Outdoor Play and Learning | Analysis

Outdoor capriole and information AnalysisDiscuss with part to curriculum documentation and relevant research literature the importance of legal provision and planning for exterior function and exploration in UK ahead of time years panoramas.In this assignment I am going to account at why it is relevant for effective provision and planning for the out of doors milieu in the archean years in the UK. Outdoor butterfly is a vital element of puppyish kidrens physical, social and emotional machinatement. Play is a upstart tiddlers activity for following. Therefore making the most of out-of-door(prenominal) play is essential, providing plenty of experiences in a varied manner for children, untimely years settings atomic number 18 in a unique position to draw out these, fully corporate with the indoor(a)s.The four aspects of Birth to Three Matters modelling take examples of experiences that precise young children should turn over both indoors and open air. Sim ilarly, the curriculum guidance for the foundation stage includes many ideas for taking acquisition out human face. All six-spot celestial spheres of instruction cornerstone be effectively promoted, from the earliest stepping stones by essence of to the previous(predicate) larn goals at the end of foundation stage.The statutory framework for the other(a) Years Foundation stage setting and standards for teaching, development and c be for children from comport to five. (DCSF 2008) states the following in relation to the exterior environmentWherever realistic, thither should be plan of attack to an outdoor play bea and this is the expected average for providers.The indoor and outdoor environments (should be linked) so that children arse break freely between them.A rich and varied environment supports childrens learning and development. It gives them the confidence to explore and learn in secure and safe yet ch wholeenging, indoor and outdoor blank shells.Children must have opportunities play indoors and outdoors. All aboriginal year providers must have adit to an outdoor play argona which can benefit the children. If the setting does not have direct access to an outdoor play area they must make arrangements for effortless opportunities for outdoor play in an appropriate nearby location.Being outdoors has a positive impact on childrens sense of soundly-being and helps entirely aspects of childrens development. (See EYFS statutory Framework (p.35 and 37) EYFS Practice Guidance (p.7) and Principles into Practice card 3.3 Enabling Environments- the acquirement Environment).The EYFS statutory framework for the EYFS is vagabond in place so that any(prenominal) child in a setting environment has the best possible experience of the outdoors, as so oft learning and development goes on within the outdoors and to cover the six early learning goals.The outdoors offers a unique environment, which is very dissimilar from the indoors. It offers space and immunity to drive things out, to explore and experiment without the constraints associated with an indoor environment (Tovey 2007). Some opportunities for learning can only happen outside. The experience of a change in the weather, conclusion insects, making a large scale construction/painting all of these motivate children into mental and physical engagement, and can only be make outside. In fact all learning goals can be achieved outside while the childrens health and well-being are excessively being boosted. foreign children can run fast, holler and squeal and find out what their bodies and voices can really do (Ouvry, 2008). The space is much open, less confided and the great space the more than unrestricted the thrust possibilities. Indoors is a space where adults are in control, but outdoors as fewer restrictions, where children can smarts leak the controlling eyes of adults (Stephenson 2002).The four main thinkers of early childhood towards the curricu lum, advocating outdoor provision as essential for childrens learning and development are Friedrich Froebel , Margaret McMillan ,Susan Issacs and mare Montessori. These four all held the view that the young child is first and world-class a whole person, with thoughts, feelings and imagination that need to be cared for and cherished (Curtis 1986. P.5).They all believed in a child centred onslaught and free-flow play. Young children are motivate and wish to learn, they dont have to be sat at a put over quietly (Curtis 1986).Friedrich Froebel argued that play was a serious and signifi slang term activity for the young child. David Cohen (1987) apprises that Froebel was the first educator to use childrens play for practical purposes. In browse to help children learn through play Froebel devised series of playthings and games (Bruce 1991). As Curtis (1986 p.6) points out, he used the timeless playthings of childhood in his curriculum. Balls, boards, sand, clay, for example, have ma de up childrens play throughout the ages. The role of the adult is crucial in Froebels approach to play. Cohen however doesnt agree that children should learn particular things, as that would be to advocate play as preparation for life. Froebel valued play because it helped children to make meaning, and as Janet