Haidee Allen 110167818 Written Report

INQUIRY WRITTEN REPORT
Increasing Literacy Engagement in the

Outdoor Learning Area
HAIDEE ALLEN
BACHELOR OF EDUCATION (EARLY CHILDHOOD)
School of Education
Division of Education, Arts and Social Sciences
University of South Australia
OCTOBER 2019
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1 Introduction
The Centre for Children is a preschool that delivers a kindergarten program as

well as occasional care and playgroup. The centre also provides family
programs for the wider community. Along with the objective of improving
the health and wellbeing of families involved, the centre aims to provide a
welcoming and inspiring learning environment where children are guided to
develop their sense of wonder and curiosity. The centre is guided by The
Early Years Learning Framework, with educators providing an emergent
curriculum that centres around the interests and competencies of the
children within an engaging, play-based environment. Children are
encouraged to participate within learning experiences to both challenge
themselves and have fun. Educators also prioritise participation in learning
communities to develop their pedagogy and competency.
The play-based nature of the curriculum allows scope for planned activities
that are based on the interests of the students. The indoor area contains a
range of learning spaces with provocations that are changed each fortnight.
The outdoor area contains fixed assets such as a sandpit, cubby house, slide,
swings and boat and children also have access to small bikes and other
wheeled toys that are very popular.
Within the site’s Quality Improvement Plan (QIP), the Centre for Children has
documented the need for supporting children’s literacy by reflecting on
current practice and implementing pedagogical change through this
reflection.
After observations during my lead in days at the centre and speaking with my
mentor teachers, I identified that while the indoor space contains many
provocations that involve a literacy focus, the outdoor learning space lacks
opportunities for students to engage in literacy. While there was a small
reading area on the verandah and a table nearby with bookmaking
resources, these were rarely used. There were several students, mostly boys,
who spent their whole time on these days in the outdoors space, particularly
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riding bikes and engaged in dramatic play. With much of their time spent
outside and with minimal opportunities for literacy involvement outdoors,
these students were often not engaged in literacy at all during their time at
the centre, other than to sign-in in the morning and listening to stories at mat
time. Two of these students were chosen to be my focus children for this
project. My analysis of these students’ lack of engagement in literacy was
strengthened after both looking through their documentation folders and
speaking to the centre staff, who had also identified this as an issue for these
students.
2 Literature Review
During previous placements within a preschool setting, while I have been

able to implement engaging provocations, I have not focused solely on one
area of the curriculum for improvement, especially the area of literacy for
children in early childhood.
The development of early literacy during the years before a child starts
school has been identified as significant for young children through their
social interactions with family, preschool and childcare and within
experiences within their community. (DEST 2005 in Young 2009, p. 163). These
interactions and developing early literacy skills lead to a greater chance for
children to transition smoothly and have success at school (Lynch 2004 in
Young 2009, p. 163).
The emergent perspective on literacy development first arose in the 1970’s

and focuses on the importance of literacy rich environments within the early
years as central to children’s lifelong process of becoming literate (Fellowes &
Oakley 2014, p. 7). This process is believed to be happening from birth and
evolves from a child’s immersion in literacy practices such as ‘talking, singing,
drawing and scribbling’ and teaching reading and writing ‘in the context of
real texts and authentic purposes’ (Fellowes & Oakley 2014, p. 7).
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But while the importance of providing literacy rich environments has been
widely researched, the focus has been on the provision of these in the
indoors area and not specifically the outdoor learning space (Norling 2015, p.
3).
This identification of a lack of opportunities for children to engage with

literacy in the outdoors environment at the centre is coupled with a
tendency in the past for the outdoor environment to be viewed by staff as an
area primarily for physical and social development. These views of the
outdoor area’s capacity for being under-utilised as a language-learning
environment are common amongst those working in early childhood (Norling
2015, p. 12).
Research over the last decade has identified both physical environmental
aspects as well as psychological elements of the learning environment that
are particularly influential to the literacy development of young children
(Guo et al. 2012, 308). These include the physical structure of the learning
area, including the accessibility of, and exposure to, literacy materials as well
as psychological features such as quality literacy focused interactions
between students and educators (Guo et al. 2012, pp. 309-310).
Young children are exposed to print in a variety of ways, including continuous

print such as that found in story books and environmental print that aid in
their early literacy development (Neumann, Hood & Ford 2012, p. 772).
Recent research has highlighted the importance of environmental print in
scaffolding the development of children’s emergent literacy (Neumann et al.
2011; Neumann, Hood & Ford 2012, p. 771). Environmental print is print that is
part of a child’s surrounds, such as symbols, words, numerals and letters that
‘fulfils real-life functions’ (Neumann et al. 2011, p. 232). Logos, including those
on toys, within the community such as signs and those around the household
are included within environmental print. As it is visually attractive and exists
within a child’s environment each day, environmental print is noted for it’s
potential for fostering early print knowledge (Neumann et al. 2011, p. 232).
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Environmental print also provides children with personal links to their world
outside of the classroom and has the potential for engaging children in
literacy learning that is relevant and meaningful to them (Xu & Rutledge 2003,
p. 44).
After reviewing the literature on emergent literacy, it was therefore chosen
that the focus of this inquiry would be on fostering the development of
literacy experiences in the outdoor environment, particularly through the use
of environmental print and building upon the interests of the children, and
how this effects engagement in literacy for the two focus children.
3 Methodology
3.1 Action research
Action research is used by educators with the view to improve or strengthen

practice and systems used within the learning environment and in-turn
positively impact the outcomes of students (Lambert 2012, p. 14). As
educators are close to the action within the learning space, action research
is achievable and relevant.
As the action research is related to improving my own practice, the research

is called Participatory Action Research, or PAR. As well as to investigate an
issue, PAR aims to allow an educator to engage in self-reflection about
practice and then action for improvement that benefits the people involved
(McIntyre 2008, p. 2). In this case the benefits are aimed at my own practice
and the outcomes for the focus children and others at the centre. Research
to improve my own practice is important as the quality of my teaching has
been shown to be the most influential factor of student performance (Menter
et al. 2011, p. 14).
3.2 Case study

The use of a case study allows for small scale research of an individual/s
within a real-life context (Lambert 2012, pp. 15-16). A case study is a
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qualitative research method that aims to collect a narrative description of
behaviour or experience. Case studies are commonly used within an
educational context and often aim to answer questions such as how or why.
They allow the researcher to delve deeper and more narrowly into an issue,
using a variety of data collection resources to develop a complete picture.
3.3 Research questions

The inquiry focused on the provision of literacy rich provocations and teacher
support to increase literacy engagement for the focus children.
Guiding question
Does providing targeted teaching support and literacy rich provocations
based on student interest and environmental print increase engagement in
literacy in the outdoor area?
Key questions
Do students provided with opportunity for engagement in literacy in the
outdoor environment do so spontaneously or only with teacher guidance?
Is the use of environmental print effective in increasing literacy engagement?
3.4 Participants
In conjunction with my mentor teacher, two students were chosen based on
their lack of engagement in literacy activities while at the centre and their
preference for play in the outdoor learning space. Both students spend most
of their time at kindy in the sandpit or riding bikes and tend not to spend
much time in the indoor area where the focus on literacy and numeracy is
much higher.
3.4.1 Case 1
Name (pseudonym): Owen*
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Age: 5 years 1 month
Significant relationships: Mother and Uncle
Significant learning information: Owen has a strong awareness of numerals

and letters but not yet letter sounds. Owen has some difficulties with
social/emotional regulation. His family lives in vulnerable circumstances.
Owen is an only child.
Significant information gained from analysis of observation and/or work

samples: Owen often engages in solo play or play with one other child. He
tends to float between areas in the outdoor space but does spend quite a
bit of time in the sandpit and cubby house. While Owen is confident to
approach others in play, he is most happy leading the play or playing on his
own. Owen has a vivid imagination and likes to lead dramatic play
experiences but is often unwilling for others to share their ideas or take a lead
role in these experiences.
Potential focus for learning/teaching: Literacy provocations targeted in

areas of interest, specifically in dramatic play to increase literacy
engagement. Observation of engagement both with and without teacher
direction.
3.4.2 Case 2
Name (pseudonym): Lewis*
Age: 4 years 5 months
Significant relationships: Living in a home with both parents where needs are
met. Lewis has two older siblings. Lewis plays with a large group of boys but
has a close friendship with one boy with similar play interests.
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Significant learning information: Lewis has speech support. He spends most
of his time outside in the sandpit, riding bikes or engaged in dramatic, fighting
play such as superheroes or ninjas. He has a special interest in dirt bikes and
rides these on the weekends with his family.
Significant information gained from analysis of observation and/or work

samples: Observation of Lewis engaged in solo play showed a very engaged
child that has a broad vocabulary and the ability to describe what he is
doing within his play in detail.
Potential focus for learning/teaching: Provision of literacy provocations in

areas of interest to increase engagement. Observation of engagement both
with and without teacher direction.
3.5 Data Collection

