Reflective Analysis of Portfolio Artifact Rationale/Reflection NAEYC Standard: STANDARD 5.

USING CONTENT KNOWLEDGE TO BUILD

MEANINGFUL CURRICULUM Candidates prepared in early childhood degree programs use their knowledge of academic disciplines to design, implement, and evaluate experiences that promote positive development and learning for each and every young child. Candidates understand the importance of developmental domains and academic (or content) disciplines in early childhood curriculum. They know the essential concepts, inquiry tools, and structure of content areas, including academic subjects, and can identify resources to deepen their understanding. Candidates use their own knowledge and other resources to design, implement, and evaluate meaningful, challenging curriculum that promotes comprehensive developmental and learning outcomes for every young child (NAEYC, 2011)

Brief Description of Evidence:

For my 245 Early Childhood Education Practicum with school age children; I did a lesson on how to tie shoes laces. Many of the children did not know how to tie their shoes laces due to wearing Velcro straps instead of laces. Seven out of twelve did know how to tie their shoe laces; additionally five of the children had no knowledge on where to start the process of tying. While reading a story about tying shoes and demonstrating the two different techniques illustrated in the story, the children that learned the concept and I was able to assist the other children in learning how to tie shoe laces. When helping another student learn the concept I became more aware of how their though process was developing.

Analysis of What I Learned:

The teacher informed me that tying ones own shoes was one of the required lessons that the children needed to achieve before entering the first grade. I learned many interesting details when teaching the children about tying their own shoe laces. Many of the children who did not know how to tie their shoelaces explained that it was easier to have the Velcro straps than learning how to tie their own laces. I also heard that the ones that could tie their laces practiced by observing a sibling. The children helped each other, which was a good experience for everyone in the lesson.

How This Artifact Demonstrates my Competence on the NAEYC Standard:

I demonstrated competency of the NAECY Standard by first realizing that some of the children had no exposure to the act of tying ones own shoes. Since many of the children who already had mastered this act had learned it from observing siblings, I decided to use an illustrated story to teach the children who had not been exposed to tying shoelaces. Additionally, I demonstrated two different techniques and the children mastered the concept and action by assisting each other.