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Reflecting upon the unit and my explorations through out the unit, I realised that how this unit has helped me understand emotions more deeply and how the children have at least a hundred languages to communicate these emotions.

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The idea for this journal entry was to sing a song about emotions and understand it in a more deeper sense.

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The idea for this journal entry was to deeply understand the children's picture book "When I'm Feeling Love".

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Introduction to 100 languages of children

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Introduction to 100 languages of children

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This unit has looked at meaning-making through languages and literacies, including the languages of music, movement, drama, visual arts, storytelling, technology, and interactions with materials. It has done this by drawing on philosophical understandings of expression, such as "the hundred languages of children," which are articulated in the Reggio Emilia approach.

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The idea for this journal entry was to explore emotions with children in the form of loose parts play.

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The idea for this journal entry was to explore the language of maths and getting children involved in it.

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The idea was to set up a safe experience for children where they could express themselves freely without close supervision.

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The idea for this journal entry was to explore paper and its possibilities.

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In week 1, we were asked to explore one of the materials: paper, charcoal, paint, and clay.

So, I explored paper and its properties in depth. I used different types of papers from my notebook; one page with full of my notes and a paper that was empty.

It gave me a realisation of how much pressure I apply while writing that there was a huge difference in the texture of plain paper and the papers with notes on it. I could see the impressions and markings on blank spaces on the back side of a page of the notes that I had written.

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The idea for this journal was to get children involved in some dance (movement) and music.

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Reggio Emilia's approach recognises that children have many different ways of expressing their thoughts, feelings, and ideas, and these expressions are equally valid and valuable. Dance/movement is considered one of the expressive languages among the many available to children.

As I work in a childcare centre (Explorers Early Learning), I decided to take up this experience with the children in my room. According to our schedule, children get to listen to music everyday. So, I decided to play some songs and call all the children to the outdoor playspace where I thought that they could express themselves.

I thus turned on the Baby Shark song and watched as children danced to it. Both children and adults loved the song "Baby Shark." We adored the upbeat melody and the clear, sing-along lyrics to the songs. The song's repetition helped us improve our memory and ability to spot patterns. We started incorporating movement into our performances of the Baby Shark as soon as we heard the song. We'd jerk our bodies around like waves, pound our feet like sharks, and move our arms like fins. This improved our comprehension of the idea of bodily control and the ways in which thoughts and emotions can be expressed through movement.

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The authors, Veronica Pacini-Ketchabaw, Sylvia Kind, and Laurie L. M. Kocher (2016), give a theoretical framework and useful tactics for engaging with materials in meaningful ways by drawing on their significant research and experiences in early childhood education.

The book introduced me to materials such as paper, charcoal, paint, and clay. After coming across this book, I gained a deeper understanding of these materials and decided to base my first assessment of this unit on paper.

I got the opportunity to explore paper like I never thought of before and understood that providing children with opportunities to engage with various materials and artistic languages is vital. It nurtures their creativity, problem-solving skills, and self-expression. It allows children to explore and make sense of the world around them, developing their cognitive, emotional, and physical abilities (Pacini-Ketchabaw et al., 2016).

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In this journal entry, I gathered some resources from around the outdoor playspace of my classroom at the childcare centre like shells, pebbles, wooden disks, and some dry seeds. I also printed out a board with some numbers on it and also found some wooden cut outs of numbers. I presented these resources to children in the form of loose parts for them to experiment with them and let them use their imagination.

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Before singing the song, I listened to it a couple of times and wrote the lyrics down on a piece of paper.

After that, I started to sing the song myself and feeling the meaning that it is trying to convey.

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To start with, I gathered some natural resources such as pebbles, shells, sticks, leaves, wooden disks, and more and placed them separately on a tray and then showed the children a expressions chart which had faces displaying different emotions.

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During the story time while working at Explorers Early Learning, children frequently asked me to read them this book and showed great interest while listening to it.

So, I decided to borrow this book from the library at childcare centre and read it thoroughly.

