ASSIGNMENT
75202/AS

2 Assignment 2

Weighting: This assignment is worth 70% of your final mark.

Essay

Scenario:

Dai is four years old, new to an early childhood education setting in Aotearoa. He has been attending the setting every day for the past two months. He is dropped off every morning by his grandparents who smile and bow to the teachers, but do not engage in conversation with them.

Dai is settled, plays alongside other children and joins in routines, but does not appear to communicate verbally with the other children. His teachers are unsure of his level of English.

Using the above scenario as a focus for your discussion explain how childhood is ‘constructed’ in early childhood education in Aotearoa New Zealand. For example, why do we say it is important for teachers to understand the role of families in the enculturation of children’s cultural identity and learning?

Critically discuss why the ‘childhood studies approach’ asks teachers to work closely with Dai’s family, and to pay attention to Dai’s perspective in their planning and assessment of his language learning and development?

Support your discussion with relevant references to your McDowall Clark (2013) and Smith (2013) set texts as well as a range of the course readings.

Also include the following points:

½½ A brief critique of historical, and current theoretical approaches to learning and development

½½ Links between children’s rights, sociocultural theory and the childhood studies approach

½½ The role of families in the enculturation and socialisation of children’s acquisition of language and cultural identity

½½ The ways teachers can collaborate with children to support children’s right to maintain their own cultural identity alongside their learning and meaningful participation in the early childhood setting

½½ Links to the early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki

½½ How the differing expectations between families and ECE settings are negotiated and what you could do, say, and provide as a teacher to promote inclusion of children and families

(2200-2500 words)

© The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand 1
75202/AS

Assignment 2 academic instructions

1. Take note of word limit and follow it closely

2. Use a formal essay structure. Include a broad introduction including an outline of how you have organised your content, logical ordering and progression of points you wish to make in the main body of your work, one main idea per paragraph, linking between paragraphs to ensure continuity, and a conclusion which restates your main points and rounds off the discussion.

3. Use the APA referencing style to acknowledge the ideas of others within your answers, and provide a complete reference list at the end of your assignment.

4. Remember to complete the Assignment 2 Self-review and send it in attached to your assignment.

5. When submitting your assignment electronically, please put your name, student number and the assignment number in the header or footer of your answer file.

Note: The Open Polytechnic will not accept assignments emailed directly to lecturers, as there is no tracking system covering this route. Any assessment emailed directly to your lecturer will be returned unopened with the instruction either to resend through the ‘Submit assessment’ link on the Online Campus course page.

2 © The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand

75202/AS

Bachelor of Teaching

Assignment 2 Feedback
(Early Childhood Education)

(For lecturer use)

Course title: Learning, Development and Culture 2
Course number: 75202

Student name:
Date:
Lecturer name:

Assessment criteria

Marks

Content

¾¾ Essay addresses in depth all aspects of a childhood studies

approach, is well informed and relevant to early childhood

teaching. Discussion includes:

>> A brief critique of historical, and current theoretical

approaches to learning and development.

>> Links between children’s rights, sociocultural theory and

the childhood studies approach.

>> The role of families in the enculturation and socialisation of

children’s acquisition of language and cultural identity.

/40

>> The ways teachers can collaborate with children to support

children’s right to maintain their own cultural identity

alongside their learning and meaningful participation in

the early childhood setting.

>> Links to the early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki.

>> How the differing expectations between families and ECE

settings are negotiated and what you could do, say, and

provide as a teacher to promote inclusion of children and

families.

>> The Dai scenario is referred to and woven throughout.

Coherence and clarity

¾¾ Ideas and concepts articulated accurately, with clarity and

fluency

¾¾ Integrated of key themes between sources of information

/20
¾¾ Clear and appropriate links made between ideas/concepts and

practice

¾¾ Discussion is integrated in an orderly way

© The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand 3
75202/AS

Bachelor of Teaching
Assignment 2 Feedback
(Early Childhood Education)

(For lecturer use)

Supporting evidence

¾¾ Uses a range of information, perspectives and considerations to

draw reasonable conclusions

/30
¾¾ Relevant links are made to course materials and set texts

¾¾ Examples provided illustrate points made

Structure, presentation and referencing

¾¾ Overall structure is logically organised

¾¾ Sound paragraph and sentence structure, grammar and spelling

¾¾ Professional tone and inclusive language

/10

¾¾ Overall presentation: Neatness, legibility, layout

¾¾ In-text citations correctly acknowledged; reference list complete

and correctly compiled in APA format

Final grade

Lecturer’s feedback

4 © The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand