The Arts, Play and Young Children (EDUC91054)

This subject introduces and develops Teacher Candidates’ practical and theoretical understandings of learning in and through the arts and creative pedagogies in early childhood education. This subject references the Australian/Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Frameworks and Curricula (VEYLDF). Teacher Candidates engage with Drama, Music and Visual Arts in relation to the VEYLDF’s understandings of creative skills and play-based learning.

Arts-centred pedagogies will support the integral connection between the play, the arts, and creativity to engage young children in early childhood education. Indigenous perspectives are foregrounded to acknowledge and engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contributions to the arts and arts practices in early childhood education. Teacher Candidates will participate in arts processes and reflect critically and creatively on these through a range of practices that will extend their knowledge of planning and implementing arts experiences with young children.

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of this subject, Teacher Candidates should be able to:

• Investigate and articulate subject and pedagogical content knowledge and understanding of Arts teaching in early childhood.
• Integrate educational theories and practical approaches for teaching in and teaching through the Arts.
• Create a collection of resources (strategies, techniques, processes, ideas, tools, digital technologies) for planning, structuring, and sequencing learning programs that support participation and engagement for all learners in arts-based classroom experiences.
• Apply understandings of practical approaches to foreground Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, knowledges and cultures for teaching in and through the Arts.
• Analyse own developing capacity, confidence and agency for teaching in and through the Arts to engage young children.

Generic skills