Data collection is quantitative, based on the number of times the focus
children were engaged in literacy throughout the project. This was collected
at multiple points throughout the project.
3.5.1 Methods
Event sampling – Event sampling is used during continuous observation where
the focus behaviours or events are recorded when seen (Lambert 2012, p.
127). For the inquiry project, event sampling was used both at the beginning
and the end of the project, for the same amount of time, to observe the
focus children’s engagement in literacy activities. Instances of engagement
were recorded through a jotting with the activity and the time spent doing
this. The aim of this project was to see an increase in student-initiated
engagement in the final weeks after the implementation of targeted literacy
elements in the indoor and outdoor space.
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Work samples – Photographs of students engaged in literacy practices were
taken and annotated with description of was happening, the date and time.
This is a structured observation as the aim is to specifically record pre-defined
events (Lambert 2012, p. 106). These photographs were collated to create an
overall picture of engagement over the five weeks of my placement.
Daily staff reflection book - Centre staff write reflections about student’s
engagements throughout the day in a big book that is used at the end of the
week for planning. Staff were encouraged to observe literacy engagement
for my focus children and note this in the reflection book. This method was
used as there was time each day where I was not rostered in the outdoor
area and may have missed evidence of engagement.
Weekly reflection – A reflection was written at the end of each week to

record my teaching strategies and the effects these had on each of the
focus children’s engagement in literacy in the outdoor area.
3.5.2 Data sources

All data collected was in the form of observations, either through observing
the students themselves engaged in literacy activities or tallying both my and
the other staff members observations.
3.5.3 Ethical considerations

Student and centre confidentiality were maintained throughout the inquiry.
Photos of children are not identifiable, and aliases are used for each of the
focus students. The learning experiences were implemented for all students,
not just focus students.
3.5.4 Analysis
Collected data was analysed to try to determine any correlation between
focused implementation of literacy activities and resources, with a particular
focus on environmental print and literacy introduced into areas of interest, in
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the outdoor area and an increase in literacy engagement for the two focus
students.
The number of different activities the students engaged in were tallied and
observations were made with both jottings of student engagement as well as
photos that helped develop a picture of the literacy habits of the focus
students over the five weeks of my placement.
4 Findings
For the first week of placement, I observed the children’s engagement in
literacy with only the resources that were already provided at the centre and
some additional things such as a bucket of chalk and chalk boards, clip
boards and paper with no explicit intervention. In this time, I recorded
observations of the children’s interests to use in the coming weeks. Neither of
the focus children were observed engaging spontaneously in literacy in the
outdoor area in the first week.
4.1 Case 1 – Lewis*

In the second week following on from interest by Lewis in dirt bikes and play in
the sandpit, I introduced a range of environmental street signs attached to
wooden blocks to the sandpit. I encouraged the children to use the blocks
to help tell others the rules of their track. Observations through photos and
jottings of language were taken of Lewis (appendix H) and the signs were
available for the children to use over the duration of my placement.
In week three following on from the popularity of the street signs, I

