COVER PAGE

Name: BKR - Anonymous

Student Number: 999999999

Subject Code: Investigation: Maths, Science, & Technology

Assessment number: Assessment Item 2

Assessment title Planning for Play and Investigation

Word count 2,863

Date Submitted: 5th JUN 2011

Assessment 2Page 1 of 12

Part I: Description of the setting and your position

The children in this planning for play and investigation experience are from the childcare

centre where I work as an Educator. They play together and are between 4 to 5 years of age.

The children were born in Australia and speak English as a first language. Their families are

a mix of Australian born and recent migrants of Asian and European background. Their

learning development and interests are similar (but not same) for their age group. They share

their favourite toys between them. Some toys, tools and games belong to the children, while

other learning tools available at the centre. They have been in my care since the beginning of

year 2014 and are attached with me.

Part 2- Rationale for selection of the children

The selected group shares an emotional and social bond, and participate together in play.

Their trust in me enabled my observations without intruding facilitating their process of

learning in different opportunities at times acting as a scaffold (Vygotsky, 1978, p. 86). As

documented in my EYL setting daily reflection book from past observations, I was able to

conclude their mathematical and scientific development in accordance with expectations with

reference to their age group development. The demonstrated quality of objective permanence

which is necessary for the use of mathematics as it requires visualising or conceptualising

objects as existing, even if they are not seen (e.g. one car, two cars, three cars etc.). The

group also understood causality and spatial awareness (Geist, 2009, p. 137) in the

demonstration of fine motor skills required for delicate manoeuvres like stacking blocks and

assembling Lego kits.

Part 3- Summary of the children’s interests and understandings

Observations indicated that this group has an understanding of shapes in the context of

motion, and ordered operations in the context of building vehicles from Lego bricks and

Duplo-Lego kits. In their play time they mimic vehicular motion and operations (e.g. lifting,

dumping) and reproduce the sounds of vehicles in motions. For example the turning of

ignition key to start an engine, making the sound of a vehicle in motion, stopping, etc. The

group also mimics the use vehicle tool-box (Duplo-Lego) and tools such as screw driver,

Assessment 2Page 2 of 12

spanner, jack lift for changing of a wheel, the use of ‘scoops’ for excavation etc. In their play

they compare objects they have built using terms such as fast, slow, big, small, heavy, light.

The dots on the top of each Lego brick not only help to join the bricks together but they also

provide an in-built system of measurement. The group demonstrated measurement skills

when asking for bricks by expressing for example “I need another four”, “I need a little piece,

just two dots”. Their language exhibits familiarity with shapes (round, square, rectangular

etc). The social interaction within the group led to conclude evidence of Bishop’s six

mathematical categories (Macmillan, 2009, p. 21) as:

- Counting: classifying and sorting bricks in an arrangement and pattern, fitting the right size

and number of wheels to a vehicle

-Locating: using coloured Lego bricks of various shapes as appropriate to the vehicle

-Measuring: using terms such as long/short/small/big

-Designing: construction of vehicles from Lego bricks and Duplo-Lego kits

-Playing: imaginatively recreating real life experience in play

-Explaining: communicating the need for order and balance for e.g. proper fit of bricks

Observations also pointed to evidence of processes such as in observing, making connections,

inferring such as in the use of a key to start an engine of a ‘make believe’ car and using a

spanner to tighten/loosen a bolt (Stelzer, 2005, p.5) based on their real life experiences.

Assessment 2Page 3 of 12

Part 4- Learning Experience Plan

Experience Information

This learning experience plan will be implemented on Tuesday, 19th of June 2015. It is called

‘Shapes, Motion, Friction and Sound’. It will be conducted with a group of 4 children in my

Early Years Learning setting. For this group the next stage of learning is kindergarten.

It is intended that this plan will be implemented over 4 to 6 sessions of approximately 1 hour

each in child initiated play-time sessions.

The learning is in accordance with the key scientific concepts of friction, sound, motion of

elementary machines as suggested in ‘Guiding Science Learning and Assessments in the

Early Years’ (Harlan & Rivkin, 2012, pp. 238-271).

Learning Focus

The main focus of this learning experience plan is on promoting children’s learning by being

responsive to children with the planning and implementation through play (NQS PLP, 2013,

pp.1-3) in a learning environment in my EYL setting.

It also focuses to extend the group’s learning through Lego bricks and Duplo-Lego kits, and

is intended to facilitate their learning of ‘shapes in motion’, causality of ‘friction and sound’

in motion, ‘motion on solid surfaces and in liquids’.

The focus in mathematical, scientific and/or technological learning is on extending the

group’s understanding and language by introducing new concepts of ‘Friction’ and ‘Motion’.

Four to five year-olds enjoy playing with friends using their creative abilities in building with

Lego bricks and Duplo-Lego vehicular objects from Lego materials. The plan envisages that

the children will become more and more advanced/proficient in building with Lego materials

and it also recognises and addresses the risk that the children may lose interest over the

duration of their learning experience. Hence, it provides for small duration easily achievable

success scenarios to encourage and motivate their learning. The learning experience plan also

takes into account the short attention span of the children and therefore includes sufficient

time to arouse their interest by using play tools of their choice and proving them a flexibility

and freedom of constructing any type of vehicular construction, in steps that will ensure

Assessment 2Page 4 of 12

success, to maintain the group’s collective and individual self esteem as part of nurturing

(Harlan & Rivkin, 2012, p. 39).

As an Educator I have planned to help trigger the imagination of this group and spark new

ideas by responding to their questions and prompting them with questions essentially acting

as a scaffold in a non-intrusive way without restricting their direct first-hand experiences.

Based on successive and progressive session observations, throughout the implementation,

some of the questions that may be asked are:

- How many dots are there on the Lego bricks?

- Why do you want to use wheels for your cars, trucks?

- Why don’t use tracks as you use for your tractor?

- How many wheels do you need for your truck?

- Can you move your car use square blocks or rollers?

- Will your car move in water? Will it make a sound?

- What happens if round wheels are replaced with cylinder rollers?

- What happens when we use square blocks (corners) to slide down a ramp instead of a

coin?

New mathematical and scientific terms such as ‘friction’ and ‘motion’ would be introduced

and observations made on their use in children’s interactions, that would then demonstrate if

the group is progressing in the direction intended by the plan. The plan encourages the group

of children on self - discovery encouraging their curiosity and active involvement.

EYLF Outcomes section

The Learning Experience Plan focuses on extending and enhancing the mathematical and

scientific learning towards achieving the EYLF outcomes as follows:

Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners:

- Children develop disposition for learning such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence,

creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination, and reflexivity.

- Children develop a range of skills and processes such as problem solving, inquiry,

experimentation, hypothesising, researching and investigating

Assessment 2Page 5 of 12

It is intended that the children will use play to investigate, imagine and explore ideas and

Educators will provide a learning environment that is flexible and open-ended and that will

encourage them in individual and collaborative learning processes, and also allow them to

reflect what and how they have learned (DEEWR, 2009, p. 34)

By promoting this learning Educators will also work towards Outcome 4: (DEEWR, 2009, p.

35) by planning learning environments with appropriate level of challenge and recognise the

mathematical understanding that children bring and provide intentional scaffolding for

children’s understanding.

Requirements

The setting for this experience is my EYL centre, where I work as an Educator I will provide

indoor play area which will be sufficient and comfortable for all children where they can

explore their experiences by construction and examining their work. There will be a spate

area allocated to each child to keep their incomplete work to resume/continue in the next

session.

The duration of the learning experience is spread over a week in four stages, to facilitate the

communication and understanding of mathematical and scientific concepts of shapes and

motion on solid surfaces and in liquids, friction and motion on smooth and rough surfaces

and motion and sound. The materials needed are as follows:

- Ramps or Inclined planes (currently available in the EYL Setting)

- Coins, wooden square blocks, rolling dice, small square or rectangle glass coasters

(currently available in the EYL Setting)

- Lego bricks and Duplo-Lego kits (currently available in the EYL Setting)

- Floor mats (currently available in the EYL Setting)

- Fish Tank with fishes in it (currently available in the EYL Setting)

The Lego kits (bolts, nuts, bricks, tubes, wheels, tracks etc) will be laid on the mats for the

group to pick up in a self-led play, with ramps/inclined planes available close by. Coins,

glass plates will be introduced by the educator along with square/cylindrical blocks, to

demonstrate how motion produces friction and sound in solids and in liquids

Assessment 2Page 6 of 12

When children are exposed to literacy and numeracy through hands-on, practical, and play-

based experiences, they are more likely to engage meaningfully and successfully (NQS PLP,

2013. p. 1).

Procedure

The plan provides for a learning experience over 4 to 5 play sessions, of approximately 1

hour each, based on the attention span of the children for this activity in play time. Their

incomplete constructions will be placed on a table in an allocated area (pack away) from

where it can be retrieved and resumed.

