REPORT ON STAGE 2 AND 3

1. Reflect on your own early experiences and learning with play, fantasy and imaginations as
either as a toddler.( 2 – 3 yr) or as an early school child (4-6yr). What did you learn then
that has influence on you now?
When I was 4 yrs old, I used to play with toys and I didn’t have much friends; I usually play with
my twin. We both were interested in watching adventures films. We got inspired so that we both
made a tent by using saree and chairs and we went in and we imagined our mother as dinosaur.
Whenever she came to room, we became silent. And we enjoyed playing like this. And when I
was 6 years old, I lost my horse doll, so I tried to cut down a plastic bottle to make that like a
horse. I liked to take the role as student often. Because I enjoyed doing assignments given by my
peer, who was playing the role as teacher.
These imaginations and fantasy plays helping me to see things in different perspective and to
think creatively and helps to adjust and adapt to the situation, enhanced my flexibility. And it
also helps for problem solving and critical thinking. It fosters artistic skills.
2. Reflect on your early learnings about the crisis of autonomy-shame/doubt, initiative – guilt,
will and power, compulsion and inhibition. Do you think that there are chances for
transference in your interactions with toddlers?
Yes, when a child asks various questions about God, nature, society norms and so on, I
understand the curiosity of the child and try to answer the questions asked by him/her.
3. Reflect on the various skills/competencies/ deficits learned in these two stages that we carry
with us into adulthood? Can you visualize the growth & development has a continuity and
sequence?
Yes, during early childhood stage, I learnt to draw humans and animals and I still continue
developing my artistic skills.
4. Have you observed the school children during recess time? Describe the child-child
interactions, behaviors and attitudes?
Yes, children usually talk like a man. Might one in the group lead others and each one takes
roles which balance the group like top dog, under dog role and someone exhibits rebellious
attitude. Most often children create stories to make them feel proud, accepted and liked by
others. If one child says that his father went to Singapore, then other one would say that his
father also went to Singapore or USA. Here we can see the self-esteem. That helps to develop
 their skills and promote them to achieve self-actualization. Their body language and
paralinguistic all synchronized, while they talk proud about themselves. Children raise their
voice to get attention. To avoid being felt guilt, shame they create stories.
5. How do you judge the school readiness of the children? What obstacles stand in the way of
school readiness? ( poverty, family, conflict & loss ). Is there any supportive system for
children with physical disabilities?
Based on physical, cognitive, social and emotional maturation, we can determine whether the
child ready for school. In this period children learn to identify their roles and develop self
control, undergo toilet training and start to develop language. Children in this stage mostly
needed scaffolding and also they learn to do things independently. When children start to repeat
words and to memorize alphabets and minimum numbers and to indicate basic needs(hungry,
toilet), we can judge that the child is ready for school.
Poverty, loss and family conflicts affect the children’s school readiness. Single parent also find
difficult to send his/her child to school. Because of poverty and lack of knowledge about
schooling, parents may delay to send their children to school. Later they feel regret for that.
Teachers and special schools are the support system for children with disabilities. Some children
have developmental delay, speech delay and intellectual disability, hearing/visual impairment.
Inclusion helps them to mingle with other normal students, yet mild level disability students are
only allowed. In normal school, teacher should take extra care about these children and always
be cautious whether these children being teased by others. Moderate category of students can go
to special schools. According to the level of disability, special educators train each children
individually and in group.