Early Years Planning cycle

Observation: Flower learning experience

7/05/15

Children were engaged and interested in the flowers and other materials, such as pipe cleaners and
pegs spread out on the table. Most children observed the different colours, smells and textures of the
flowers. Children were interested in using pipe cleaners to add longer stems to the flowers, or pegs to
bunch their flowers together. Children concentrated on manipulating the pipe cleaners and pegs, using
their fine motor skills to do so. Some children also discussed the differences they noticed in the
flowers, such as the texture of a stem which was sticky, or the different colours of the flowers.

Child D added pipe cleaners and a peg to his flower. He was focused and worked persistently to wrap
the pipe cleaners around the flower and/or other pipe cleaners to make a long stem for his flower.
Child D used his fingers to carefully manipulate the pipe cleaners and showed creativity when finding
new ways to use the pipe cleaners.

Analysis: (links to EYLF outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners)
As children explored the materials and ways they could use them they displayed various
dispositions towards learning, including curiosity, creativity, enthusiasm and persistence.
They were also practising a range of fine motor and problem solving skills as they
experimented with ways to use the flowers, pipe cleaners and pegs.
Child D demonstrated his ability to concentrate on a task, which indicates his commitment to
his learning and what he is trying to achieve. He displayed his ability to problem solve and
experiment through his use of the materials provided. Child D was also able to transfer his
fine motor skills that have been practiced in other tasks, such as in beading and craft
activities, to this learning experience.

Planning for the next step:

To extend childrens interest and ability to identify characteristics of flowers, and sort or
classify such items by a characteristic, such as colour. Also to further develop childrens fine
motor skills by using materials such as pegs and pipe cleaners.
Implement (Act/do):
When I implement this experience again I plan to make a few changes to improve childrens
opportunities to sort flowers. I will bring in different coloured fake flower petals and provide
containers/boxes with separate spaces or divides, for children to separate the petals into different
categories. I will also further encourage the development of their concentration and fine motor skills,
by providing more pegs and pipe cleaners for children to use and encourage them to use these in new
ways.

Educators role:
Encourage children to observe differences and characteristics of flowers (petal shape,
colour, texture, smell)
Encourage children to sort or classify flowers by colour, or size, shape, smell etc.
Model how children could use pipe cleaners, petals, tissue paper or pegs to make their
own flowers.
Model how children can use pegs like tongs to pick up fake flower petals and place
these into the divided container.

Reflection:
Childrens learning
The second time I implemented this flower learning
experience it was much more effective in encouraging
children to sort objects based on a characteristic, as a
number of children sorted the fake flower petals by colour
into the divided container.

Flower learning experience set up with

petals, flowers, pegs, tissue paper, pipe
cleaners and divided container.

Using the peg to pick up

flower petals and place them
in sections of the container
based on colour.

Some children still added pipe cleaner or peg stems to the flowers. However many more
children also made their own flowers using the fake petals or tissue paper, and pipe cleaners
or pegs to do this. This activity continued to promote childrens fine motor skills and problem
solving abilities, while also encouraging learning dispositions such as creativity and
persistence. Therefore this learning experience links to the Early Years Learning Framework,
as children are becoming confident and involved learners.
For example: Child E scrunched up and gathered tissue paper to use as petals for her flowers.
She asked me to help her with wrapping the pipe cleaner around the tissue paper and after
demonstrating how to do this, I encouraged her to try to do the next one on her own. Child E
displayed persistence and problem solving when making her flower independently. She then
decided to bunch the flowers up with a peg.

Child D concentrated on twisting and moving the petals, so he could wrap the pipe cleaner
around them. This required him to focus on the task and use his fine motor skills to
manipulate the materials in the way he wanted. Child D tied his two flowers together with a
yellow pipe cleaner and added another pipe cleaner to his flower to make a leaf coming off
the stem.

Teachers learning
Through the implementation of this learning experience I learnt how I can further extend
childrens knowledge, independence and confidence, as well as their physical skills. This
experience also helped me to realise the role resources and materials play in facilitating
childrens learning and development. Materials may promote children to explore different
ideas and build on certain skills. For example the pipe cleaners and pegs were a great material
to promote the childrens fine motor skills, while the divided container helped children to sort
the flower petals, thereby exploring the concept of sorting or classifying by a characteristic.
Therefore I now understand the importance of choosing resources and materials which can be
explored by children and are open to provide various learning possibilities. Finally the
experience helped me to see how open ended and play based pedagogy is beneficial for
young children as it extends an interest they may have which can lead to many possibilities
for their learning and development.