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CHCPR502D: Organise experiences to facilitate and enhance children’s development

Provide creative and challenging opportunities which stimulate learning and development of the child

Contents

Encourage the child to gain skill and competence by persevering with a developmentally significant activity 3

Indirect teaching techniques 3

Direct teaching techniques4

Provide a range of creative experiences, play areas and materials, including natural and recycled materials to encourage children to explore and make choices 10

Creating aesthetic learning environments to encourage exploration and choice 10

Make opportunities for active free play and independent play 13

Criteria for free and independent play 13

Provide opportunities for children to practice developing skills16

Review of key developmental characteristics of children 17

Provide experiences and activities for the principal areas of development 20

Review of traditional principal areas of development 20

Developing curriculum outcomes 21

Organisation guidelines 30

2 Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCPR502D: Reader LO 9388 © NSW DET 2010

Encourage the child to gain skill and competence by persevering with a developmentally significant activity

Adult carers working with young children need to develop a diverse range of teaching techniques to support children’s learning. The use of specific teaching techniques ensures that the child’s free and independent play choices provide meaningful learning opportunities.

How do you, as a carer, encourage children to gain a skill and develop competence by persevering with a developmentally significant activity?

• Do you have an understanding of indirect teaching techniques that you can use to support children’s learning?

• Are you familiar with direct teaching techniques to support children’s learning?

• Can you select and use teaching techniques appropriate to the situation and the individual child’s developmental abilities?

Teaching techniques can be divided into two distinct methods:

• indirect teaching techniques • direct teaching techniques.

Indirect teaching techniquesIndirect teaching techniques are characterised by the careful organisation and arrangement of the learning environment to promote and extend children’s interests and development. As we have already discussed, the carer selects age-appropriate provisions and experiences by considering the children’s developmental skills and abilities as well as their specific interests. The provisions and experiences within each learning area are presented with attention to detail and aesthetics to encourage the child to explore and experiment within the learning area. In this way the carer is indirectly assisting the children’s learning.

Examples of specific indirect teaching techniques to consider:

Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCPR502D: Reader LO 9388 3© NSW DET 2010

Identify a child’s preferences for materials or activities and use them to motivate the child to participate or practise a certain skill.

Integrate the child’s preferred activity with another activity or place the child’s favoured activity next to another activity.

Limit distractions and interferences in the learning area where you would like the child to persevere. Place loud and quiet activities apart, use partitions and dividers and place learning areas in quiet parts of the room (well away from traffic).

Place a learning area in a traffic way to draw a child’s attention to it. Place key tools (or equipment to make a task easier) next to the child

while they are playing. Maximise the child’s chances of success so that each new learning

experience leads to positive results by choosing equipment and materials that the child is able to use and choose by themselves.

Ensure the child is offered ample time to practise, experiment or play at significant tasks.

Position adults so that they are able to facilitate the child’s discoveries and assist them with their learning immediately.

Direct teaching techniquesDirect teaching techniques are characterised by the adult carer’s interactions with the children. Direct teaching strategies are the important partner of indirect teaching strategies.

To extend children’s learning, the carer needs to engage in meaningful and authentic interactions with the child (or children).

MacNaughton and Williams (2004) have identified a number of direct teaching techniques. We will discuss these methods below.

DemonstratingDemonstrating is showing a child how something can be done. It assists the child’s learning by showing or reminding a child how to approach a particular task. This technique is very effective when combined with clear verbal instructions. It is best


to keep demonstrations brief and simple to suit the child’s attention span. When a skill or task is complex, break it down into simple steps and demonstrate one step at a time.

DescribingDescribing is a technique used to draw a child’s attention to a significant aspect of their experience, activity, object or skill. Describing assists a child’s learning by helping to expand their understandings of what is happening or relevant. This technique is sometimes referred to as a monologue or ‘self-talk’ where the adult narrates and describes each step of what they or the child are doing.

Encouraging and praisingOffering support and reassurance to the child as they undertake a new task or practise an emerging skill is an effective way to help the child to persevere. Encouragement is the way we verbally and non-verbally support the child while they attempt and engage in a task. Praise is the verbal and non-verbal acknowledgement we offer the child after they have attempted part or all of the task.

Encouragement and praise acknowledge the child’s achievements and show the child that their efforts are valued. Remember that the focus of encouragement and praise is on the amount of effort and perseverance a child demonstrates and the way they have approached the task—rather than whether they were successful or accurate.

