Assignment 2
Student will seek her host teacher’s permission to document the following:
1. A brief description of the attachment class setting or design, age group/ level, number of children, teacher-child ratio, etc.
Age group/level: 3-4 year old/Nursery 2
No. of children: 12
Teacher-child ratio: 1:6
2. Observations and description of an existing play space*/ learning centre of the attachment class, in relation to Language & Literacy.
a. The environment set-up e.g. display space, storage, separation from noisy/quiet area, boundary and environmental prints.
Display space – used to display artwork of children or pictures/information which they have been taught recently or previously
Storage – things are stored and labelled accordingly – “writing and art material” are labelled on the shelf. Shelf is not high, so even the highest shelf is reachable by the children. Writing corner and art corner are placed with shelves that are easily accessible to the children.
Noisy and quiet area are at different corners of the class. As such when the children are at the quiet area, they know not to make so much noise. For example, when they are at the quiet area, they will sit to read books or draw on papers. While at the dramatic corner, or when playing with manipulatives they have more interaction with each other (the children).
At the side of the English teaching area, the days of the week are spelt out in English and Chinese.
b. How materials are used.
Environmental prints are changed weekly according to what is being taught that week. As they are removal and interchangeable, it helps to educator to revisit topics easily. Workbooks are used to teach the children English. Children are encouraged to write or draw during their free time and the materials are easily accessible to them. Dramatic corner is used during the children’s playtime.
c. Interactions of the educator(s) with children and interactions among children.
During lesson time, educator will interact with the children to ask them questions and prompt the answers if necessary. For example, educator will ask “Children, what do you see on the board?” or “How do you spell Tuesday?”. Educator ends the class by asking the children what did they learn today.
Children interact among themselves when it is not lesson time and when they are at the reading corner or dramatic corner. For example, Child A asks Child B “Do you want to read book together?”
Draw and label a floor plan of this play space/ learning centre and attach it as an appendix to the assignment.
*refer to my photo attached*
3. Evaluation and analysis of how the environment set-up and the provision of materials affect children’s behaviour, learning and interactions.
4. Provide practical, feasible and appropriate suggestions for improvement to the play space / learning centre to enhance children’s learning in Language & Literacy. State the rationale for the suggestions.
Add cushions so that the children can read a book in comfort.
Write coherently and proofread work to ensure correct word choice, grammar, spelling and punctuation. Ensure writing is objective and shows evidence of cross referencing to literature. Provide at least two in-text citations from two different sources and a reference page.
* Play space refers to any learning space in the centre that is not designated specifically as a learning centre