According to John Dewey, observation is exploration and inquiry for the sake of discovering something previously hidden or unknown.
Adult will watch and listen closely to children. Besides that alos work and play with them to find out their interests, their attention and their understanding of the world.
Ways to record obeservation:
- Jot notes.
- Make brief entries in spiral notebooks or clipboard pads strategically placed around the spaceused by children.
- Capture photos or video.
- Take mental “snapshots” if children actions and words.
Do not judge when recording observation:
Document children’s actions from a neutral, matter-of-fact perspective.
Reflective thinking:
Observer explores his/her observations, add overlooked details, related new information to what they already know about the child, speculate on possible meanings.
Try out strategies and talk about how thye are working:
- Watch for further instances
- Give time to solve own problem
- Add other materials to the play
Evaluating of sensory and manipulative experiences:
- Observe children on who does and who does not enjoy getting messy.
- Observe movement.
- Observe the child’s activity preferences.
- Reflect on the variety of experiences offered at the centre over a period of two weeks.
- Keep anecdotal records on individual children.
Preprimary Teachers should:
- Give countless opportunities.
- Do not expect the child to produce a finish product.
- Move along with the child’s imaginative ideas e.g. provide materials that for the child to play with.
- Reinforce the child’s production of ideas
Structured materials such as puzzle cannot give the child freedom to express themselve because there is only one outcome from the puzzle.
Provide non-structural/freeform/expressive materials such as blocks or play dough which can contribute to emotional health and increase divergent creative responses to problem solving.
Benefits of non-structural/freeform/expressive materials:
- A child can make no mistake as there is no right or wrong answer.
- Allow them to express themselves and come to terms with themselves.
- Involve in cooperative play and improve social interaction.
- Opportunities for rich sensory growth
- Contribute to intelleactual growth
Ways to encourage creativity using non-structural/freeform/expressive materials:
- Intervene only when needed.
- Never provide model for children to copy.
- Understand and respect the child’s developmental level.
- Understand the process not the end product.
- Give ample time for the child to express himself.
- Give comments that can enhance the child’s creative.
- Grant the child who is dubious the right to refuse.
Importance of creativity in play:
- Personality characteristic – For the child well-being by improving their self-esteem and self-worth. When they express their creativity, they express their emotions.
- Intellectual process – To develop intellectual growth as creativity allows children to explore ways to solve problems because a problem can have various ways to solve. They learn to grow and face the world with experiences they got.
- Creative product – There will always be a creative product produced at the end of the creative activity but the process is more important than the end result.
Stages of creative development in children
- Early stage – Cannot differentiate what is toy and non-toy, spend hours in exploring, manipulating and investigating the things that they manage to got hold of. For example, squeezing the sponge in the paint bucket.
- Nonrepresentational stage – Whatever they created will only For example, in painting, it seems to have more design and intention behind them but not recognizable by anyone but the children.
- Representational stage – The creative product can be recognised by other people. Fro example, they can draw a human that look more like a human now with proper eyes, mouth, nose, ears, fingers and so on.
Toddlers play:
- Solitary play
Toddler play on their own, independently of others
- Parallel play
Become more aware of one another, begin to play side by side without interacting
- Associated play
Involve social interaction, interested in each other play but without an agree-upon plan
- Cooperative play
Children join force in an active way, they must work together to ensure the play can be done.
Types of play & play materials:
- Socio-dramatic play requires props and settings. For example, hats, stroller, medical kit, kitchen utensils and etc.
- Social play requires interaction among children. For example, rubber ducky, spades, buckets, containers, mud, earth, sand
- Physical play requires contacts such as friendy tickling, touching, stroking, cuddle and etc. to extend the affectionate bond between toddlers and adult
- Games with rules is for older children that can understand rules of a game such as football
