Documentation of Planning Cycle

Name of Experience: Modeling dramatic play Number of Children: 9

Children’s Ages: 3-5 years old Date of Implementation: 08/03/2023
PART 1
Collect information - Observation
What do you observe or notice? Look for the extraordinary in the ordinary moments by making learning visible.

As I have seen from a video of children's dramatic play from Eastern Connecticut State, children are encouraged to engage in all parts of
designing, establishing, and participating in a new dramatic play environment. Every activity the teachers planned for the preschoolers to play
entailed them learning something new. Firstly, teachers organized a discussion about seeds to assist the children in acquiring background
knowledge about the tree and gardening. They were then promoted to try cultivating the green bean to understand how the seed would
grow. In the backyard, there was a garden that the teachers would use to allow the children to explore and learn more about trees. The
children also had the opportunity to visit a nearby garden supply store to get first-hand experience and see the materials in person so they
could figure out what they would need for their garden business. The children discussed with the instructor in the classroom about the
requirements for setting up the garden shop after the practical experience. By being encouraged to generate a concept and material on their
own, each child was extensively involved in the planning and development of the dramatic production. Then they compiled a list of plants,
trees, seeds, and equipment for their garden shop. Afterward, the teacher arranged an art class where the young people could express their
creativity by making flowers, trees, garden equipment, and even cash registers. They were given writing lessons as well so they could create
price tags for the commodities in their garden shops and signs for seed packets. Next, the teachers gave the children instructions on how to
set up the store, arrange the goods, and label them. Before allowing them to play with each other, two teachers acted as role models for how
the store would operate as they might not know how to utilize all things. Finally, the children imitated and carried out what they had
observed until those experiences became their own.

Question and analyse observation

What do you understand about what you observed? What did you find interesting or extraordinary? What learning is being demonstrated?
What can you extend on? Suggest few experiences. What are the interests and strengths of child/ren observed? Link the information to
EYLF/VEYLDF learning outcomes.
Through the observation, I have understood the importance of playing in children’s development. It not only provided interesting activities
that engage children in interacting with each other but also opportunities for learning new skills. It can be seen that play-based learning is
the most efficient method for assisting children in growing emotionally, developing their social and cognitive abilities, and gaining the self-
confidence they need to interact with different people and situations. I could see that the children are more interested in learning while
playing instead of learning and playing separately.
Through hands-on activities organized by the teachers, children learned more about plants as well as had the opportunity to explore the
world surrounding them, which developed their sense of belonging to a community that associates with the VEYLDF community outcome.
Moreover, children who were given the opportunity to propose ideas for establishing a garden store would start to develop critical thinking
at a young age, which is crucial for IQ growth. Every child excitedly voiced their ideas to contribute to the creation of the dramatic play. They
felt safe, secure, and supported by others to confidently express their opinions, which was in accordance with the VEYLDF learning outcome
of children having a strong sense of identity. Besides, taking art classes enabled the young people to develop their imagination and
creativity. Teachers instructed them on how to sketch and craft the flowers on their own after providing them with images of flowers to
observe. The children were then taken to the writing class to create price tags and signs for the seed packets, which also helped them
improve their literacy and math abilities.
Following that, they practiced setting up items in their garden store to learn how to organize things tidily. Once everything had been well-
prepared for opening the store, the children observed the teachers make an example first and then freely played with each other by
themselves. Engaging in dramatic play not only taught children about real-life skills but also improved social skills such as communication.
Children studied life's purchasing and selling processes via the play as well as practical communication skills, which was suitable for the
VEYLDF communication outcome. Particularly, engaging preschoolers in the whole planning, development, and implementation of the
process of dramatic play has also achieved VEYLDF's learning goal of getting them involved in learning relationships. Furthermore, those
activities could also help children to develop their self-concept and competency.
I found that there was limited opportunity for children to develop their problem-solving abilities. Therefore, the teachers should teach them
to identify and address potential difficulties in real-world scenarios by proving examples in daily life. Additionally, rather than offering direct
assistance to children when they are having problems, teachers should use open-ended questions to encourage creative problem-solving.
I discovered that each preschooler was interested in arts after closely watching them. They all eagerly took part in the drama performance in
which each child would choose parts, act them out, and then change into another. Besides, the children's drawings of flora, particularly
flowers, were very beautiful. I think that educators should attentively concentrate on individuals' interests to help them develop their
talents.
In addition, I was really interested in the children's attitude toward the activities. At least one child who refuses to participate in the play is a
common occurrence in preschool courses. However, the thing that most impressed me about this class was how respectful and obedient the
children were toward the teacher. They all worked really well together and attentively adhered to the teacher's directions. It can be
concluded that cooperation is one of their strengths that we can easily notice.

PART 2
Plan
Learning Intention/s to achieve by the end of experience (one or two): For children to understand… For children to explore…For children to
practice… etc.
Strategies: What strategies you might use to promote children’s interest, play and learning? This might include interactions, resources,
intentional teaching. You might include some examples of modelling, scaffolding or open ended questions. How will you encourage children
to learn from each other? How will the environment support play and learning?

Aims:
1) For children to practice resolving conflict that develops problem-solving skills – VEYLDF Learning Outcome: Children transfer and adapt
what they have learnt from one context to another
2) For children to raise awareness of the environment they live – VEYLDF Community Outcome: Children become socially responsible and
show respect for the environment

Strategies:
What strategies you might use to promote children’s interest, play and learning?

Firstly, I will stimulate the curiosity of young children in gardening by displaying images of plants, flowers, and videos of how the plants
would grow up. After giving the children a clear visual of the flora, I will take some time to organize a discussion in which they can share their
favorite plants with one another. Every child is encouraged to express their thoughts so they may progressively gain greater self-assurance in
speaking and sharing with others, especially their peers, which makes it easier for them to adapt to an unfamiliar environment.
Furthermore, I will show the children a video to teach them how to take good care of a plant and how to nurture it. After watching the
video, I will start by explaining to them that we should water our plants daily because most plants require water in order to thrive. In the
next step, I will make a connection to real life by educating the children that we are considered to be the same as plants and 70% of the
human body is water to emphasize the necessity to "water" our bodies daily. Then, I will provide an open-ended question to them: "If each
of us were a plant, what would we need to do every day to grow up healthy?" After teaching children, it is crucial to assist them to develop
their problem-solving abilities by asking open-ended questions that require them to use both what they have learned and their own
knowledge to respond. In addition, children will have a greater awareness of and concern for their bodies and health as a result of sharing
the knowledge given above.
In addition to teaching the young people through visuals, I will also let them practice in real life so they can absorb the knowledge
thoroughly and recall it with ease. Children will be given access to several well-liked and simple-to-grow seeds, such as beans, sunflowers,
and sweet corn, so they may choose and cultivate them on their own. I will utilize the modeling method to teach young people how to plant
trees. After letting them observe me growing the seed, they will be provided a chance to do it independently under my supervision. When
the children work together to plant trees, they will have an opportunity to interact with one another, which helps them develop their social
skills and their ability to communicate effectively. Moreover, instead of immediately offering solutions when children have an issue that
needs addressing, I will offer recommendations so they may figure it out on their own. This will improve the children's capacity for problem-
solving.
The previous observation has led me to the conclusion that those children are particularly interested in the arts, especially drawing and
handcrafting. This is the reason why I want to conduct a DIY crafting session that instructs the children to make hand-made items with the
goal of letting them learn through playing. The children's task is to construct a model of a garden including flowers, plants, and some insects
such as butterflies. Based on the scaffolding technique of teaching, I will provide a simple model that they can observe and follow to do on
their own without assistance from a teacher. In addition to fostering young people's creativity, this exercise also encourages them to figure
out how to do the tasks given to them on their own, which is beneficial for enhancing their skill for problem-solving.
Finally, it is essential to start teaching children from a young age about environmental protection, especially preschoolers. Although the
children are already familiar with some background knowledge about plants, they might not be aware of the need to safeguard them.
Therefore, I will prepare a video about how crucial it is to preserve and protect flora. The children will learn about the environment through
the video, as well as how caring for plants has positive effects on it. Since then, there has been a strong emphasis on environmental and
flora protection among young people.

How will you encourage children to learn from each other?