implemented an activity using environmental print once again, where the
children identified logos that they recognised and glued these onto a sheet
of paper. The activity was set up on a table outside and I sat at the table
and the children were free to engage if they wanted to. Lewis was keen to
try the activity and was excited to show me the logos that he knew
(appendix H).
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During week 3 I also implemented a literacy activity to help solve a problem
for Lewis and his friends with the new balance bikes. The children were
already using sand timers to time their turns, but I also encouraged Lewis to
use a clip board, pencil and paper to record who wanted a turn on the bikes
by making a list. I purchased two digital timers for the children to experiment
with using. Lewis took ownership of the list and encouraged other children to
write their names if they wanted a turn (Appendix H).
In week four, the previous activities with environmental print continued as well
as a new memory game involving matching rhyming words. With teacher
assistance Lewis engaged in the rhyming game, successfully matching
rhyming words. Lewis continued creating lists for the balance bikes and took
a lead role in this, modelling how to make a list for some of the other children.
In week five, Lewis engaged in several literacy rich activities including some
from previous weeks as well as initiating some of his own, including making a
list for the obstacle course and sourcing a texta in his dramatic play and
writing signs within a large cardboard box (Appendix H). Lewis also came
inside to engage in an environmental print logo sort where the students
sorted logos into initial letter groups.
Lewis was very engaged with the environmental print activities and was keen
to discuss the signs and logos that he identified. As discussed by Neumann et
al. (2011, p. 232) environmental print allows children to identify that logos and
signs can communicate meaning even if the user can not explicitly read.
While Lewis can not read as such, he was able to identify the names of
several logos and describe where he had seen them within his life outside of
the kindergarten setting. Neumann et al. (2011, p. 232) also discuss that
learning through working with environmental print can be ‘extended through
scaffolding with an adult’. Working with Lewis one on one I was able to
scaffold his learning through encouraging more language and this gave
Lewis the confidence to use these symbols and signs within his own free play.
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4.2 Case 2 – Owen*
In week two following on from an observation of him the previous week
making cupcakes in the sandpit, I engaged Owen in creating a cupcake
shop complete with a sign and clipboards for taking customer orders. Owen
played alongside other children within the experience, and they took it in
turns of taking orders for cupcakes and other menu items such as milkshakes
and coffee (Appendix G).
Week two involved Owen following on from the dice game I introduced to
make his own animal dice. I helped source a large dice he could use to stick
his pictures on, and I also wrote the names of the animals so that other
people could play the game as well. Owen invited a friend to play with the
dice with him once he had finished making them (Appendix G).
In week three I suggested to Owen that he could make a large outdoor
version of his dice game and with my support he created another set of dice
with different animals than the first. With a group of children, we played
Owen’s dice game and he was eager to help the other children identify the
animals he had drawn.
Week four saw Owen engage with several previous experiences and several
new ones, including the word building activity that I set up indoors. Owen
spent a long time engaging with this activity and was able to replicate lots of
the words on the cards, although at times the letters were in the reverse
order. This week Owen also engaged with the rhyming memory game
outside.
In my final week at the centre, I observed Owen involved in solo dramatic
play in the cubby house. He had sourced some chalk from the literacy trolley,
and he was writing letters and symbols across the blackboard on the front of
the cubby with great concentration and purpose. When asked what he was
doing, Owen replied that he was “making a Maccas”. He explained that the
drawing showed a hamburger and pancakes and next to the pictures he
had written symbols with a line through them indicating dollar signs. Owen
explained that the one next to the hamburger said, “seven bucks”.
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Owen was absent for two days in the final week, so observations were
minimal in this week.
Owen particularly enjoys dramatic play and he was able to engage with
literacy several times in the outdoor area by introducing literacy resources
within this play. Clipboards with pencils attached were readily used by Owen
as they are portable and can be easily taken into any outdoor areas
including the sandpit and cubby house.
6. Discussion
After observing the students in my first week and gaining an understanding of
the minimal engagement in literacy both students were having in the
outdoor area, I discovered that my teaching and demonstration of using
literacy within their outdoor play would need to begin with explicit
explanations, modelling and encouragement. I needed to become a
participant within the children’s play to be able to guide them to include
literacy, with the aim that the children would begin to implement their own
literacy into their play toward the end of my placement experience. This
guiding and scaffolding method of embedding literacy materials and
practice within children’s free play experiences is discussed by Pyle &
Danniels (2017, p. 276) to increase children’s engagement with literacy
materials and chances of practicing literacy skills. Referred to as
collaborative play, the educator determines the outcomes that they wish the
children to develop within a co-constructed experience based on the
interest of and following the directions of the child (Pyle & Danniels 2017, p.
283). For both children this approach was used, through the cupcake shop
for Owen and creating a list and road signs for the bikes for Lewis.
For both students, the inclusion of environmental print activities was a means
of increasing literacy engagement that was relevant and meaningful to
each of them. Both students willingly engaged with the activities based on
signs and symbols from the environment around us every day, with both
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children also coming into the indoor environment to do so on separate
occasions. Neumann et al. (2011, p. 233) discusses how early literacy learning
can be extended through scaffolded discussion with an adult about
environmental print and each of the children sat with me independently and
discussed the logos and signs that they knew and discussed where and how
they could identify these. Each of the children, and others within the centre,
eagerly shared their knowledge and were excited to read the logos
independently. Through my guidance and questioning I was able to draw
out the knowledge and understanding the children had and helped them to
communicate this by noting this next to each of the logos. This learning was
documented to show to the other educators, families and the children
themselves.
7 Conclusion
Both focus children engaged with literacy within the outdoor learning area
over the duration of my placement, as seen within the documented
observations (appendices G & H). Through my teaching approach that
began with explicit demonstration and guidance, both students gained the
confidence and desire to use literacy themselves within their play. Pyle &
Danniels (2016, p. 282) refer to this as a continuum of teacher involvement in
play where the role of the educator changes and moves between teacher
directed to child directed and through stages of collaboration and shared
experiences. Within the final weeks, I was able to observe each of the
students engaging in independently instigated literacy participation within
the outdoor space. Lewis, while engaged in dramatic play with a friend in a
large cardboard box wrote symbols that communicated ideas within his play.
This was also the case for Owen who created his own menu on his “maccas”
within the cubby house. For both children, this showed a definite shift in their
literacy engagement from minimal or non-existent within the first week to
multiple instances within the final two weeks. A tally of this engagement from
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reflections and documentation within the staff daily reflection book shown
this increase along with the activities that were child initiated (appendix E).
This engagement was especially successful when implemented in dramatic
play or physical play that followed the interests of each individual child. The
use of environmental print was also highly successful for all student’s literacy
engagement due to its relevance and meaning to the children, linking their
lives outside of the kindergarten to the experience.
Going forward, the importance in developing an insight into the interests of

the children and harnessing this to increase their engagement in literacy
experiences in the outdoor environment will be a teaching strategy I
implement.
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Reference list
Fellows, J & Oakley, G 2014, Language literacy and early childhood

education, 2nd edn, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, Victoria.
Guo, Y, Justice, LM, Kaderavek, JN & McGinty, A 2012, ‘The literacy

environment of preschool classrooms: contributions to children's emergent
literacy growth’, Journal of Research in Reading, vol. 35, no. 3, pp. 308–327.
Lambert, M 2012, A beginner's guide to doing your education research

project, SAGE, London.
Martina Norling & Anette Sandberg 2015, ‘Language Learning in Outdoor

