Assignment:
Developmentally Appropriate Practices
One of the most important aspects of your role as an educator will be to effectively plan developmentally appropriate learning experiences for each child. An important part of your ability to create effective learning opportunities is the learning environment you create for children. This assignment is your opportunity to put together a cohesive plan for your dream learning environment for young children.
To prepare for this assignment, read the following scenario: Imagine you are given the opportunity to set up your dream classroom learning environment. What would it look like? Create a plan for what your ideal early childhood classroom would look like, keeping in mind each of the different learning domains.
Consider reviewing the Microsoft Office resource Tips for Creating and Delivering an Effective Presentation to make sure your presentation is professionally designed. For this assignment, you will elaborate on your own slides by providing slide notes.
To prepare for your assignment,
Refer to the Instructor Guidance for further tips and examples that will support your success with this discussion.
Utilize the Developmentally Appropriate Environments Assignment Template to assist you with organizing this assignment.
In your five to seven slide Power Point presentation, include the following:
1. Developmental Age: On one slide, recalling the scenario above as your frame of reference for this assignment, state what age level you are creating this environment for and why you want to work with this age level. In the slide notes, elaborate on your bullet points in at least one paragraph.
2. Developmental Milestones: On one slide, list the top five developmental milestones that are important to consider at this age level (e.g., for infants, developing secure attachments with adults). In the slide notes, for each developmental milestone, provide a one-paragraph rationale for it being in the top five and include support from at least one scholarly source.
3. Learning Environment Considerations: On one slide, describe the top five considerations that must be made while setting up the learning environment for this age group (e.g., posters at eye level, etc.). In the slide notes, give a detailed explanation of your rationale in at least one paragraph, using at least one scholarly source for support.
4. Classroom Set-Up Requirements: On two to three slides, explain each of the seven areas of your future classroom listed below. In the slide notes, in one paragraph for each point, elaborate and provide support from at least one scholarly source.
- What larger furniture will you utilize in your classroom (e.g., desks, tables, etc.)?
- What teaching materials will you need?
- How will you set up the various areas or stations in your learning environment?
- How will you assess each child's growth?
- How will you accommodate atypically developing children?
- How will you incorporate families into your learning environment (e.g., family meeting space, communication board, etc.)?
- How is play incorporated into your learning environment?
The Developmentally Appropriate Environments presentation
Must be five to seven slides in length (not including title and references pages, but including the completed observation checklist) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center's APA Style resource.