Journal Week 3 909 | Early Childhood Educ

Journal and Reflection: Week 3

(26 February – 1 March 2024)

Physical activities: Yoga time

Today's yoga class with children was a wonderful experience. The room was filled with excitement as they gathered on the circle rug. Lisna led the class joyfully and clearly, taking the children through various yoga poses. The children's excitement to join was evident, and they passionately followed Lisna's moves despite occasional difficulties keeping up. It was nice to watch their determination and eagerness to attempt new things.

Link to:

Teaching strategy: Sustained shared thinking, intentional teaching, co-constructing, directing
EYLF Outcome 4. Children are confident and involved learners
Australian Teaching Standards. 2.1 Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area
Play pedagogy: Integrated pedagogical approaches- purposefully-framed play

Some children found certain positions difficult, but they approached them with determination and a positive attitude. They demonstrated remarkable attention and concentration as they proceeded through the poses. Even those who first struggled found their groove, exhibiting resilience and adaptability.

Throughout the lesson, children fostered a sense of togetherness by encouraging and supporting one another. Lisna's encouragement increased their confidence and motivation. As the lesson came to an end, the children appeared peaceful and refreshed. Their faces shone with happiness and accomplishment, reflecting the sense of accomplishment they had after participating in the yoga class.

Reflection:
Today's yoga practice emphasised the benefits of physical activity for both physical health and mental well-being, including improved attention. The children's enthusiasm and desire to try new things were encouraging. As educators, we must continue to provide chances for children to participate in physical activities such as yoga, which not only promotes physical fitness but also teaches critical skills like attention, perseverance, and teamwork.

Overall, today's session was a resounding success, and I am excited to incorporate more physical activities into our weekly routine to further assist the children's overall growth.

WHAT Next?

Following a yoga session, it's beneficial to go on to a relaxing yet interesting activity that allows children to explore their senses and imagination while also fostering relaxation. Here are some suggested activities for children aged 3-5 after Yoga Time:

Sensory Play: Create a sensory bin or table with items like rice, sand, water beads, or playdough. Encourage children to explore textures and use their senses via hands-on activities.
Story Time: Gather children for a calm storytime. Choose books with peaceful themes or those that connect to the topics covered in the yoga session, such as mindfulness, relaxation, or emotions.
Art and Creativity: Set up an art station with supplies such as crayons, markers, coloured pencils, and paint. Allow children to express themselves creatively by sketching, painting, or crafting.

Match for this week – Leaning number using natural resources

Link to:

Teaching strategy: Sustained shared thinking, intentional teaching, co-constructing, directing
EYLF Outcome 4. Children are confident and involved learners
Australian Teaching Standards. 2.1 Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area
Play pedagogy: Integrated pedagogical approaches- purposefully-framed play

Today, the children did a numeracy activity with natural resources. They participated in a "match to its number" activity, which involved pairing elements from nature, such as pine cones, with the matching numbers written on paper. Working together, they collected pine cones and organized them into groups based on the numbers indicated on the paper. This activity promoted conversation among children as they supported and encouraged one another throughout the process. The numeracy project involving natural resources was a captivating and enriching experience for today's children. Curiosity was evident as they gathered around. They tackled the activity with enthusiasm, eager to discover and learn.

Under the educator's supervision, the children diligently matched each pine cone to its matching number, participating in continuous collaborative thinking as they discussed their observations and judgements. It was encouraging As they gathered around, curiosity was evident to see their collaborative spirit as they gathered and organized the pine cones. Throughout the activity, the children engaged in lively discussions, sharing their views and supporting one another. They showed confidence in their talents and actively participated in the learning process. The intentional teaching tactics used, such as continuous shared thinking and co-construction, effectively facilitated meaningful interactions and learning opportunities.

As the practice progressed, the children's comprehension of numbers became clearer as they confidently identified and matched the pine cones to the appropriate numbers. Their participation and engagement demonstrated the benefits of incorporating natural resources into numeracy learning.

