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I firmly believe that when children actively engage in deep conversations, inspire one another, and incorporate natural materials into their creative endeavors, they not only nurture their innate creativity but also cultivate a wide range of essential skills. This immersive process serves as a catalyst for enhancing their fine motor skills, communication abilities, storytelling aptitude, and self-expression, empowering them to express themselves confidently and effectively.

Moreover, intentional teaching holds a pivotal position in their holistic development within the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), as acknowledged by the Council of Australian Governments in 2009. This approach encompasses various strategies, such as skillfully modeling and demonstrating concepts, employing open-ended questioning and speculative discussions to stimulate critical thinking, elucidating ideas to foster comprehension, and actively engaging in shared thinking and collaborative problem-solving activities. These intentional teaching practices not only facilitate collaboration and cooperation among children but also contribute to their cognitive growth and overall development.

By embracing deep conversations, mutual inspiration, and the utilization of natural materials, coupled with intentional teaching methods, we empower children to thrive, express their unique perspectives, and acquire a comprehensive skill set that prepares them for lifelong learning and success in diverse contexts.

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Paint can be applied to a surface in a range of colors, textures, and styles, allowing for endless possibilities in artistic expression and creation. Paint was just manipulated by my hand, and I feel exactly the paint melting away the  boundaries, paint assembled human and nonhuman bodies and became an assemblage in itself (Pacini-Ketchabaw et al., 2016).

Hand-eye coordination and finger dexterity are crucial aspects of fine motor skills, enabling children to engage in activities like writing, drawing, and manipulating small objects (Pacini-Ketchabaw et al., 2016). Fine motor skills are vital for children's overall growth and school readiness, as emphasized by the Victoria government. Victoria government also integrating them into early childhood education has long-lasting positive effects on learning outcomes 3 and 5.

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An exploration experience centered around clay and dirt during the class can involve understanding their origins and their return to the earth in a different form. Clay is a fine-grained natural material consisting of clay minerals. It is sourced from the earth itself. Playdough, on the other hand, is different from clay as it has a distinct texture, comes in various colors, and is more elastic.

When I work with clay, they engage in various thinking processes. Because clay can be mold, squeeze, knead, and shape it to create different figurines and sculptures. The material do not need to do anything as "active toys make passive children, passive toys make active children" said by Gerber in 1998 (Cohen 2017). For example, when exposed to air, it hardens over time; when subjected to fire, it can be hardened further through the process of firing; water, on the other hand, adds elasticity to clay, making it easier to manipulate and shape. Another example is Rice Gallery in  2014 sought the expertise of Rice geologist Cin-Ty Lee to provide different shades of dirt for an aboriginal art installation. Therefore, the clay activate the concept of "place-thought" by establish a connection with very nature which help children shaping their understanding of the world of art around them, and art can be a way of thinking, feeling, imagining, relating and expressing (Pelo 2016, p.1).  Children communicate stories through concrete materials (Edwards, Gandini & Forman 2011)

Clay also supports social interactions among children as they share their materials, communicate their ideas, and collaborate on creative projects, enhancing their imagination and creativity. "It matters what stories tell stories, it matters what thoughts thinks thoughts, it matters what worlds world worlds" - Harraway 2015 cited in Pacini-Ketchabaw et. Al. 2016 the significance of storytelling, thinking processes, and the construction of realities.

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Amelia, H. (2022). Hello World. Little Tiger Press Ltd

Bronwyn, B. (2009). Australian 1, 2, 3 of Animals. Hardie Grant Children's Publishing

Chris, F. (2020). My First 100 Mathematics Words. Sourcebooks

Julia Gillard Library Tarneit has been a profound personal learning experience for me. Upon entering the library, I was greeted by the rich Indigenous content and information. The presence of colorful “Wominjeka” - Welcome at the entrance and the Indigenous-themed handicrafts immediately caught my attention. The integration of aboriginal culture and children's content was remarkable, with many crafts created by the children. Moreover, the children's area featured numerous books, for example Australian 1, 2, 3 of Animals (Bronwyn 2009) dedicated to introducing Australian Indigenous culture. As a foreigner, I felt guided along the path of learning step by step towards learning about Indigenous culture, and I'm sure children would feel the same way, filled with excitement and joy.

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Aboriginal culture - Inanay - Indigenous Children’s song

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Aboriginal culture - Inanay - Indigenous Children’s song

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Paper can be cut, folded, and manipulated into various shapes and sizes, providing a versatile canvas for artistic expression and creation. I experienced cutting, folding, and shaping paper to communicate with paper and retell my ideas and stories. Color paper also give me a surprise which I didn’t expected on colors seeping into water. So  waste paper, wet paper, thick or thin paper, and so on, can all be reused if we think creatively. Paper was the experience of it, the doing of paper, the moving with paper (Pacini-Ketchabaw & Kocher 2016). This experience can also encourages children to use paper as a medium for creative play and developed storytelling by using various tools.

Thus, paper may becomes a versatile canvas for children’s imagination base and artistic exploration. Just like what Roy and Hamilton said in 2015, "Arts include the creation of utilitarian objects." Anyone, any age, any material can create art.

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Council of Australian Governments. (2009). Belonging, being and becoming - the early years learning framework for Australia. Department of Education and Training.  https://www.dese.gov.au/national-quality-framework-early-childhood-education-and-care/resources/belonging-being-becoming-early-years-learning-framework-australia

Cohen, LE (2017). ‘Part II - Infant/toddler theories’. in Lynne E Cohen & S Waite-Stupiansky (eds). Theories of early childhood education: developmental. behaviorist, and critical, Taylor & Francis Group, London. pp. 73–98.

