EDCU361 Reflective Essay

High-quality early childhood programs that assist babies and toddlers' learning and
development are dependent on educators' pedagogical judgments. The unit EDCU361 has
broadened my philosophy and perspective on education as it helped me accentuate my
belief that all children are entitled to high quality education and care. Theories and
curriculum approach that educators choose to implement and put into practice is the
foundation of an effective pedagogy. Educators must therefore utilise a diverse range of
pedagogies that influence their own understandings and philosophy that can be embedded
within their teaching. When designing indoor and outdoor environments for infants and
toddlers, educators should consider the learning environment and the inclusion of diverse
views. By planning a rich learning environment filled with play-based experience and
routine, children's learning and holistic development is improved and facilitated.

"Play-based learning experiences offer the chance for children to acquire and maintain
optimal regulation particularly in the social setting provided in Early Childhood
programmes,” (ACECQA, 2012). It enables children to effectively and imaginatively interact
with people, things, and the environment. Play is also explored through Piaget's theory of
cognitive development where he expresses the significance of play in a child's surroundings
and how it develops both linguistic and cognitive development. His philosophy supports the
understanding that children should be provided with compelling educational environments
in which to engage with the world. Another theory that underpins my teaching approach is
the constructivist approach to curriculum, which contends that children gain their
knowledge and understanding through play. As explored through the unit’s designated text
by Sims & Hutchins, sensorimotor play, object play, physical play, symbolic play, and
language play are all depictions of play-based learning experiences that can assist infants
and toddlers with their physical, social, and cognitive development (Sims and Hutchins,
2020).
Sensorimotor play plays an important role in children's development. It varies from other
sorts of play in that the emphasis is on the many types of senses, which enhances the
activity. It encourages a young child's senses of touch, sight, taste, smell, and hearing. This
idea is also supported by Piaget's theory, which refers to the sensorimotor period (birth-2
years) and claims that throughout this time, infants learn by exploring their world and their
five senses (Lorina, 2018). After creating my own Sensory tub learning experience, I have
now gathered a range of ideas for my own teaching practice and will ensure to create
sensory experiences within my classroom as I personally agree with Piaget’s perspective.

Contemporary play-based learning, for example physical play, is also critical for
development as it places an emphasis on the child being active. While participating in
physical play, children are learning about a range of skills and concepts which include,
manipulative skills, locomotor and non-locomotor skills and basic concepts such as spatial
awareness, body awareness and spatial relationships and time (Sims and Hutchins, 2020).
Therefore, I believe that children should be provided with opportunities to engage in active
play as it provides major benefits to their health and wellbeing.

Heuristic play is another example of an approach within object play where children are
encouraged to discover among themselves the various properties of the different objects.
This benefits toddlers and babies as they naturally have the urge to explore, experiment and
investigate objects within their environment. As an educator, I feel that it is highly
significant that children are also given opportunities for everyday heuristic play by gathering
a range of different objects and distributing them throughout the environment for the
children to investigate. Within this type of play both toddlers and babies “engage in concept
acquisition, problem-solving, exploration, discovery and invention” (Sims and Hutchins,
2020).

Sims and Hutchins emphasise the importance that babies require opportunities for object
play as it allows toddlers and babies to gain mastery of fine-motor and hand-eye
coordination as well as manual dexterity. They also state that through object play, children
are presented the opportunity to explore the interrelationship between cause and effect
and problem solving (Sims and Hutchins, 2020). Overall, my perspectives on play-based
learning have changed dramatically as I now understand the different types of play and see
how play-based experiences can be varied and changed and implemented in different ways.
For example, one day I can incorporate sensory play within the early childhood program yet
another day I can alter the play-based experience by creating a physical play activity which
targets a different type of development.

Theorists Piaget and Vygotsky have also stressed the importance of play in a child's
development as it involves interaction, which is a key component of a child's cognitive and
social development (Porter, 2020). These theorists have therefore influenced my personal
perspective and changed my philosophy so that I can improve my teaching and implement
what I have learnt in my own practices. Furthermore, as an educator, I believe that play
remains significant within education as children begin to develop social, emotional and
interactive skills and is beneficial to a child's intellectual success.

Early childhood educators are essentially obliged to interact with children and families from
a range of various backgrounds and as a result, must ensure that learning experiences,
programs and the environment itself addresses the children's interests and needs. In
reference to Standard 6.2 of the ACECQA, “Collaborative relationships increase children’s
inclusion, learning and wellbeing” thus underlining the significance that educators must
engage together with families to promote inclusion and participation (ACECQA, 2012). By
implementing diversity and differences, as well as policies and practices, into early
childhood programmes, educators facilitate collaboration and promote innovation
(Robinson, 2006).

