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1. Explain how you would organize the indoor and the outdoor environment to ensure children are not always dependent on adults and are supported to create their own experiences or games. Provide one (1) example for indoor and one (1) for outdoor.
Indoor Environment:
MY ANSWER: Set up an active play area indoors. Toddlers need space to climb and jump, even inside. Adding climbing equipment to the toddler room can help encourage active play throughout the day. Pre-schoolers also enjoy active play spaces such as an indoor gym or large-motor play area. Children need opportunities to be active even when the weather prevents going outside.
Provide blocks of various sizes, shapes and textures or materials: wooden blocks, foam blocks, larger blocks, small blocks, blocks in trolleys, blocks made from empty milk cartons. You can also provide a variety of cardboard boxes.
TEACHER'S FEEDBACK: Explain how you are organizing the indoor space to support children’s independence, give specific examples or strategies you are using not just experiences provided - talk about how your space is arranged to support independence. RESUBMIT
Outdoor Environment:
MY ANSWER: Provide a range of sandpit and water toys. Toddlers love to pour, fill, and dump and strain, so put spades, colanders, funnels, buckets, other containers, moulds, plastic pipe, cars, trucks and so on in the sandpit. The list is just about endless. Incorporating home corner with a stove, some wooden spoons and bowls provides the toddler with more imitation activities.
-Obstacle course which includes balance beam, slides, climbing ropes.
Gardening, muddy puddles, water puddles.
Bikes and other ride-on toys—either a three-wheeler or a four-wheeled ‘car’
Basketball, soccer ball and goals, cricket sets
TEACHER'S FEEDBACK: Explain how you are organizing the outdoor space to support children’s independence, give specific examples or strategies you are using not just experiences provided - talk about how your space is arranged to support independence. RESUBMIT
2. Encourage a child’s level of participation according to his/her own ability and level of comfort.
Explain how you would support a child who was not confident
MY ANSWER:
A 4-year-old girl scared to go on a small slide and scared riding trikes. When she was about to climb up on the slide, I was watching her on her side, I encouraged her to take a deep breath and walk slowly towards the slide. I praised when she managed to go on the slide, I told her “You did well in climbing up on the slide”. When she was riding a tricycle, I encouraged her to do it slowly. As soon as she gets used in riding trike, she had a big grin on her face and proud. I praised her such as “you deserve to be proud of riding the bike by yourself, you did well.”
Explain how you would provide further challenge to a child
MY ANSWER; When she was not scared to climb up on the slide and riding trike. I encouraged her to learn new things and achieve goals, I reassure her that I am here to support her. When she was about to climb up on the slide, I told her to walk in the balance beam. She was not sure walking in balance beam next to the slide as she feels like to fall off. I encouraged her to walk slowly and reassure her that I am her to catch her if she falls. And I encouraged her to try riding the bike without pedal. With providing her time and support she overcome her fears and did well in riding the bike without pedal.
TEACHER'S FEEDBACK: Give a specific example here, and explain how the equipment / experience was adapted for the inclusion of a child who was confident and needed further challenge, you have said this child was not confident so should provide a new example here to demonstrate how you further challenge children who are confident. Your answer needs to include the ways you supported this child in a particular situation, include what you said and did. RESUBMIT
3. Explain the benefits of encouraging children to share their stories and ideas, for the Educators:
MY ANSWER: When we actively listen to children, this sends a positive message to the child that they're important and valued and that we're interested in what they have to say.
Active listening is when you repeat, in your own words, what you think the person is telling you. This shows them that you have heard and understood what they are saying. When you actively listen to someone, you are giving them your whole attention and they feel valued.
. -Children are more likely to communicate freely and confidently about things that interest them if Educators initiate conversation. Educators should find out what children are interested in and communicate with them about these interests.
- Through conversations with children, educators can build relationships with children.
-Getting to know the children how they speak, listening, and communicate with them can extend their vocabulary.
-Children will be more open and willing to express how they feel if Educators will respond and interact with the children with enthusiasm.
-Responding positively and respectfully with children’s comments, question, and comments who require attention.
