Learning and Pedagogy in the Early Years: Play-based curriculum and assessment

Describe the potential impact of noise and reverberation on a child’s speech perception. Is the impact similar to that seen in adults? Why/Why not?
June 16, 2022
‘Both environmental and developmental factors contribute to a child’s ability to communicate.’
June 16, 2022

Learning and Pedagogy in the Early Years: Play-based curriculum and assessment

Learning and Pedagogy in the Early Years: Play-based curriculum and assessment

Case Study – Designing a play-based curriculum for a specific learning area and context in the early years, aged 3-8.

Introduction

This assessment details a play-based teaching plan for a unit called ‘Let’s Build It!’ in a Kindergarten class. The underpinning theoretical approaches taken in the plan are socio-cultural theory and inquiry-based learning.

Research and Analysis of Theories/Perspectives

As an educator in the 21st century, there is a need more than ever to offer a diverse range of learning experiences to the students represented in our classrooms. The impact of students who feel disengaged with their learning, their teacher, the curriculum and their school environment is profound. The early years of education contributes significantly to a child’s ongoing learning success. Ultimately, there needs to be a greater emphasis on a more collective approach to student success which embodies quality teaching, high levels of engagement between students and teachers and rich, meaningful learning experiences.

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Through the lens of a socio-cultural perspective, the relationship between play, learning and development is multidirectional with each significantly impacting the other. This perspective explores the importance of social interactions for learning and consequently development. “Learning in a sociocultural perspective is thought to occur through interactions, negotiation and collaboration” (Scott & Palincsar, 2013, p. 5). In this perspective, children are active agents and have a voice in their own learning, and with the assistant of adults and their peers’ experiences are scaffolded for their learning. Bredekamp & Copple (as cited in Edwards, 2003) explain this relationship more in-depth, stating that:

development and learning are dynamic processes requiring that adults understand the continuum [of development], observe children closely to match curriculum and teaching to children’s emerging competencies, needs and interests, and then help them move forward by targeting educational experiences to the edge of children’s changing capacities so as to challenge, but not frustrate them (p. 260).

In this perspective, play has a significant role and connects learning and development. Play fuels a child’s imagination, provides deep insights into one’s thinking and understanding and provides a understanding into how one makes meaning. T