Provide experiences to support children’s play and ... CHCPR301C_Promo.pdf · CHCPR301C Provide experiences to support children’s play and learning ... Section 1 - Understanding

CHC08 Community Services Training Package Version 3

Learner guide

Edition 1

Training and Education Support

Industry Skills Unit

Meadowbank

Product Code: 5751

CHCPR301C Provide experiences to

support children’s play and learning

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CHCPR301C Provide experiences to support children’s play and learning

© TAFE NSW (Training & Education Support, Industry Skills Unit Meadowbank) 2012

Acknowledgments

The TAFE NSW Training and Education Support Industry Skills Unit, Meadowbank

would like to acknowledge the support and assistance of the following people in

the production of this learner resource guide:

Writer: Contributors:

Christine Seery Jenni Fisher, Sarah Murray

Teacher, Children’s Services Teachers, Children’s Services

TAFE NSW TAFE NSW

Reviewer:

Lynette Hope

Teacher, Children’s Services

TAFE NSW

Project Manager:

Gail Horwood

Education Programs Manager

TAFE NSW

Enquiries

Enquiries about this and other publications can be made to:

Training and Education Support Industry Skills Unit, Meadowbank

Meadowbank TAFE

Level 3, Building J,

See Street,

MEADOWBANK NSW 2114

Tel: 02-9942 3200 Fax: 02-9942 3257

ISBN 978-1-74236-460-5

© The State of New South Wales, Department of Education and

Training, TAFE NSW, Training and Education Support Industry Skills

Unit, Meadowbank, 2012.

Copyright of this material is reserved to TAFE NSW Training and Education

Support Industry Skills Unit, Meadowbank. Reproduction or transmittal in

whole or in part, other than for the purposes of private study or research, and

subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act, is prohibited without the written

authority of, TAFE NSW. Training and Education Support Industry Skills Unit,

Meadowbank

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© TAFE NSW (Training & Education Support, Industry Skills Unit Meadowbank) 2012

Table of Contents

Introduction ............................................................................................. 5 1. General introduction ........................................................................... 5 2. Using this learner guide ...................................................................... 5 3. Prior Knowledge and Experience .......................................................... 7 4. Unit of competency overview ............................................................... 8 5. Assessment ..................................................................................... 14

Section 1 - Understanding development, play and learning .................... 15 The importance of play and leisure ........................................................... 15 Development and play ............................................................................ 16 Types of play ......................................................................................... 25

Section 2 - Creating suitable play and learning environments ................ 35 Providing quality play and learning environments ....................................... 36 Outdoor Play ......................................................................................... 41 Health and safety considerations .............................................................. 48 Providing challenges ............................................................................... 50 Creating time for play ............................................................................. 53 Group times .......................................................................................... 55 Resources ............................................................................................. 57

Section 3 - Guiding, encouraging and facilitating play and learning ....... 71 Skills for supporting children’s play .......................................................... 72 Organising excursions ............................................................................ 93

Section 4 – Sustainability in children’s services ................................... 111 Answers to Activities ............................................................................ 121

Section 1 ............................................................................................ 121 Section 2 ............................................................................................ 122 Section 3 ............................................................................................ 127

Appendix .............................................................................................. 131 Recipes ............................................................................................... 131

References ........................................................................................... 133 Resources ............................................................................................ 134 Other resources.................................................................................... 138 Resource Evaluation Form .................................................................... 143

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© TAFE NSW (TES, Industry Skills Unit Meadowbank) 2012 Page 15 of 144


Section 1 - Understanding development, play

and learning

Elements and performance criteria:

This section relates to the following elements and performance criteria:

All elements and performance criteria.

It particularly addresses aspects of essential knowledge and skills.

The importance of play and leisure

Play is what children do to learn about themselves, other people and their

environment. Play allows children to become whatever they wish. Through play

children are able to fulfil fantasies and at the same time acquire and practice new

skills. By offering children in our care experiences that provide choice, interest,

enjoyment and challenge we can foster a child’s growth across all areas of

development.

Maria Montessori believed that ‘play is a child’s work.’

As children play they are learning much about the world around them and

themselves. With quality play experiences we are providing opportunities for

children:

to use up energy and express feelings

to share their ideas and explore wider options

to express their feelings and thoughts

to learn about other people and how they do things in the world

to learn new skills and refine existing skills

to work as part of a team both as a leader and follower

to develop an awareness of themselves and those around them

Play and leisure are an important part of both children’s and adults’ lives as they

provide us with an escape from the everyday pressures of life. Through play and

leisure we can be physically active doing things we enjoy such as playing sport,

going for a bike ride or a bushwalk and this contributes to our fitness and health.

Play and leisure are therefore a lifelong part of human development.

The National Physical Activity Recommendations for Children and Youth suggest

that infants, toddlers, pre-schoolers and school aged children be given plenty of

opportunities throughout the day to enjoy physically active play.

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Page 16 of 144 © TAFE NSW (TES, Industry Skills Unit Meadowbank) 2012


Play is considered to be so important for children that it is a ‘right’ according to

the ‘United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child’.

