Learning Plan (Bachelor of Education Early childhood)

Date: 01st May 2014 Age group: 4-5 years Development of insects The Very Hungry Caterpillar EYLF Learning Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world. Numeracy: Counting Links to the Early Years Content/ concepts EYLF Learning Outcome 4: Children are confident Language and Literacy: Days of the week, Learning Framework: being explored: and involved learners. colours, repetition EYLF Learning Outcome 5: Children are effective Arts & Crafts: Painting, Pasting, Gluing communicators. Rationale: Why did you choose this particular experience? (Community event, child/teacher/family interest, identified as missing from curriculum etc) This experience can lead to an extensive exploration within small groups or as a whole, giving children the opportunity to interact with their peers, engaging with a range of texts and gaining meaning from these texts. It also promotes and allows for different levels of participation and values what children can contribute. This learning experience is expanding on the childrens interests as I have observed the children playing with the plastic insects, which have been utilised in imaginative play. Topic: Title of experience: Child/Childrens Background Knowledge: What is your starting point what does the child/children already know, what have they done before, how does this experience connect to or build on their existing knowledge/ interests? The children are interested in insects, bugs and reptiles. The children had a lizard, which died, which prompted the children to ask questions about the life cycle of insects and plants. This is a good opportunity to introduce and review the changes a caterpillar undergoes. The children have completed numeracy before and have some experience in number sequences. Learning Objectives: What will the child/children learn? The children will learn counting, colours and days of the week. It offers children the development of language and literacy through common narrative pattern (the caterpillars journey). It has a suitable use of repetition. The illustrations support the story, as well as giving the children the opportunity to count their way through the book, be introduced to the days of the week and the layout of the book supports the aesthetic journey in words and pictures. Students will gain a understanding of numeracy and an understanding of the elements required for a caterpillar to transform into a butterfly. Teacher Focus/ Intentionality: What areas will you concentrate on eg; teaching strategies, EYLF practice principles, interests, equity? Teaching strategies that will be explored throughout is shared reading through reading aloud. Other teaching strategies I will focus on are to plan a lesson that fits in with the Early Years Learning Framework (2009) and to use expression whilst reading to emphasise key words. Intentional teaching will be exhibited, which is built on the childrens interests and initiated through focusing on nutrition (All creatures from insects to humans need food to live and grow. Children can relate to the quest for food, and to eating too much! They can also compare the type of foods they eat to the ones the caterpillar chose) and change (Life is full of changes. For the hungry caterpillar, a dramatic change happens. Children can explore the mystery and magic of metamorphosis in many ways).

Environment and Resources: What resources and materials will you need to have collected? Where will the experience take place? Considerations for time, space and teacher support? How will the environment be prepared? The Very Hungry Caterpillar book is already at the centre which I will read during group time on the floor at 9.30am, ensuring all children are sitting and listening before beginning to speak. Once finished and we have explored and answered all the questions we will then move onto making a caterpillar face which is included in Appendix A. Children will use paper plates, pipe cleaners, straws, paint, milk bottle lids and sticky tape to create their caterpillar faces. This activity will be displayed for all to see. Assessment Strategies: How will you identify what the child/children have learnt and how will you record this? Documentation is recorded in a learning journal and evidence of the childs progression will be presented in an individual le arning journey / progression portfolio from throughout the year. We collate this documentation through observation, questions, discussions, and the childs art work and display it throughout the room. The children will be observed and then their ideas are then supported by educators through planned experiences which will support, encourage and extend their learning through play. Pre-Service Teachers Actions
What will you do during this time? What prompting questions might you need to prepare? How might you assess and record learning? How will you cater for individual differences?

Stage Plan for all stages of the experience

Approx. Time (full

day? Morning? Specific time? Eg 12-1pm)

Child Actions /Tasks

What will the children be doing during this time?

Stage 1 Introduction
How will you introduce the experience/concept(s) and engage the interest of the child/children?

9.30am 9.40am Group time

During Group time, we read a book, so I believe this would be a good idea to introduce my experience to engage the children.

The children are offered morning tea and continue to engage in indoor / outdoor activities and a group time. Most children engage in group time as they are intrigued by the story.

Stage 2 Main Body

Describe the experience; what will children be doing? How will concepts/ issues be explored? List at least three focus questions relating your learning objectives to be asked of the children.

9.40am 10.00am Group time

I will be reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar engaging the children in the concept of metamorphosis. Ask if they like apples? Do they like red ones or green ones? Children can repeat the words but he was still hungry on all successive pages. Children can count the strawberries. Ask the children if they know what day is coming next, after Thursday? He was a beautiful butterfly! Ask the child how the caterpillar has changed. Relate the story to the childs life. The caterpillar changed a lot in the story. How have you changed since you were little?

Children will have the opportunity to talk about the caterpillar's humongous appetite and his metamorphosis as well as the focus questions listed. Children will be curious and enthusiastic in their learning

Stage 3: Conclusion
How will you conclude the experience? Reflect on learning with children? How will you encourage a smooth transition to the next experience

10.00am 10.30am Group time

The children will be asked to walk slowly in groups of three to the table and chairs to complete the make a caterpillar activity.

Children will move from the floor space to the table and chairs, where they will receive the resources to create a caterpillar face. The children will have developed a curious mind, which will prompt interactions with others, discussing the experience.

Evaluation and Self Reflection: Did your experience meet your learning objectives? Why/ why not? What aspects of the experience worked most effectively? What aspects could be improved and how could they be improved? E.g. flow, resources, teaching strategies, environment, assessment of learning etc The children participated in counting and repeating the repetitive words throughout. Most children were familiar with the book and enjoyed following the caterpillars journey. I was glad the children listened and were enthusiastic at group time which they contributed to with smiles, asking questions and answering my follow up questions. The children loved making the caterpillar faces and displayed them very enthusiastically, showing them to their parents. The environment was supportive and inclusive for all children. The experience flowed with ease and co-operation from all the children, which definitely made my experience more enjoyable and effective.

Follow-up: Are there any areas that you would like to follow up on? Emerging interests/concepts to explore further? The children are interested in insects and bugs, especially af ter todays experience I introduced and the Reptiles Alive incursion. There is a terrarium in the kindergarten room which would be great to utilise so the children could explore the concepts of looking after a growing animal and how things change over time with adequate care, water and food. Mentor Teacher Comments: Pre-service Teacher final reflection: I feel I did a good job holding the childrens attention throughout the book and arts and crafts experience, interacting with them and involving them in the story. The arts and crafts project was a success and I feel the children enjoyed it which was my main goal for the experience to be supportive, educational and inclusive.

Appendix A

References Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and Council of Australian Governments. (2009). Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Retrieved from http://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/belonging_being_and_becoming_the_early_years_learning_framework_for_australia.pdf Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and Council of Australian Governments. (2009). Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Retrieved from http://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/belonging_being_and_becoming_the_early_years_learning_framework_for_australia.pdf/learning outcome 2/Children are connected with and contribute to their world Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and Council of Australian Governments. (2009). Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Retrieved from http://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/belonging_being_and_becoming_the_early_years_learning_framework_for_australia.pdf/learning outcome 4/Children are confident and involved learners Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and Council of Australian Governments. (2009). Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Retrieved from http://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/belonging_being_and_becoming_the_early_years_learning_framework_for_australia.pdf/learning outcome 5/Children are effective communicators