Jerome Bruner

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Jerome Bruner

• Interactive learning for early education and
  childcare students

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Contents

• Section 1 Background information
• Section 2 Spiral curriculum
• Section 3 Scaffolding
• Section 4 Modes of representation
• Section 5 Summary

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Background information

• Jerome Bruner was born in New York in 1915 and
  continues to play an important role in the study
  of childrens development and learning. He
  developed earlier work carried out by Lev
  Vygotsky in the 1920s and 30s. Bruner believed
  that knowledge and learning were gained most
  effectively when children learned through
  personal discovery rather than being taught.

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Spiral Curriculum

• Bruner stated that any subject can be taught to
  any child at any age in some form that is honest
  (Bruner 1977)
• At a simple level, the science of baking scones
  would allow children to discover the texture of
  dry ingredients e.g. flour sugar, oily nature
  of margarine and the wet ingredient of milk.
  Combining ingredients to form a mixture would
  change the texture and finally the addition of
  heat from the oven would alter the consistency
  permanently.
• Now look carefully at the pictures in a similar
  but different context and decide how the
  childrens learning could be honest.

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The science of water
Apply your knowledge about spiral curriculum and
note the learning opportunities linked to the
pictures on the student activity sheet.
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More water fun!
Think about how these learning situations could
be honest for young children. Remember there may
be a variety of answers!
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Scaffolding

• Bruner believed that adults can support children
  by scaffolding their learning. He advocated
  that the adult should assist the child to move
  from where they are to where they want to go. It
  should stem from the childs interests and
  desires and scaffolding should support their
  learning.

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Images of scaffolding ?
Which picture is the odd one out and why?
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Modes of representation

• When adults represent something they are bringing
  back information from a previous experience.
  Bruner believes that this recall is processed in
  3 inter-related ways.
• Enactive mode
• Iconic mode
• Symbolic mode

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Enactive mode

• When we represent things through doing this is
  termed the enactive mode. This is an important
  aspect of early education and staff often focus
  on process rather than product.

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Iconic mode

• Children in early education and childcare
  settings are often encouraged to record
  experiences using photographs, pictures and now
  video tape.
• How might children record experiences of making
  dough?

12
Symbolic mode

• Bruner explains that children use the symbolic
  mode to represent something. When we write the
  word girl to mean a girl and the numeral 4 to
  represent the number four. In other words,
  children are using a code to show what they
  mean.
• How might children express themselves continuing
  with the dough scenario?

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Variety of codes

• Children use a variety of symbolic codes to
  express themselves including
• Drawing painting
• Dancing
• Imaginative play
• Making models
• Language
• Numeracy

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Check your learning

• Now check your learning by matching the
  statements in this exercise.
• Without the web, you could try this matching
  activity
• Now check your overall knowledge with a quiz just
  for fun!
• Without the web, you could try this quiz just for
  fun!

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Links to practice Spiral curriculum

• Spiral curriculum remains valid in early
  education
• Dry/wet sand
• Science of dough
• Building blocks
• Think how the above topics could be explored in
  early education and childcare settings.

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Revision

• Scaffolding works if staff are alert and
  responsive to childrens learning needs. Adults
  need to be clued in to children's thoughts in a
  sensitive manner and nurture the childs learning
  rather than impose their ideas on it. It is
  almost an intuitive experience.

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Revision

• Enactive mode by doing
• Iconic mode by making an image/picture
• Symbolic mode by using symbols/codes

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Modes of representation in practice

• Encourage children to be active in the nursery.
• Promote recording of experiences through
  photographs/videotape.
• Provide opportunities for scribbling and early
  writing skills.

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Summary

• The work of Jerome Bruner remains influential in
  early education settings today as he continues to
  explore how children play, learn and develop.
• Now you have had an introduction to his work,
  look at the books and find out more!

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References

• Bruce, T.(2005). 3rd edition Early Childhood
  Education. London Hodder Arnold.
• Lindon, J. ( 2001). Understanding Childrens
  Play. Cheltenham Nelson Thornes.
• www.quia.com