FacilitatingAs carers, we facilitate a child’s learning by assisting to make the learning as easy and successful as possible for the child. Our ability to facilitate learning relies on careful observation and thoughtful timing as well as identifying the children’s needs and interests. Facilitating involves us, as carers, observing a child approach a task and identifying aspects that the child may be having difficulty with. We then need to be able to modify the learning environment with minimal intervention, by providing extra information, materials or time.

FeedbackFeedback provides children with relevant information before, during and after an experience. Feedback helps support children’s learning by giving them information about what they are doing, how well they are doing, and what they should do next. Children use this information to make informed decisions about


what they are doing, the way it should be done and when; therefore feedback should be specific and be given at the time the child participates in the activity. The way feedback is given should be altered to suit the child’s individual temperament and developmental understanding.

ListeningListening to children provides carers with important information about how the child is thinking or about the information and assistance that the child is seeking. Children who are listened to by their carers are encouraged in their learning as their thoughts and feelings are valued and responded to. Carers can assist the child’s learning by rephrasing questions and interpreting what is said or discovered during play. When we, as carers, listen to children, we are able to identify the emerging interests of each child from which we will be able to plan learning experiences.

ModellingShowing a child how to behave by providing yourself as an example is known as ‘modelling’. As carers, we should demonstrate and show the children the behaviours that we would like the children to imitate. Modelling occurs when the children copy the adult carer’s behaviour. Modelling should occur consistently and spontaneously throughout the day. Peers can also act as models for other children, particularly when the behaviour to be imitated is seen to be rewarded with recognition and praise.

QuestioningUsing questioning well is a skill that takes time and practice to learn. As carers, we should use questioning to prompt the children’s learning. However, we need to avoid asking questions that are not relevant or meaningful.

We need to be careful that we do not over-use this technique. It is important that we limit their questioning to open-ended questions. This type of question provides scope for many possible responses whereas a closed question has a right or wrong response or a one-word answer.

A well-structured question provides the child with direction about what information may be required for the answer—the question is specific to what they are doing. All questions should be simple, short and asked one at a time. We should provide the child with adequate time to answer questions and respond to the child’s answer with genuine interest.


RecallingThis technique assists the child to remember, or recall, a past experience or skill. Assisting children to recall past events can assist their learning by encouraging perseverance and reminding them of their responses and successes.

Recalling also assists the child to link their past learning with the present, making the experience relevant to the child in a concrete way. Recalling is particularly useful if the child was interested and successful and enjoyed the past experience. Recalling relies heavily on the child’s ability to remember events, sometimes with assistance. As carers, we need to be aware of the individual child’s capacity for long- and short-term memory recall.

SuggestingWe often use this technique when we offer advice, ideas and thoughts on what to do next. It is important that we understand that suggestions are not directions. Therefore children can refuse to use or respond to our suggestions.

Suggestions should be phrased positively and tell the children what they might do instead of what they should not do.

A well-timed suggestion can increase a child’s perseverance by:

• reducing frustration• prompting a new discovery • directing attention to a particular feature or aspect of a problem.

Suggestions need to be more direct with younger children.

InstructingThis is a very traditional technique where we tell a child what to do or how to do a task. This method needs to be used with care as it is a one-way process and children often quickly lose interest or may become passive learners—waiting and relying on adults for information. This method is useful in situations where discovery in not an option (eg instructing is appropriate when answering questions about sexuality or safety issues).

EmpoweringAllowing children to make choices about their own learning and be as independent as possible empowers children to persevere at particular tasks. Allowing the child to make decisions about how and when to do things can encourage the child to continue to practise a meaningful task. Children can feel


empowered by inviting peers to participate or by explaining tasks to them. Another way to empower the child is to allow them to modify or construct the learning environment by adding, taking away or moving provisions.

ReinforcingDirect positive reinforcement occurs when carers verbally and non-verbally acknowledge and praise aspects of the child’s behaviour that they would like to see repeated. Reinforcement can encourage a child to persevere at a task or to increase their interest and motivation. Indirect reinforcement occurs when the carer praises and acknowledges another child’s behaviour, in the hope that the child’s desirable behaviour will be emulated by the other children.

