TCHR20003 Curriculum Studies in Early Childhood Education Report Sample

Task Instructions

Write a critical response to the following three points to demonstrate a good working knowledge and understanding of early childhood education curriculum, frameworks, theory, and concepts.

1. Define what curriculum means in early childhood education and provide a rationale for your statement using the unit content and readings to support your discussion (100 words).

2. Discuss how educators use children’s play to plan and implement curriculum in early childhood education settings. Justify your response by using theory, EYLF, NQS QA, using the unit content and readings to support your discussion (500 words).

3. Observe the teacher and children;s interactions during an early childhood activity in the video provided in the Assessment 1 folder.
a) Identify and discuss relevant EYLF Principles and Practices the educator is using to promote children’s learning and make relevant links to the NQS Quality Areas (300 words).

b) Identify 2 relevant EYLF Learning Outcomes the children are learning during the activity. Describe a relevant example of what you see in the video that demonstrates the EYLF Learning Outcomes (300 words).

c) Identify 2 relevant Learning Areas (Australian Curriculum, Foundation Year, English, Humanities and Social Sciences, Health and Physical Education, Languages, Mathematics, Science, Technologies, and The Arts) this activity may be covering and describe an example from the video, for each of your selected Learning Areas (300 words).

• Use APA 7 referencing throughout and double-lined spacing, Times Roman 12-point Font.

Solution

1. Meaning of Curriculum in Early Childhood

A curriculum in early childhood is defined as a systematic plan of learning through which “specific educational philosophies” are maintained to improve children's learning process. Deciding the process in which the teaching and learning process of students can be improved comes under the early childhood curriculum. The interaction between educators, children and their families also create a positive environment for learning. As per the words of Blewitt et al. (2020), the standard-based sequences that provide planned experiences and practices to the learners to improve applied learning skills come under the curriculum in early childhood. Curriculum in early childhood for The Assignment Helpline improves interaction, students' routines, activities, and completion of planned, or unplanned activities. The unplanned activities that occur in environmental design provide more significant learning and developmental adaptation to the children.

2. Play Plans in Early Childhood Education Settings

In early childhood education, play is a fundamental tool that improves children's learning and development process. Play-based learning fosters cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development for children. Early childhood educators plan and implement the curriculum in a way that fulfils both intentional and responsive learning requirements. Educators carefully observe children for intentional teaching to create meaningful learning experiences that support children's growth and development in the early years. Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development emphasizes active exploration in learning to construct knowledge through interaction (Cahyaningsih & Santosa, 2024). Play is the natural medium for cognitive growth as it allows children to experiment and solve problems. Educators design learning experiences to promote inquiry and discovery to set up a problem-solving environment to stimulate curiosity and creativity. Lev Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory also sheds light on the significance of social interaction in learning. Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) guides educators to provide platforms for children to learn in a play-based curriculum (Daramola et al. 2024). In Australia, educators provide guiding documents for children. EYLF outlines several learning outcomes, which include developing a sense of identity, building a connection with the world and becoming confident and involved. The outcomes align with play to allow children to explore their identity and foster relationships with others in a meaningful way. Educators implement activities to support children to build confidence and involve learners.

Additionally, educators encourage children to ask questions and make predictions to improve scientific thinking. The flexible, child-centred, and responsive concept of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) guides educator roles to engage in play to introduce new scenarios that help to develop language and social skills that link with play to broader tearing objectives and social development (acecqa.gov.au, 2022). National Quality Standards (NQS) also support the use of play in early childhood education to enhance child learning and development (Harrison et al. 2024). Educators observe and understand the needs of the child through the primary mode of curriculum delivery. They encourage children to form strong and respectful relationships with children through play to create a safe and secure learning environment.

With meaningful interaction with the children, educators can develop emotional resilience and a sense of belonging. “Australian Curriculum Foundation Year” outlines learning areas, general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities to encourage children to develop the essential skills of the 21st century (acara.edu.au, 2024). Play-based environment enables collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking among the children to solve problems and engage in cooperative play. Additionally, block-building activities encourage children to achieve the common goal where educators reflect on children’s experiences to assess and inform future planning. The play-based curriculum allows educators to evaluate the effectiveness of the strategies as well as to make adjustments according to the requirements of children.

3. Teacher-Child Interactions during Activity

a. Identifying and Discussing Relevant EYLF Principles and Practices

In early childhood education, the "early years learning framework (EYLF)" and the "National quality standard (NQS)" are vital to providing effective guidelines to promote children's learning and development.

EYLF principles

Secure, reciprocal relationships and respectful factors:

The EYLF enhances the significant approach of creating respectful, secure, and reciprocal relationships (acecqa.gov.au, a 2024). Educators establish these connections to engage in responsive and meaningful interactions with children.

Figure 1: EYLF Framework
(Source: acecqa.gov.au, a 2024)

Respect for Diversity

Educators integrate cultural competence into their practices to ensure that all children's backgrounds and identities are respected and valued (acecqa.gov.au, c 2022).

Partnerships

The EYLF stresses the significance of partnerships with communities and families. Educators collaborate with families to support the children's learning (Togher, & Fenech 2020). This partnership helps to understand each child's unique background and basic needs to ensure that their learning experiences are a relevant factor.

EYLF Practices

Holistic approaches: The EYLF advocates for holistic approaches to teaching and learning that consider children's development in multiple domains, such as social, emotional, and cognitive (acecqa.gov.au, 2024). Educators use this practice to ensure that learning experiences are interconnected and navigate to set the development of the children.

Play-based Learning

Educators use play-based approaches to engage children in meaningful experiences that support their cognitive, social, and emotional development (Togher, & Fenech 2020). This practice aligns with the basic NQS quality area 3, which focuses on creating an inclusive environment that supports play-based learning.

Table 1: Links to NQS Quality Areas
(Source: Self-created)

The present study showcases that educators engage with children through play-based learning, discussion regarding family and animals, and responsive interactions that reflect EYLF principles to respect diverse backgrounds and support emotional well-being. This approach aligns with NQS's main focus of creating a supportive learning environment.

b. Identification of 2 relevant EYLF Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcome 2: “Children Are Connected with and Contribute to Their World”
In the activity, children are learning to explore nature and build interaction with the natural environment. The small activity builds a sense of belonging in the broader community. This process is relevant because discussion about the seeds and their origin provides significant evidence. The origin of sunflower seeds and bird seeds is discussed among the students to improve individual understanding. Along with the learners, the teacher is also engaging her in the communication process by asking “Maybe we can plant some of those later” and “I wonder what these little, tiny ones are”. These little activities create environmental awareness in the children and develop natural world contribution (acecqa.gov.au, 2022). The growing interest in different seeds and their connection with animals and plants provides a sense of respect with responsibility for nature.

Learning Outcome 5: “Children Are Effective Communicators”

Besides connection throughout the activity, both verbal and non-verbal communication are encouraged. Communicating with classmates and teachers delivers different aspects they are eager to know. Teachers prompt communication with the students by asking “Jake wanted to ask you, can he just have a few of your seeds, please?”. This process reflects learning about respectful communication in a social setting. The observation power and sharing the information with others are reflected by conversations such as “I've got some” and “Tiny ones”. Prompting inquiries, reinforcing polite communication and building vocabulary is managed through the learning activity. Expressing curiosity about surroundings and communicating about the elements create deeper understanding (acecqa.gov.au, 2022). Learning with an understanding of communication importance, and feeling a sense of connection within an educational and collaborative environment is significantly analysed by the activity.

c. The Identification of Two Appropriate Learning Areas

In consideration of the significant interaction between the children and the teacher throughout the early childhood activity which has been observed in the given YouTube video named “Discovering: Sustained, Shared Conversation with Children”, an attempt has been made to recognise two relevant learning areas covered in this activity. The given video mainly focuses on demonstrating the inner cavity between the teacher and a group of children engaged in critically assessing the natural materials in an open environment (Gibson & Ewing, 2020). Although the video showcases the role of a teacher in supporting shared and sustained conversation with the children, the conversation between the children and teacher has assisted in recognising two vital learning areas are “Australian Curriculum” and “Humanities and Social Science”. The activity exhibited in the video covered the Australian curriculum which is an important national framework which needs to be learnt at the foundation level.

There are different categories involved in the Australian curriculum which are science, English, humanities, mathematics and arts which are important for improving the intelligence quotient of the children at the foundation level (ACECQA, 2015). For example, in the video, the teacher helps the children to learn about different seeds, their shapes, colours, and sizes, improving the interaction and engagement between children and care for nature and society which altogether symbolizes the different subjects involved in the Australian curriculum like science, English, humanities and arts. On the other hand, another important learning area that has been found in the “Humanities and Social Science” where environment, human behaviour and society are taught to the children (ACECQA, 2015). For example, in the video, the teacher in order to introduce teamwork, collaboration and shared work, taught a child how to ask for seeds from other polite children and taught other children how to help others working in a team which is part of humanities and social science.

References

Activity video: