DOCUMENTATION, ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING RECORD_ 2

Observation method: Learning story

During an alphabet sensory bin activity, Child A excitedly came near and watched her peers scoop the alphabet. The educator asked, "Child A, would you like to join your friends?" Child A replied with a smile, "Yes". The educator helped Child A sit on the chair. Child A grabbed the serving spoons and started digging in the sand. She held the serving spoon with her right hand and the alphabet with her left hand. The educator demonstrated how to dig the sand using a serving spoon and asked students to find the letter A. While scooping, Child A enthusiastically said the letter "A" out loud and showed it to the educators. The educator said, "Good job, Child A." Child A then picked up the letter "M" and scooped it out with a serving spoon. Child A grabbed the black shovel and began digging with her two hands. She found the letter R and tried to put it on the shovel top. The educator asked, "Child A, can your friend have a turn, please?" Child smiled and said, “Yeah”. The educator replied, “Thank you, Child A, for sharing”. Then, she got up from the chair and walked over to the corner.

Domains: 

Cognitive Development: Child A developed her cognitive skills by recognizing and identifying the letter A (Berk, 2013).

Physical Development: Children use serving spoons and shovels to improve hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills (Berk, 2013).

Social and Emotional Development: Children interact with peers and educators, and she also shares the sensory tray with their peers (Kearns, 2020).

Language Development: Educators give simple directions that children understand and respond to by saying "Yeah” (Kearns, 2020).

Milestones:

Cognitive: Child A search for hidden letters (ACECQA), 2018).

Language: Comprehends and follows simple questions or commands (ACECQA), 2018).

Social: Child A cooperated to share the alphabet sensory tray with peers (ACECQA), 2018).

Physical: Child A can grab the shovel or serving spoons and walk by independently (ACECQA), 2018).

Dispositions:

Curiosity: Child A is eager to explore the hidden alphabet letters inside the sensory tray (Petty, 2016).

Independence: The children independently grabbed the shovel to dig the sensory tray's sand (ADGE, 2022).

Social Engagement: Children comprehended the educator's instructions and willingly shared resources with their peers (ADGE, 2022).

Emotional Expression: Child A was enthusiastic about exploring the alphabet smiling all the way (Gonzalez-Mena, 2014). 

LEARNING and CURRICULUM

Each portion of the documentation is to be analysed for learning that is occurring and the curriculum areas the children are engaging in

Learning

Language and literacy development: Child A understood simple commands given by educators and recognized the letter A, enhancing her early literacy skills (Kearns, 2020).

Sensory development: Incorporating letters hidden in the sand can help develop children's sensory perception through touch (Kearns, 2020).

Physical development: Children used hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills to grasp the shovel and uncover the letters hidden in the sand (Kearns, 2020).

Cognitive development: Children recognised the letter A, which improved their problem-solving skills and letter recognition (Kearns, 2020). 

Curriculum Areas

English: The children were able to comprehend the simple instructions given by the educator and engage with letters through them (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, n.d.).

Language and literacy: Early literacy skills was developed when children communicated with educators using simple words and recognized letter A (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, n.d.).

THEORY and FRAMEWORKS

Development and Education Theory

Piaget's Theory: In the Sensorimotor Stage (0-2 years), Child A developed her cognitive skills through sensory experiences and shovel manipulation (Beloglovsky & Daly, 2015).

Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory: Educators scaffold child A to find letters hidden inside the sand, which leads to social and cognitive development (Nolan & Raban, 2015).

Erikson's Theory of Psychosocial Development: Child A is at the initiative vs. guilt stage after independently exploring the sensory tray and sharing it with her peers (Beloglovsky & Daly, 2015).

Early Years Learning Framework Principles, Practices, Outcomes

Principles:

Secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships

Practice

Learning environments

Play-based learning and intentionality

Responsiveness to children

Learning outcome:

Learning outcome1.1: Children has developed secure attachments with familiar educators.

Learning outcome 1.2: Children showcased curiosity and confidence in their identity as learner.

Learning outcome 3.1: Children demonstrated trust and confidence in their interactions with others.

Learning outcome 4.1: Children express wonder and interest in environments.

(ADGE, 2022).

PEDAGOGICAL SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Each portion of the documentation is to be analysed for pedagogical skills and knowledge demonstrated by the educators.

Play-based Pedagogies

Sensory exploration: Sensory trays allow children to improve their sensory skills in tactile exploration.

Child-led play: The children initiated the experience as she came next to the educator and touched the alphabet from the sensory tray (Arthur et al., 2018).

Teaching Strategies

Encouragement: The educator encouraged children to find the letter A and pronounce it.