ScaffoldingScaffolding is characterised by the temporary support offered to a child to assist them in their learning and discoveries. The assistance is given by the adult carer or can be given by a more competent child. Scaffolding relies on the social interactions between the adult and children involved as they engage in joint problem solving. Scaffolding aims to move the child to a point where they can demonstrate a skill or solve a problem without assistance. Scaffolding can also be used to extend a child’s learning by providing new information, skills and provisions that the child can utilise to further their discoveries and understandings.

Task analysisThis teaching technique involves us, as carers, breaking up a complex task into smaller, manageable tasks and assisting the child to learn each step of the task. Task analysis encourages a child to persevere at significant tasks by reducing their complexity and allowing the child opportunities to achieve success in stages. We need to teach each step of the task until the child is competent before moving on to the next step. Eventually the child will be assisted to put all the steps in the task together.

Family and community consultation It is always important that we consult with the family members of the child when we are working closely with young children. We must acknowledge the family’s unique knowledge of the child. Family members may be able to provide us with specific information about the interests of the child or cultural practices that could help us assist the child to persevere at meaningful tasks. Alternatively, family members may provide invaluable information about the home environment or


the child’s general health and development that may be influencing the child’s ability to learn.

Activity 1


Provide a range of creative experiences, play areas and materials, including natural and recycled materials to encourage children to explore and make choices

Once we identify key curriculum learning areas, we need to consider the activities, experiences and provisions offered within each area.

We need to ask ourselves:

• How will these activities, experiences and provisions encourage the children to participate, explore and make choices in their learning?

• What skills and knowledge do you, the carer, need to be able to provide a range of creative experiences, play areas and provisions that encourage children to explore and make choices?

You will need to know:

• the role that aesthetic presentation plays in encouraging children’s involvement and participation in play and learning

• the theory of creative development which identifies how children participate and use provisions within experiences and activities

• the variety of creative play types and provisions we can include in play and learning areas

• how to select creative play provisions and experiences based on knowledge of the creative development of children.

Creating aesthetic learning environments to encourage exploration and choiceTo ensure that the physical learning environment fosters interest and prompts a child’s innate desire to explore and experiment, we focus on the aesthetic presentation of experiences and activities.


The care with which we present materials and equipment will influence the child’s level of interest and involvement

A proven way to prompt a child’s innate desire to explore is to foster the child’s aesthetic awareness by presenting learning areas and activities in a way that engages the child’s senses of sight, touch, sound and smell. Aesthetics could also be described as how attractive, welcoming, visually exciting and pleasant a particular space is to be in. Examples of how the presentation of learning environments can influence children’s interest and involvement are given below.

Here is an example of a poorly presented learning area in terms of aesthetics:

A book corner is set up in a busy indoor space. It has only a few books—and these are scattered on a rug.

It would be reasonable to assume that few children will enter such an unattractive area. Children who have a particular interest in books may even find this area unstimulating and be disinterested in its contents. The area has not been set up in a way that encourages children to engage and interact with the provisions.

Now for a good example of an aesthetically pleasing book corner:

The books are presented on a shelf or in cane baskets. The area is placed in a quiet area outdoors under the shade of a tree. Rugs and cushions of different textures and colours are added to enhance the sensory opportunities offered to the children.

A small hammock is also available. The cushions and rugs are placed facing the garden bed or road so that the children have a view.

The books on the shelf have been chosen to reflect the sorts of things the children might be observing as they sit and read—things such as cars, trucks, people walking along the footpath, birds and flowers.

A large sheet is suspended above the area to form a false roof and give the area a cubby-house effect. The sheet billows and shimmers in the breeze. The movement of the sheet prompts the children to take a closer look inside the area as they wander by.


Activity 2


Make opportunities for active free play and independent play

The NSW Curriculum Framework for Children’s Services (2001) lists one of the major obligations of a children’s service as: ‘to practise in ways that acknowledge the child as capable and resourceful’. Providing a child with a learning environment that allows them to choose their own play freely and independently is critical if we are to meet this obligation. As we encourage the child to be an active learner who explores, experiments and asks questions, we also allow them the scope to construct their own learning.

To be able to provide the children with free and independent play choices, you will need the skills and knowledge outlined below.

• Can you identify the criteria for free, independent play?• Can you identify the carer’s role in providing free, independent play?• What is the value of free independent play for children and carers?• Can you establish the relationship between free, independent play

and individual learning programs and outcomes for children?

We will now discuss each one of these questions.

Criteria for free and independent playWhat do we mean by free, independent play? Reflect on the scenario below—and ask yourself if the children are engaged in free, independent play.

The preschoolers have had their morning snack. Calista, the carer, tells them that it’s indoor play time. Calista lets the children play in whatever way they choose to in their designated areas. She does not interfere in their play—until lunch time when she calls them for lunch.

Free, independent play occurs when:

• participation in a type of play or learning area is chosen by the child• the length of time that a child spends engaging in any one activity is

chosen by the child• the depth of interaction that the child engages in with peers or adults

is chosen by the child


• the creative use of provisions and equipment is chosen by the child and supported by carers

• the opportunity for the child to create their own type of play or activity is supported by carers who provide additional equipment and provisions as requested by the child.

The carer’s role Carers can demonstrate their ability to provide opportunities for free and independent play by establishing a variety of core curriculum learning areas where children are encouraged to move about the environment using the provisions and resources and establishing relationships with their peers. While the children are engaged in free-choice play, the adult is a focused observer, providing minimal direction and interference.

The carer’s role is not limited only to the provision of learning areas. The carer’s role extends to the way he or she interacts with the children during their free-choice play—this is critical to the children’s learning. The carer needs to be able to identify spontaneous learning opportunities where adult intervention could further engage the child in play, foster their understanding or stimulate their thinking. The carer is a facilitator of learning rather than an intruder in the children’s play.

The value of free and independent play for children

The NSW Curriculum Framework for Children’s Services (2001) identifies the following benefits for children when they are provided with opportunities for free, independent play:

• The children’s opportunities to participate in certain activities and develop certain skills are not limited by adults’ perceptions of the children and what they can or cannot do.

• The development in children of positive self-esteem and concept arising from the active contributions children make to their own learning are valued and encouraged by adults.

• Children’s positive feelings of power and control over their own learning leads to lifelong attitudes of competence.


The value of free and independent play for carersAllowing opportunities for free and independent play within curriculum learning areas will provide carers with the framework from which specific goals for individual children are identified and addressed. While children engage in free-choice play, we are able to gather the following information:

• we learn about the child’s emerging developmental skills and existing developmental competencies in a natural setting

• we learn about the child’s temperament and personality, how they relate to others and how they feel about themselves

• we learn about the child’s life experience, culturally relevant learning and ideas and beliefs

• we learn about the child’s intrinsic interests.

Individual learning programs and outcomesWe use the information we gather about the children during free-choice play to inform our curriculum practice. This information allows us to individualise our programs. We are empowered with detailed information that will allow us to take the children’s interests and perspectives into account when planning learning experiences and choosing resources for inclusion in the curriculum learning areas. In this way, we weave an individual focus into our program and can offer self-paced learning to actively engage and extend the individual children.

Activity 3


Provide opportunities for children to practice developing skills

As a carer of young children you will aim to provide a quality learning environment that stimulates children to develop and grow. You will do this by providing opportunities for the children to practise their developing and emerging skills.

To be able to do this you will need to develop the following essential knowledge and skills:

• implement the principles of developmentally appropriate practice• create a physical learning environment that caters for the children’s

developmental and social play characteristics.

Developmentally appropriate practice and the learning environmentWe facilitate children’s learning by:

• arranging the learning environment• providing materials, equipment and experiences that match or

enhance the child’s level of development and understanding.

This is known as ‘developmentally appropriate practice’. Materials and equipment are carefully selected and set up to meet the general needs of the age range of children in a group.

Each age group of children has distinct and unique developmental characteristics. These developmental characteristics will influence:

• the type of learning experiences we choose• the provisions and equipment we provide • how we set up and present the provisions and equipment.

Children who are cared for in environments where the materials and equipment are matched to their abilities and interests will gain the most benefit from them, as they are provided with the greatest variety of opportunities to practise skills that are developing and emerging.


Review of key developmental characteristics of children You will recall from your studies of child development that children display particular developmental characteristics at certain ages and stages of development. While it is well recognised that individual differences in development for each child will be evident, it is also clear from research that some characteristics of development are universal. This means that we will be able to observe and identify some key milestones and behaviours in most children of certain ages.

Understanding these universal developmental characteristics is important to overall curriculum development. This information will allow us to recognise the child’s existing developmental skills and behaviours. This information will also help us to identify emerging developmental skills and changes in the child’s development.

We will use this information as the starting point from which to design our learning curriculum and experiences—we will be able to select, set up and modify provisions, equipment and the environment to best suit the individual learning needs of all the children in our care.

