Final Assignment

Throughout this topic I have learned about the four different aspects of teaching young children literacy and numeracy skills.  To my own surprise, I have discovered that the many varied signs, numeracy symbols and the different multi-modal signs that are constantly on show in our Western society, all help, ever so 'silently', yet cohesively to help impress upon young children's minds, the varied and colourful shapes, styles and different coordinated expressions of these very valuable and necessary literacy and numeracy skills.   Without these skills being further encouraged and developed by good educators and teachers, young children will find it hard to grasp the many different facets of learning that await them, as they progress and develop socially, physically and mentally into adult-life.  Education empowers social cohesion and promotes  emotional and cognitive understanding of the numerous methodologies, restraints, structures and lifestyle cultures, that life itself 'throws' at us.  In order then to become successfully well-developed adults, young children disparately need to be given every opportunity to be able to grasp and understand the language and literacy skills of this Western culture, into which they are born.  Just as important as literacy skills are to young developing children, they also need to be able to understand numerical concepts and apply them also.  It is crucial then that this learning of these concepts is given to young children in such intentional and at-times, unintentional ways, especially while their young minds of vivid imagination and cohesion, are able to grasp these concepts.

Children are social beings and it is mostly when they are at play or with their peers or adult carers/parents or educators, that knowledge becomes firmly grounded to them.  Besides the need to supply numerous picture and story books, writing materials, scraps and book paper to them, children can also learn about these critical concepts in fun-type ways.  The concept of patterning can be introduced when children play or dance to music that has a set rhythm or tune.  Here young children will learn to value musical time and they will also learn at the same time, the repeated pattern of music to which a tune is being played.  This can also apply to various games, such as 'Blind Man's Bluff' and 'Simple Simon'. Repetition is a good teacher in itself as it reinforces a cognitive idea that is being learned by the child.   Equally important are the spontaneous, unrehearsed moments in an educator's day, whereby a young child may ask questions about an idea related to literacy and numeracy.   It is possible for an educator to answer these questions in an open-ended manner, that leaves the way open for further discussion and learning to occur.  The physical environment is also of much importance to the learning atmosphere of young children.  They need to feel safe, secure and well-cared for, so that their joyous spontaneity of life itself, can be given every opportunity for them to learn further skills and knowledge.  Learning takes place best when it is not imposed upon young children, hence they need to feel innately that they themselves are a very important part of their socially-constructed world of learning.  Vygotsky stated that reasoning occurs as children indulge in play, learning as they play.

A good teacher will use a tone of voice towards the children in their care, in such a way that they do not feel threatened or uncomfortable.  Words or praise for tasks completed well or of challenges overcome by struggling children, will further motivate them to feel inclined to increase further their literacy and numeracy skills.   Silence itself can be a good teacher and there are times whereby young children can be further encouraged to develop these skills, if physical materials and equipment are awaiting their attention.   A comfortable reading and library area will invoke young children to sit down to read and look at colourful books.  Besides this they could draw their attention to musical instruments, DVD's , as well as drawing, painting, cutting out pictures and experimenting with tasks that teach them mathematical concepts, in a colourful, educational and informative way.   Doll's cots, recipe books, finger puppets, felt-boards, masks, badges help children to recognise their own sense of importance. To inspire socio-dramatic play, excursions and role-playing in drama scenes can be included in the teacher's activities.  Young children love to imitate their parents and adults, so there could be opportunities for letter-writing to be given.  A post box could be provided, maybe a postbox outside of the children's centre. Early literacy has its foundations in communication and talk, enjoying books and understanding that marks (letters, numbers, pictures and print) carry messages.

The Early Years Learning Framework emphasises that there are six areas of learning.  These are personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and creative development.  The outcome for all young children is to become confident and interested learners.  The EYLF booklet describes literacy in the early years as including a range of modes of communication.  These include music, movement, dance, story-telling, visual arts, media and drama, as well as talking, reading and writing. (EYLF P41).  Along with literacy comprehension and understanding that is important for young children to be able to master, mathematical and numeracy concepts also need to be understood and recognised by them.  The EYLF booklet describes numeracy as being to broadly include understandings about numbers, patterns, measurement, spatial awareness and data as well as mathematical thinking, reasoning and counting (EYLFP43). Exposing young children between the ages of birth (0 to four years of age),to various forms of texts, allows them to grasp and later understand the different forms of communication that are available to them.   The EYLF booklet describes texts are being things that we read, view and listen to and that we create in order to share meaning.  Texts can be print-based, such as books, magazines and posters or screen-based, for example internet sites and DVDs.  Many texts are multi-modal, integrating images, written words and/or sounds.

