Early Childhood

Task 2: Instruction Commentary

TASK 2: INSTRUCTION COMMENTARY

Respond to the prompts below (no more than 6 single-spaced pages, including prompts) by typing your responses within
the brackets following each prompt. Do not delete or alter the prompts. Commentary pages exceeding the maximum will not be
scored. You may insert no more than 2 additional pages of supporting documentation at the end of this file. These pages
may include graphics, texts, or images that are not clearly visible in the video or a transcript for occasionally inaudible portions.
These pages do not count toward your page total.

1. List the learning experience(s) you have selected for the 2 video clips you are
submitting. Identify the learning experience(s) by plan day/number.
[ ] The learning experiences I selected is how the students interacted and engaged in the story.
The sequence of the story, how they were able to recognize the events that were taking place in
the story. The student were able to recognize the sounds of the animals and non-animals in the
story. Using vocabulary words from their feelings.
2. Promoting a Positive Learning Environment
Refer to scenes in the video clips where you provided a positive learning environment.
a. How did you demonstrate mutual respect for, rapport with, and responsiveness to
children with varied needs and backgrounds, and challenge children to engage in
learning?
[ ] There were some students a bit antsy; those are the ones I would engage in the reading
instructions. As a group, we all had to follow the rules of being polite. Raise your hand if you
have a question or wait until you called. I would call their name and ask them to share if they
knew what is going to happen next in the story. Getting there attention by calling their name
made a difference in how they engaged in the story. Some of the students shared things about
their life related to the story. Some of the students became bored so I excused them to go set at
their desk while the rest of the class hear how this exciting story will end.
3. Engaging Children in Learning
Refer to examples from the video clips in your responses to the prompts.

a. Explain how your instruction engaged children in

 language and literacy development, AND
 active, multimodal learning
[ ] The mother bird left the nest before the egg hatched. I asked questions related to that event.
One of the students shared how she felt when her mom went outside and left her in the house
by herself. The baby bird searched for his mother he ran across some animals. The students
were able to identify the animals and their sounds. We made animal sounds, that scene allow
them to share with the group the type of animal they have at home. Some over stated that made
us laugh. They pretend they had a cow at their house and a horse. I asked question of what will
you do if your mom left you at a certain place: will you stay until she return or will you do what
baby bird did go look for her. They were able to express their feelings, which brought out new
words. Examples: upset, afraid, and lonely.
b. Describe how your instruction linked children’s development, prior learning, and
personal, cultural, and community assets with new learning.
[ ] This book talks about feelings, bonding, love. Reading this story to the class, it brought out
similar events that are happening in the students’ lives. Parents are not able to pick their

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 Early Childhood
Task 2: Instruction Commentary

children up from school, child feel alone like baby bird, wondering where my mother or father is.
The facility that I am working it opens 6:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. Some of these children spends
the whole day at this school. Wondering where my mother is, when is she coming to get me?
The story had a great ending to it. The machine took baby bird back to his home where he
found his mother. Some of these children have two and three homes to go to during the week.
When baby bird returned home, it put a smile on their faces.
4. Deepening Children’s Learning during Instruction
Refer to examples from the video clips in your explanations.

a. Explain how you elicited and built on children’s responses to promote children’s
language and literacy development through active learning.
[ ] Though my observation the same students were raising their hands to answer questions. I
decide to call on the ones who was looking off, not paying attention to the story. I asked them to
repeat with me the order of the events in the story. I wanted to pull them in the story, calling
them by name asking those questions pertaining to the story. It help them to engage and pay
attention.
b. Explain how you made interdisciplinary connections in ways that deepen children’s
development of language and literacy.
[ ] This story was about Are You my Mother? In the story, it showed the students the difference
of communication. Why the airplane, boat, or car did not respond to the question baby bird was
asking? Even though it was a story, they were able to distinguish the difference between
animals communication verses items that are for transportation. They were able to explain the
car, boat and airplane how they are used.
5. Analyzing Teaching
Refer to examples from the video clips in your responses to the prompts.

a. What changes would you make to your instruction to better support children’s learning
related to the central focus? Be sure to address the needs of all children, including those
who need greater support or challenge.

Consider the variety of learners in your class/group who may require different
strategies/supports (such as children with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners,
children at different points in the developmental continuum, and/or gifted children).
[ ] While video the student, I was reading word for word of the story. At this age, 3-5 their
attention span sometimes want allow the timing meant to complete an assignment. When
recognized that I had held them captive for longer than normal, they were in an antsy mode.
Moving around, playing with items on the floor. I almost lost my audience attention. I did allow
some students to go to their seats. Couple of students who I should have given models of the
animals or models of the machines. On the other hand, allow them to use their imagination by
drawing what they heard or learned. They should have had something to keep their attention
focus with the group. When I observe students getting tired or restless I have them get up and
stretch, shake the sillies out. What I should have done most of all was shorten the story.
b. Explain why you think these changes would improve children’s learning. Support your
explanation with evidence of children’s learning AND principles from developmental
theory and/or research.

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 Early Childhood
Task 2: Instruction Commentary

[ ] Children learn in a variety of ways. Development and learning advance when

children are challenged. Children’s experiences shape their motivation
and approaches to learning. Allowing the story to go to long it became a
challenge for them, but they were not ready for the challenge. This is the
time when they are taking shape and when any impression we choose to
make leaves a permanent mark’ (cited in Clarke and Clarke, 2000, p 11).
Observation, focus, and understanding must happen in the classroom to
leave a positive mark on their young lives. Knowing what is individually
appropriate; all students do not learn or have the same resilience.
Observation is key, observing playtime, how the students interact with
each other play a big part on their developmental progress. Accepting the
students learning at a different age, which is crucial. Developmentally
appropriate practice (DAP) is an approach to teaching grounded in the
research on how young children develop and learn and in what is known
about effective early education. It makes a difference on how each child is
assessed with learning.

Jean Piaget’s thinking has challenged teachers to focus on the ways

children come to know as opposed to what they know. His theory of
cognitive development focuses on predictable cognitive (thinking) stages.
Piaget believed that thinking was different during each stage of
development.. Knowledge is gathered gradually during active
involvement.

National Association for the Education of Young Children

Baillargeon, R., & DeVos, J. (1991). Object permanence in young infants: Further
evidence. Child development, 1227-1246.

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The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA trademarks is
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