Early Childhood Development and Learning Journey

Part 1: Profiling a child’s development and learning

1.1 Profile of Ivan’s Development and Learning

Ivan is a 7-year-old boy. He presents a combination of developments, obstacles, and social dynamics relevant and important for the design of an educational program. Ivan's development will bring great revelations in their physical, cognitive-emotional, and social development.

Physical Development: The development plan of Ivan at the age of 7 years is nearly coinciding with all the physical growth marks of his age group. Gross motor Ivan has many different skills, such as running, jumping, and climbing (Osher, 2021). He shows good coordination and strength. Though Ivan struggles a bit with fine motor activities, he heavily does so with the use of scissors and in writing.

Cognitive Development: According to the cognitive aspect, Ivan falls into the preoperational stage, during which children possess symbolic thinking and egocentrism in Piaget's theory of cognitive development. He is imaginative and is depicted carrying out role-playing activities, which are considered symbolic plays that become indicative of advances in his mental development (Darling-Hammond, 2020). However, he remains behind in logical reasoning and the concept of conservation. He will be incapable of comprehending that the exact amount of liquid will look different in differently shaped containers.

Emotional Development: Ivan shows uneven emotional development. His emotional expressiveness is very high. He can easily show a wide range of feelings. On the other hand, he can't control his emotions, for example, frustration, while he is working on something complicated (Baker, 2023). In general, Ivan's reactions might be more emotive, and grudges form in the case of some overload, which already testifies to developing emotional intelligence and the potential need for emotional regulation support.

Social Development: Socially, Ivan shows a big desire to interact with his age group and is usually the first one to suggest playing with other children. Very often, he exhibits problems while playing and sharing that often flourish into conflicts with his classmates. His social behaviour reveals Vygotsky's sociocultural learning theory, in which a central role is played by the social setting (Cantor, et al. 2021). Ivan likes to work in a team and seeks support on how to develop social behaviour such as negotiating and managing conflicts. His present social circumstance necessitates structured social learning situations that would foster in him the feeling of teamwork and humanitarian empathy.

1.2 Theoretical Analysis of Development of Ivan

Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory: Ivan’s cognitive capabilities are consistent with Piaget's preoperational stage, which suggests that he is developing the ability to think symbolically but still relies heavily on perception rather than logic (Novianti, & Garzia, 2020). Such a gap in Ivan's understanding, regarding the theory of conservation and logical reasoning, could be taken care of through support from play-based learning and visual aids put forward through Piaget's work.

Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory: Vygotsky says that social interaction plays a most critical role in the child's cognitive development. Ivan's peer play could be used to afford him more learning through guided interaction where adults could scaffold his experiences and assist him in negotiating the social intricacies (Kaffenberger, 2021). Group activities, which promote collaboration, will enhance his social skills while reinforcing the cognitive concepts".

Psychosocial Development by Erikson: Erikson's theory denotes that during this period of development, the child must be allowed to develop a sense of initiative. Positive reinforcement should be given to Ivan at all costs and eliminate chances of failure for the growth of self-confidence and emotionally stable child (Saracho, 2023). A reward system will be instituted where Ivan will be rewarded for cooperating in play or achieving certain things himself. This shall develop initiative within Ivan and reduce the occurrence of guilt when things do not go properly.

1.3 Introduction to the Education Program Given Ivan's development profile

The proposed educational program for Ivan is centred around play-based learning with an emphasis on family engagement. Play is one of the most effective approaches in this element toward better enhancement and development in young children like Ivan, who enables them to explore, experiment, and express their creativity. Ivan will also have the opportunity for serious development in cognition and motoring through different play activities-tactile play to imaginative role-playing (Han, et al. 2023). It is also going to build social competencies featured by the ability to share and communicate in the means appropriate for his age. However, education is at the forefront, and Ivan's family is actively involved in establishing sound relationships that would serve to support him in his learning. Workshops with the family will be provided to give parents tools and strategies that may further assist them in continuing to reinforce learning at home so that the learning is constant and enriched. The treatment program will also be executed in consultation with the pros, majorly on early childhood education and child development so that Ivan's special needs are met effectively.

