How Practitioners Encourage Children to Participate in Group Activities - Assignment Example

How Practitioners Encourage Children to Participate in Group Activities Introduction The way(s) in which a child learns shapes his or her entire world. Children acquire knowledge based on a number of factors, including their environment, the material(s) or curricula presented to them, their learning style, the people that actively participate in the child's life, whether they are learning in a group versus individually, their physical and mental traits and abilities, their own desires, and more. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the aforementioned ideas and present how practitioners encourage children to participate in group activities (Edwards, A. & Knight, 1994 and Fisher, J., 2002). The Ways in Which Children Learn and Develop Group Interactive Skills Even though this sounds like a basic, straightforward question, there is actually a vast amount of differing opinions that exist on the topic. For instance, take the outlook of a physical education teacher. "Cognitively, preschool children are at a pre-operational stage. New schema are constantly changing as children accommodate and assimilate information. Young children are still developing principles of conservation, seriation, and other important foundational learning fundamentals. They have short attention spans and usually can process or focus on only one concept at a time. They learn best through active experiences in the tactile kinesthetic mode" (Werner, 1994, pg.1; Gura, P., 1996; and Hurst, V., 1997). Group play with small children is self-centered. This is the time that their self-esteem and self-concept are developing and must be nourished through positive experiences. "Socially, preschool children are developing interactive skills with others, but often revert to behaviors which satisfy themselves" (Werner, 1994, pg. 1; Hurst, V. & Joseph, J, 1998). Listening also plays an important role in group interactive skills. "Interactive skills ensure that you understand the messages your counterparts are communicating and acknowledge their feelings. Interactive skills include clarifying, verifying, and reflecting" (Everyone Negotiates, 2008, pg. 2). The process of clarifying involves using "facilitative questions to fill in the details, get additional information, and explore all sides of an issue." The process of verifying involves paraphrasing a speaker's words to ensure that they are being interpreted correctly. Finally, the process of reflecting involves making "remarks that acknowledge and show empathy for the speaker's feeling" (Everyone Negotiates, 2008, pg. 2). How Sessions are Planned and Managed "Different children have different personalities, and likewise, children have different intelligences and learning styles-some are visual-spatial learners, some auditory learners, some kinesthetic learners, and some a combination. By understanding your child's learning personality, you can tailor his environment or teach him tips to help him succeed in school and in life" (Education.com, 2008, pg. 5). This means that the various learning styles that a group of children exhibits will determine how sessions are planned and managed. Knowing how to plan and manage a session is critical in ensuring successful knowledge transmission among group members. Teachers need to know the different learning and thinking styles and how they affect children in the group, a thorough lesson plan needs to be developed based on those needs, proper discipline needs to be maintained, the strengths and weaknesses of the group members need to be identified and assessed, and the teacher should have a working knowledge of social and emotional learning (Education.com, 2008, pg. 5). How Assessment Strategies are Used to Progress Children's Learning "Assessment doesn't take time away from learning; assessments can be learning experiences in themselves. Active assessment strategies enhance student content understanding and promote skills that will be beneficial to students throughout their lives. The ability to see the big picture, develop effective oral and written reports and the ability to work cooperatively with their peers are skills that are promoted by active assessment" (Starting Point, 2008, pg. 1). There are a number of different types of assessment strategies. They include scoring rubrics, instructional rubrics, concept maps, portfolios, co-operative learning, ConcepTests, knowledge surveys, exams, oral presentations, peer reviews, written reports, concept sketches, case studies, seminars, mathematical or numerical thinking, performance assessments, and more (Starting Point, 2008; Jarvis & Chandler, 2001 and Drummond, 1993). Teacher Observation Her Planned Activity The teacher that was observed planned to investigate approaches to group work sessions. Her aim was to aid teachers in learning how to effectively manage groups of children (London South Bank University, 2004). Her Strategy Her strategy was to show her students that they could exhibit three specific skills upon completion of the course. These specific skills included "plan a group session with children, choosing appropriate methods for the situation; manage group activities and experiences, based on relevant knowledge and skills; and assess children's learning in comparison with theories and methods in accepted use" (London South Bank University, 2004, pg. 2). How She Involves Children Not Willing to Participate No knowledge was obtained on this particular part of the process. This is most likely because the teacher observed had adult students who were at least mostly willing to participate (London South Bank University, 2004). How She Caters to Individualised Learning The teacher caters to individualized learning through the process of exhibiting five different types of learning and teaching patterns. These include lectures, seminars, case studies, observations, and experiential learning (London South Bank University, 2004). Strategies Used in Delivery of Group Activity The teacher developed a lesson plan that shows the strategies used in delivery of group activity. Each week, students were provided with a topic, core reading, and background reading in order to learn the lesson for that week (London South Bank University, 2004). Children's Learning Styles The first type of learning style is visual. This type of learner learns through seeing. "These learners need to see the teacher's body language and facial expression to fully understand the content of a lesson. They tend to prefer sitting at the front of the classroom to avoid visual obstructions (e.g. people's heads). They may think in pictures and learn bestfrom visual displays including: diagrams, illustrated text books, overhead transparencies, videos, flipcharts and hand-outs. During a lecture or classroom discussion, visual learners often prefer to take detailed notes to absorb the information" (LDPride.net, 2008, pg. 3). The next type of learning style is auditory. Auditory learners absorb knowledge through listening. "They learn best through verbal lectures, discussions, talking things through and listening to what others have to say. Auditory learners interpret the underlying meanings of speech through listening to tone of voice, pitch, speed and other nuances. Written information may have little meaning until it is heard. These learners often benefit from reading text aloud and using a tape recorder" (LDPride.net, 2008, pg.3 and Nottingham, D.B., 1998). The last type of learning style is tactile/kinesthetic. These individuals learn best through moving, doing, and/or touching. "Tactile/Kinesthetic persons learn best through a hands-on approach, actively exploring the physical world around them. They may find it hard to sit still for long periods and may become distracted by their need for activity and exploration" (LDPride.net, 2008, pg. 4). How One Can Incorporate Information Learned into Future Performance Incorporating information learned into future performance goes right back to planning and managing sessions. One can sit through a course such as the one that was observed and discussed above, take notes, retain that information, and use it in a lesson plan to teach children in groups (Nutbrown, C., 1996 and Pugh, G., 2001). Different Curriculum around the World TE Whaariki Curriculum in New Zealand This is a new type of curriculum that is being used in New Zealand, so there are still kinks that are being worked out in the process. This curriculum is based towards those individuals in early childcare. The concept itself was developed by Helen May and Margaret Carr. There are three age groups contained in this curriculum, and those are infants, toddlers, and young children. There are also four principles that are used to guide the individual using the curriculum: empowerment/whakamana, holistic development/kotahitanga, family and community/whanau tangata, and relationships/nga honononga. The High Scope Curriculum "The High/Scope Preschool Curriculum is the preschool component of High/Scope's research-based system of education for the preschool and infant-toddler years. The curriculum has a set of teaching practices for adults, content areas for children, assessment tools to measure teaching behaviors and children's progress, and a training model to help adults use the curriculum to support children's development" (High/Scope, 2008, pg. 1). The High-Scope curriculum is based on active learning; classroom arrangement, materials, and equipment; daily routine; preschool curriculum content; assessment; and state and school district pre-K programs, all of which are centered on active learning (High/Scope, 2008). The New Early Years Foundation Stage & its Link to the TE Whaariki Curriculum "The EYFS is a single quality framework for children from birth to the age of five. It brings together and replaces Birth to Three Matters, the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage (QCA/00/587) and the National Standards for Under 8s Day Care and Childminding. From September 2008 it will be mandatory for all early years providers, including maintained schools, non-maintained schools, independent schools and childcare registered by Ofsted" (CWDC, 2007, pg. 1). Just like the TE Whaariki Curriculum, it is fairly new and is based on early childcare. The Adult Interaction