I discovered that clay is a flexible and captivating substance that children can use to explore and express their creativity. Initially, my focus will be on encouraging children to freely engage with the clay in any manner they choose. Clay offers a sensory experience that enhances children's tactile perception, aiding in the development of their motor skills, coordination, and spatial awareness. This aligns with the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) outcome 4 (Arthur et al., 2011).  Additionally, I will encourage children to express their emotions and feelings after they finish working with the clay. This could involve identifying and discussing emotions such as happiness or anxiety. Clay can be used as a therapeutic tool, providing a means for children to express and manage their emotions. It has a calming effect and serves as a positive outlet for emotional expression and relaxation. Moreover, I will guide children to describe their creations, explain their process, and engage in conversations with peers and adults. Clay activities offer valuable opportunities for language development, as children can learn and incorporate new vocabulary related to shapes, textures, and actions. Through manipulating the clay, they can learn words like roll, squeeze, flatten, mold, or stretch, expanding their vocabulary and understanding of descriptive language. Consequently, clay proves beneficial in the development of both movement skills and language acquisition in children.

 

This experience has taught me that the significance of these painted creations goes beyond the individual child's thoughts or imagination. By observing the emotional atmospheres that facilitated shifts and progressions during the painting process, we discovered that traditional paint movements aimed to expand and enhance the painted compositions (Pacini-Ketchabaw et al;. 2016). As the paint interacted further, blending and bleeding continued to take place, and rhythmic patterns seamlessly intertwined with deliberate responses to the inherent possibilities of the paint (Pacini-Ketchabaw et al. 2016). The potential of the paint inspired both the children and ourselves, resulting in varying levels of achievement. Hence, in early childhood setting, I would prioritize providing child-friendly art materials like non-toxic paints, brushes, and age-appropriate paper or canvases. I may set activities to encourage children to explore diverse painting techniques, colours, and textures, allowing them to experiment with different tools, sponges, or even their fingers to create various effects. Furthermore, I would foster an environment where children can freely express themselves through their artwork, emphasizing the process rather than focusing solely on the outcome. Encouraging them to enjoy and experiment with different artistic approaches is essential. Lastly, I would consider celebrating and displaying children's artwork to boost their confidence and foster a sense of accomplishment.

 

Firstly, by meeting with charcoal, the children are given plenty of time and space to create infinitely. Not planned, but improvised and creative. Secondly, touching the charcoal is a great opportunity for physical movement. By grasping different sizes of charcoal with their fingers, they can feel the texture of the charcoal and how they can control the strength and size of the charcoal through their bodies. As the colour of the charcoal is very dark, the force can affect the shade of the colour. In addition, painting with charcoal provides engagement. It is worth noting that being present requires establishing circumstances that allow us to pause, release, extend, and broaden our minds and vision, enabling us to recognise the potential for connections between seemingly unrelated elements (Pacini-Ketchabaw et al., 2016). 

 

For the ECL setting, charcoal activities help the children to create their artwork and children aged 3-5 may be able to interact with charcoal. I may encourage them paying attention to colour of charcoal itself. Although the material is only black charcoal, the shades of colour can reflect a different visual experience. In addition, I provide them with different sizes and materials of charcoal to encourage them to use and feel the differences in charcoal materials. Rather than just limiting the painting to charcoal, I will prompt them to use their fingers to feel the difference in the charcoal, for example if the colour of the charcoal can be smudged. This will help the children to exercise their creativity as well as their hands-on skills.

 

In ECL, children can become more aware of indigenous cultures by learning a specific language. For example, when children are learning about a colour, describing, or showing it in an Aboriginal way may deepen their respect for and memory of Australian Aboriginal culture. It is not so much about reinforcing through repetition as it is about visually experiencing the importance of Aboriginal culture at its roots. Indigenous culture diversity is an important aspect for children to connect with. At the same time, it is important to help children become aware of indigenous cultures through visual arts. Visual art serves as one of the most visual forms of expression. Often, Aboriginal artists make intricate patterns and symbols, often using detailed stippling methods, natural pigments, and tools such as brushes or sticks. Dots are visual expressions of important cultural narratives, dream stories and deep connections between the artist, the land, and the ancestral spirit. I might encourage the children to look at the pictures in the book and say what they think the picture is or what it represents, which is easier and more age appropriate. This way children may be exposed to or aware of the presence of indigenous cultures when looking at books.

 

 

Language development is another significant aspect of using music in early childhood learning. Children's songs often have repetitive lyrics and simple vocabulary, which make them conducive to language development. By associating words with specific movements, children reinforce their understanding and usage of language, expanding their vocabulary and enhancing their communication skills. Moreover, music allows for emotional expression. Through listening, reflecting and responding to music, children can express themselves emotionally, improving their mood, releasing energy, and promoting emotional well-being (Edwards et al., 2011). In an early childhood learning (ECL) setting, I would select an upbeat song with repetitive lyrics to encourage children to engage in various body movements. I would guide them through the song, demonstrating the movements and facilitating their active participation. Content of the song may be some action and movement words. This approach helps improve their language skills while reinforcing them through physical actions. I would also encourage them to express their feelings about the song, fostering their emotional expression and making them active participants in their learning experiences.

 

For instance, in the song "Baby Shark," specific movements are associated with different parts of the song. The motion at the beginning involves using two fingers to open and close like little clips. Later on, two whole palms are used to create a scallop-like opening and closing motion. The "daddy shark" movement involves using the whole arm to form a triangle shape. These movements, combined with the lyrics, engage children in both language and physical development.

 

Creating a supportive and inclusive environment is crucial for children to explore and express themselves through dance. Incorporating songs, movements, and imaginative play in dance activities can provide a rich language learning experience. In an early childhood learning (ECL) setting, I may design a simple dance that incorporates iconic animal movements, such as the kangaroo bounce dance. The dance doesn't need to be complex; repetitive movements, simple lyrics, and melodies can facilitate language learning and physical growth through body movement and interaction with music, melody, and lyrics. Choosing an upbeat dance fosters an optimistic atmosphere for learning, allowing children to express their feelings. While not all children may prefer a particular dance style, they have the opportunity to explore it throughout the process.

 

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

 

Pacini-Ketchabaw, V., Kind, S., & Kocher, L. L. (2016). Encounters with materials in early childhood education. Taylor & Francis.