Looking at children’s learning
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. 6)’, 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 ideas and new areas of learning, it is believed that investing at this age will benefit families and children at a later stage in their life.
This was evident in the construction of the role play area and its play element. In our setting we always develop our curriculum plans through group discussions with the children. Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky was the main theorist with regards to socio-cultural aspects of children’s learning. His theory relates to the social and cultural element of a child’s learning and the importance an adult plays in conveying these areas of learning and values to the children.
The adult is referred to as the more able ‘other’ (E100, Study Topic 3, p. 65), in the sequence Daksha Patel the practitioner takes on this role in that she speaks to the children in both English and Gujarati, so all children in the setting are valued and included in the activity, ensuring cultural awareness and that some children may speak a different language. Vygotsky also placed particular emphasis on the role of the adult in the transmission of culture, knowledge and language’ (E100, Study Topic 3, p. 65).
Cultural values are very important in early years settings and although our setting is situated in an affluent, rural, predominately white community we always ensure other religious beliefs are shared within the setting, celebrating different cultural events in order for the children to extend their learning beyond the community within which they live. Vygotsky, also developed a concept called the ‘zone of proximal development (ZDP)’, whereby he believes a child has two development levels, where they are at now and their proximal level, what they could do next.
Adults play an important role in this element of his work, in that it is them that can provide the opportunity to take the child up to their next level, it maybe that they initially offer support, but positively encourages them to try and undertake the activity (E100, Study Topic 3, p. 65). This is also evident in the sequence when Daksha Patel encourages the child to try and write the name of who’s the sample is on the bottle, she then aids them by writing it on the piece of paper for them to try and copy, which the child then does underneath where she has written.
Linda Miller, one of the authors of the study topic 3 discusses a similar concept when working with the ZPD of her daughter, in that she would write her name for her, as a model for her to copy (E100, Study Topic 3, p. 66). In our setting we encourage the children to write their names on any work they undertake, aiding by writing first if necessary. Outdoor play is a very important part of the Early Years foundation stage and should according to Mclean 1991:71, be no firm distinction between the indoors and out (cited in Robson, S, p. 226).
Although it is not clear on the video whether this is the case the setting certainly offers an extensive outdoor play area, with the role play area and a playground with activities that can also be seen in the sequence. The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage stresses that access to an outdoor play area is expected, this reinforces the importance of outdoor play in both a child’s development and in their learning. ‘Physical play is fundamental to all aspects of children’s development and learning, including the development of the child’s brain’ (Manning-Morton, J and Thorp, M, 2010, p. 100).
In our setting we have an area outside that is under cover and has shutters to the main outdoor area, so it can be used in all weathers. Unfortunately staffing levels means we are not able to use our outside area as much as we’d like to, however we do try and get out in the morning, lunchtime and in the afternoon. Outdoor provision plays an important part in the health and welfare of children too, as it provides a safe environment that can provide lots of physically activities for children to enjoy, like scooters, play equipment like climbing frames, or simply an area where they can run around and express themselves.
Outdoor play also meets several of the requirements of the Every Child Matters agenda, such as, being healthy, staying safe and enjoying and achieving (E100, Study Topic 6, p. 141). The practitioner, Daksha Patel, demonstrates in the video clearly how all children are included in the activity, she speaks in both English and Gujharti so all children are able to understand. The setting has also provided a wide range of stimulating items for the activity, like syringes, bandages, and sample bottles, to ensure the area is stimulating for the children.
There is no discrimination or exclusion, like the girls are nurses and the boys doctors, all children are equal, they are all wearing varying dressing up outfits and they are all caring for the babies, clearly showing inclusion of all children, towards the end a child also states that ‘he’ is not sharing and the practitioner steps in and reinforces what she says and shows the girl where further similar items are. When dressing up in our nursery, which the children love to do, no distinction is made between boys and girls clothes and the boys especially like to dress up in the pink princess costumes.
Everyone is included and no stereo typical comments are made and any made by the children are addressed. ‘Participation is the key element of inclusion’ (E100, Study Topic 6, p. 143). Study topic 4 (2010), p. 82 explains there are six main theories about child development, that complement each other rather than one being right and another wrong, one of which is that ‘young children are innocent until they are ‘spoiled’ by their parents and society (E100, Study Topic 4, p83)’, this is the maturationism approach, developed by Jean Jacques Rousseau.
Another theory is one of social learning, when a child learns through observing others (E100, Study Topic 4 p. 99). This concept can be seen in the sequence on two occasions when the children carry out activities that they may have experienced in their lives, like syringing ears and putting a plaster on after an injection, this re-enforces the principle that children learn from their life experiences. In this situation the practitioner needs to be aware of issues that may arise with regards to safeguarding as the child may feel secure and in a play environment talk about something that is happening in their life.
Study Topic 5, p. 131 details a list of indicators for possible signs of neglect, from the NSPCC, this includes being bruised or injured, a child may show bruises in a hospital role play situation or talk about injuries he or she has suffered (E100, 2010). The sequence offered many areas of learning for children, though initially child led the activity was then supported by an adult, who in turn provided extended learning in respect of writing skills, by encouraging them to write on the sample bottles and new vocabulary and cultural awareness by speaking in both English and Gujarati.
The children were able to develop their own language and communication skills through imaginative play and also extend their social skills through communication with each other and an adult. Two implications for my practice from my analysis of the sequence with regards to supporting children’s learning are: 1. Although we have a fantastic outside play area it is not used for enough activities, like in the sequence. We have a climbing frame which the children love and lots of gross motor toys, like scooter and bikes, however, I have never taken out an activity like the hospital role play area.
Plus, we have a great shed that is used solely for the storage of the bikes and scooters, it would provide more learning opportunities if the children were able to use it like in the sequence as a hospital or play house. 2. My second implication also focuses around the area of role play, in that we do provide fantastic role play settings, recently we have had a shop that had clothes, shoes, tills, money, price tags, bags and even a shop frontage, but I cannot recall at anytime an adult participating in or extending the learning in the area.
The only time an adult was in the area was at tidy up time! It offered a whole host of learning activities like counting, communication and social skills yet all these were missed. I will ensure that in the future I will spend time in the role play area, like the practitioner did in the sequence. With regards to the official requirements on children’s welfare and provision the two implications I will take back to my setting are: 1.
Key workers, although I am not currently a key worker of any children, when I am I would want to work more closely with the child and their carers. Although key workers are allocated practitioners are only responsible for keeping their records up to date there is not direct activities or contact with individuals other than during the day to day activities and running of the nursery. Although key workers aren’t evident in the sequence, the practitioner would be able to observe and assess any of her children during he activity. Part of the EYFS (DCSF, 2008) requires a setting to assign key workers as they state ‘a key person develops a genuine bond with children and offers a settled, close relationship’ (E100, Study Topic 5, p. 122). 2. I would also take back the theory and requirements on inclusion, particularly the multi-cultural aspect. As I stated previously we are a mainly white school, in our nursery we have over 50 children and only 1 black girl, who lives over 20 miles away in the nearest city.
Although the staff and children do not discriminate against her in anyway her own cultural values and beliefs are not directly discussed in the nursery. It would be nice to approach her family and invite them into nursery to maybe discuss what the events they celebrate are and why and how they celebrate them, rather than us just playing an educational video clip; this would be a positive activity making the little girl feel valued. In the sequence the practitioner speak in both Gujharti and English ensuring all the children are included in the activity.
