Preschool Classroom Essay

Everything teachers plan and do should focus on the individual child. They tailor, adjust, and adapt the curriculum to fit each child in the program, rather than expecting children to fit the program (Elkind, 1987). It is imperative in a developmentally appropriate perspective that the curriculum and teaching methods be age appropriate, individually appropriate, and culturally appropriate (Bredekamp & Copple, 1997). This means considering and understanding similarities within an age group, and also recognizing each child’s individual differences. In a developmentally appropriate classroom, children are allowed to progress at their own rate, and both the curriculum and teaching strategies are relevant for all the children in the classroom. Thus, a great deal of flexibility is required, but this does not mean a total lack of structure and academics; rather, it means that the structure and academics of the program are based on individual and group needs and current understanding of child development (Raines, 1997).

As cognitive domain influences social domain, teachers must combine learning and development with emotional and physical domains. A developmentally appropriate curriculum is effectively based on what is known interrelationships and sequences of ideas. Teachers effectively must note and report every detail, maintain expectations no matter how challenging the environment is, achieve goals and have the framework for each child be the right amount and

The date of my observation was April 27th, 2010. It was about 9:30 in the morning when I began my study. I went to Grossmont College’s Child Development Center. The first thing I began looking for was if the child-teacher ratio was correct. The child ratio was 2 teachers to about every 8 children. The ratio was good. As I entered there was one large room that almost looked as if it could be two rooms they way it was set up. One half consisted of a large bookshelf with numerous books on it with a couch in the front of it. The other half of the room was almost like a little kitchen. It had a table with chairs around it with a sink and cabinets behind it. There were “age appropriate” toys as well as books all over the

The Reggio Emilia approach is an emergent curriculum because it is developed and shaped by the interests of the child, through negotiations between the child, parents and teachers. This is done in a Reggio classroom by in large and small group projects in which the children engage. The projects involve planning, hands-on activities, research, and representation through a variety of visual media. The observant teacher collects documentation which is a vital component of the Reggio philosophy in the form of written anecdotes, samples of children's work, photographs and videos. This information is used to reflect on the

As early childhood educators we all have our own philosophies and approaches to education. There are several types of early childhood programs. Each program has its own philosophies, methods, and program goals. Every early childhood educator is unique making each early childhood program experience special. Consistently, early childhood programs offer educational foundations that prepare young students for their educational futures. In this paper I will focus on comparing and contrasting two programs that stood out to me, Ridgeline Montessori and the Whitaker Head Start.

Early childhood is a time full of curiosity, exploration, creativity, excitement, and rapid development. During these formative years, children develop attitudes about education that remain with them for the rest of their lives (Kostelnik, Soderman, & Whiren, 2011). High quality early childhood education programs and highly effective, passionate teachers or care providers will not only promote young children’s development and academic achievement but will also foster a lifelong passion for learning. ECE programs and educators utilize learning centers to contribute to young children’s acquisition of literacy, numeracy, creative thinking, problem solving, and motor skills as well as a number of other skills and knowledge (Jarrett, 2010).

According to our text book, Early Childhood Education Today by George S. Morrison, the High Scope method is made up of five key elements and three basic goals that make up a curriculum aimed at the children’s different stages of development including intellectual and social skills along with encouraging constructive processes of learning. The first three principles include active participation, daily planning by teaching staff, and setting developmental goals for the children. In active participation, the children are encouraged to choose their activities and are observed by the teacher who acts as a guide. Regular daily planning requires a developmentally based curriculum with observation of the children, which are done by the teaching staff. High Scope uses “key developmental indicators” meaning that the activities support developmentally vital skills and abilities, so the teachers set developmentally sequenced goals based on those indicators.

Early childhood is a time of curiosity, a time for play, and a time of rapid development. Every child is unique and deserving of an early childhood education that facilitates academic, social, and developmental growth through a variety of enjoyable experiences. Differentiated instruction adapts content, products and processes to meet the diverse learning needs and preferences of students (Thousand, Villa, & Nevin, 2007). Friedrich Froebel, the creator of Kindergarten, believed that children grow and learn as they play (Bruno, 2009). Play-based instruction not only enables young learners to have fun, but it also encourages interactive and cooperative learning, passion for discovery, and a foundation for later learning experiences

“Reggio Emilia is an approach to education that originated in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Children are the emphasis of the program, it is child led and incorporates project based learning. Reggio Emilia is a flexible approach to curriculum, in Italian it is called progettazione. (Cross, 2006). The teachers generalize and wait to see what the children do with the topic and what type of prior knowledge they will used in the project. (Cross, 2006). The teacher may predict that the children will learn about a topic and based on the children’s reaction and prior knowledge. They may learn something else that was not expected by the teacher. Teachers take into consideration the interests of the child, encouraging children and parents to participate to provide provocations. (Cross, 2006). Family is an important role of Reggio Emilia. “Loris Malaguzzi who is the inspiration of Reggio Emilia preschools and founded the first non-Catholic preschool in Italy, strongly believe in connection with parents and believes in parent partnership to help build the whole child.” (Vodopivec, 2012). “The Reggio Emilia Approach was also known for incorporating many different developmentally practices in that were inclusive of early childhood special education” (Vakil, S, Freeman, R., & Swim, T. J,

Maria Montessori founded an education system which is called Montessori and still bares her name, her system is based on belief in the child’s creative potential, (Douglas, n.d.). Her first Casa Dei Bambini (Children’s house), where Maria was using her approach of teaching was opened in 1907 in Rome. She was great educator who believed that children are learning through their personal experience at their right time and their own pace. (Ridgway, 2007). Children rather than learning largely from what the teachers and the textbooks say, learn from “doing”,(Douglas, n.d.). To provide for children an effective, independent learning process, and that they become a competent and confident learner, Teacher had to provide for children a healthy, clean, well-prepared and well organised environment in which children could develop. Maria Montessori came up with idea that if children have to work and play independently, they have to be comfortable and need appropriately sized tools and items that fit their small hands (Mooney, 2000). Montessori believed that children learn through sensory experiences. Teacher has a responsibility to provide wonderful sights, textures, sounds, and smells for children. Sensory

Reflecting on class readings, class discussions, case study observations and activities, I find that testing and accountability is negatively impacting instruction in early childhood classrooms at three levels. First, I believe that in this era of high-stakes accountability teachers are being both implicitly and explicitly forced to teach to the test. For example, during my three classroom observations that I conducted, I witnessed how the lead teacher was more concerned about coverage of the material versus students actually understanding and being comfortable with the content. Consequently, I believe this teacher practice led to students misbehaving or not understanding additional problems. It appeared that children were not making connections about the information being taught and therefore were not able to see purpose and larger goals of the lesson (Krechevsky, Mardell, Rivard, & Wilson, 2013).

This analysis uses data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Program Kindergarten Class of 2010-11 (ECLS-K: 2011) a study supported by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) that tracks children’s educational experiences and development as they progress along the school system. Although, the ECLS-K: 2011 provides comprehensive data about multiple aspects of a child’s educational experience only select data points (11,027 degrees of freedom) were used in this analysis and are summarized in table 1.1.

The education of the young mind is an important step in preparing the child for future learning experiences. The evolution of early childhood education has changed how adults and parents view the importance of offering stimulating and exciting opportunities to the very young. Early childhood Education offers the young child learning experiences that benefit them throughout their educational career. They soon embark on a whole new world of learning. These children are not only experiencing standard brain growth, but verbal and physical skills as well. Early childhood education teachers use a variation of techniques for instructing. They use lesson plans, worksheets, and even teacher resources for these young minds.

Purpose: Review four articles about Early Childhood development. Description: Barnett and Belfield (2014) talk about a study that shows that three and four year old children that come from poor families with little education have a higher preschool attendance rate than other children. Gaynor (2015) talks about the early childhood development factors explaining the variance in school readiness among five year olds. Bridgemohan et al (2005) talks about how close contact and regular communication between home and school can help Early Childhood programs work better for everyone involved. Weber-Mayrer et al’s (2015) article is about how the educators also learn while they are teaching the children. Results: (self-explanatory)

In this term paper I will explore infant and toddler curriculum. I will discuss: the developmental themes in infancy, infant toddler curriculum, and the differences between preschool curriculum and appropriate infant toddler curriculum. In conclusion I will share some of my personal feelings about infant and toddler curriculum, including the challenges and rewards.