Reflection Journal: Cultural.
Date: 26th March 2010
Resources: Play dough, cookie cutters, lava-lava, newspaper
Activity: Play dough and dress up
Children: K (4), H (4), L (3) R (4) and S (4)
STOP
I arrived at the early childhood centre this morning and I noticed K (4), H (4), L (3) and R (4) were busy at the play dough table. They were making “scones”, “cakes”, out of cookie cutters. They had taken a lava-lava each and wrapped it around themselves to represent an apron; their hats were made out of newspaper that the girls had worked earlier on with the other teacher in the early childhood centre before I arrived. They looked like “chefs” and were proud of their uniform. I think they looked smart. Another girl S (4) stood back and was an onlooker. She wanted to participate but was shy. I gently coaxed her to come and play. Knowing that the child and I had a common ground, in that we were both Samoans, I was able to communicate to her in our language and was able to get S (4) to sit at the play dough table. I communicated with K (4), H (4), L (3) and R (4) to include S (4) in the cooking and to share the equipment. H (4) went and got a lava-lava from the dress up corner and said to S (4) “you have to wear this, cause we are cooking, you don’t want to get dirty” S (4) took the lava-lava and held onto it, H (4) said “no you have to put it on, or you can’t play, here I’ll put it on for you”. K (4) called out “I’ll make your hat”. Soon S (4) had a lava-lava apron around her waist, H (4) says “see you’re one of us now”, K (4) comes and puts on S (4) hat on, “do you like your hat?” S (4) smiles shyly and nods her head. They started “cooking” again while S (4) gradually started participating once she was comfortable with the rest of the girls. S (4) would communicate to the other girls by gestures, pointing to what she needed and nodding or shaking her head. The other 4 girls understood what she was saying by listening and asking questions if they did not know what she wanted.
THINK
What I learnt from this experience is that every child is different and that we have to respect each child’s own individual strengths, to support the child in areas they might not feel confident about. The child had difficulty understanding what the children were saying so language was a barrier with her, here I was able to relate to S (4) because she felt comfortable with me and I was culturally sensitive to her needs, for example language was the key element to break her silence and was able to talk to me very quietly but to me that was progress. To be sensitive to other people’s culture and language where English is a second language so they know that their first language is valued (Ministry of Education, 1996)
CHANGE
Include S (4) in more group activities and play so she will feel confident and comfortable with the children for example role play in the dress up. Organise a cooking session to involve S (4) with the other children and cooking is what S (4) is interested in. Giving the children a choice on whether to make cookies or scones and by doing this S (4) is contributing to the group discussion and know she has a place (Ministry of Education, 1996). I would like to have time with her to ask questions about herself and her interests on what she likes to do so she can “open” up more. I would also like to speak to the parents and find out more information about S (4). I would like to see the early childhood centre to have a variety of cooking utensils, for example to have a play oven in the corner for the children to make the cooking experience more realistic for them. Another change will be to have more room set up for the play dough area so there is space for the children to be included in the activity and to have more than 2 play dough’s available for the children because not every child will want to make “cookies”. This will stop the fighting over the play dough.
Date: 26th March 2010
Resources: Play dough, cookie cutters, lava-lava, newspaper
Activity: Play dough and dress up
Children: K (4), H (4), L (3) R (4) and S (4)
STOP
I arrived at the early childhood centre this morning and I noticed K (4), H (4), L (3) and R (4) were busy at the play dough table. They were making “scones”, “cakes”, out of cookie cutters. They had taken a lava-lava each and wrapped it around themselves to represent an apron; their hats were made out of newspaper that the girls had worked earlier on with the other teacher in the early childhood centre before I arrived. They looked like “chefs” and were proud of their uniform. I think they looked smart. Another girl S (4) stood back and was an onlooker. She wanted to participate but was shy. I gently coaxed her to come and play. Knowing that the child and I had a common ground, in that we were both Samoans, I was able to communicate to her in our language and was able to get S (4) to sit at the play dough table. I communicated with K (4), H (4), L (3) and R (4) to include S (4) in the cooking and to share the equipment. H (4) went and got a lava-lava from the dress up corner and said to S (4) “you have to wear this, cause we are cooking, you don’t want to get dirty” S (4) took the lava-lava and held onto it, H (4) said “no you have to put it on, or you can’t play, here I’ll put it on for you”. K (4) called out “I’ll make your hat”. Soon S (4) had a lava-lava apron around her waist, H (4) says “see you’re one of us now”, K (4) comes and puts on S (4) hat on, “do you like your hat?” S (4) smiles shyly and nods her head. They started “cooking” again while S (4) gradually started participating once she was comfortable with the rest of the girls. S (4) would communicate to the other girls by gestures, pointing to what she needed and nodding or shaking her head. The other 4 girls understood what she was saying by listening and asking questions if they did not know what she wanted.
THINK
What I learnt from this experience is that every child is different and that we have to respect each child’s own individual strengths, to support the child in areas they might not feel confident about. The child had difficulty understanding what the children were saying so language was a barrier with her, here I was able to relate to S (4) because she felt comfortable with me and I was culturally sensitive to her needs, for example language was the key element to break her silence and was able to talk to me very quietly but to me that was progress. To be sensitive to other people’s culture and language where English is a second language so they know that their first language is valued (Ministry of Education, 1996)
CHANGE
Include S (4) in more group activities and play so she will feel confident and comfortable with the children for example role play in the dress up. Organise a cooking session to involve S (4) with the other children and cooking is what S (4) is interested in. Giving the children a choice on whether to make cookies or scones and by doing this S (4) is contributing to the group discussion and know she has a place (Ministry of Education, 1996). I would like to have time with her to ask questions about herself and her interests on what she likes to do so she can “open” up more. I would also like to speak to the parents and find out more information about S (4). I would like to see the early childhood centre to have a variety of cooking utensils, for example to have a play oven in the corner for the children to make the cooking experience more realistic for them. Another change will be to have more room set up for the play dough area so there is space for the children to be included in the activity and to have more than 2 play dough’s available for the children because not every child will want to make “cookies”. This will stop the fighting over the play dough.
1. Ask parents to contribute to the playdough area e.g. any utensils they do not use at home they could bring in for the centre.
ReplyDelete2. Having two kinds of playdough, this could be a problem because of the lack of resources, could the centre afford two different colours. There is alot of flour and salt that goes in to making playdough. Perhaps if the one mixture was halved and different colours added this way?
it was great how you included this child into the activity, and how the children welcomed her into the activity and supported her so well. This is tremendous what lovely children!!!!
Thanks Rawinia for that. Putting up a notice on the noticeboard for the parents to bring in "old" cooking utensils for the parents to contribute. The playdough can be halved and different colours can added as you suggested is a good cost saving way.
ReplyDeleteTo involve children in this play was a good idea. To support a child were there is second language involve and to be comfortable with you.
ReplyDeleteShe new that it is safe place for her.