One of the important areas of foundational necessity is for young children to have all of their experiences recognised and valued.  This involves taking into account all children;s social, cultural and linguistic diverse (including learning styles, abilities, disabilities, gender, family circumstances and geographic location)  This intention of education is known as inclusion, with guidelines put in place to ensure that all children have equitable access to resources and participation, and opportunities to demonstrate their learning and to value difference. (EYLFP24).   I feel that for an educator's teaching to be successful, there needs to be a balance between intentional and open/conceptual knowledge and teaching.  When practising intentional teaching, educators are involved in being deliberate, purposeful and thoughtful in their decisions and actions.  Intentional teaching is the opposite of teaching by rote or continuing with traditions simply because things have 'always' been done that way.  (EYLFP14).  There are times when this type of teaching is important and necessary for young children to be able to have the opportunity to grasp new concepts and ideas.  Repetition, visual stimulation and other educational practises will enhance this learning for young children.  When children have times of opportunity to be fully involved in what they are doing and experiencing at a given moment, this also further adds to their increase of knowledge and understanding.  It is possible to incorporate the 'scaffolding' of building knowledge, when young children are practising experimental, every-day experiences.  For example, an educator can ask open-ended questions that invite a response from the children.  This could be in regards to whatever particular activity they are participating in at that given moment in time.  Scaffolding builds on to the conceptual, cognitive knowledge and thinking that the children already have.  Applying relevant and sensible questions at these times of the child's experiential play, can invite them to cognitively consider their thinking.  Suggestions could be made or ideas put into place, that will further foster the children's learning.  Such a question as discussing the patterning that may be presently visible to the child, will help them to further continue on with their free-style play, provided that such a question is relevant to what they are visually comprehending at that time.   Loris Malaguzzi [1920-1994] developed the Reggio Emilia approach believed in learning to be a process in which small units can be built upon.  Attaining a balance between intentional and conceptually learned knowledge, will give young children the best start and foundation for their young lives.  It is during the first five years of life, that young minds develop quickly and radically.  Children are naturally curious and love to explore, discover, invent and participate in life.  It is an optimum time for choice learning.  Developing the minds and bodies of young children in all of the six fundamental and important aspects of their lives, is a pleasant and challenging task for all educators, parents and/or carers.  Learned knowledge that has been intentionally considered, includes talking about concepts and repeating them back, learning time tables, the alphabet and with guided and teacher-initiated learning, young children's understanding can be directed in a formal, and foundational way, leading to the best results. Maria Montessori [1870-1952] founded schools  suitable for young children to engage their learning in.  Her belief was that they do learn better when they are able to find things out for themselves.  She also believed that there needs to be a ready supply of learning tools available for them.  Drawing, painting, painting, block play, discovering natural materials and engaging with other young children, leads to their own self-discovery of knowledge.   I believe that it is important for both Intentional Teaching and Conceptual Knowledge of free-style learning to occur.  Children then can have opportunities to absorb the concepts taught by their educators, at their own pace and in their own style of learning, flourishing. The Alphabet Song is a practical and fun way to teach young children the twenty six letters of the alphabet.    The Sesame Street Show and its related books emphasis letters in a vividly colourful, entertaining and fun-like manner.  Children are sociable beings and placing their learning opportunities in a social setting, enhances their enjoyment and understanding of the new concepts, letters and ideas that they are being used.

Along with literacy skills, young children also need to be able to understand numeracy.  It is vitally important that they grasp the concepts of numbers.   Undoubtedly, at first and probably for some period of time, young children will not be able to fully understand the inclusion of the base numbers between 1 to 10.  These numbers can be introduced in subtle and yet obvious ways.  They can be printed on to soft foam blocks, printed in large form on charts, chanted to songs and they could be made up out of play-dough mixtures,  drawn with chalk or markers on pavement also.  The numbers could be repeated in a song such as 'Five Little Current Buns' (refer to P of Maths is All Around You),  The Wiggles Children's Shows, Play School and other educational children's shows that have been televised, all have the same educational and fundamental view in mind. Their participants aim to introduce and teach young children the numbers that they need to know, in a fun-loving and non-threatening manner.  This approach leads to conducive learning in a way that is encouraging and enjoyable.  This multi-media entertaining educational learning provides new concepts to young children, at a pace at which they can absorb and understand. Attunement includes the alignment of states of mind, moments of engagement, during which affect is communicated with facial expression, vocalisation, body gestures and eye contact.Cuddling children for a story or singing to them builds close trusting relationships as well as promoting positive associations with literacy. (EYLF). page 39.

Kinaesthetically being fit and healthy increases children's sensory output.  They develop their motor skills when they are physically active, playing on equipment, bean bag racing, hopping, skipping and other games.  Fine motor skills such as drawing, painting, along with other more passive forms of expression balance out the children's forms of physical expression.

Children who can and do speak bi-lingually, can add a rich environment of language and learning to their peers from non-lingual language.  Educators can help children to understand their peers from different cultures.  They could encourage festivals, take them to places of cultural interest, invite the bi-lingual children's parents to participate in cookery classes or to read them some of their own literature.  Young children could also be given number cards that identify with the bilingual children's customs and practices.