Edwards, C. Gandini, L & Forman, G (2011). The hundred languages of children: The Reggio Emilia experience in transformation, 3rd edn, ABC-CLIO, LLC.

Fine motor. Victorian Government. (n.d.). https://www.vic.gov.au/literacy-teaching-toolkit-early-childhood/learning-foci-emergent-literacy/fine-motor

Pacini-Ketchabaw. V. Kind. S & Kocher. LLM (2016). Encounters with materials in early childhood education. Routledge.

Pelo, A (2016), The language of art: Inquiry-based studio practices in early childhood settings, Redleaf Press.

Roy, D. Baker. WJ & Hamilton. A (2015). ‘Excerpt from: A vision for the arts in education’. Teaching the arts: Early childhood and primary education. 2nd edn. Cambridge University Press, Port Melbourne. VIC. pp. 11–13.

Rice University. (2014, November 10). Geologist explains painting with soil at Rice Gallery’s “yamatane.” YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbGqvjbD3vQ

Soundplay Australia. (2017b, August 26). Inanay - Indigenous Children’s song. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yxW57WzrTY

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image 1:
Sylvia K, (2016). Encounters with materials in early childhood education. Routledge. ISBN: 9781317588573

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Cronin, D. (2000). Click, clack, moo : cows that type. New York :Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

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The library not only values Indigenous culture but also incorporates and introduces modern technology, such as electronic devices. In the children's reading area, I discovered colorful electronic gadgets and educational games in iPads. Children can not only learn numbers and mathematics from books but also engage in real-life scenarios by exploring the world through iPads.

Furthermore, the library combines books with electronic devices to create interactive audio books that follow along with the text. The book I chose, "Click, clack, moo: cows that type," features unique and captivating animal sounds, combining engaging characters with elements that children should be familiar with, making it a meaningful book. Even for teachers using, it is highly practical in helping children recognize different animals.

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The materials derived from the natural world, as well as the artificial ones, hold immense potential in the hands of children, be it discarded objects or artistic mediums. I will now discuss my exploration and conviction regarding their effective utilization in early childhood education. Clay, charcoal, paper, paint, museum resources, digital tools, and engaging with songs serve as valuable materials, they live, speak, gesture, and call to us. Materials can evoke memories, narrate stories, invite actions, and communicate ideas (Pacini-Ketchabaw et. Al. 2016). During the process, I investigate how the feedback from items to children in a agentic way, to look up how human shape material and how item shaped us (Pacini-Ketchabaw et. Al. 2016).

These materials enable children to not only stimulate their neural pathways and enhance their motor skills but also develop their communication proficiency. Furthermore, they foster a heightened sense of belonging, and well-being, thus giving the way for future learning and growth.

By manipulating these materials, children are encouraged to explore, create, and express themselves in meaningful ways. This approach nurtures their cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development, with the necessary skills and foundations for a successful and fulfilling journey of lifelong learning.

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The process of learning a language for an individual starts with listening and speaking, followed by reading and writing. So, whether it's from my own experience of learning a foreign language or looking at children learning language from scratch, listening is extremely important. In the classroom, I have learned about deep listening, which is the ability to explore oneself and listen to non-verbal signals in order to understand the true intentions of others.  And listening walk helps early childhood educators produce heightened multisensory experiences of spaces, generate forms of difficulty and discomfort that promote growth, and enhance their empathic abilities with children.

For children, Children develop their vocabulary through their interests and curiosity, which is​ from (ECE6011) Languages of children - G - session 5 - CHILDREN'S VOCABULARY (2023). So listening can be not just sound, but also music, nursery rhymes, constantly developing their brains through rhythm and repetition of words and movements. For example, the English song "ABC" is the song that I find easiest to learn. Apart from parents providing such help to children, we as early childhood educators can also transmit indigenous information to children through music and acquire knowledge from an interesting music classroom.

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Charcoal, same as clay as a material from nature, carry traces of the forest, the wood, the fire, the gathering, crushing, drawing, burning, marking, blackness, dust, the damp earthy smells of the trees evoke a smell that sense of vicissitude (Pacini-Ketchabaw et. Al. 2016). It can be used to create bold and expressive drawings with a range of values, so I drew my classmate one by one, even myself. I was also astonished by their unique tactile sensation, feeling a dry yet powerful force in my fingertips.

Meanwhile, I was not just attracted by the peculiar texture, but also the transformative power of artistic creation. I've realized that after painting, using charcoal to add color to other surfaces is captivating. Take the hands for instance, usually expected to be clean – when stained black with charcoal, the intricate patterns that emerge evoke a raw beauty, akin to the weathered bark of ancient trees. Children can also explore and unleash their imagination not only in interacting with other installations but also by embracing their own bodies. Thus, this is re presentation of something always already in place: our habitual way of being and acting in the world (Pacini-Ketchabaw et. Al. 2016).

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Books from Julia Gillard Library Tarneit

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Books from Julia Gillard Library Tarneit

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Amelia, H. (2022). Hello World. Little Tiger Press Ltd

Bronwyn, B. (2009). Australian 1, 2, 3 of Animals. Hardie Grant Children's Publishing

Cronin, D. (2000). Click, clack, moo : cows that type. New York :Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Chris, F. (2020). My First 100 Mathematics Words. Sourcebooks

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Image 1 : From Encounters with materials in early childhood education, by Sylvia K, What marks does charcoal leave in the stories we tell?.

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I have also noticed the combination of electronic devices and paper in the designs of businesses aimed at attracting children. They create interesting products, such as stickers and cardboard that transform into spinning tops. After scanning a QR code, these tops can dance along with augmented reality (AR) on a mobile phone.