Week Three: Early Years Pedagogy

Reflection

This week I realised why it important to understand the many perspectives of teaching and learning theory in practice, particularly in the early years. I discovered that it is not necessarily about following one theory or one practice, but rather to have an understanding of how they are interrelated and support one another to modify and better our teaching strategies in the classroom.  

I created this mind map which led to my understanding of why a comprehensive knowledge of child development and teaching strategies is so important to creating an inclusive learning environment. 

Fundamental to teaching practice, significant to the pedagogies mentioned in my mind map and in early years education is the pedagogy of listening from a Reggio Emilia perspective. Rinaldi discusses the importance of observation, documentation and interpretation of learning processes in the development of professional teaching:  

           
    (Rinaldi, 2012)

I find this useful in providing an effective way to reflect on my own teaching practice, communicating with a range of evidence the outcomes of my teaching practice and perhaps most importantly, identifying ways I can improve in the future for my own sake and for the sake of my students. 

Principles and Practices of The Reggio Emilia Approach3.

• Children must have some direction over their learning
• Listening pedagogy 
• Children should learn through experiences that involve touching, moving, listening, seeing and hearing
• Emergent Curriculum
• Children's interaction and relationship with other children is paramount to their development
• Children must be allowed to explore and interact with a variety of materials
• Children should be given endless ways to express themselves

Bibliography:

1. Braise, M. & Nuttall, J. (2011). Chapter 5: Power and pedagogy (pp. 52-77). Learning to teach in the early years classroom. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

2. Phillips, L. (2013). Week Three: Early Years Pedagogy [Powerpoint Slides]. Unpublished manuscript, EDUC2704, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia.  

3. Regio Emilia Information Exchange. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.reaie.org.au/ 

4. Rinaldi, C. (2012). The pedagogy of listening. The listening perspective of Reggio Emilia (pp. 233-246) in C. Edwards, L. Gandini, G. Forman (3rd Ed.). The hundren languages of children: The Reggio Emilia experience in transformation. Praeger: Santa Barbara, CA.