TCHR5003 Principles and Practices in Early Childhood Education Sample

TCHR5003 PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Task Description

Students are required to develop a professional response to the three (3) scenarios described below that have occurred in early childhood settings making reference to the unit materials, the National Quality Standard (ACECQA, 2020) and the EYLF (AGDE, 2022).

Task Instructions

Develop a professional response to each scenario below (500 words each) to demonstrate your knowledge of relationships and the environment, by referring to the EYLF, the NQS and unit materials to support your points.

Assessment Brief

Scenario 1:

You are the early childhood teacher in the toddler room. You notice some of your staff do not believe the toddlers are capable of making choices and completing routines on their own.

a) What do you say to the staff about why children’s agency is important in the toddler room and how will you communicate this to staff?

b) Provide staff one way they could allow the children to have more agency in the room. Justify your response with reference to one NQS Quality Area (ACECQA, 2020), one EYLF Principle and one EYLF Practice (AGDE, 2022).

Scenario 2

You are the early childhood teacher responsible for the four-year-old room in a long day care centre that provides food. You are wanting to implement a healthier eating program within your room. You have diverse family groups from a wide variety of cultures and food preferences (including families who are vegan).

a) What is one way you could involve the children in developing and implementing the healthier eating program?

b) What is one way you could involve the families and community in developing and implementing the healthier eating program?

Use one NQS Quality Area (ACECQA, 2020), one EYLF Principle and one EYLF practice (AGDE, 2022) to justify your changes.

Scenario 3

You are the educator in the 0–2-year-old room. You have a number of new families who do not understand why the children are so upset at drop off time. You want to ensure that parents are aware that this is common for many children.

a) Explain a strategy you could use to help the children build trust and settle each morning.

b) Outline what information you would share with families about this issue.

Use one NQS Quality Area (ACECQA, 2020), one EYLF Principle and one EYLF Practice (AGDE, 2022) to justify why your actions are important for the child and family.

Referencing Style -APA 7th referencing format is required in Faculty of Education assessment tasks – link to SCU

Solution

Scenario 1

A) In the toddler room, children's agency is essential because it promotes independence, self-worth, and a sense of control over their surroundings. Toddlers' social and cognitive development is aided when routines and decision-making are left up to them. It improves their ability to solve problems and fosters a good self-concept. In order to convey to the staff the value of children's agency, highlight the ways in which it advances the toddlers' general development—both now and in the future (Boyd et al., 2021). Give the toddlers the freedom to choose and complete projects on their own, and encourage the staff to monitor and acknowledge their accomplishments.

Furthermore, valuing toddlers' autonomy in the classroom fosters a welcoming and inclusive learning atmosphere. A person's sense of autonomy and confidence are bolstered when their decisions and abilities are acknowledged and respected. Additionally, it creates a basis for trust and a sense of security in the interactions between the children and the professionals for MBA assignment expert.

To convey this to the workers, emphasise the studies that back up the significance of early childhood agency development (Arthur et al., 2021). Give instances of how letting toddlers choose what to do or what to snack on may make their class of learners more interested and driven. Urge employees to think back on their own experiences and instances in which autonomy aided in their own growth.

Additionally, stress that although toddlers can require monitoring and direction, giving them the freedom to make judgements within certain bounds helps them develop a sense of self.

B) One useful tactic for encouraging a feeling of agency among toddlers in the classroom is to incorporate chances for choice-making into regular routines. Staff members may help toddlers gain a sense of independence and autonomy by giving them choices and letting them decide what parts of their surroundings or activities they want to participate in (Garcia-Melgar et al., 2022). This strategy is in line with the National Quality Standard (NQS) Quality Area 5: Relationships with Children, which highlights the significance of courteous and accommodating interactions that facilitate children's involvement and agency (ACECQA, 2020).