Environments: Perspectives of preschool staff’, Nordisk Barnehageforskning,
vol. 9, no. 1.
McIntyre, A 2008, Participatory action research, SAGE, Los Angeles, California.
Menter, I, Elliot, D, Hulme, M, Lewin, J & Lowden, K 2011, A Guide to

Practitioner Research in Education, SAGE Publications Ltd, London.
Neumann, M M, Hood, M, Ford, R M & Neumann, D L 2012, ‘The role of

environmental print in emergent literacy’, Journal of Early Childhood Literacy,
vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 231–258.
Neumann, M, Hood, M & Ford, R 2013, ‘Using environmental print to enhance

emergent literacy and print motivation’, Reading and Writing, vol. 26, no. 5,
pp. 771–793.
Pyle, A & Danniels, E 2017, ‘A continuum of play-based learning: The role of

the teacher in play-based pedagogy and the fear of hijacking play’, Early
Education and Development, vol 28, no. 3, pp. 274-289.
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Xu, SH & Rutledge, AL 2003, ‘"Chicken" Starts with "Ch"! Kindergartners Learn
through Environmental Print’, Young Children, vol. 58, no. 2, pp. 44–51.
Young, Janelle 2009, ‘Enhancing emergent literacy potential for young

children’, Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 163–
180.
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Appendix A: Map of the preschool
Preschool
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Appendix B: Photographs of preschool environment
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Appendix C: Analysis of learning for case 1 & 2
Case 1 – Owen*
Owen often engages in solo play or play with one other child. He tends to
float between areas in the outdoor space but does spend quite a bit of time
in the sandpit and cubby house. While Owen is confident to approach
others in play, he is most happy leading the play or playing on his own.
Owen has a vivid imagination and likes to lead dramatic play experiences
but is often unwilling for others to share their ideas or take a lead role in these
experiences. While most of his time is spent in the outdoor area, when he
does play indoors Owen usually plays in the dramatic play area.
Case 2 – Lewis*
Lewis has weekly speech support with an ECW at the centre. He spends most
of his time outside in the sandpit, riding bikes or engaged in dramatic, fighting
play such as superheroes or ninjas. He has a special interest in dirt bikes and
rides these on the weekends with his family. Lewis quite often follows other
children within their play and is hesitant at taking the lead and share his own
ideas. When I engaged with Lewis during my observations, he often declined
invitations to join in with a set activity, especially within the indoor learning
area.
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Appendix D: Anticipatory planning web for case 1 & 2
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Appendix E: Data collection method templates
Tally recording of engagement in literacy in the outdoor area from

observations and daily reflection book
Child - Lewis*
Tally of number
of times
Activities
engaged in
engaged in
literacy
outdoors
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
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Event Sample
Name: Lewis* Age: 5 years 1 month
Date:
Event / Time Notes

Behaviour
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Weekly reflection on teaching Week ____
What teaching strategies were tried this week?
What impact did this have on the engagement of the focus children in
literacy? How do you know?
What plans are there for next week?
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Appendix F: Timeline
Week 1 Data Data Reflection on Reflection on

Collection Analysis children/student practice
learning
Who will be Me Me The teaching Me
involved Event Highlight team Reflect on
and what sampling time spent engagement
action will engaged in and plan for
they take? literacy literacy rich
provocation
for next week
When will Week 1 Week 1 Friday Friday
this take
place?
Where will Outside Planning Planning
this meeting meeting
happen?
Week 2 Data Data Analysis Reflection on Reflection on

Collection children/student practice
learning
Who will be Work Tally of The teaching Me
involved samples engagement team Reflect on
and what And engagement
action will reflective and plan for
they take? journal literacy rich
provocation
for next week
When will Daily Friday Friday Friday
this take
place?
Where will Outside Planning Planning Planning
this meeting meeting meeting
happen?

learning
Who will be Work Tally of The teaching Me
involved samples engagement team Reflect on
and what And engagement
action will reflective and plan for
they take? journal literacy rich
provocation
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for next
week
When will Daily Friday Friday Friday
this take
place?
Where will Outside Planning Planning Planning
this meeting meeting meeting
happen?

learning
Who will be Work samples Tally of The teaching Me
involved and And reflective engagement team Reflect on
what action journal engagement
will they and plan for
take? literacy rich
provocation
for next week
When will this Daily Friday Friday Friday
take place?
Where will this Outside Planning Planning Planning
happen? meeting meeting meeting
Week 5 Data Data Reflection on

