Age group of the learners: Birth to 2 years old 

 

Time period: 26/11/2020 – 13/11/2020

A Place walk to my onsite childcare centre

My placement was done at Great Beginnings Notting hill childcare centre which is located near Monash University which provides high-quality childcare and early education for children from birth to six years. The learning and development is supported as they offer a play-based curriculum guided by the national Early Years Learning Framework and a kindergarten program to prepare the children socially and academically for school. They strive to provide Interest-based learning that places children at the helm of their early education experiences. 

 

 

 

 

Throughout all the experiences, children were able to explore a vast range of materials, feel different textures, which encourages the children to develop sensory skills and curiosity. Third ordinary moment was chosen as an extended learning for the children as they spoke about fruits in the first ordinary moment. Repetition, extending learning experiences as of children’s interest allows the children to be more interactive and scaffold their learning. 

 

Children were intrigued by the different learning experiences, materials they engaged with as they find extra ordinary moment of play within the ordinary moments that they engage in which in-turn support children's learning and holistic development.

 
Throughout all the experiences, it is clearly seen that hands-on experiences allows the children to develop their fine motor skills as they use their fingers to manipulate play-dough, through holding crayons to draw and using paint brushes and leaves to paint. (VEYLDF Outcome 4: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing). As the children engage in various learning experiences, they are able to learn about different learning environments, various types of play materials, concepts which challenges them in intellectual thinking, open-ended questions which leads to scaffolding their learning which links to Lev Vygotsky’s Cognitive Development Theory. It is important that children learn and interact in different learning environments which allows them to explore their interests within various ranges of experiences. (DEEWR 2016, Yorganop 2016).

 
Moreover, according to the Behaviourist theory by B.F. Skinner, he mentions that learning is ongoing, and a regular process and the environment determines the child’s development and learning. Children were provided with the opportunity to engage in nature painting outdoors where they can observe the natural environment around them while drawing and play-dough experiences were indoors. Children develop their critical thinking, explore creativity through various methods of learning, for example, the children were provided with visual aids of fruits to in fruit recognition experience which represent visual spatial intelligence of Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligence and by developing fine motor skills through play-dough, painting and drawing represent bodily kinesthetic intelligence of Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligence. (Yorganop 2016, verywell mind 2020). 

 

Furthermore, according to psychosocial theory by Erik Erikson, he believes children’s learning and development is supported by social interactions. Children were engaging in group experiences which allowed them to interact verbally and non-verbally with their peers. They were able to engage in collaborative play, sharing materials, and develop communication skills by constructing meaningful conversations and asking open-ended question. (Yorganop 2016).

 

Children pursue their learning through their own interests and imagination. Provoking children to have a sense of inclusion in their learning environment by various intentional teaching methods and spontaneous play-based learning experiences allows the children to involve in decision making, acknowledge each child has a voice. Encouraging them to freely explore and provide uninterrupted play time helps in developing their self-confidence to have a sense of identity. 

 

As an extend learning/ future planning for children’s learning, offer them with the opportunity to make fruit salad with fruits they learned about which leads them to learn about healthy eating and use fruit scraps to make compost which enables them to learn about environmental sustainability. 

 

 

Verywell mind 2020, Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences, viewed on 17 November 2020, < https://www.verywellmind.com/gardners-theory-of-multiple-intelligences-2795161>. 

 

Yorganop 2016, Theories and Theorists in Early Childhood Who are they and what did they tell us? Ideas for practice, Yorganop, Perth, WA, viewed 17 November 2020, <http://web.archive.org/web/20180316184334/http://ipsuwa.yorganop.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/combined-theorists-resource.pdf>.