Running head: DEVELOPMENTALLY-APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTION 1

Developmentally-Appropriate Instruction

Kirstie Robison

Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 495 Field Experience ePortfolio, Fall 2017

DEVELOPMENTALLY-APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTION

Introduction

In order to be an effective teacher, a teacher must be able to instruct students at a

developmentally-appropriate level. The students need to be able to understand what is being

taught. If they cannot follow what is being stated it will go over their heads, and they will begin

to tune the teacher out. A good way to have developmentally-appropriate instruction is by

keeping the students engaged with hands-on activities. This keeps them engaged and learning.

Also it helps those who need the hands-on instruction to learn best.

Rationale for Selection of Artifacts

The first artifact I chose is a picture of an activity that I led in the Czech Republic. In the

Czech Republic, I taught English as well as the Bible. I was teaching the students that Jesus is

the way to God. I was teaching seven and eight year olds. I knew that me just saying we need

Jesus may not stick with them. I wanted to find an activity for the students to visualize the need

for Jesus. I wrote people on a piece of tape and God on another piece of tape. The interpreter for

the classroom translated the words for me. I put the pieces on opposite sides of the room. I had

each student stand on the piece of tape that said people. They had to jump on both feet to try to

make it to God on their own. They were only allowed to jump once. The pieces of tape in the

middle of the picture are where each of the students landed. No one was able to make it to God

on their own. This showed the students that they needed help to get to God. I then used the tape

to make a cross on the floor. I explained to the students that Jesus dies on a cross to save us. He

paved the way. The activity helped the students get actively involved and engaged with the

lesson. They were able to visualize the need for Jesus. It was a good lesson for their age group. It

made more of an impact then if I simply spoke to the students and had the interpreter translate.
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The second artifact is a unit plan that I created for a fourth grade level. In the unit plan I

included many hands-on activities in order to make engaging lessons for the students. Math is

something students tend to struggle to relate to or even see a need for. I wrote some assignments

in order to help the students relate it to their life. This made it applicable to the students. They

could see how math is important in their everyday life. I also included assignments that had the

students digging deeper into why math is helpful and important. I have activities that involve

differentiation in order for me to accommodate where each student is academically and

developmentally. As a teacher, it is important to have activities that relate to a childs life. They

need to know why what they are learning is important in order to take ownership of their

learning.

Reflection on Theory and Practice

At Regent I have learned that children should be learning through engaging experiences.

They should be talking and learning from one another. They should not be sitting still in their

seats all day and listening to the teacher give a lecture for eight hours. Bergin and Bergin (2018)

states, Another concept that was influenced by Piagets theory is developmentally appropriate

practice (DAP), which is an approach to educating children from birth to age 8 that emphasizes

the child as an active participant in leaning, not just a passive receiver of knowledge (Bergin

and Bergin, 2018, p. 109). Even though Bergin and Bergin mention this about children eight and

under, I would say that every child should be an active participant in learning. When the students

are engaged in hands-on activities it makes the lesson more meaningful. They begin to take

ownership of their own learning.

Another important aspect of developmentally-appropriate instruction is providing

opportunities for cooperative learning. The students need to be talking to one another. Many
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times the students can learn more from talking to their peers than they can by the teacher

lecturing. As Dean and Marzano (2013) explain, the students need time to process what they

have been taught. A great way to have them process what they have been learning is to have

them talk to their peers. It helps those who understand dig deeper because they have to explain it

to their peers (Dean and Marzano, 2013, p. 136). It also helps those who are struggling be able to

grasp the concepts from their peers. Not only does it help them dig deeper, but it also helps the

students in life. Students will need to communicate with others in life (Why Use Cooperative

Learning? 2016). They will have to learn to work as a team, even if they do not get along. When

the teacher is simply lecturing, the students do not get to practice communicating with one

another. Incorporating cooperative learning, the students are being prepared for the future.
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References

Bergin, C. A., & Bergin, D. A. (2018). Child and adolescent development in your classroom:

topical approach. Boston, MA, US: Cengage Learning.

Dean, C. B., & Marzano, R. J. (2013). Classroom instruction that works: research-based

strategies for increasing student achievement. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

Why Use Cooperative Learning? (2016, November 14). Retrieved October 01, 2017, from

https://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/cooperative/whyuse.html