Task: Provide an explanation of an area of the Early Years Learning Framework. Question: Play has long been considered a cornerstone of the early childhood curriculum, and ‘Learning through play’ is included as a core Practice in the Early Years Learning Framework. Using selected readings provided in weeks 1 to 4: i) explain the reasons behind the early childhood commitment to play ii) discuss how ‘Learning through play’ aligns with the concepts of ‘belonging’, ‘being’ and ‘becoming’. Structure: Traditional essay style. Consider the central concepts of Belonging, Being and Becoming – the EYLF’s Big Ideas: · Belonging Imagine a time in your life where you have felt a strong sense of belonging – what did it feel like? what made it feel that way? (ie: what were the pre-conditions for feeling like you belonged). Now think about this in terms of children – what are some of the things that we can do that will help children to feel a sense of belonging? Think across age groups e.g.: babies, toddlers, pre-schoolers. · Being What are some examples of “being” – what does “being” look like/feel like? Now think about this in terms of children – how can we provide opportunities for children to experience such a state? . engaging materials/experiences, time + space to engage fully with them · Becoming What does this term mean? Think about children’s “becoming” – what/who are children becoming? While school readiness is may spring to mind, think beyond this – what other forms of becoming are there? What outcomes or achievements should children progress towards? How can you promote becoming in a way that is consistent with contemporary approaches to early childhood education? Take the time to ensure you have a sound knowledge base of the topic before diving in to write the essay. Reading widely, making notes, verbally explaining the key concepts to a friend will help you to develop and refine your own understanding. When you are writing, remember that an effective essay will · Directly address the assignment question – make sure you structure your essay to do this . Address the assignment criteria – read the rubric to understand what the markers are looking for at each grade level · Be logically structured and easy for the reader to follow – make sure you give yourself time to draft, re-draft and revisit before submission. Ask a friend to read you essay to identify parts that are difficult to understand · Well supported by relevant literature – do the preparation listed above and you will know who you can cite to support your ideas · Professionally presented – locate and follow an APA 7 referencing guide and use these conventions in your essay. Do a spell and grammar check, and read your finished work slowly and carefully (I find it useful to read out loud) to pick up errors. criteria: 1. Provides consistent evidence of deep and critical understanding and, substantial originality and insight in identifying the EC commitment to play consistent evidence of deep and critical understanding and, substantial originality and insight in the analysis of alignment between play based learning and young children’s being, belonging and becoming. 3. The work shows an ability to locate appropriate academic sources. An effective use of academic literature clearly enhances the academic quality of the assignment are expressed clearly throughout, showing a proficient use of standard academic Australian English. The assignment is competently structured and the ideas are well organised throughout. Grammatical and spelling errors are minimal, and do not detract from the clarity of expression. The assignment complies with the specified word limit. 7th referencing and citation style has been applied correctly and consistently throughout the assignment. Any errors are very minor and do not detract from the professional presentation of the work. All consulted sources have been acknowledged through in text citations and included in the reference list. please reference from: Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Death, E., Dockett, S., & Farmer, S. (2021). Programming and planning in early childhood settings (8th ed.). Victoria: Cengage Learning Australia Pty Limited. Colliver, Y (Compiler). Play and Inquiry in Early Childhood (4th ed.). Melbourne: Pearson Education Custom Australian Government Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations. (2009). Belonging, being & becoming: The early years learning framework for Australia. Australia: Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved from Early Childhood Australia. (2016). Early childhood Australia code of ethics. Retrieved from Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Death, E., Dockett, S., & Farmer, S. (2021). Programming and planning in early childhood settings (8th ed.). Victoria: Cengage Learning Australia Pty Limited. (Read Chapter 8) Australian Government Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations. (2009). Belonging, being & becoming: The early years learning framework for Australia. Australia: Commonwealth of Australia. (Read the Outcomes section) Australian Government Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations. (2009). Belonging, being & becoming: The early years learning framework for Australia. Australia: Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved from ecoming_the_early_years_learning_framework_for_ (Read pp. 19-44) Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Death, E., Dockett, S., & Farmer, S. (2021). Programming and planning in early childhood settings (8 th ed.). Victoria: Cengage Learning Australia Pty Limited. (Read Chapter 3) Feeney, S., Moravcik, E., & Nolte, S. (2019). Understanding and Supporting Play. in Colliver, Y (Compiler), Play and Inquiry in early childhood (4th ed, ). Sydney, Pearson. (Read pp. 2-7) Touhill, L. (2012). Inquiry-based learning. National Quality Standard Professional Learning Program, (45), 1-4. Van Hoorn, J., Nourot, ., Scales, B., & Alward, . (2019) Looking at play through teachers’ eyes. In Y Colliver (Compiler) Play and Inquiry in Early Childhood (4th ed. pp 35-66). Sydney: Pearson. (Read pp 35-52) Curtis, D., & Carter, M. (2013). The art of awareness: How observation can transform your teaching (2nd ed.). St. Paul, MN: Red Leaf Press. (Read Chapter 2)
