Early Childhood

Final Paper
Valencia Mensah
ECE311: Early Childhood Curriculum & Methods (CNK1235A)
Jennifer Ashton
October 1, 2012

Every child is unique in terms of life experiences, developmental readiness, and cultural heritage. A high quality early childhood program should provides a safe and nurturing environment, which promotes physical, social, emotional, language and cognitive development will ensure a positive continuation of the child’s education process. Kindergarten for children is very important. Most parents and children are excited about this stage in life for their child, as well as children might be a scared or nervous. Kindergartens are still mastering new physical skills. They are more able to move their body the way they wants to and, most likely, can run like the wind. Throughout the year kindergarten children will show a number of new physical skills, some are more important than others to help make her kindergarten year a highly successful learning experience. Kindergarten is the year to get used to the routine of school, and the idea of being accountable to a new authority figure and to make new friends, but it 's a crucial year to build the foundation for learning. Kindergarten learns differently, some may learn hands on, or visual. Kindergarten are at the most important stage in life so it is up to the educators to make a difference that can help them in the long so they are able to reach the next grade level as well as overcome any milestones that they may reach throughout their education. First, the classroom is loving, kind, caring, sharing, and motherly to all the children just like my own. The way I envision my classroom is that as you walk in the door you see art and picture of children playing and eating and doing different thing that supports the area such as dramatic play would be children in doctor jackets or something in that nature. The classroom has warm colors around it for each season. Each area of the classroom would be label with such as blocks would be block area, art, dramatic play, water area, science, literacy, etc. The children cubbies are label with their name and picture so they are able to recognize themselves. The library has age appropriate books for the children. The classroom should off the children art and learning. If there is a theme in the classroom the room will represent that specific theme. Each child is at a table that is color coded that will identify each table as a group, each table seats about 3-4 students depending on the class size. Each child has a portfolio so children are able to see their progress throughout the year. The classroom is based on play and material and the children have a teacher child relationship. While planning the curriculum I will provide free play that will allow children their individually time to choose an area of involvement (Eliason, Jenkins 2012). An effective curriculum children should be active and engaged, the goals are clear and shared by all, evidence based, the valued content is learned through investigation, play, and focused, intentional teaching (Eliason, Jenkins 2012). The curriculum builds on prior learning and experiences and is comprehensive and most important benefit the needs of the children (Eliason, Jenkins 2012).Curriculum should be planned around the developmental needs of the children in my classroom (Eliason, Jenkins 2012). Curriculum will builds upon what children already know and are able to do to enable them to connect new concepts and skills. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) urges that as a teacher my curriculum is thoughtfully planned, challenging, engaging, developmentally appropriate, culturally and linguistically responsive, comprehensive and likely to promote positive outcome for all children (Eliason, Jenkins 2012). While planning the curriculum I will provide free play that will allow children their individually time to choose an area of involvement (Eliason, Jenkins 2012). The experiences should be developed to help the young children in the classroom to help improve their skills in problem solving, thinking, reasoning, and creating (Eliason, Jenkins 2012). The National Association for the Education of Young Children states that high quality, developmentally appropriate programs should be available for all children. A separate statement of the NAEYC divides the concept of appropriateness into two aspects: age appropriateness and individual appropriateness. Philosophies that reflect how I envision my classroom and curriculum are Friedrich Froebel. Friedrich Froebel was a German educator of the nineteenth century who developed an Idealist philosophy of early childhood education. He established kindergarten and education for four and five-year-old children. Kindergarten is now a part of education worldwide. Friedrich Froebel was born in the small town of Oberwiessbach, Germany in 1782. His mother died when he was a baby (Froebel, 2011). His father remarried, but Froebel never liked his stepmother. His feeling of rejection and isolation remained with him for life. This had a strong effect on his theory of early childhood education. He believed the kindergarten teacher should be loving, kind and motherly (Froebel, 2011). Froebel studied at the University of Jena for a short time. In 1805, while studying architecture in Frankfurt, he was persuaded to become a teacher by the model school at Frankfurt. Friedrich Froebel changed the way we think about early childhood education. He designed balls, wooden blocks, tiles, sticks and rings to demonstrate that children learn by playing. Known around the world as the Froebel Gifts , these objects were an important part of his Kindergarten (Froebel, 2011). Froebel also included in his kindergarten philosophy the study and nuture of plants in a garden for stimulating children’s interest in nature. He felt it was important for children to grow up in harmony with nature. The Froebel Gifts have been widely imitated and adapted by educators and toys makers. Because of Froebel my classroom will have the right material to that I am able to teach my children with the right material so they can play and learn at the same time. He felt that the teacher should be loving caring and motherly and I feel that I am that way in the classroom as well. “Treat peoples how you want to be treated” and that’s how I feel as a teacher. Treat other children how I would want my children to be treated. Having that motherly character can also make it easier for a child to be more comfortable in the classroom especially if it the first time being away from the parents. Being that Froebel knew what it was like losing his mother and not liking his stepmother he knew what it was like to feel neglect and isolated so he incorporated that in with teaching and realized that no child should ever feel that way. Froebel’s kindergarten used free play, games, songs, stories, and crafts to stimulate imagination while developing physical and motor skill. In most classrooms free play is welcomed as well as games, stories, songs, and craft that will encourage children motor skills as well as solving problems. The kindergarten program was designed to meet children’s needs for physical activity, sensory awareness, creative expression, exploration of ideas and concepts, the pleasure of singing, and the experience of living among others. His educational approach was for “self-activity,” the idea that allowed the child to be led by his own interests and to freely explore them. Children are more independent and they want to explore new things on their own.

