portfolio

ACTION  PLAN:

• Recognises subtle differences & levels in literacy & numerical learning & development according to age, ability, culture & social circumstances. 2.2    
  
  
  CURRENT SITUATION:
  
  
  I think  a child’s ability to transition successfully to school depends on their own personal characteristics like temperament, personality, social background and cultural background and these factors affect how children develop their literacy and numeracy concepts.
  
  
  In Australia, the transition of young children to school is likely to be more challenging for children from financially disadvantaged families, Indigenous families, families with children who have a disability, and culturally and linguistically diverse families. Children from low socio economic background and different cultural background can struggle in the beginning with their literacy’s and numeracy’s and that as a teacher we should be aware about these differences in their learning capabilities.
  
  
  QUESTION THAT I HAVE:
  
  
  How can we as a teacher be aware of these differences and how to help and facilitate these children and contribute towards their learning and development.
  
  
  OUTCOME THAT I WANT TO ACHIEVE:
  
  
  I thought long and hard about how to tackle this issue, as it is very important for the personal learning and development of an early childhood teacher to be aware about these learning differences in literacy and numeracy, that children belonging to different culture, social background and abilities have.
  
  Because culture and language are critical components of children’s development, practices cannot be developmentally appropriate unless they are responsive to cultural and linguistic diversity. Each child is a unique person with an individual pattern and timing of growth, as well as individual personality, temperament, learning style, and experiential and family background. All children have their own strengths, needs, and interests; for some children, special learning and developmental needs or abilities are identified. Given the enormous variation among children of the same chronological age, a child’s age must be recognized as only a crude index of developmental maturity.
  
  For children, successful transitions into and from the early learning environment can be facilitated by a range of approaches such as assisting children to understand the routines and practices of the settings they are transitioning into.  During both the transition to early learning environments and to school, a partnership between parents and educators, institutions is very important.
  
  
  
  RESOURCE THAT CAN HELP Me:
  
  Copple, C., & Bredekamp, S. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. National Association for the Education of Young Children. 1313 L Street NW Suite 500, Washington, DC 22205-4101.