FINAL EXAM

outline for an integrated thematic study

1. topic 2. children 3. rationale 4. goals 5. major understandings 6. resources 7. environment additions 8. trips 9. activities (introductory, to build understanding, culminating) 10. assessment

principles, authority, experimentally, admit mistakes

A teacher needs to be a person so secure within herself that she can function with ___ rather than prescriptions, that she can exert ___ without requiring submission, that she can work ___ but not at random and that can ____ ____ without feeling humiliated.

you observe children with 3 objectives

to find out their 1. strengths 2. interests 3. needs

curriculum ctd.

- Art + Science of teaching = pedagogy (professional teaching) - How is early childhood curriculum different than older grades? --always responsive to the children's needs and interests --environmental design is the third teacher --play and child-directed activities --developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) --intentionality (continuous adjustments and planning as you go- not prefixed at the beginning of the term) GROSS MOTOR (large muscles- arms, legs, torso- strength, endurance, flexibility, coordination) vs FINE MOTOR (small muscles- builds control, agility, coordination of fingers, hands, wrists, arms) SENSORY - music, singing, instruments, water table (add snow to FIGURE 10.7!), body awareness, playdough/clay, finger painting, cooking, gardening LANGUAGE -Incidental (modeling, interacting) and planned activities -Language rich relationships: conversations, stories, listen, lead activity -Child's eye level, listen, take turns, respect, not a quiz (GOLDEN RULES FOR HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH A YOUNG CHILD pg. 356) LITERACY -phonological awareness- words are made of sounds (phonemes), rhyming is one skill -print knowledge- rules about print: left to right, top to bottom, must read what is there and can't make it up, print vs pictures, cover of book -lots of name activities- highly motivated by their name (make it with magnetic letters, how many letters in it, which names in our class have Z's?, make it in a tray of sand, etc) -read aloud to children who are reading at every level- not just those who can't read -when appropriate let them watch you write on the board/poster so they see the action- don't go too fast or too slow -High quality experiences: Read books, have many books, act out stories, hear recorded books, PRINT: use print often for authentic, practical reasons: lists, recipes, notes signs, read directions, look up things, information books, CREATIVE: Take dictation of made up stories, writing center, scribble writing, mock letters, invented spelling -have chapter books- especially in Kindergarten and up national geographic is a FANTASTIC publisher of nonfiction- must have lots of nonfiction -literature must be diverse racially and in all other ways CREATIVE ARTS -Materials and experiences that inspire creative expression -Public artwork, listen to music, attend dance and drama productions, play video clips -Children disclose private thoughts, feelings and ways of perceiving ART -it's physical and sensory - it is often about the process not the product -As they mature art is the process for constructing understanding, create meaning, express what they know -Gain motor control, perceptual discrimination, vocabulary, learn about materials, problem solving, aesthetic awareness BASIC PROCESSES DRAWING PAINTING PRINT MAKING COLLAGE AND CONSTRUCTION MODELING AND SCULPTING ELEMENTS OF ART LINE COLOR SHAPE SPACE DESIGN Art is important for what it is to children NOW avoid asking what they have created, instead: COMMENT ON: Effort - you worked on your painting for a long time today Innovation - when you used the crayon on the side , you made a different kind of line Technique- you made lots of different dots in this piece Color - the green looks so vibrant Line - you used thick and thin lines in your painting Shape - what a lot of circular shapes in your collage Space - your x is almost as tall as x Design - curved lines on this part of the paper and straight lines on this part GIVE CAREFUL ATTENTION TO 1. PRESENTATION OF MATERIALS AND 2. TO DISPLAYING THEIR WORK TRUE CRAFT is incredibly different than coloring books and look-alike patterns like jack-o-lanterns, etc. INQUIRY -Children are curious; they seek information -Purpose of inquiry is not to learn facts, but to learn to think flexibly, inquire, wonder, solve problems and construct understanding of the world. -talk with them (not to them) as they observe/explore- this enhances their learning significantly -skills/activities: explore, identify, classify, compare, hypothesize, generalize MATH key concepts: matching, sorting, ordering, numeracy (1 to 1 correspondence, numeral ID), adding and subtracting as actions, counting, patterns, measurement, shapes, size, data analysis SCIENCE life- plants, animals physical- properties of materials (motion, temperature, magnets) earth- soil, rocks, clouds, weather, water SOCIAL STUDIES psychology- emotions and social behavior expectations and rules and friendship and morals sociology- community jobs cultural anthropology- race, class, age, gender, cultures economics- money/goods and services/saving and spending political science- presidents, voting, election day geography- maps, earth's features history- holidays (avoid this curriculum whenever possible), long ago vs today

5 and 3

Generally children attend preschool or child care centers under the age of ___ and kindergarten through grade __ are housed in elementary schools. This makes it challenging to see the field of early childhood ed. as a whole.

employee, collegially, legal, ethical

Professional behavior involves being a good ___, behaving ___, and knowing the ___ and ___ responsibilities of the field.

focus of reggio teacher-child relationships

What are teachers not focusing on as much as traditional US teachers tend to focus on? → there is the idea of "teachers as partners" which means in order to plan, teachers listen and observe the children very closely. Teachers ask questions to understand the children's hypotheses and ideas, and then use those ideas in their curriculum. → teachers are not focusing as much on the certain levels and standards that students are expected to reach by a certain age, rather the focus is on discovery

knowledge, skill, sensitivity, creativity, and hard work

Working with young children is varied and challenging; it demands __, __, __, __, __.

resiliency

a person's ability to handle a difficult situation

second article reggio stuff

What Can We Learn From Reggio Emilia? - We use the term project work to refer to in-depth studies of particular topics undertaken by small groups of young children. It is designed to help young children make deeper and fuller sense of events and phenomena in their own environment and experience that are worth of attention. - Children are encouraged to make their own decisions and choices, usually in cooperation with their peers, about the work to be undertaken. We assume that such work increases childrens' confidence in their own intellectual powers, and strengthens their dispositions to go on learning. - Drawings alone would mean relatively little without the teachers' documentation of what the children said about what they observed and experienced. The children's' recorded comments and discussions provided teachers with knowledge of the children's levels of understanding and misunderstanding of these everyday phenomena. - When the topic of a project is very familiar to the children, they can contribute to the project from their own knowledge, and suggest questions to ask and lines of investigations to pursue; the children themselves can take leadership in planning, can assume responsibilities for specific observations and for information and artifacts to collect. - If the topic of a project is exotic and outside of the children's direct experience they are dependent upon the teacher for most of the questions, ideas, information, thinking, and planning. - Another value of project work is that extended studies of particular phenomena undertaken in project work give young children an early experience of knowing and understanding a topic in depth. - Unlike the custom in the U.S., the visual representations are not just decorative products to be taken home at the end of the day, most likely never to be looked at or discussed again; in Reggio Emilia they serve as resources for further exploration and deepening knowledge of the topic. - Teachers transcribe the recorded comments and the discussions of the children at work; with this documentation, the drawings are "read" and "reread" by the teaching staff as a basis for planning next steps in the exploration of the topic. - Children's extensive experience of drawing from observation does not appear to inhibit their desire or ability to draw, paint, and so on, from the imagination. - The visual arts are integrated into the work simply as additional "languages" available to young children not yet very competent in conventional writing and reading; the arts are not taught as a subject, a discipline, as a discrete set of skills, or treated in other ways as a focus of instruction for its own sake. - It should be kept in mind that the Reggio Emilia children - especially the younger ones - engage in many other activities besides project work. - Individuals cannot just relate to each other: They have to relate to each other about something. Reggio Emilia practices is, in contrast, that to a large extent the content of teacher-child relationships is focused on the work itself, rather than mainly on routines or the children's performance on academic tasks. - [Teachers] seem more intent on listening closely to the children's suggestions and questions, probing their thinking, making suggestions, encouraging children to respond to each others' ideas, and they are especially more attentive to the risk of over assisting the children. - A program has intellectual vitality if the teacher's individual and group interactions are mainly about what the children are learning, planning, and thinking about their work, play, and each other, and only minimally about the rules and routines. - I frequently wondered how such an exceptional level of competence in graphic representations was achieved. One hypothesis is that they work so studiously because they have some level of awareness of what the adults care about, what the adults think is interesting, worth doing, worth probing, or worth of their time and serious attention. - The buildings in which their preprimary schools are housed are more like large homes than most of our preschools, and certainly more so than our typical kindergartens within elementary schools. - The children are free to work and play without the frequent interruptions and transitions so common in most of our early childhood programs. It seems to me that the majority of our early childhood programs are organized into a rigid timetable, and are often one-shot, activities started, packed up, and put away within prespecified time periods, usually counted in minutes. - Alongside the children's work are photographs of the children at work, transcriptions of their questions, and comments made in the course of their work are also displayed. In this way, the children can easily share their actual school experiences (and not just their products) with their parents. The enthusiasm of the children and the interest of the parents in children's work helps strengthen the involvement of the parents in the children's learning, provides a rich basis for parent-child discussion, and deepens parents' understanding of the nature of learning in the early years. - The approach to curriculum seems to be that each individual child's characteristics, aptitude, needs, and interests are examined and monitored by extensive and detailed recordkeeping and documentation. - Young children do not have to take work home every day; when they do, the work is not being used for their learning.

same

major understandings are the ___ thing as big ideas

What are ECE programs focusing more on now? What should they shift back to? Why?

→ focusing more on math and literacy skills → child outcomes rather than experiences become the focus → training rather than learning → not learning with manipulatives and free drawing but this is what they should shift back to

How can a teacher balance academic standards and report cards with play?

→ learn through play → explore what they're interested in which makes the children more willing to work/focus hard

How has KG changed over the years? What are some examples of activities not appropriate for this age? What is a better way to teach the same objectives?

→ we push KG to do more sooner → shift from a focus on children to a focus on literacy and math → "child outcomes rather than child experiences" → report card much more formal now → ECE piece of KG is slowly fading → play is much less free form → inappropriate for a young KG to be shown the entire alphabet in one day because it jars them.

What are some elements of a "hybrid kindergarten"?

→ addresses all areas of development → time for whole group, small group, and individual activities → intellectually stimulating/engaging → devotes real time to play

zone of proximal development

(ZPD): things a child can do only with help (developmentally appropriate) → VYGOTSKY

4 goals of ECE

- "development of whole-child" → social, emotional, physical, intellectual development (academic/cognitive lang) - academic learning → give kids skills they need to succeed in later schooling - amelioration (helping improve the lives of kids who don't have access) of the effects of poverty & deprivation on children - instilling culture → social expectations, morals/values of where you live

factors that affect child development

- $ → determines living, school choices (NURTURE) - environmental factors (NURTURE) - genes and health (NATURE) - support system that children have (NURTURE) - family beliefs/culture, their history with school, expectations -exposure -> isolated family, shut-in = different life experiences (NURTURE) - interactional relationships → family, peers, teachers (NURTURE) - pre-natal (NATURE) NURTURE=ENVIRONMENT/BEGINS AT CONCEPTION NATURE=GENES/PURELY PHYSICALITY/HEALTH/UNCHANGEABLE

head start/early head start

- 3-5 years old - for low income families - also provides parents with lessons on parenting - provides children w/ school readiness (gives them a HEAD START on kindergarten) - eligible based on financial status - low-income families, federally funded - focuses on social, emotional, physical & academics → not just school - involves family - one solution to closing the gap b/w people who have $ and people who don't → getting great schooling for free -------------------------------------------------------------- - birth to 3 years old

intentional teaching

- A major theme in this course, and in the Boston University's early childhood program - When teachers have purpose behind every decision they make and skill in articulating the reasons for their actions. When they decide on goals for child development, think through possible actions, and decide on strategies that will achieve these goals. When they have a solid base of knowledge of development, research and pedagogy, and relevant standards & know how to draw on these to meet goals while also adapting to individual differences in children.

