Chapter 5: Organizing Space, Materials, and Time

I am naturally a rather anxious person, and I have a hard time making choices on some things, decorating being one of them!  Before reading this chapter, I guess I had a general idea of how to organize a classroom, and was definitely foggier as to how to go about it before I read this chapter.  I learned that when organizing a classroom, many things have to be taken into consideration.  One is making sure the room is safe, and a good place for the children to move around without getting hurt.  The other element when organizing a classroom is making sure it is a comfortable environment so that the children can feel welcome in their class setting.  Space is another element to consider when organizing a classroom.  You don’t want to have too much space where it is harder to keep an eye on the children, yet you want to have enough space for them to comfortably move around.  You also want to have many areas within the room, some areas arranged for a space for about 2-3, and other areas where there is more space for more children.  The idea of appropriate space also applies to the outdoors as well, and again, not too much, not too little, and with different areas where the children can explore.  Another element of organizing a classroom is sound control, which can be very difficult at time.  It is best to have carpeted floors so absorb loud noises, and designate different areas to different noise levels.  Another good way to control sounds is by having a noisy center designated for about 2 or three children instead of 5 or 6.  Another element of organizing a developmentally appropriate classroom is making sure the equipment is appropriate for the children in the classroom, and making sure that the equipment within the room is their size and at their level.  Mobility is also an important factor to consider within a classroom, and you want to make sure that there is enough room for the children to walk without hurting each other, and allowing them to move from one place to the other.  Attractiveness of the environment is another key factor in organizing a classroom, and you want the room to feel welcoming and warm so that the children feel comfortable and are therefore better able to learn.  Attractiveness also means keeping a clean classroom, which helps to teach the children the importance of cleanliness.  And finally, when organizing a classroom, storage needs to be taken into consideration.  When storing materials, they should be next to the area where they will be used, and should be easy to access in case the object(s) should be needed suddenly.

            Another thing that I appreciated while reading chapter 5 was that it gave examples of various centers that could be present in a classroom.  Examples include language arts centers, block centers, or pretend play centers.  I really enjoy how this book gives examples and ideas on the various centers and the materials needed to make them successful.  All of these are really great ideas for centers, and I will definitely take these ideas with me when thinking about the centers that I would like to set up in my classroom, and for an indecisive person, any ideas are great!

            Being the indecisive person that I am, again, I loved how this book gave examples and tips on how to select appropriate materials for the classroom.  For example, you want the materials to support various aspects of learning such as literacy, numbers, science, art, writing, music, and etc… It is also important to have an array of materials at hand because children, especially the younger ones, will get tired with the same materials day after day (or even after a few hours!).

            And one other thing that I really liked about this chapter (again having to do with providing an example) was that it gave an outline of schedules in various classrooms.  One thing that I noticed is that many of the activities last only, at most, around 25 minutes to a half hour.  This must require a lot of planning, and seeing a sample schedule really eases my mind about what and how to plan.  I am aware that it will be different once I am in my own class room setting, but it is reassuring to see a sample of a typical day in the life of a young child.

Question:  Where do these preschools come up with all of the different materials needed in a classroom to satisfy the attention spans of young children? How do you know what to buy and how is it funded?

Chapter 16: Integrating curriculum by Using Themes and Projects

Before reading chapter 16, I really did not understand the difference between themes and projects, nor did I give it much thought.  After reading this chapter, I understand that theme teaching means creating many different activities that all revolve around the same idea.  A project, on the other hand, is “an in depth investigation about a topic,” (D.A.C. 410) while also taking into consideration children’s questions, interests and thoughts about the topic at hand.  Incorporating themes and projects within the classroom is important because they help build connections through the information that is known, and most importantly, play a major role in a child’s concept development.

            One thing that I really enjoyed while reading this chapter is all of the wonderful ideas and instructions on how to create an appropriate theme within the classroom.  I really enjoyed the example in the book about an apple theme within the classroom and how the teacher went about taking all of her ideas and narrowing them down to subsections.  With every subsection the teacher came up with, she thought of appropriate activities that would go along with that section.  This is such a great way to come up with themes within the classroom, and this is something that I will definitely take with me when I am in my own classroom someday.

            Another bit of information that I was unaware of until reading this chapter, (and it may sound silly), is that I had no idea how long a theme or project should last.  I guess I was thinking somewhere along the lines of a few days, but according to this chapter, most projects or themes last 3-4 weeks and some can even last for several months!  By allowing a considerable amount of time, it gives the children a chance to absorb information and make their own connections about the topic of discussion.  After reading this, it really got me thinking about what kind of themes/projects I will come up with for my classroom, and I can’t wait to see the children making their own connections and watch them learn.

            One thing that completely shocked me after reading it was that planning and implementing a theme or project is virtually the same process regardless of the ages of children, the only thing that needs to be taken into consideration is if the project/theme is appropriate for the ages of the children.  I thought that the process would change when planning projects or themes as the children aged.  According to this chapter, a good way to make age appropriate TFP’s is by dividing them into two categories; simple and advanced.  I had no idea that the concept of planning themes and projects would stay the same, even as the children got older, I assumed that as the children grew, the ways of planning would change.  It amazes me to think that you could follow the same procedure when dealing with 3 year olds as when dealing with 10 year olds!

Question:  Where is a good source to find age appropriate themes and projects? Do you have to get permission from the principal when doing long themes like this?

Chapter 3: Planning and Implementing Effective Small-Group Activities

Chapter 3 was an interesting chapter as well.  One idea that I found to be crucial to developing DAP curriculum was the idea of teachers as effective planners.  According to this chapter, to be an effective planner, the teacher needs to take into consideration the materials that are at hand, the physical space available, at what time of day the plan would be best carried out in, and the context of the classroom, the children’s families, and the community in which they live.  Also, when planning, the teacher must take into consideration the children involved, and their development.

            Another interesting point the book made was demonstrating the difference between goals and objectives.  Before reading this, I assumed they were practically the same thing, but as the book points out, they are clearly different.  A goal is much broader, and the example the book gives is great.  For instance, the goal might be to have the children “complete the task they have begun,” but the objective gives the specifics.  The objective will list in order what is expected of the children or what they hope to be accomplished.  Understanding the difference between the two is important when creating DAP curriculum, and also important so that the children in the classroom will be able to tell the difference between what is generally expected of them, and the steps that need to be taken in order to complete their goal.

            Learning the different “representations” of children was also very interesting to me.  It had been a long time since I have heard about enactive, iconic, or symbolic representation before reading this chapter.  I forgot the meaning of the three representations.  For instance, enactive representation is when children use their bodies to aide them in an activity such as counting, or expressing themselves.  Iconic representation is when children use three dimensional images to construct what they see and think about.  Blocks are a good resource for children to express iconic representation, or painting and coloring are also good resources for iconic representations.  And the last representation was symbolic representations.  Symbolic representations are when children start using words and symbols to communicate their thoughts and ideas.  Knowing and understand these representations is a great advantage in developing DAP practices.  For instance, if a child is having trouble understanding you when you are teaching them simple math (symbolic representation), you could use pennies to show them how many there are (iconic representation), or have them count on their fingers (enactive representation).

            Also, while reading chapter 3, I found that learning and understanding the 6 most common types of activities in an early childhood classroom is also crucial to creating a positive, appropriate environment in the classroom.  It starts at exploratory play, then moves to guided discovery, then problem solving, then discussions, then on to demonstrations, and finally to direct instruction.  These are important to remember because maybe not all of the children are at the same level.  For instance, in the classroom you may have a student that is not to guided instruction yet, but still needs demonstrations.  As a teacher, it is important to be aware of these different learning activities, and also the children within the classroom, knowing what level they are at, and adapting the curriculum so that everyone is able to follow and understand.

Question:  If a child is severely behind their other classmates, but their parents are insistent on them staying within the classroom with their peers, what are some ways to adapt the curriculum so that they will not feel left out or embarrassed of being behind?                                                                                                                                                                       

Chapter 2: Teaching and Learning in Developmentally Appropriate Programs

Chapter 2 was full of great ideas to remember when creating a DAP curriculum.  One great concept that I found interesting was on the first page of the second chapter, and learning the three parts of the teaching-learning knowledge base.  The first part of the teaching-learning knowledge base was that the educators need to know and understand what young children are and can be like, and know about how children develop.  Second, teachers need to understand the teaching process to make the most effective curriculum.  And third, the teacher must demonstrate their knowledge as educators, and also their academic disciplines.  The teacher-learning knowledge base and its three components are all great things to remember when creating a DAP curriculum.

            Another idea that I want to remember when creating my own DAP classroom is to remember that children develop holistically, and to always keep the whole child in mind.  This means to remember that children not only develop academically, but also aesthetically, affectively, cognitively, linguistically, physically, and socially.  If I am to be an effective teacher, I need to understand that there is more than just teaching involved in being a teacher, and I need to be aware of all of the children within the classroom, beyond their academic skills.

            The idea that every child develops at varying rates is another thing that I want to keep in mind when designing my own curriculum.  As a teacher, I need to keep in mind that every child develops differently, whether it is physically, academically, socially, or emotionally, and as a teacher, I need to be aware of their development in order to design the best curriculum for them. 

            One other concept that I found interesting is knowing the different between effective and ineffective praise for young children.  I guess I thought that any kind of praise was good for children, but after reading this, it really opened my eyes as to what is appropriate praise, and what may not be so appropriate.  For instance, the book demonstrates that saying, “You are a great write,” is ineffective praise because it is too broad.  Instead, the book suggests saying, “You found a way to surprise the reader at the end,” which is being specific to the child and telling them how they are a great writer.  This is definitely something that I want to remember when I am in my own classroom someday to help children become confident in what they are doing.

Question:  When talking about teachers demonstrating their knowledge as educators, what does this all entail?  Does this mean standardized tests, or just demonstrating that they are competent teachers with effective results?

Chapter 1: Play, Projects, and Preschool Standards

There are many things that I found interesting while reading this chapter.  I am amazed that my own professor was a part of writing this book, that is just awesome!  While reading chapter one, the first interesting fact that caught my eye was that childrens early experiences influence their future learning.  This made me think about when I was younger, and I wonder what early experiences have helped to mold me into who I am today.  Knowing that the early experiences are vital in a childs life, as a teacher I will do my best to create a happy, healthy, creative and fun learning environment for the children in my class.

Another thing that I found interesting is that preschool standards are not ment to hold a child back from entering kindergarten if they are not able to perform all of the tasks under the standards.  This made me realize that the standards are more of a guideline than a determination as to whether or not a child will move on to kindergarten.  As a future educator, I will keep this in mind and remember to be aware of each childs progress and do my best to help them succeed and understand the material.

While reading this chapter, I also learned that there are more ways to assess a childs progress than just tests and standards.  A creative way to assess a childs development is to create a portfolio for that child to see where they are at the beginning of the school year, and how they progress to the end of the school year.  This is a great way to keep records of a childs development, and the children can also be involved in this project.  Maybe at the end of the year, after going through the childs portfolio, the child could even take it home to show their parents everything they have done during the school year.

Chapter one was very interesting, and I appreciated the shorter chapters becuase it is easier to digest all of the information that is presented at once.  I will take what I have learned while reading this book into my own classroom.

Question:  One question that I have is that if a child does not meet the preschool standards by the end of the year, are they forced to be held back from kindergarten, or is that the parents choice?

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