Moyles (1989 p.168) points out the importance of adults and children being equal partners in play, as in conversation (Bruce 1991).Janet Moyles (1989, p.24) points out that Froebel trailblazered the theory of firsthand experience as the introduction of play, but this was entirely different to that, Seguin (1812-1880), who developed learning though the senses for modify children. This curriculum was aimed towards a particular direction. However, Froebels approach to play was targeted at all childrens needs, rather than Seguin, who concentrated on disadvantaged children (Bruce 1991). As Yvonne Conolly (1983) points out (OMEP), A in effect(p) Curriculum is a good curriculu m for all (in Bruce, 1987, Ch.9).Margaret McMillan, pioneer of nursery education campaigned for an education centred on the garden. She was the first person to gravel a nursery with children flowing freely between the inside and outside environment she quoted The best classroom and the richest cupboard is roofed by the sky. She put so much emphasis on the outdoor environment that it has been accepted by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority in its good practice guidelines for the early learning goals, which repeatedly stress those young children, should have access to a well-planned outdoors (Ouvry 2008).McMillan expanded on the ideas of Froebel, to see children playacting as the integrated activity. It was through the garden that we see her begin to develop the free-flow play side of the curriculum. It is interesting to see that for Froebel, McMillan and Issacs, it was the childs free play in the outdoors that light-emitting diode to their greatest contributions to the ear ly childhood educational curriculum (Bruce 1991). Issacs valued free-flow play because it gave children exemption in their actions, thoughts and emotional expression. Issacs further stressed that play also meets the emotional needs of a child, as they express all emotional during play (Bruce 1991).Montessori, who was also a pioneer for education, she thought it was an insult to children to suggest they should play. Montessori provided children with specific sense training apparatus which she expected them to use in an exact manner within the classroom, whereas McMillan believed children gained better sensory experience by playing in the garden (Bruce, 1991).Surely if practitioners are planning and setting up the activities that a child plays outdoors it is not really the childs freedom of choice, in a way it is still like the Montessori approach. Both sylva and Bruner argued, in the 1980s, that structure is a characteristic of materials and activities themselves. Structured activit ies such as construction are the most challenging and unstructured materials, such as sand and water, and open ended resources, outdoors lack any reform goal structure and, therefore, do not challenge childrens minds (Bruner 1980 Sylva et al 1980).Ouvry (2008) suggests making the most out of the outdoor area is also important, so that the children in that setting have the best opportunities possible and the changing of resources provided should be different daily. Also, it is important that the children have the opportunity to explore different resources and not stick with their favourite all the time i.e. bicycles. So Bruner and Sylvas research isnt very clear as all settings have a number of different opportunities for children to do in the outdoors environment, structured and unstructured. Children learn from them all in different ways and they are all targeting the six areas of learning.Piaget saw movement and physical development as the provision for higher levels of thinking . However metalworker (p.68) argues this point and believes it is stillness we have to justify, not movement. Early Years children cant be sat down all day they need freedom to express themselves and explore their environment in order to learn new things, sitting down is going to make them more likely to draw back with what is going on. If movement is such an important aspect of a childs development, access to outdoor space must be part of a daily routine in order to nurture this mind-body growth.Children want space at all ages. But from the age of one to seven, space, that is ample space, almost as much wanted as food and air. To move, to run, to find things out by new movement, to feel ones life in every limb, that is the life of early childhood. So said Margaret McMillan (1930)Childrens entitlement to high quality outdoor play experiences is powerfully supported throughout the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework and early years providers have a statutory duty to help oneself daily outdoor opportunities all year round for the children in their care. (See EYFS statutory Framework (p.35 and 37) EYFS Practice Guidance (p.7) and Principles into Practice card 3.3 Enabling Environments- the Learning Environment).When children are denied adequate space they often feel desperately spoil and this can lead to uncooperative behaviour. Research has shown that in environments that enable children to move approximately, to collaborate with others and take frequent breaks during calm activities, the behaviour of children who have a tendency to