Collection Analysis children/student
learning
Who will be Me Me The teaching
involved Event Highlight team
and what sampling time spent
action will engaged in
they take? literacy
When will Thursday Thursday Thursday
this take
place?
Where will Outside
this
happen?
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Appendix G: Case 1 evidence – Owen*
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Pre-school Planner
TITLE: Cupcake shop
CONTEXT: Who are the children – small group/whole group? Describe the location, time of year,
background etc.
Whole group
Set up at cubby house
PROVOCATION: What was the provocation for the play plan i.e. how did the idea come
about – observation, conversation with a child, documentation of dialogue between children,
conversation with a parent
Observations of Owen* and Emma
LEARNING INTENTION: What do you want LEARNING EXPERIENCE: What type of

the children to know and understand? play is the experience? What will the children
be doing?
Engage in literacy and numeracy
through play Dramatic play
EYLF: What is the main learning area i.e. ASSESSMENT: How will you assess the
science, maths etc? Which learning outcome(s) children’s knowledge and understanding of the
does this experience relate to? learning intention e.g. photos, jottings,
anecdote?
Literacy
Photos and anecdotes
EYLF Outcome 4 – Children are
confident and involved learners when
they transfer what they have learned
from one context to another
Literacy indicator – I engage with texts

and make meaning: respond
meaningfully to symbols
RESOURCES REQUIRED: What materials, resources and equipment are needed?
Cupcake shop sign

Patty pans
Clipboards and pencils
Plastic table and chairs with tablecloth
Cupcake trays
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ADULT ROLE: What is the role of the adult in the experience?
Observe and record language. Join in with play if invited. Model numeracy
language.
DIFFERENTIATION: How will the experience EVALUATION: What did you see the children
be adapted to different cultures, development, doing? What did you hear them saying? Were
gender, special needs? the children engaged?
Dramatic play is accessible to all

Children used the props to take on
different roles – customer, shop keeper.
Many of the children were keen to
take orders – mark making using the
clipboards and pencils to write the
orders.
Owen engaged enthusiastically with

this activity and used the clipboards to
make marks taking orders.
BACK MAP OUTCOMES: What other FOLLOW UP EXPERIENCE: What

outcomes did the children meet whilst they experience could follow on from this
were engaged in the experience? experience?
More dramatic play activities

Teamwork – cooperation, sharing
incorporating literacy props – look at
resources and negotiating roles
incorporating environmental print
DOCUMENTATION: How will you

document the children’s learning i.e. learning
story, floor book, display etc?
Obs and photos

Pic collage
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Pre-school Planner
TITLE: Wording building
background etc.
Whole group
Set up on low table inside
Follow on from rhyming words in ‘Read it Again’ and observation of student

writing rhyming words at bookmaking area

be doing?
Words are made up of individual letters
Letter matching Demonstration by teacher
Trial and error matching letter blocks of
on cards with pictures
does this experience relate to? learning intention eg photos, jottings,
anecdote?
Literacy
effective communicators: begin to
understand key literacy concepts
Literacy indicator – I represent my

world symbolically
Word cards with space for blocks and picture of the word
Letter blocks
Model matching letter blocks with word card

Scaffold understanding of words are made up of letters
Observe and record learning
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Inclusion of pictures on cards

Set up on low table that is accessible Children matched the words on the
by all cards. Some were able to identify
words that rhymed.
Owen was able to match letters,

although not necessarily in the correct
order e.g. ‘hat’ placed in order ‘tah’.
Owen was able to identify some of the

letters that he found that were in his
name

Outcome 4 – Confident and involved Rhyming word games

learners – persistence, links to other
learning, transfer knowledge

Obs
Photos
Learning story on pic collage
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Pre-school Planner
TITLE: Matching rhyming word game
background etc.
Whole group
Set up outside on a mat on the grass
Follow on from rhyming work in ‘Read it Again’ and interest by children in

rhyming words. Following from block activity

be doing?
To recognise and match cvc rhyming
words that are familiar to them. Work Explicit demonstration by teacher and
with others, sharing ideas and taking then accessible to children outside to
turns play with when they feel
anecdote?
Literacy
Photos and anecdotes of ability to
match words, language and social
interaction with others
Literacy indicator – I understand the

language of my world: respond to
patterns in speech
Plastic plates with laminated pictures – word with picture (set of 12)
Observe interactions and language. Help students to identify the matching

sounds in the words. Scaffold understanding
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The inclusion of pictures and words

allows for multiple entry points. The children were very engaged in this
activity and were excited when they
found matching rhyming words.
Owen was able to explain his thinking

such as “cat and mouse… no they
don’t rhyme”. Owen was also able to
notice that some of the letters on the
matching words are the same.
Owen came inside to engage with this

activity!

More rhyming activities through books

Sharing, turn taking, shared ideas,
or other games
recognising symbols (letters)

Obs and learning story
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Appendix H: Case 2 evidence - Lewis*
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Pre-school Planner
TITLE: Environmental Print Signs in the sandpit
background etc.
Whole group
Sandpit
Following interest of Lewis* in dirt bikes

Provision of wooden blocks with an assortment of environmental print road signs

be doing?
To recognise and use the signs within
their play in the sandpit to increase Free play / Role play
language and literacy engagement
anecdote?
Literacy
Photos and anecdotes of language
effective communicators when they
begin to understand how symbols work

Signs made with non-treated pine and laminated signs
Observe interactions and language. Answer questions and discuss what the
signs mean when asked by children.
Encourage to incorporate signs for those that may be unsure
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Inclusive activity as it is visual and is

something that is everywhere in the The signs were very popular, and the
world around us children engaged with them all week.
They used them within designing tracks
and the monster jam.
Lewis* explained what the signs meant
such as “this says go fast” for the 60km
sign and “this says no trucks can go
here” for the no trucks sign.

