Reflective Analysis of Portfolio Artifact Rationale/Reflection NAEYC Standard: 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 childrens ages, characteristics, and the settings within which teaching and learning occur. They understand and use positive relationships and supportive interactions as the foundation for their work with young children and families. Candidates know, understand, and use a wide array of developmentally appropriate approaches, instructional strategies, and tools to connect with children and families and positively influence each childs development and learning (NAEYC, 2011).

Brief Description of Evidence:

In an Early Childhood Education preschool practicum class (ECED 243) I used some of my 15 teacher made activities from the Brain Project assignment. These were essential to promoting development and learning for the young children who were between the ages of three and five years. I used a story which has been rewritten in a different way by various authors. The children ages three through five in a preschool setting recalled hearing the story in another version. The activities were also used as a tool to teach them about items in the story. The children were then able to count items that were in groups of five using the technique that the author had indicated. The children were then able to manipulate and solve many of the fifteen activities presented to them. The children demonstrated essential development and learning skills that were needed to engage in the 15 teacher made activities.

Analysis of What I Learned:

When presenting an activity to the preschool children on counting of items that went up to five. I learned that the children used their knowledge and skills to count in sets of five, understand repetition within the story and learn and develop new skills, which enabled them to understand new concepts that were new to them. The three through five year olds comprehended the story and were able to actively participate with the activity and use their skills of counting. The children also explored many of the other 15 made items to understand different concepts that applied to each activity.

How This Artifact Demonstrates my Competence on the NAEYC Standard:

I used a story to illustrate to the children in this group techniques used in counting. By using this tool, which would be practical to use for any age group, I was able to instill in the children a memory of how the counting principal is used. Since achieving active participation of the students in the learning process is critical in all age groups, I presented other activities from my 15 teacher made activities to foster participation. In doing so, I showed that I was able to put into practice the knowledge, skills and professional disposition necessary to promote learning that are used throughout the age groups encompassing the Early Childhood spectrum.