Listed below are some important developmental characteristics that will influence curriculum development and the learning environment.

Developmentally appropriate learning environment for infantsThe most important developmental characteristic to influence infant learning environments is the young infant’s need for security and attachments.

Infants require responsive carers who respond to their needs in a timely, appropriate manner. Carers need to be able to offer infants quality one-on-one interactions, or interactions involving only two children at the most.

When working with infants, use familiar, home-like settings and experiences to enhance attachment and feelings of security. Minimal changes, repetition and opportunities to anticipate events through regular and familiar routines are also critical factors.

A well-balanced daily play curriculum that focuses on sensory play but does not over-stimulate or under-stimulate infants is important. The program and any routines must be flexible enough to cater for infants’ individual needs as they arise.


Developmentally appropriate learning environment for toddlersThe most important developmental characteristic to influence toddler learning environments is the toddler’s innate desire for independence and discovery.

Toddlers will require secure infant environments and healthy attachments, but will also need an environment that can offer opportunities to use and practise emerging self-help skills.

Toddlers enjoy using their new skills to be independent. They are very active learners but can easily become frustrated, bored and/or overwhelmed.

The toddler needs responsive carers who can assist them with their emerging social and language skills and support and facilitate their efforts for independence.

Developmentally appropriate learning environment for preschoolersThe most important developmental characteristic to influence the preschooler’s learning environment is the quest for knowledge and social awareness. Preschoolers enjoy the company of their peers and are learning how to function as part of a small group and sometimes a large group.

Preschoolers still require stable, secure environments that encourage and support their independence, as well as carers who can facilitate and nurture their initiative as they strive to learn new skills and consolidate and extend existing skills.

Play curricula that offer challenges, choices and opportunities for self-directed learning are critical.

Developmentally appropriate learning environment for school-aged childrenSchool-aged children have very different needs from younger children.

Adult supervision, guidance and companionship are crucial in school-aged care environments.

The curricula for before- and after-school care and vacation care focus on developing individual children’s interests and expanding on their leisure choices.

Much focus and attention is given to peer-group social development such as conflict-resolution strategies and inclusive-principles education.

Activity 4


Activity 5


Provide experiences and activities for the principal areas of development

For a learning curriculum to be well balanced, the learning experiences and activities offered need to provide opportunities for the children to practise and extend skills in all the main or principal developmental areas.

Many services develop what are known as ‘core curriculum goals’ or ‘outcomes’ or ‘developmental goals of the program’. These goals or outcomes identify the main skills and/or abilities in each developmental area that the service aims to provide for all children.

In order to provide experiences and activities for all the principal areas of development and to develop relevant curriculum outcomes for children, you should:

• understand the principal areas of child development• develop and design curriculum outcomes or goals based on the

principal areas of development• be aware of how curriculum outcomes or goals influence the

curriculum framework• understand the core curriculum learning areas• be able to establish core curriculum learning areas to provide

opportunities for learning skills in developmental areas• know what the additional curriculum learning areas are that extend

children’s existing developmental skills• be able to establish additional curriculum learning areas to extend

children’s learning.

Review of traditional principal areas of developmentBefore we begin to discuss this topic in more detail it is important that we identify and review the principal areas of development with which you will probably be familiar.

Activity 6


NSW Curriculum Framework developmental areasThe NSW Curriculum Framework for Children’s Services (2001) suggests areas of development that are similar to traditional principal areas of development. These areas which should be considered when developing activities and experiences to extend children’s learning are:

• the communicating child • the thinking child• the healthy, physically active child• the social child• the feeling child• the creative child• the spiritual and moral child.

The creative child

Activity 7

Developing curriculum outcomesCurriculum outcomes or program goals are designed to meet the needs of the children and reflect the needs and wishes of the family and community members using the service. Program goals will therefore differ from service to service depending on the unique developmental needs of the children and the needs of the community using the service.

It is important that curriculum outcomes and goals are developed in consultation with the families and community members. Here is an example of such consultation: A preschool service in a rural area with a large number of families who do not speak English as a first language may have a curriculum outcome or goal in the developmental area of language—which would be to focus on


providing opportunities for the children to maintain their first language while they learn English.

The feeling child

Activity 8

Developmentally appropriate curriculum outcomesCurriculum outcomes will also differ for different age groups of children because what is considered developmentally appropriate will differ based on the children’s ages and stages of development. For example, the curriculum outcomes for toddlers in a day-care centre will be different from those of the preschoolers. One program goal in the language development area for a toddler group may be for them to use simple words and labels to have their needs met (eg saying ‘juice’ when they are thirsty). A curriculum outcome for a preschooler group in the same area of development may focus on developing verbal conflict-resolution skills—this is a much higher-order developmental skill and more developmentally appropriate for an older child.

An example of a program with developmentally-appropriate curriculum outcomes for infants is provided by Hutchins (1995) in the physical area of development:

The program will provide for children to:

develop muscle strength and control develop a sense of balance and body in space accomplish independent locomotion develop healthy appetite and preferences for nutritious food develop healthy rest, relaxation and sleep routines attain appropriate gains in weight and height gain independence in personal-care routines.

The NSW Curriculum Framework (2001) also provides examples of possible curriculum outcomes. As previously explained, program goals are known as ‘outcomes’ in the curriculum framework document.


The following outcome examples relate to the development area of the communicating child:

Children are being supported to:

develop the ability to seek and understand information, express opinions and convey feelings effectively

learn to communicate easily and effectively with peers and with adults in familiar situations

use and understand non-verbal communication show pleasure in playing with language through rhyming, making up

words and sounds and telling stories recognise a range of literature appreciate literacy and numeracy as invaluable means of making meaning

in the world demonstrate the beginnings of understandings needed to learn to read

and write.

Learning to communicate easily and effectively with an adult in a familiar situation.

Activity 9

Activity 10

Curriculum outcomes and their influence on the curriculum frameworkCurriculum outcomes will greatly influence the learning opportunities that we offer to the children.

The curriculum learning areas chosen will support the core developmental outcomes identified by the service and will guide the choice and variety of play experiences and activities presented in each of these learning areas. The process of identifying curriculum learning areas from the curriculum outcomes is referred to as the ‘curriculum framework’.


There are many key curriculum learning areas that support curriculum outcomes and extend children’s learning. Some key learning areas or centres are discussed below.

Core curriculum learning areas There is an infinite number of possible learning centres or curriculum areas that will provide opportunities for skill development in all the areas of development.

It is important to note that other possibilities for curriculum learning centres should come from discussions with the children and observations of their play and interests.

Why do we need to merge the children’s ideas and interests with the service’s existing curriculum outcomes of the program? We do this to create more meaningful and relevant learning for individual children and groups.

Developmental learning opportunities in curriculum learning areas

A curriculum learning area

Sensory play curriculum learning area This curriculum area should provide a variety of opportunities to engage the child in learning directly through stimulation of the senses. Touch, sound, sight and smell are important factors to consider here. The sensory play area is particularly relevant for the infant and toddler age groups or children with sensory impairments.

When choosing provisions and/or activities for placement in the learning area, we should aim to provide learning opportunities in all the developmental areas.

The provisions offered will depend on the carer interactions, provisions placed within the learning centre and the age of the children participating. You might, for example, offer some of the following developmental learning opportunities:

• physical—opportunity for eye-hand coordination


• social—opportunity for onlooker and solitary play• emotional—opportunity for independence• cognitive—opportunity to use cause-and-effect problem solving• language—opportunity to learn new labels.

Sensory play

Activity 11

Dramatic play curriculum learning areaThis learning area provides children with opportunities to role-play and to imitate the world around them.

It doesn’t take much to create a dramatic play area

When choosing provisions and/or activities for placement in the learning area we should aim to provide learning opportunities in all the developmental areas.


• physical—opportunity for fine motor and manipulative skills


• social—opportunity for parallel and cooperative play, social problem solving

• emotional—opportunity for empathy development• cognitive—opportunity for memory recall and sequencing events• language—opportunity to use expressive language to assign roles to

peer participants.

Activity 12

Physically active play curriculum learning areaThis learning area provides children with opportunities to develop confidence using their existing and emerging gross motor skills. Once the key gross motor skills (walking, running, jumping, hopping, etc) are evident, the child is offered opportunities to enhance their stamina, flexibility, coordination, spatial awareness and balance.

We should aim to provide learning opportunities in all the developmental areas when choosing provisions and/or activities for placement in the learning area.


