Reflective Analysis of Portfolio Artifact

Rationale/Reflection
NAEYC Standard:
STANDARD 7. EARLY CHILDHOOD FIELD EXPERIENCES
Candidates have field experiences and clinical practice in a) at least two of the three early childhood age
groups (birth- age 3, 3 through 5, 5 through 8) and in b) the variety of settings that offer early education (early
school grades, child care centers and homes, Head Start programs) (NAEYC, 2010).
Brief Description of Evidence:
During the summer semester of 2014 in ECED 235 Preschool Practicum, I completed a Lesson Plan
assignment. The parameters of the assignment were to choose a content area in which we were to create a
lesson plan, which could be based around what our practicum site was discussing that week in class. I chose to
base my lesson plan around what my site was discussing that week, which were flowers. We had to develop
the lesson plan as well as implement it with a small group of children. I made my lesson plan a
science/physical based game that displayed the general parts of a flower as well as how a flower grows. I
explained the game before doing it with the children and showed them how to play it. I used proper flower
terminology throughout the game in order to maximize learning with the children. I was then to fill out a
document detailing what happened during the experience and how it could have been improved.
Analysis of What I Learned:
Through completion of this assignment I learned that involving the children in the lesson plan like I did
truly increased the childrens learning of the terminology and of the subject in general. While the children
already knew what petals and leaves were, they learned more about the stem and roots and what
they do for the flower through my lesson. The children repeatedly wanted to play the game and played it with
their friends directly after my lesson. The original children I used to implement the lesson tried to teach their
friends the right words for the flower parts and I heard them explaining what the parts did. Overall, I learned
that children learn better when the lesson is interesting and interactive.
How This Artifact Demonstrates my Competence on the NAEYC Standard:
My completion of this assignment was a great field experience with two of the three early childhood
age groups (three and four year olds). The assignment was completed in a child care setting. I implemented
this lesson with early school age children in the same day, though I made the lesson more age appropriate.
The experiences I had at the child care center was very eye opening to how children individually learn and how
developing age appropriate curriculum is key to successful development.