In order to encourage children to interact and learn from one another, I think it is a good idea to break them into small groups of three to
four people for each particular activity. I will put an effort into designing group activities for children to cooperate, exchange ideas, and
strengthen their capacity to work as a team. For instance, during the growing the plant activity, I would urge the children to seek their
friends for aid before coming to me for help rather than immediately assisting them in solving their problems. Furthermore, I believe that
children would enjoy participating in dramatic play, which is a useful exercise that encourages learning from each other. In a dramatic play, I
will keep an eye on those children to identify who is doing well and give he/she a compliment for others to set an example and learn.
Moreover, I will encourage the children to pay close attention and listen carefully when a friend is sharing an opinion so they may learn
more from them.
How will the environment support play and learning?

Children's development is significantly influenced by their physical surroundings, especially in terms of how they feel, act, and behave.
Children will be encouraged to explore, learn, and improve their abilities whenever they are given a safe and secure environment that helps
them feel comfortable. For children's social and linguistic interactions, the design of the playing area is crucial. To persuade young people to
participate, each area should be attractively decorated. Besides, I will provide appropriate materials such as blocks, puzzles, baby dolls, and
some simple games for them to play as well as learn.
Act and Do (Implementation)
Implement your experience. Did you need to modify for any reason? Any emergent experiences that arose? Give specific examples of
children’s involvement. What learning processes have you observed the children using (problem solving, inquiry, experimentation,
hypothesising, researching, investigating…)?

Did you need to modify for any reason?

After putting my plan into practice, I discovered that preschoolers have a difficult time creating models during crafts session. I then made the
decision to switch the activity to drawings, in which the children would observe my given model and draw a picture. Children could
successfully finish their own drawings after modification without the support of the teacher.

Any emergent experiences that arose?

Since the children got along so well, they frequently played in groups. I also planned more group activities as a consequence. To let them
have fun and compete with one another, I created the game capture the flag. The children all seem very excited, and I constantly remind
them to play cautiously for preventing them from being hurt.

Give specific examples of children’s involvement.

1) After being shown pictures of trees and flowers, the children all excitedly asked me the name of each species.
Children 1: “Teacher, this purple flower is beautiful, what is it?”
Teacher: “It is lavender. Do you guys like it?”
Children 2: “Yes, I love it. I want to grow it.”

2) During the practical activity, the children helped each other to finish the task.
Children 1: “Sam, can you give me some more soil?”
Children 2: “Of course, let me help you.”

What learning processes have you observed the children using?

I noticed that the children were applying their problem-solving abilities effectively throughout the learning stages. The majority of them
actively raised their hands to respond when I offered open-ended questions. By practicing cultivating the plant together, they also got the
opportunity to perform experiments. Furthermore, the children made use of the inquiry-based learning process by often questioning me on
new topics.
Review and Reflect (Evaluation)
Review: With the learning aims and the EYLF/VEYLDF learning outcomes in mind, evaluate the learning and the planning. What worked well?
What can you improve? Do you need to repeat, refine or extend the plan? How will you follow up?
Reflect: What did you learn about yourself and your practice as a teacher. Any changes to your practice as a result?

Review:

Overall, the learning experience went well with the good cooperation of the children. The VEYLDF learning outcomes that have been met:
1) Children have a strong sense of identity – They confidently express their thoughts.
2) Children are connected with and contribute to their world – They know how to be responsible for the environment.
3) Children have a strong sense of well-being – They respect and behave properly toward each other.
4) Children are effective communicators – They engage in friendly conversation and interaction.
5) Children are confident and involved learners – After studying the theoretical material, they engage in practical activities.

The children all actively participated and successfully completed the activities I organize. They are also given many opportunities to develop
problem-solving abilities, which is consistent with my initial objective. Nevertheless, children still do not have a sufficient amount of
environmental protection knowledge. In order for them to be understood as well as for awareness to be raised, I need to continue providing
them with new materials and real-life examples. Furthermore, I discover that the children struggle with some tasks since they can be a bit
advanced for their age group. To better match them, I decide to modify those activities. Besides, I will pay closer attention to identify their
interests so that I may tailor appropriate activities to them.

Reflect:
 During my experience as a teacher, I discover that I really love to work with children. My children's development into well-behaved adults
gives me a fantastic sense of accomplishment. Although the children are easily distracted and sometimes it is difficult for me to keep them
focused on the job at hand, I am still patient to instruct them to concentrate on it. However, I need to figure out how to get the children to
concentrate better and stay away from side distractions.

Reference

Eastern Connecticut State 2015 The Garden Center - A Child-Created, Teacher Modeled Dramatic Play Center 9 November, viewed 08 March
2023 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuUjeNl9TNc>