Children become aware of numbers early in life, because of daily experience involve various use of numbers. Math is more than learning about numbers and how to add, subtract multiply and divide (Eliason, Jenkins 2012). The National Council for Teachers of Mathematics suggests 10 curriculum standards. The standards provide a guide in mathematics curriculum planning ; content standard are numbers and operation, algebra, geometry, measurements, and data analysis and probability. The process standards are problem solving reasoning and proof, communication, connection and representation (Eliason, Jenkins 2012). The standard gives an overview of math content and process for prekindergarten through the second grade(Eliason, Jenkins 2012). While teaching math to the children I will also incorporate promotes such as blocks, legos, cheerios, etc so that the children are able to see what they are doing visually . At the end of the year children will be able to understands one-to-one correspondence, sorts and classifies objects according to common characteristics, recognize and create patterns. (e.g. red, blue, red, blue or boy, girl, boy, girl), understand simple bar graphs and interpret how they help us gather information, count to 100, identify and print numbers 1-20, identify and draw basic shapes such as rectangle, square, circle and triangle. Reading is a communicative art that involves recognizing and understanding words(Eliason, Jenkins 2012). Children cannot read with understanding and comprehension something they don’t have the background knowledge about. Learning to read takes time, patience, desire, and readiness (Eliason, Jenkins 2012). Kindergarten is a year of discovery in reading and literacy. Child will learn to recognize simple words in print, including his own name and those of his classmates. Letter-sound correspondence, phonemic awareness, sight words recognition, rhyming and words families and concepts about print are the areas in which your child will expand his knowledge this year. By the end of the year some kindergartners will even be reading a little bit. Kindergarten science explores topics that are meaningful to students and can be applied to everyday life. Children will learn about good health habits, including nutrition and an introduction to dental hygiene. Children will spend time learning the process of inquiry as we learn about the five senses. Children will be able to collect information , observation, and data record information while exploring science projects. We will observe outside, take field trips, walks, and be able to talk about what we see. We will explore cause and effect. Science will be integrated into everyday activities including cooking projects Fine Arts are any art form. For example, painting, sculpture, architecture, drawing, or engraving that is considered to have purely aesthetic value (Encarta, 2004). The arts can open the minds of students in ways mere reading and writing will never be able to accomplish. Teaching through arts helps students experience concepts rather than simply discussing or reading it or have it read to them. This approach is consistent with educational theories that highlight the importance of reaching multiple learning styles or intelligences (Jacobs, 1999, p. 2). By working through the arts, instead of about the arts, the students’ educational experience will be achieved in a different way than just teaching the standard style of learning. Education of art helps students develop creativity, self-expression, analytical skills, discipline, cross-cultural understandings, and a heightened appreciation for the arts” and that “students who develop artistic expression and creative problem solving skills are more like to succeed in school.
An activity that I would teach would be fine art such would be painting. Friedrich Froebel, the father of kindergarten, believed that young children should be involved in both making their own art and enjoying the art of others. Children will have a sheet of paper and would be able to pick two different colors out of four. I would allow them to chose if they want to finger paint, or use a paint brush. Once children have made their decision they would be able to self express.. Washington state standard for Art is through dance, music, theatre, and visual arts provide detailed recommendations and guidance for K–12 arts education. These documents include: Washington State K–12 Arts Learning Standards (one document encompassing all four arts disciplines—dance, music, theatre, and visual arts).

