Reflective Analysis of Portfolio Artifact

Rationale/Reflection
NAEYC Standard:
STANDARD 1. PROMOTING CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING Candidates prepared in
early childhood degree programs are grounded in a child development knowledge base. They use their
understanding of a) young childrens characteristics and needs, and b) multiple interacting influences on
childrens development and learning, to c) create environments, respectful, supportive, and challenging
for each child.
Brief Description of Evidence:
During the fall semester of 2016 during my ECED 243- Cognitive Curriculum course, first I observed
Miss Emmas preschool class and listened to the children. The children talked about the different colors
of leaves and how the leaves were changing because it was getting cold outside. I then used this for my
webbing and created an activity based around what the children had talked about. I then thought about
what materials I could use and what open-ended questions I could come up with. I then thought about
how I would engage the children in this activity that best suited their needs and would still meet the
academic standards. As the children began using the materials for this activity I could document their
conversations between each other and the questions they had concerning the activity. I was then able to
photograph the children during this activity and record their statements concerning the different leaves,
sticks, and especially the nuts and cracking them open. Finally, I could retell the story with photos and
comments the children made during this activity.

Analysis of What I Learned:

Throughout the project, I learned that it requires a lot of thought and preparation to execute
activities for a classroom. It is necessary to be aware of all the students and their specific needs,
to ensure an activity meets the correct standards and what is required for the educational needs of
all students. I learned that not all children want to be part of an activity and that if I included
different materials, including more sensory based materials that might have been more inviting to
some of the other students.

How This Artifact Demonstrates my Competence on the NAEYC

Standard:
I am competent in promoting child development and learning because the activity I created was
a success. The children were very excited to use the materials I brought in and they were very interested
in learning the names of each leaf as well as where I found each specific leaf. I believe the activity was
effective in proving my ability to plan and implement engaging experiences for children based on their

needs, interests, and strengths. By using a variety of open ended questions, I provided positive
interactions and build positive relationship with the children based on my Invitation to Learn.