Aussie Childcare Network Forum

Hi all,

I have completed all my assessment questions in this book and am now up to the project required in this book.

The project question/topic is:

Write a report outlining what you have learnt about children's development. Explain what you would do to facilitate and enhance children's development. Outline how childhood education and care education and care services are affected by the National Quality Framework, Standards and organisational policies. Include information about :
- establishing an appropriate environment according to standards
- providing creative and challenging opportunities to stimulate learning
- encouraging involvement/participation in experiences
- planning, implementing and evaluation experiences for children
-varying experiences, depending on age, abilities, development, culture and needs
-contingencies
-sustainability, opportunities to address waste management

I am working on the first part that is what would you do to facilitate and enhance children's development. I was thinking along the lines of having appropriate sized equipment in the room (making activities accessible for all children), ensuring a range of activity types have been set up (group, individual, hands on, messy, quiet etc.), supporting children throughout the activities (asking appropriate questions, which encourages the child to think more), participating in the activity (to create conversation about activity, visually assist the children in seeing what the steps are in that activity) etc. Is there anything else I could add into this answer ensuring it doesn't answer any of the next questions?

I know that establishing an appropriate environment according to standards mentions having appropriate sized equipment in the room, but I feel in both instances that enhances children's learning.

The next two questions I need help with within this project is the last two dot points.

Contingencies; In childcare? Is this relating to for example: Setting up an activity with intentional teaching purpose in mind, but you see the children are interested in the activity set up in another way, so you scrap your idea for the moment and go along with what the children are initiating?

Sustainability, opportunities to address waste management; I am thinking along the lines of: at our centre we have small recycling bins in each studio. We have one bin for all scrap papers that could be used for collaging, drawing etc. and another bin for materials that families bring in for construction such as cereal boxes. We also put our scrap foods into a bag and families and educators are welcome to take them home for their pets. Are both those examples appropriate for answering this questions?

Thanks in advance for your assistance and clarification

This is what I have answered for the sustainability, opportunities to address waste management part.
Learning about sustainability starts with everyday practice. Babies and toddlers can begin by watching adults model these behaviours. They may learn through song or rhyme as educators verbalise what they are doing. Children over three can begin to reason why practices are needed and to understand the impact that their actions have on the planet.
Sustainable practices can be embedded in the children's daily routine and in their day-to-day activities. These practices can include:
• Using recyclable materials where possible E.g. Cereal boxes, plastic water bottles
• Encouraging children to use half flush on the toilets
• Encouraging children to turn the water off when they have washed their hands
• Encouraging children to recycle paper and rubbish within their rooms, at home and when in the wider community E.g. Placing recycling bins in each room for scrap paper
• Talking with the children about electricity and encouraging them to turn off lights,
• Educating children in the natural decomposition cycle through exposure and participation in worm farms and composting food scraps
• Educating children and having them participate in ‘garden to plate’ activities E.g. Planting seeds, weeding, vegetable gardens and cooking
• Educating children in how to care for pets and letting them actively participate in caring for the centre pet E.g. Hermit crabs and gold fish
• Educating children on caring for plants and our waterways E.g. Recycling water etc.

This is how I answered contingencies
A contingency is an event or circumstance that is possible but cannot be predicted with certainty. When planning a range of activities for children, educators have to take into consideration things that may occur that they may not expect. Examples of a contingency are:
• When educators are planning experiences with an intentional teaching topic in mind, they need to expect that the children may find another way to participate/do the activity that was not planned.
• Children not being interested in the experiences that has been set up
• If the activity was set up specifically for a child for a follow up observation, a developmental observation or due their known interest, that child could be away that day
• The weather being inappropriate for the activity planned
In all of these instances, contingency plans should be in place. The plans can be as simple as:
• Letting the children participate in the experience the way that they want to
• Letting the children move away from the experience without trying to persuade the children to participate
• Continue with the experience planned and encourage all the other children to participate in the experience. Implement the experience another day when the child is at the centre that day.
• You can either post pone the activity or implement the activity inside if possible
The contingency plans still permit for the children to still have the opportunity of participating in the experience, but how to experience is set up or participated in may differ from the original plan.

How does that sound?

Thanks Lorina,
I have answered the NQS and the policies and procedures one
The main ones that I am stuck on are:

-Establishing an appropriate environment according to standards
In this questions I am assuming that I have to explain the importance of setting up environments according to the standards, why it is required and what is required?

- Providing creative and challenging opportunities to stimulate learning
In this question I think I have to explain the importance of setting up and providing creative and challenging opportunities and how that stimulates learning?

- Encouraging involvement/participation in experiences
In this questions I think I have to explain how to encourage involvement and participation in experiences positively without forcing the child to participate

- Planning, implementing and evaluating experiences for children
This question I am not to sure what is required

-Varying experiences, depending on age, abilities, development, culture and needs
In this question I think I have to explain how to set up varying experiences for different ages, abilities, development, culture and needs and why maybe?

