“It’s our polite nudge in the ribs to help you and your team stay organised and on task.”
This week’s subject is Resources support play based learning.
Element 3.2.2: Resources, materials and equipment allow for multiple uses, are sufficient in number, and enable every child to engage in play-based learning.
Have you recently reflected with your team about how your Service’s physical environment, and the resources provided support play-based learning, encourage children’s agency, exploration and creativity, foster relationships with peers and educators, whilst fostering a sense of belonging?
Services should strategically and intentionally design learning environments to ensure they’re equipped with a variety of age-appropriate resources to support play-based learning:
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- Consider the physical environment and its resources as the “third teacher” by creating provocations that spark interest, inspire creativity, learning and exploration, challenge children’s thinking and encourage further enquiry to scaffold children’s learning
- Provide an adequate number of resources for each age group, to minimise wait times and the frequency of disputes amongst children and young people
- Provide adequate space for free and uninterrupted play
- Ensure a variety of loose parts and open-ended resources that can be adapted for multiple uses
- Provide a wide range of age-appropriate resources that challenge and stimulate children’s learning, development, creativity and curiosity
- Set up the environment so that it’s flexible to allow children to move resources and equipment between indoors and outdoors to allow them to explore and maximise learning opportunities
- Ensure resources are set up to promote an inclusive environment and meet the range of interests, curiosities, backgrounds and capabilities, to support the participation of all children and foster a sense of belonging
- Organise resources strategically to ensure appropriate and effective implementation of the program
- Provide opportunities for children to extend their play and learning by leaving out projects to allow children to come back and continue their work
- Enhance child-initiated experiences by providing access to additional resources to extend their play, complete long term projects and scaffold their learning
- Provide a range of resources made from natural, recycled and upcycled materials
- Educators are intentional when supporting children’s play and learning by asking open ended questions to provoke learning and critical thinking
- Educators collaborate with children and obtain input from families about the selection and organisation of materials, equipment and resources. Obtain input from children when purchasing new equipment, particularly in school age care settings. Review the resource catalogue with the children & seek input when choosing specific resources such as construction materials, sporting equipment, reading books, games, craft supplies etc
- Seek out recycled and upcycled materials from families, members of the community and local businesses (white goods boxes, old CDs, tiles, jars, buttons, newspapers, magazines, clothing for “dress-ups”, bed sheets, electronics for deconstruction etc.)
Resources:
We Hear You- Physical environment
We Hear You- Supporting indoor and outdoor play
The Environment as the Third Teacher
Quality Area 3- Physical Environment
Amplify- Upcycling Inspirations
Within System7 go to Quality Area 3/Module 9 to submit self-assessment notes and if required, open a QIP issue if you identify any areas of improvement.
The Childcare Centre Desktop has a range of resources to assist services with Quality Area 3. These include Physical Environment Policy, Physical Environment Audit, Environmentally Responsible Policy, Toy and Equipment Cleaning Register, Equipment and Resource Audit-Guide and Record and much more.
Resources, NQS Element, Regulation and System7 links:
Childcare Centre Desktop – Childcare Centre Desktop
National Quality Standard – QA 3/ 3.2.2- Resources Support Play Based Learning
National Regulations – 73, 105, 113, 155
System7 Module – QA 3/ Module 9
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