Through doing this and practising the skills that they have learned the children will be able to take ownership of their learning and be able to apply it in different situations. To provide high-quality experiences for young children we should aim for a balance of one-third adult-directed activities and one-third child-initiated activities. The other third of the time should ideally be taken up by child-initiated activities that are then picked up on and supported by an adult – these are opportunities for ‘sustained shared thinking’ to take place. Children learn through first-hand experiances and activities with the serious business of ‘play’ providing the vehicle. Through their play children practise and consolidate their learning, play with ideas, experiment, take risks, solve problems, and make decisions… First-hand experiences allow children to develop an understanding of themselves and the world in which they live.
This helps us as care providers to learn about that particular child and their rate of development and their ability to do things. No one child is the same as another. Not every child develops at the same rate as others. Therefore, promoting one on one time with each child is important. Have fun with children.
A: The Child centred approach The Child centred approach is a practice that focuses on the child and their needs and looks closely at the child’s rights and responsibilities. To use this method in the environment it would take planning and observation to get a better understanding of how the methods used will benefit the children. In different settings children will begin to learn by picking different activities that they have an interest in, for example sand play and painting. Knowing this I will plan ahead and learn the children’s interests so that every child is involved in the activities and meets the curriculum. Additionally the child’s centred approach lets the children find their own learning styles and boosts the child’s confidence.
I think for the younger children I will need to implement more colorful objects and thing for them to feel, touch and smell for recognition of the letters we are learning. The classroom setting was wonderful, having all the toys and books and games in the room made it easy for the children to participate in the activity. We planned this out a week in advanced and put together all the things that we were going to need for the activity. Some of the children were distracted easily so I helped them find the objects they were looking for. I think that next time we work on this I will use a helper to keep the children focused on the task at hand.
Children are also encouraged help one another. They are taught to ask for help from another child before coming to a teacher. I plan activities that require cooperation and group work so that children will work together to solve problems and be attentive to other’s needs. The children make our room a better place by being empathetic and helpful to others. In my program I want children to be independent and make positive choices.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), (2012) states that the role of the practitioner is crucial in observing and reflecting on children’s spontaneous play, building on this by planning and providing a challenging environment which supports specific areas of children’s learning and extends and develops children’s language and communication in their play. (See appendix 1 note 2) Another role of the practitioner is to work professionally and responsibly such as to ‘work as part of the team, work with parents and partners, participate in providing an environment that is welcoming and stimulating’ (Tassoni P, et.al, 2007 page 137) and to meet the learning needs of each individual child by providing a range of activities and experiences. A1 While attending placements I have worked to support the learning needs of children in this particular role by working with my supervisor, other staff members and parents or carers. When doing this, practitioners should always be professional, for example using a polite tone of
Every child is different, so some may need more support than others; this is why observations are important. Positive communication is very important as this can help build a Childs interaction skills, self esteem and confidence. It’s vital you always have eye contact with that child, and allow them to finish what they are saying. In order to boost their self esteem a child should always be praised, this will make them feel more confident and willing to try. Adapting the environment to help children with their speech and language needs can be done by using visual signs that children can understand, for example you could label the home corner, dress up area, book corner and so on.
1.1 Explain the value of a child centred model of assessment and planning Child centred assessment and planning is a good way to make sure that the setting is giving the children attending the best possible chance to develop at their own rate. This is done by observation as it enables you to get to know the individuality of the child, ensuring that they are well placed and able to plan and all of their individual needs are met. I feel that in my role, observations take place each day through activities and interaction with the child. Assessing children is an on-going process, routines and activities can also build on information needs and interests. Assessments can also be made by other professionals, including doctors, social workers, occupational
Communication and Language Development-: We are providing children with opportunities to experience a rich language environment, to help develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves, and to speak and listen in a range of situations. Literacy Development-: Encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Giving children access to a wide range of reading materials such as books and poem's to spark their interest. Mathematics-: Providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems and to identify and describe shapes, spaces and measures. Understanding the World-: Guiding children to make sense of their physical world and community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places and technology and the environment.
An Educational Assistant follows the teacher’s lesson plan closely only adding select tools to assist with the child’s understanding of the material. By reviewing and reinforcing the basic concepts of literacy an Educational Assistant can increase a child’s confidence. This enables the child to become more successful in reading and comprehension. Therefore, an Educational Assistant can be pleased that he/she has helped to improve the child’s attitude toward reading. Numeracy can be quite overwhelming for a student who has difficulties understanding the basic language of mathematics.