Anyone for Ice cream? The Power of Role Play in Children’s Learning

Some of the children in St. Anne’s room have been observed engaging in a variety of shop role play. We noticed that outside Charlotte transported items to set up her own shop. At the playdough table Charlie, Lexi and Olivia made cupcakes and offered them for sale. Tesi stood at the door of the light room and called out to the main room, “Ice cream, ice cream for sale”. Ojasvi and Mischka climbed up a step so they were higher than the other children around them and called out, “Ice cream”, in unison. This play has not been limited to ice cream, it’s also been sandwiches and with Lorenzo: chocolate cake.

As the educators reflected on this play we decided to set up a role play shop for the children. We placed it outside as that was where the majority of the shop play was observed. However, we wonder whether the play is about shops, buying, selling and re-enacting their own experiences or whether it is a vehicle for something else, like connection.

Role play or pretend play is thought to be imaginative and fun but it also has much learning value. During role play children learn about themselves and the world, they may act out new learning, their fears, interests or dislikes. For example, how often in children’s dramatic hospital play do we see them giving each other vaccinations? Children are acting out an experience that they may not understand or find scary. They do this in a safe environment where they can explore their feelings and make sense of the world.

Shop role play has many opportunities for learning, such as; sorting food into groups with similar attributes, mathematically organising food in spatial arrangements, calculating the cost of food, communicating verbally and through writing, exploring shapes and weights, collaboration and so on.

The Early Years Learning Framework informs our curriculum. It states “Children develop a sense of belonging to groups and communities and an understanding of the reciprocal rights and responsibilities necessary for active community participation”. We wonder if this is what are children are trying to achieve by building on their own social experiences, negotiating roles and inviting reciprocal play?

These observations also link with our philosophy, “We will engage in projects, both internally and externally, that build on the learning of educators and foster new understandings of the ways in which children learn and grow in their early years.”

Here are some photos of our first observations of the children engaged in our role play shop. We will reflect on these and keep you informed as we attempt to interpret the learning. We would love to hear your thoughts.

24/10/2019

To start off a very hot day, we went outside and engaged in some water play, to stay nice and cool.

As it started to heat up, we made our way into Home 2, where we all engaged in a range of inquiries. Some of us engaged in socio-dramatic play, such as pretend cooking, dress-ups and role play. Kunal noticed a milipede and was observing how they moved. Some of us enjoyed building and construction using the Lego and blocks and others enjoyed creating a range of artwork using paint, the whiteboards and pencils.

Tesi and Jon started creating patterns using the lose parts.

Tesi: “white, black, white, black, white oh, black comes next”.

Jon: “Black, white, white, black, white, black”.

Tesi: “Look Jon, we need a white”.

 

Specks of Gold

My speck of gold was playing with the doctor set- Haniya

My speck of gold was playing with Tavae- Tarun

My speck of gold was doing prayer- Arabella

My speck of gold was playing with the books – Olivia

My speck of gold was making a truck- Liam

My speck of gold was playing with Arielle- Tesi

 

Exploring our Curriculum – Ecology and Numeracy

ECOLOGY

We explored some stems of cut sunflowers and sunflower seeds in the beautiful sunshine today. The children weren’t given the name of the flower or any information about it prior to interacting with it. They instinctively smelt the flower and invited me to do the same. They used their sense of touch to feel the petals and the centre of the flower – “it tickles” said Charlotte. They held the sunflower seeds in their hands and then planted them into our garden bed. They have a growing understanding of what plants need to grow – water and sun.

Charlotte: It’s a flower.
Omelia: It needs water.
Sarah: It’s big.
Omelia: And it needs sun
Charlotte: I want a sunflower for my mum.
Sarah: When is my seed growing.? Do you have to wait for it?
Mishka: Wow! You smell it. It a flower (Nicole gave her a seed). It for the birdy. They like it. They eat the seeds.
Will: It’s a yellow flower. It smells.
Tesi: I know what this is, it’s a sunflower. It look like the sun!

NUMERACY

We have begun to create our own shop with cash registers and some empty food and household boxes. Henry, Tarun, Jon and Xavier loved playing the shopkeeper and customer.

At our shop the children were taking the items to the light/dark room and then bringing them back to the cash registers at the table.

They were using greetings as they approached the cashiers – ‘hello!’ The cashiers were making a ‘beeping’ sound as they processed the items through the cash register. The cashiers were pressing numbers on the cash registers and then telling the customer the amount of money the item cost ‘$30 dollars’. The customers were passing money to the cashiers and then then saying ‘thank you, bye’.

Children were developing their oral language, engaging in transactional language, exchanging greetings and using their experiences in context; demonstrating numeracy understanding and concepts including number and money.

BRIANNA’S FAREWELL

The children have begun creating a farewell book for Brianna by creating an artwork for her and sharing what they are grateful for and love most about Brianna.

