PYC2612
Assignment 1
Semester 1
Due March 2026
, EARLY CHILDHOOD AND MIDDLE CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT REFLECTIONS
B1.1 Reflection on Kanesha’s interactions in the kitchen centre
Kanesha’s behaviour reflects typical symbolic or pretend play, which is characteristic
of early childhood development. She engages in imaginative role play by pretending to
cook and assigning roles to others, such as mentioning Nadia and serving plastic food.
This shows that she is developing language, imagination, and social understanding,
even though her communication may not yet be fully logical or clear to adults (Papalia &
Martorell, 2021).
Her response, “You know!”, suggests egocentric thinking, which is common at this age.
According to Piaget, young children often assume that others share their thoughts and
knowledge. Her attempt to include others in the pretend meal demonstrates emerging
social competence and cooperative play, which supports emotional and social
development.
B1.2 Supporting children to express and understand feelings
Educators can support emotional expression through several strategies:
1. Emotion coaching Teachers can label emotions during interactions. For
example, “You look upset because you lost your turn.” This helps children build
emotional vocabulary (Denham et al., 2012).
2. Story-based discussions Using books like the bear story in the scenario allows
children to identify feelings in characters. This strengthens empathy and
emotional reasoning.
3. Modelling behaviour Teachers should model calm communication and problem
solving. For instance, showing how to ask for a turn instead of grabbing.
4. Emotion-focused activities Activities like drawing feelings or role play help
children understand emotional experiences in a safe way.
Assignment 1
Semester 1
Due March 2026
, EARLY CHILDHOOD AND MIDDLE CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT REFLECTIONS
B1.1 Reflection on Kanesha’s interactions in the kitchen centre
Kanesha’s behaviour reflects typical symbolic or pretend play, which is characteristic
of early childhood development. She engages in imaginative role play by pretending to
cook and assigning roles to others, such as mentioning Nadia and serving plastic food.
This shows that she is developing language, imagination, and social understanding,
even though her communication may not yet be fully logical or clear to adults (Papalia &
Martorell, 2021).
Her response, “You know!”, suggests egocentric thinking, which is common at this age.
According to Piaget, young children often assume that others share their thoughts and
knowledge. Her attempt to include others in the pretend meal demonstrates emerging
social competence and cooperative play, which supports emotional and social
development.
B1.2 Supporting children to express and understand feelings
Educators can support emotional expression through several strategies:
1. Emotion coaching Teachers can label emotions during interactions. For
example, “You look upset because you lost your turn.” This helps children build
emotional vocabulary (Denham et al., 2012).
2. Story-based discussions Using books like the bear story in the scenario allows
children to identify feelings in characters. This strengthens empathy and
emotional reasoning.
3. Modelling behaviour Teachers should model calm communication and problem
solving. For instance, showing how to ask for a turn instead of grabbing.
4. Emotion-focused activities Activities like drawing feelings or role play help
children understand emotional experiences in a safe way.
