Over the past 10 weeks being enrolled in this topic, we have learnt a range of developmental influences that contribute to children's literacy and numeracy skills. Some examples of these include sensorial, memory, symbolic representation, communication and linguistic understandings. While I believe that all of these developmental influences are equally important in shaping children's literacy and numeracy development, I wanted to learn how I could fit them all into the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). In this portfolio, I use a few developmental influences as sub-headings and try to fit the appropriate EYLF outcomes with them.
Sensory Play
Sensory play refers to the way children use all their senses during play to engage with experiences and explore and make sense of the world around them (Winderlich 2012, p.4). Sensory play is in line with Jean Piaget's (1973) stages of development whereby one of the first stages involves the sensory-motor stage. In this stage, babies learn how to manipulate objects, and how to move their bodies to reach for their interests. Sensory play is important as it helps children to be confident in exploration, and also helps strengthen neural pathways when senses are stimulated (Gainsley n.d.). Sensory play fits in with EYLF Outcome 1 which allows children to have a strong sense of identity by being able to take rish and approach new safe situations with confidence. It also links with Outcome 2 which involves children connecting and contributing to their world, as children use sensory play to explore new ideas and explore relationships between living and non-living objects. Furthermore, sensory play engages children with Outcome 3 for children to be confident and involved learners. Through sensory play, children can explore their environment and manipulate objects and experiment with cause and effect. Through sensory play, children also learn to explore ideas using their own imaginations creativity and play. Some examples of sensory play include play in the sandpit, playing with paint and slime, having a big sensory tub filled with different textures and water play.
Symbolic Representation
Symbolic representation refers to how children are able to recognise symbols and make meaning of those symbols. This may include alphabets, numbers or even everyday signboards and symbols. Piaget notes that children first think in pictures and symbols. Symbolic play can also include imagining made-up functions of a particular object in place of its actual function as a child's own way of making sense of the world. Symbolic play and representation is in line with both Piaget's theory that children construct an understanding of the world before experiences come along to confirm them later, as well as Vygotsky's theory that children's experiences form their understanding of the world. With symbolic play, children first may impose difference functions as a symbol of another object, until they are later corrected be in by a teacher or by their own experiences that some things do not function the way children have thought them to be. For example. a child may pretend a wooden block is a telephone as a symbol, but later with his own experience discovers that a block is a block and not a phone. Symbolic representation is in line with many of the learning outcomes in the EYLF. Once they learn symbols such as numbers and the alphabet, children can become effective communicators by being able to convey messages and demonstrate understandings of numbers and vocabulary. They can also recognise and engage with written texts as well as use symbols to represent and make meaning.
Communicative-Linguistic Thinking
In terms of communicative-linguistic thinking, this refers to how children communicate effectively using their acquired linguistic skills and how they logically process their thoughts. This is demonstrated when children engage in social activities with their peers and families, or when they express themselves linguistically. Communicative-Linguistic thinking is in line with Vygotsky's (1978) theory where children learn from a more knowledgable person through co-operative dialogue, as well as through the zone of proximal development where children constantly build their knowledge based on a pre-layed out foundation. In terms of language, children mostly build and expand their vocabularies based on the words they already know. They learn by communicating with their peers and sharing knowledge, and participating in discussions with others. Communicative-Linguistic thinking is in line with Outcome 2 of the EYLF that allows children to feel connected and contribute to their world. Through communication, they participate with others to solve problems and explore connections with other people. Through communicative skills, confident children are able to follow their own interests, use reflective thinking, make connections and engage in learner relationships. All of these are evidence for Outcome 4 which states that children are confident and involved learners. And clearly, children who engage with their communicative-linguistic thinking are able to be effective communicators, using their language to send clear messages across, make connections, recognise patterns and relationships, experiment with ways of self-expression and engaging in verbal and non-verbal communications.
References
DEEWR 2009, Belonging, Being & Becoming, The Early Yearns Learning Framework for Australia.
Mcleod, S 2007, Les Vygotsky, in Simply Psychology, accessed 25th November 2013, from <http://www.simplypsychology.org/vygotsky.html>
Winderlich, K 2012, Sensory Play and Learning, in Everyday Learning Series 10 (4), Early Childhood Australia, pp. 1 - 24.
Gainsley, S n.d., Look, Listen, Touch, Feel, Taste: The Importance of Sensory Play, in Extensions: Curriculum Newsletter from Highscope 25 (5), Highscope, accessed 20th November 2013, from <http://www.highscope.org/file/NewsandInformation/Extensions/ExtVol25No5_low.pdf>
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