Part 2: The programme

The play-based learning program for Ivan would be a daily routine. Predictable time provides a sense of security and stability, which is very important at every stage in a child's development. This includes space for free play, organised activities, and family involvement in the routine so that the transition from one type of learning to another goes smoothly. Every day begins with a morning circle where children come together and share experiences of their lives that create a sense of community and belonging (Andrew, et al. 2024).  The day's activities are planned and structured around the learning objectives, with the theme incorporation being pulled from the curriculum that would correspond with Ivan's current developmental milestones. Activities that enhance fine motor skills, such as building blocks or arts and crafts, will be done in the late morning when Ivan seems to be productive.

The idea of play as a core vehicle for learning plays a central role in this educational program. Play is not just a break from structured learning; it's one of the most integral parts of the whole learning process, whereby engagement and motivation are increased (Wanti, et al. 2023). For example, Ivan dramatises his role in a play as a doctor or teacher, where he experiments with social roles and empathy. Imaginative play of this sort supports language development as he practices dialogue and determines interactions among peers.

On the other hand, family engagement recognises that parents and caregivers are amongst the most influential in the lives of children. The program will include regular workshops and meetings that empower families with strategies to support Ivan's learning at home. In this way, the open channel of communication between educators and the family can work consistently on approaches within the classroom and home settings (Booton, et al. 2023). Family engagement in progress reports also encompasses those highlighting Ivan's strengths and describing areas for growth. Moreover, family involvement within various forms of classroom events, such as 'family play days,' will provide opportunities for the families to connect and build a supportive community around Ivan (Muppalla, et al. 2023). Since the program actively involves the families in such activities, this already acknowledges the home learning environments and their influences on the educational performance of the children, thus tending toward a collaborative approach to Ivan's development.

Ivan's Play-Based Learning with Family Engagement would, therefore, be appropriately done through direct contact with structured play activities where his family and professional engagement in education are involved. Several key activities are outlined, their implementation steps, and predictable outcomes.

Activity 1: Sensory Play Exploration

The duration of this activity will be 60 minutes.

Step 1: Materials to enable sensory playing would be prepared in advance, including sand, water, clay, and pieces of cloth with different textures. This setup would be constructed in such a way that it looks inviting to him, while at the same time safely allowing him to venture into it.

Step 2: The caregiver introduces Ivan to the activity of sensory play, explaining what materials are at his disposal and inviting him to touch and explore them. Within this step, it is relevant to demonstrate how to work with each particular material and encourage Ivan to express his feelings and experiences.

Step 3: During this stage, the facilitator will invite Ivan to freely investigate the sensory materials while the facilitator supports and observes the exploration. This stage involves enabling Ivan to experiment with mix-and-match combinations of materials-cum-actions, such as mixing sand and water and encouraging him to describe his sensations, such as wet, cold, and rough.

Step 4:Observation Table

Activity 2: Creative Role-Playing

The duration of this activity will be 60 minutes.

Step 1: The play area will be prepared; this involves areas for role-play like the kitchen, grocery store, and doctor's office. The educators take Ivan and his family on a tour to describe the purpose of each station and how to interact with the materials. This sets up a space to encourage imagination in Ivan and social interaction through make-believe play.

Step 2: The family and Ivan will visit all the stations in rotation, where different role-playing activities can be set up. For instance, the kitchen station can avail Ivan an opportunity to role-play the act of cooking with play foods and utensils as his family members are assigned roles like chef or customer. Such an approach in this step will further develop Ivan's social skills in a position to negotiate roles, actually practice communication, and further develop collaborative play.

Step 3: The families will come together for a discussion after the session of role-playing. The educators will invite Ivan to talk about the role he liked best and what he gained from that role. This encourages Ivan to verbalize his thoughts, which helps in developing his language and thinking critically about social interactions.

