Reflective Analysis of Portfolio Artifact

Rationale/Reflection

NAEYC Standard:
NAEYC Standard 4: USING DEVELOPMENTALLY EFFECTIVE APPROACHES
Candidates prepared in early childhood degree programs understand that teaching and learning with
young children is a complex enterprise, and its details vary depending on childrens ages,
characteristics, and the settings within which teaching and learning occur. They a) understand and
use positive relationships and supportive interactions as the foundation for their work with young
children and families. Candidates b, c) know, understand, and use a wide array of developmentally
appropriate approaches, instructional strategies, and tools to connect with children and families and
d) positively influence each childs development and learning (NAEYC, 2010)
Brief Description of Evidence:
During the fall semester of 2013, during my ECED 243 Cognitive Curriculum course, I completed
fifteen activities for children ages 3-4 with instructions and objectives. The fifteen learning skills where,
gross motor, fine motor, social studies, one-to-one correspondence, creativity, cooperation, literacy,
science, matching and sorting, math, direction, hand eye coordination, seriation, memory, and
classification. I used a jungle theme for all my activities that I created and implemented. I was able to
make a pinterest account and uploaded all my activities with two foundations for each activity, to
share my ideas with other parents and teachers.
Analysis of What I Learned:
As a result of completing this project, I learned that there are many different styles and
approaches of teaching to young children new cognitive skills. I was able to learn how to plan, create
and implement these activities for children. By using some scaffolding I was able to obtain positive
influences on childrens development and learning process with the help of my 15 jungle themed
activities I created. I know now if the activities are not developmentally appropriate the children will
not be able to complete the activity correctly, and vice versa, if it is too simple they will not learn
anything from the activity.
How This Artifact Demonstrates my Competence on the NAEYC Standard :
I am competent in NAEYC standard 4, Using Developmentally Effective Approaches because
through my activity kit I now understand that teaching and learning with young children can be a
complex enterprise due to ages, characteristics, and setting within teaching and learning occur. I was
able to do my activities with three and four year olds to see if the activities where developmentally
appropriate for their age group. These activities are building blocks to go onto more complex activities.
I feel this relates to Jean Piagets schema theory and it is acquiring new information through a previous
experience to modify, add to, or change previously existing schemas. Now I know, understand, and use
developmentally appropriate approaches and instructional strategies to connect with children. I now
have a tool to create positive relationships and supportive interactions with young children and their
families.