Josh: Small Is Beautiful

Abstract

This chapter presents Josh’s (an early childhood teacher) and the children’s experiences at St. Kilda and Balaclava Kindergarten, Melbourne, Australia. The outdoor environment at the kindergarten provided opportunities for children to find and observe living things and explore their habitat. Josh orientated the implementation of his three play types on an investigation of macro-invertebrate habitats. Josh implemented the play-types in the following order: open-ended play, modelled play, and then purposefully framed play. In the open-ended play experience the children explored various habitats with Josh observing the children. During the modelled play Josh modelled finding macro-invertebrates in their habitats, citing their names and characteristics. Josh's purposefully-framed play session began with exploratory learning of the environment, and then matching photographs of the macro-invertebrates with pictures, name, characteristics and habitat. As the children participated in the play types the level of their biophobic expressions declined and they began to show more biophilic orientated dispositions. Josh was challenged by implementing an open-ended play approach only. He explained he would not normally teach in this manner, instead choosing to follow up the children’s emerging interests immediately. However, he reflected that he found value in listening to the children's ideas initially without questioning and interacting with the children.