Another activity would be science. We would see how long it takes an ice cube to melt.
The Washington State K-12 Science Standards is a detailed document describing what all students are expected to know and be able to do at each level of our educational system in the area of science. The purpose of these standards is to provide strong support for students, parents, teachers, and the broader community by guiding the alignment of the school curriculum, instruction, and assessment at local and state levels. To accomplish this purpose it is essential to use this document in the following ways: Those responsible for curriculum alignment should refer to this document in selecting or developing instructional materials that enable students to acquire core conceptual knowledge and abilities in science. Those responsible for assessment alignment at the local and state levels should refer to this document in selecting and/or developing assessment tools and rubrics that measure student achievement of the core content in these standards. Those responsible for instructional alignment should refer to this document in designing classroom instruction and professional development of teachers to ensure that achieving these core content standards is a priority. It is also important to point out what the standards.

In conclusion early childhood program should provides a safe and nurturing environment, which promotes physical, social, emotional, language and cognitive development will ensure a positive continuation of the child’s education process.

References
“Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852) – Biography, Froebel’s Kindergarten Philosophy, The Kindergarten Curriculum, Diffusion of the Kindergarten.” Education Encyclopedia. StateUniversity.com. < http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1999/Froebel-Friedrich-1782-1852.html > 21 Dec. 2010.
Froebel. (2011, April 04). StudyMode.com. Retrieved from http://www.studymode.com/essays/Froebel-651533.html
“Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852) – Biography, Froebel’s Kindergarten Philosophy, The Kindergarten Curriculum, Diffusion of the Kindergarten.” Education Encyclopedia. StateUniversity.com. < http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1999/Froebel-Friedrich-1782-1852.html > 21 Dec. 2010.
Eliason, C. F., Jenkins, L. (2012). A practical guide to early childhood curriculum (9th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.
Cluff, D. (2005, October 6). The Importance of Fine Arts in the Classroom. Retrieved October 1, 2012, from http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Importance-of-Fine-Arts-in-the-Classroom&id=80061

References: “Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852) – Biography, Froebel’s Kindergarten Philosophy, The Kindergarten Curriculum, Diffusion of the Kindergarten.” Education Encyclopedia. StateUniversity.com. &lt; http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1999/Froebel-Friedrich-1782-1852.html &gt; 21 Dec. 2010. Froebel. (2011, April 04). StudyMode.com. Retrieved from http://www.studymode.com/essays/Froebel-651533.html “Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852) – Biography, Froebel’s Kindergarten Philosophy, The Kindergarten Curriculum, Diffusion of the Kindergarten.” Education Encyclopedia. StateUniversity.com. &lt; http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1999/Froebel-Friedrich-1782-1852.html &gt; 21 Dec. 2010. Eliason, C. F., Jenkins, L. (2012). A practical guide to early childhood curriculum (9th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. Cluff, D. (2005, October 6). The Importance of Fine Arts in the Classroom. Retrieved October 1, 2012, from http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Importance-of-Fine-Arts-in-the-Classroom&amp;id=80061