TEACHER'S FEEDBACK: Describe how Educators benefit when children share their stories and ideas, you are again describing how children benefit RESUBMIT
4. Involve children in developing limits and consequences:
MY ANSWER: At the table when we are colouring in a picture: Zac, a 4-year-old-boy snatched all colouring pencils from the box for himself. I explained to him that we must share the colouring pencils with other children and explained it to him in polite way to grab a pencil one at a time. He put all the colouring pencils back in a box and took a pencil for him to use. But later, he snatched a pencil from Evie. I explained to Zac that when he grabbed the pencil from Evie, it really upset her. I told him in respectful and polite way to give it back the pencil to her and explained to him to wait for our turn before taking something when someone else is using it.
TEACHER'S FEEDBACK: You are discussing the rules with the children here, this question is about how you can involve children in developing limits and consequences RESUBMIT
5. Guide and support children to self-regulate their behavior:
MY ANSWER: Lomami 2 years old, who has poor social and verbal communication skills. At the snack table, she pushed other children out of the way and climbs on the table to reach when she has an empty plate. I was sitting next to her at snack time and model how to ask other children to pass the fruit platter. When Lomami’s plate was empty, she asked another child if they could pass the platter to her. I told her such as “that was being polite of you asking to pass the platter to you” and she smiled.
TEACHER'S FEEDBACK: There are some specific ways in which we can guide and support children to self-regulate their behavior. RESUBMIT
6. Demonstrate reassurance when children express distress, frustration or anger, and explain why this is important:
MY ANSWER: A new 4-year-old child was upset when her parents drops her off at the Centre. I comforted her and re-assured that her parents will be there to pick her up after afternoon teatime. I provided her favourite soft toy and share with her how I was dealing my own stress when I was a child when my mum drops me off at grandma’s house, I told her I was having quiet time sitting in a chair and then when I feel better I played with my cousins.
I respect her feelings and allow her to miss her parents. Reassure her that it is OK to cry and feel upset. I did not force her to participate with other children. I just sit next to her and give her some time to settle down and waited for her to engage with other children.
TEACHER'S FEEDBACK: This is a good example now explain why is it important to demonstrate reassurance when children express distress, frustration or anger? RESUBMIT
7. Explain in your own words the ‘attachment theory’?
MY ANSWER: Children’s attachment experiences are thought to be the foundation for their later social, emotional and cognitive development. The nature of a child’s attachment experience is shaped by how consistently and reliably a caregiver responds to the child’s distress signals. Consistent, reliable, and responsive caregiving is associated with an optimal attachment experience. Ideally the infant comes to expect that their caregiver will be available when needed, and learns that they are able, through their actions, to control their needs being met (example, through attachment behaviours such as crying or holding out their arms). This attachment experience becomes internalised by the developing child and forms the basis for self-concept, self-esteem, and emotional, social, and cognitive development, through the formation of an internal working model of self and others.
TEACHER'S FEEDBACK: This is a good start however more information is required to demonstrate your understanding here. Attachment theory is a concept that concerns the importance of "attachment" in regards to personal development. It also includes aspects such as supporting the “risk taking behavior”. Please use your own words to explain this aspect within the theory. RESUBMIT
8. Children’s brain connections are growing at their fastest rate during the first years of life.
Why the early years count and explain in a paragraph why quality early experiences are important for healthy brain development?
MY ANSWER: Interacting with children in early years of life such as singing songs, reading stories, and even playing with them have great benefits which could affect his or her language development, and the brain processes that underlie it. And providing them safe, relaxed environment is good for their development.
Parents, caregivers, and family members play an important role in the ongoing development of a child. Providing a safe and caring environment for your child and engaging with them through talking, reading, and playtime has a great influence on their early development. Community and learning environment can also play a key role in supporting optimal development through providing support, learning opportunities and social experiences.
TEACHER'S FEEDBACK: This is a good start however more information is required to demonstrate your understanding here. Why are quality learning experiences, in the early years, so important for healthy brain development?…..this is not just about development in the early years RESUBMIT
regards,
Kitty