Play based learning and the Early Years Learning Framework

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Play based learning and the Early Years Learning
Framework withLennieBarblett
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Introduction

• Early Childhood Australia (ECA) acknowledges
  Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as
  the original inhabitants of Australia and
  recognises their culture as part of the cultural
  heritage of all Australians.
• I respectfully acknowledge the past and present
  traditional owners of this land.
• I acknowledge the contributions of Aboriginal and
  Torres Strait Islander people to the society we
  have today where we all strive to provide the
  best education for all of our children.

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Introduction

• The Early Years Learning Framework is part of
  the Council of Australian Governments reform
  agenda for early childhood education and care,
  and is a key component of the Australian
  Governments National Quality Framework for early
  childhood education and care. 

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EYLF National Vision

• Childhood is about
• Belonging (being connected to family, culture,
  community, place)
• Being (to be, to seek, and make meaning of the
  world)
• Becoming (shaping new understandings, identities,
  capacities and relationships).

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Structure of the EYLF
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Play based learning and theEarly Years Learning
Framework

• What is play?
• Generally there are a number of agreed upon
  characteristics
• voluntary
• pleasurable
• symbolic
• active
• process oriented
• intrinsically motivated.
• Play is a fundamental right of all children.
  (UNROC, 1989)

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Play based learning and theEarly Years Learning
Framework

• Why? Play-based learning
• Why is it important that we pay attentionto
  childrens play?
• What do children learn through play?

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Play based learning and theEarly Years Learning
Framework

• EYLF and play
• EYLF defines this as
• a context for learning through which children
  organise and make sense of their social worlds,
  as they engage actively with people, objects and
  representations. (EYLF, 2009,p46)
• BUT THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT ANYTHING GOES
• Research tells us that educators need to be
  knowledgeable, active and articulate about play.

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Play based learning and theEarly Years Learning
Framework

• Play, EYLF and outcomes
• Children have a strong sense of identity.
• Children are connected with and contribute
  totheir world.
• Children have a strong sense of wellbeing.
• Children are confident and involved learners.
• Children are effective communicators.

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Play based learning and theEarly Years Learning
Framework

• Role of the early childhood educator in play
• Intentionalityknowing how to value-add.
• Quality adult-child interactions (shared
  sustained thinking).
• Different roles of the adult in childrens play .
• Participant Parallel player
  Script writer
• Stage manager Play Assistant
• Teaching to support play.
• Challenging unfair or unjust play.

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Play based learning and theEarly Years Learning
Framework

• The role of the environment in play-based
  learning
• planning with children and families
• Being, Belonging and Becoming reflected in the
  environment
• aesthetics
• empowerment and agency
• communicability of spaces
• provocations
• temporal environment
• thinking about safety and risk.

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Play based learning and theEarly Years Learning
Framework

• References
• Department of Education, Employment and Workplace
  Relations (DEEWR). (2009). Belonging, Being
  Becoming The Early Years Learning Framework for
  Australia. Canberra, DEEWR.
• Dockett, S. Fleer, M. (1999). Play and pedagogy
  in early childhood Bending the rules.
  Marrackville, NSW Harcourt Brace.
• Frost, J.L., Reifel, R.S. And Wortham, S.C.
  (2006) Play and child development. (Third edn).
  USA Prentice Hall.
• Sylva, K., Melhuish, E., Sammons, P.,
  Siraj-Blatchford, I. and Taggart, B. (2004). The
  effective provision of pre-school education
  (EPPE) project Findings from preschool to end of
  Key Stage 1. United Kingdom Sure Start.
  Available at www.surestart.gov.au or
  www.ioe.ac.uk/projects.
• Sylva, K., Melhuish, E., Sammons, P.,
  Siraj-Feeney, S., Moravick, E., Nolte, S. and
  Christensen, D. (2010). Who am I in the lives of
  children? An introduction to early childhood
  education (Seventh edn). Upper Saddle River, NJ
  Pearson Education.
• United Nations (1989). The convention on the
  rights of the child. New York UNICEF.
• Van Hoorn, J.L. (2007) Play at the centre of the
  curriculum (Fourth edn). USA Pearson Merrill