Reflection:

The numeracy activity using natural resources demonstrated the ideas of purposeful play and intentional teaching. By using natural elements such as pine cones, the activity presented the children with a hands-on and meaningful learning opportunity. The children actively participated in the learning process by engaging in prolonged shared thinking and co-construction, so strengthening their confidence and learning skills.

This exercise is consistent with Outcome 4 of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), which emphasises the significance of children becoming confident and engaged learners. It also addresses the Australian Teaching Standards by including content and teaching practices that encourage meaningful learning experiences.

What Next:

Nature Scavenger Hunt:

Children will go on a nature scavenger hunt to look for certain natural elements in their outside habitat. They will work in small groups or pairs, supervised by educators, to find and collect materials like leaves, rocks, flowers, and sticks.

Learning Objectives:

Improve children observation abilities by identifying and collecting natural materials.
Counting, sorting, and categorising collected items allows children to practice their numeracy skills.
Working together to accomplish the scavenger hunt promotes teamwork and collaboration.

Prior to the activity, educators prepare a list of natural items for the scavenger hunt. Each item should be accompanied by a corresponding number or quantity to be collected.

Introduction: Gather the children and explain the concept of a scavenger hunt. Review the list of items they will be searching for and discuss any safety guidelines.

Exploration: Divide the children into small groups or pairs and distribute the scavenger hunt lists. Encourage them to explore the outdoor environment, using their observation skills to locate and collect the specified items.

Numeracy Integration: Throughout the scavenger hunt, educators can include numeracy tasks such as encouraging children to count the amount of items collected in their bags, sort them by size or color, or arrange them in patterns.

SCIENCE: COLOUR EXPERIMENT

Link to:

Teaching strategy: Sustained shared thinking, intentional teaching, co-constructing, directing
EYLF Outcome 4. Children are confident and involved learners
Australian Teaching Standards. 2.1 Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area
Play pedagogy: Integrated pedagogical approaches- purposefully-framed play

Today, children participated in a science project about colours. They were gathered in small groups around a huge table and given various coloured liquids, including red, green, and blue, to try. Children were given droppers and instructed to combine the coloured liquids in a glass to see the changes that occurred. Their excitement was evident as they eagerly awaited the results of their research. They felt liberated to explore and experiment freely, fascinated by the possibilities of combining different colours.

Journal Entry:

The colour experiment today was an exciting experience for both the children and me. As they gathered around the table, their eyes sparkled with interest and excitement. The set-up was simple but attractive, with colourful liquids neatly organised on the table, ready to explore.

The children, guided by the educator, carefully used droppers to transfer the coloured liquids into a glass, watching the fascinating patterns and transformations that occurred. Their enthusiasm was contagious as they yelled in surprise at the brilliant hues produced by combining different colours. It was satisfying to see their willingness to explore and experiment, unaffected by the anxiety of making mistakes.

Throughout the experiment, the children engaged in discussions about their observations and hypotheses, demonstrating consistent shared thinking and creation. They avidly exchanged ideas and theories, exploring the possibilities of combining different colours. As an educator, I was encouraged to witness their confidence build as they actively participated in the scientific process.

Incorporating play pedagogy into the experiment allowed for consciously structured play, creating a dynamic learning environment in which children felt empowered to take ownership of their learning. The activity fits with Outcome 4 of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) by purposely combining components of exploration and discovery, which boosted children's confidence and involvement as learners.

Today's colour experiment demonstrated the value of hands-on, inquiry-based learning. By allowing children to explore and play with colours, we not only encouraged their curiosity and creativity but also their learning confidence. The combination of prolonged shared thinking, focused instruction, and co-construction enabled meaningful interactions and learning experiences, allowing children to participate in the scientific process actively.