Culture- Taken from  the book How to Develop Children's Early Literacy  culture is made up of a particular language linking us to particular people, communities, beliefs and stories.  These provide bi-linguists with the scope for a rich and varied life, having the opportunity to learn and to know of two cultures.There is an area of Special Needs that is relevant young children which needs to be addressed.   There are some young children who need to have extra assistance with learning educational and formative language, numeracy and other early childhood skills.  These young children may be intellectually, physically, mentally or visually-impaired, through no fault of their own.   In these cases I believe that a good educator needs to focus the children's attention on what they can do.  Of course, physical comforts and a sense of well-being is very important.  It is more productive to focus these children's learning and cognitive skills primarily on what goals and skills they can possibly attain.  For example, they may suffer from physical impairments which may not leave them.  Hence for the sake of their own self-worth, cognition and future attainment and enjoyment of their lives, a good educator will encourage them to enable themselves to be able to deal with their life's situation, at their very best.  These young children can naturally be included in games and activities that the other young children take part in.  If they happen to be in a wheelchair, a ramp could be supplied and erected for their benefit.  Besides this, a good educator will encourage the other young children to treat them on an equal footing, so that they do not feel ostracised.  

There are some young children who do not have a written language to learn at an early age.  This is particularly true of the Australian Aboriginals, who pass on their learned knowledge and cultural experiences orally.  They do also create beautiful paintings and sketches on rocks, along with handmade crafts and other objects.  The young Aboriginal children can be encouraged in the learning of Standard English, from an early age.  Being able to absorb this knowledge along with having an understanding of their own culture, empowers them to be able to cognitively grasp the many different concepts of literacy, numeracy and culture that they will and do experience.  Research has shown that little support is currently offered for supporting children's diversity, especially in the area of bilingualism.  Flexibility for children's literacy is a continuum, in that linking different forms and rates that children learn at, by offering support for their literacy learning is vital for them to attain optimum reading, numeracy and cognition  at a high level.  There is no set curriculum for indigenous pre-school children, but a Pre-School Profile for literacy and numeracy program is of much value to these young children.  On page 86 of  the book Children's Early Literacy, (Pinker, 1994), states that all babies are born with a general language ability or language instinct.  Further (Selinker, 1992), describes inter language as being bridge building.

Gestures, tones and sound (phono) movements all add to young children's appreciation and understanding of literacy and numeracy skills.  They will learn spontaneously (in most cases), and appreciatively in a conducive atmosphere.  Play is important for young children and there are times where socio-dramatic play can be incorporated into the educator's learning and teaching programme.  For example, the children could play out the roles of being situated in a hospital, whereby they need to have on supply forms of literary expression.  These include writing pencils, markers, notepaper, telephone  (a communicative medium), patient number cards and multi-modal writing and numeracy upon the walls and door.  This socio-dramatic play encourages young children to 'act out' roles that are not threatening or intimidating in any way.  It also helps them to think and act in an 'abstract' manner, in certain plays.  To be able to understand  numbers, although they learn these by repetition and rote.  Hence much visual display of and even being involved in plays where young children can 'act out' these numbers, will increase children's understanding of these concepts. 

Patterning with an ABABABABAB sequence, is another visual way in which young children can learn and understand concepts.  Sensory input, how children explore, their input of memory skills and representational symbolism are other aspects of early learning cognition.  

Equally, numeracy is as important as literacy in teaching young children these important concepts.  Mathematical concepts are an important, sometimes seemingly irrelevant part of everyday life. Yet maths is involved in many of the objects that we handle everyday.  There is the concept of 'time'.  This is a somewhat abstract concept, which can be difficult for children to master.  A good educator can encourage and help them to understand this concept, possibly by drawing hands on paper plates.   These can become 'clocks'  Hands can be drawn upon these 'clocks', to indicate the passing of time.  Good-sized clocks with big hands can be placed in the childcare centre.  Mentioning certain events taking place at a certain time, in a routine-like manner, will gradually dispose young children to understanding the concepts of time.  Measurements, patterning, counting, numbering, early operations, measurement, shape, spatial awareness (geometry), matching, sorting, data analysis and  introducing chance (statistics and probability), are all concepts that need to be taught to young children.  By introducing these concepts, both by Intentional Teaching and also using a Conceptual Knowledge teaching pedagogy, involving free-style methods, ultimately young children will be able to grasp and retain their learned knowledge, learning more of each of these concepts as they grow.  These concepts can be brought up in a number of ways.  Children's body lengths being measured individually and then placed on a graph,  measuring table ledges, window sills, discovering the geometry of certain buildings and designs, when undertaking excursions and short walks around the neighbourhood, induce children's learning capacity.  Experimenting with water play, assessing volumes, the speed of sand as it is sifted through a funnel, stepping out paces and working out area sizes in the playground., as well as the heights of different objects and children, are all experiences that can be continually built upon - the educator scaffolding the children's learning. Vygotsky believed that learning was a social process.and that children learn more from experiences with their peers and adults through shared experiences.

Bruner was also a Social Constructivist theorist.  As stated in the National Numeracy Strategy, 1999, he emphasised the need for children to revisit ideas, in order to consolidate their learning and move on to the next stage of mathematical development. Similansky & Shefatya (cited in Kitson, 1994, stated that through play, children can assimilate information into what they do know and practise and prepare for situations they as yet do not. Both the Independent Review of Maths Teaching in Early Year Settings & Primary Schools; argue that play is far from trivial but is a feature of effective early years pedagogy.  Vygotsky [1896-1934] was a theorist who believed in Social Constructivism.  He believed  that all knowledge is actively constructed by the learner.  Piaget [1896-1980], believed that children acquire knowledge by constructing ideas as they interacted with the environment.  Maths is seen as an active process, not just physically, but also by acting on prior knowledge to construct new meaning.

The four roles of a literate learner are intertwined and it is possible to be following these roles, using more than one of them at a time  Making meaning, cracking the code of the features and structures of written, visual and spoken texts, using texts in such a way so that the structure is fully understood and the sequence of components to read, write and speak are: cohesive.  The role of text analyser also comes into play as the learner understands that texts are not neutral, and that the design and messages of texts can be critiqued and revised.   To make meaning of texts, the learner uses their prior knowledge and experience to construct and communicate meaning when reading, viewing, writing, representing, and speaking,. The learner is also able to understand diverse vocabulary. Working in the roles of being a numeracy learner, the skill of understanding mathematical concepts is used.  It is important to understand the patterns and processes involved.  Concepts need to be understood and responded to.   Along with this analysis needs to be given to this understanding, seeing Mathematics as it is being used and further exploring the intention of the author/illustrator/composer.   Finally, application  in using this knowledge is important.  It is necessary to be able to select, integrate and represent Mathematical ideas, relationships and information in a new way.  Further, application needs to be made in relating maths to real life experiential concepts and processes to create and design new ideas. Communication, language and literacy are one of the six areas of learning, that is applied in the Foundation Stage for three to five year old children in England. Never the less young children have the same needs the whole world over.

Inclusion brings together all of the many facets that make up for the social, cognitive, developmental, and spiritual well-being of a child. The Early Years Learning Framework emphasises that there are six areas of learning.  These are personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and creative development. Ultimately inclusion will occur when all of children's social, cultural, linguistic diversity (including learning styles, abilities, disabilities, gender, family circumstances and geographic location) are taken into account in curriculum decision-making processes.  The intent to ensure that all children's experiences are recognised and valued will result.  Also by ensuring that all children have equitable access to resources and participation, and opportunities to demonstrate their learning and to value difference, is of paramount importance to all educators.  (EYLF.P24).  I believe that these are the innate goals of all educators and that knowledge brings further knowledge.  The ability and opportunity to apply cognitive thinking and  the holistic approaches to teaching that include mind, body and spirit is the outcome of the goals of a good educator and this needs to always be kept in the educator's mind.

References:

              The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia :  Australian Government, Department of

              Education, Employment and Workplace Relations for the Council of Australian Governments.

              Commonwealth of Australia, 2009

              How to Develop Children's Early Literacy:  A Guide for Professional Carers & Educators,

              Makin L. & Whitehead M., (2006)

              Maths Is All Around You:  Knaus M., (2013)

              National Numeracy Strategy: Bruner (1999)

   

              Piaget (1896-1980)

              How to Develop Children's Early Literacy: (Pinker, 1994)           

                     

              Reggio Emilia Approach: Malaguzzi, Loris, {1920-1994}

          

             How to Develop Children's Early Literacy: Selinker, (1992)

              Similansky & Shefatya: Kitson, 1994

              

              Vygotsky (1896-1934)

 

              

Barbara Furler

Student no: 2075318

Analyst

Analogical reasoning and mathematical reasoning, is found in both play activities and in more structured learning experiences.  A need to address the frequency of analogical discourse and the contexts in which it occurs is obvious.  This is important for mathematical problem solving and the use of concrete representations.  The ability to detect patterns and relationships is fundamental to both reasoning forms.  This informal learning context is applicable to pre-school years.  Children's increasing cognitive maturity, their learning experiences and informal activities, all contribute to the development of reasoning abilities.

Fostering children's mathematical reasoning was evident in Australian and  American classrooms.  Research has shown that an emphasis needs to be put on identifying patterns and relationships.  Counters and other materials represent numbers.  (Clements, Sarama & DuiBiase, 2003' Ginsburg, Balfanz & Greens, 2000, Ginsburg et al' 2001; Greenes, 1999):    Clements states that learning experiences should be not only enjoyable and meaningful.  They should direct and focus children's thinking on mathematical ways and develop these ideas in an in-depth way. Coloured counters, miscellaneous "junk" items, patterning materials, blocks of various colours, shapes, sizes, linking cubes and base 10 blocks, all contribute to children's cognitive and mathematical reasoning processes.

Taken from Video Streaming in the Workshop of 23.10.14.two two-to-three year old boys are playing together.  They are both adept at counting blocks up to the number of ten.  The boys are respectful of each other and affirm their skills at being able to count up to this number.   The boy's learning has been enjoyable and they acknowledge each other's achievement.   It is probable that both of the boys did know the base numbers up to ten, as they did include three blocks that had been set aside for a time.  These were added to make up the complete number.  Affirming the boy's achievement, it is possible for an educator to further encourage them in numeracy skills.  Spatial awareness can be further learned, with the the opportunity to further contribute in group work, experimenting with heights and length measurements. A good educator can show children how to use relevant mathematically-related materials to create shapes of different types.
With patience, much co-operative learning can be experienced by young children.  Undoubtedly, they retain their learned skills in a much more cohesive manner, when learning is socially-constructed.  Learning can be enjoyable and educational at the same time.


