Observation can be used for three major purposes: (1) to understand children’s behavior, (2) to evaluate children’s development, and (3) to evaluate learning progress. Understanding Children’s behavior, young children have not mastered language and the ability to read and write, they are unable to express themselves as clearly as older children and adults. They cannot demonstrate how much they know or understand through formal or informal assessments involving tasks and standardized tests. Children cannot explain themselves adequately through language, evidence as to why they behave as they do is obtained through on-the-spot recording of their actions. Skilled observation is important to correctly determine what is behind a child’s classroom behavior.
Effective preschool classrooms are places where children feel well cared for and safe. They are places where children are valued as individuals and where their needs for attention, approval, and affection are supported. They are also places where children can be helped to acquire a strong foundation in the knowledge and skills needed for school success. Research shows beyond question that it is through having many opportunities to talk as well as to listen to teachers and peers that children gain language skills so valuable for their success in reading and writing. The more children know about their world, the easier it is for them to read and learn when they get to school.
It is critical for parents and teachers to identify these deficiencies early since the ability to process and retain information can be strengthen with learning strategies and information-processing development. Early identification is the best defense against LD since it will help to understand a student’s learning process to comprehension and understanding information. Knowing this is only half the battle because implementing strategies effectively is the other half. Knowing how a student with LD process and store information is key to achievement. According to Smith (2004), students with learning disabilities develop learning strategies and information processing skills in the typical order expected, but at a much slower pace.
What makes an effective primary classroom? Discuss and debate with reference to research and wide reading, including journals, books and other media During this essay I will look at several areas of schooling, all of which have an impact on making the classroom a productive place for children to learn. Getting the right balance of all factors in the classroom is vital in maintaining and progressing a child’s intelligence. I will specifically focus on the ways in which teaching methods can make the classroom a successful place to be. In particular how they keep the classroom under control but also make it a fun place to learn.
Good communication skills are essential for early childhood educators. This essay outlines how good communication skills provide advancement in student skill, through proper practices of collaboration between childhood educators, students, and parents through good communication. Classroom communication can be defined as a process of information shared that consists of verbal and nonverbal transactions between teacher and students, or between and among students, in a classroom setting (Kearns, 2012, p.33). Firstly, this forms the basis of skills essential for educators to increase student educational success. Secondly, children increase social and cognitive development from positive influences that are communicated by teachers.
The inclusive classroom can be potentially made up of an array of students with very specific learning needs. These requirements need to be understood, identified and catered for by the classroom teacher. As knowledge and understanding are the tools for successful teaching and learning practises; this report aims to explain, identify key traits and provide programming and teaching recommendations for students that may present with Speech and Language Disorders and those with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Language is a particularly important form of human communication and is defined as “the set of symbols, usually words or signs that are organised by convention to communicate ideas” (CCCH 2006 p.6). In order for one to understand Speech and Language Disorders (SLD) one must first understand the components of speech and language.
So I feel teachers need to know and be aware of the one-to-one, extended, cognitively challenging conversations and how to engage in such communication, even with students that are reluctant talkers. Teachers need to know how the lexicon is acquired and what instructional practices support vocabulary acquisition. They also need to know how to conduct story reading and other early literacy experiences that promote phonological awareness and prepare children for later success in reading (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998). Most early childhood teachers do not have sufficient training in how to support early literacy learning. They need to know how much phonics children need to know, how to know which children need more or less explicit phonics instruction, and when to stop teaching phonics to which children.
Creating Learning Centers and Increasing Parental Involvement Laura Chapman March 9, 2009 Creating Learning Centers Children learn best when actively engaged in hands-on experiences that have personal relevance. High quality early childhood programs support the way children learn best by providing classrooms that are organized in learning centers rich with hands-on materials. Learning centers allow children to make choices about their activities, which encourages a developing sense of independence and an intrinsic motivation to learn (Pattillo, 1992, p 12). According to early childhood theorist Lev Vygotsky, children use language to organize their thinking (Follari, 2007, p 38). Language development is encouraged by learning centers as children verbalize their activities and interact with peers.
Schema Activation Activities Students who are unfamiliar with reading content based texts are often unwilling to complete reading assignments, and frequently feel at a loss for successfully analyzing and retaining the material they have read (Vacca, 2002). Successful teachers engage students in pre-reading activities which will assist in activating their prior knowledge of a subject before the reading assignment. These pre-reading activities are designed to not only engage a student’s prior knowledge, but build their schema as well. It is vital for teachers to implement pre-reading activities and develop effective relevant lessons which will incorporate the diverse backgrounds and cultures seen in today’s classrooms. Anticipation Guides The following activities are designed to increase the reader’s expectations of what they will encounter in their reading (Vacca, 2002).
Concept books are books that have pictures and don’t really have a plot, characters, or a dialogue which are perfect for young children. However, some concept books that form the core of many concepts books, such as one-to-one number correspondence, are typically learned toward the end of early childhood, around seven years old, and after children have certainly been exposed to a wide range of informational picture books (Carlson, n.d.). Teachers are able to use these books as a visual tool to introduce to children the different shapes, colors, alphabet letters, and numbers. Children can learn a lot from the environment around them and reading books in that environment. The children use their thinking and cognitive skills to become literate.