NAEYC (National association for the education of young children) standards
Standard 1: Child Development and Learning in Context
Early childhood educators (a) are grounded in an understanding of the developmental period of early childhood from birth through age 8 across developmental domains. They (b) understand each child as an individual with unique developmental variations. Early childhood educators (c) understand that children learn and develop within relationships and within multiple contexts, including families, cultures, languages, communities, and society. They (d) use this multidimensional knowledge to make evidence-based decisions about how to carry out their responsibilities
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Observation - Preschool | |
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This observation assignment was completed in the Summer of 2022 for my HDFS 227 (Human Development 1) course. I observed a 4-year-old child attending a "Playful Preschoolers Lil' Scientists" class at the Children's Museum of South Dakota. For this assignment, I observed this child's interactions and behaviors. Then, I made connections to the areas of development that were related to those actions. I also reflected on the reasoning behind the interactions and behaviors and what they might mean. This helped me think about why a child may be behaving in a certain way and how I could help encourage deeper thinking. This is directly related to NAEYC Standard 1. As I was observing this child, I was thinking about her unique, individual characteristics and the environment that she was in. I reflected on this child's interactions with the other children in the room and how they could impact her actions.
Standard 2: Family–Teacher Partnerships and Community Connections
Early childhood educators understand that successful early childhood education depends upon educators’ partnerships with the families of the young children they serve. They (a) know about, understand, and value the diversity in family characteristics. Early childhood educators (b) use this understanding to create respectful, responsive, reciprocal relationships with families and to engage with them as partners in their young children’s development and learning. They (c) use community resources to support young children’s learning and development and to support children’s families, and they build connections between early learning settings, schools, and community organizations and agencies.
I created this book in my ELED 330 (K-8 Math Methods) course. The goal of this book is to provide information about the expectations of my math classroom and the reasoning behind my choices. This book would be given to students and families at the beginning of the year, so they could gain a general understanding of what to expect in the upcoming year. NAEYC Standard 2 explains the importance of communicating with families and keeping them updated on what is going on in the classroom with their child(ren). This assignment supports this because it promotes creating relationships with families and keeping them updated on classroom activities and procedures.
Standard 3: Child Observation, Documentation, and Assessment
Early childhood educators (a) understand that the primary purpose of assessments is to inform instruction and planning in early learning settings. They (b) know how to use observation, documentation, and other appropriate assessment approaches and tools. Early childhood educators (c) use screening and assessment tools in ways that are ethically grounded and developmentally, culturally, ability, and linguistically appropriate to document developmental progress and promote positive outcomes for each child. In partnership with families and professional colleagues, early childhood educators (d) use assessments to document individual children’s progress and, based on the findings, to plan learning experiences.
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Child Descriptive Review Anecdotal Records | |
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This assignment was completed in my ECE 360 (Play and Inquiry) course. I had the opportunity to complete a lab in the 3- and 4-year-old preschool classroom. In this assignment, I completed four observations during my lab and created interpretations of each interaction. Through the documentation of these observations, I was able to determine what this child would benefit from learning. I also took photos to document what I was observing. This served as further evidence for the plans I created for upcoming days in my lab.
Standard 4: Developmentally, Culturally, and Linguistically Appropriate Teaching Practices
Early childhood educators understand that teaching and learning with young children is a complex enterprise, and its details vary depending on children’s ages and characteristics and on the settings in which teaching and learning occur. They (a) understand and demonstrate positive, caring, supportive relationships and interactions as the foundation for their work with young children. They (b) understand and use teaching skills that are responsive to the learning trajectories of young children and to the needs of each child. Early childhood educators (c) use a broad repertoire of developmentally appropriate and culturally and linguistically relevant, anti-bias, and evidence-based teaching approaches that reflect the principles of universal design for learning
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Competencies | |
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I completed this "Competencies" assignment in my ECE 240 and ECE 241 (Child Development 1 and 2) class. These courses were combined into one class. In this assignment, I completed four Sanford Inspire Modules. These modules addressed various topics related to inclusion in the classroom. I created a reflection that includes key points for each completed module. NAEYC Standard 4 explains the importance of understanding individual needs, unique learning styles, and representation in the classroom. I learned specific strategies for promoting inclusion in my own classroom and how to understand individual student needs in this assignment.
Standard 5: Knowledge, Application, and Integration of Academic Content in the Early Childhood Curriculum
Early childhood educators have knowledge of the content of the academic disciplines (e.g., language and literacy, the arts, mathematics, social studies, science, technology and engineering, physical education) and of the pedagogical methods for teaching each discipline. They (a) understand the central concepts, the methods and tools of inquiry, and the structures in each academic discipline. Educators (b) understand pedagogy, including how young children learn and process information in each discipline, the learning trajectories for each discipline, and how teachers use this knowledge to inform their practice They (c) apply this knowledge using early learning standards and other resources to make decisions about spontaneous and planned learning experiences and about curriculum development, implementation, and evaluation to ensure that learning will be stimulating, challenging, and meaningful to each child.
I completed this inquiry investigation during my first student teaching experience in the Fall of 2021. I had the opportunity to work with Kindergarten students in the Fishback Center on the SDSU campus. Throughout the semester, I worked with a small group of students to dive into a deep exploration of Gardening and Cooking. This investigation was centered around student inquiry. I planned the daily lessons around their interests and what they wanted to know more about. This investigation aligns directly with the NAEYC Standard 5. I focused on creating an engaging lesson based on the idea that young children learn best from inquiry and play. They were able to learn while being free to explore their surroundings. This was one of my favorite learning experiences in college.
Standard 6: Professionalism as an Early Childhood Educator
Early childhood educators (a) identify and participate as members of the early childhood profession. They serve as informed advocates for young children, for the families of the children in their care, and for the early childhood profession. They (b) know and use ethical guidelines and other early childhood professional guidelines. They (c) have professional communication skills that effectively support their relationships and work young children, families, and colleagues. Early childhood educators (d) are continuous, collaborative learners who (e) develop and sustain the habit of reflective and intentional practice in their daily work with young children and as members of the early childhood profession.
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Things to Consider | |
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I completed this assignment in my ECE 441 (Professional Issues in ECE) course. In this assignment, I reviewed and reflected on my social media presence and I created two professional emails. One of the emails was an invitation to an event, a music concert, and the other email was a practice letter of apology for a made-up situation. This assignment definitely improved my professionalism as an Early Childhood Educator as it prepared me for some of the responsibilities I will have as a teacher. Presenting ones' self professionally online is essential because it represents who you are as a person and a teacher. Sending emails is an important aspect of teaching and communicating with coworkers, administration, and families, so it was beneficial for me to have the opportunity to practice these skills.