Exploring Numeracy Through Play: Critical Reflections on Pedagogical Practice in Early Learning

Immersive Task

Over the two weeks of immersive numeracy PEX, Enrolled Educators are to provide two critical reflections. These reflections are centred around numeracy concepts, pedagogical practices. To enhance your reflection, consider referring to the Early Years Learning Framework, Developmental Milestones and any other relevant theory and/or research.

While it is important to include children’s voices in the reflection, it is very important that children identities are protected. 

Observation & Reflection 

Enrolled Educators are to observe and reflect on three numeracy.rich play experiences. One experience must be spontaneous, One experience must be planned, One can be either spontaneous or planned. 

For each experience, Enrolled educators are critically reflect on the Numeracy concepts being explored by the children and the Pedagogical practices of the educators involved. These reflections are also to include the child’s voice as a central aspect. 

Based on these reflections, propose 3–5 planning possibilities to extend children’s numeracy learning. 

Implementation & Reflection 

Enrolled Educators are to Select one of the planning possibilities and from week 1 and use it as the basis for a mini.Project consisting of at least three separate learning experiences. 

After each experience, critically reflect on how the children engaged with the identified numeracy concepts and how your chosen pedagogical approaches influenced the learning. Enrolled Educators are to reflect considerations to the learning environments, Routines and how the experiences changed or grew with each implementation.

The numeracy concepts that might be explored could include: 

• One to One Correspondence
• Sequencing 
• Cardinality 
• Subitizing 
• Number sense
• Measurement 
• Geometry/Space 
• Patterning 
• Data analysis

The teaching Pedagogies could include: 

• Susstained Shared Thinking 
• Purposeful pausing
• Modelling 
• Strategic Questions 
• Co.Constructive inquiry and investigation 
• Scaffolding 

Possible Numeracy Concepts

. One.to.One Correspondence
. Sequencing
. Cardinality
. Subitizing
. Number sense
. Measurement
. Geometry/Space
. Patterning
. Data analysis

Possible Pedagogical Approaches

. Sustained Shared Thinking
. Purposeful pausing
. Modelling
. Strategic questioning
. Co.constructive inquiry and investigation
. Scaffolding

Summary of Assessment Requirements

The Immersive Numeracy PEX Assessment requires Enrolled Educators to engage in a two-week reflective practice focusing on numeracy concepts and pedagogical approaches within early childhood learning environments.
The assessment is divided into two main components — Observation & Reflection and Implementation & Reflection — and aims to evaluate the educator’s ability to connect theory with practical teaching experiences.

Key Requirements:

1. Observation & Reflection (Week 1):

   • Observe and reflect on three numeracy-rich play experiences:

     • One spontaneous experience

     • One planned experience

     • One either spontaneous or planned experience

   • Critically reflect on:

     • Numeracy concepts explored (e.g., one-to-one correspondence, sequencing, subitizing, number sense, measurement, geometry, patterning, or data analysis).

     • Pedagogical practices used by educators (e.g., sustained shared thinking, purposeful pausing, modelling, strategic questioning, co-constructive inquiry, scaffolding).

   • Include children’s voices while maintaining confidentiality.

   • Refer to the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), Developmental Milestones, and relevant theories or research.

   • Based on reflections, propose 3–5 planning possibilities to extend children’s numeracy learning.

2. Implementation & Reflection (Week 2):

   • Select one planning possibility and design a mini-project of at least three learning experiences.

   • After each experience, critically reflect on:

     • Children’s engagement with numeracy concepts.

     • Impact of pedagogical approaches.

     • Learning environment, routines, and progression of experiences.

   • Demonstrate professional growth, reflective thinking, and application of theory into practice.

Process Followed by the Academic Mentor

Step 1: Understanding the Assessment Brief

The academic mentor began by helping the student interpret the assessment brief thoroughly. Together, they discussed the purpose of the immersive numeracy PEX — to integrate numeracy learning through play-based pedagogy. The mentor highlighted the importance of:

• Linking reflections to EYLF Learning Outcomes 4 & 5 (Children are confident and involved learners; Children are effective communicators).

