Educational Scaffolding Strategies Early Childhood Learning

Video Used: 2511 Day 4 Motor Skills and Maths MASTER (https://youtu.be/BpQPOC_TRKY?si=OTsv7Zc_RNUzEhmd)

Date: 2024-05-24 Observer: [Your Name] Start Time: 0:01 End Time: 5:50 Setting: Outdoor area Children: Matilda, Sophie, Ben, Romina (pseudonyms) Activity: Throwing bean bags at numbered targets

· (0:04-0:10) The educator instructs a child on how to throw a bean bag at a target: "point your hand at the target, bring your arm back and step through as you throw." The child hits the target.

· (0:15-0:43) The educator introduces a scoring system with numbered targets. They explain that each target has a different point value (e.g., "how many points do you get for this one?"). The points increase as the targets get "higher" (more difficult). The highest score is "six," and children must hit the targets in sequence (e.g., can't move to "six" until they get "five").

· (0:55-1:27) Matilda writes her name, and Sophie is assigned to be the "scorer" to record Matilda's scores. Matilda throws the bean bags.

· (2:19-2:41) Ben takes his turn, writes his name, and Romina becomes the scorer.

· (3:13-3:18) Ben scores, and the educator prompts Romina to record the score.

· (3:44-3:51) Romina confirms Ben's score is "two," and the educator records it.

· (4:00-4:05) The educator asks how many points the next target is worth, and Ben correctly answers "three."

· (4:36-5:02) Ben successfully scores "five," and Romina records it.

· (5:05-5:31) Romina writes her name and then takes her turn to throw, with another child scoring.

· (5:39-5:50) Romina throws at "number one target".

The activity integrates several mathematical concepts. First is number recognition, where children identify and associate numbers with targets and scores. Second is number sequencing, as the game requires children to follow a numerical sequence (1, 2, 3, etc.) to reinforce their understanding of ordinality. Third is one-to-one correspondence, as scoring involves a one-to-one correspondence between the bean bag hitting the target and assigning a specific point value. Fourth is recording the data, as children are introduced to the basic concept of recording scores, which is a foundational skill for data representation. Finally is mathematical language, where the educator uses mathematical terms like "how many points," "higher," and number names.

Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners. Children are actively involved in the game, demonstrating engagement and a willingness to try.

Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators. Children communicate scores and follow instructions, using mathematical language.

Preschoolers are typically developing an understanding of number recognition and counting. This activity supports these milestones by providing a playful context for number practice.

Piaget's theory of cognitive development suggests that children learn through active engagement with their environment (Waite-Stupiansky, 2022). The physical activity of throwing and the cognitive activity of scoring contribute to their learning.

Vygotsky's sociocultural theory is reflected in the social interaction and collaboration, such as children taking turns and scoring for each other (Henderson & Cunningham, 2023). The educator's guidance also exemplifies scaffolding.

1. Create a graph or chart to visually represent the scores. This can help children develop data representation skills and compare scores.

Observation 2 Video Used: 2511 Day 2 Boat Play Part 3 MASTER (https://youtu.be/PwWDxM8AZlY?si=JYU18uuqM81oKlPd)

Date: 2024-05-24 Observer: [Your Name] Start Time: 0:03 End Time: 5:38 Setting: Dramatic play area (boat/fishing scenario) Children: Jai, Marcus, Lachlan, and others (preschool age) Activity: Role-playing a boat trip and fishing

· (0:05-0:22) Jai interacts with a "customer," engaging in a role-play scenario. The customer requests a "ticket" to go on a boat and fish. Jai establishes that the ticket is "free today."

· (0:45-1:00) The children discuss the "destination" of the boat trip. They identify "New York" and "New York City" as the destination, demonstrating awareness of place names.

· (1:00-1:27) The children focus on determining the departure time. There's a need for a "texter" (marker) to fill in the time on a "clock face." Marcus is asked to draw the time, which is "20 past 12."

· (2:41-2:55) Marcus announces the departure time as "20 past 12" and informs everyone to board the boat.

· (3:16-3:24) The children discuss the "speed" of the boat, establishing a limit of "seven knots." This introduces the concept of measurement and limits.

· (3:39-3:56) The speed changes, and the children compare the new speed ("eight knots") to the previous speed ("seven knots"), demonstrating an understanding of "more than."

· (4:25-5:12) The children discuss the duration of the trip, estimating travel time in "hours." The estimated time changes from "two hours" to "four hours" and then to "six hours" before finally settling on "one hour." This showcases their developing understanding of time and estimation.

· (5:15-5:38) The children talk about what they will do when they arrive, which is to "fish." This part of the interaction involves a discussion about the fish and the bait, with Jai mentioning that the fish might "eat" the bait.

