Week 5 reflections
Day 13: Dignity, Equity, Diversity, Cultural Competence, and Inclusion (emotion diversity)
Date: 24 June 2025
Activity Description:
Book Reading with Children Under 2 – Bunny Picture Books Depicting Different Feelings
On my day 13 of the placement, I gathered a group of children on the mat and did introduce the “Bunny Picture Books Depicting Different Feelings” During the group time, I supported toddlers’ emerging understanding of emotions and language by engaging them with bunny-themed picture books which explore different feelings such as surprise, happiness, sadness, and anger. I seat at their level on the mat, and I modelled different facial expressions matching the illustrations on the book, which help to encourage the children to participate through verbal and nonverbal responses in the activity. One child identified a teary bunny as “sad,” while another smiled and said, “I’m happy!” Some children quietly flipped through pages, and observe the images in the book, and others start to imitate the expressions, which promote emotional literacy and communication in the children. This activity help to foster visual storytelling, emotional connection, and a sense of security through the gentle, familiar characters with the children. I allow each child to have each book which empowered independent exploration in the children, while the group setting and responsive interaction strengthened bonds and engagement with their peers. This kind of reading experience effectively support early emotional and language development, which aligns with Vygotsky’s which emphasis on social interaction and language for cognitive and emotional growth (Vygotsky, 1978), Erikson’s recognition of autonomy and trust in early life stages (Erikson, 1950), and the EYLF’s focus on intentional teaching to nurture emotional literacy in the children (Department of Education, 2022). In future, I want to enhance this learning by incorporating puppetry, emotion mirrors, or mood-reflective music to connect emotions across sensory experiences. This activity relates to Professional Standards 1.1 (using teaching strategies informed by learner knowledge) and 4.1 (supporting student engagement), underscoring the educator’s role to foster emotional wellbeing through age-appropriate, responsive pedagogy (AITSL, 2011).
References
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2011). Australian professional standards for teachers.
https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards
Department of Education. (2022). Belonging, being & becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (Version 2.0). Australian Government.
A09-057 EYLF Framework Report WEB.indd
Erikson, E. H. (1950). Childhood and society. W. W. Norton.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
Day 14: Understanding and Supporting Exceptionality
Date: 25 June 2025
Activity Description:
Block stacking with different colored blocks with individual child D.
On my 14th day of placement, I observe a child (Child D) who was trying to stack the blocks During a block stacking activity, Child D showed great focus and enthusiasm while she was experimenting with blocks of different colors and was able to successfully balance higher stacks and was verbally naming several colors such as green, pink and blue. This experience helps child D OR supported the child’s problem-solving skills, spatial reasoning, hand-eye coordination, and early color recognition, which promote both cognitive and fine motor development. This experience provide scaffolding which aligned with Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development, as the child D was able to achieve more complex stacking than she was able to do independently (Vygotsky, 1978). The play-based nature of the activity also reflects Piaget’s constructivist view which says, children learn through active manipulation and exploration of their environment (Piaget, 1952), as well as the Early Years Learning Framework’s emphasis on learning through play (Department of Education, 2022). To further enhance the child’s learning, what I am planning is to use different kind of open-ended questions such as “What color comes next?” or “How many blocks can you stack?” which will encourage child D IN problem-solving and language development. This approach aligns with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, particularly Standard 3.2 (Plan, Structure, and Sequence Learning Programs) and Standard 1.5 (Differentiate teaching to meet individual needs) (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership [AITSL], 2017).
References
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2017). Australian professional standards for teachers.
https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards
Department of Education. (2022). Belonging, being & becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (Version 2.0). Australian Government.
A09-057 EYLF Framework Report WEB.indd
Piaget, J. (1952). The origins of intelligence in children. International Universities Press.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
Day 15: National Quality Standards (NQS)
Date: 26 June 2025
Activity Description:
Watering plants with children under 2 years.
On my day 15, I saw few children having interest in watering outdoor plant. When children were watering plants, they were engaged with watering cans and were experiencing the sensation of flowing water, which sparked delight and interest on children, which promote the development of fine motor skills and coordination as they attempted to pour water independently on the plants. This kind of sensory-rich experience fostered their connection to nature and help them to support emerging language skills through verbal cues such as “wet,” “pour,” and “plant.” This kind of activity are aligned with the Reggio Emilia approach which values learning through interaction with the environment and nurturing respect for nature (Edwards, Gandini, & Forman, 2012), as well as Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory which emphasizes learning through guided participation and social interaction (Vygotsky, 1978). Furthermore, the Early Years Learning Framework encourages meaningful engagement with the natural world which will help to promote children’s wellbeing (Department of Education, 2022). The calm and nurturing context allowed children to explore their senses while they were also developing language and motor skills while participating in activity. To extend these experiences, I am planning to integrate conversations about plant care and growth with the children, which will incorporate with additional sensory elements like soil and leaves to deepen their understanding about nature. This practice reflects Professional Standards 4.2 (Manage classroom activities) and 1.1 (Use teaching strategies based on learners' knowledge) (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership [AITSL], 2017).
References
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2017). Australian professional standards for teachers.
https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards
Department of Education. (2022). Belonging, being & becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (Version 2.0). Australian Government.
A09-057 EYLF Framework Report WEB.indd
Edwards, C., Gandini, L., & Forman, G. (2012). The hundred languages of children: The Reggio Emilia experience in transformation (3rd ed.). Praeger.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
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