BEC312

Assessment 4 Alisse Young

How can educators extend the learning of

high achieving students?

Alisse Young

BEC312 Reflective and critical practice

October 2018

Melbourne Polytechnic

Preston campus

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Abstract

The following action research report was conducted over a three-week period within a
kindergarten placement. The paper consists of the research regarding one educator, two
parents and two focus children with the aim to identify ways in which educators can
effectively cater for and extend the learning of high achieving students. Relevant literature
was studied prior to the practical element of the study and this was used to inform the data
gathered.

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Declaration

This is to certify that:

(i) the research report comprises only my original work except where
indicated,
(ii) due acknowledgement has been made in the text to all other material
used,
(iii) pseudonyms were used for all children involved,
(iv) the research report meets the word count as advised within the subject
outline, exclusive of the reference list and appendices.

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Table of contents

Abstract. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Declaration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Chapter 1. Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Setting the scene. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Statement of the research question. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Limitations of the study. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 5

Chapter 2. Literature review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

What is the importance of open communication with families?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Suitable ways to challenge high achieving students. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . 6

Inclusive practices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .7

Chapter 3. Research methodology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Chapter 4. Data analysis and results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Chapter 5. Discussion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Chapter 6. Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Appendices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

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Chapter 1. Introduction

Setting the scene

The following research was conducted throughout my three-week kindergarten placement

in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria. I conducted my action research with the
assistance of one educator, two parents and two students. The two students selected were
significantly ahead academically for their age. One child had recently been pronounced
gifted while the other was bilingual and often used his ability to translate for other students.
Educators often find it difficult to find the time or see the importance to extend children
who are ahead as they may not have the knowledge or resources to do so. This piece will
explore appropriate ways in which educators can extend learning for high achieving
students.

Statement of the research question

I have chosen to focus on the process of extending a child’s learning when they are
academically ahead for their age. Extending the learning of students who are academically
ahead for their age can be difficult. In most educational settings, there is a large focus on
students who are behind in various aspects (physically, cognitively and socially or
emotionally).

Overview

I explored three themes within the literature in relation to my research topic. These
included the support required and the importance of open communication between
educators and families or carers, suitable ways to challenge high achieving students, and
how to ensure that you are maintaining an inclusive practice.

Limitations of this study

Due to the play-based, emergent nature of the kindergarten I attended, and the holistic
views educators have on children, there was little focus on the extension of academic skills.
As I was only with the children for three weeks (15 hours per week) I found that I didn’t
have a lot of time to implement experiences specific to my focus children. This research
paper also focused heavily on the educators and their views, only having class time to
discuss the topic made it difficult to conduct an in-depth collection of data.
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Chapter 2. Literature review

What is the importance of open communication with families?

While studies have shown that location, centre size, teacher quality, and the leadership
within the centre have a lasting impact of the student achievement (Huang & Zhu, 2017),
the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) highlights the importance of relationships
between educators, children and families and recognises that families are the child’s “first
and most influential teachers” (DEEWR, 2009, p. 13). Forming strong and secure
relationships with families plays a vital role for educators when extending the learning of
high achieving students and creating open dialogue. Amaro-Jimenez (2016) explains that
building relationships with families is often difficult, especially those with culturally and
linguistically diverse backgrounds, although ensuring that you are present and available
during drop off and pick up and taking time to understand each family’s background and
personal situation will have a lasting impact regarding connections between home and the
centre (Amaro-Jimenez, 2016). Cleaver (n.d) states that by working with the families of high
achieving students and involving the student in after school activities, their strengths are
heightened and extended. As per the EYLF (DEEWR, 2009), it is recommended and beneficial
to involve the child’s interests as this will provide them with a positive outlook on learning,
both at home and within the centre.

Suitable ways to challenge high achieving students

There are many ways to challenge and extend the learning of high achieving students. These
include but are not limited to; allowing choice, this may involve providing a selection of
more complex books or activities for the child to choose from and encouraging them to
select from this section occasionally. Integrating technology into your program, the
Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF) (VCAA, 2016b),
emphasises the importance of the use of technology to not only enhance an individual’s
learning but to help children educate each other. Technology provides a diverse range of
sources and learning opportunities for all students but allows those who are academically
advanced to shape their learning to their needs. Determining prior knowledge, with the use
of the “early years planning cycle” as printed within the VEYLDF, educators are encouraged
to use the data gathered to inform and enrich decision making. Goal setting, although

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directed at primary settings, the “high impact teaching strategy” number 1 “setting goals”
(DET, 2017) can easily be adapted for an early childhood setting where necessary. It states
that educators should set and communicate clear goals to ensure students understand how
to be successful and display a commitment to learning while educators are providing a
challenge.