Step 4: Observation Table

Activity 3: Art and Craft Using Natural Materials

The duration of this activity will be 60 minutes

Step 1: Upon returning from nature walks, the educator will ensure Ivan and his family choose various natural materials - leaves, sticks, stones - which will be later used in different artistic expressiveness. In this, there is an opportunity for collaboration and decision-making as they decide how to choose the materials.

Step 2: Ivan will be making art with the natural materials gathered with his family's and educators' assistance. For example, they can do leaf rubbings, collages, or sculptures. This is a manipulative play to develop fine motor abilities and allows Ivan to be creative within this process. The procedure, in turn, allows for some chatter about colours, shapes, and textures.

Step 3: Once all the art projects are completed, families display their artwork and share the process with others. This kind of sharing will lead to pride and a sense of achievement, which will raise Ivan's self-esteem level and his public speaking skills.

Step 4: Observation Table

Reflection

The development and learning profile raise Ivan into the interaction of cognitive, emotional, and social dimensions in his growth. In my journal, I wrote that through Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory, social instruction forms a very important part of language development. Vygotsky's theory places much emphasis on social interaction within a child's learning process, relating that children develop their cognitive capabilities through relating and interacting with others (Zakiyah, &Mulyani, 2024) [J1A]. Such a view coincides with Ivan's case in which, through his longing for social interaction, the value of guided interaction is made to assist and progress his language capability.

Considering Ivan's problems with logical reasoning and emotional control, it is specific that he requires special educational strategies to help him learn and prosper. This conclusion I reached is based on reflection on Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory. According to Piaget's theory, children learn most through play because it offers them a chance to manipulate, experiment with, and internalize newly encountered information within the security of a non-threatening framework (McLelland, 2024) [J2B].

More importantly, Ivan's social behaviour does suggest that there were well-structured social learning situations. This decision is informed by my reflection on Vygotsky's theory.  In this respect, embedding opportunities for teamwork within the educational program will reinforce Ivan's social skills and, in the same turn, offer him a type of scaffold through which he can sort out his conflicts with children (Mishra, 2024) [J3C]. The correspondence with Vygotsky's theory underlines the urgency of social tuition in increasing his interpersonal potential.

As I reflect on the emotional expressiveness of Ivan and his difficulties in the modulation of feelings, I am reminded of the need to establish an emotionally nurturing environment. This decision is informed by reflection upon Erikson's Psychosocial Development Theory. According to Erikson, a child's capability to develop self-confidence and emotional stability is based on the construction of initiative. Thus, the reward system needs to be integrated into Ivan's educational program, which encourages him to take initiative as a means of creating a feeling of accomplishment rather than fear of failure. This is a positive reinforcement from Erikson's principles aimed at making Ivan emotionally resilient [J4D].

Moreover, such is the avenue that Ivan's creative potential through the playing of roles gives way to both cognitive and emotional exploration. This decision is informed by my reflection on both Piaget and Vygotsky. Ivan will, through the role-play scenarios, be able to practice dialogues, learn social roles, and be more emphatic-which are all important elements in his language and social development. The incorporation of these role-playing activities within the educational program will enrich not only his cognitive skills but also serve as a channel for the expression of emotions and the building up of social bonds. Family involvement has been an integral part of Ivan's learning journey. By having an understanding of the same, I feel compelled to create an educational program aimed at reinforcing collaboration between home and school. In the journal, I commented that family involvement in engagement creates reinforcement for learning, as is echoed in various educational frameworks [J5E].

Last but not least, it is the structure of Ivan's daily routine and its predictability that enhance stability in his learning environment. This decision is informed by reflecting on Erikson's theory. A daily schedule with a proper mix of free play, organized activities, and family involvement would provide predictability for Ivan (Samsanovich, 2021) [J6F]. It is concurrent with the theory that where a secure environment transforms into an environment that helps in the instigation of more initiative and self-confidence for better emotional and cognitive development in Ivan's life. In my journal, I noted that the three central aspects to be highlighted in Ivan's development were the incorporation of the key elements of play-based learning, family involvement, as well as planned social contact. I am, through reflection, committed to offering a learning environment supportive of all aspects of Ivan's physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development for a firm foundation in his future life.