teacher”., 59.3, Nov 2005., International Reading Assoc. Inc., ‘Reading, Writing and Running.  Literacy learning on the playground’, pp284, 285. 

Makin, L. & Whitehead, M., (2004), How to Develop Children’s Early Literacy, A  Guide for Professional Carers and Educators., Paul Chapman Publishing Ltd, London., p82.

The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (EYLF), 2009, Belonging, Being & Becoming., pp33-44.

Tucker, K., (2014), Mathematics through play in the Early Years., 3^rd Ed., Sage., p22.