full inclusion

- typically developing kids spend time w/ disability kids → mixed classroom → familiarity - mixed b/c it's important to include them in regular classroom b/c disabled kids gain communication & social skills - disabled kids see typical behavior & hear typical lang. → exposed to what we want them to be exposed to - allows least restrictive environment to happen → special help/leaving room for extra help

more reggio stuff

- All children have preparedness, potential, curiosity, and interest in constructing their learning, in engaging in social interaction, and in negotiating with everything the environment brings to them. - Education has to focus on each child- not each child considered in isolation but each child seen in relation with other children, with the family, with the teachers, with the environment of the school, with the community, and with the wider society. Each school in - Reggio Emilia is viewed as a system in which all of these relationships, which are all interconnected and reciprocal, are activated and supported. - Parent participation is considered essential and helps ensure the welfare of all children in the school. - The layout of physical space encourages encounters, communication, and relationships. - The arrangement of structures, objects, and activities encourages choices, problem solving, and discoveries in the process of learning. - In preparing the space, teachers offer the possibility for children to be with the teachers and many of the other children, or with just a few of the children, or even alone. - Children's own sense of time and their personal rhythm are considered in planning and implementing activities and projects to provide sufficient time to complete projects and activities with satisfaction. - To know how to plan and proceed with their work, teachers listen to and observe children closely. Teachers discover the children's ideas, hypotheses, and theories; and provide occasions for discovery and learning. - Teachers engage in continuous discussion and interpretation of their work as well as of the work of and with children. Those exchanges provide permanent, ongoing training and theoretical enrichment. Teachers see themselves as researchers, preparing documentation of their work with children, whom they also consider researchers. - From the details of each teachers' schedule, to the planning of meetings with families to the children's diet, everything is discussed and organized with precision and care. - The curriculum is not established in advance. Teachers express general goals and make guesses about what direction the activities and projects might take; consequently, they make appropriate preparations. Curriculum emerges in the process of each activity or project and is flexibly adjusted accordingly. - Projects may start either from a chance event, an idea or problem posed by one or more children, or an experience initiated directly by teachers. - A teacher trained in the visual arts works closely with the other teachers and the children in every preprimary school. This teacher is called atelierista, and a special space, workshop, or studio, called atelierista, is set aside and used by all the children and teachers. - The Reggio Emilia schools and their approach to early childhood education are not considered "experimental."

diverse learners

- All general education students are eligible for psychological counseling/therapy as-needed. So if you think that's needed, talk to someone! - For children who are chronically sick and absent, public schools must provide at-home schooling after a certain number of expected absences. So look into what your district's policy is. - If you feel overwhelmed working with children who need more academic challenge than you are used to providing, meet with a teacher one grade above yours- or two grades above. - If you are sharing tough messages about a child's performance at school and the parents aren't taking it well, suggest they take some time to think it all over and meet again in a week or so.

diverse learners

- Avoid overprotecting children- it could make it obvious that you think someone is less competent than her/his classmates. And they may copy you and baby him/her or avoid/exclude the child. - If you're not feeling confident about how to teach and support a child with needs, ask to observe colleagues who do it well, or ask to meet with them

guidance

- Helping children learn how to direct and manage their own behavior while considering their own needs, as well as those of others. - Every decision should be based on genuine appreciation and respect for children and sound knowledge of child development. - The quality of the relationship between children and teacher is critical to both a child's perception of him/herself as a person and learner, and to the whole learning experience. - Know the difference between unacceptable versus annoying/challenging behaviors --> know age-appropriate behaviors --> some need guidance, don't ignore but don't be impatient

relationships

- built on COMMUNICATION - How you say it, as important as what you say: get down to child's eye level and pay attention to expressions, sounds, posture, tension, touch - Sometimes adults are bossy, rude, brusque, insincere or condescending to children - less talk is more - Relate to children in a way that is authentic- not cute, no "use walking feet"- just say "you can walk" or "go back and walk" - Listen and perceive meaning accurately- this is hard when learning how to teach whole group lessons in the beginning but you'll get lots of practice

public preK

- can be in a school or or community building up until 5 y/o - starts before age 3 - intended to get you school-ready - depends on where you live → funded by state

school readiness

- child's preparation for the next grade - determines readiness for kindergarten → emotionally, intellectually, energy-level wise - everyone is ready → they want & take everybody and meet needs - life skills are more useful when determining readiness → independence

diverse learners

- If a parent ever says they want their child evaluated, you MUST IMMEDIATELY tell the family they must submit that request in writing and give it to or tell your principal or special education coordinator- public schools are legally obligated to do the evaluation and within a certain time period from the date the request is delivered. Do not, ever encourage a parent to make this request without being told by your principal or special education coordinator (not special education teacher) that you should. You could get in trouble for this!

violent play

- Imitation and repetition can sometimes replace imagination and creativity - Reasons children are attracted to violent play: POWER ACTION AND THRILLS REALISTIC WEAPONRY MEDIA EXPOSURE - Strategies for coping: DECIDE ON LIMITS THAT INCLUDE NO HURTING OR BULLYING OR "FIGHTING" OR SHOOTING OBSERVE MEANING OF THEIR PLAY MODEL BAD-GUY EMPATHY SHOOTING, CRASHING, YELLING CAN DISTURB OTHERS BRAINSTORM WITH THEM ALTERNATIVE SCENARIOS: rescuing someone from something dangerous instead of from a bad guy, training to be someone with an energetic job (firefighter, athlete, circus performer), playing any other character (marine biologist, pilot, artist, musician, teacher, doctor, garbage collector, scientist, etc)

