Planning effective teaching & learning in early years Flashcards
What is the childhood curriculum?
The written plan for learning experiences in which children will be involved
What does the childhood curriculum involve?
- Activities and experiences
- Materials, equipment, facilities and arrangement of rooms
- The planned and unplanned matters
How should a childhood curriculum be designed?
- Think about the goals and objectives
- Organise content (according to bloom’s taxonomy)
- Choose the appropriate learning approaches
- Determine most appropriate sequence for learning activities (easiest to hardest)
- Determine how to assess children’s growth and development
What is the developmentally appropriate curriculum?
Developed by the NAEYC for children from birth to 8 years old
What are the requirements for a developmentally appropriate childhood curriculum?
- Age appropriate
- Individually appropriate
- Uses all senses
- Provides hands-on activities
- No winners or losers
What are the guidelines for a developmentally appropriate curriculum program?
- Provide for all areas of a child’s development: physical, emotional, social, cognitive, linguistic, aesthetic
- Include socially relevant, intellectually engaging and personally meaningful (to children) content
- Build upon what children already know
- Promote the development of knowledge and understanding for the intentions to use and apply those skills
- Must be achievable for most children within the designated age range
How did the play and childhood curriculum begin?
It began with Froebel, who believed that all of the children’s developmental domains unfold automatically through plays
What is the purpose of play?
- Achieve knowledge, skills and desired behaviours
- Learn concepts
- Develop social, physical and literacy skills
- Practice language processes
- Master life situations
- Enhance self-esteem
- Prepare for adult life and roles (learn how to make decisions and become independent)
What are the types of play?
- Physical play
- Social play
- Constructive play
- Informal play
- Dramatic play
What is physical play?
Involves gross and fine motor development, as well as body coordination
What is social play?
When children play with each other in groups
What is constructive play?
Children engage in play activities to construct their knowledge of the world by experimenting with ways on how things go together: Manipulate play materials to create and build things (sandcastle, block building)
What is informal play?
Occurs spontaneously that contains people and materials (kitchen, music, art centre)
What is dramatic play?
Involves realistic activities and events by expressing themselves in different roles and interact with their peers
What are the teachers’ roles in promoting play? (7 are written)
- Plan to implement and integrate specific learning activities with play
- Be clear about curriculum concepts you want children to learn about through play
- Provide more time for learning through play
- Create indoor & outdoor environments that encourage play
- Provide equipment and materials that are appropriate for children’s developmental levels
- Supervise and participate by providing modelling and scaffolding
- Observe to learn how they play and what learning outcomes of play to use in future activities
What are the characteristics of a good learning environment?
Safe, healthy, predictable, developmentally appropriate
Name 8 types of classroom / learning centres
- Literacy centre
- Math and science centre
- Art centre
- Dramatic play centre
- Music and movement centre
- Sensory centre
- Technology centre
- Block centre
What is the purpose of the literacy centre?
To enhance reading and writing skills. Includes books, story props, writing materials, letter games
What is the purpose of the math and science centre?
To promote problem-solving and analytical skills. Features objects for counting, measuring, sorting. Helps children to learn concepts like shapes, numbers, patterns
What is the purpose of the art centre?
To encourage creativity and expression. It is equipped with art supplies like crayons, markers, etc
What is the purpose of the dramatic play centre?
To support social skills and imagination. It contains costumes, props and areas that mimic real-life settings (kitchen, market, etc) This allows children to role play
What is the purpose of the music and movement centre?
To develop motor skills and musicality. It includes musical instruments, CDs, space for dancing and rhythmic tools. Helps children to explore sound, rhythm and movement