Early Childhood Education and Care

This paper provides an insight on a sense of agency in children and a sense of self-identity in children. It also provides an understanding of the concept of Being, Belonging and Becoming. A list of teaching strategies that early childhood teachers require to promote children’s sense of agency and self-identity.

Running head: Early Childhood Education and Care
Early Childhood Education and Care
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Having a sense of agency helps a child to make decisions and choices in life in order to
influence events and to have an impact on the world. Possessing a sense of agency is closely
related to the important concepts of being, belonging and becoming and to develop a strong
sense of identity. As children make choices and decisions about things that affect them, they
begin to view themselves as valued citizens within the community. This paper provides an
insight on a sense of agency in children and a sense of self-identity in children. It also provides
an understanding of the concept of Being, Belonging and Becoming. This paper also provide a
list of teaching strategies that early childhood teachers require to promote children’s sense of
agency and self-identity.

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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION:..................................................................................................................3
A Sense of Agency:.................................................................................................................3
Sense of Self-Identity:.............................................................................................................4
Concept of Being:....................................................................................................................5
Concept of Belonging:.............................................................................................................5
Concept of Becoming:.............................................................................................................5
A list of Teaching Strategies that Early Childhood Teachers require to Promote Children’s
Sense of Agency and Self-Identity:.........................................................................................6
Early Years Learning Framework:..................................................................................................7
Strategies to include Belonging:......................................................................................................8
Strategies to Being:..........................................................................................................................8
Strategies to Becoming....................................................................................................................8
Principles, Practices and Learning Outcomes of the Early Years Learning Framework :..............8
Designing of an Outdoor Space for Children:...............................................................................10
CONCLUSION......................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES:.............................................................................................................................13

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INTRODUCTION:
Developing a sense of agency in children implies giving children the opportunities to
make choices in their daily life, recognizing, acknowledging and cultivating imagination and
curiosity that support children to make independent choices. This paper will seek to provide an
insight on a sense of agency in children and a sense of self-identity in children. It also aims to
understand the concept of Being, Belonging and Becoming. This paper will also provide a list of
teaching strategies that early childhood teachers require to promote children’s sense of agency
and self-identity.
A Sense of Agency: A sense of agency in children can be developed and maintained
wherein materials and other resources are readily available, opportunities to choose playing
independent or in a group and provide routine that are flexible in nature. A sense of agency in
children can also be developed when children are given real tasks and challenges, something that
helps them to give back to society and something that allows them to be part of something bigger
than them ( Dachyshyn, 2015 ). A sense of agency in children can also be developed when
children are able to express not only their opinions and choices but also have those opinion or
choices create a positive impact. A sense of agency in children ought to be developed and
cultivated because it is the foundation for learning and development in children. Children ought
to learn and develop through interaction with other people and take part in the environment that
they are in.
Sense of Self-Identity: Children develop a sense of self from their second birthday and
are able to perceive themselves from the perspective of another person. This self-awareness is
reflected in the fact that children start to recognize themselves by the means of a mirror or a

4EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE
photograph. Children also show their self-awareness by their ability to use and comprehend self -
referential language such as ‘I’ ‘me’ ‘my’ and ‘you’ (Wong &Turner 2015). Children claiming
an object as their own, is also another example of self-awareness. When a child portrays
emotions such as guilt, embarrassment and shame, it shows that the self-consciousness of a child
is being developed. When children start to think about themselves from the perspective of
someone else, it also marks the start of self-concept, i.e. feelings and thoughts about oneself.
Children who have positive perceptions about their own self are usually better in academics.
Parents and teachers can help a child increase his self-esteem by praising them when they
achieve something and also by encouraging them and by helping them to overcome obstacles in
life.
When children perceive an understanding of themselves, i.e. when they develop an ‘idea
of me’ the way children process their information changes. Once the sense of self has been
established in a child they are very likely to bear in mind objects linked with them. This is called
the ‘self reference effect’ on memory and it begins early in a person. Selfhood starts when a child
is born but children only express the ‘idea of me’ when he or she reaches toddlerhood. Children
then begin to gather information about themselves that shapes their response to the outside
world.
Concept of Being: The concept of being is about valuing children as they are in the
present rather than what or who they will eventually be in the future. The concept of being is
also about focusing on a child’s strengths rather than his weaknesses. It is about focusing on
what a child know and can do. It is also about nurturing the characteristics of children such as a
child’s sense of awe and wonder, creativity and a child’s drive to learn. It is also about
acknowledging the uniqueness of each child.

