Importance

Brittni Delahey 30049220 1

‘The ways in which educators listen, respond, and give voice to infants as co-constructors

of the curriculum’

By Brittni Delahey


‘The ways in which educators listen, respond, and give voice to infants as co-constructors of the curriculum’

This is an important topic affecting early childhood education today, because:• The United Nations ‘Convention on the rights of the child’ (1989) Article 12 sees

children having a right to a say in matters that effect them.• Early Childhood Australia’s Code of Ethics states that as early childhood

professional’s we will “act in the best interests of all children”.• National Early Years Learning Framework (2009) recognises children’s “agency,

capacity to initiate and lead learning, and their rights to participate in decisions that affect them, including their learning” (DEEWR 2009, pp 9).

Importance


ChallengesChallenges faced when trying to include infants voices into the curriculum:

• The age group, because the research project takes place in an infants room catering for 0 -2 year olds. As infants do not clearly verbally communicate, how do we find out what they want and need?

• The 1 month time frame of the project, will there be enough time to promote their voices in the curriculum?

• How can I promote a nurturing and aesthetic learning environment that incorporates the voices of the infants in the group?

• How do we hold back from forcing our own bias and judgements about what is right onto infants?

• How do we effectively promote and support their voice in the curriculum?• How do I incorporate individual differences in infant’s temperaments, and

preferred learning styles into the curriculum?


Teaching strategies

Particular teaching strategies were implemented during this project, to achieve the notion of a co-constructed curriculum between infants and educators.

• Setting up an environment for learning• Active Listening• Co-constructing• Responding • Documenting and planning


Setting up an Environment for learningThis means, inviting babies to engage in activities that are developmentally appropriate, such as sensory play, based on their sense of touch, smell, movement, tasting, and listening (Mac Naughton & Williams 2009).


Active Listening“To be listened to, is to exist” (Rogers & Whittaker 2010)

The teaching strategy of active listening coincides with Reggio Emilia’s pedagogy of listening. This focuses on the potential for all humans, including infants, to “collaborate, construct, think, interpret, express and communicate” (Rogers & Whittaker 2010, pp 39). This means educators need to be attentive to what each infant is interested in and what they like/dislike. The infants voices should be at the forefront of how we interact with them and they should direct the curriculum.

Also, in relation to listening, there is often strong emphasis placed on infants cues, cries, gestures, movements, eye contact, attempts at words, and facial expressions due to their age and developing verbal communication skills. Viruru and Canella (2001) ask us to question if we are placing too much emphasis on body language, as some cultures do not teach children to have strong self esteem, and be openly confident (Mac Naughton & Williams 2009, pp 229). Also, remember to take an infant’s temperament, mood, developing trust, and culture into account when reflection on their actions and interactions.

On the other hand, active listening can be as simple as accompanying children in their activities. This shows children that we are interested in what they are doing. Vajargah et al (2010) also emphasises the importance of accompanying infants as “this helps the teacher to better explore the their interests, concerns, and misunderstandings” (pp 211).


Active listeningFurthermore, as infants do not clearly verbally communicate, how do we find out what they want and need? This means aside form listening to infants, we should also be listening to their families. This also ties into “conscription” which means gathering information from colleagues and families (Arthur et al 2007, pp 283). Bronfenbrenner suggests families know the most about their children especially in an infant setting, where they still strongly depend on primary caregivers. There needs to be harmony between a child’s childcare/school, family, and peers/community (Brendtro 2006).

Active listening took place through:- Accompanying infants in their play, and closely observing their interests, strengths,

likes/dislikes without bias, by taking into consideration their cultures and gestures- Conversations were held with families- A feedback sheet was provided to families- Newsletters were handed out to inform families- A display was setup in the room for families to view and contribute to


Co-constructingThis teaching strategy highlights teachers and children working together to build on knowledge about the world around them. It is a method aimed “to bring young children’s voices and perspectives more powerfully into the curriculum” (Mac Naughton & Williams 2009, pp 228).