Tesi: Thank you Brianna for making all the lovely food for us. I like it when Brianna read stories to me.
Deanna: Brianna read me books and she make lovely food.
Simon: Brianna make me happy. She fills my bucket.
Charlotte: Brianna puts glitter in my bucket. She play with me.
Xavier: Brianna read stories to me.
Omelia: Thank you for Brianna being outside. Brianna play with me.
Joel: I like Brianna because she gives me food and does the prayer circle song.
Tavae: Brianna helps me with the blocks.
Will: I like her making lunch for us because I love it a lot.
Sarah: I like the food

PRAYER

During prayer today we read the book ‘Will You Fill My Bucket?’ by Carol McCloud. We then shared ways others have filled our bucket today.

Will: Tavae filled my bucket by playing with the trucks.

Joel: Mum and Dad make me feel nice and filled my bucket and I pat my dogs and that fill their bucket.

Simon: My mum and dad filled my bucket. They make me happy.

SPECKS OF GOLD

Tesi: My speck of gold is seeing all the pictures and seeing myself.
Jon: Playing in the sand and the water and doing the shopping.
Joel: Playing PJ masks and playing with Tesi and Omelia.
Mishka: Doctors.
Simon: Playing my friends.
Omelia: My speck of gold is playing with Tesi and Xavier and Joel and Sarah.
Xavier: Playing with Omelia.

Our day Full of fun at Alive today

We love encouraging kids to play, be it indoor or outdoor play.  Today the ELC children engaged in some water play activities. We filled up the baby baths with warm soapy water where the children had the opportunity to engage in scooping, pouring, soaking and squeezing, using measuring cups, pots and sponges. Children benefit from the relaxing and repetitive nature of scooping, pouring and running their hands through the water. They develop crucial social skills when they are working with just one other child or a whole group. It is a great way for children to learn to share and take turns as they share the physical space and the play items in the water.

Water play offers many opportunities for children to problem solve, question, explore and experiment. They are investigating water science, finding out what floats and sinks, or how water moves in different shapes, when we pour it in different container. Children learn and use the language of mathematical terms like “more than” or “less than, full or half  full half empty etc.

In the afternoon we experimented with a sink or float activity. The children placed various item into the water after discussing whether it would sink or float.

We first talked about what it meant to sink and float. Tesi said “It go to the bottom” for sink. We all agreed that sink meant it would go under the water and if it floated it would stay on top of the water.

WILL IT SINK OR FLOAT?

Each child picked an item from the basket then told the group whether it would sink of float and then dropped the item into the water. I then asked them what happened.

Ellara (Bracelet): Float! It sinked in!

Omelia (Wooden Spoon): Into the water. It floats!

Joel (3D Magnet): It will float! Yes it did. Oh, it sinked.

Tesi (Wooden Block): Um, I don’t know, maybe under. It floats!

Tavae (log): Sink. Yes it sink. Brianna: Are you sure? Joel: It float.

Tarun (Rock): Under

Xavier (Small truck): Float.  It float!

Ellara (Pine cone): Float. Yes, it did!

 

____________________________________________________________________

Early this morning some of the children were talking about their firework painting they had done yesterday. Liam and Deanna were able to explain what they had done, using card board strips and the paints, and direct how to set that up again for those children who were not here yesterday.

There are some more photos of our day at centre.

Specks of Gold 

Tesi: My speck of gold is float and sink

Krisha: Play with Liam

Ellara: Playing with Deanna

Deanna: Playing with Ellara

Omelia: My specks of gold is playing with Tesi

Xavier: My speck of gold is playing with Omelia

Liam: Making a camera

Tarun: Spraying Tavae

Link to EYLF

Outcome 2. children are connected with and contribute to their world
2.3-Children become socially responsible and show respect for the environment
Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
3.1. Children become strong in their social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing
Outcome 4: Children are involved and confident learners
4.1. Children develop dispositions for learning such as cooperation, creativity, persistence and reflexivity

4.2. Children develop a range of skills and processes such as problem solving, inquiry, experimentation, hypothesising, researching and investigating

 

Growth Inquiry: Blossom Trees

Our Philosophy:

We will foster a sense of wonderment of the natural environment and resources as an integral part of children’s learning and support children to become ecologically conscious and to understand the interdependence of all living things.

We recognise the role of context and environment in children’s learning and therefore we will extend children’s learning experience into the wider community through connections with the school and wider school community.

We will provide an emergent and responsive curriculum for all children based on the philosophy of the service, provocations of educators and a child’s strength and interests as well as the interest of the group.

In the school, the children and educators have observed many trees beginning to grow flowers.

A group of children ventured with Nicole into the school to view the flowering trees more closely.

Nicole: What can you see?

Tesi: Flowers

Xavier: Pink flowers

Omelia: Leaves

Tesi: They have flower and also they got something in there

Arabella: The leaves

 

Nicole:What are they? Those creatures flying around the flowers?

Arabella: Bees

Tesi: I can see them but they camouflage 

 

Nicole: Why do you think the bees are flying around the flowers?

Arielle: It wants to fly

Omelia: It like to eat honey like us

Tesi: They want to collect nectar and bees make honey 

 

Nicole: Where is the nectar?

Tesi: Flowers. Bees look up in the trees and bees sip it up in their tail and then wee it and bees have queen bee.

Through this observation, the children demonstrated an awareness and understanding of the natural world. They made connections between what they already know about blossoms and bees and what they were observing. Through the group discussion, children shared knowledge and gained new understandings.

EARLY YEARS LEARNING FRAMEWORK

Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world.

Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners.

Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators.

 

Moon Lantern Festival

Our Philosophy:

We recognise the role of context and environment in children’s learning and therefore we will extend children’s learning experience into the wider community through connections with the school and wider school community.

Next week, we and the school will be celebrating the Moon Lantern Festival. This includes making lanterns, which will be judged by Mr White (the principal of the school) for a special competition. We will also be attending the Moon Lantern Festival assembly on Friday 13th September.

We have been learning about the Moon Lantern Festival this week.

Today we began to make our lanterns. We used our learning power of creativity to design and make our lanterns. We used materials such as cardboard, paper, pop sticks, patty pans and tissue paper. Some of our friends from 3IB and 3JM in the school came and helped us. We made lanterns of different shapes and colours, including a dragon, lion and fish lantern.

EARLY YEARS LEARNING FRAMEWORK

Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world.

Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners.

Library and Music

We recognise the role of context and environment in children’s learning and therefore we will extend children’s learning experience into the wider community through connections with the school and wider school community.

LIBRARY VISIT

Eamann, Tavae, Omelia and Xavier wanted to visit the library today. We read the book ‘Baa Baa Blue Sheep’ by Tony Wilson. It was a story about sharing, compromise and belonging.

What did you like about the story?

Omelia: I like the blue sheep.

Eamann: the baa baa black sheep.

Tavae: the wool.

Xavier: the black.

The children then chose their own books and read them with each other and Nicole.

MUSIC LESSON

Liam, Shruti, Arielle, Aicha and Tesi attended a music lesson with Mrs Crisp in the school. We learnt about the ti-ti ta rhythm (using the song ‘Cherry Beets’), and practiced different beats with their hands, feet and instruments. We did lots of singing and movement!

EARLY YEARS LEARNING FRAMEWORK

Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners

 

Growth Inquiry: Living Eggs

Our Philosophy: We will foster a sense of wonderment of the natural environment and resources as an integral part of children’s learning and support children to become ecologically conscious and to understand the interdependence of all living things.

Today, we have spent much time observing our eggs. We were engaged in conversations with each other about what we were observing.

PIPPING AND HATCHING

We learnt that pipping is the term used when the baby chicks first cracks the shell.

And that hatching is when the baby chick breaks open the shell and emerges.

It was with great excitement that we saw two chicks hatch from their shells today.

Did you know that you can tell the gender of a baby chick by its colour?

Reflection of what we observed today:

William: They came out.
Omelia: They are two mummy chickens.
Ellara: I hope they are good luck.
Aicha: I think one boy and one girl.

EARLY YEARS LEARNING FRAMEWORK

Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world

Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners

Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators

 

Our Week of Learning – Literacy and Numeracy

We believe children have the right to be supported in their learning in all areas of their development –  physically, cognitively, emotionally, socially and spiritually. We see children’s learning as integrated and connected. Learning is a social practice and through interactions and play experiences children develop their literacy and numeracy skills.

This week we have observed many examples of children’s literacy and numeracy understandings. We will use these observations to plan and program provocations to build and grow our children’s literacy and numeracy.

We do this with the support of the Government of South Australia Department for Education and Child Development Indicators for Literacy and Numeracy in Pre-School. The indicators have been developed to support teachers to extend and enrich every preschool child’s numeracy and literacy learning.

NUMERACY

Indicator: ‘I analyse, read and organise the data in my world’

One of our provocations this week was a table of different seeds and beans for the children to explore. Initially designed as a sensory experience, it also emerged as a wonderful numeracy activity. The bowls of beans and seeds got mixed up over the week and the children began to sort them.

Will

Will: I put the black ones in this bowl

Nicole: Why only black ones?

Will: So they not all mixed up. I’m still working on these.

Nicole: What if I put these in this bowl?  If I put these in here what else would you add?

Will:  Just those ones

Arabella

Indicator: ‘I analyse, read and organise the data in my world’

Arabella joined Will at the sorting table. She had some white beans and put them all in a bowl.

Nicole picked up an orange lentil and asked if Arabella if she would put that in the bowl with the white beans . Arabella said ‘no it’s not white’.

Shruti and Aicha

Indicator: ‘I analyse, read and organise the data in my world’

Nicole: The seeds got all mixed up and now we have to sort them out.

Shruti starts putting some seeds in a bowl.

Nicole: Why are you putting those in there Shruti?

Shruti: These are white

Aicha: I’m putting the white inside

Nicole: What about this bowl?

Aicha:   Black

Nicole: And this bowl is empty, are there any seeds you could put in here?

Aicha:  Orange ones.

Aicha: Look how many I have

Nicole: How many are there?

Aicha started counting. She counted to 13. We counted together demonstrating 1 to 1 correspondence. There were 18 seeds.

Tesi and Arielle

Indicator: ‘I quantify my world’

During outdoor play, Tesi asked for a little basket so she could collect ‘treasure’ Her and Arielle wandered through the yard collecting natural items from the gardens.

Tesi: Look Nicole, this is our first treasure.

Arielle: the second…. more treasure.

Nicole: How many have you found?

Arielle: 2

Tesi:  Let’s find some other…. look treasure.

Arielle:  It’s too big.

Nicole: Let’s look at our treasure.

Tesi: There’s bark and rock

Nicole: How many do you have?

Tesi:  1…2…3…4…5

Nicole: How many pieces of bark do you have?

Arielle: 4

Tesi: And 1 rock. 4 and 1 makes 5.

Tesi: Nicole look more treasure; a leaf

Nicole: A big leaf

Will, Tavae and Tesi

Indicator: “I measure and compare my world”

Indicator: “I quantify my world”

In a patch of our garden, will found a number of feathers of different colours, sizes and textures. Tavae and Tesi were intrigued and together they all collected some of the feathers in a bowl.

Will: There was an emu here

Tavae: I found one. Oh! it’s not going on my hand .

Will: There’s a lot of feathers Tesi. I’m just collecting them.

Tesi: I got one Nicole. It was there. Hey look! Feather!

Will: Guys an emu has maybe been here because these feathers are bigger. Got any more feathers? I been selecting them.

Nicole: How do you think the feathers got here?

Tesi: The birds.

Tesi: I think bird has wings and they can flap their wings and fly.

Aicha: They came from up that tree and then came here.

Will: I don’t know how it got here. They came in the night and I wasn’t here. Maybe the wind got strong and it got colder and the feathers blew off.

Tavae: I think the bird got died.

Arielle: The birds died.

Tarun

Indicator: “I quantify my world”

Tarun spent time matching the number stones to the number cards.

 

Tavae

Indicator: ” I explore and understand my place and space in the world”.

Tavae is very interested in turtles and loves caring for our turtle, ‘Strawberry’. He was drawn to the turtle puzzle and concentrated and persisted for a long time to complete the challenging puzzle. He flipped and rotated puzzle pieces to fit them together.

Tavae: You help me Nicole.

Nicole: You have a go and do the pieces you can and then I will help you if you need me.

Tavae: Look Nicole this big one it go here see? And this one? 

Nicole: What do you think Tavae?

Tavae: I can’t do this.

Nicole:  Let’s try this.

Tavae:  Oh look it does work.

Nicole: Oh but there’s a little gap, they all need to fit together remember.

Tavae:  Hmmm I think this one goes this way, no that way. No. Hey look! It goes this way.

LITERACY

Tesi

Indicator: “I represent my world symbolically”.

Tesi has been learning to write her name. Tesi knows the different letters of her name and can write some of the letters. To scaffold the process of writing her name, we have been using tracing dots to form the letters. Tesi is now drawing the  tracing dots herself to support herself in writing the letters.

Arielle

Indicator: “I engage with texts and make meaning”.

Arielle: I made a book

Nicole: How wonderful! Tell me more about your book.

Arielle: I use the paper to make the book. The book is about me and Tesi.

 

 

 

 

Rainbows and Colour

Our inquiry learning over the last couple of days has focused on colour and rainbows as per our learning program and intentions.

We have been singing some songs about colours and the rainbow during morning group time.

RAINBOW EXPERIMENT

We also went to Home 2 with some friends from the school set up a rainbow experiment for us to do.  We lined up skittles around a plate, added some water and waited and observed.

Liam: It will make a rainbow because all the colours will come out.

Arielle: It will be rainbow colours because I saw it on my iPad.

Tarvae: It’s a circle.

Alana: It’s yellow.

Krisha: Rainbow

Simon: Rainbow. The colours came out.

COLOUR MIXING AND PAINTING

PRAYER

In prayer, we sang our favourite song ‘Rainbow’ by Michael Chinn. We then shared our own special prayers about rainbows.

SPECKS OF GOLD