intro body

■ Approaches to teaching

The study guide called Active Learning outlines three approaches to teaching in the early learning environment (page 4). See if you can find ONE example of each of these in the way the practitioner handles the children.

The Direct Instruction approach

The Nursery School approach

The High Scope approach

■ Active learning

The study guide called Active Learning identifies four stages in the learning process.

► Try this during free play time:

Ask a child to make him- or herself as small as possible.

Can he or she do it? YES/NO

What did the child do?

Ask a child to go and climb under something. (Choose something in the playground.)

Can he or she do it? YES/NO

What happened?

Ask a child to hop towards something. (Choose some object in the playground.)

Did he or she understand what you meant by towards? YES/NO

These children are experiencing a concept of size (small) and position (under) and direction (towards) through their own bodies. This is Stage 1 of the Learning Process: Exploring concepts through the body.

► Look around during free play.

Look for an example of children using objects in their play.

What objects are they using?

What concepts do you think they are learning here?

SIZE? …. SHAPE? …. COLOUR?…. MASS? (Heaviness) …. POSITION ….

OTHER? …. (Tick the ones you think they are learning.)

Which of their senses are they using?

SIGHT? …. HEARING? …. TOUCH? …. TASTE? …. SMELL? ….

(Tick)

This is Stage 2 of the learning process: Exploring concepts using real objects and materials.

Look for children playing games or using educational toys.

Find a game or a toy where the child has to recognise a concept through pictures or symbols e.g. matching shapes that are drawn on cardboard or sorting pictures of objects that belong to different rooms.

What have you found?

Which Stage is this and what is it called?

Stage 4: Expressing understanding through graphic representation is the stage a child reaches where he or she can show that he understands a concept by drawing an example of it e.g. drawing a specific shape or illustrating position in a picture.

Ask a reception class child to draw you a picture of a person standing on top of a table and see what happens!

Could the child do this? YES/NO

Explain.

Observation tasks

Day

Focus of tasks

Relevant comments

One

Information gathering (learners, site and programme)

Two

Pre-writing skills

Pre-reading skills

Three

Pre-mathematics skills

Child Health

Four

Observations

Five

Records

Overall assessment of Observation Workbook

COMPETENT

MERIT

NOT YET COMPETENT

General comments

UOFS: Bachelor of Management Leadership programme

ASSESOR GUIDE: ASSESSMENT OF LEARNER COMPETENCE

Learner:_________________Group:_____________Module:______________

Assessor: _________________Grade: Pass/Fail

For each criteria, please circle the appropriate number, and briefly explain if necessary. If you are unable to evaluate an item, it may be appropriate to recommend that learner for an interview with the programme advisor.

Self –-evaluation Skills (e.g. evidenced by classroom participation, individual activities, and autobiography):

1. Gave thoughtful attention to activities; able to be reflective; sincere, honest with him/herself

2. Gave casual, general attention to self-evaluation; occasionally reflective.

3. Unable or unwilling to seriously evaluate personal skills, goals, behaviours, values, etc.

Comment:

Similar pattern is followed to assess Public Speaking, University – Level thinking and Reasoning Skills, University- Level Writing, Educational Goal and suggested learning programme, Assessment and recognition of Prior Learning Experiences.