Learning Through Play Research Paper 2022

Running head: LEARNING THROUGH PLAY 1
Learning through Play
Name
Institutional Affiliation

LEARNING THROUGH PLAY 2
Part 1: Analyzing Observations
Learning through Play
The four videos are typical cases of learning through play. Learning through play is a
phrase utilized in psychology and education to describe how a kid can is able to make sense of
the globe around her or him. Via play, a kid is able to develop cognitive and social skills,
emotionally mature, as well as acquired the self-confidence needed to engage in a novel
experience and environment. Fundamental aspects or ways via which young kids learn
encompasses playing, being active, being with other people, exploring and novel experiences,
communication with other people, talking to themselves, meeting mental and physical
challenges, practicing and repeating skills, being shown how to do novel things as well as having
fun. This paper uses three observations techniques or methods including anecdotal records,
running records and learning stories drawn from the four videos that have been watched in the
YouTube to accurately analyze each observation against overhead mentioned aspects of learning
through play.
Method 1: Anecdotal Records
This observation is often recorded following the event’s occurrence and written in past
tense. It needs to emphasize on what remains significant as well as recorded in sequential order
to emphasize on essential details. It might focus on one development area or cover a number of
areas of development at once. When one is using this method to observe a child, recording what
the kid had said as well as done, body language, direct quotes, tone of voice and facial
expression is required. Anecdotal records remain a valuable method to record important events
or actions which tells us something regarding child’s development, the needs, abilities, skills,
and interest. For example, observing a child crying during drop offs shall tell the observer

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regarding the child’s emotional and social development. To demonstrate how to use anecdotal
records methods, the following is provided:
For the observation purposes I have named the child in yellow shirt as Christopher. When
Christopher entered the class, he seemed to be very well aware about his surroundings and
quickly got along with his peers. Christopher was also very quick to notice the camera kept in the
room for observation purposes. He kept on pointing towards the camera and showed it to other
children. Christopher also asks the teacher about the camera. Teacher explains Christopher about
the camera and get on with her work. Christopher leaves the activity area and roams around to
explore different parts of the classroom. While other children were engaged in the activities
Christopher was enjoying his run around the class and amused by the camera in the room. While
the other kids were busy making decorations for Halloween, Christopher was scratching his head
while the teacher was explaining about what he had to do with the craft items. Christopher then
proceeded to take a seat and started playing around with scissors instead of using it to cut the
chart paper Christopher then tries to get attention of other kids and pointed out the camera in the
room again. Christopher started to rearrange the threads tangled together but soon gets distracted
when teacher picked up his toy and asked the class “who’s toy is it?” to which he quickly jumped
up and said, “that’s mine”. Teacher then asked him to put it back in his storage space. He then
quickly got up and placed his toy at his storage space and sat back on his chair. Christopher then
again gets distracted and asks other kids to run around him in the class. Other kids seemed to
listen to Christopher a lot. They got on their knees like a dog and followed Christopher around
the class while making dog like noises. Teacher asked Christopher to sit back and do the craft to
which he seemed quite disappointed, but he listened to the teacher and sits back and pretended to
be doing something. Christopher then picks up a pencil and started doodling with it on the table.

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Christopher again got up and started to go through work done by other children and asked
several questions to the kids who make it. Christopher then sat silently looking over the paper
plate in his hand.
Method 2: Running Records
A running record is one which tells a story of the behavior of the child by detailing all
things a child is saying during a set time period. They remain written in present tense because the
observer records as it takes place. Running records give a more detailed account of a kid’s
behavior in specific scenario. They remain valuable in the determination of why a kid is
behaving in a specific manner and often give in depth info on an array of developmental areas.
With a running record, it is usually a desirable idea to record during particular time (2-5 minutes)
or observe in the course increments in time. To demonstrate the running records method, the
following is given:
Between 2 minutes and 8 minutes of the video named “Kindergarten 2, a group of three
children engages in making the sound “pi”. One of the child starts this by moving towards the
microphone and ask their childcare professional (dressed in a pink shirt and black short) what it
was. He moves towards the microphone and asks, “Look, what that is for?” and the childcare
professional responds, “That is microphone that records the sound.” The three kids then start
making the sound “pi, pi” for a while and the teacher complements them saying that “I like how
you are piing”. The continue making the sound “pi” and at some point one child is seen saying
“mummy, mummy, mummy”. This continue till it reached a point that their childcare
professional wanted them to keep silent so that he could introduce new things to them, but the
children continued talking to themselves and producing the “pi” sound till the teacher had to tell
them to have their time.

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Method 3: Learning Stories
This method of recording a child’s observation involves a story which is telling a tale to
those persons who read it. It emphasizes on a child or a cohort of children, regarding the
decisions they are making and the outcomes that follow. With comprehensive descriptions such
as a narrative, a Learning Story gives an informative approach of experience as well as events
which took place. To demonstrate how a Learning Story is used, the following example is given:
In the video named infant 1; As one childcare professional was teaching one child (girl )
how to walk, her father comes in and the childcare professionals welcomes him and they talk as
the young girls runs towards her father. The father to this girls is happy that her little daughter is
really fast-progressing and knowing how to walk. The father then left for another room and the
childcare professional continues to teach the young girl how to walk. As she does this, she meets
another young child who is seated and she carries her and put her in front. She then continues
with teaching the young girl how to walk.
In conclusion, the observations derived from the array of different techniques including
that from children under the age of two years (infant 1 video) helped accurately analyze them
against the acknowledge aspects of learning via play. From these observations and subsequent
corresponding analyses, I have realized the importance of learning through playing amongst the
children. Specifically, it is now apparent to me that children significantly learn critical skills as
well as develop while playing. This is because despite not initially thinking that they would be
learning something new from the play, unknowingly, children play creates influential learning
opportunities across every area of development. Learning and development remain holistic and
complex, and yet skills across every developmental domain might be significantly encouraged
via play which include motor, social, cognitive and emotional skills. In fact, in playful

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experiences as seen in these videos, children tapped a breadth of skills at one single time.
Usually, this takes place in the course of “corner play” or even “center time” in the setting of
early learning as well as pre-primary programs. I have realized that when properly planned,
corner play significantly promotes kids development as well as learning competencies more
efficiently and effectively than any other pre-primary activities. As children in the videos chose
freely to play with the things they liked to engage in, children in these videos really developed
skills in all developmental areas including intellectual, physical, emotional and social.
Part 2: Learning Identified
This paper summarizes the learning I have identified as consequence of my combined
analysis of the observations above in relation to its significance to key principles of belonging as
learning and accurately linking it to EYLF ad considering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
ways of belonging. The EYLF remains an important guide comprising of Principles, Practices
along with major Learning Outcomes besides each of their sub-outcomes, premised on identity,
wellbeing, community, and communicating. The learning outcomes are used in reflecting on
kids’ learning and emphasize on what a kid is able to accomplish instead of what a child cannot
achieve. This EYLF framework allows childcare professionals, early childhood teachers and
educators within the early childhood context to extend as well as enrich the learning of children
and avail desirable opportunities for kids to develop a basis for learning and for kids to become
efficacious leaners. Whereas EYLF has three main concepts including belonging, being and
becoming, this paper focuses on the first concept, belonging as learning and connect it to EYLF
by considering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders ways of belonging to summarize the
learning I have identified due to my combined analysis of the overhead observations in relation
to its importance to key principles of belonging (Goddard, 2019).

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Belonging: To comprehend that one is a part of a cohort, feeling that he is a part of a
family. Having a feeling that one is linked to other people and experience significant
relationships. A sensed of belonging of a child can be referred to his relationship with members
of the family-acknowledging dad, mum, siblings, and grandparents among others (Whiting,
Everson & Feinauer, 2018). Within early childhood, a sense of belonging of child might relate to
how comfortable such a child is within a setting, having a sense of security and trust with
childcare professional. When a kid has a sense of belonging, she or he is more confident, feel
increasingly secure, and is more creative as well as more probable to explore the globe of
learning (Savva & Erakleous, 2018). Strategies to include belonging are being respectful and
accepting of diversity, showing mutual respect, have knowledge of families with a center,
providing positive and caring relationships, engaging and interacting with children, making
families feel welcomed, appreciating kids for their individuality, creating meaningful learning
within an environment, meeting each individual’s child needs as well as providing a sense of
security (Booker, 2016).
In applying this concept to what I have learned from the analysis of these observations, I
have learned that the childcare professionals have used a play-based learning and created as well
as promoted a sense of belonging as learning. They have used the strategies that have clearly
ensured that the children feel sense of belonging in group. Throughout the observations I made,
the children were really feeling free and secure to play as they wish without any restrictions.
Indeed, the children brought out their best by actively engaging in play and this means that they
had not only trust but also confidence in these childcare professionals who showed every display
of being respectful and accepting diversities; mutual respect, and appreciating children for their
individualities. Specifically, the childcare professionals in the videos never discriminated against

