NAEYC Standard: STANDARD 7: EARLY CHILDHOOD FIELD EXPERIENCES Field experiences and clinical practice are planned and

sequenced so that candidates develop the knowledge, skills and professional dispositions necessary to promote the development and learning of young children across the entire developmental period of early childhood in at least two of the three early childhood age groups (birth age 3, 3 through 5, 5 through 8 years) and in the variety of settings that offer early education (early school grades, child care centers and homes, Head Start programs) (NAEYC 2011). Brief Description of Evidence: During my employment at Countryside Childcare Center I have constructed and implemented developmentally appropriate curriculum for children 6mo. to age 5. I provide theme based activities on a weekly basis to allow children to learn and increase their knowledge of a variety of topics. I also promote development and the use of developmental milestones to best benefit the childs growth. For the infants I use developmental objectives to create an individualized curriculum centered on the achievement of these objectives. For the children age 1-5 yrs. I create theme based activities that enhance development and allow the children use their individual abilities to achieve a variety of experiences that enhance growth and development. Analysis of What I Learned: Through the completion of the curriculum I am know able to identify the individual development of children as well developmentally appropriate aspects of growth that affect the way children grow and learn through different types of curriculum. I use the NAEYC foundations in the creation of the curriculum to further enhance the variety of activities and the developmental milestones that need to be achieved through a specified curriculum. I am now able to read and find NAEYC foundations that coincide with different activities and implement this knowledge to promote the development and learning of young children across the entire developmental period of early childhood. How This Artifact Demonstrates my Competence on the NAEYC Standard: Creating curriculum has allowed me to expand my knowledge of child development and the use of NAEYC foundations in order to create an environment enhanced with developmentally appropriate learning opportunities. I use a variety of settings that offer early education from school grades to child care centers. From creating this curriculum I am now able to build appropriate activities based upon current knowledge and research of child development and learning. I now focus on the strengths, needs, and interest of each individual child with a respect for social and cultural context in each childs life. According to the Indiana Department of Education adults have an opportunity and an obligation to assist children in becoming active participants in the learning process throughout their lives. To grow and learn, young children need early childhood settings that support the development of the full range of capacities that will serve as a foundation for future school learning (www.doe.in.gov).