clay with T.

 This is T first experience with clay, in the first photo it shows the child working with clay using the  Pin & Fettling knife tools but before she did that, she used the skill of rolling and patting the clay with her hands. As she holds the two tools in both her hand, I allowed her to experience the use of the tools in her hands.
 In the second photo, I noticed that she discovered that working with the two tools in her hand did not do what she wanted done so she preferred to use the Pin tool, where she cuts out little biscuits she tells me.

The learning here is that it allows T to take control of her own learning, for a first time experience with clay she shows skills of patting, rolling, shaping using her hands and when it came to using the fettling knife and the pin tool she learns that they are used to cut, shape and mould.

 The tools help the child to "using many materials for different purposes" (Ministry of Education, 1996, p. 95) it also encouraged the child to use "trial & error to find solutions to their problems......previous experience as a basis for trying out alternative strategies" (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.89). I recognized some of the skills that she would have learnt from the 3 year old room and has now reused it again but this time with clay.

I also wrote a learning story about T and shared this with previous staff and with her parents and the feed back from the teachers was that she enjoyed play dough, family play, spent most of her time in the kitchen play area so the shared knowledge from the staff helped me to understand and extend on her interests. Mum response was that T always helped her parents and brothers, mum spends alot of time to bake and cook with her children. With these information it helps when documenting children's learning because it leads to " show how children's learning has unfolded and provides adults with awareness of what children are learning and how the centre supports their learning" (MacNaughton & Williams, 2004, p.263). The collaborative partnerships between staff and families is important because  it "enable all involved to appreciate the other's role, to promote the sharing of information and to enhance children's learning" (Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett, Farmer, 2005, p.34).

References:

Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Death, E., Dockett, S., & Farmer, S. (2005). Programming and planning in early childhood settings (4th ed.). Victoria, Australia: CENGAGE Learning.

MacNaughton, G., & Williams, G. (2004). Techniques for teaching young children: Choices in theory and practice (3rd ed.). Frenchs Forrest, NSW, Australia: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whariki: He whariki matauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa. Wellington: Learning Media.