Offering options within routines is in line with the Early Years Learning Framework's (EYLF) Principle of Respectful Relationships, which values and acknowledges the individual talents, interests, and strengths of every child (DESE, 2022). Furthermore, because it entails teachers actively working with kids to scaffold their learning and decision-making abilities, foster a feeling of agency, and support their general development, this approach is consistent with the EYLF Practise of Intentional Teaching (DESE, 2022). Staff members foster an atmosphere that respects and encourages toddlers' increasing autonomy while also helping them learn critical life skills by allowing them to make choices as part of their everyday routines.

This method is in line with the EYLF Principle of Learning by Play, which views play as an essential learning environment that allows kids to explore, delve deeper into, and make sense of the world around them (Kirk et al., 2022). Making choices during routines, like picking a book for story time or a particular toy for playtime, encourages decision-making and helps children improve their problem-solving abilities.

Scenario 2

A) Including the kids in the meal planning process via a cooperative and instructive method is one efficient way to include them in creating and carrying out a better eating programme. Establish a weekly or monthly schedule that allows kids to share their preferences and suggestions for snacks and meals (Davis et al., 2023). Provide a specific area, like a poster or bulletin board, where kids may list and illustrate their favourite fruits, veggies, or other wholesome eating options. Promote talks about the advantages of different meals while experimenting with flavours, textures, and colours.

Incorporate activities that honour the diversity of cuisines from other cultures in order to meet the group's varied cultural and nutritional preferences. For example, you may arrange weeks or days with a theme in which kids bring in a traditional meal or share family recipes. This encourages ethnic variety and teaches the kids the value of making diverse dietary choices (van Kleef et al., 2022). Respecting children's ideas and incorporating their choices into everyday routines is part of implementing the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) principles, especially the EYLF Principle of Respectful Relationships. Engaging children in the process of selecting food choices gives them the ability to make educated decisions about their own nutrition and fosters a feeling of accountability for their own health.

This strategy is also in line with NQS Quality Area 2: Children's Health and Safety, which highlights the value of encouraging children to eat healthily and giving them the freedom to make decisions that will improve their overall wellbeing.

B) A cooperative and inclusive cooking class or nutrition-focused event is a great method to include the community and families in creating and executing a healthy eating programme for four-year-olds (Seguin et al., 2017). This programme emphasises the value of include families and communities in the service's decision-making processes, which is in line with the National Quality Standard (NQS) Quality Area 6: Collaborative Partnerships with Families and Communities (ACECQA, 2020). Teachers can establish a common space where different cultural perspectives on food and dietary practises can be discussed by asking families to join in a cooking session.

This method also aligns with the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) Principle of Partnerships, which values the cooperative ties between families and early childhood educators and acknowledges families as children's first and most important educators (DESE, 2022). Engaging families in a culinary class offers a platform for candid dialogue and reciprocal education of the varied culinary tastes and customs among the populace. Furthermore, because it takes into account children's holistic development within the framework of their families and communities, this programme is in line with the EYLF Practise of Holistic Approaches (DESE, 2022). Children participate in practical learning experiences about making healthy food choices through the culinary class, and families take an active role in establishing the parameters of the learning environment (Tschannen-Moran, 2014). By acknowledging the connections between children's learning experiences at the early development centre and in their families, this practise promotes a holistic approach to education.

Scenario 3

A) In order to facilitate the development of trust and help the kids settle every morning, I would employ a personalised, gradual transition plan that creates a sense of security and consistency. For babies and toddlers, this method is essential because it recognises the significance of developing safe attachments and experiencing an emotional bond with their carers during the process of separation. Encouraging parents to create a regular morning routine that includes a brief but significant transition period before entrusting the kid to the educators is one successful tactic. This may include reading a short novel aloud, singing along to a song, or spending time with a cherished plush toy. It could also entail participating in a soothing and participatory activity.

Taking into consideration the child's particular comfort items or calming routines, this routine should be customised to meet their own requirements and preferences.Using a picture chart or visual timetable can also give the kid a useful visual cue that shows them what happens in the order that it does during drop-off (Koehly et al., 2015). A visual picture of the routine makes it easier for the youngster to predict what will happen next, which eases their worry and fosters a sense of security.