Socio-constructivist theory touches on the works of Vygotsky (1978) and Piaget (Mac Naughton and Williams, 2009):- Vygotsky believed that social interactions, collaborating, sharing, co- operating, negotiating, were key to children’s construction of meaning.- Piaget’s theory see’s children as natural born learners, who are constructing their own meaning through active engagement with their physical environment

Ultimately, both theories concern the way children learn and make meaning and should both be valued. Teachers need to setup an environment for learning that is stimulating, challenging and promotes a socially inclusive setting. Teachers need to guide children’s interactions by being responsive and working as mediators.


Co-constructingMost importantly co-constructing aims to help children make sense of and interpret the world. It achieves this by working in the best interests of the child, through observing and documenting children’s opinions and reviewing ways to better help them learn and guide their own learning as co-constructors of the curriculum. Educators should reflect on challenges that infants faced, barriers that stopped them from learning something and any misunderstandings they can help correct (Mac Naughton & Williams 2009).

Examples of co-constructing learning between the teachers and infants:- Information was observed and documented about the infants in the form of their

ideas, opinions, likes/dislikes, cultures, and interests- Their interests and likes were promoted as the basis for the curriculum and follow-on

activities- These were documented in the weekly curriculum web, learning stories, and the

visible virtues tree


RespondingBronfenbrenner discusses that infants learn through “progressively more complex” reciprocal interactions on a regular basis, with people they have a strong attachments with an who are committed to their wellbeing (Brendtro 2006, pp 162).

Responding to infants in this setting is often a juggling act for us as teachers working with infants with a 1:5 ratio. Whilst implementing the project I noticed in the setting 2 educators worked with 10 babies. Both educators were feeding 2 infants at lunch time, and the others were playing and sleeping. Then an infant who was playing on the floor began to cry. When the crying became constant for a minute, one educator placed down the food bowl and tended to the infant on the floor, holding her, calming her and giving her a bottle. The educator could then return to feed the 2 in highchairs who were gesturing they wanted more.


DocumentingAn emergent approach to documenting and planning helps educators focus on infant’s voices as co-constructors of the curriculum. Vajargah et al (2010) highlights that an emergent curriculum benefits children, educators, and families, as they all contribute and make decisions regarding the children’s learning. An emergent curriculum also allows the infants to “explore their curiosities and concerns” (Arthur et al 2007, 149), as an emergent curriculum extends on infant’s strengths and incorporates individual differences in temperaments and preferred learning styles.

Documenting means educators are able gather valid evidence to support judgements for reporting on children’s learning. This means individual portfolios and displays in the room should promote:

• photographs that visually depict children’s learning• examples of their artworks – which project their voice and ideas• written documentation, such as: webs, displays, observations, chat books, and learning stories• dialogue transcripts from families should be recorded when they hold important information about

the child


Planning and intentional teaching calls for educators to extend and build upon children’s current knowledge with engaging, challenging, and thought provoking activities.

Here, educators face the challenge, of trying not to force our own bias and judgements about what is right onto infants. They should rather, try to let the infants direct, and take responsibility of the learning process. This means:

• there is a need to be flexible in what direction the learning travels• activities should be open-ended where a variety of possible paths can be taken• activities can aim to address many different learning outcomes• activities should also address the individual differences of some children, as each child is

unique

Planning occurred as:- Individual and group follow-on ideas were documented on the web and in learning stories.

These were then implemented later during the week and the cycle continued.- Visible short and long term goals (learning outcomes) were promoted on the virtues tree for

each individual infant

Planning


In week 1 dialogue transcripts were gathered from families in the form of a feedback page. Completed forms suggested individual goals for the children such as:

• J’s mum wished for him to share and begin to use his manners.

• A’s mum liked it when he joined in singing and clapping/moving, like he does at home when she sings, and for him to learn to walk.

This information was then promoted in the room in a display.