In the video shown on 6.11.14 during the Thursday Workshop, a boy is attempting to build a block of stairs with pieces of wood.  His educator is encouraging him and helps him with his growth of spatial awareness.  She offers suggestions as to room availability for his hands, suggestions for placing the blocks higher than the one before.   Ultimately, the boy's play ends when he has no further blocks available to use.  A puppet is involved in the boy's play and a game of the puppet being able to further and further climb the tower of stairs constructed by the boy, is paramount to his building task.   At one stage,  the boy balances the blocks with his hand, yet this is a short-lived experience.  He becomes aware that he needs to replace it with something else, in order to balance the tower of blocks.  Mathematical learning is taking place here, as the boy learns to think critically  in relation to the vertical tower that he is creating.  Algebraic reasoning takes place as the boy places the blocks in position so that they do not collapse.  He learns patterning also, when shaping the block of stairs, vertically.  Repetition is a good teacher in the continual  stair-making task.    Mathematical concepts that the boy has learned include tipping points (that is - at which point the blocks will fall, if not set out evenly.)  Engineering and science, counter-weight management - this applied when the educator offered the use of her fingers to balance the blocks at certain intervals and fractions were self-taught by the boy as he moved the blocks.  Whole/part fractions were included in his staircase building task.  In order to further foster the boy's learning (individual for him - at this point in time; the educator could ask open-ended questions, affirm his completed achievement using his critical thinking skills, his learning and experience aiding his self-confidence and esteem.  The educator had used intentional teaching by supporting the blocks, as the boy worked towards building his staircase.  Further learning could have occurred if there had been more blocks available for the boy to work with.  I feel that it is very important to not place intentional teaching outcomes over experiments.

In  further experiments, two young toddlers of between one to two years of age are playing alongside of each other.  They are also block-building; one of the boys keen to keep the red blocks to one side, with which to build his tower.  When he uses a yellow block also to complete his work, this boy expresses his pleasure at having performed this challenging task.   The boy was persistent in his task, experimenting with different shaped blocks during his construction efforts.  He has used fine motor skills whilst working on stacking the blocks.  Although this boy was alongside of another boy, he repeatedly worked at his self-given task, physically ascertaining his right and desire to complete his construction, when disrupted by the other boy alongside of him.   An educator could encourage the boy to learn to share, showing him further strategies with which to reach his goal.  Other blocks, possibly of other colours, could be provided by the educator.  This may then have also motivated the other boy to have participated in block-building also.  Learning outcomes such as the weight of blocks, cause/effect, spatial and shape awareness and balance were learned and experienced by the boy.   The educator could also motivate and encourage experiment, question his thought-patterns and doings in his block-tower building.  He/she could emphasis the vertical mathematical concepts of the tower built.  There was obvious enjoyment found in the blocks falling over, the boy's task having been successfully completed.

The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia points out that it is very important for children to feel safe, secure and supported.   They  develop their emerging autonomy, inter-dependence, resilience and sense of agency, when challenged with and able to exercise their critical thinking skills positively.  Children also develop knowledgeable and confident self identities, learning to interact in relation to others with care, empathy and respect.   These factors are paramount to the success of children's individual learning skills and analysing and being competently able to carry out learning prospects in a fair and even manner, fosters their development instrumentally and successfully.  As educators work with and alongside of children in their play , one of the opportunities that they have to further enhance this fair play, is in  helping to instruct children's fairness of respectful and equal relations, when one child or  two or more, dominates in the use of resources.    Further analysis can be given by communicating with children on the ways in which texts construct a limited range of identities and stereotypes.  Drawing children's attention to unfair behaviour patterns when they occur, in relation to observing texts of similar nature,  on a level which children can observe and understand will also help.

Technician

For this blog, I will discuss the aspects of being a Technician. There are numerous ways in which educators and parents can foster cognitive, language and communication development,motor and concentration skills.  This brings out the best in young children and nurtures their outlook in positive and confidence.
At the age of four years, the Cognitive Development of children is at an optimum level.  Their thinking and listening skills are at full capacity.  Children are able to hold their attention on a particular aspect for between ten to fifteen minutes.  Their imaginations are very vivid and they can remember past events and happenings very well.  Children can invent monsters and princesses, along with other scary objects readily.  Favourite songs and tunes come to mind easily as they recall familiar events and experiences.  It is at this time of children's development that concepts such as big, little, tall, short, bigger, smaller and so on can be readily understood and absorbed by children.  They can count five objects easily and adhere to following three instructions at one time.  New experiences and concepts can be introduced simply and readily for their young minds to absorb.  The spectrum of different colours is easily learnt.  Along with this, children of around the ages of four, will often 'who, what, why or where'.