• Demonstrating critical reflection instead of descriptive reporting.

• Protecting child identity while still capturing authentic child voices.

Step 2: Planning Observations

The mentor guided the student to select three diverse play experiences that would provide rich data for reflection:

1. Spontaneous Play – e.g., children sorting leaves or blocks by size and color.

2. Planned Experience – e.g., a teacher-led counting or measuring activity.

3. Flexible Choice – e.g., a pattern-making art project or building shapes with playdough.

Each experience was planned to showcase different numeracy concepts (such as sequencing, subitizing, or measurement) and teaching pedagogies (like scaffolding or strategic questioning).

Step 3: Observation and Note-Taking

During each play session, the student observed and recorded:

• Children’s actions and dialogue (to include their voice authentically).

• Educator interventions or teaching moments.

• Evidence of numeracy concepts being explored naturally.

The mentor emphasized the importance of objective documentation before moving into subjective reflection.

Step 4: Critical Reflection Development

The mentor guided the student to use reflective models such as Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle or Rolfe’s Framework (What? So What? Now What?) to deepen analysis.
Each reflection included:

• Identification of numeracy concepts (e.g., patterning, geometry).

• Pedagogical strategies observed.

• Connection to EYLF principles (Belonging, Being, Becoming).

• Inclusion of theoretical support from researchers such as Vygotsky (social constructivism) or Piaget (cognitive development).

• A reflection on children’s voices and learning outcomes.

Step 5: Proposing Planning Possibilities

Based on the reflections, the mentor helped the student develop 3–5 planning possibilities to further extend numeracy learning.
Examples included:

• Introducing measurement challenges in the sandpit.

• Setting up a pattern discovery table using natural materials.

• Creating story-based number sequencing activities.

Each plan included intended learning outcomes, materials, and how it aligned with EYLF outcomes and numeracy development milestones.

Step 6: Selecting and Implementing the Mini Project

The student then chose one planning idea (e.g., measurement exploration through water play) to design a mini numeracy project consisting of three connected experiences.

The mentor guided them to:

1. Identify the numeracy focus (measurement).

2. Design three progressive activities, e.g.:

   • Measuring cups and containers (capacity).

   • Comparing lengths using ribbons or strings.

   • Recording data on “Which container holds more?” charts.

3. Use pedagogical practices like questioning, modelling, and co-constructive inquiry throughout.

Step 7: Reflecting After Each Experience

After each learning experience, the student reflected on:

• How children engaged with the numeracy concept.

• What teaching strategies worked effectively.

• How the environment supported learning.

• How the experience evolved over time.

The mentor encouraged linking each reflection back to EYLF Learning Outcome 4 and numeracy developmental milestones (e.g., understanding of quantity, comparison, and spatial awareness).

Step 8: Synthesizing the Final Reflection

The final stage involved compiling the reflections into a cohesive report showing:

• Growth in children’s numeracy understanding.

• Progress in the educator’s pedagogical skills.

• Clear evidence of reflective practice and intentional teaching.

The mentor provided feedback on academic writing structure, coherence, and integration of theory, ensuring that the final piece met professional early childhood education standards.

Final Outcome and Learning Achievements

By the end of the assessment:

• The student demonstrated the ability to observe, analyze, and reflect critically on play-based numeracy experiences.

• They effectively applied pedagogical strategies such as sustained shared thinking, scaffolding, and modelling.

• The reflections were grounded in EYLF outcomes, Developmental Milestones, and theories of learning (Vygotsky’s scaffolding, Piaget’s constructivism).

• The mini project showcased progressive learning through intentional teaching and child-led exploration.

• The student achieved the learning objectives of:

  • Linking theory to practice.

  • Demonstrating reflective pedagogy.

  • Extending children’s numeracy through meaningful play.

  • Developing professional understanding of numeracy in early childhood contexts.

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