Critical Reflection 1: Analyzing Child's Puzzle Play Interaction

This assignment is a critical reflection on a specific interaction with a 3-year-old boy named Ron, who was attempting to solve a puzzle in the book area. The reflection details the educator's support, which involved guiding Ron to the picture on the puzzle's packaging. The intentional teaching focused on problem-solving and understanding sequences. The reflection highlights what was learned about the child's ability to learn independently and the importance of providing autonomy. It identifies EYLF Outcome 4 and principles of secure, respectful relationships and learning through play. The educator plans to introduce more play-based activities like STEM activities to enhance critical thinking skills and to improve fine motor skills and intellectual abilities. References to support the reflection are included.

Date: 7/8 Critical Reflection 1
A specific interaction that you had with a child (2-5 years old who playing puzzle in the Book Area).
What Happened?
 Be descriptive, be
specific
 How did you
support the
child/ren’s play?
 What intentional
teaching occurred?
So What?
 What did you learn about
the child?
 What did you learn about
yourself?
 What EYLF Outcomes did
the Child/ren achieve?
HOW?
 What EYLF
Principles/practices did
you support? HOW?
Now What?
 Where is this learning going to
lead you and the children in
the future?
 How can you
implement the
lesson learned/
insights gained?
 Plan for future educator
practices /experiences

Ron is a 3 years
old boy. He is
sitting in the book
area and is trying
to solve a puzzle
for Mowgli. He
was finding it
difficult to find the
head of the
Bagheera and
trying to put Sher
Khan’s head above
Bagheera’s body
 Being an educator,
I assisted the child
to have a look at
the entire picture
of the puzzle,
displayed at the
pack. Ron was able
to find out the
exact block of the
puzzle afterwards.
 Intentional
learning: It helps
children to develop
strengths, problem
solving. While
completing the
puzzle, children
needs to remember
the sequence,
 It is evident from the
observation that the child
is a good learner as he
could solve the puzzle on
his own, after I had shown
him the picture.
 I realised that children
should be given the
autonomy to accomplish
task on their own with
minimal assistance
 Outcome 4
 Principles : Secure ,
respectful and reciprocal
relationships
 Practice : Learning
through play
Here Ron is learning to
develop problem solving
skills through play. This is
done by developing a
conducive relationship
with the child, where the
child is provided the
autonomy to solve puzzles
on his own.
Introducing activities like
puzzles can motivate students
and improves the process of
learning and performance,
Furthermore, appraisals,
appreciation with successful
 Puzzle solving increases the
creativity skill and can
increase motivation among
the students. This will aid in
future for solving complex
mathematics puzzles
 It is evident that Ron has
found puzzle solving,
interesting and also does not
take much time to solve
them. Hence, next time he
might be provided with some
number puzzles or a jigsaw
puzzles that requires the
improvement of the fin
motor skills and intellectual
abilities (Antle 2013). This
would further improve his
learning ability and critical
thinking skills.
 In future, I intend to
introduce more play based
activities to enhance the
critical thinking ability of
children.
 Introduction of STEM based
activities like making of a
catapult, conducting science
experiments.

patterns and order
(Bell et al. 2016).
solving of the puzzle acts as
intrinsic motivation driving
them (Jelle 2017).

References
Antle, A.N., 2013. Exploring how children use their hands to think: An embodied
interactional analysis. Behaviour & Information Technology, 32(9), pp.938-954.
Bell, H., Limberg, D., Jacobson, L. and Super, J.T., 2014. Enhancing self-awareness through
creative experiential-learning play-based activities. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health,
9(3), pp.399-414.
Jelle, B.P., 2017. Reviewing the Learning Process through Creative Puzzle Solving.