Outcome 1 – shared learning More environmental print activities

Outcome 2 – belonging to groups,
cooperating, contribute to a shared
play experience
Outcome 4 – Confident and involved
learners – creativity, persistence,
imagination, explore ideas through
play

Numerous observations were taken

using the signs in different ways
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Pre-school Planner
TITLE: Environmental print
background etc.
Whole group
Set up on table outside
Incorporation of environmental print to spark interest in literacy

be doing?
To identify logos that they recognise
and describe how they know the logo. Free to explore the logos and paste the
ones they know onto a piece of paper
anecdote?
Literacy
Collection of student work
Record language next to each logo on
the sheet

Range of logos that may be familiar to children – fast foods, shop logos, logos
that are within Mount Gambier
Observe and record language. Prompt children to describe how they know
each logo they can recognise
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The inclusion of pictures allows for The environmental print activity turned
multiple entry points. out to be extremely popular and
engaging for the children. They were
excited to share their understanding of
the logos that they could identify or
that were familiar to them. Many
children were eager to have a try. I sat
one on one with the children so that I
could document their language and
record this. I created a display with the
children’s work so that they could
share this with their families. I was
surprised by some of the logos that the
children were able to read.
Lewis* seemed to really enjoy this

activity and was able to read several
logos. He was excited to share this with
his mum at pick up time.

More environmental print activities-

Outcome 1 – Explore aspects of
alphabet sort?
identity through play- links to home
and community

Display of children’s work at sign in

area
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Pre-school Planner
TITLE: The Ninja Warrior Course
background etc.
Whole group
Set up in yard on barked area
Interest in timers and recording with balance bikes

be doing?
Engage in literacy and numeracy
through play Active play
Teacher supported
anecdote?
Literacy & Numeracy
they create and use representation to
oragnise, record and communicate
mathematical ideas
Literacy indicator – I represent my

world symbolically: create texts for a
range of purposes
Obstacle course created with the children using wooden planks, tyres, mini
tramp, tunnel etc
Digital timer
Clipboard and pencil
Model how to use the timer – start when you say go and stop when the person
gets back
Recording times on the clipboard - demonstration
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No talk about winners or position The children worked together to solve

how to use the digital timers. After I
demonstrated to him, Lewis* took on a
teaching role to other children.
Encouraged to record on the
clipboard again
They were keen to get a better time so

had to move faster while still being
careful not to fall off.
Questions – ‘which time is faster?’
Turn taking timing and doing the

course

Teamwork – cooperation – gross motor More activities recording data

skills – climbing – balancing –
leadership – time talk

Obs and photos
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Appendix I – Weekly teaching reflections
Weekly reflection on teaching Week 1

Observer
This week I spent my time observing the children as well as spending time with
them to begin to understand their interests and develop ideas for future
planning to implement literacy outside.
My practice had little impact on the student’s engagement in literacy this
week as I specifically tried not to get involved so that I could observe their
engagement without educator influence. I did not observe either of the
focus children engaging in literacy in the outdoor area this week.

Following on from observations this week I will implement literacy resources
within the children’s outdoor play. For Lewis* this will centre on the
introduction of environmental print road signs for use in the sandpit area and
for Owen* we will create a cupcake shop with literacy resources such as
clipboards and a menu.
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Play participant
To help model using literacy within play for the focus children, this week I took
on a role of a participant within the children’s play.
For Lewis* this meant joining in with dirt bike and monster truck play in the
sandpit and introducing the road signs and how these could be used to
make rules for my track.
For Owen*, together we cocreated a cupcake shop in the sandpit and
cubby house. We made a sign for the shop and then used table and chairs
for the shop. I introduced clipboards and modelled using these to take
customer orders.
For both students, my involvement in their play sparked interest and both
children were actively engaged with the literacy resources I implemented.
Observations were taken and written up on this involvement (Appendix G &
H).

Bring in more environmental print and literacy-based games for the outdoor
area.
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Playful learning and learning through games
With the implementation of the environmental print activity with logos and
signs, I worked with the children one on one to support their engagement
and documentation of the language they used. This saw me use a more
structured teaching style. The implementation of the dice game allowed the
students to engage in literacy while having fun playing a game.
The environmental print activity was especially successful, and the students
were very engaged in this. They were excited to read the logos and signs
that they knew and discussed with detail where they had seen the signs
before. Both focus children sat for an extended time with me to try this
activity.

Continue with environmental print activities. Introduce letter tile activity
where students match letter tiles to picture word cards. This activity will be in
the indoor area with the aim to see if the focus children will engage in
something indoors.
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Playful learning and learning through games
Once again, the environmental print activity was very successful, and the
children were keen to engage with this again. We also extended this to
begin to sort the logos and signs into alphabetical groups, which I will
extended upon next week.
This week I have been able to observe the focus children engage in much
more literacy within the outdoor area. Lewis* in particular has taken on a
leadership role with making lists for the balance bikes, teaching other children
how to make a list or encouraging others to add their names to is list. Owen*
engaged at length with the letter tile activity in the indoor space, which is
something new for him according to my mentor teacher.

Implement an alphabet sorting activity for the environmental print following
on from letter interest this week. Look at rhyming words following on from the
‘Read it Again’ program and eagerness to find rhyming words. Next week I
would like to take on the observer role again to try and note spontaneous
interactions with literacy for the focus children.
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Playful learning, learning through games and observer
While also engaging in literacy games and direct instruction with the
environmental print sort, this week I have spent a lot of time as an observer
once again to try to document instances of the focus children freely
engaging with literacy within their play without teacher direction.
Both focus children have been observed this week in bringing literacy into
their play in the outdoor area without teacher involvement. For Owen* this
was creating a sign for the front of his “maccas” shop, sourcing the chalk and
writing letters and symbols to convey his meaning. For Lewis* he also used
literacy resources to make marks within his dramatic play in a large
cardboard box. Both children have engaged numerous times with literacy in
the outdoor area – a big shift from my observations in the first week.
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Haidee Allen 110167818 Written Report

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INQUIRY WRITTEN REPORT

Increasing Literacy Engagement in the

The Centre for Children is a preschool that delivers a kindergarten program as

During previous placements within a preschool setting, while I have been

The emergent perspective on literacy development first arose in the 1970’s

This identification of a lack of opportunities for children to engage with

Young children are exposed to print in a variety of ways, including continuous

3.1 Action research

Action research is used by educators with the view to improve or strengthen

As the action research is related to improving my own practice, the research

3.2 Case study

3.3 Research questions

Is the use of environmental print effective in increasing literacy engagement?

Name (pseudonym): Owen*

Significant relationships: Mother and Uncle

Significant learning information: Owen has a strong awareness of numerals

Significant information gained from analysis of observation and/or work

Potential focus for learning/teaching: Literacy provocations targeted in

Name (pseudonym): Lewis*

Age: 4 years 5 months

Significant information gained from analysis of observation and/or work

Potential focus for learning/teaching: Provision of literacy provocations in

3.5 Data Collection

Weekly reflection – A reflection was written at the end of each week to

3.5.2 Data sources

3.5.3 Ethical considerations

4.1 Case 1 – Lewis*

In week three following on from the popularity of the street signs, I

Going forward, the importance in developing an insight into the interests of

Fellows, J & Oakley, G 2014, Language literacy and early childhood

Guo, Y, Justice, LM, Kaderavek, JN & McGinty, A 2012, ‘The literacy

Lambert, M 2012, A beginner's guide to doing your education research

Martina Norling & Anette Sandberg 2015, ‘Language Learning in Outdoor

McIntyre, A 2008, Participatory action research, SAGE, Los Angeles, California.

Menter, I, Elliot, D, Hulme, M, Lewin, J & Lowden, K 2011, A Guide to

Neumann, M M, Hood, M, Ford, R M & Neumann, D L 2012, ‘The role of

Neumann, M, Hood, M & Ford, R 2013, ‘Using environmental print to enhance

Pyle, A & Danniels, E 2017, ‘A continuum of play-based learning: The role of

Young, Janelle 2009, ‘Enhancing emergent literacy potential for young

Tally recording of engagement in literacy in the outdoor area from

Event / Time Notes

What plans are there for next week?

Week 1 Data Data Reflection on Reflection on

Week 2 Data Data Analysis Reflection on Reflection on

Week 3 Data Data Analysis Reflection on Reflection on

Week 4 Data Data Analysis Reflection on Reflection on

Week 5 Data Data Reflection on

TITLE: Cupcake shop

Observations of Owen* and Emma

LEARNING INTENTION: What do you want LEARNING EXPERIENCE: What type of

Literacy indicator – I engage with texts

RESOURCES REQUIRED: What materials, resources and equipment are needed?

Cupcake shop sign

Dramatic play is accessible to all

Owen engaged enthusiastically with

BACK MAP OUTCOMES: What other FOLLOW UP EXPERIENCE: What

More dramatic play activities

DOCUMENTATION: How will you

Obs and photos

TITLE: Wording building

Follow on from rhyming words in ‘Read it Again’ and observation of student

LEARNING INTENTION: What do you want LEARNING EXPERIENCE: What type of

Literacy indicator – I represent my