By encouraging self-reflection and prompting children with open-ended questioning children

are able reflect on their efforts so in doing this we “help children to begin to think in more
sophisticated and abstract ways” (Touhill, 2012, p. 1). Open-ended learning activities, open-
ended learning tasks allow children to take their learning to a deeper level by exploring
higher-level thinking and incorporating real-life problems (Renzulli, 2008). Not only are
open-ended learning activities shown to be most beneficial in extending a child’s learning,
Alhusaini and Maker (2011) have found that open-ended problem solving enhances
creativity in all students regardless of educational level (early years to tertiary).

Inclusive practices

High quality early childhood programs should enhance the early learning experiences for all
young children to develop the knowledge and skills necessary for academic success when
they enter formal school environments (Pelatti, Dynia, Logan, Justice & Kaderavek, 2016)
While educators should always aim to ensure their practices are inclusive for all children,
those who are academically advanced are more likely to notice the contrast between their
activities and quality of work compared to their fellow students. It is important for
educators to ensure they are extending the child’s learning while minimising the risk of
isolation or negatively affecting their enthusiasm for learning. It is also important that
educators are aware of the research regarding the fact that children with high academic
ability are more likely to exclude or portray a negative attitude towards those who are
academically behind them. This is especially prevalent within early childhood as younger
children are more likely to express their biases than older children (Nowiki, 2006). Early
childhood educators are encouraged to work with young children to promote and model
positive ways to relate to others. Educators should “actively support the inclusion of all
children in play, help children to recognise when play is unfair and offer constructive ways
to build a caring, fair and inclusive learning community” (DEEWR, 2009, p. 15).

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Chapter 3. Research methodology

This research was conducted as practitioner action research and it was documented as an
explanatory case study. Throughout my research I used a range of methods to gather data
and to inform my final conclusion. The methods I used to gather data were; informal
questioning with educators (see Appendix A), informal questioning with parents (see
Appendix B), general observations of focus children, work samples (see Appendix C) and
transcripts of a conversation between educators and a focus child (see Appendix D).

By questioning both educators and parents informally, I was able to gather information on
the ways in which they provide an extension of their child’s learning while in the space as
we didn’t have a lot of time to sit down and conduct a formal interview. In conducting
informal interviews, I felt I was able to gather relevant information required without the
pressure of a formal interview.

When analysing the general observations, work samples and transcripts of conversations I
questioned what I had seen and heard to ensure that the data collected was accurate and
relevant. I also ensured that I viewed the data with minimal bias.

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Chapter 4. Data analysis and results

From the data collected within my discussions with the educators, it was clear that
academic learning wasn’t a major focus for this kindergarten. As the kindergarten’s
philosophy states “educators must view all children holistically, while catering to the needs
of the child and their families”, as the educators’ main goals are to enhance any skills the
child may be lacking through play. For example, focus child 1 (K) was academically gifted
although he lacked the ability to share, play fairly and often struggled to regulate his
emotions, therefore the educators had a major focus on enhancing his social and emotional
development rather than his academic.

When asked how educators would extend these children academically (if that was what
their parents had requested) Cathy (kindergarten teacher) said she would encourage K to
read out any work he had done at home (see Appendix C) or at kindergarten, to challenge
his social skills but also enhance and highlight his literacy skills. With P, she would put him in
positions of leadership while building on and highlighting his communication skills. She
would request P to translate more often and possibly try to get him to teach her and the
class some Mandarin, so she was able to communicate more effectively with the student
who doesn’t speak much English, especially when she is emotional. Cathy also mentioned
that as the majority of the experiences set out around the room are open ended, this
allowed for children to take the experience in any direction they wished.

During observations, I noticed children such as K and P were more likely to persist with an
activity, especially if they found it challenging when compared to other children who might
not be as academically advanced. As academia isn’t a focus point within the kindergarten I
was curious to know what Cathy would include within her transition learning and
development statement. Cathy stated that with K she planned to call his school as his
development was complex, she mentioned that she would positively highlight his academic
abilities although his social and emotional development was lacking. For P, Cathy
highlighted that he was a great leader, was very responsible and would happily help other
students. For example, P would be a perfectly trustworthy student to take a note to the
office, as he wouldn’t allow peer pressure to blindside his duties.

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As stated in the literature review, collaboration and strong relationships with families is
extremely important when strengthening academic skills. At this kindergarten family’s
relationships were clearly valued. From the theoretical research I had gathered, I felt that it
was important to have a forum for parental input. I was also aware that parents don’t have
a lot of time and that kindergarten pick up and drop off can be chaotic, so I decided that an
informal interview with two to three questions would be ideal. The questions I asked were
“What languages do you speak at home?” and “What do you do to cater for literacy and
numeracy skills at home?” I asked these questions to gain a deeper understanding of each
child’s home life, the support they were receiving from their family and to see if the families
valued their child’s academic ‘talents’. Both families said that they spoke dual languages at
home, P was currently learning a third language and K would often pick up other languages
if he heard them translated. Both families had a range of books, blocks and writing supplies.
P’s mother read to him every night and K was reading chapter books and creating his own
stories. When cooking, K would often read the recipe for his mother and select the correct
measurements.

