EXPLORING THE DEVELOPMENTAL CURRICULUM, THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN, AND THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHERS TO PROMOTE CREATIVITY

1. EXPLORING THE DEVELOPMENTAL CURRICULUM, THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN, AND THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHERS TO PROMOTE CREATIVITY • Lecture notes comprise of gathered information from the following areas: • Chapter 1 & 4. Dodge, Colker, & Heroman (2002). • Chapter 5. Mayesky (2002).

2. CHILDREN, TEACHERS AND CREATIVE ACTIVITIES—Key Themes For Consideration • Children possess both unique qualities and common characteristics which bind them to their environment. • Teachers must be certain that their practices do not compromise children’s uniqueness or their commonalities. Consequently, It is important for teachers to know the unique differences between each child and be aware of each child’s level of development, strengths, abilities, and special personality. • Children are often challenged to discover their uniqueness while at the same time develop socially adaptable characteristics which enable them to integrate into their families, communities, and greater society. • Watching child at play helps an adult understand the young person. • Teacher plays a role of a facilitator in the creative process. • As facilitators we engage in scaffolding by helping them develop new competencies, guide and provide opportunities, and to be sensitive and caring without interfering. • Teacher needs to allow the young child to deal directly with materials (acting as an aide rather than a leader or judge). • Talking to children about their art can foster children’s ability to express themselves through the arts.

3. DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE EARLY CHILDHOOD CLASSROOMS • Classrooms that demonstrate maximum interaction among children as they pursue a variety of independent and small groups. • The teachers prepare the environment with challenging and interesting materials/activities and then steps back to observe, encourage and deepen children’s use of them. • Teachers ask thought- provoking questions and make appropriate comments.

4. ATTENTION SPAN AND CHILDREN’S PHYSICAL NEEDS • In general, the younger children the shorter the attention span; however, it varies from individual to individual. • Teachers must consider attention span when developing activities. • DAP activities (not too easy; not too challenging) promote greater attention out of children. • Young children make it quite obvious when their attention span is waning- by a yawn, fidgeting etc. • Teachers need to be able to read these obvious signs of lessening (or lost) attention. • Teachers need to note activities which capture the attention of children longer. This can be vital information for future program development. • By changing activities and equipment to keep children “matched” to their present developmental levels, you are helping the children attend to activities longer on their own.

5. Activity Patterns • Start with familiar resources/ activities then move to more complex. • Take into account children’s physical characteristics. • Balanced interplay of time for both large and small motor tasks. • Creative activities for young children must also have a good balance between active and quiet activities. • Both should be incorporated in a single learning setting since young children have a difficult time sitting still for long periods of time. • The younger the child, the greater the tendency to become over stimulated, so the amount of activities for young children should be limited.

6. Transition From Group Times • Transitions from group times to the next activities can be chaotic if group times are uninteresting, too long, or too demanding. • Improve transition stage by sharing the day’s schedule with the children at the beginning of the day. • Allow children to help with the plans and participate in setting the limits. • Give positive reinforcement when things go well, not just reminders when someone fails to remember.

7. Transitions To Free Choice Times • Assure children that they will have ample time for their favorite activities (This reduces mad dashes for resources). • When balance is inadequate, children behave aggressively (Misbehaving and unconstructive play). • Children who are bored or frustrated during free choice time are rarely cooperative during clean up.

8. CHILDREN EXPRESSING SOCIAL EMOTIONAL NEEDS • Important to help the child find acceptable ways to express their feelings. • By providing activities that are less structured and allow freedom of expression. • Children usually let the materials and their fantasies take care of the emotions they are feeling. • Flexibility and a broad range of available creative activities facilitates creativity. • Children need to know about limits (setting them when necessary) and need to be helped so that they can channel emotions in a more positive directions. • Behavior problems demand creative response from the teachers. A disciplinary situation usually requires divergent thinking on the part of the adult. • A young child should learn that the expression of some feelings can hurt others and must understand that it is the means of expression and not the feeling itself that may be harmful (Perspective taking).

9. Competition • Young children naturally compare their work to others and seek their teacher’s approval. • Teachers should respect children’s natural competitive spirit and/or parental values towards competition. • But avoid reinforcing competition.

10. STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS Guidelines for developing creative and developmentally appropriate activities: • PREPARATION. • Try the activity before presenting it to the children. • Make sure all necessary equipments is present. • Think through the activity and modify the activity if necessary. • Explain the activity so that the children know how to begin and proceed. • After the children have started, circulate among them. • PRESENTATION OF CREATIVE ACTIVITIES. In planning for each activity, the teacher should: • Identify goals and possible learning for the activity. • List the materials necessary for the activity/ Determine how to set up the activity. • Decide how to stimulate and maintain the children’s interest. • Anticipate questions the children might ask. • Plan ways to evaluate the activity/ Consider follow-up activities. • Consider cleanup time and requirement.

11. HINTS TOWARDS FACILITATION OF ACTIVITIES • Dramatic play, creative movement, singing, outdoor activities, and small group projects should all take place within each week. • Do not move too fast when presenting new ideas or activities for young children. • Activities should be repeated so that the children learn new ways of approaching the materials expand their understanding through repetition. • Proper sequencing should be given close attention/ Activities should be build upon each other. • Once a child is involved in a creative activity, a few words of encouragement may be all that is needed to keep the child interested. • Children need enough time to finish an activity. • At end of each day, teachers needs to evaluate the day’s activities. • Ideas for the next day can be revised or created based on what then appears best. • A person who works with young children must always be open to new information and feedback.

12. COMPLETING A CREATIVE ACTIVITY • Finishing an activity involves clean up and young children can be very helpful with this. • Pro-social behaviors can be acquired if teachers take time to teach them about clean-up . • Young children usually want to help out and enjoy feeling needed. • Arrange the environment so that it is possible for the children to assist with cleanup. • Children can put away materials when they clearly understand where the materials belong. • Empower children by assigning roles during clean-up and rotating roles to guarantee fairness. • Give children ample notice before cleanup time approaches, giving them second and third reminders after about 5-9 minutes. • Teacher can circulate around the room giving quiet notice.

13. Completing an activity is important to young children and teachers have to allow time for individual differences in finishing creative activities. • Children stop when they are satisfied with what they have produced. • Teachers of young children realize that the decision to stop must be the child’s. • To ask a child who has stopped working to add to what has been created or to evaluate the item for reworking would violate the child’s creative integrity.

15. HOW PRESCHOOLERS DEVELOP AND LEARN • The preschool years (3-5 yrs) are a special time in the life of young children. • Children develop across multiple domains of development: Socio/Emotional, • Social/Emotional Development • Socialization- the process by which children learn the values and behaviors accepted by society. • Three goals for social/emotional development • Achieving a sense of self. • Taking responsibility for self and others • Behaving in a prosocial way • Social and emotional competence are essential to children’s well-being and success in school and in life. • A child who is socially and emotionally ready for school is • Confident, friendly, able to develop good relationships with peers. • Able to concentrate on and persist at challenging task. • Able communicate frustrations, anger, and joy effectively. • Able to listen to instructions and be attentive.

16. Physical Development • Children master increasingly sophisticated tasks and gain personal responsibility for their own physical needs. • Two goals for physical development • Achieving gross motor control. • Achieving fine motor control. • In may ways, physical development promotes social/emotional development (The reverse is also true). • Physical education in early grades support children’s academic achievement, general health, self-esteem, stress management, and social development. • Cognitive Development • Three goals for cognitive development • Learning and problem solving. • Thinking logically. • Representing and thinking symbolically. • The ability to take on another’s perspective leads them into friendship where they can share feelings and experiences.

17. Language Development. • Language become the essential tool for establishing relationships with adults and other children. • Two goals for language development • Listening and speaking • Reading and writing • Between the ages of 3 & 5, children’s vocabulary can grow dramatically • Listening, speaking, reading, and writing develop interdependently in children.

18. Ages and stages of Development • Three-Years-Old • Social/Emotional Development • Are learning to trust people around, which gives them confidence to become independent. • At this age social competence does not develop fully. • Physical Development • The play is more sustained and focused than toddler’s play. • Gross motor activities are great source of pleasure. • Cognitive Developmental • Three years olds are exploding with thoughts and ideas and use all of their senses to make sense of the world around them. • Can sort objects by only one characteristics at a time. • Are egocentric and many are able to show empathy. • Language Development • Most 3 yr olds can use plural terms, talk in sentence, recite simple rhymes , and ask questions • Love to share their thoughts with others and participate in conversation. • Four-Years –Old • Social/Emotional Development • They are wonderful mix of independence and sociability. • Love imitating adult behavior and play in groups of two or three. • Physical Development • Are increasingly able to control their muscle. • Their fine motor coordination improves dramatically as well. • Cognitive Development • Four-years-olds are enchanted by principles of cause and effect and always want to know why things happen. • Language Development • The language of 4 years old progresses rapidly. • They like to use big words and deeply enjoy their ability to communicate.