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Here, a child can be seen dancing to the Baby Shark song where she is making a shark with her hands.

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Secondly, after noticing the texture, I felt like starting with crushing the paper. Upon crushing one of the paper, I saw that it had taken the shape looking like a ball. This prompted me to drop it on the floor and see if there is any bounce to it.

When I saw that the paper ball did not bounce, I tried to also drop unwrinkled paper and see how it drops to the floor.

I saw that an unwrinkled paper kind of sways in the air before touching the floor.

While playing and exploring the paper, I got thirsty and while drinking water I got the idea to see how the paper would react after being some water was added on it. So, I placed the paper on the table and poured some water on the centre of it. After a few seconds, I see and feel the texture of the paper changing. the paper started to get wrinkly. At this point, the paper got completely wet and the effects were clearly visible. When I tried to rub the paper, it got torn from the middle and wrinkled on the sides.

I was also curious to see how paper reacts to the wind. To explore that, I took a hair dryer and pointed it on one of the pages and it started to blow away.

But that is when I realized that if I point the hair dryer over the paper, instead of the paper flapping down, it rose up.

Then I wanted to roll up one of the papers and placing the ball i had made recently on top of it which made it to look like flambeau. Then I tried to place the hairdryer on the

bottom of the rolled paper pointing up and turned it on. To my surprise, the ball on top of the paper started dancing on it.

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The language of math and counting bears great relevance within the concept of the "100 languages of children" inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach as one of the expressive languages through which children can communicate, explore, and comprehend their environment (Edward et al., 2011).

The study and application of patterns and relationships in numbers, space, and time is known as mathematics. The study and application of statistical correlations and patterns in data. Both give children the tools they need to explore, analyse, explain, and make sense of the world in which they live (Holdom, 2018).

According to Piaget's view, children actively create their knowledge of the world through their interactions with it (Piaget, 1952).

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The "100 languages of children" paradigm recognises the importance of emotions and expressions in fostering genuine communication, self-expression, and interpersonal bonding. They encourage self-awareness, social-emotional development, and multimodal expressions, which support meaning-making and introspection. Accepting a range of emotional emotions promotes the growth of one's own and their culture (Gandini et al., 2015).

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Children can use dance and movement to communicate their feelings and inner experiences. Their facial expressions, gestures, and body language can communicate happiness, grief, enthusiasm, or other emotions. Children can transmit their emotional wellbeing through dance and movement in a nonverbal way (Edwards et al., 2011).

Children may use dance and movement to tell stories or communicate narratives. They can create choreographies that represent events, experiences, or characters from their own lives or imagination. Through their movements, children construct and share their personal narratives with others (Gandini et al., 2015).

Dance and movement can serve as a form of cultural expression. Children may incorporate elements of their cultural heritage, traditions, or community practices into their dances and movements. They can communicate their cultural identities and values through their bodily expressions (Gandini et al., 2015).

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One of our earliest encounters with wooden disks involved counting them. One of the children (A) stacked one on top of the other to make it into a tower and then counting how many floor his tower has.

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The children seemed very excited to begin exploring different expressions and emotions.

I asked children to use the loose parts and make any of the face depicting that particular emotion.

Once the children were finished placing the loose parts on the wooden logI asked them to explain the emotion and the reason they chose to make this emotion.

Children thoroughly enjoyed this activity and they were able to gain a deeper understanding of emotions and languages in which they could express those emotions.

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The book “Encounters with Materials in Early Childhood Education” is highlighting the intimate relationship between the artist and the material in a creative and a curious way in which each artist has their personal experience with the material. One of the materials being discussed in the book is paper, which is frequently thought of as a surface that we utilise to keep notes, lists, marks, meaning, pictures, tales, and news on. (Pacini-Ketchabaw et al., 2016).

The Reggio Emilia method of early childhood education, which emphasises the value of creativity, exploration, and curiosity in children's learning and development, was discussed in the book "The Hundred Languages of Children". This is comparable to this paper-playing and experimentation experience. The artist places emphasis on the value of the creative process and the exploration than the finished output. Last but not least, "The Hundred Languages of Children" and the artist both want to arouse awe and curiosity in young learners (Edwards et al., 2011).

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The book "When I'm Feeling Love" by Trace Moroney examines the language of emotions and expressions, which links to the idea of the "100 languages of children." The author of the book illustrates the concept of love and how it affects relationships and overall wellbeing using simple words and images. This is consistent with the Reggio Emilia method, which acknowledges that children communicate and interpret their experiences using a variety of languages, including emotions. The book inspires kids to express and comprehend their own emotions by depicting love as a universal and approachable emotion. This fosters emotional literacy and builds relationships with others (Moroney, 2012).

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Objective: Engage children in a hands-on exploration of different types of paper as the sole material for creating sculptures. This activity encourages children to experiment with paper manipulation, spatial awareness, and creative thinking while utilizing the language of paper within the context of the "100 languages of children."

Age Group: 4-5 years

Procedure:
1. Provide children with a range of different papers. Encourage them to explore the papers through touch, observing their textures, thickness, and flexibility. Discuss the different qualities of each paper type and ask the children to share their observations and preferences.
2. Show the children a few simple paper sculpture techniques, such as folding, rolling, or twisting. Demonstrate how different folds or shapes can create various effects. Display examples of paper sculptures to inspire their creativity and provide visual references.
3. Gather the children together once they've finished their paper sculptures so they may discuss what they've made. Give each child the chance to present their sculpture to the class. Encourage them to explain their thought process, the decisions they took, and the meaning or inspiration their sculpture has for them.

This activity allows children to tap into the language of paper within the "100 languages of children," expressing their unique ideas and perspectives through their paper sculptures.

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The "100 languages of children" framework places a lot of emphasis on the language of singing and music. It enables children to communicate their feelings, supports cultural variety, fosters social connection, fosters creativity, and incorporates sensory experiences. Children may express themselves meaningfully, interact with others, and learn about the world around them through singing and music, which offers a potent and universal form of communication (Gandini, 2015).

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After discussing about emotions, the children are to be left with their thoughts and the material on the table which includes different types of paper, crayons, chalk, writing boards.

The children are free to do anything they want. They could draw, use chalk, or even tear the paper, maybe even crush it into a ball.

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Objective: Using children's picture books as a medium for exploration and discussion to teach kids about feelings, emotions, and expressions.

Age Group: 4-5 years.

Procedure:
1. Pick a few picture books for children that focus on the study of expressions, sentiments, and emotions. Choose works that cover a range of emotions, making sure that both uplifting and difficult feelings are included.

2. Introduce the subject of emotions and explain that each person has a unique range of emotions. Show the image books to the children and let them know you'll be looking through them to learn more about emotions and how to express them.

3. Select one of the picture books and read it aloud to the children, encouraging their active engagement. Ask open-ended questions to encourage children to express their thoughts and feelings about the emotions depicted in the story. Discuss how the characters' expressions and actions convey their emotions.

4. After finishing the activity, have a final conversation to give the children a chance to consider what they've learned about emotions, facial expressions, and effective communication of their feelings. Encourage them to discuss any discoveries or connections to themselves that they may have made during the activity.

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Objective: To teach children about feelings, emotions, and expressions using children's songs as a medium for exploration and discussion.

Age group: 4-5 years

Procedure:
1. Pick a few children's songs that specifically address the range of emotions. Choose music with catchy melodies and straightforward lyrics that kids can relate to and get into.

2. Play a song from the list, and remind them to pay close attention. Encourage children to act out the emotions the music expresses as it plays. For instance, if the song is about happiness, invite children to applaud, bounce, or smile. Encourage children to use every part of their bodies to convey their feelings.

3. Conclude the activity by reflecting on the songs explored and the emotions experienced. Ask children to share their favorite songs and discuss why they enjoyed them. Encourage them to express how the songs made them feel and what they learned about emotions.