Social and Emotional Development can be further encouraged, when children are given praise and encouragement when it is deserved.  Their self-confidence is generally at a peak and they are not adverse to being separated from their parents for periods of time. Children enjoy playing with their peers, sharing and co-operation.  However there are times when they can and will become verbally angry and jealous at times, if they feel irregular about circumstances around them. Language and Communication Development.is also at an optimal level.  Children use complete sentences,ask many questions and are aware of the power of words.  Being imaginative, children can also be bossy at times, so it is a good time to invoke socially acceptable words such as 'please' and 'thank you' into the minds of young children.    Muscle development is another field of growth whereby fine and gross motor skills can be learned and practised upon by children.  They need plenty of opportunities to exercise their young bodies.
Activities such as climbing up and down stairs, running, hopping on one foot, balancing for a few seconds on each foot, kicking balls forward, throwing them overhead and catching bouncing balls, helps to build their motor skills.  Playing hopscotch and other games of skill improves concentration and control over children's
Children can be taught how to grasp a racquet in their hands, to hit balloons with one hand at a time. Spatial awareness skills are used further when children learn how to stop moving balls by placing a plastic cone over them. Throwing a ball into a  large bucket from a short distance, jumping over lines using the same pattern of movement, walking up and down stairs with some precision, to a set pattern of movement builds gross motor skills and confidence for children in undertaking daily activities.  As children grow and learn, their confidence will increase and this will lead to them aspiring to perform more difficult tasks.

Concentration skills can also be encouraged by drawing simple objects, complete simple puzzles, printing and reading aloud.  Building towers with blocks, educators and parents reading to children, telling stories, writing, reading and teaching children new words increases their learning skills and capabilities.  Children can be taught how to read numbers, if educators print large sized-numerals, supplied with paper and note-books and writing materials.  Independence and self-esteem grows also when dress-ups and props are given for children to 'play out' their imaginations, along with 'grocery shop' play.   Numeracy skills can be further learnt by teaching children to sort and count rocks, leaves, silverware and other objects.  They can be shown examples of the words such as 'on, under, over, large, small, larger, smaller. big and bigger'.  Educators could write these words on large flashcards and show them to the children, placing the same relevant sized objects alongside of the flashcards.  Over time and with practice, children will understand these concepts of size and their differences.  Placing large sized picture books with relevant texts in a reading/library corner and having a good quantity of text books available for children to read in a comfortable, quiet corner of the children's centre or kindergarten will help them to consider literary learning.  Children also learn literacy in some of its many multi-modal ways, when they see and read relevant texts located in various rooms inside the childcare centre or kindergarten.  Outside technical knowledge can be given to children as they learn about the variations in height, the various shapes of playground equipment, the different lengths of tunnels that children can crawl through, water play areas and sand pits all add to children's knowledge and their tactile
and spatial awareness. Taken from the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia, on page 46, learning is described as a natural process of exploration that children engage in from birth as they expand their intellectual, physical, social, emotional and creative capacities.  Early learning is closely linked to early development.   Consequently the learning framework which technicians provide, provides general goals or outcomes for children's learning and how they might be attained.  It also provides a scaffold to assist early childhood settings to develop their own, more detailed curriculum.  Learning outcomes of skill, knowledge or disposition that educators can actively promote in early childhood setting, in collaboration with children and families. leads further on to building learning relationships that further encourage children's learning and development.  Both the adult and the child have intent to learn from each other.


References
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0TGczdbiV4

The Early Years learning Framework for Australia:  Belonging, Being & Becoming  (page 46)

Participant

This blog will focus on the Participation of young children.  I will discuss the literary and numeracy concepts being used by the children, up to the ages of around four years of age.

In the first U-Tube a young boy Layan is shown practising his reading skills from the age of 1 year and 5 months up to the age of 4 years and 3 months.  At the beginning of his reading development program, Layan is shown flashcards introduced by his mother.  She speaks out words such as tongue, nose and ladder: words that are known to the child.  His mother is encouraging and positive as Layan recites these familiar words, already known to him.  As words are pointed to in the book that Layan knows, this reinforces the learning process.  As time goes by, more and more words will be added to his memory. especially key words that are well-illustrated in an educational and functional book.   By the age of 2 years and 1 month, Layan can remember the word  'pillow', and by the age of 2 years and 4 months, he shows excitement at knowing learned words.  As Layan learns more sounds, he reaches the stage whereby at the age of 4, he is able to read the words 'Happy Birthday' on a newly received card.  Layan's reading skills continue to improve, as he can now read to himself out loud and is reading well by the age of 4 years and 3 months.

The second U-Tube clip is known as Wee Bee World.  This is a small clip that illustrates numeracy in a young animated setting.  The animated characters used are a bee, who is the principle educator in this small series.  Firstly a single giraffe and a lone monkey appear on an animated screen, where the number two is displayed as a bright and colourful number. Then a further giraffe is added along with the lone monkey. This naturally equate three animals. Lastly three giraffes are added to the screen with the monkey, equating to  four animal characters. This clip emphasises Basic Maths Skills for young children, being a passive way for children  to learn.


The next film clip that I observed is titled 'Teachers TV Drama 4 Learning - Maths Through Drama at Key Stage 1.

