Knowledge of Patterns and Relationships Photodisc / Thinkstock Children begin to form an understanding of auditory patterns as rhythm when they take turns clapping or clap along to music or a rhyme. As young children encounter repeating patterns in daily life, they begin to understand that the natural world is organized. As their thinking becomes […]
Knowledge of Patterns and Relationships Read More »
The Preoperational and Concrete Operations Stages of Development Children in the preoperational stage are beginning to expand logicomathematical knowledge, but the process is hampered by their tendency to center or focus on one characteristic or feature of what they observe to the exclusion of others. For example, if a child looks at a picture of
The Preoperational and Concrete Operations Stages of Development Read More »
Sensorimotor Stage Infants and toddlers begin to acquire tentative concepts through their senses simply by exploring their world (hence they are in the sensorimotor stage, per Piaget’s description). Giving an infant a new ball and saying “this is a squishy ball,” or “here is a blue ball,” provides the child with the new terms squishy
Sensorimotor Stage Read More »
Accommodation and Assimilation Regardless of type, all knowledge ultimately consists of basic concepts, or schema, a term originally coined by psychologist Jean Piaget. Examples of individual schema include concepts about colors, such as the ideas of “blue,” “red,” and “green,” or the idea that a rubber ball is round and smooth and rolls when pushed.
Accommodation and Assimilation Read More »
Cognitive Development and General Knowledge Cognitive development is the process that occurs as thinking and reasoning develop and become more complex over time. Early learning standards for cognitive development are based on the broad assumption put forth by the National Education Goals Panel (NEGP) that “cognition and general knowledge represent the accumulation and reorganization of
Cognitive Development and General Knowledge Read More »
Describe early childhood curriculum activities that support development of scientific concepts and processes. Introduction So far, so good! The children are beginning to form friendships and you are paying careful attention to the emotional challenges some of them are facing. Your focus on strategies to promote self-regulation seems to be paying off, and you have
so far from the opening vignettes about your imaginary class, what kinds of opportunities and challenges for successful family involvement might you anticipate? Key Terms Click on each key term to see the definition. References Bennett, T. (2007). Mapping famly resources and support. D. Kovalek (Ed.), Spotlight on young children and families (pp. 2023). Washington,
Advocacy as a Community Effort When communities work together with programs, early educators, schools, and families, advocacy for young children becomes a shared, personalized endeavor. Through formal and informal interactions, particular areas of strength and need become apparent that provide communities with the information they need to set priorities and distribute resources. Teachers and caregivers
Advocacy as a Community Effort Read More »
Template for a Resource File Card On the sample card, information is recorded for a nearby retail store, including the name of an individual who would be willing to come to the classroom. Opportunities for involving community in the curriculum are limited only by your imagination and ability to make creative use of resources. The
Template for a Resource File Card Read More »
Strategies for Involving the Community in the Curriculum Experienced teachers know that once you have established relationships with individual families and community partners, those networks don’t disappear at the end of each school year or when your students move on to other schools or programs. The connections you make over time constitute a store of
Strategies for Involving the Community in the Curriculum Read More »