Initially the children will be encouraged to engage in self-led play in their area of interest

(Lego) with the Educator acting as a scaffold to respond and prompt with question(s) to

arouse their curiosity and explore the phenomenon of ‘friction in motion’ e.g. What happens

when different vehicles move up and down a ramp? Then questioning them on the motion of

square/rectangle objects with corners (wood blocks) e.g. Wheel wheels, rollers or square go

faster? As an example using round objects (coins) and then square objects (blocks and dice)

to roll down a ramp?

To explain friction and sound the educator uses the example of rubbing hands together to

produce sound and heat, and asks the children to compare with what happens when rubbing

hands/fingers on glass plates/coasters. Only after the children have experienced first-hand,

will the Educator provide abstract concepts and terms to explain the phenomenon (Primary

Connections, 2008, pp. 1-2) of friction on smooth and rough surfaces. Likewise the effect of

motion in water and of motion on solid surfaces can be explained. For example by showing a

fish moving in water from ‘end to end’ within water in a fishing tank, and asking the question

how come there is no audible sound of the fish moving inside water.

Assessment 2Page 7 of 12

Plan for Review

A continued observation across all sessions would reflect on whether this learning experience

plan is achieving / has achieved its objectives. Some observations on the learning

development facilitated are as follows:

Observing whether or not the children remain engaged and involved throughout

actively participating in this experience. This would demonstrate that they have

embraced my learning experience and become confident and involved learners

If the children demonstrate evidence of new mathematical, scientific and

technological concepts as outlined in Part 2: ‘Learning Focus’, it can be determined

that this learning focus was appropriate for this group

If the children achieve the learning outcomes envisaged then my procedure and

strategies that I implement throughout this experience plan will be effective and

successful

If the terms introduced in learning new concepts are heard or expressed in subsequent

sessions with children then I would have achieved the outcomes of introducing new

key mathematical, scientific and/or technological concepts

It is also important to allow the children to complete the tasks at their own pace and in

their own time to explore the construction work in their own way, but under

supervision without intrusion.

An Educator’s role is to observe and find out what is it that the group does not understand

and to try and help with understanding everyday concepts (friction, motion, sound) that

can be transformed into abstract concepts (Fleer& Raban, cited in Knauss, 2013, p.13).

Part 5- Evaluation of the teaching and learning

Throughout this planned experience (intentional play), it was evident the teaching and

learning objectives that I had set out to achieve are good and have been successful to a

degree, but require time more than originally envisaged for children to absorb the new

concepts through first-hand direct experiences at their own pace. This learning experience

plan therefore may need some more time for a holistic effect.

Assessment 2Page 8 of 12

The outcomes from this experience clearly demonstrate that the children’s knowledge of key

mathematical, scientific/technological concepts on shapes and motion, motion and friction,

friction and sound, have been broadened (Harlan & Rivkin, 2012, pp. 28-52). Their

vocabulary has expanded to include the words such as ‘friction’. This needs to be further

reinforced by follow up actions. Their curiosity about the motion of vehicles and the sound

produced was aroused, when questions were raised on the silent motion of fish in the water

and the noisy motion of vehicles on the roads. It was interesting to note their engagement in

thoughtful contemplation and to see that they found it interesting to compare the effect of

friction when they rubbed their hands together as compared with and when they rubbed their

hands on a glass coaster. This helped understand the effect of friction on surfaces

(rough/smooth). It was a brave step to extend the children’s learning by using a subject play

of their interest. By providing the material that encourages such play and by naming and

drawing attention to what children are learning as they engage with the materials, educators

play and invaluable role in scaffolding the development of children’s mathematical thinking.

Construction toys such as Lego are designed to fit together easily and neatly. The bricks and

pieces are scaled so that their dimensions are in proportion to others. The nature of these

proportions means that such construction materials are an ideal medium for teaching and

learning about mathematical relationships (NQS PLP, 2013, pp.1-3). They may sound

complex but when we observe the children at play it shows how much maths is present in

children’s everyday play. At the basic level such material encourages children to use

positional language and the language of measurement.