IEP

- Individualized Education Plan for ages 3-22 - it is a legal document outlining the student's current performance in most domains, what services the child was found eligible to receive (after being formally tested by specialists at school using standardized tests)- it goes with the child when he/she moves to another town or state and MUST be fulfilled by law- it gets reviewed and updated every year- the child gets reevaluated every 3 years - services they might receive: academic support (literacy and/or math), speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and/or psychological therapy

play

- Intrinsically motivated: satisfaction is the reason, not because rewarded - Freely chosen: not compulsory - Pleasurable, enjoyable, engaging - Process-oriented: discovery and creation rather than product (this changes some as children get older) - Active: physical, mental, verbal, even day-dreaming - Self-oriented rather than object-oriented: what can I do with this object, not what is this object - Is often non-literal: pretend play (also known as dramatic play) is the pinnacle of play: "suspend and alter reality" - John Dewey: Through play children construct understanding - Freud: Catharsis - feel grown up, powerful and relieve anxiety - Piaget: Medium for cognitive development - Vygotsky: vehicle for cognitive, social, emotional development - Bridge between what child understands and will soon understand with support from others - Current research: helps children to self-regulate or control physical, emotional, cognitive, social, linguistic behavior

Part of your planning must involve thinking if the activity should be:

- Large, small, partner, or independent work - One time, available all week, available until interest wanes, etc - Should be homogenous or heterogeneous groupings (same ability level vs mixed abilities) - One learning block, or broken into more than so it's completed over a few days - Repeated (and for all, or for some? Or in a new way?)

guidance goals

- Long-term: 1. Build inner self-control, discipline, and ability to regulate behavior 2. Develop resiliency (can handle difficult scenarios and can recover quickly), self-confidence, and sense of self-direction 3. Develop skills for critical thinking and reasoning Skills for living in a community: cooperation, responsibility, empathy Short-term: 1. Ensure safety of themselves and others 2. Respect and care for feelings and rights of others and themselves 3. use toys, tools, and materials carefully

more reggio emilia stuff

- Major philosophers and theoreticians such as Piaget and Vygotsky did not provide direct guidance about how to implement their theories in schools; although Dewey related his theories to practice more clearly, his school did not endure for many decades. unlike those who inspired and influenced his work, Malaguzzi developed his theory and philosophy of early childhood education from direct practice in schools for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. - In Reggio Emilia, practice drives theory, rather than the opposite, and may even be ahead of theory development. - Without attention to the central importance of teachers and parents , our view of children is incomplete; therefore, our proposition is to consider a triad at the center of education- children, teachers, and families. - Our goal is to create an amiable school - that is, a school that is active, inventive, livable, documentable, and communicative. Our aim is to make a school that is a place of research, learning, revisiting, reconsideration, and reflection. - active exploration and creative production by educators and children proceed without complete certainty but with a shared representation of the point of destination, the ultimate goal. - Strategies will be modified along the way - new methodologies and ways of proceeding will be mirrored in the corresponding activities, strategies, and methodologies used by the children. - The loneliness, the separation, the indifference, and violence that more and more characterize modern life undermine our proposal for a system of education based on relationships. We view relationships not simply as a warm, protective backdrop or blanket but as a coming together of elements interacting dynamically toward a common purpose . - From their observations, adults decide what activities to select and how to respond, following as much as possible the motivations and interests of the children. - We consider small groups the most favorable type of classroom organization for an education based on relationships. Small-group activities involving two, three, or four children are most desirable, allowing for the most efficient communication. In small groups, complex interactions are more likely to occur, constructive conflicts take place, and self-regulatory accommodations emerge. - For exchanges among children to become more cooperative, the ages and developmental levels of the children in the group should not be too different. A more homogeneous age-group helps to inform the planning and decisions.

reggio emilia stuff

- More than 10,000 international educators have visited the schools. - The exhibit that described Reggio Emilia's educational approach and documented the learning process through children's work and educator's reflections was called " The 100 Languages of Children." - In June 1993 the founder of the Reggio schools, Professor Loris Malaguzzi, and several of the key pedagogical leaders, Sergio Spaggiari, Carlina Rinaldi, and Tiziana Filippini, visited the United States and were honored guests at NAEYC Headquarters. - Both education and care are considered necessary to provide a high-quality, full-day program. - These program combine the concept of social services with education. - In Reggio Emilia the city-run educational system for young children originated in schools started by parents, literally built with their own hands, at the end of World War II. - Children from all socioeconomic and educational backgrounds attend the programs. - In Italy about 90% of children three to six years old attend some kind of school. In Reggio Emilia 95% of preschool-age children are enrolled. Children with disabilities are given first priority for enrollment. - Educators in Reggio Emilia have no intention of suggesting that their program should be looked at as a model to be copied in another country; rather, their work should be considered as an educational experience that consists of practice and careful reflection that is continuously readjusted. - From the beginning of their unique school program, the educators in Reggio Emilia have been avid readers of John Dewey, and over the years, in addition to studying Piaget, Vygotsky, and other European scientists, they have continued to keep abreast of the latest research in child development and education in the United States. - The following principles, or fundamental ideas, are presented one by one for the sake of clarity, but they must be considered as a tightly connected, coherent philosophy, in which each point influences and is influenced by all the others.

stages of social play (parten)

- Unoccupied - playing with buttons, fingers, etc. fleeting interest - Onlooker - watching others - Solitary - Playing alone with objects (dominates in infancy) - Parallel - Side by side, may have some awareness of each other (toddler) - Associative - Playing in same area, sharing materials (preschool), brief or extended interactions - Cooperative - children play together to sustain play episodes with joint themes, plan, negotiate, share responsibility and leadership

diverse learners

- One way to establish a climate of respect, privacy, and keep special education services not a big deal, call all their time out of the classroom 'meetings'. Instead of saying, "Sara, look: Mrs. Brown is here. Time for speech!" try saying, "Sara, look: Mrs. Brown is here. Time for your meeting!" Children have to leave and meet with teachers for all sorts of things, not just special education and this makes things an even playing field. Plus when you need to meet with a child in the hall, or over in the corner for a private talk or to do a formal assessment, you can say, "Come have a meeting with me." Or "It's your turn to have a meeting with me." Plus, when you are absent for some or all of the day, you can announce, "I have a meeting [after snack] today, but I'll be back [tomorrow]. Remember, all the rules are still the same when I'm gone and Mr. Chen will tell me all about the good choices you make while I'm gone."