Moving forward, it is critical to continue allowing children to explore scientific topics through hands-on experiments and investigations. By instilling in them a passion for inquiry and discovery, we can help children develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork abilities. As educators, it is our obligation to foster an environment in which children feel comfortable asking questions, exploring ideas, and making discoveries, setting the groundwork for a lifelong love of learning.

ART AND CRAFT: Flower/Plant Making

Link to:

National Quality Standards Q1 Educational Program and Practice
National Quality Standards Q3 Physical environment
Australian Teaching Standards 3.3 Use teaching standards
Australian Teaching Standards 4.2 Manage classroom activities
Australian curriculum. Science
EYLF Learning Outcome 2.Children are connected with and contribute with their world
EYLF Learning Outcome 4. Children are confident and involved learner
Teaching strategies: Sustained shared thinking, co-constructing, intentional
Play pedagogy: Guided, purposefully-framed play

Today, the children participated in an arts and crafts session on creating flowers and plants. They were assigned to small groups and given various art tools, such as paper, colouring materials, sketching utensils, and other craft supplies. Before commencing their work, the children drew their designs to test their imagination and plan their artwork. They then used art tools to bring their ideas to life, creating elaborate flowers and plants with passion and creativity.

Journal Entry:

Today's art and craft session was a lovely sight to behold, with the children absorbed in the creative process of creating flowers and plants. Sitting in small groups, they passionately brainstormed ideas and sketched drawings, each child injecting their own vision into their art. The children, armed with an abundance of creative resources such as paper cupcakes, colouring materials, and sketching utensils, began bringing their ideas to reality. It was fascinating to watch their creativity develop as they meticulously cut, coloured, and constructed their creations, each flower and plant bearing the imprint of its creator's vision.

Throughout the activity, the children demonstrated persistent shared thinking, deliberate teaching, and co-construction as they cooperated and shared ideas with their friends. Educators provide direction and assistance, encouraging children to explore with various ways and materials to attain their goals. As the session went, the room filled with excitement and energy, with children proudly presenting their completed artworks. Each child exhibited a sense of success and pleasure as they viewed their projects, demonstrating their confidence and engagement as learners.

Reflection:

Today's art and craft session let children express their creativity and build artistic skills. Children could expand their ideas and experiment with various creative techniques and materials while planning, designing, and producing their flowers and plants.

Incorporating play pedagogy into the activity enabled consciously structured play, creating a dynamic learning environment in which children felt empowered to explore and express themselves via art. Educators enabled meaningful interactions and learning experiences by allowing for sustained shared thinking, deliberate instruction, and co-construction, which boosted children's confidence and involvement as learners.

What next?

Gardening Activity: Planting Seeds

Description: Children will be able to learn about plants and gardening by planting seeds in small pots or containers. This hands-on activity gives children firsthand experience with planting, caring for, and observing plant growth.

Materials needed:

Small pots and containers
Potting soil
Seeds (quickly grown types like sunflowers, beans, or radishes)
Water cans or spray bottles
Labels or markers to label pots.

Activity: Children are introduced to gardening by emphasising the importance of plants, their fundamental requirements (sunlight, water, soil), and the many parts of a plant. They following plant seeds in little pots by creating holes in the soil, inserting the seeds, and covering them. Children learn to gently water their seedlings, avoiding overwatering, and label their pots with plant names for ownership and memory. They are asked to routinely watch their plants in a sunny location, noting any changes or growth. Finally, they share their experience, forecasting future development and offering their thoughts on plant care.

Benefits:

Hands-on learning: Children gain tactile experience by planting and watching seeds grow.
Caring for their plants fosters a sense of responsibility and ownership.
Science Exploration: Children learn about plant life cycles, the value of water and sunlight, and plants' basic requirements.
Gardening helps children interact with nature and develop an awareness of the environment.

Simple gardening activities, such as planting seeds, can help children develop essential skills, learn about the natural world, and enjoy the satisfaction of watching their plants grow over time.