LETS DESIGN A CAR!

Laura Bainbridge: Pre service teacher with Orrong Rd Kindergarten

As a pre-service teacher undertaking my 3-5 year old placement in purple group at Orrong Road Kindergarten, it has been
enjoyable and insightful learning from both the staff and the children about the importance of quality pedagogy and
practice when working with children in Early Childhood Education. At Orrong Kindergarten open-ended tasks, child led
experiences and elements of emergent curriculum are valued and then extended on accordingly.

The children in purple group have been showing an interest in a number of play-based experiences inclusive of sand play;
furthering their fine motor skills through creative experiences involving exploring collage, painting, clay and play dough; as
well as learning about space and the planets in our galaxy. One of the most prominent and continual experiences explored by
the children in purple group has been exploring different aspects of block and construction play, and the connection to real
life experiences that building and construction comprises. In correlation with Early Years Learning Framework, exploring
the many attributes of construction has instilled trusting and respectful learning relationships between both educators and
the children (DEEWR, 2009).

We have been impressed by the inquisitive and imaginative approach 4 year old Owen has displayed throughout
his engagement in construction and playing with vehicles. On one
particular occasion Owen demonstrated an interest in
learning about bridges that parted in the middle where ships
or boats could pass through or under, whilst transport
vehicles used the bridge. He showed his eagerness and ability
to engage in his learning when he was able to re-enact the
process of a bridge rising and closing using his hands and
built a bridge using train track pieces. His efforts to draw this
process on the
chalkboard led to him instigating conversations about different bridges, both for trains and for cars. He demonstrated
his developing mathematical development in relation to measurement when he used measurement vocabulary such as
taller, smaller, bigger and longer.

Looking at bridges and their construction, as well as floor

plans which are a real life component of the designing,
making and appraising process instigated the learning
experience of Owen deciding to design his own police car.
He designed a floor plan for his car and thought reflectively
about the aesthetic qualities that cars have in real life such
as the need for seat belts and airbags demonstrating his
growing understanding of safety and wellbeing, which is a
fundamental element outlined in the EYLF in Learning
Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
(DEEWR, 2009). Owen is knowledgeable and
confident in what he knows and understands. He has demonstrated his talent to retain information that he observes
through experimentation, hypothesising and conversations in his play with his family, the children at Kindergarten and the
educators around him. His inquisitive nature and willingness to question ideas and concepts that come to his mind,
identifies the perpetual growth in his cognitive learning development.

Knowledge of Practice 7: Continuity of learning and transitions of the EYLF (DEEWR, 2009) also prompted the
implementation of such play based experiences as designing his own car, where Owen and other children in purple group
could transfer their knowledge from one context to another as they continue to apply their creative skills and confidence
in themselves to problem solve, experiment and become active participants in their learning. It has been an honour to
oversee the learning development occurring within purple group as they become more emotionally resilient and interact
collaboratively with others in shared play experiences. Their persistence in participating in meaningful experiences has
identified their ongoing ability to strengthen their life long dispositions for learning where they feel empowered and their
contributions to their learning are valued.