curriculum and assessment

- Only a quarter of the job of being an ECE is working directly with children. Another quarter is ___ and ___. - Because young children cannot be separated from the context of their families, relating to and working with parents of these children is an important part of being an ECE. Being an ECE comes with the responsibility of transitioning children between home and school. Working with families may be challenging, as it involves a range of skills similar to and very different from the ones used with children. Working with others involves understanding roles and responsibilities and being a good colleague by treating the people around you well.

role of play in all areas of development

- PHYSICAL - helps with a child's gross skills such as stamina, strength, and fine skills - EMOTIONAL- they are in control → sense of mastery, can discover ways to express themselves, practice self-control through cooperation - SOCIAL- learn how to initiate, take turns, use social language, learn about rules/values, about fairness and justice, and make connections to peers - COGNITIVE- learn how to set goals, how to plan, how to focus, how to organize their approach, construct ideas on how the physical and social world works, dramatic play → develops abstract thinking - INTEGRATION AMONG ALL DOMAINS- they are engaged in all aspects of themselves as a whole person, can fully express who they are and what they can do and what they know and feel - Play may not be understood or supported by families or colleagues- be prepared to talk about it with them all

stages of play (piaget)

- Practice or functional play - repeating actions to learn about objects - Symbolic play - use one object to represent another, mental symbols and imagery - Games with rules - conform to goals and expectations - Constructive play - child uses real obj to build a representation of something according to a plan (play dough bird nest) - Dramatic & sociodramatic play - kids pretend to be someone or something & use actions/words/obj to represent things or situations (acting as a dog, saying "woof")

social v emotional competency

- social = understand others and respond in socially appropriate ways - emotional = understand your own feelings and manage them (not too much in either direction) *often interconnected *these must be taught explicitly → instead of just "be kind" you may need to be specific "your face/voice looks/sounded annoyed. is something bothering you? oh! so instead of saying 'move' try 'i was sitting there and got up to use the bathroom. do you mind sitting there?'"

current trends affecting quality play in our children's lives

- SEDENTARY ACTIVITY SUBSTITUTED FOR PLAY - UNSAFE TO PLAY OUTSIDE - HURRIED / OVERSCHEDULED LIFESTYLES

diverse learners

- Sometimes people view behavior disorders as the only disability that is 'intentional'. It is important to view challenging behaviors as a set of skills the child lacks that you will help teach them. You will teach the child self-control, calming strategies, kinder ways to communicate their feelings and desires, and how to repair damaged relationships. Even if a child is trying to hurt you, you will be more effective at changing that behavior in the future if you remain respectful, calm, and patient. That's different from 'letting them get away with it' or soothing them while they tantrum because they're so distraught.

roles of teacher

- Stage manager: Ample and developmentally appropriate: Time, space, equipment, materials - selecting and organizing, artful arrangement to distinguish figure/ground relationships so choices are evident and not confusing and overwhelming - Observer: observe carefully and assess what you see based on knowledge of child development and play and your knowledge of that particular child - Protector and Mediator: Safe from harm and free of interference - collaborate with children rather than trying to discipline, enforce rules, and set limits. Instead help children work out conflicts with each other unless they can do that themselves. As protector you enter play to ensure safety and order. Help a shy, anxious or rambunctious latecomer find a role in the play. Make judgment as to how materials are being used - enhancing the play when a bowl becomes a hat or causing overwhelming disorder. ex. separating a pair of kids who can't seem to stop fighting over blocks or art supplies - Participant: Historically keeping out of children's play was recommended (except as stage manager or observer) since interference might interfere with psychological development. But research now indicates otherwise: Adults signal that play is valued, children play longer and learn new play behaviors from watching you, builds rapport with children; Children stay in control, adult enriches with questions, vocab - But don't become the focus or director. Follow their lead. Maybe give a suggestion or respond to them, but always try to get them back in the "driver's seat" and get them to focus on one another instead of on you whenever possible. - Tutor: Not all children develop play skills (trauma or no time or value or developmentally delayed). Teacher can introduce "let's pretend" idea in a spontaneous play episode - not changing the play by introducing new themes or directing activity. Instead, provide the missing skill. ex. child does not know how to engage in symbolic play, so tutor says "let's pretend my block is a cupcake..what is your block today?"

NAEYC

- The first item in the National Association of Education for Young Children reads, "Above all, we shall not harm children. We shall not participate in practices that are emotionally damaging, physically harmful, disrespectful, degrading, dangerous, exploitative, or intimidating to children. This principle has precedence over all others in this Code - NAEYC's mission is to serve and act on behalf of the needs, rights and well-being of all young children with primary focus on the provision of educational and developmental services and resources (NAEYC Bylaws, Article I., Section 1.1). - their mission is based on three major goals and guidelines: Bettering well-qualified practitioners and improving the conditions these professionals work in, improving early childhood education by working to deliver a high-quality system of supporting early childhood programs, and encouraging excellence in childhood education for all children by constructing an extraordinary, all-around organization of groups and individuals who are committed to promoting excellence in early childhood education for all young children.

diverse learners

- When classmates ask questions about a child with a more obvious delay or disability think VERY CAREFULLY about how to answer. Make sure you balance between keeping information that is truly confidential out of your answer (ask colleagues what this info might be), and not making the disability a bigger deal by being factual. Keep it brief. If it's a child who is linguistically and cognitively able to, send the classmate to ask him/her directly!