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Concept of Belonging: Belonging explores the concept of who the child is within his or
her family. It is pertinent for children to understand their relationship with their family. Meeting
with family is important. Families should take trips together. Children show that they belong to a
child care centre or preschool when teachers and educators say hello to children when they arrive
at a playschool or a child care centre, thereby acknowledging the child and helping him or her
develop the feeling of belonging to the playschool or the child care centre. The teachers and
educators can also help a child to settle in thereby increasing the sense of belonging in a child.
Concept of Becoming: Children belong ever since they are born, to their family,
community, heritage and culture. One should recognize the key role of positive, strong
relationships between children and their parents, teachers and educators as the foundation for all
development and learning. This is done by creating a sense of belonging to the group through
opportunities for learning, through conversations and helping and guiding children to learn to
relate positively to each other.
A list of Teaching Strategies that Early Childhood Teachers require to Promote
Children’s Sense of Agency and Self-Identity: Providing opportunities for children to develop
a sense of agency is very important (Jennings 2015). While children are fast and enthusiastic
learners, their ability to make correct choices grows over a period of time and with the help of
proper guidance from their parents, teachers and educators. The educator should support children
to hone their skills in decision making, thereby helping the children recognize the plethora of
choices and options that are available to them. The educator should also teach children to make
good choices and help them to improve their skills in decision making and make the children
understand that the decisions and choices that they make, will have an impact on others and
therefore the decisions ought to be made carefully.

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It is important that children develop their skills and strengths. Teachers and educators
should listen, respect the ideas and words of a child, and recognize the capabilities of children.
When children are allowed to make their own decisions, it leads to independence and agency
(Stratigos, 2015). Teachers, parents and educators should also ensure that children have a voice
of their own. When children have an opinion and are allowed to voice their opinions on what is
going on around them, they feel that they are important and that their ideas and opinions matter.
Educators, teachers and parents should encourage a child’s sense of agency by welcoming their
views and suggestions and responding respectfully and thoughtfully to their suggestions,
questions and ideas, when one plans for something. A child’s view should be taken into
consideration while making plans. Parents, teachers and educators should be able to read the
cues because this is very important as very small children may not be able to communicate their
needs and wants verbally and therefore have to take recourse to non verbal cues. Teachers and
educators should encourage discussions and debates for older children thereby helping them to
contribute to decision making. When parents, teachers and educators respond to children as
individuals, the message that they give out is that each child is important and so are their views
and opinions. This in turn leads children to develop their self-esteem that incorporates a
combination of agency and independence.
In order that a child has a strong sense of identity, a child ought to feel secure, safe and
feel and realize that their teachers, parents and educators support them (Jennings, 2015). This can
be done by parents, teachers and educators, when they acknowledge and respond sensitively to
signals and cues of children. They should also respond sensitively when a child attempts to
initiate a conversation and help to bridge the gap between the unfamiliar and the familiar. They
should be emotionally available to children and listen to a child’s expression of thoughts and

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feelings. They should acknowledge the uniqueness of each child and spend time interacting and
conversing with a child.
In order that children develop their sense of agency, educators and teachers should
promote a child’s sense of belonging, wellbeing and connectedness (Stratigos, 2015). They
should also provide children with a plethora of opportunities to engage independently with tasks
and games. Teachers and educators should display delight at the attempt of a child and also
encourage a child. They should motivate and encourage children to succeed when they are faced
with life’s challenges and encourage and guide children to make good decisions and choices.
Early Years Learning Framework: The Early Years Learning Framework is a guide
that comprises of Principles, Practices and five main learning outcomes along with their sub
outcomes based on community, wellbeing, identity, learning and communicating. The Learning
Outcomes are meant to focus on what a child can achieve rather than what they cannot. Within
the Early Years Learning Framework there are three basic concepts and theories which is known
as Belonging, Being and Becoming.
Strategies to include Belonging: Belonging refers to a feeling that one is a part of a
family. A child’s sense of belonging can be referred to their relationships with their family
members. Strategies to include belonging include accepting diversity in people and being
respectful, show of mutual respect, interact and engage with children, provide caring and positive
relationships, appreciating a child for his or her individuality, meet the needs of each child and
provide a sense of security to children.
Strategies to Being: Being is to experience life in the present. It is important that
children understand that adults accept them for who they are and that others care about them.

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Strategies to being include appreciating skills, giving a plethora of opportunities to children so
that they can explore and learn, having respectful relationships with families and children,
understanding the uniqueness and individuality of each child, recognizing the skills of each
child, allowing a child to express themselves and celebrating the achievements of each and every
child.
Strategies to Becoming: A child’s sense of becoming refers to the various changes that a
child experiences as they learn, grow and develop. Strategies to Becoming include implementing
school readiness, encouraging independence, focusing on the positive traits of a child, enabling a
child to be confident, building a strong foundation for learning, acknowledging the self,
developing and maintaining relationships and expanding on skills.
Principles, Practices and Learning Outcomes of the Early Years Learning
Framework :
1. Principles: The five principles include secure and respectful relationships,
partnerships, high expectations and equality, respect for diversity and ongoing reflective and
learning practices.
2. Practices: The practices include holistic approaches, responsiveness to children,
intentional teaching, learning through games, learning environments, cultural competence,
continuity of transitions and learning and assessment for learning.
3. Learning Outcomes: There are five main learning outcomes. They include Children should
have a strong sense of identity. Children feel connected to the world and contribute to the world.
Children develop a strong sense of well being. Children are involved and confident learners and
children are effective communicators.

