Approaches - Early Childhood Education

As the new school year begins. Many families are deciding where to enroll their cild in preschool. preschools offer various approaches to early education, all promoting the benefit of their particular programs. 

One approach gaining momentum in the early years of preschool curriculum is play-based learning. Research shows play-based learning enhances developmental learning outcomes. It can also set your child up for success by teaching them relevant skills.

What is play-based learning?

Children are naturally motivated to play. A play based program builds on this motivation, using play as a context for learning. In this context, children can explore, experiment, discover and solve problems in imaginative and playful ways.

A play-based approach involves both child-initiated and teacher-supported learning. the teacher encourages children's learning and inquiry through interactions that aim to stretch their thinking to higher levels.

For example, while children are playing with blocks, a teacher can pose questions that encourage problem solving, prediction and hypothesis. The teacher can also bring the child's awareness towards mathematics, science and literacy concepts, allowing them to engage with such concepts through hands-on learning.

While further evidence is needed on cause and effect relationships between play and learning, research findings generally support the value of good quality play-based early year programs.

research has shown the long-term benefits of high-quality play-based kindergarten programs, where children are exposed to learning and problem solving through self- initiated activities and teacher guidance.

In contrast to play-based learning are teacher- centred approaches focused on instructing young children in basic academic skills. Although this more structured teaching and learning style is the traditional approach to primary school programs, research is emerging that play-based learning is more effective in preschool and primary school programs. In these recent studies, children's ;earning outcomes are shown to be higher in a play-based program compared to children's learning outcomes in direct-instruction approaches.

Research has also identified young children in direct-instruction programs can experience negative effects. These include stress, decreased motivated for learning, and behaviour problems. This is particularly so for children who are not yet ready for more formal academic instruction.

what can be gained through play-based programs?

As with traditional approaches, play-based early years programs are focused on teaching and learning. In such programs, play can be in the form of free play (activity that is spontaneous and directed by the child), and guided play (also child-directed, but the teacher is involved in the activity as a co-player) with intention teaching. Both have benefits for children's learning. To capitalise on these benefits, an optimum play-based program will provide opportunities for both free play and guided play. 

Play-based learning can set your child up for success at school and beyond.

Natalie Robertson, Anne-Marei Morrissey, Elizabeth Rouse, Deakin University

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Development : Newborn to Six Weeks

Development : Newborn

Gross Motor 

When your newborn lies her tummy, you will notice she lies with her arms and legs curled up because of the way she has been lying in the womb. If she was born bottom-first, her legs will not curl up as much. Most newborns lift their heads while they are on their tummies and turn it from side if only for a second. They do this to "gain their balance". If you lie her on her back and pull her gently towards you, her head will fall back behind her body. This is called 'head lag' and is why it's important to support your baby's head when she is being held, fed or bathed. 

Fine motor and vision

• Fine Motor : Your baby grasps objects that come in contact with the palm of her hand. 
• Vision : Your baby is able to see from birth. Young babies are short-sighted, so brightness and movement will attract your baby's attention and faces and eyes are the things she focuses on best. Hold your face close to her face, move it slightly from side to side and watch how she follows you with her eyes. Do it any time after birth when she is relaxed and alert.  

Hearing and Speech

• Hearing : Your baby is able to detect a loud noise and respond with reflex ( a jump) from birth, but you will find her response is not there for every sudden loud noise. When she is sleeping deeply, crying, distracted or feeding, a sudden noise will often make no impression whatsoever. You may find when you try to make her jump by clapping or banging a door there is no response, so don't worry the life out of yourself by continually trying to 'test her hearing'. After a few weeks you will start to notice she does respond to noises such as an adult coughing or sneezing, keys rattling or a dog barking. Newborns respond selectively to different sorts of sounds. A soft noise such as a 'whooshing' , music or a lullaby can soothe and calm your baby while a loud, jarring noise has the reverse effect6. She will also stop crying at times to listen to your voice.

