Child Devv
Preface
O
bserving Development of the Young Child presents a unique system for observing and recording development of children ages 3 to 5 in early childhood classroom settings. It is based on a progression of children’s skill development in six major domains. The text is designed for use by college students preparing to be teachers in prekindergarten programs, child care centers, Head Start classes, and preschools. The book can also be used in such programs by the teachers and assistant teachers who want to learn more about children in order to make individual learning plans, as well as for making assessments of individual children for program development. Staff members preparing for Child Development Associate (CDA) Assessment will also find this text helpful with its suggestions for classroom activities that are developmentally appropriate for young children. The text not only teaches readers how to observe, record, and interpret development of children 3 through 5 years of age, but also discusses what these children are like and how to support them in their development with exciting hands-on activities. The text focuses on six major domains of child development—emotional, social, physical, cognitive, language, and creative—that are readily observable. It divides each of these aspects further into specific areas: self-esteem; emotional competence; social competence; physical development; cognitive development; spoken language; emergent writing and reading skills; art, music, and dance skills; and dramatic play skills. The principal observation tool to be used is the Child Development Checklist. Other observation methods and tools include anecdotal records, running records, samplings, rating scales, rubrics, audio and visual documentation, and document panels. Finally, teachers learn to share their observational data with children’s families. The text serves college students as a guide for observing and recording development of young children in their
O
bserving Development of the Young Child presents a unique system for observing and recording development of children ages 3 to 5 in early childhood classroom settings. It is based on a progression of children’s skill development in six major domains. The text is designed for use by college students preparing to be teachers in prekindergarten programs, child care centers, Head Start classes, and preschools. The book can also be used in such programs by the teachers and assistant teachers who want to learn more about children in order to make individual learning plans, as well as for making assessments of individual children for program development. Staff members preparing for Child Development Associate (CDA) Assessment will also find this text helpful with its suggestions for classroom activities that are developmentally appropriate for young children. The text not only teaches readers how to observe, record, and interpret development of children 3 through 5 years of age, but also discusses what these children are like and how to support them in their development with exciting hands-on activities. The text focuses on six major domains of child development—emotional, social, physical, cognitive, language, and creative—that are readily observable. It divides each of these aspects further into specific areas: self-esteem; emotional competence; social competence; physical development; cognitive development; spoken language; emergent writing and reading skills; art, music, and dance skills; and dramatic play skills. The principal observation tool to be used is the Child Development Checklist. Other observation methods and tools include anecdotal records, running records, samplings, rating scales, rubrics, audio and visual documentation, and document panels. Finally, teachers learn to share their observational data with children’s families. The text serves college students as a guide for observing and recording development of young children in their