In this video clip the children are actively involved, as they sing to the cue of the drama teacher.  She has introduced drama into their maths learning and at around the age of four years, these young children are able to readily absorb creative and educational concepts easily.  At this young stage of their lives, children have vivid imaginations and much energy to match.  The talented teacher combined the concepts of maths learning with drama.  She brought maths into her role and found  that the children are keen to learn more.  They are naturally interested in solving maths problems, most likely because the teacher has introduced new maths learning in a fun way.  She made the comment that usually when the children finish their normal set work, they would put their work away.  The teacher commented that they continue to ask relevant questions about maths and numeracy (at their level), readily and easily instead.  In one of the drama skits, the teacher took on the role of a Chef.  She was able to incorporate maths learning into the world of cooking and undoubtedly the concepts of basic maths which the  children are already being taught, would become more meaningful to them.  This is because these skills are being introduced to their everyday world of cooking, (in this example) and at their present level of understanding.  This video highlights the relevance and importance of maths in many of the normal aspects of life.  Enabling children to understand the maths concepts in a creative and easy manner, will add encouragement to their future maths solving skills, encouraging them to solve these concepts in the real world and giving them a basis for future learning. 


References

1. 4 year old child reading - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WPZ4xG07qk
2. Teachers' TV 'Drama 4 Learning' - Maths Through Drama at Key Stage 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0u16p4wyoE
3. Adding For Toddlers, Pre-School and Kindergarten Children - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDuHlhbV920

User

A two year and a three year old boy and girl are playing together.  One of the children tends to 'lead' the play.  Their play is relaxed, being free from adult-instructed or educator-initiated rules or advice.  Each of the children are happily engaged in their own play, yet both interact socially.


A boy and girl are running down a footpath together.  The boy stops by a building and slides himself along the pavement, while the girl hops around near by him.  They both enjoy each other's company and their play is individual, yet co-constructed.  Often each child observes what the other child is doing.  The children do not always follow each other's play patterns.
The boy is not at all restricted in his play, at sliding, wearing no socks or shoes that may hinder his play.  They both observe a large trailer, the girl attempting to push it and then swing on it.  The boy moves around beside the girl and then he chooses to run away from her.  The girl runs to meet up with him, after he has run off from her. Then the girl pushes the boy on a tricycle, running after him again as he circles around a building.  The next action the boy takes is to ride upon a tricycle.  The girl consequently chooses to climb inside or a red and yellow plastic car-mobile that is positioned nearby.  The boy soon alights from the tricycle, then climbing back onto it, soon after. They play well alongside of each other and each participates in their own chosen course of play.  Although the children do not mutually take part in the same activities, they do enjoy each other's company and inspire each other to play at roles that are conducive to their vivid and unrestricted imaginations.

An educator could inspire the children to combine their play efforts in a more cohesive manner.  For example, he/she could encourage each child to take turns at riding on the tricycle and the car-mobile.  The children could be encouraged to ask questions as to what the trailer that is free-standing nearby, is normally used for.  Children enjoy free play and are naturally sociable beings. This is an innate trait within all very young and young children.  There are also times whereby children can be challenged in constructive play patterns.  As they mix with their peers, they absorb the ideas of their playmates;  whether this involves 'free play' or initiated or rote learning by their educators or parents.

When children 'play out' dramas in 'real life', they 'act out' their own made-up dramas. 
Taken from Page 7 of 'Teaching Literacy through Drama", 
it states that when a child is able to operate in abstract and imagined play-worlds with other children, the time is ripe for teachers and other empathetic adults to move in alongside the children, with a clear learning agenda.  Literacy skills are gradually learned as children learn to socialise, despite their playing solitarily, yet alongside of teach other.  Adults can act as models for the pretending process and demonstrate how language, gesture and action can be appropriately used to explore and open up a variety of situations.   During times of parallel dramatic play alongside another child or adult, children negotiate dramatic play with their peer/s or adults,  The end result is that they are participating in drama.  At times a child may well begin to play solitarily and dramatically by themselves, until another child chooses to join in, as is the case in the U-tube described above.  An adult looking on : (see Page 8), - may observe and support the children's play, interacting with them in their parallel dramatic play.  He/she can support and interact in or out of role, providing structure of shared drama experience in or out of role as the children's play progresses.  Referring to Page 9 of "Teaching Literacy through Drama". written by P. Baldwin and K. Fleming; Drama invites emotional engagement and a sense of identity as part of a group (this includes parallel play with another peer).  Play provides powerful contexts for speaking and listening, provides opportunities for the children to communicate their thoughts, ideas and feelings. provides a means of understanding symbolism and the juxtaposition of words and silence.  Should an educator or teacher have joined in with the children's play, they could have introduced significant opportunities for the stimulation of interactive pupil response, thereby creating a catalyst for communication by the children.   The educator or teacher could encourage story-making development in the children's play, involving the creation of imaginary characters, settings and plots. Mathematical development can be learned when a child or children enjoy dramatic play and imagined drama contexts.  Both the boy or girl are using their vivid imaginations while playing alongside of each other.   They are both engaging in abstract forms which they portray in visual and tactile form.  At the same time, the children are finding reasons for thinking mathematically in order to use and apply mathematics in a powerful imaginary context, giving motivating reasons for finding solutions and problem-solving.  When the children use the tricycle and the car-mobile, they are exercising mathematical skills and logical reasoning.  They both ride their 'vehicles' on the footpath, keeping safe and away from traffic or any obstacles.
Referring to the Early Years Framework for Australia curriculum booklet, play-based learning is described as a context for learning through which children organise and make sense of their social worlds, as they engage actively with people, objects and representations.  Therefore, the innate and natural abilities and desires of young children to join in aspects of play provides an indisputable foundation and unlimited scope for the development of very young and young children's literacy and numerical skills.  The 'free' and non-adult initiated play by the two children who I observed on the U- video website provides this evidence. 






