Learning Center Design for EYLF Practices: A Comprehensive Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the design, tools, and methods employed in a learning center to support Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) practices. It emphasizes the importance of creating a supportive environment that caters to children's temporal, physical, social, and emotional needs. The report highlights the influence of the Montessori model and the use of multimedia tools while also acknowledging the value of traditional methods. The learning center is designed with interior and exterior areas for quiet and active learning, including areas for emotional and physical development. The report discusses the role of the teacher as a facilitator and the importance of incorporating familiar objects, such as a conference table and a garden to stimulate cognitive senses and connect learning with children's existing knowledge. It also explores the significance of water-based activities and the creation of different activity zones to enhance children's grasping powers. The report concludes that the integration of toys, gardens, and playing areas supports physical activities and emotional growth, thereby bridging the gap between classroom learning and worldly experiences, thus fostering temporal wisdom.

The design, tools, and methods applied in the learning center to support EYLF practices
Introduction
While designing the tools and methods to support EYLF practices with an intention to cater to
their temporal, physical, social and emotional needs, a teacher has to think about the main
keyword, which is the environment. In the precise terms derived by EYLF experts, it can be
termed as a “supportive environment where a teacher can play the role of the facilitator and the
adjudicator at the same time. It is very important for a teacher to create several mini
environments for the kids that are seeking special attention. Most of the learning centers
designed for EYLF interventions follow the basic recommendations of the Montessori model of
EYLF learning (Carson et al,2011).
Many institutions across the world are also advocating the use of multimedia tools to enhance the
impact of learning during EYLF days. However, there are plenty of teachers who believe that old
fashioned methods of generating interaction between the kid and his immediate environment are
the best method. This is why while designing a learning center to facilitate EYLF it is important
for a teacher to consider some local elements in connection with the temporal wisdom of the kid
along with simple tools to stimulate her cognitive senses (Hamre et al,2011).
While designing this learning center, all the above factors have been taken into an account, an in-
depth literature review on the issue gave us two of the most important aspects of the role played
by the teacher can be jotted down as under.
 Presence of the tools to monitor the growth and deficiencies

 Presence of the tools to design and implement necessary interventions
Standardized teaching and learning materials are available for the teacher; however, their
accuracy may differ from student to student. During the phase of EYLF plenty of kids fail in
finding the objective behind the exercise or the learning. It is perfectly normal; it is a state of
evolution for them, however, in order to create a homogenous classroom it is important for a
teacher to come up with some activities to fill in the gaps of the education and learning and the
best possible way. The present learning center is designed to cater both these needs of a teacher
and strengthen his role in the evolution of a child during the EYLF phase of education. A
classroom should have familiar objects from the world, otherwise a kid will fail in connecting the
learning with the temporal wisdom (Pianta, 2013).
The role of the teacher in the present case
Since it is a pre-primary learning center, the main role of the teacher, in this case, ensures that
kids are learning to be a part of the environment and responding to the instruction. Interventions
like enrolling a kid in a learning center at an early center can help them in learning a few things
with the help of cognitive capabities.
It is a natural flow of learning, a teacher can identify and design interventions to fill the gaps
caused by impaired or less active cognitive learning faculty. In order to create a cognitive
environment, the learning center is divided into two areas, the first area is the interior area where
quite learning and methodical learning activities will take place, apart from it we have external
environment where activities related to the role play and play way learning will take place.
Creation of a specific area to cater to the need of the emotional and physical development
of the kid

Image 1: The setup a conference area for the kids, Bicycle, and tubs will also help them in going
for physical activities.
During the phase of EYLF, the biggest lesson that a kid can learn is related to their ability to
work in a team. In the said learning center, the setup of a conference table setup will help the
kids in identifying the special needs associated with the communication and team playing. The
idea of creating a separate conference room-like space has its origin in the concept of the “high
chair.” During the phase of EYLF, many families introduce the concept of “High Chair.” “High
Chair” is a chair where they added some additional height into the chair so that a kid can enjoy
his meals with the family (Sutton, 2013).