activity plan v lesson plan

- activity plan: a detailed written design for a single curriculum event in preschool - lesson plan: a detailed written design for a single curriculum event in elementary schools and special ed settings - they specify objectives, list needed materials, describe teaching procedures, and outline ways to assess success in achieving the objectives

kindergarten

- ages 5 to 6 - fed gov pays for half day & local gov can decide if they will pay - not official year of school - legal to not send kid to it (maybe b/c $) - now has full day - used to be all play, now very academic

development

- all developmental domains affect all developmental domains - all humans learn to walk before run - development varies at an individual level (we don't all learn to walk at 18 months, skip steps- sitting to walking (no crawling)) - development is influenced by both nature and nurture - young children often misunderstands social context/concepts -- i.e on accident vs. on purpose --reading intentions

guidance tips

- avoid empty praise, comment on efforts and interests versus evaluating product - avoid I statements- instead of "I like how everyone is sitting quietly." try "Everyone is sitting so quietly! You must be ready to learn! Let's begin." --> BE OBJECTIVE, don't show preference - conflict resolution- watch first, can they self-solve?, teach them to self-solve, focus on solution vs blame but notice all responsible parties (most often both were to blame- often unintentionally) - when you notice a reoccurring problem look at the physical environment or schedule- for example: does furniture need rearranging to make more room for children to get in and out somewhere? do they need to eat snack earlier or do you need to lengthen your writing block? - state what you want the child to do, rather than what not to do → instead of "Don't throw the ball at the window." try "You can throw the ball over there. Want help finding a friend?" - redirect instead of distract - if a toddler intentionally pours water on the floor: instead of "Stop! Clean that up so no one falls." try "Pouring water is fun isn't it? Let's clean this up so no one falls. I'll show you where we can pour lots of water!" [then bring them to the water table] (distraction = their efforts aren't valuable, redirection = provides an appropriate replacement behavior with respect for what they are doing) - classroom management suggestions (indicate what to do rather than what not to do when correcting behavior & give a reason for your direction) - group time box (golden rules: make a plan, have an attention grabber, be organized, demonstrate enthusiasm, mix it up, be flexible, be positive, be dramatic, use the unexpected, quit while you're ahead)

types of play

- body and movement - physical play (3 girls skipping in a circle. a boy joins in on this and they do this until the teachers bring out paint) - object - exploring & manipulating obj (children are playing in the block area and making individual towers. a boy and a girl are trying to determine whose tower is taller. ---- kids are at the art table using play dough. they manipulate it to make creations, and decide that one of the color is dried up and can't be used) - rough & tumble - play fighting - imaginative - pretend (play house, act out a story they create) - games - structured play w/ goals, rules (board game, ball game, individual or team)

guidance tips

- children are good, worthy, and lovable → so if they are doing something annoying or inappropriate figure out why- think of it as a mystery not a hassle - responding to difficult behavior (golden rules: observe child closely and think about what behavior means, emphasize that school is a safe place, offer two acceptable choices when you want children to change their behavior, give real choices, allow children to save face, focus on solutions rather than causes) - natural and logical consequences (natural: child pours paint down the drain, paint is gone; logical: leaving game out results in missing game pieces, leaving game out means no games for rest of the week) - all rooms need a place to calm down- mine was an empty table, chair, tissue box, beautiful ocean photograph poster- taught them how to use the space- can request to go and I would tell them if they needed to go- if they abused going, then they were denied or given a limit of how often- this is for anxiety, cruelty, intentional annoying choices, noncompliance challenging behavior (especially aggression and frequent noncompliance)

debatable nature of curriculum

- children learn more things sooner → changes teaching through play to through paper/pencil/book - if you don't teach through play, child has narrow set of experiences & impacts development → active engagement is helpful

licensing/quality standards/accredidation

- depends on the state - takes a long time to be accredited - teachers rarely paid to do it - once licensed, you can teach - ask to be accredited if your school is amazing and sets a good example/is doing everything right - took a certain # of classes - passed a test - private organization - every school varies for licensing - formal education that you're trained enough - accreditation: apply to get your preschool accredited if you think it's outstanding, NAEYC will send their employees to your school to teach them to be accredited

timing and schedule in reggio program

- different from a more traditional US school → there is no set clock or schedule → children's own sense of time and rhythm are considered when planning out the day → children are given as much time as they need to finish a project

real changes you can make to a child's learning environment

- diverse learners: --let the child take the lead --stay nearby to offer support when needed- --provide encouragement and contact --removing physical barriers --providing a wide range of activities --creating exciting opportunities for each child to learn and develop

task analysis

- diverse learners: means = breaking a complex task (like hand washing or writing a sentence) down into each step (it's components), teaching them separately one at a time

accommodations

- diverse learners: means = changes to 'how' a child learns (AKA uses a chair during whole group instruction on the floor)

modifications

- diverse learners: means = changes to 'what' a child learns (AKA below grade level content- like continuing to work on rhyming with a second grader)

learning environment

- diverse learners: means = routines, schedules, physical setting, and emotional climate of the classroom

when planning art curriculum

- do not use "I" statements to praise the child's work because the will associate making the art with praise (inner motivation to outer motivation) - also keep the child's age in mind so that it is something they can create (developmentally appropriate projects) - do not do any holiday art projects --> controversial

Bloom's taxonomy

- educational objectives can be thought of as progressing from simple to complex - in order: recall, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation

exclusion

- encourage inclusion - give children scripts of what to say or do to help them learn how to include others - teach them how to handle rejection and to play with other friends who like them more

expressive v. receptive

- expressive: showing/sharing/communicating what they think (what you can say about what you feel) - receptive: what you can understand about someone else - developmentally, receptive comes before expressive

social relationships

- families (particularly US) value social relationships (friendships) a lot - for a young preschooler, a friend is TEMPORARY (who they are playing with at the moment/who shared with them/ who sat next to them) - older preschoolers and kindergartners start to have preferences

whole-child

- focuses on social, intellectual, physical, emotional development - children engage all aspects of themselves & fully express themselves

soule school

- helps facilitate play by having everything in the classroom very accessible to the children and home-y ex. everything is within kids' reach and they make everything visually appealing to entice the children into using & exploring the item - similar to BU preschool --everything in child accessible (heights of structures) --routines/consistency match the envir. (snack time, when to wash hands) --represent&explore diversity (sing in another lang.)

raising teacher education requirements

- higher level of degree needed - license & certification for teachers → 2 programs to hold accountable - what we teach teachers needs to be improved → raise teacher prep so teacher quality is better - use more evidence-based practices in methodology