If you could confirm if what I think I have to answer is correct and help me specify what I may be required to answer in planning, implementing and evaluating experiences for children that would be much appreciated

This is what I have answered for Varying experiences, depending on age, abilities, development, culture and needs
It is important for educators to provide varying experiences for the children depending on their age and needs. Educators have to understand the importance of setting up experiences that all children, no matter what age, can participate in. Examples of ways experiences can be modified for children are:
• Setting up activities that are flexible to each child’s specific routines (Ensuring that even if children are sleeping, they still get the opportunity to participate
• Modifying materials to ensure all children’s safety (choking hazards)
• Implement materials that can easily be washed/cleaned (from mouthing)
Examples of ways to modify experiences in regards to children’s abilities and development are:
• Having materials that are different sizes (Assisting with developmental level of pincer grips)
• Having materials for threading that have different sized holes for threading inside it
• Having different height materials for children to still be able to participate, but feel comfortable doing so (Climbing frames)
Examples of ways to modify experiences for cultural beliefs:
• Allowing and understanding children may wear different bathing suits throughout water play
• Providing opportunities for children to participate in activities that represent their culture (Dot paintings etc.)

Yes, you got the right idea!

For the following:

Planning, implementing and evaluating experiences for children
This question I am not to sure what is required

Observing individual children
Using information gathered to plan experiences based on children's interest and needs
Encouraging feedback from families to implement their ideas into the curriculum plan
Evaluate the experiences offered to children and extend on their learning when necessary

This will help as well:

Plan, Implement & Evaluate Experiences

,
Lorina

This is what I have answered for this: Planning, implementing and evaluating experiences for children
Planning, implementing and evaluating experiences for children are all ways to observe children through play, gather information about the child developmentally and their interests. Planning and implementing specific activities for children can assist the child in learning new developmental skills, broadening their knowledge/interest on certain topics but also can assist the educator in getting to know the child more.
When planning and implementing experiences, educators should use this opportunity to evaluate children developmentally. By implementing and experience with a specific purpose for the children to learn, evaluating how they are going with that experience can give educators and insight on where the child is developmentally and how educators can assist with developing those skills further.
Examples of ways to plan future experiences:
• Watch children through other experiences and free play to see what they are interested in and plan an experience relating to that interest
• Ask the children what activities they would like to do for the week and work together to plan experiences
• Communicate with families about their children’s interests are/activities that they like to participate at home
Examples of ways to implement the experiences:
• Allocate a day where you will implement the experience that you have planned (If for a specific child, on a day that child attends care)
• Have a calendar that children can see with the days that their activity suggestions has been allocated to
• Have clear spaces set out for each experience to have enough room for the correct amount of children to participate in
Examples of ways to evaluate experiences:
• Have your own developmental milestones checklist specific to a particular child (Knowing their interests, developmental level etc.)
• Have a copy of the expected developmental milestones checklist with you
• Ask the child questions about the experience and document their answer
By planning, implementing and evaluating experiences, children and educators all benefit from doing these steps.

Thanks for the support Lorina
The next part I need assistance with is: What I would do to facilitate and enhance children’s development (I forgot to write this part in the dot points asking for help) When I search for that in the search bar it just brings up my post haha.

I am lost for words with how to start this question, not even being sure what needs to be spoken about in my answer.

I feel like I should be speaking about how I plan to initiate and continually provide opportunities to assist with each child's development.
Do you think that explaining how I plan to do this, mention a few examples of activities and why it is important to do this answers this question?
Does that sound like the right direction? If so, do you know a way to start what I am trying to say?

Yes!

Strategies for promoting and extending children’s play and learning using innovative and alternative approaches that reflect current knowledge and trends. Explore strategies for planning rich, open-ended experiences that support all areas of development.

When you have completed this unit you will know how to:
Establish an environment that can foster children’s development
Provide creative and challenging opportunities which stimulate learning and development of the child
Plan, implement and evaluate developmentally appropriate experiences for children
Encourage children’s involvement in experiences

You can find more information here: Facilitate and Enhance Children's Development

Hope this helps,

,
Lorina

Thanks Lorina,
Sorry about the delayed response, I didn't realise there were two pages to my questions. Haha
This is what I have written for What educators should do to facilitate and enhance children’s development
As educators, we see children as being:
• Capable and resourceful
• Being curious
• Making discoveries
• Expressing themselves
• Working collaborative with others
• Capable communicators
• Inquisitive
• Investigators and explorers
• Valued members in society
• Imaginative
• Problem solvers
• Creative learners.
For children to be able to be all of these things, educators need to provide play and learning environments that allow children to gain and improve these skills.

When setting up experiences or play areas, educators need to have a broad knowledge about where the children they are teaching are at developmentally. They need to keep this in mind when setting up the experience or area to ensure that it encourages participation, investigation, exploration etc.
When setting up the experience and play area educators have to have an idea of what experience they are going to set up and ensure the area they are setting it up in allows enough space for all children that want to participate, can. Educators also need to think about the centres/rooms daily routine. Knowing that lunch time is soon and that you are setting up an activity that uses a large quantity of tables, do you need to interrupt learning to take the tables away for lunch? Educators have to think about things like that to prevent children feeling disappointed or upset that the projects that they were putting so much hard work into had to be moved or dismantled due to lunch.

Is there anything else important that I have missed that you think really needs to be put into this before I write my closing paragraph?

Thanks
Shaylee

Thanks for all the help Lorina,
I have completed this project when I never thought I would be able to with all the little questions required.
I have saved all the links you gave me and now I know how to access them more.
I also hope the questions asked here will also help others if they need help too.