Essay On Child Exploration

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YOUNG CHILDREN BECOMING COMPETENT EXPLORERS THROUGH EXPLORATORY PLAY

Understanding the world is all about a child’s knowledge and understanding of their world. It can include exploring, investigating, discovering the living world, people, nature and technology around them. Young children’s knowledge and understanding the world or scientific knowledge and understandings develop as they explore the world around them (Johnston, 2011: 60). Science, as a subject, is intrinsically fascinating to children and involves them in exploration and ‘finding out’ for themselves. (Farmery, 2002: 13).

Exploratory play is the matter of curiosity and inquiry. Children who have been encouraged to explore freely and without improper limits will continue to use exploration as a means of learning about the world in they live. Children engage through play in exploring the world learn to develop a notion of themselves as competent, self-assured learners who know that it is all right to ask question, make mistakes and discover things for yourself. Exploration evolves in an emotional environment that encourages initiative, curiosity, and problem solving. Through the process of play, children engage in learning about the world by constructing knowledge through interaction with the people and the things around them (Chaille & Silvern, 1996).

As a competent explorer, children’s exploration is normal and important for them (Johnston, 2011). Educators should provide the materials to let the children explore the world freely. Before providing the materials to the children, educators should make sure the materials/substances are in a good condition to be handled by young children. As in activity plan one, educators ought to make sure the beaker is in a good ...

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.... In an exploratory play, children engage in observations, raising questions from their observations which can be explored further or which may involve more systematic investigation. Educators need to have confidence in exploration as an important part of the learning process of young children and to plan exploratory experiences. Children’s thinking skills in science can be enhanced through quality interaction. Through exploration, children will develop knowledge and understanding in different areas of knowledge in a holistic way. For young children the most effective roles involve the educators as a facilitator of learning rather than a presenter of knowledge. An exploratory approach can be looked upon as a form of discovery learning in which the educators and child negotiate an experience for the child, which is later evaluated by both of them (Rowland, 1984).

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