19. Five-Years-Old • Social Development • They are increasingly independent, self sufficient individuals. • They are dependable and responsible. • They are exceedingly social. • 5 year olds prefer cooperative play to solitary or parallel play. • Physical Development • They showmore agility, balance and coordination both in gross and fine motor movements. • Cognitive Development • They learn new concepts through experimentation and discovery. • Are able to think in complex ways • Can categorize by two features, such as color and shapes. • Language Development • Show a significant growth in their communication skills. • They have adult-like word order, using pronunciation like a grown-up. • They also begin to extend their oral language skills to reading and writing.

20. The Teacher’s Role The teacher’s role is an ongoing cycle of interacting with children and making decisions about when and how to meet individual and group needs. The cycle has 3 parts: 1. Observing children 2. Guiding children’s learning 3. Assessing children’s learning

21. OBSERVING CHILDREN • Initial observations may be informal • Gradually make better observations in order to properly guide learning • Informal observations occur naturally throughout the day • Keep file cards or post-its handy in order to jot down what you hear and see • Should schedule regular formal observations • Watch one or more children systematically and record what you hear and see • Try to have another adult with children (parent, co-teacher) so that you can be free to do planned observations • Observation notes will provide rich information that can be used for evaluation and analysis • Observation notes should be objective and factual and should not reveal your impressions, interpretations, or assumptions. Notes should not include labels, intentions, evaluations, judgments, or negatives. • Notes should include descriptions of an action, quotations of language, descriptions of gestures, facial expressions, and creations. • The more familiar you are with the goals and objectives for the children, the more efficient you will be in observing and recording what you see.

22. GUIDING CHILDREN’S LEARNING • Using a range of teaching approaches is most effective • Child initiated-learning • When you want children to explore and construct an understanding on their own • Children choose the activity and the action • Teachers intentionally create an interesting and rich environment that offers children choices • Furniture arrangement, daily routines, material selection, and social climate all are important • Teacher-directed learning • Involves planning how to teach a concept or skill, materials needed, and determining if it should be taught individually, to a group, or whole class • Life in the classroom requires a range of teacher involvement • Talk with children about their work • Ask children closed and open-ended questions • Adapt instruction to include all children • Gifted children • Stock interest areas with interesting and challenging materials • Follow children’s interests • Teach to the child’s strengths • Have realistic expectations

23. GUIDING CHILDREN’S LEARNING cont’d • Children with disabilities • Use clear visual cues • Use transition-preparation techniques, • Use peer buddies as teaching models • Use visual and tactile props • Encourage active participation in outdoor and gross motor play, then have calming activities before returning to sedentary activities • Have child’s attention before giving new rules • Assess and identify needs for assistive technology with a specialist • Second-language learners • Learn words in child’s home language • Use concrete objects and gestures • Establish a classroom community • Use lots of repetition, running commentary, and actions as you talk • Establish familiar routines • Assist children in sociodramatic play • Be patient– give them time to get their words together • Involve families

24. GUIDING CHILDREN’S LEARNING cont’d • Promote learning in interest areas • Teachers teach content • Children explore materials • In depth or long-term studies allow teachers to integrate content areas and address developmental goals: • Select an appropriate topic • Create a web of important ideas • Determine how content knowledge and process skills can be learned through this study • Discuss topic with children • Inform families of proposed study topic • Use forms to organize materials and plan activities • Assemble relevant materials and resources • Facilitate investigations • Document findings • Plan a special event to end the study

25. ASSESSING CHILDREN’S LEARNING • Assessment is the process of gathering information about children in order to make decisions • Bowman et al.(2001) identified 4 purposes: • Assessment to support learning • Assessment to identify special needs • Assessment for program evaluation and monitoring trends • Assessment for program/school accountability • Collecting facts • Documenting observations • Analyze and evaluate collected facts • Collecting children’s work in portfolios • Portfolios can be used to • Share information with families • Help children reflect on their work and recognize their own skills and progress • Review a child’s progress, set goals, and plan instructional technologies • Completed work that can be compared over time: • Drawings, paintings, collages, weavings • Writing (scribbles, letters, names, numbers, signs) • A book made by the child

26. ASSESSING CHILDREN’S LEARNING cont’d • Use what you’ve learned to plan • Plan for each child • Review progress in social/emotional development • Review progress in gross and fine motor development • Review progress in cognitive development • Review progress in language development • Plan for the group • Identify which children need more focused instruction on certain skills • Large group and small group instruction