image 2: Image of a high chair that can be placed on the dining table. Image retrieved from
https://www.amazon.in/LuvLap-Booster-High-Chair-Pink/dp/B079S73WDP
The conference area developed in the learning center will cater to the temporal needs of EYLF in
a similar fashion where a high chair makes them social and help them in learning the right
methods to eat (Skinner et al,2014).
Decorative plantations and garden to keep them engaged with the environment
Image 2: The setup of a small garden outside the facility where kids can feel the proximity to
nature

Concepts of physics and numerical concepts of the growth can be supported with the help of this
garden. We can incorporate various other plants to the garden and weave various types of
activities surrounding the garden, for instance with the help of watering the plants we can teach
them about the quantum and mass. We can also teach them about the colors. Simple
fundamentals of the counting can be introduced. The concept of space creation and counting can
be done with the help of this garden (Stillwell et al, 2011).
Most of the educationalist in the field of water-based promotes the culture of the creation of a
different type of activity zones where various new objects can engage the kids by the virtue of
curiosity. Availability of the water-based environments and numerous objects in a small setup
can stimulate the brain of the kids and increase their grasping powers multiple folds (Zins et
al.2014).
The role of specific areas to cater to the emotional and intellectual needs of the kids
According to various studies, kids during the phase of EYLF want to see bright and colorful
pictures filled with vibrant kinetic energy. At the same time, they also need the presence of
some elements of nature. For instance, many empirical studies related to the role of water in
EYLF suggest that the familiarization level of the kids with the water is very high. They treat
every water-based activity as a new application of water in their life. It also means that if we do
any water-based activity in the garden area of the learning center then it will become an easier
exercise for the kids to understand the concept and relate with it (Fredricks et al.2011).
Conclusion
The present layout of the center is designed to capitalize on this fact, we deliberately planted
certain objects of day to day life in the main design, and the incorporation of simple objects from

the day to day life will help us in creating a bridge between known and unknown. It has been
observed that during the days of the EYLF evolution many standardized activities fails in
creating a proper impact on the intellect of the kids because they don’t find a bridge to connect
the activity with their existing temporal wisdom. The presence of toys, garden, and playing area
will support them to engage in physical acitivites. The demarcation of a separate area for
communication will help them in attaining emotional growth as well. The accumulated sum of
these activities will fill the gap between their classroom learning and worldly learning, this will
definitely support them in developing temporal wisdom in the long run.

References
Fredricks J. A., Blumenfeld P. C., Paris A. H. (2011). School engagement: Potential of the
concept, state of the evidence. Review of Educational Research, 74, 59–109.
Hughes, J. N., Cavell, T. A., & Willson, V. (2014). Further support for the developmental
significance of the quality of the teacher-student relationship. Journal of School
Psychology, 39, 289-301.
Skinner E. A., Belmont M. J. (2014). Motivation in the classroom: Reciprocal effect of teacher
behavior and student engagement across the school year. Journal of Educational
Psychology, 85, 571–581.
Stillwell, R., Sable, J., and Plotts, C., (2011). Public School Grades and Dropout from the
Common Core Data: the School year 2008-09(NCES 2011-3112). U.S. Department of
Education, Washington, D.C.: National Center for r Education Statistics, Retrieved (5/11)
from http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch.
Zins, Joseph E. (Eds.) (2014) Building academic success on social and emotional learning: what
does the research say? New York: Teachers College Press.
Carson, R. L., & Templin, T. J. (2011). Emotion regulation and teacher burnout: Who says that
the management of emotional expression doesn't matter? Paper presented at the American
Education Research Association Annual Convention, Chicago, IL.
Hamre, B., & Pianta, R. C. (2011). Early teacher-child relationships and trajectory of school
outcomes through eighth grade. Child Development, 72(625-638).

Pianta, R. C., Hamre, B., & Stuhlman, M. (2013). Relationships between teachers and children.
In W. M. Reynolds & G. E. Miller (Eds.), Comprehensive handbook of psychology
(Vol.7). New York: Wiley.
Sutton, R. E., & Wheatley, K. E. (2013). Teachers' emotions and teaching: A review of the
literature and directions for future research. Educational Psychology Review, 15, 327-358