Learning in early years - Essay Example

 Learning in early years At Clovel Childcare and Early Learning Centre, children get plenty of opportunities that enable them excel in every aspect of development, which ranges from language to motor skills, security, and social belonging. In this centre, children learn language skills, which include both expressive and receptive, motors skills that include gross and fine skills, and develop a sense of belonging. Particularly, each one of these aspects is very crucial for a child’s development (Bandura, 2001). As such, Clovel Childcare and Early Learning Centre assumes the responsibility of promoting and incorporating these aspects and skills into children as they allow them to develop their full potential no only in their current stage, but as they develop and shift to their next level of primary childhood (Bandura, 1991). This paper will seek to provide an outline of the Clovel Childcare and Early Learning Centre’s philosophy, curriculum approach, and daily practices in creating learning environments. Philosophy, curriculum, and day-to-day approach At Clovel Childcare and Early Learning Centre, they have a philosophy that aims at four major scores that consist of children, early childhood, staff, and families. The philosophy aims to achieve a reasonable and stable environment for learning and that which is free from harm (Gardner, 1993). This is because the goals must be realized at the expense of no one within the institution. Additionally, the philosophy looks at children from an individual point of view and analyzes their sense of belonging. In this centre, the staff believes that a child can learn better through exploration and discovery. They also believe that a family acts like a child’s role model and therefore, they must include it in every child’s development facet that is part of their childcare setting. Apart from that, the staff at Clovel Childcare and Early Learning Centre is aware of the fact that they must be professional and respectful (Psych Blog 2008). They must ensure that they are secure and profoundly in learning in a safe environment. In addition, this centre believes that a suitable or proficient childcare environment is one that allows children to develop with the help of professionals. The philosophy of Clovel Childcare and Early Learning Centre closely links to the ideology that children make up the future and therefore, have the right to learn and develop through investigations, play, try, and error within a nurturing and safe environment (Psych Blog 2008). It also emphasizes strongly on the uniqueness of individuals with reference to their preferences, likes, interests, abilities, and needs. Thus, the Centre’s interactions and programs must conform to the needs of the children in order to ensure a conducive and interactive environment for children development (Bandura, 1991). According to the ’s believes, children need to feel immersed in and have that sense of belonging at all times and that the children’s need to feel welcomed and respected at any given time. The staff at Clovel Childcare and Early Learning Centre believes that the atmosphere of this should be inviting, warm, and friendly where there is support for learning of every individual. Referring to the Clovel Childcare and Early Learning Centre, children have a sense of identity, share a special connection with the environment, have a strong sense of being, and are confident, involved learners. These are some of the major common teachings in the institution and every child is required to follow. Thus, the centre readily intertwines these outcomes with their daily activities in order for the children to have opportunities for making their own choices regarding the activities that interest them most. To ensure that children develop their inner abilities, the centre also incorporates activities that compose of pasting, cutting, and painting since they all help in developing a child’s fine motor skills (Hoffnunh, 2010). With relevancy to the Clovel Childcare and Early Learning Centre, these skills are of utmost vitality as they facilitate the children’s process of shifting or rather graduating from their childcare state to primary school. Looking at what they do on their daily basis, it is evident that the school lacks a written curriculum. Nevertheless, its staff uses a platform for talking to children where they provide them with opportunities for completing activities they believe will be helpful and crucial for their further learning (Department of Education, Employment, and Workplace Relations, 2009). This platform is evident in the case where the staff gives the children a task of bringing a lunch box packed with morning tea and a lunch meal to the centre once every week. Through this spectrum, the centre strives to teach children a better way of eating healthily such as observing a healthy diet through eating a fruit every occasionally (Bandura, 2001). The centre’s day-to-day approach bases on the learning outcomes of the children as it hopes to strengthen the development of these children through consistent and observable training. In outcome one; children gain a strong sense of identity best promoted through free time in which children get to interact with others in activities that interest them most (Bandura, 1991). Coincidentally, this aspect links directly with the Piaget’s directive learning theory. This theory emphasizes that a child has a prior knowledge in their areas of interest and therefore is aware of what she needs to do (Allen & R.I.C. Publications, 2010). A child’s interaction is then directly linked to outcome number two whereby; children connect with and contribute to their own worlds through development of a sense of belonging especially with other children when they interact during their free time and during performance of the activities set by the staff at the centre (Department of Education, Employment, and Workplace Relations, 2009). Outcomes 3 and 4 dictate that children learn and understand teachings through problems solving activities, which include solving puzzles online. Planned learning environment Within Clovel Childcare and Early Learning Centre, children participate in various things. For instance, they get to take part in planned activities and free play whereby both of them may be set either indoors or outdoor (Department of Education, Employment, and Workplace Relations, 2009). This is so because, the staff at this centre believes in the notion that learning through playing is important as it expands a child’s thinking capacity since it happens within a supportive environment. In fact, from the play, the children manage to relax their brains hence concentrate later in their work. This has helped significantly in impacting the success realized this far. Nonetheless, it is seeable that at Clovel Childcare and Early Learning Centre, staff has a weakness of not encouraging engagement of every child with the centre in all activities and most of the times; they have the same children doing the same tasks every time it is needful (Bandura, 2001). During learning time, the staff uses books as a tool for studying but unfortunately, they do not encourage children to study on their own during free time in order to develop the children’s mental and reading skills. Implementation, reviews, and documentation of children’s learning The employees at Clovel Childcare and Early Learning Centre employ the use of learning stories as their major way of documenting daily records since it gives them a basis for showing parents and guardians the activities that their children completed that day (Gardner, 1993). Moreover, it provides them with a systematic report showing the way in which the children completed the task. The stories link with the five stated outcomes of early learning framework and the staff link each to a particular task or activity that a child completes everyday (Allen & R.I.C. Publications, 2010). Away from the use of learning documentation, the staff also uses photos as a way of showing how children completed various chosen tasks. The staff also applies the use of photos as a visual way of scaffolding places that appear more familiar with the activities that the children participate (Bandura, 1991). Implications for children’s learning Some of the implications that may end up affecting a child’s ability for future development consist of engagement of different styles of learning and family values. The Clovel Childcare and Early Learning Centre has a strong feeling for these two aspects and have hence implemented them by making them part of their daily activities (Department of Education, Employment, and Workplace Relations, 2009). Studies show that, for a child to his or her abilities and strengths, it is imperative for them to grow in a mix of different capacities that aid in developing those aspects. The centre feels strongly about development of capacities, abilities, and strengths of a child. Hence, it implemented this feeling by incorporating various opportunities that include dress ups, puzzles, music, painting, and matching games where they all address different learning styles (Bandura, 2001). Conclusion Cognitively, childcare centres should find it pragmatic to utilize all the aspects of the early learning year’s framework within a child’s development. This is essential as it ensures that children benefit maximally from their early learning experiences. Clovel Childcare and Early Learning Centre maintain all these guidelines but it has a few which it does not acknowledge as strongly as others do (Department of Education, Employment, and Workplace Relations, 2009). Surely, childcare centres are substantial and it is through the provided guidelines that this centre should support in order to have its ability to strengthen the development of children at their early ages increased. References Allen, M., & R.I.C. Publications, (2010). Early childhood learning centres: A practical approach to implementing learning centres. Greenwood, W.A: R.I.C. Publications. Bandura, A. (2001). Social Cognitive Theory : An agentic perspective. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 1-26 Bandura. A. (1991). Social Cognitive Theory of moral thoughts and action. In W.M. Kurtines & J.L Gewirtz (Eds), Hanbook of moral behaviour and development: Vol 1 of Psychology, (pg 44-104) Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, (2009). Belonging, being and becoming: The early years learning framework for Australia. Canberra. Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple Intellegences: the theory in practice. New York: Basic Books Hoffnunh,M . et al ( 2010). Childhood: First Australasian Edition, Theories of Development (pp 32-47),John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd Psych Blog (2008). 6 Types of Play: How We Learn to Work Together, viewed 27/5/2012, retrieved from http://www.spring.org.uk/2008/07/6-types-of-play-how-we-learn-to-work.php Appendix Clovel Childcare & Early Learning centre philosophy Merrylands To achieve our centre and teacher philosophy and statement we considered the following: Beliefs: Home like environment, respectful, friendly, harmonious relationships, intentional teaching, holistic, responsive, creative, inclusive, community, inviting, welcoming, parental involvement, non-discriminatory, anti bias curriculum, non-threatening, cater for individual needs, safe, effective open communication channels between all parties, building a personalized program based on what each child is good at interested in and loves to do. Philosophy: 1. We will endeavour to act responsibly to children’s feelings. Develop needs to stimulate their curiosity and thinking. Provide a warm, loving, friendly, parent, homely atmosphere for them to feel safe and secure as they interact with educators and peers. Develop their skills, confidence, and self-esteem as well as participate in an early learning program in a non-threatening environment both indoors and outdoors. 2. We believe that Clovel childcare and early learning centre is “each other’s home’. As such, we display the children’s work prominently to allow them to show their work to their parents, family, and friends. To discuss their work with parent’s, family, and friends to have pride in their activities and show a sense of ownership, belonging to the centre, and the environment as a whole. 3. We believe it’s important to design our rooms to meet the interests of the children within their age differences, needs as well as abilities to enhance their belonging and as such we ensure that the room/s are set up with resources, equipment and design accordingly. 4. We believe we reflect the diverse values of the children, parents, families, educators and the wider community through our program. 5. We strive to appear as a service of excellence within our community involvement in all aspects of our program. A service where community resources are utilized effectively. Enhance the growth and development of individual children, families and educators, staff. 6. When we are programming, we feel it’s very important to take into account not only groups of children but special needs of individual children, and therefore plan activities that are fun m stimulating and provide opportunities for socializing, sharing, taking turns, problem solving, creativity, the development of positive independence, self regulation and positive self concept. 7. When programming we use the whole child approach, utilizing a program cycle based on the early years learning framework and incorporating children’s portfolios, working with a sense of purpose, intentional teaching methods and child specific knowledge and interests to gain positive outcomes for each individual each individual children. Read More