Week 6 (Day 12)

This day was focused on observing, documenting, and assessing children's engagement and learning during planned activities. According to the EYLF and NQS Quality Area 1, these practices are essential for creating educational programs that are relevant and sensitive to children's developmental needs (ACECQA, 2022). As the day began, children practiced making alphabet letters on laminated papers using pencils in a tracing alphabet exercise. As I watched every child complete the assignment, I noted their level of attention, letter recognition, and grasp.  After boldly tracing the letters of the alphabet "A" to promote EYLF Outcome 5.2, which emphasises literacy development through active involvement (Department of Education, 2022). 

During lunch, I sat with the children and encouraged them to talk about their favourite letters or words. Based on this informal conversation, I recorded their language skills and interests for future planning. During group time, we all sang the alphabet song, which provided children with an engaging and fun way to practice letter recognition and sequencing. Singing well-known songs helps children connect letters to sounds, promoting early literacy and supporting EYLF Outcome 5, which emphasises the importance of both verbal and nonverbal communication (Department of Education, 2022). The children enthusiastically joined in, showcasing their growing self-confidence and love of group learning activities.

As the children played outside in the afternoon, I observed their social relationships and gross motor skills. As Mateo engaged with classmates while climbing and balancing on equipment, I saw his growing confidence in social and physical play.  These insights helped me better understand his specific learning needs and prepare for future opportunities to support his development.

Today's emphasis on tracking, recording, and assessing the children's involvement helped me better understand their areas of strength and growth. The letter tracing activity highlighted the importance of tailoring support to each child's needs and showed how young readers pick up early literacy skills at their own pace. By documenting these results, I may efficiently scaffold their learning in subsequent activities, as recommended by Arthur et al. (2020). To ensure that my planning is inclusive, responsive, and in accordance with the children's developmental goals, I will keep improving my documentation and observational skills (ACECQA, 2022).