IDEA/EI

- individuals with disabilities education act/early intervention - a law - first time fed gov said kids under age of 7 w/ disabilities can go to preschool for free - ages 0-3 get services such as schooling, OT, PT → EI - pediatrician/specialist determine eligibility

stop saying good job article

- their emotional needs take precedence over our convenience/emotions - it is our responsibility to not exploit their dependence on our approval - they need to learn to form their own judgements - their interests will wain - praise motivates them to get more praise- shift their focus to the task instead of your praise (reinforce w/out praise with R&R --> ask them q's about their work) - creates pressure to get your praise - if it's to discourage misbehavior ("i like how kim is sitting quietly in her seat") then it's manipulative and creates mistrust (instead try "i see 5 children sitting quietly in their seats" or go to bad kid and ask "what should you be doing right now?") - being able to give examples of alternatives

curriculum

- intentional learning experiences based on observations of the children and knowledge of child development and knowledge of how humans learn - Both your knowledge of both typical expectations for a certain age (child development) and your knowledge of each individual child's strengths and needs influence your curriculum plans. - Many schools limit early childhood curriculum to simple facts/topics like shapes, colors, letters, and numbers. But curriculum will be worthwhile if its an investigation of something intellectual and meaningful; something real that requires deeper thinking (like the owl study!) Children can learn their shapes, etc during the investigation. - Objectives must be: observable, active, and precise. Instead of "students will learn about winter." Try "Students will be able to match winter written vocab terms (snowflake, icicle, sled, snowman, etc) on cards with matching photographs."

Poorly planned/superficial curriculum

- is short. Content needs extensive coverage. -revolves around topics that can't be experienced in real ways (AKA pirates, dinosaurs, gingerbread men) -is a topic that is cute but not of serious study (Mickey Mouse's birthday, Valentine's Day, teddy bears) -is shallow in it's use (playing with plastic bugs instead of using magnifying glasses with real insects) -keeps moving forward even if a bunch of children aren't learning what they should be

diverse learners

- it says to consult with doctors and therapist (who don't work at your school) to get more info on a child. YOU NEED WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM THE PARENT TO DO THIS. Ask your school if they have a form. - On page 444 in the Program Modifications section it says to stay nearby children whom you are concerned about. However, only do this for safety reasons or observation (but if you're too close you may cause observer reactivity and not witness a natural scenario). If you stay too close too often you could change how the child is viewed by other children and teachers, you can make the child feel suffocated, or you can accidentally be increasing the child's over-dependence on you because you're always there to help out.

examples of beginnings for objectives

- knowledge (learn about...describe..), skill (practice...show..), attitude (enjoy...appreciate..be respectful of..), experience (try...hear...see...)

emergent curriculum

- learner-centered - all planned learning experiences should emerge from observations of children and be based on children's interests - It is when the curriculum isn't established in advance, rather teachers just have a loose set of goals they want to accomplish and may guess what direction projects may take, but if they end up going in a different direction that is okay. It is also based around what a child is interested in, and the actual curriculum is formed as the children do the projects, so it is very flexible.

content standards

- list of skills and understandings → what kids can do and know by the end of the school year - list of what should be taught in school - national fed gov makes them - common core → American content standards K-12 for literacy, math, science, social studies - every state has their own extra list - every district/city has their own → usually has to meet states

accountability/NCLB

- no one cared about accountability for a long time → system that holds teacher to do what they are told (content standards) - no child left behind made accountability more important → requiring testing to see if teacher taught them to decide if they did a good job → relying on results a lot more now (a lot more sway) - problems with NCLB: unnecessary pressure on teachers to succeed, "teaching to the SAT" → focus on what will be on the test → lowers quality of what is taught, shrinks what is covered

measurable objective

- objectives that precisely describe a behavior, the condition under which it takes place, and the criteria for success ex. when presented with 5 sheets of paper with lines drawn down the center, the child will cut at least 1 sheet of paper along the line

environment

- outdoor space is just as important as indoor space → outside it is acceptable to be loud and run around, which are important aspects of the development of the whole child - beauty/aesthetics → this means looking for ways to make aspects of the classroom harmonious by paying attention to design, light, color, and texture - nature inside→ using natural objects such a wood or plants inside the classroom bring the beauty of nature inside. This shows children that outdoor space is important to pay attention to and take care of - areas/centers/zones→ children need well defined spaces, this is why at the Soule school the children took out a mat at each area they wanted to play in: to make a defined space for themselves - soft/neutral colors → soft colors don't clash or dominate the classroom, they focus children's attention on the learning materials on the shelves → the children, their artwork, and the toys, books, and art prints in a classroom bring the color (bright/colorful walls would dominate the classroom) - art displays → make sure it is at children's eye level, use shelf tops sparingly → gives kids a sense of pride about their work, for parents pleasure - storage: attractive, functional, in sight/reach (ACCESSIBLE), organized → children should be able to see everything and know what materials are available to them. Baskets and containers are visually appealing and will draw the children in to explore new materials. A thoughtfully organized environment helps children understand and maintain order - rotate materials regularly if the same materials are always out, the children will get bored but if all the options are available at once, a child will become overwhelmed and the play will not be productive, thus rotating the materials allows the children a chance to explore each different object and learn from it - label shelves: pictures, colored dots, silhouettes of blocks - diversity represented → ECE environments need to reflect the diversity of their students, with books, artwork, software, and dramatic play props that reflect different cultures - avoid cuteness/cartoons - cute = stereotyped falseness of an advertisement → cute materials suggest that b/c kids are younger and less accomplished than adults, they also are less individual and less worthy of respect and that their learning is neither serious nor important - differences/similarities among infant/preschool/kindergarten spaces- practice drawing some simple maps

charter schools

- paid for by gov → public can teach diff. things - write goals in a charter → send to gov to get approval for it

private v public child care

- private child care: center v. home-based --center: in facilities (church, YMCA, preschool), bigger space b/c more kids --home: typically less expensive than centers, in-home, intimate env., more adults watching less kids private v public → public: gov pays, private: under age 7 YOU pay, licensing differs

quality/affordability/compensation

- quality based on what teacher can provide for child → hard to have high quality teachers when pay isn't good - affordability - expensive to send child to school → preschool costs more than college - compensation - teachers in private schools paid less than in public school

reflective & responsive statements

- show that you saw & noticed what child did - reinforce without praise by asking them q's - ex. tell me about it! what did you use? did you work with a friend?

