Health and Safety in the Outdoor Environment

October 14, 2019 ~ futureglobalchild ~ Leave a comment

How could the outdoor environment be safe so children could enjoy it?

Some factors that need to be considered to ensure a safe outdoor environment are the number of adults supervising the space, the availability of open-ended material, the provision of supervised water play, and the safety of the equipment.

The publication “Learning Outdoors. Benefits/Risks” explores the keys to success for learning in an outdoor environment. The link is:
https://natureplaysa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/NPSA-Learning-Outdoors-Benefits-Risks-opt.pdf

The main points are:
• Children will experience different seasons and types of weather and, by doing so, they strengthen their immune system.

• Colds spread through viruses. As long as children dress well for the cold weather, they are not at risk of getting sick. Actually, the outdoor environment will bring fresh air.

• The outdoor environment presents diverse opportunities for exploration which could have consequences for emotional wellbeing as all children can get involved with different levels of engagement, complexity, and satisfaction.

• Children walking outside in different seasons will experience the wet and feel of the ground.

• In the warm and hot weathers, it is important to be sun smart and carry out steps for self-protection.

• Children have sensitive skin and need to use sunscreens to reduce UV exposure. One site that could be visited for details is: https://www.sunsmart.com.au/

These are few points that need to be accounted for an enjoyable experience outdoors.

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Universal Design: Learning for All

September 22, 2019September 22, 2019 ~ futureglobalchild ~ Leave a comment

To achieve learning for all children, where each child could develop cognitive, physical, social, and emotional abilities, the early childhood curriculum needs to be designed with the following parameters in mind:

* Presentation of a concept: Any new concept should be introduced with at least three ways, each focusing on a different sense.

* Type of teaching: Intentional or directed teaching should be planned based on the children’s developmental needs. In addition, the educator should extend the child’s learning experiences as they are naturally occurring.

* Diverse ways to monitor learning: Formative and evaluative assessment should be derived from multiple means of representation. One child might be able to verbally show understanding of a concept, a second child might write, a third child might draw, and a fourth child might act the concept.

By carefully targeting the design, the process, and the monitoring so they include open-ended options, educators could engage children in an enjoyable learning journey.

Suggested reference for further reading:
Dinnebeil, L. A., Boat, M., & Bae, Y. (2013). Integrating principles of universal design into the early childhood curriculum. Dimensions of Early Childhood, 41(1), 3-13.

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