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Designing of an Indoor Space for Children: An indoor learning space can be a room
where children are taught through drawing, painting and the reading of storybooks and building
blocks. The size and shape of the room, laundry areas, store areas etc should be considered while
designing an indoor learning space for children. Furniture should be arranged accordingly to
create separate play spaces. One should ensure that there is adequate light in the room. Colurful
beads, coloured bottles of water and glass crystals can reflect light and create rainbows in the
room. It can be overwhelming for children if there are too many bright colours in one particular
space. Hence, one should use softer tones and pastels that will help calm a child as well as an
adult. There should be an adult-sized chair for parents and educators to sit with the child. One
should provide a variety of spaces for reading and relaxation, construction with playing blocks,
hiding, noisy play and pretend play.
Designing of an Outdoor Space for Children: An outdoor learning space can be in a
garden where children are taught through fun and games thereby helping them to build team
spirit and sportsmanship. Outdoor learning spaces offers a plethora of opportunities that is not
available indoors. Play spaces in natural environment include edible gardens, trees, sand, rocks,
water among other elements of nature. These spaces promote open-ended interactions, risk-
taking, spontaneity, discovery, a spirit of exploration and a connection with nature. An outdoor
learning space could include stepping stones, tiles, stones, rocks and shells, winding paths, pipes
and poles, logs for climbing and balancing and climbing frames among other things. Outdoor
spaces may include tents, a place for sustainable water play, a garden, spaces for ball games, an
outdoor eating space, a quiet secluded space among other spaces. The outdoor learning space

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will help children be in touch with nature. It is also important to have shaded areas so that
children can play outside on hot days. One should consider real grass rather than artificial grass.
Sensory play promotes early learning experiences in babies. One can indulge in sensory
play with children thereby stimulating brain growth and cognitive development in a child.
Sensory play also increases fine motor and gross motor skills. It also promotes self-discovery
and creativity. While playing with babies, one ought to keep their physical well being and their
health in mind and focus on their movement skills. Parents, teachers and educators should also
keep in mind the social and emotional development of babies. They should focus on body
awareness and help them to develop and build trust and love with the people around them.
Parents, teachers and educators should also try to develop the thinking abilities of babies and
help them to have to have general knowledge. This can be done through the process of touching
and tasting and by repeating an action. Parents, teachers and educators should also try to develop
the communication skills of a baby by repeatedly urging a baby to talk. Babies should also be
taught language so that they are able to communicate. A teacher can learn a lot about empathy
from babies. The development of empathy in adults can help create a caring and a peaceful
society.
Toddlers also learn through their senses and love to feel, touch, smell and taste to
understand the world that is around them. Using everyday items, children can be taught to
measure. Although the ruler is the conventional tool that is used for measuring purposes, one can
experiment with months, seasons etc to make the learning process more interesting. One could
nurture a child’s helpful spirit by promoting organization at one’s home. Children love to explore
and parents can arrange for a scavenger or a treasure hunt. Parents, teachers and educators should

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also teach toddlers to share. Toddlers should also be encouraged to read by parents, teachers and
educators. One can learn to be patient from toddlers and imbibe patience in one’s daily life.
Preschoolers can learn a lot from number matching games, rice art. Young children learn
through play and activity so the building blocks of preschooler’s are not just entertaining but
they are teaching how to solve problems and even physics. Preschool is also a time to develop
good habits and develop self- esteem. Preschoolers will learn to recognize and name the
alphabets. Preschoolers also learn to name several colours and basic shapes. Preschoolers also
learn how to count and name the numbers. Preschoolers should be taught cooperative play by
their parents, teachers and educators. Preschoolers should also be taught to play with other
children. Last but not the least, preschoolers should be encouraged and guided to develop a sense
of understanding of the world around them. Parents, teachers and educators should always be
there for them to quench their thirst for knowledge and answer their innumerable questions.
Preschoolers should be encouraged to ask questions and parents, teachers and educators should
be patient with them and answer their questions thereby quenching their curiosity. One can learn
how to be courageous from preschoolers and also try new things.
CONCLUSION : Thus in conclusion it can be said that parents, teachers and educators
should come together and help a child grow into a well rounded individual. They should work in
tandem with each other so that children reach their full potential. Children are the future of
society and they should be nurtured with all the love and care and inculcated with the right
values and principles so that they grow up to be good human beings.

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