Literacy experience plan: Watching sprouts grow

This experience encourages children to observe and record the growth of plants.

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

This learning experience plan relates to:

emergent literacy
language and emergent literacy learner (36 – 60 months)
learning focus: exploring and creating texts
teaching practice: writing with children.

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 demonstrate an increasing understanding of number using vocabulary to describe size, length, volume, capacity and names of numbers.
Children begin to understand how symbols and pattern systems work
Children draw on their experiences in constructing meaning using symbol.
Children use information and communication technologies to access information, investigate ideas and represent their thinking.
Children engage with technology for fun and to make meaning.

Victorian curriculum levels F-2: literature

Explore the different contribution of words and images to meaning in stories and informative texts.

Learning intentions

For children to verbalise their observations.
For children to learn how to record data over time (photos, drawings, writing).
To develop children’s vocabulary (e.g. growing, observe, measure).

Assessment of learning

Learning is demonstrated when children:

record observations using digital or written media
demonstrate understanding and/or use of content-specific vocabulary during discussions of observations.

Resources

camera or iPad for recording photos
seedlings (this could be from a previous learning experience)
informal units of measurement (e.g. unifix blocks)
clipboards, writing implements

Group size

Individuals or small group (2-5 children) with adult support.

Differentiation

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

provide children with the option to draw, write or take photographs.
some children may also benefit from extension of concepts through questions about gardens at home, measuring their own height and observing change.
see sustained shared thinking for more information.

Experience process

Clearly articulate the learning intention. This may be best done during group/circle time depending on the group of children and their interests.
- Begin discussion about how to record what is happening with the plants. Ask for the children’s thoughts.
- If children need more scaffolding, suggest using photographs to document each day, using concrete objects to measure and record or draw each day.
- Model how to record what a seedling looks like by drawing it yourself.
Provide children with materials: (clipboards/paper/pencils) or iPad/camera to make their first observation.
Continue to do this over a number of days.

Going Further

Children can compare their observations with each other’s growth observations.

Reflect/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/alternate resources for this learning experience

The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
Measuring Angels by Lesley Ely and Polly Dunbar