• physical—opportunity for gross motor skill development, enhancement and confidence building

• social—opportunity for all types of social play; skill development including turn-taking and sharing

• emotional—opportunity for confidence building• cognitive—opportunity for recall of rules and problem solving using

spatial awareness• language—opportunity to use expressive language to communicate

with peers during play.

Developing confidence


Manipulative play curriculum learning areaFor school-aged children, manipulative play focuses on offering opportunities to children to extend their fine-motor and manipulative skills by applying them to specific leisure tasks and activities.



• physical—opportunity for specific fine-motor and manipulative skill development (eg wrist rotation, finger isolation, refined pincer grasp, pencil grip)

• social—opportunity for turn-taking and sharing of equipment• emotional—opportunity for confidence building• cognitive—opportunity for problem solving using integration of

problem-solving skills and manipulative skills• language—opportunity to use expressive language to plan and

express intention while participating in a challenging activity.

Practising fine motor skills

Literacy curriculum learning area We should aim to provide learning opportunities in all the developmental areas when choosing provisions and/or activities for placement in the learning area.


• physical—opportunity to practise manipulative skills when writing and drawing

• social—opportunity to work cooperatively when co-writing stories with peers

• emotional—develop positive self-concept related to pre-writing/pre-reading skills


• cognitive—opportunity to develop long-term memory and practise sequencing (when recalling events, writing stories) and identifying and labelling key words and names

• language—opportunity to maintain and learn another language (or key words in that language).

Sharing a book with a carer is part of a toddler's literacy development

Creative art curriculum learning areaIdeally, experiences in a number of creative play learning areas should be provided on a daily basis. Many creative art experiences can be integrated as part of other learning areas—for example, playdough is an excellent provision in a manipulative play learning centre, finger painting is a wonderful provision as part of the sensory learning centre. However, the nature of creative art activities lends them to separate areas within the program that are set up especially for art experiences. These areas will provide children with opportunities to fully experiment and explore materials without being concerned about creating a mess.

Examples of activities that would extend older children in this area are:

• ongoing project work for both individuals and the group• activities that involve specific art techniques.



• physical—opportunity to practise manipulative skills and develop strength and control of fine motor skills

• social—opportunity to play parallel and onlooker play and associative play

• emotional—self-satisfaction and pride in accomplishments and creations

• cognitive—opportunities for colour recognition and mixing


• language—constructing expressive language to describe creative efforts; the opportunity to learn, compare and use descriptive words for objects and textures.

Exploring textures and shapes

Activity 13

Additional curriculum learning areas to enhance and extend older children’s development and learningThe learning areas suggested below are additional to the key learning areas. When working with older children it is important to extend our curriculum areas to offer opportunities to extend their learning. The introduction of these learning areas would rely heavily on observed skills and behaviours. The learning content and focus within each learning area would be based entirely on the children’s interests as displayed or expressed in interactions with their peers or carers.

Maths curriculum learning areaWe may introduce opportunities to learn key mathematical concepts to extend children’s emerging cognitive skills and problem-solving abilities. We can introduce opportunities to develop:

• pattern making (eg, red, blue, red, blue, red, blue...)• ordering and sequencing (eg, the child puts in order a series of three

pictures showing the order in which things are done and understand that the pictures are in a sequence—put seed in soil, water it and watch it grow tall and flower)

• rational counting (as opposed to rote counting). With rational counting, there is an understanding of one-to-one correspondence (eg, 1 is assigned to one item, 2 is assigned to two items etc)

• grouping by a specified criterion (eg, put all the red balls in one group and the yellow ones in another group).

Comparative concepts related to length, weight and height can also be introduced. You can also introduce the use of scales and rulers for weights and


measures. Monetary concepts and measurement of time are examples of other challenging additions to this area.

Technology (electronic) curriculum learning areaResearch indicates that children from as young as two years have an awareness of electronic technology such as television, video recorders, cameras, mobile phones, computers and game consoles. The introduction and use of these provisions needs to be carefully considered. Many of the learning possibilities offered by these provisions are best suited, and most valuable, to older preschoolers and school-aged children who have had previous opportunities to participate in beneficial social free-play.

Science and environment curriculum learning areaThere are limitless learning possibilities in this curriculum area. Any focus should come directly from the children’s interests and enquiries.

Organisation guidelinesWhile we are guided by the principal areas of development in providing experiences we should always arrange and implement appropriate experiences according to the organisation guidelines of the child care centre where we are employed.


clips word template - sielearning · web viewthe children’s opportunities to participate in...

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