“Children’s Interests in Early Childhood Education: A Continuum”

9 September 2008

4.15pm to 5.15pm

Venue: J2 Lecture Theatre, 74 Epsom Avenue, Epsom Campus

Presenters
Dr Helen Hedges
School of Teaching, Learning & Development

Abstract
Developing curriculum from children’s interests is a common guiding principle in early childhood education. Interests-based curriculum and pedagogy is highly participative and interpretive.

This presentation, based on findings from my PhD thesis, will propose a continuum of children's play-based interests and two theoretical frameworks to explain these. The continuum will move from a developmental theoretical perspective of play construed as the learning environment, to sociocultural interpretations of interests as representing children's funds of knowledge, and finally to children’s inquiry into what it means to be a member of a community, culture and society.

Considerable feed forward and feed back along the continuum occurs as children make meaning from authentic play-based experiences, particularly socio-dramatic play, in order to understand their learning and consider this in relation to societal goals. Implications for teachers' professional knowledge, pedagogical understandings and practices will be highlighted.

Children’s interests in early childhood education: A continuum (180kB)

You are welcome to download the Powerpoint presentation with the kind permission from Helen Hedges.

Dr Helen Hedges
Teaching, Learning and Development
h.hedges@auckland.ac.nz - Ext 48606