Standard 4

STANDARD 4. USING DEVELOPMENTALLY EFFECTIVE APPROACHES Candidates prepared in early childhood degree programs understand that teaching and learning with young children is a complex enterprise, and its details vary depending on children’s ages, characteristics, and the settings within which teaching, and learning occur. They a) understand and use positive relationships and supportive interactions as the foundation for their work with young children and families. Candidates b, c) know, understand, and use a wide array of developmentally appropriate approaches, instructional strategies, and tools to connect with children and families and d) positively influence each child’s development and learning (NAEYC, 2010).

 

 

 

Brief Description of Evidence: During the Summer semester in my ECED 243-Cognitive Curriculumclass, I completed an Invitation to learn documentation panel. During this assignment, I observed a few preschool aged kids. I observed what they enjoyed doing and were interested in. I then made a webbing of the activity I planned for them to do. I set up my activity in an aesthetically pleasing way. The children felt very invited to play with it. During the activity I observed the children and offered myself if they had any questions. I then created the documentation panel of this activity. The documentation panel will be very helpful for me and my students in the future.

 

 

Analysis of What I Learned: Throughout this project, I learned the process of how to do a documentation panel. This has made be become more thoughtful and aware when making lesson plans for my classroom. I researched the prepared environment by Maria Montessori, I learned that children gather more information through creativity and exploration rather than being handed information. After the students did this, I completely understood Montessori’s reasoning.

 

 

 

How This Artifact Demonstrates my Competence on the NAEYC Standard: I am competent in my ability in using developmentally effective approaches by allowing the children to explore in my documentation panel activity. By allowing the kids to dig for bones and be asked open ended questions, it has positively influenced myself and the children. I used the theory of The Prepared Environment by Maria Montessori.