The number and type of play experiences you can offer children are only limited

by your own imagination and that of the child’s. By ensuring that children are

provided with play and learning experiences that are suitable, interest based,

exciting, challenging and creative we are ensuring that the children are

developing as a ‘whole.’ This means that all developmental areas are considered.

Development and play

Good quality play experiences will encourage and extend a child’s overall

development. At the same time the child’s level of skill development will affect

how children play and the types of play activities they choose.

As has already been suggested, there is a very close relationship between play

and a child’s development.

The traditional areas of development or developmental domains include: Physical,

(gross and fine motor skills), language, cognitive, social and emotional

development.

In the NSW Curriculum Framework for Children’s Services these areas include:

Sense of Self – this is how the child views him/herself. “It is important that

the child view him/her self as powerful, valued and as constructive contributors to their community.”

The Communicating Child – the child develops the ability to both give messages and receive and interpret messages from others

The Thinking, Investigating, Exploring, Problem Solving Child –

children have an innate need to explore their world around them and to

make sense of that world. They gain great pleasure from making discoveries and having an active approach to their learning

The Healthy, Physically, Active Child – children learn about what it takes

to be a healthy person and to develop and have confidence in using their physical skills.

The Social Child – social interactions are a major aspect of a child’s life.

Children learn to be part of a group and the skills required to function amongst others, such as empathy, caring, social justice etc.

The Feeling Child – the child learns how to recognise and accept his/her

feelings, express his/her own feelings appropriately and the ability to read others

The Creative Child – children develop the ability to express themselves

creatively, appreciate individuality and work collaboratively to solve issues creatively

The Spiritual and Moral Child – children develop the ability to respect and enjoy their natural environment and appreciate the beauty around them

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Play will allow children to develop skills in each of these areas. Each time a child

plays, s/he interacts with others and his/her environment. Skills develop based on

skills that have been previously learnt and meld together to create an overall

picture of the child. If you look at each area of a child’s development, not just the

traditional areas, you will gain a deeper, more comprehensive understanding of

the child in all his/her complexity.

When focusing on these areas when observing children we are able to establish a

good overall picture of the child and their capabilities. We use our knowledge of

child development and we take observations of children and documentation to

help us develop experiences that are relevant to their skills and their interests.

Activity 1.1

The National Physical Activity Recommendations for Children and Youth

suggest that infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school aged children be given

plenty of opportunities throughout the day to enjoy physically active play.

Read through the guidelines put together by the National Association for Sport

& Physical Education on the website below. Summarise the main points for

infants, toddlers and preschoolers.

http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/template.cfm?template=ns_active.html

Infants

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http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/template.cfm?template=ns_active.html



Activity 1.1 continued

Toddlers

Preschoolers

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Beliefs about child development

When creating a play and learning environment for children that is safe, non-

threatening, challenging and stimulating you must be aware of typical patterns of

development and some of the basic theories and beliefs about child development

and learning.

Jean Piaget believed all children learn through active exploration of their

environment. During infancy they grasp, pound, smell, suck, crawl around and

over everything and develop the idea that all objects have weight, colour, volume

and texture. Early learning occurs as a result of sensory and motor exploration.

As children move into the next stage they add to the information gathered in the

earlier stage. Pre-schoolers learn through manipulating objects and symbols. As

the children’s learning expands so does the importance of the environment and

the experiences provided in it. The richer the environment and the experiences

provided, the more opportunities exist for children to interact with others and use

a wide range of materials.

Lev Vygotsky sees children as active participants in their learning as does

Piaget. However, one major difference is that Vygotsky places a great emphasis

on the social interaction that takes place during play. He emphasises the

importance of the adult or a more mature peer being there to facilitate play or to

‘scaffold’ the learning by supporting and extending a child’s thinking and abilities

beyond what they could achieve alone.

Erik Erikson provides a framework for understanding children’s social and

emotional development. In his theory, Erikson outlines eight stages that people

must go through from birth to old age. In the age group birth to twelve years,

children are expected to go through the first four stages:

Stage 1: Trust versus Mistrust relates to infants.

Stage 2: Autonomy versus Shame and Doubt relates to toddlers.

Stage 3: Initiative versus Guilt relates to preschoolers.

Stage 4: Industry versus Inferiority relates to school-aged children.

The types of interactions that occur within the environment determine either a

positive or negative outcome for the person and will affect the next stage of their

development.

Abraham Maslow believes that we have a ‘hierarchy of needs’ which is outlined

in figure 1.1 below. It is based on the idea that we must first have our basic

needs met before we can go on to attain higher level needs.

This is just a sample of some of the theories and beliefs about child development

that have shaped caring and learning practices in children’s services for many

years. Most services draw ideas from a number of theories and beliefs.

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If you would like to know more about these child developmental theorists and

their beliefs you should refer to the resource section at the back of this learner

guide.

Figure 1.1 Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Level 5

Self

actualisation

Level 4

Esteem – respect and

approval

Level 3

Belonging and love – family,

community, friendship

Level 2

Safety and protection

Level 1

Physiological – food, water, shelter, rest

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Parten’s stages of play

In the 1930’s Mildred Parten observed six categories of play that children

progress through. Each stage involves more complexity of play than the previous

stage.