In week 2 many learning stories were written after significant moments and interactions in the infants learning occurred. These were mainly recorded on small groups and individuals.


Also, in week 2 there was a need to record group interests and a cycle for continued learning. A web was written and shows in black their interests and in red future follow-on ideas to help extend on their learning.


The infants interests and strengths were the basis for follow-on extension activities.These extension activities also allowed room for further reflection and follow-on learning to occur, as a continuous cycle of learning in required in an emergent curriculum.


In week 3, the follow-on ideas were implemented, and photographs and learning stories were written to reflect on what worked and what didn’t, and to further extend on their learning with future follow-on’s.


In week 3 a virtues tree was displayed in the room to visually show and invite everyone, especially families, to be involved in the documenting process, as we endeavour to involve families as much as possible. Families and colleagues were invited to read and discuss educators goals and add their own goals for their child.


The leaves shown below more closely. Developed from the project plan (Appendix Fig 1).


The virtues tree also promoted each infant’s sense of agency and active participation as an equal member of the learning community. This idea was taken from Lady Gowrie (Appendix Fig1.) The leaves suggest activities to help strengthen their current knowledge and skills.

Also, families and colleagues are now being encouraged to add to the tree, on blank leaves, their thoughts on the infant’s current achievements/learning and future goals. Thus, a shared community for learning and co-constructing ideas is being emphasised.

Sense of agency


In week 4 a newsletter was developed and sent home with families. This idea came about after many families were busy at pick-up and drop-off times. Newsletters are a means of updating families on their child’s learning and progress, educating them on issues, and reminding them to be involved in up coming events (Reichel 2006).


I attempted to take on a Reggio Emilia approach to project work with the infants. I invited other teachers to engage in ‘graphic languages’ of represent the infants thoughts through drawing and forms of media such as: - recording their interests/attempts at words in dialogue transcripts- taking photographs- annotated artwork samples (Katz 1998, pp 28)

Overall, it can be concluded that teachers need to work on answering infants’ individual emerging questions and curiosities in more depth. This is done through close observing and documenting their interests, learning objectives, and progression. Then future extension ideas will be implemented and this cycle will continue and aid infants’ in taking charge of their own learning. I attempted to promote this within the setting, by establishment of the virtues tree, weekly curriculum web, learning stories and the beginnings of a monthly Nursery Room Newsletter. These documents were successful in showcasing the infant’s dialogue, photo’s, artworks, curiosities, needs, and achievements for families to take home and read. They are also something the educators in the setting are happy to continue.

Findings:


References:Arthur et al, (2007). Programming and planning in early childhood settings (4th edition). South Melbourne: Thomson.

Brendtro, L. (2006). The Vision of Urie Bronfenbrenner: Adults Who Are Crazy About Kids. Reclaiming children and youth. Vol 15, No. 3.

Katz, L. (1998). What Can We Learn from Reggio Emilia? In Edwards, C.,Gandini, L., and Forman, G. (1998). The Hundred Languages of Children, 2nd ed. Westport, CT, USA: Ablex Publishing.

MacNaughton, G. & Williams, G. (2009). Techniques for teaching young children choices in theory and practice. Aust.: Longman.

Vajargah, K., Arefi, M, & Taraghija, A. (2010). The New Educational Review. Teacher’s role in the formation of emergent curriculum inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach. Vol 20, No. 1.

Reichel, S. (2006). The Parent Newsletter. St. Paul, Minnesota: Redleaf press.

Rogers, V. & Whittaker, L. (2010). Educating young children . Learning and teaching in early childhood years. Vol 16, No. 2.

Zero to three. (2006). Brain Map. Retrieved 24.08.11 from website: Brain Wonders <http://www.zerotothree.org/baby-brain-map.html>

http://www.zerotothree.org/baby-brain-map.html


Appendix

Fig 1. Example for a Virtues tree leaf taken from Connor (2011) EYLFPLP: Documenting Learning 2.

Documents

Importance