References:

Youtube.com - How 2 year old and 3 year old toddlers play together - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_tmbZFSmRQ


Teaching Literacy through Drama:  Baldwin P. and Fleming K.:   RoutledgeFarmer, 2003
(Creative approaches)


The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia - P46
(Belonging, Being  & Becoming)

Barbara Furler.
St. No:  2075318

Participant –What does this mean to me?

Participant –What does this mean to me?
How do very young children pragmatically use and apply the purposes, structures and features of
early literacy and numeracy concepts through their play and everyday life experiences?

As young children grow, they draw on their already learned skills, assimilating the knowledge and skills that they already have and adding on to this knowledge, with their newly learned experiences.  The minds of young children are very vivid and open to new possibilities, imaginations and learning.  Experiences that they have already had, are stored in their memory banks unconsciously.  For example, children will better acquire good reading skills by reading and re-reading books that they have already learned to read.  Absorbing the visual illustrations, along  with  sounds and words that are similarly remembered, builds up the children's confidence and learning abilities. Saying words and letters out aloud to children by educators and parents, using repetition also for numbers; is another building block.  Children learn quickly,  especially if they can see and hear the same letters and sounds or numbers being repeated.  Of the five senses, sight is the most important.  It is possible to assume that children will remember well-illustrated words and numbers, well after having been exposed to them over a period of time.  Confidence builds further confidence and as children experience varying play and life experiences, they unconsciously draw on their knowledge already gained.  In this way then, children can continue to grow and gain literary and numerical understanding.  Wherever possible then, it is important that the fundamental reading, writing and arithmetic skills that are learned at an early age, are presented in a highly visual and textual manner that children are able to readily absorb and understand.   In this way, children pragmatically use and apply these skills throughout their play and everyday life experiences.

User – What do I do with this?

User – What do I do with this?

How do very young children pragmatically use and apply the purposes, structures and features of
early literacy and numeracy concepts through their play and everyday life experiences?

Children are constantly learning new ideas on an almost daily basis.  This applies to the ways in which books are written for children at various levels.  A child is then drawn to reading and looking at books which they can assimilate.  For this to occur, the texts must be appealing to them and for children, colourful illustrations and good-sized lettering helps the storyline to be understood.  Children learn to articulate sounds and words better, with much practise on the same phonics and sounds.  An educator or parent who is reading a story to children will often emulate the sounds and grimaces of the main characters of the storyline.  For example, in the story of  Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf,  an adult reader can use much emphasis to convey fear and terror, towards to the end of this story.  He/she can then indicate the immense amount of relief that Little Red Riding Hood experiences, when her grandmother is physically returned to her.  The tone of the adult reader's voice helps to set the scene for the different gamut of emotions that are or can be experienced in real-world situations.

Using a formal and sometimes informal tone of voice is a good indicator to children as to the seriousness or non-seriousness of a story or oral tale that is being told to them.  Oral stories are told to Aboriginal children as formal writing is not a part of Aboriginal culture.  These children learn the depth of intensity of stories that are related to them, by their story tellers.  Aboriginal people are skilled at drawing artwork and undoubtedly children learn much from these visual illustrations as taught to them by their educators and parents. All children are very quick learners and by occasionally reviewing formally seen or heard texts, either by books, oral stories or songs, dances, music, dancing and their own handwriting and drawings, children build on their already learned knowledge.  Their scaffolding of knowledge and education increases as they are further exposed to new experiences, books, stories, songs, dances, drama, and excursions and visits to new places. Children's literary skills grow as further new experiences are given to them, whilst at the same time they draw upon already learned and understanding texts of various kinds.

The same principles as above can be applied to numeracy skills and learning.  Constant repetition and gradual exposure to new sets of numbers, symbolic illustration of numbers on public transport vehicles, signage and counting skills acquired at an early age, become a scaffold of reaching towards higher numeracy skills.  An early educator or parent may have successfully taught children to wait till the number ten has been reached, before the child in front of them at a playground, has a turn at sliding down the slippery dip.  Likewise, children can learn to count the number of blocks or objects within their reach, by being exposed continually and un-obtrusively to numbers.  Blocks can be written with colourful, large numbers on them and as time goes by, the learning that children have received, then becomes second-nature to them.  As their learning increases naturally and considerably, also their confidence grows as they then become accustomed to absorbing further knowledge and skills at the level to which they are at.