They are:

1 Onlooker Play – This is used by children of all ages as they watch other

children playing from a distance without joining in. They may later use their

observations to imitate the play that they observed earlier.

2 Solitary Play – This is also used by all ages at various times. This type of

play occurs when a child is completely absorbed in what they are doing,

without demonstrating any awareness of others. This type of play clearly

shows the child’s egocentric nature. Infants and toddlers often engage in this

type of play.

3 Parallel Play – This is a common type of play observed in toddlers. Children

will play alongside other children usually playing with the same equipment

but no meaningful interaction occurs. The child will be focused solely on

his/her game.

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4 Associative Play – This type of play is more common as a child approaches

age 3. Children will now engage in play together sharing equipment and ideas

however, this play does not develop into complex role-playing. An example is

when children make cups of tea in the sandpit or home corner together.

5 Co-operative Play – Generally seen in children aged 4-5 years. This type

of play is co-operative in nature and has leaders, followers and rules. The children

interact together having a common goal. The play is more complex with each

player having a different role within the plot.

6 Competitive Play – This is seen in school aged children though cooperative

play is still common. The children now have rules associated with their play

and there are usually winners and losers. For example, board games and

running races.

Children will progress through these stages at different times.

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Cognitive stages of play

The way children play also reflects their intellectual or cognitive development.

There are two useful ways to classify play according to the cognitive ability it

reflects. One classification system was developed by the well-known theorist Jean

Piaget and the other by a more contemporary developmentalist Sara Smilansky

(Nixon and Gould, 1999).

The following table shows the relationship between the two cognitive play

classification systems.

Child’s age Piaget’s play stages Smilansky’s play stages

0-2 years Sensorimotor play

This involves the child using their

motor skills and senses to explore

objects in their environment.

Children gain pleasure from

repetitive use of their physical

and sensory skills.

Functional Play

A form of repetitious play where

the child explores and acts on

objects in the environment

(including the child’s own body).

It is characterised by the

repetition of simple actions like

poking, dropping, banging and

throwing.

18m –5yrs Symbolic play

This is when children use one

object to represent another. It

signals a significant change in

thinking as it indicates children

are thinking using an internal

representation or idea.

Constructive Play

This is when the child

manipulates objects in a

purposeful way to achieve a

result.

Dramatic Play

This is similar to Piaget’s

symbolic play but also includes

games of pretence where

situations are imagined and

roles are taken on by the

players. With younger children it

begins with simple imitations of

adult behaviours.

From about

age 6

Games with rules

Children are involved in complex

and structured rule-governed

games or activities, and show

acceptance of the rules and

cooperate with others in play.

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Activity 1.2

Read carefully over the descriptions of the stages of cognitive play and see if

you can come up with an example of each type of play.

Sensorimotor

E.g. a baby picks up a rattle, shakes it, sucks is then bangs it on the floor

several times.

Functional

Symbolic

Constructive

Dramatic

Games with rules

It is essential while you look at these stages of play that you recognise that

children do not progress from stage to stage in a set order. Older children can

go back to any stage at any time without compromising the skills they have

acquired. The stage a child chooses to participate in may also be influenced by

the child’s temperament, personality and social abilities.

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Types of play

As well as thinking about play as occurring in stages, it is also important to have

an overall view of the many types of play that children enjoy.

Some possible play types are described below:

Sensory Play

This is typical of babies and toddlers who use their senses and their growing

physical skills to explore their world. Older children also enjoy certain types of

sensory play. It includes tasting, mouthing, smelling, hearing, seeing and using

touch to explore a range of objects and materials.

Materials suitable for sensory play for babies include mobiles and rattles – both

commercially available and homemade. Other materials for the more mobile child

include finger paint, dough, clay (for older children), natural materials, goop,

slime, water, sand, papier mache, lux flakes and rice. Some shop bought sensory

toys are useful and items to help children manipulate the materials like spades,

shovels, bowls, moulds, plastic tubes, old saucepans and kitchen utensils etc.

(See recipes in the appendix).

For sensory play children also need:

Opportunities and time to explore and manipulate the materials.

Encouragement and acknowledgement when they participate. (Praise is no

longer in the UOC)

Access to safe, pleasant and responsive environments.

Exploratory play

This is a term that describes a variety of types of play across all age groups. It is

when children are exploring and examining their environment, and objects and

materials in their environment. One form of exploratory play is ‘mix and mess’

when materials like sand and water, dirt and mud, cooked spaghetti/macaroni,

shredded paper and other interesting materials are made available for children to

experiment with. Explorative play is often messy. In exploratory play children are

exploring the properties of the objects and materials in a meaningful way. For

example, they may be weighing and measuring materials that they have collected

while on a nature walk. Another form of exploratory play for older children is

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Provide experiences to support children’s play and ... CHCPR301C_Promo.pdf · CHCPR301C Provide experiences to support children’s play and learning ... Section 1 - Understanding