Early Childhood Australia (ECA) has issued a statement on inclusion in early childhood
education and care. They state that every child "must have access to, meaningfully engage
in, and experience positive outcomes from early childhood education and care programs"
(Early Childhood Australia, 2022). By learning about this within the unit, it has therefore
opened my eyes on the importance of developing inclusive environments with activities and
materials that are safe for everyone and universally developed.
Throughout the unit, we have also learned that families are the most important people in
children's lives and are therefore the most influential members of the partnership. As stated
in the Early Years Learning Framework: “From before birth children are connected to family,
community, culture and place.” Their earliest development and learning take place through
these relationships, particularly within families, who are children's first and most influential
(ACECQA, 2012). Establishing reciprocal trust is the first step in creating connections with
parents. The formation of trust in childhood establishes the foundation for emotional and
social well-being. I believe the most effective strategy to foster mutual trust between
parents and early childhood professionals is to establish the childcare service as a service to
families by integrating parents and families in the program from the start. A well-structured
settling-in period when children initially attend the programme is a useful technique for
building this reciprocal bond with parents (Sims and Hutchins, 2020).

When teachers establish their connections with the children and their families on mutual
trust, the relationships become more respectful, and engaging (Fraser, 2012). Relationships
with young children and their families rely on listening to their ideas and meeting the child’s
emotional, physical and social needs (Fraser, 2012). Parent-teacher interactions remain
highly beneficial for a child's development, as I believe that when educators generate a
bond with parents, they tend to inherit a clear and direct understanding about their
students, which helps adapt an effective, inclusive and positive learning environment.

By completing the group activity about the case studies of examples of different families
within an early childhood setting, I have now acknowledged that different families react
differently to different situations and that not all families are the same. This has therefore
allowed me to now have an open mind when communicating and getting to know different
families within the early Childhood environment and to become more sensitive and cautious
to family cultural diversity. This activity has also shown me that depending on the cultural
background of the family, traditions and morals of the families are different. As a result, I
will have to adapt my teaching approach towards each child depending on their culture and
therefore become more understanding when interacting with different families.
The biological model of development proposed by Bronfenbrenner further expresses the
importance of collaboration and its influence on effective and efficient early childhood
practices and the development of positive learning environments (Woolfolk & Margetts,
2016). According to Bronfenbrenner, social, physical and cultural settings within ecosystems
form and affect the evolution of environments. Bronfenbrenner’s teachings have therefore
helped shape my own beliefs as I now further understand the significance of collaborating
with families within early childhood. It also helped me understand that immediate
environmental influences include the principles, beliefs and values of family members, the
household, and the community. I believe that the way an early childhood setting is designed
should welcome families, babies, and toddlers into the setting while also responding to the
needs of their involvement within the early childhood learning curriculum and program.

Additionally, as an educator, my goal is to incorporate educational pedagogies and

curriculum-based approaches into my teaching. I believe it is my responsibility to provide a
secure and accepting environment that fosters social, physical, cognitive, and emotional
development, and the most effective way to do so is to "engage professionally with
colleagues, parents/caregivers, and the community," as required by Standard 7 of the
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (AITSL, 2017). My perspective is that
communication between family members, educators, and the community, in my opinion, is
critical for children's entire growth and development, as referred to in the National Quality
Standards (NQS) where in Quality Area 6 it declares that "collaborative connections and
relationships with families are fundamental to attaining quality outcomes for children"
(ACECQA, 2012). As a result, it is my duty and obligation to establish and maintain the
parent-teacher partnership as stated in the EYLF "early childhood educators must
collaborate with families and children" in order to implement positive and high-quality
learning experiences (EYLF, p.5).

As a future teacher, I strongly feel it is critical to implement the utilisation of an approved

learning framework (ACECQA), embed the (NQS) , and therefore integrate the theories and
perspectives into my future teaching to assist children's learning, wellbeing and
development. Hence, it is my obligation to offer positive and engaging learning experiences
for babies, toddlers, and young children, as I believe I have the potential to impact the lives
of every child that appears into my life.

Reference list

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. AITSL (2019). from
https://www.aitsl.edu.au/

Fraser, S. (2012). Authentic childhood: Experiencing Reggio Emilia in the classroom (Third
ed.). Toronto: Nelson Education.

Inclusion Resources. Early Childhood Australia. (2022) from

https://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/our-work/inclusion-resources/.

Lorina. (2018). Child Theorists and Their Theories in Practice. Aussie Childcare Network.,
from https://aussiechildcarenetwork.com.au/articles/childcare-articles/child-theorists-and-
their-theories-in-practice.

National Quality Standard. (2018) from https://www.acecqa.gov.au/nqf/national-quality-

standard

Porter. (2020). Young children’s behaviour : guidance approaches for early childhood
educators (Fourth edition.). Routledge.

Robinson, & Jones-Diaz, C. (2006). Diversity and difference in early childhood education
issues for theory and practice. Open University Press.
Sims, M., & Hutchins, T. (2020) (3 rd ed.). Program Planning for infants and toddlers. In
search of relationships. Pademelon Press.

The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority. (2018). BELONGING, BEING
& BECOMING, THE EARLY YEARS LEARNING FRAMEWORK FOR AUSTRALIA [Ebook] from
https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2018-02/belonging_being_and_becoming_th
e_early_years_learning_framework_for_australia.pdf.

Woolfolk A. & Margetts, K. (2016) Educational psychology (4th ed.). Melbourne, VIC Pearson
Australia