• Speech : Until your baby starts to coo and make other noises from about six weeks, crying is her only vocalisation, although not her only form of communication. She does have more subtle ways of communicating such as grasping your finger, staring intently at your face and coming off the breast when she wants to, but crying is the form of communication you're likely to be most aware of in the early weeks. The amount and duration of crying is highly variable between babies. Some babies cry infrequently and only then for an obvious reason, others confuse and bewilder everyone by crying for long periods of time for reasons impossibles to work out.  Baby sign language is very popular. It is collection of easy to remember simple gestures (sighs) that babies can learn to use before they can speak. The aim of baby sign language is to be able to communicate in meaningful ways with babies and so find out what is troubling them and fulfill their every need. The companies involved in selling the baby sign language method(s) claim a host of advantages such as IQ enhancement, an ability with languages and reduction of temper tantrums, tear and frustration. The research cited to support the seemingly amazing benefits of baby signing has predominately been conducted by psychologies who have vested commercial interests in the system. But to be fair, there is also plenty of anecdotal praise for baby signing from parents world-wide. 

Social behaviour and play

Many of your baby's reflexes are outside her control, but you will notice there are times when her response to things is intentional. Research in the last twenty years shows that newborn babies are capable of responding purposefully and making choices. Responding to your voice and being comforted by rocking, sucking, cuddling or skin-to-skin contact are all very your age babies frequently reject water but drink breastmilk or formula eagerly. 

Development : Six Weeks

Gross Motor

By six weeks your baby has noticeably more head control, so you will find you don't have to support her head as much when you lift and hold her.

Hearing and Speech

• Hearing : Sudden will make your baby jump, although there are still times when she doesn't respond.
• Speech : Between five and eight weeks she will start to make beautiful gurgling, cooing noises when you talk to her. The first responsive noises babies make are magical sounds.

Social behaviour and play

Along with the cooing noises the first smile appears - and what a moment that is! A small number of babies smile as early as ten days. People love to refer to early smiling as "wind". A non-communicative grimace, which is very common for babies to do, especially when they are sleeping, is not a smile (nor is it "wind") ; but when baby looks at you and smiles in a way that is definitely communicative, ignore suggestions of "wind" - it is a smile! 'the average age for the first smile is between five to eight weeks.

Read also 'Development; three months

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Doing it Alone -- Single Parents

I'm sure one of the irritating things about being a single parents parent is the constant assumption in pregnancy and baby information that there are always two doing it. Pictures of mothers and babies in magazines and TV series always depict smiling, happy, well-groomed mothers who invariably have smiling, well-groomed, caring men sitting beside them. The reality is that many parents are on their own a great deal of the time because of absent partners.

I am guilty myself of not mentioning single parents specifically throughout this article, mainly because of the difficulties in constantly referring to the total range of parenthood experiences. They are usually women, less occasionally men. All of their stories and reasons for being on their own are different. Some women choose to be pregnant alone so they don't miss the experience, but for most not having a partner is not their option of choice: rather, the result of an unplanned pregnancy of relationship problems. 

The lovely things that babies bring are there for everyone whether they have a partner or not, but not having anyone to share the physical and emotional demands of baby care with makes the job harder. 

A few tips just for you

• Contact the Family Assistant Office to make sure you get all the government assistance you are entitled to.
• Try to arrange to have someone or parent with you  for the first three weeks or so after the birth as this is usually a physically and emotionally draining time ( a weird combination of exhilaration. extreme fatigue, relief and anxiety).
• Make sure you know where to go or phone for help, the nearest children's hospital, the child and family health nurse, a mother and baby centre, a family doctor and so on. Put all the numbers into your mobile and/or have a list by the landline.
• Take up all offers of practical help.  When it is offered give the helper specific ways in which they can be of assistance. 
• It is of huge benefit fot all parents to have access to a network of reliable friends and family but this is particularly so for single parents. If you don't have this support it is crucial for you to establish contact with other mothers, single or otherwise. Obviously having contact with other single parents means you are spending time with people going through the same experience as you but you'll have a lot in common with all mothers so don't limit your options here. Mothers' group can be invaluable for this or you can find out via your local council or community healthy centre what might be available for you to tap into. Most local areas have a range of resources available for mothers and babies. 
• Make staying sane and healthy a priority. It's normal to feel apprehensive about raising children, most of us do. This is one time when you really do need to live one day at a time until you adjust to your new life. Eat well, do some simple exercise and catch up on sleep whenever you can.
• Never lose sight of the fact that the main things babies and children need are love and security which you can give in bucket loads. there will be times when you find the going hard but very few women - or men - regret having children. 
• You may need childcare during the first year for social and/or work purposes. For short periods occasional childcare centres are available to give you time off for shopping, dental appointment, study, social events and many are approved for government subsidy of their fees. 

Taken from Robin Barker Baby Love Book

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