Learning activities in the reception class

Learning activities in the reception class

Introduction

The purpose of this critical essay is to expand the boundaries of our knowledge by exploring some relevant and factual information relating to the analysis of learning activity in the reception class. In this essay, a reflection over the learning activity has been carried out in order to scrutinize and determine the strategies that are used in class to teach children. The activity plan, gathered from the observations from part one, is available as Appendix 3. The Activity plan supports both monolingual and bilingual, as well as Special Education Needs. In this essay, one class teacher and two teaching assistants (special needs teachers) were used to carry out the learning activity. Throughout this essay, appropriate theories will be incorporated as an evidence for the use of EYFS.

Discussion

There is no other period in the life of human beings in which they learn and develop as fast as in early childhood. The attention and care that children receive in the initial years of life play a vital role in defining their personality, and influence the rest of their lives. They grow and learn when they receive affection, attention and stimulation in addition to good nutrition and proper health care.

According to Sulzby and Teale (1991: 728), “Emergent Literacy is defined as 'the earliest phases of literacy development, the period between birth and the time when children read and write conventionally”. According to Palaiologou, (2010, P144) through reading, children learn to know the written language, more comprehensively than the spoken language. Further, teachers can also plan their strategies to cater the learning abilities of children accordingly.

When children are encouraged to play and explore, it helps them to learn and improve their social, physical, intellectual, and emotional development. The importance of playing and exploring new things should not be underestimated under cognitive development. Regardless of their actual content, the game plays a major role with regard to the learning of children. The game play provides a powerful and multifaceted learning experience. The children's play involves exploration, experimentation with language, and the development of social skills. Children learn how to behave by imitating the behaviour of those around them. Children in their early childhood are good at observing things which eventually contributes in the development of their personalities and in getting them cultured. Whatever they observe, they tend to imitate it. This is how their habits are formed and most of which remains with them throughout their lives.

I have designed my exercise keeping in view the sharp sense of children's observation. Children tend to imitate the characteristics of their parents and teachers. For instance, if teacher is wearing lip-stick, students, especially girls, will observe it and tend to imitate the characteristic by wearing their mother's lipstick at home. This is a common sight in every home with young children (Jordan et al., 2000).

The classroom activity which I have planned covers both, multilingual and monolingual children as well as children with SED (Special Learning ...