observation

- watching with purpose to gather info objectively - 25% of time w/ children while teaching is spent observing - it informs you about where that child is in their learning/abilities - provides actual evidence on this, apply it to your teaching → evidence education - 2 kinds of assessing: --authentic: observing child in natural environment (in the classroom) --standardized: use a tool kit/ set of guidelines - no biases/personal opinions - the same behavior can mean two different things depending on the child ex. sophia was upset and threw her blocks with a furrowed brow and yelled "no" at her teacher

KWL chart

- what do you KNOW? what do you WANT to learn? what have you LEARNED? - culminating activity for an integrated study - guides the design of a study in elementary schools

14 guides

1. - State suggestions or directions in a positive form this is more effective than saying "don't do ___" - less likely to rouse resistance - makes help seem constructive rather than restricting - gives the child a sound pattern for when he directs his friends 2. - Give the child choices only when you intend to leave the situation up to him - it is confusing to a child to be asked a question if the answer has already been set in stone 3. - Use only words and tone of voice which will help the child feel confident and reassured - don't use language that will make a child feel guilty or afraid - ashamed feelings prevent learning 4. - Avoid comparisons and competition among children comparing one child to another is a dangerous way to influence behavior (avoid competition- you should avoid it, but you don't need to remove it entirely- for example it's ok that some of the games you'll play in math have winners- but they don't always have to have a winner either- and don't let it be the focus ever) - children encouraged to compete are more likely to fight 5. - Use your voice as a teaching tool - never necessary to raise voice - children sensitive to tone of voice 6. - Redirection is most effective when consistent with the child's motives or interests - redirect to something related/interesting to child 7. - Avoid making models in any art medium for copying stunts creativity - isn't creating if it is just copying - avoid pattern making - "what are you painting?" "I love those colors!" 8. - Give the child the minimum amount of help in order that he may have the maximum chance to grow in independence - showing how to do something instead of doing it for them 9. - Make your suggestions effective by enforcing them when necessary - add several techniques together - verbal with physical 10. The timing of the suggestion as important as suggestion itself 11. - When limits are necessary they should be clearly defined and maintained - confuses child if limits can be tested and broken sometimes but not others - the teacher IS responsible for helping the child see that word throwing is just as inappropriate as block throwing 12. - Use the most strategic patterns for supervising - be in a place where you see all the children at once groups of adults in a classroom intimidate children 13. Health and safety of children is primary concern 14. Observe and take notes

curriculum topics must meet 4 criteria

1. be of interest to the children 2. be accessible- hands-on experiences 3. be important - worth knowing about 4. be the right size- simple enough to understand at that age, but complex enough to explore in depth and be interesting

3/4 things you need to plan for

1. materials 2. space (where and how will you set things up) 3. time (when in the day and how long) 4. Must send home a newsletter to families. Most send one home weekly

the 4 step process of what happens if a child is struggling at school:

1. observe and record 2. provide intervention (Response to Intervention - RTI) 3. meet with colleagues to report all data and decide if child needs to be evaluated formally by special education staff with standardized tests 4. determining educational needs- evaluate, use results and prior data to decide if child should get any special education services, how often, and what goals should be set for each

common mistakes of novice teachers

1. presenting too many intriguing/exciting items at once. Be selective. Choose when to reveal and introduce what. 2. they think a lesson went well if the children were engaged and well behaved. How do you truly know if it was successful? IF THEY LEARNED YOUR OBJECTIVE. How will you know if they did? THROUGH YOUR ASSESSMENT. 3. photographs of children posing for the camera don't show evidence of working and learning. Capture them in the throws of studying something & don't interrupt them to take a picture!

every plan includes at least these 4 parts

1. purpose/objective 2. content/what they are learning 3. method/procedure 4. assessment

3 elements of meaningful curriculum

1. the learner (the who) 2. the content or subject matter (the what) 3. the process or kinds of lessons and activities (the how)

Members of the favored group may get an unrealistic sense of entitlement, and those who are not favored may perceive themselves as unworthy

It is more common to think about what the stereotypes we might have to address in ourselves, in order to positively influence the children our class, but it is less common to recognize our prejudices in favor of a particular group. What two things may occur when this happens?

learning and care

The dual focus on ___ and ___ are what set early childhood apart from other areas of education

project work

Project work is when teachers notice that the children are particularly interested in a certain subject. An example of such project work was in the Soule School, where the children became interested in owls so the school did an in depth project on owls, learning about different types, the habitats, and eventually bringing in actual owls for the children to see and learn about by owl professionals.

temperament

Realizing a child or parent or coworker has a different ___ than you can keep you from finding their behavior negative or difficult.

love, communicate, role models, unconditional, objectively

Teachers of young children need to __ what they do, __ effectively with children and adults, be good ___ ___. provide ___ caring for children, and the same time be able to view them ___.

developmentally appropriate practice/whole child/ areas of development/developmental domains

Young children require a great deal of nurturing and support because they are so vulnerable and dependent on adults for responsive care. This attention to the overall development concern is called "whole-child". More preschools are using a subject-learning approach than a play-based approach in their schools. Schools that are more academically focused have more criteria for the instructional role of the teacher. The 4 areas of development are social, emotional, intellectual, and physical.

ec educators need to know about child development

b/c: - it tells you how/what to teach when - they know what ages they can associate with certain tasks so they know when a student is delayed & not meeting typical milestones

What is the typical age range when referring to early childhood education?

birth to age 8

3 steps of observation

collect info/record, interpret info/evaluate, use the info → make decisions in teaching (implementing)

if a 2 year old is dumping legos all over the floor

i would say "look at those dumping skills, jack! let's go dump them over here on the carpet?" because this does not praise or reinforce the bad behavior, but relocates the child to an appropriate area of the classroom for this action

two ways teacher take children's work seriously in reggio

→ teachers will use the children's drawings in future projects, so the children have a sense of importance and usefulness to their art → teachers speak of children's visual works as graphic language, and discuss the children's work in teacher meetings to implement into future projects