Tma 02 E100
TMA02 Looking at children’s learning
Part 1
For my assignment I have chosen to reflect on the children’s learning in the video sequence entitled ‘Hospital Play’, which was filmed at St Stephen’s Nursery School in Newham, London. The sequence is based around the concept of the casualty department at the local St Stephens’s Hospital and was created jointly by the practitioners and the children. My reason for choosing this video clip is that I can directly relate it to the setting within which I work and I have created similar situations myself and can therefore reflect on what I can do differently next time, extending my development.
Children do not learn in the same way as each other ‘they each have their own preferred ways of learning’ (E100, Study Topic 3, p.64). There are many theories relating to how children learn and develop, some coming from Government frameworks but many originate from an individual’s own ideas or beliefs. One of which being Rudolph Steiner, ‘whose principles emphasise the importance of unstructured play and the role of the teacher, who ‘works’ at activities as a model for children (E100, Study Topic 3, p.56)’, this type of unstructured play is evident in the video in that the outside area offered a free play environment where the children can chose to part take in any activity of their choice, either the role play area or the playground. The adult ‘worked’ at the activity when she joined the table offering support and extending the children’s learning through asking questions that required the children to engage further in conversation, developing their communication skills.
E100 Study Topic 3, p.62, discusses the importance of play in early years settings, with the early years curricula in each of the four UK countries embracing the role of play in a child’s learning. The frame work in England for children from birth to five, suggests that learning and teaching is about adults and children working together, to co-construct
Part 1
For my assignment I have chosen to reflect on the children’s learning in the video sequence entitled ‘Hospital Play’, which was filmed at St Stephen’s Nursery School in Newham, London. The sequence is based around the concept of the casualty department at the local St Stephens’s Hospital and was created jointly by the practitioners and the children. My reason for choosing this video clip is that I can directly relate it to the setting within which I work and I have created similar situations myself and can therefore reflect on what I can do differently next time, extending my development.
Children do not learn in the same way as each other ‘they each have their own preferred ways of learning’ (E100, Study Topic 3, p.64). There are many theories relating to how children learn and develop, some coming from Government frameworks but many originate from an individual’s own ideas or beliefs. One of which being Rudolph Steiner, ‘whose principles emphasise the importance of unstructured play and the role of the teacher, who ‘works’ at activities as a model for children (E100, Study Topic 3, p.56)’, this type of unstructured play is evident in the video in that the outside area offered a free play environment where the children can chose to part take in any activity of their choice, either the role play area or the playground. The adult ‘worked’ at the activity when she joined the table offering support and extending the children’s learning through asking questions that required the children to engage further in conversation, developing their communication skills.
E100 Study Topic 3, p.62, discusses the importance of play in early years settings, with the early years curricula in each of the four UK countries embracing the role of play in a child’s learning. The frame work in England for children from birth to five, suggests that learning and teaching is about adults and children working together, to co-construct
References: Department for Children, Schools and Families (2010) Every Child Matters, http://dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters (accessed 2nd January 2011). Department for Education and Skills (2008) Statutory Framework for Early Years Foundation Stage, DFES Publications, Nottingham Manning-Morton, J and Thorp, M (2010) ‘Children from birth to three playing, growing and learning through moving and doing’, in Miller, M, Carrie, C and Goodliff, G (eds) Supporting Children’s Learning in the Early Years, Second Ed, Reader 2, Abingdon, Routledge Robson, S (2010) ‘The physical environment’, in Miller, M, Carrie, C and Goodliff, G (eds) Supporting Children’s Learning in the Early Years, Second Ed, Reader 2, Abingdon, Routledge The Open University (2010) E100 ‘The early years: developing practice’, Study Topic 3, ‘Early years practices’, Milton Keynes, The Open University The Open University (2010) E100 ‘The early years: developing practice’, Study Topic 4, ‘Growth development and learning’, Milton Keynes, The Open University The Open University (2010) E100 ‘The early years: developing practice’, Study Topic 5, ‘Health and wellbeing’, Milton Keynes, The Open University The Open University (2010) E100 ‘The early years: developing practice’, Study Topic 6, ‘Diversity, inclusion and children’s rights’, Milton Keynes, The Open University The Open University (2010) E100 ‘The early years: developing practice’, DVD 1, Milton Keynes, The Open University