Adapted from: Monash Penninsula Early Childhood Centre Story in Fleer, M.

and Jane, B, (2011) Design and Technology for children Pearson

education Australia. Pp. 43.

Title Engaging Ethan in language focused experiences

Date 11/05 21/05
Written By Hester (pre service teacher)

Story Ethan loves to read books all day

long. You can often find him sitting in one of
the comfy armchairs, looking closely at all the
pictures in one book, with a stack of more next
to him. The engagement that he demonstrates
while engrossed in a book is something that
seems to be lacking at group time when we
are reading or doing and activity together.

Interpretation I love sharing stories with you Ethan. You concentrate so hard when
you are looking at the pictures and comparing the different things that you see and hear me
read. At group time I see you inching closer when we read a really exciting story, like the one
about Derek the Dinosaur. I see the way you interact with your new peers in the Gumtree room,
using verbal and non-verbal strategies. I want to encourage and support you to interact verbally
with your peers and to join in the games we play together.
(EYLF Outcome 5. Children interact verbally and non-verbally with others for a range of
purposes. Children begin to understand how symbols and pattern systems work)

What next? In the long term my goals for Ethan are to engage him in grouptime
activities through incorporating his interests into lessons, and to spend one-on-one time with
Ethan reading and supporting his phonological awareness in integrated experiences.
During the last week Ethan and I have been reading lots together. While reading we explore and
experiment with descriptive language and make comparisons between the images we see.
In free play time with encouragement and by facilitating play experiences which reflect Ethans
interest he has begun to interact more with peers and to use verbal language to play alongside
them.
At group times resources and activities have been specifically planned to engage Ethan.
Through ongoing observation I am building a relationship with Ethan and getting to know his
interests better and how to use them as a means of engaging him in target learning.

Comment [1]: The nature of a learning

story is to write to and share the learning
moment with the child it concerns. Each
time I produced a learning story for child I
shared it first with them, reading the story
and discussing the photos. This practice is
respectful to students as stakeholders in
their own learning and allows them to
reflect, feel a sense of achievement,
develop their self-efficacy, and respond to
their own documented learning.

Adapted from: Monash Penninsula Early Childhood Centre Story in Fleer, M. and Jane, B, (2011) Design and Technology for children Pearson
education Australia. Pp. 43.

Parent Comment

Comment [2]: Not only is a learning

story a method of communicating student
learning with parents/ caregivers. It also
provides a space for parents/caregivers to
comment on their childs learning, and
often provides a provocation for direct
teacher-parent communication of
discussion about learning and the learning
program.