Promoting Children's Play, Learning and Development

In this TMA I have met the ethical requirements of the E105. I complied with the ethical guidance published by BERA, 2011 under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) by informing parents and giving them the option to withdraw their child from participating; as some children were of an age where they had a limited understanding of the purpose of the investigation (BERA, Guidelines 16 - 21, 2011). I explained to parents and colleagues why I was carrying out the observations, and that I would comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 by making my findings anonymous and it will only read by my tutor. I reassured parents that the welfare of the children was paramount and would not be affected by my investigation. If for any reason their child refused to participate or became distressed, then I would immediately terminate my observation. I gained consent from children in a sensitive way and ensured that my investigation was not a hindrance in their care, learning & development. Activity 3.13 (Block 3, pg 57) helped me in planning my method to approach children to gain their consent.

Introduction

This assignment is based on an investigation I carried at my setting on the play and learning experiences provided for four year olds. My key question on which I based my investigation was: How I could make children’s play and learning experiences fun and enjoyable?

The United Convention on the Rights of a Child (UNCRC) says that ‘Every child and young person has the right to rest, play and leisure’. (UNCRC, Article 31, 1989)

Play can be interpreted in various ways however in the context of a setting; I understand play as an experience in which children have fun, enjoy and learn at the same time. Being the manager and room leader I have a major influence on the learning experiences provided for the children. I therefore decided to investigate the impact of my current planning and provision on children’s play experiences. In my observations

References: Anning A and Edwards A, (2010) Creating contexts for professional development in Miller, L., Cable, C., and Goodliff, G (eds) Supporting Children’s Learning in the Early Years, Abington, David Fulton in association with The Open University. British Educational Research Association (BERA, 2011) Ethical guidance for Educational Research, London, 2011 Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) (2008) Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage, Nottingham, DCSF Draper L and Duffy B, (2010) Working with parents in Cable, C., Miller, L. and Goodliff, G (eds) Working with children in the Early Years, Abington, David Fulton in association with The Open University. Moss P, (2010) The democratic and reflective professional in Miller, L., Cable, C., and Goodliff, G (eds) Supporting Children’s Learning in the Early Years, Abington, David Fulton in association with The Open University. Paige-smith A and Craft A, (2010) Reflection and developing a community of practice in Miller, L., Cable, C., and Goodliff, G (eds) Supporting Children’s Learning in the Early Years, Abington, David Fulton in association with The Open University. Read M and Rees M, (2010) Working in teams in early years settings in Cable, C., Miller, L. and Goodliff, G (eds) Working with children in the Early Years, Abington, David Fulton in association with The Open University. Robson S (2010) The physical environment in Miller, L., Cable, C., and Goodliff, G (eds) Supporting Children’s Learning in the Early Years, Abington, David Fulton in association with The Open University. Sexton L. (2012) ‘Blue group-week1 activity’, E105 11J Tutor group forums, 16th February 2012 (online), http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/forumng/discuss.php?d=836298 (Accessed 18th February 2012) The TES-Education jobs, Teaching resources and magazine & forums The Open University (2010), E105 Assessment Guide 2010, Milton Keynes, The Open University The Open University, E100 Early years practice: Practitioners and children 2010, Study Topic 3, Milton Keynes, The Open University. The Open University, E105 Developing reflective practice: key themes, 2010, Block 3, Milton Keynes, The Open University. The Open University (2010) E105 The early years: developing practice, 'DVD 2: Painting outside, Milton Keynes, The Open University. Leaven Scale (Leavers, 1994) EYFS (DCSF, 2008) learning goals intended to achieve: ‘Attempt writing for different purposes, using features of different forms such as lists, stories and instructions’