When observing within the classroom I made a number of transcripts of conversations (see
Appendix D). Appendix D was taken when Cathy was reading a story that K had written by
himself at home (Appendix A). This transcript highlighted K’s ability to retell something he
had written. The text is structured at a year 2 level as per the Victorian Curriculum (VCAA,
2016a). Once Cathy had finished reading K’s story we decided it would be a good experience
for any other children who may wish to write their own story. As I was writing P’s story I
suggested that he and K might like to collaborate and write a story together, as K said he
had already written a story and he wasn’t interested. Cathy then suggested that P might like
to translate for the student who speaks little English. He was happy to do this so he asked
her but she wasn’t interested. P’s persistence to collaborate was evident which showed a
great deal of maturity.

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Chapter 5. Discussion

As stated within Chapter 4, children were provided with open-ended experiences within the
centre. From the educator’s perspective and as the literature states, this is likely the best
way to extend all children, especially those who are academically advanced. As mentioned
by the educator, children such as K and P are more likely to persist with a challenging
activity when compared to other students who may not be as academically advanced.

The idea of not overusing the child’s academic ‘talent’ was prevalent throughout the
placement. This comes with viewing the child holistically which was done effectively
throughout the setting and is a major component of the centre’s philosophy. It is important
to note that when we are “considering the development of children, we must view them
holistically” (Myers & Bourdillon, 2012, p. 614). This is relevant for all development and all
children regardless of their academic abilities. The idea of overusing academic talent to the
point that it is no longer enjoyable or may feel like a job to the child is vital in ensuring that
these children continue to enjoy learning and will likely extend on the ‘talents’ that they
have.

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Chapter 6. Conclusion

In conclusion, my research topic holds great relevance for my future teaching career. From
the data gathered alongside the literature presented, I feel that providing open-ended
experiences is the most beneficial way to extend the learning of high achieving students. As
an educator it is vital that to observe the way children interact with these experiences to
ensure their needs and interests are continually met. By providing open-ended experiences,
no one is isolated or excluded and the high achieving students are able to continue their
learning without restriction.

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References

Alhusaini, A. & Maker, J. (2011). The uses of open-ended problem solving in regular
academic subjects to develop students’ creativity: An analytical review. Turkish
Journal of Giftedness and Education, 1(1), 1-43.

Amaro-Jiménez, C. (2016). Preservice teachers' reflections of their involvement in a home-

school connection project in teacher education. Bilingual Research Journal, 39(1), 69-
85.

Cleaver, S. (n.d). Smart and bored: What do high achievers need? [Web page]. Retrieved
from http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3749384

DEEWR (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations). (2009).

Belonging, being & becoming: The early years learning framework for Australia.
Canberra, ACT: Author.

DET (Department of Education and Training). (2017). High impact teaching strategies:
Excellence in teaching and learning. Melbourne, VIC. Author. Retrieved from
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/documents/school/teachers/support/highimpactt
eachstrat.pdf

Huang, H. & Zhu, H. (2017) High achievers from low socioeconomic backgrounds: The critical
role of disciplinary climate and grit. Mid-Western Educational Researcher, 29(2), 93-
116.

Myers, W. & Bourdillon, M. (2012). Concluding reflections: How might we really protect
children? Development in Practice, 22(4), 613-620.

Nowicki, E. A. (2006). Children's cognitions, behavioural intent, and affect toward girls and
boys of lower or higher learning ability. Learning Disabilities: A Contemporary
Journal, 4(2), 43-57.

Pelatti, C., Dynia, J., Logan, J., Justice, L. & Kaderavek, J. (2016). Examining quality in two
preschool settings: Publicly funded early childhood education and inclusive early
childhood education classrooms. Child & Youth Care Forum, 45(6), 829-849.
doi:10.1007/s10566-016-9359-9

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Renzulli, J. (2008). Teach to the top: How to keep high achievers engaged and
motivated. Instructor, 117(5), 34.

Touhill, L. (2012). Sustained, shared thinking. Early Childhood Australia. National Quality
Standard - Professional Learning Program. E-Newsletter, 43, 1-4.

VCAA (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority). (2016a). Victorian curriculum.

Melbourne, VIC: State Government Victoria. Retrieved
from http://victoriancurriculum.vcaa.vic.edu.au

VCAA (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority). (2016b). Victorian early years
learning and development framework. Melbourne, VIC: The Department of
Education and Training.

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Appendix A - Notes from informal interview with educators

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Appendix B - Notes from informal interview with parents

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Appendix C - Child K work sample

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Appendix D - Transcript of a conversation while a story was being read

Cathy reads The wolf who was bored and went to Australia.

Child K: Yes I did write that.

Child K: That’s my story (to his friend next to him).

Child K: In the middle there’s a funny part too!

Cathy reads about the plane being next to the wolf .

Child K: He was sooooo scared.

Child K: That was the funny part.

Cathy: Maybe he was scared they would crash?

Child K: Yeah that is right, but I didn’t write that.

Child K: I did the ending with funny words, so it was a happy ending.

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