Session 10

• Mathematics
• Further Education (Key Stage 5)

Element 2 - Supporting Education

[e-mail]

Session 10 

ZE30801

T - level in Education and Early Years 

Learning Objectives 

By the end of the session all learners will: 

• Engage in question and answer recap and recall for element 2. 
  
• Be able to explain the importance of effectively supporting children and young people in education. 
  
• Explore the concept and principles of the philosophical approach - Highscope.
• Understand and explore the theory of Jerome Bruner. 
  

What is a trajectory schema?

1. Understanding how objects / people move
2. Sitting down on the floor
3. Spinning objects
4. lining up objects

What is a rotational schema?

1. Lining up objects
2. Throwing objects
3. Spinning / rotating objects
4. Counting objects

Discussion Point (Connect to Element 5)

Reflect on your experiences of working in an Early Years placement, how do Educators give children / young people opportunities to engage in communication and language?

Effectively supporting children

Involving children in the planning their own learning. 

Encouraging young children to choose different ways to learn in a way which suits them best. This often increases concentration & Cortisol. 

Communicating clearly using positive language appropriate for their age range & stage of development.

Communicating effectively with children, using key words they will understand. Your communication style will vary with each age range. 

Language level

Proximity

Posture

Facial expressions

Key 

Words

How do we communicate with children?

You will have 1 minute to draw a stick man on your paper. 

You will then have 5 minutes create a word cloud of ways in which 

we communicate with children aged between 0 - 5 years old. 

Consider: 

• Types of communication 
  
• Activities 
  
• Verbal communication 
  
• Non Verbal communication 
  

Highscope

An educational research foundation that studies the method of childhood education, it was founded in 1970 by David Weikart and was developed from 40 years of research. It aimed at promoting children's life chances.

The programme was based on early childhood in the USA, teachers providing children experiences that were - child centered to promote independence and decision making. Children who attended the programme showed beneficial outcomes and now features of high scope are widely used.

High scope promotes active learning, using a plan - do - review approach.

This approach to play is a sequence of children initiating their own play (plan), then actively participating in the play (do). Lastly reflecting on their play, for example discussions (review).

Some examples

"Research shows that high-quality early childhood education has lasting positive outcomes. Our curriculum approach, based on the concept of active learning, leads to a positive impact on children’s success in school and in life.." (Highscope:2024)

Project based learning

Project based learning is often used in every day pedagogy (teaching practices) to support student engagement.

This is when students are encouraged to design their own learning by making decisions.

For example: making a power point to present.

Virtual reality

Learning using virtual reality is embedding technology in learning, for example students may use VR headsets to visualise a virtual environment.

This allows students to test their own ideas and experiences how this might work out.

On a VR headset you may visualise a real life situation in a nursery.

Why is Highscope a Philosophical approach?

(5 minute research)

Jerome Bruner 

Bruner is a social and cognitive constructivist who based his theory on the principles of helping children construct knowledge through their environment and social learning experiences.

The idea is encouraging children to build on prior knowledge 

with new knowledge through hands on engagement. 

There are many different aspects of his theory to consider:

 3 Modes of representation

Discovery learning

Language Acquisition Support System (LASS)

Scaffolding

Spiral Curriculum

Sustained Shared thinking

3 Modes of representation

Enactive mode (0 -1 years)

First cognitive skills (sensory based)

Learning a skill through movement often linking to Piaget's sensorimotor stage. Babies repeat physical actions to support their understanding.

Iconic mode (1 - 6 years)

Icon refers to the use of a visual image. Bruner suggests that the iconic mode involves the use of visual prompts. Children can visualise words.

The child may know what a tree is visually but it not yet able to read or write the word.

Discovery learning takes place within the 3 learning modes. 

Symbolic Mode (7+)

Bruner believed that children's thinking skills drastically change around the age of 7 years old. They are able to think and use sophisticated language.

For example: children can listen to news on the radio and remember the information. Children are able to begin comprehending written language and spoken language.

Scaffolding & Sustained Shared thinking

Bruner believed that children need to be ‘scaffolded’ in their learning. He suggests that children learn through exploration play and through questioning.

Practitioners must scaffold children to help learn concepts and develop their reasoning and logic.

 Scaffolding will help children  develop the skills to ‘master’ their learning.

Sustained shared thinking is a process of when children come together to problem solve that further supports their individual learning. This occurs when two or more people come together to solve a problem or question. 

This when adults and children work together.

Solve the anagrams

Working together is a form of SST and scaffolding. 

Have a go.. 

nrcatpitiore

tducaionc

enlinrga

lteveeopdmn

Language acquisition support system

The adults and older children who help a young child to acquire language. Children learn language in and from conversation.

For example: Practitioners talking to children, tailoring their language to the child's level of comprehension and often using higher pitch. (Support expressive language)

LASS works side by side with scaffolding and the spiral curriculum. Helping children understand the how to say a term correctly is helping them master the skills of 'linguistics'. (receptive language)

Linguistics? Structure and formation of words. 

Spiral curriculum 

Bruner believed that to master a specific skills children need to

repeat it numerous times. It is unlikely children will master a skill

the first time they attempt it. Children need lots of support at the start

of learning a new skills, however this support can then gradually be

removed (also known an scaffolding).

For example:

Helping children write their names does not happen straight away they have to learnt o write specific letters and then learn to combine them. 

Create flash cards to support you in recalling all aspects of Jerome Bruner's theory.