It would enlighten parents through recurring mailings, casual talks, or parent education workshops on the commonality of separation discomfort. Through the provision of child development tools and an explanation that separation anxiety is a normal developmental stage, parents may enhance their comprehension of their kid's feelings and conduct during drop-off. By being aware of this, parents may approach the change with empathy and tolerance, which will help the kid and the family settle in more smoothly in the long run.

B) It's critical to communicate clearly and compassionately with new families in order to allay their worries about their young children exhibiting difficulty at drop-off time in the 0–2-year-old area. This will help parents see that separation anxiety in young children is common. One important thing to remember when talking to families is that separation anxiety is a normal stage of development for young children. It shows that the kid has developed a close relationship with their primary carer and is an indication of good attachment (Seguin et al., 2017). It's critical for parents to recognise that their child's grief during drop-off is a normal aspect of their emotional growth.

The National Quality Standard (NQS) Quality Area 6: Collaborative Partnerships with Families and Communities, which emphasises the value of respectful and honest communication between educators and families, is aligned with this communication. Through educating families on separation anxiety, educators help them to better understand their children's emotional health and build a cooperative relationship with the child's carers.

Moreover, this strategy adheres to the Principle of Secure, Respectful, and Reciprocal Relationships found in the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). Building safe and respectful relationships with the kid and family is demonstrated by the educator's willingness to acknowledge and treat the child's separation anxiety. This principle highlights how important it is to provide an emotionally safe space where each child's unique needs are acknowledged and met. This strategy is enhanced by the EYLF Practise of High standards and Equity, which encourages teachers to have high standards for every student while acknowledging that every child's development is different.

References:

Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Death, E., Dockett, S., & Farmer, S. (2021). Chapter 2: Children in the context of their families and communities. Programming and planning in early childhood settings (8th ed.). Cengage.

Boyd, W., Green, N., & Jovanovic, J. (2021). Learning and teaching in early childhood: Pedagogies of inquiry and relationships. Cambridge University Press.
Davis, B., Dunn, R., Harrison, L. J., Waniganayake, M., Hadley, F., Andrews, R., ... & Hatzigianni, M. (2023, June). Mapping the leap: differences in quality improvement in relation to assessment rating outcomes. In Frontiers in Education (Vol. 8, p. 1155786). Frontiers. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2023.1155786/full

Garcia-Melgar, A., Hyett, N., Bagley, K., McKinstry, C., Spong, J., & Iacono, T. (2022). Collaborative team approaches to supporting inclusion of children with disability in mainstream schools: A co-design study. Research in developmental disabilities, 126, 104233. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891422222000634

Kirk, G., & Barblett, L. (2022). Implementing the National Quality Standard in schools: leadership that motivates improvement initiatives through psychological ownership. The Australian Educational Researcher, 49(2), 367-385. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13384-021-00446-8

Koehly, L. M., Morris, B. A., Skapinsky, K., Goergen, A., & Ludden, A. (2015). Evaluation of the Families SHARE workbook: an educational tool outlining disease risk and healthy guidelines to reduce risk of heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer and colorectal cancer. BMC Public Health, 15, 1-15. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-015-2483-x

Seguin, R. A., Morgan, E. H., Hanson, K. L., Ammerman, A. S., Jilcott Pitts, S. B., Kolodinsky, J., ... & McGuirt, J. T. (2017). Farm Fresh Foods for Healthy Kids (F3HK): An innovative community supported agriculture intervention to prevent childhood obesity in low-income families and strengthen local agricultural economies. BMC public health, 17(1), 1-20. https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-017-4202-2

van Kleef, E., Dijkstra, S. C., Seidell, J., Vingerhoeds, M. H., Polet, I. A., & Zeinstra, G. G. (2022). Which factors promote and prohibit successful implementation and normalization of a healthy school lunch program at primary schools in the Netherlands?. Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, 41(1), 1-11. https://jhpn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s41043-022-00328-4