education

Early Learning Standards In 1990, the president and fifty governors created the National Education Goals Panel (NEGP) to formulate goals for education in the twenty-first century. Subsequently, in 1995, the NEGP endorsed recommendations from the early childhood education field to write learning standards for young children from a developmental perspective, encouraging the use of common […]

7.1 Early Learning and Academic Standards Most states now have two types of standards for children in the early childhood period. Standards for children from birth to age 5 are provided as guidelines for infants and toddlers, and early learning standards for 3- to 5-year-old preschoolers. These standards emphasize child development. Standards that apply to

How do the early learning standards connect with those the children will encounter in elementary school? In this chapter, we begin to focus on the “whats worth knowing” (the content of curriculum) and “curriculum in action” (implementation) dimensions of curriculum. Each chapter will emphasize important concepts, skills, and activities for interrelated areas in the early

Describe how teachers support the visual arts in early childhood settings. Approaches to Learning: Exploratory Play and Creative Arts iStockphoto / Thinkstock Learning Objectives After reading this chapter, you should be able to: Explain the difference between early learning and academic standards as well as the different ways in which curricula may be organized. Describe

Concepts and Activities about the Body Anatomy Concepts Activities Naming and identifying body parts Songs: “Head, shoulders, knees and toes,” “Hokey Pokey,” “Them Bones, Them Bones.”Games: Pin the tail on the . . . [body part]. Silhouettes. Body tracing paper cutouts. Drawing on mirror image with wax crayon. Puzzles Make mobiles with cutout pictures of

Knowledge and Care of the Body In addition to providing a foundation for understanding the importance of good nutrition, learning about the body and self-care practices supports the goals of health education standards for establishing lifelong practices and attitudes. Curricular activities that center on concepts of anatomy, hygiene, and illness prevention help children learn about

Handwashing Instructions Poster Children can easily learn the recommended procedure for thorough handwashing with some physical help and a poster or series of photographs that remind them of the steps. Many teachers encourage children to use a simple song like the “ABC” song or “Happy Birthday” while scrubbing to approximate the recommended time for washing.

Example of Plan for Vegetables Theme Many activities with a food theme are developmentally appropriate for young children. Food themes are a rich source of hands-on learning opportunities. Table 8.6 Curricular Topics and Activities about Foods   Food Safety When they are handling food, teachers should scrupulously follow and teach safe food preparation guidelines (USDA,

Activities with Foods United States Department of Agriculture “MyPlate” is a diagram that provides an easy to understand process for making healthy meal choices and food combinations. As with other curricular areas, children learn best through active involvement and hands-on experiences. There is an active, unresolved debate in early childhood education about the developmental or

Fine Motor Activities There are many online and print resources that provide suggestions for activities that promote fine motor skill development (see list at end of chapter). This selection of fine motor activities and games represents curricular activities for both open-ended play and teacher-facilitated work with individual children or small groups. All fine motor activities