Part 6 – Reflection and Future Practice

For Educators the planning cycle begins with observing. That is finding out what knowledge

children already have about mathematical concepts. The use of strategies such as modelling

and demonstrating, open questioning, speculating, explaining, engaging, shared thinking and

problem solving to extend children’s learning helps us to achieve the outcomes desired as per

the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF, p. 15). It is therefore important to specifically

plan for mathematical and scientific learning and not just rely on incidental opportunities to

occur. It is through play that children acquire basic mathematical and scientific

understanding. Through their developing an understanding of new concepts and by planning

activities that intentionally foster development in response to children’s natural inclinations

Assessment 2Page 9 of 12

in a way that supports and scaffolds their learning, is one of the underlying factors of

successful planning and learning experience (Seefeldt, 2012, p.101).

In reflection, Educators should think about what opportunity there is for literacy and

numeracy learning in EYL Settings. For example how do you incorporate mathematical

language and ways of thinking into discussions and interactions with children in a natural

way? What motivation is there for children to use complex and detail written and spoken

language and how do to show their efforts to do so are valued. Positive attitudes and

competencies are essential for children’s successful learning. The foundations for these are

built in early childhood (DEEWR, 2009, p. 38). The importance of play in early childhood

education is often linked to children’s stages of cognitive and social development and is

defined as appropriate to support children’s learning during the early years (AJEC, 2011,

p.70). For every child who develops a clear understanding of a particular idea or concept

there is potentially another child who may not. This is particularly true of complex ideas such

as those in mathematics and science. Therefore such learning has to be intentional and not

incidental. It is easy to assume that the Educator’s role in a play-based plan is always hands-

off. That is we prepare the environment, provide the resources and stimulus and then sit back

and watch the result. Sometimes we may take this approach. But sometimes we also need to

become involved, to engage with children to support extend and challenge their thinking.

Assessment 2Page 10 of 12

References

Australian Journal of Early Childhood (AJEC) Volume 36 No 4 Dec 2011. Early Childhood

Australia.

Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), (2009)

Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia,

Barton, ACT Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved (15-Mar-2015) from website: http://education.gov.au/search/site/

Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, (2009). Belonging, being

and becoming: Educator’s guide to the The Early Years Framework for Australia,

Barton, ACT: DEEWR. Retrieved (20 Dec 2014) from website:

http://files.acecqa.gov.au/files/National-Quality-Framework-Resources-Kit/

Geist, E. (2009). Infants and toddlers. In Children are born mathematicians: Supporting

mathematical development, birth to age 8 (pp. 135-182). Upper Saddle River, NJ:

Pearson Education.

Harlan, J.D., & Rivkin, M.S. (2012). Guiding science learning and assessments in the early

years. In Science experiences for the early childhood years: An integrated affective

approach (10th ed., pp. 28-52). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Harlen, W., Macro, C., Reed, K., & Schilling, M. (2003). Making progress in primary science

(pp. 55-71). London: Routledge Falmer. Retrieved (18 Mar 2015) from CSU website:

http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/EMC305_201520_A_D

Knauss, M (2013). Maths is All Around You: Developing Mathematical Concepts in the Early

Years. downloaded from website:

www.teachingsolutions.com.au

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Macmillan, A. (2009). Shared contexts for teaching and learning numeracy. In Numeracy in

early childhood: Shared contexts for teaching and learning (pp. 20-33). South

Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press. Retrieved (18 Mar 2015) from CSU

website: http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/EMC305_201520_A_D

National Quality Standard Professional Learning Program (NQS PLP). E-Newsletter No 66 2013. Play based approaches to literacy and numercay

Primary Connections. (2008). An elaboration of the Primary Connections 5E's teaching and

learning model. Retrieved from:

http://www.science.org/au/primaryconnections/teaching-and-learning/images/5Es.pdf

Project Maths Access (2006). Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI )

Teaching Mathematical Concepts: Basic Concepts. Downloaded Retrieved (18 Mar

2015) from:

http://s22318.tsbvi.edu/mathproject/index.asp#main

Stelzer, E. (2005). Structure of matter. In Experiencing science and math in early childhood

(pp. 32-52). Toronto, ON: Pearson Education Canada. Retrieved (18 May 2015) from

CSU website: http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/EMC305_201520_A_D

Seefeldt, C., Galper, A., & Stevenson-Garcia, J. (2012). Developing geometric and spatial

thinking skills. In Active experiences for active children: Mathematics (3rd ed., pp. 100-

117). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Vygotsky L. 1978 Mind in Society: The development of Higher Mental Processes, Zone of

Proximal Development. Harvard University Press Cambridge, MA. Retrieved (18 Dec

2014) from CSU website: http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/EEP417_201490_A_D

Assessment 2Page 12 of 12