Positive reinforcement: Children were acknowledged for their achievement of finding letter A.

Role model: Educator role model to use the shovel and find the hidden letters.

(Dodge et al., 2010).

EYLF Educator Evidence

Outcome 1.3: Educators acknowledged and joined in with children’s expressions of pleasure in their efforts.

Outcome 2.4: Educators provide children access to a natural material (sand) in their environment.

Outcome 3.1: Educators show genuine affection, understanding and respect for all children.

Outcome 4.1: Educators provide learning environments that are flexible and open-ended.

Outcome 4.3: Educators provide resources for young children to explore the properties of sand and letters through manipulation and positioning.

(ADGE, 2022). 

Child Development

1. Educators planned an alphabet sensory tray to enhance children's sensory skills and develop alphabet recognition.

2. Through this experience, children also developed positive relationships with educators and peers.

(Berk, 2013).

Objective for future holistic learning and development

Short-term goal: Enhance letter recognition skills

Long-term goal: Develop early literacy skills and social skills

Learning experience name:  Playdough letter impressions

Experience rationale: For children to develop fine motor skills, alphabet recognition, multi-sensory learning, creativity, and imagination skills (Garvis et al., 2018).

Development and learning goal: Children can learn to manipulate the playdough and use the letter toy to create the impressions that lead to developing literacy skills (Fellows & Oakley, 2020).

Experience outline: This experience will take place in an indoor area where children will be seated at the table. Children will make the playdough by mixing up flour, tartar cream, oil, and water. Then, different alphabetical letter toys will be provided to children. Children will be encouraged to mould and press the letter on the playdough.

A list of materials required with photo(s):

EYLF child evidence links: 

Outcome 1.1: Children initiate and join in play.

Outcome 3.1: Children recognise their efforts and achievement.

Outcome 4.1: Children use their senses to play, explore and try new things.

Outcome 5.1: Children listen to and act upon simple directions.

(ADGE, 2022). 

Implementation plan

Introduction: Children will sit down at the table, where the educator will introduce the plan for the day. The educator will introduce the resources required to make playdough. Children will help in mixing playdough. Children will be introduced to the way to make letter impressions.

Body:  Children will use the rolling pin to mould the playdough. Children will get the letter toy and press it. Children will then take out the letter toy and see the impressions of the letter.

Conclusion: Children will experiment with letters such as A, B, C and D and observe the impressions. Children will pack away the resources and transition to the next experience using transition songs.

Engagement questions: 

Which letter are you taking, Child A?

Would you be able to use the letter A?

How about experimenting with the letter B?

Can you say letter A? 

Play pedagogies

Sensory play: Adding the playdough to the experience allows children to explore their sense of touch.

Adult-let play: Educators initiated play to improve their sensory and alphabet recognition skills.

 (Arthur et al. 2018).

Teaching strategies

Demonstrate: The educator demonstrated to the children how to manipulate the play dough, create a circle shape and add the letter on the top of it to generate letter impressions.

Encourage: Children were encouraged to experiment with different letters.

Role model: Educator role-modelled by moulding the playdough and creating the letter impressions.

Scaffold: The Educator scaffolded the learning by providing letters and helping them to use the rolling pin to mould playdough

(Dodge et al., 2010).

EYLF links

Outcome 3.1: Children increasingly cooperate and work collaboratively with others.

Outcome 4.2: Children use trial and error to explore different possibilities through cause and effect.

Outcome 5.1: Children engage in enjoyable interactions using verbal and non-verbal language.

 (ADGE, 2022).

Child development

The development of fine motor skills and sensory skills was combined with an introduction to letters for the children (Berk, 2013).

How did the children respond? Did they achieve the learning objective? Were there any unexpected outcomes? What was your role? How did you support and teach the children? Would you do anything differently? Where to next?

The children were curious and engaged in the experience. They showed excitement while pressing the letter into the playdough and observing the impressions.

They rolled, squeezed, and pressed the playdough to develop fine motor skills. The children also recognized the letter A, and the educator encouraged them to say the letters, enhancing their alphabet recognition and language development.

Some children just looked at the letters and tried to stack them. Using the rolling pin, they also tried to create impressions by pressing the letters onto the play dough.

I introduced the resources to the children and demonstrated how to use playdough and letters to create impressions. Children were scaffolded to make impressions by engaging them in the experience. I also helped remove the letters and prompted them to say the letters' names. Children were acknowledged for their accomplishments to increase their confidence and self-esteem.

Next time, I will use more letters and different playdough colours to improve colour recognition.

Future ideas include creating a sensory tray filled with letters in water where children scoop and name them.