Bathing babies - experience plan

This experience allows children to explore conversation and social skills through sociodramatic play.

This experience should be differentiated depending on the individual child/group level.

This learning experience plan relates to:

• interacting with others
• early communicators and early language users (8 – 36 months)
• learning focus: conversation and social skills
• teaching practices: sociodramatic play, language stimulation.

Collect information

• What information has been gathered as evidence to inform this experience?

Links to VEYLDF

• Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF, 2016)

Outcome 5: communication

Children interact verbally and non-verbally with others for a range of purposes

• Children engage in enjoyable reciprocal interactions using verbal and non-verbal language

Children contribute their ideas and experiences in play and small and large group discussion

• Children express ideas and make meaning using a range of media
• Children use language and engage in symbolic play to imagine and create roles, scripts and ideas.

Victorian curriculum levels F-2: language

• Understand that language can be used to explore ways of expressing needs, likes and dislikes.

Learning intentions

• For children to develop conversational skills and interact with others.
• For children to develop sharing behaviours with peers.

Assessment of learning

Learning is demonstrated when children:

• engage in reciprocal conversations with educators and peers
• share resources with their peers.

Resources

• baby baths/tubs
• waterproof baby dolls
• towels
• dolls clothes.

Group size

Small group (two-three children).

Differentiation

Differentiation should be based on prior assessment of the child/children’s communication skills. Examples of differentiation:

• model play and conversation skills during the experience.

• guide the experience more by using questions, for example:

  • “what does the baby like to play with?”
  • “what food does the baby like?

Experience process

1. Set up the experience -an outdoor area is ideal.

2. Implementing the experience:

   • Draw children’s attention to the experience or allow them to explore independently.
   • Observe and monitor children’s interactions.
   • Support interactions between peers by narrating how the children are playing with the baby dolls.
   • Encourage children to narrate their own actions. Ask questions such as, “is your baby having a hair wash?” to prompt their conversations.
   • Notice opportunities for children to share resources. Encourage children to ask their peers if they need a piece of equipment currently being used.
   • Suggest that two children work together to dry and dress the baby.
   • Relate experience to children’s own experiences to develop conversation, e.g., ask children if they play with toys when they have a bath or shower.

Reflect and review

Reflective questions for educators may include:

• What learning has occurred? How do you know?
• What have you realised about the child’s interests, knowledge, and capabilities?
• In discussion with colleagues, what would you plan next to consolidate or extend children’s learning?

Additional resources for this learning experience

• 10 Little Fingers, 10 Little Toes by Mem Fox
• Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
• Guess How Much I Love You? by Sam McBratney
• Owl Babies by Martin Waddell
• Time for Bed by Mem Fox.

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• It's windy under here
• Walk and talk
• Over in the meadow