Strategy Again, this goes back to planning and managing sessions. This is absolutely essential in ensuring that a group learning process is successful. Those conducting these sessions need to know the different learning and thinking styles and how they affect children in the group, a thorough lesson plan needs to be developed based on those needs, proper discipline needs to be maintained, the strengths and weaknesses of the group members need to be identified and assessed, and the teacher should have a working knowledge of social and emotional learning (Education.com, 2008). Group Work "Group work is one pedagogical strategy that promotes participation and interaction. It also fosters a deeper and more active learning process. In addition to exposing students to different approaches and ways of thinking, working with other students in groups can promote a sense of belonging to combat anonymity, isolation or even shyness that often accompany a student's experience at a large campus. Working together in groups also gives students the opportunity to learn from and teach each other. Classroom research has shown that students often learn better from each other than they do from a teacher" (Teaching Resource Center, 2008, pg. 1). The Foundation Stage Curriculum "The foundation stage was introduced as a distinct phase of education for children aged 3-5 in September 2000. In preparation, Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage was distributed in May 2000 to all schools with nursery and reception classes, and to early years settings receiving nursery education grant funding. This guidance sets out six areas of learning which form the basis of the foundation stage curriculum. These areas are: Personal, social and emotional development; communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical development; and creative development" (CWDC, 2007, pg. 1). Conclusion The purpose of this paper has been to discuss the manners in which children learn, including their environment, the material(s) or curricula presented to them, their learning style, the people that actively participate in the child's life, whether they are learning in a group versus individually, their physical and mental traits and abilities, their own desires, and more. In addition, this paper has discussed how practitioners encourage children to participate in group activities. This is critical considering that the way a child learns means a lot in that child's ultimate outcome (Edwards, A. & Knight, 1994 and Fisher, J., 2002). References Drummond, M.J. (1993). Making Assessment Work; Values and Principles in Assessing Young Children's Learning. NES Arnold/National Children's Bureau. Educational Programs: Early Childhood. (2008). High/Scope. Retrieved February 25, 2008, from http://staging.highscope.org/EducationalPrograms/EarlyChildhood/homepage.htm Edwards, A. & Knight (1994). Effective Early Years Education. Paul Chapman Publishing. Fisher, J. (2002). Starting from the child- Teaching and Learning from 3-8. Paul Chapman Publishing. The foundation stage: education for children aged 3 to 5. (2008). Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. Retrieved February 25, 2008, from http://www.qca.org.uk/qca_5984.aspx. Group Work in Discussion Sessions. (2008). Teaching Resource Center. Retrieved February 25, 2008 from http://gsi.berkeley.edu/resources/discussion/groupwork.html Gura, P. (1996). Resources for Early Learning. Paul Chapman Publishing. How to Use Assessment Strategies. (2008). Starting Point. Retrieved February 25, 2008, from http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/assessment/strategies.html Hurst, V. (1997). Planning for Early Learning. Paul Chapman Publishing. Hurst, V. & Joseph, J. (1998). Supporting Early Learning the Way Forward. Open University Press. Interactive Listening Skills. (2008). Everyone Negotiates. Retrieved February 25, 2008, from http://www.everyonenegotiates.com/negotiation/interactivelisteningskills.htm Jarvis, M. & Chandler, E. (2001). Angles on Child Psychology Cheltenham, Nelson Thornes. Learning Personalities. (2007). Education.com. Retrieved February 25, 2008, from http://www.education.com/reference/learningpersonalities/cid=5320 Learning Styles Explained. (2008). LDPride.net. Retrieved February 25, 2008, from http://www.ldpride.net/learningstyles.MI.htm#types%20of%20learning%20styles The Level 3 Certificate in Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Practice: Information for local authorities and training providers. (2007). CWDC. Retrieved February 25, 2008, from http://www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/pdf/EYFS/EYFS_leaflet_Aug07.pdf Nottingham, D.B. (1998). Supporting Creativity and Imagination in the Early Years. Paul Chapman Publishing. Nutbrown, C. (1996). Threads of Thinking Young Children's Learning and the Role of Early Education. Paul Chapman Publishing. Pugh, G. (2001). Contemporary Issues in the Early Years, 3rd Edition. Paul Chapman Publishing. Tyler, J. (2008). Te Whaariki the New Zealand Framework. Werner, P. (1994). Whole Physical Education. JOPERD, Vol. 65. Working with Groups of Children. (2004). London South Bank University. Read More