The children are exploring several mathematical and numeracy-related concepts through their dramatic play. First is time: They are engaging with the concept of time by determining the departure time, reading a clock (to some extent), and estimating the duration of the trip. Second is number sense: They use numbers in the context of time (12, 20) and speed (seven, eight) and engage in estimation. Third is measurement: They discuss the speed of the boat in "knots," which is a unit of measurement. Fourth is spatial awareness: They implicitly refer to spatial concepts like destination and travel. Fifth is problem-solving: They collaboratively work to determine the departure time.

Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners. The children actively participate in the role-play, demonstrating curiosity and engagement.

Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators. They communicate effectively with each other, using mathematical language and negotiating the details of the scenario.

Preschoolers are beginning to understand basic time concepts and use related vocabulary. They are also developing their number sense and problem-solving skills through play. The video aligns with these milestones.

Vygotsky's sociocultural theory is evident in the children's collaborative play and language use (Zhou, 2024). They learn from each other as they negotiate the roles and details of the scenario.

Piaget's theory highlights the importance of symbolic play in cognitive development (Veraksa et al., 2022). The children use the boat and fishing scenario to represent real-life situations and explore related concepts.

1. Provide the children with real clocks and timers to explore time in a more concrete way. Engage them in activities with time limits (e.g., "Let's build a tower in 5 minutes!").

1. Extend the boat play by incorporating maps and directional language. Introduce simple map-reading skills and discuss concepts like distance and direction.

Observation Used: Observation 1 (from the "2511 Day 4 Motor Skills and Maths MASTER" video)

This experience will extend the bean bag target game observed in the video to further support preschool children's numeracy development. It will involve target creation, wherein children will participate in creating their own numbered targets; gameplay, in which children will play a modified version of the bean bag toss game; score recording, whereupon children will be involved in recording their scores using different methods; and data representation, in which the group will create a simple graph to represent the scores.

This experience is designed to build upon children's emergent numeracy skills, focusing on number recognition, number sequence, one-to-one correspondence, data recording, and representation.

Creating their own targets will allow children to actively engage with number formation and reinforce their recognition of numbers. The sequential nature of the game (moving from lower to higher numbers) helps children understand number order. Research indicates that early mathematical knowledge, including number sense, is a strong predictor of later academic achievement (Ten Braak et al., 2022).

Children will match the number of the target with the points awarded, strengthening their understanding of one-to-one correspondence. "One-to-one correspondence involves matching each object in one set with exactly one object in another set" (NSW Department of Education, n.d.).

Recording scores in different ways (tallies, drawings, numerals) introduces children to basic data recording. Creating a graph helps children visualize and compare scores, laying the foundation for data analysis. According to the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), "children develop an understanding of measurement and number through comparing, sorting, matching, and counting objects and representing findings".

The educator will play a facilitating role, guiding children's learning and fostering their engagement. Important pedagogical approaches include scaffolding, inquiry-based learning, play-based learning, and sustained shared thinking. In scaffolding, the educator will provide support and guidance as needed, adjusting their level of assistance based on individual children's needs. For example, they might help a child form numbers or suggest different ways to record scores. With Inquiry-based learning the educator will encourage children to explore and discover mathematical concepts through play. Open-ended questions will be used to stimulate thinking (e.g., "How can we show who got the most points?"). With Play-based learning the experience will be play-based, recognizing that play is a crucial context for children's mathematical learning. The bean bag game provides an enjoyable and motivating way to engage with numeracy concepts. With sustained Shared Thinking the educator will engage in sustained shared thinking by actively listening to children's ideas, asking open-ended questions, and extending their thinking. For example, the educator might ask, "What if we made the target bigger? Would that change our scores?"

The educator will provide materials for children to create their own numbered targets (e.g., paper plates, markers, cardboard). Children will work individually or in small groups to design and number their targets (numbers 1-10). The educator will support children in forming the numbers correctly and discuss the sequence of numbers.

The targets will be arranged at a suitable distance. Children will take turns throwing bean bags at the targets. Children will identify the number of the target they hit.

Children will record their scores after each round. A variety of recording methods will be available, such as tally marks, drawing the corresponding number of objects, and writing the numeral. The educator will encourage children to choose a method that suits their abilities and interests.

As a group, children will create a simple graph to represent the scores. This could be a bar graph where each child's score is represented by a bar, or a pictograph where each child's score is represented by a number of pictures. The educator will guide children in creating the graph and interpreting the data (e.g., "Who has the tallest bar? What does that mean?").

· Materials for target creation (paper plates, markers, cardboard, etc.)

· Materials for data representation (large paper or board, markers, stickers, etc.)