lose their temper or get over steamy is less disturbing (Berk, l. E and Winsler, A 1995). This therefore shows that the tendency for children to shout and squeal and run around and be very hyperactive is interpreted outside there that type of behaviour is accessible (Ouvry 2008).Ouvry (2008) states that boys brains mature in a different sequence to those of girls and in some areas, at a slower rate. Boys first develop the parts of the brain for knowing about movement and space in which they have to move themselves and other things. new(prenominal) areas of the curriculum because arise meaningfully out of play. Girls, stereotypically like playing imaginatively in the home corner and working with and alongside adults. Girls muster up to an understanding of adult world through domestic play and palaver they use reading and writing in their play because their brains are more developed for language at the three to five year out of date stage.The whole emphasis on activities that focus on children who are good at talking, fitting in, quick at learning and understanding other peoples intentions. Boys can tend to feel uncomfortable because they tend to feel more secure in the outdoor environment, where they can be themselves and still learn from their experiences just in a different manner. By the setting vainglorious less attention to the outdoors environment and quality of outdoor play, they whit ethorn be denying access to education to a significant number of boys (Bilton, H. 1998).The outdoor space must be viewed as an essential teaching and learning environment which is linked with the learning that goes on inside, but with even greater status because it allows for children to learn through movement. If we believe that young children learn through play and that play is thought in action- then offering children a playing space outdoors would seem the most effective means to fulfil their need to play, learning through first hand experiences and join with others, that also cover the six main learning goals (Ouvry. 2008).Despite the much higher profile given to outdoor play in upstart years with the introduction of the Curriculum Guidance for the foundation stage (QCA 2000), there is still evidence that the purpose and value of outdoor play is not well understood(Tovey. 2007). many practitioners have an unconscious belief that effective learning only happens when children a re still, quiet and calm, with a pencil and paper at hand and with a teacher nearby to offer instruction. The idea that when children are physically active, many people believe they cant be learning anything to do with the curriculum (Ouvry 2008). But then what about forest schools, they are ground outside all of the time and are still based on the curriculum and the learning intentions are still met and this is all delinquent to planning for the six areas of learning.It is certainly true that if the outdoors is not well planned and the setting does not have clear aims for the childrens learning outside, then practitioners may find it difficult to see any worthwhile learning going on outside. This is however true when considering any environment for young children inside or outside. Without clarity of aims and learning intentions for children in play situations, it is unattainable to know what to look for when observing the children or to know how to further the childrens learnin g. Structuring the environment and supporting childrens learning is as important outside as in (Ouvry 2008).The key person working with a four-year-old child may have observed on several occasions that the child is rather spasmodic when moving around the outside area. The practitioner then plans to configuration an restraint course to give the child lots of opportunities to use a vast range of physical movements. These then support the planning for enhanced provision. In many cases, this planned adjustment and enrichment of some aspect of the settings provision lead also be relevant to other children in a group. Many of the other children in the group will enjoy helping to build and develop the obstacle course and will join the focus child in actively using and enjoying the challenges it offers.The right of the child to rest and unoccupied and engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and arts. (UN ICEF 1989).There are constraints and fears that limit childrens opportunities for play particularly outdoors, deprive children of essential childhood experiences and opportunities- opportunities to develop friendships and to make relationships, to experience all emotions, to take risks, have adventures and misadventures, to have encounter with nature and the environment (Casey, T. 2007). Children need to climb, run, jump, an bash balls against walls (Lewis Howdle, lecture, RIHE,1980).http//nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/ leaf node/83976http//www3.hants.gov.uk/childrens-services/childcare/providers/childcarepublications/horizons/horizons-issue-16/outdoor-learning-and-the-eyfs.htmhttp//nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/151379http//nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/132681http//www.teachingexpertise.com/articles/planning-quality-provision-early-years-5276