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any child or infant and treated them as if they were their own (Dyson, 2018). This ensured that
these children felt a sense of belonging and hence did not remain quite restrained to explore the
world around them. By this, it was apparent that the children were able to actively engage in the
tasks given and hence promoting a desirable learning environment (Salles et al., 2019).
Also, it was clear that the childcare professionals created a sense of belonging by
providing a positive and caring relationships and even engaged and interacted with children.
Across the videos I watched, I was able to realize that these children could easily communicate
with these childcare professionals as if they were their parents and this then created a sense of
belonging and hence the desirable confident needed to allow the children learn new things
through learning through play (Pyle & Danniels, 2017).
Another important way via which a sense of belonging was created for these children by
their childcare professionals is the provision of a sense of security. Specifically, the children felt
secure in their surrounding environment (Strayhorn, 2018). I could see that only authorized
persons were allowed in and out the setting or rooms where the children were playing. Indeed,
they had an automated door that could only open using authorized fingerprints (Karaman &
Cirak, 2017). This is a clear demonstration that the childcare professionals provided the needed
sense of security and hence the children were able to feeling a sense of belonging hence making
them to effectively learn without any fear (Schar et al., 2017).
Also, it was apparent that the childcare professional created a meaningful learning within
the environment and made families feel welcomed. As shown in the videos, it was observed that
the families of the children were welcomed and the parents could come with their children and
were excited to see how fast their children were making progress (Won, Wolters & Mueller,
2018). This could only be possible if the children were feeling a sense of belonging and there is

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enough evidence from these observations to justify that the childcare professionals created a
meaningful environment (Keung & Cheung, 2019).
The observations in the videos clearly relate to the EYLF which advocates for sense of
belonging. Indeed, all what has been demonstrated in these videos and subsequent observations
show that the purpose and principles of EYLF have been accomplished. This is because the
observations clearly show that for parents who seek a safe as well as secure place to care for their
kids, daycare as well as early learning remains confusing since gone are the days when kids did
the same activities led by carers (Kreutzmann, Zander & Webster, 2018). This because educators
now observe, engage parents and let the kids lead play-based learning which is the same case
promoted by EYLF. EYLF has become the foundation for making sure that kids in every early
childhood education as well as care context experience quality teaching besides learning as was
clearly observed in these videos (Gizir, 2019).
As seen in the videos, it was observed that the kind of learning embraced was play-based
learning. This type of learning has close association with EYLF and its principles. For example,
one of the principle of EYLF is the secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships which was
clearly evident across the observations I made in the videos (Rebeiro Gruhl, Lacarte, Boucher &
Ledrew, 2018). The childcare professionals in these videos ensured secured, respectful and
reciprocal relationships by nurturing positive interactions as well as consistent emotional support
(Jarvis & George, 2016). This help them grow the skills, awareness and knowledge of the
children to positively interact with others. I was able to show how the children in these videos
were able to interact positively with their peers and also with their childcare professionals
(Keung & Fung, 2019).

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Another key principle of EYLF which was upheld in these observations was partnership.
The educators in these videos adhered to this principle since they had a fruitful partnership with
families of the children and encouraged families to work with them for proper development of
meaningful curriculum by recognizing that families remain the first and most influential teachers
of a child (Mukadam & Kaur, 2016). This is why it was evident in the videos that families felt
welcomed in the facilities and had mutual relationships with the childcare professionals
(Goddard, 2019).
Another principle of EYLF which adhered to is high expectation and equity. As was seen
in the videos, the childcare professionals clearly recognized that children have capability of
succeeding irrespective of conditions and abilities and hence they promoted inclusion as well as
partake of all kids in the facilities (Hunt, 2018). The fourth EYLF principle observed is the
respect for diversity. This is because the childcare professionals in the video showed respect and
honored families’ varying lifestyle choices, traditions, cultures, and method of rearing children,
thus helping the children in the video to feel good (Danniels & Pyle, 2018). Indeed, the childcare
professionals also adhered to diversity by exposing these children to novel experience outside
their individual lives by promoting a significant comprehension of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander means of being and knowing (Jay & Knaus, 2018). This help them ensure that even the
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children felt a sense of belonging in these facilities and
hence ensuring meaningful learning (Adbo & Carulla, 2019). The last principle of EYLF which
was apparent in the videos is ongoing learning and reflective practice as the childcare
professionals participated in professional development which improved learning practices.
Indeed, they also valued community and families knowledge as well as collected info which

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supported the learning and growth of children including those of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander (Adam, Barratt-Pugh & Haig, 2019).
In conclusion, the observations from the videos watched have clearly showcased a typical
case of play-based learning. From the analysis of these observations in terms of its significance
to key principles of belonging as learning, it is apparent that the learning identified is promoting
the applications of the principles of belonging as learning. It is observed from the video that the
childcare professional predominantly focused on ensuring that the children being served felt
sense of belonging as the basis to ensure a meaningful learning. Thus, they ensured that they
applied the principles of EYLF in the facilities to create a sense of belonging which is one of the
major concept of the EYLF (Clarke, 2019).

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