Analysis should include comparing and contrasting various theorists (e.g. Skinner, Piaget, Vygotsky, Erikson) and their theories on instructional methods and showing their implications for child development and childcare practices.
Process/Skill Questions:
Thinking
- What is a theory?
- Who are past theorists that researched early childhood development?
- What were the theorists’ beliefs on how children learn and develop?
- What are developmentally appropriate practices?
- What levels of cognitive development are common at specified ages and stages (e.g., infancy, toddler, preschooler, school age)?
- What levels of physical development are common at specified ages and stages (e.g., infancy, toddler, preschooler, school age)?
- What levels of social and emotional development are common at specified ages and stages (e.g., infancy, toddler, preschooler, school age)?
- How do children learn problem-solving skills?
- When do children generally learn rote counting skills?
- How do children express ordering skills?
- When do children develop an understanding of time or temporal relationships?
- How can play benefit children?
- What activities promote physical, social, and emotional development in in children?
- When do children form a sense of self, and how do they express it?
Communication
- What skills are necessary to communicate with children with different developmental needs?
- How can an early childhood professional communicate with children with different developmental needs?
- How can early childhood professionals provide a partnership between home and school?
- How can early childhood professionals share standards and practices with parents and children?
- What factors enhance or limit the ability to communicate with children of different ages and developmental needs?
Leadership
- What leadership qualities are required to implement developmentally appropriate practices?
- What factors enhance or limit the ability to communicate with children of different ages and developmental needs?
Management
- What training and resources are required to implement developmentally appropriate practices?
- What management strategies can be developed to encourage the use of developmentally appropriate practices?
Teacher Resource: