Essay about Assignment One EDE 3103

Christina J. Groark, Stephanie K. McCarthy, Afton R. Kirk. (2014). Early Child Development: From Theory to Practice. Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Chapter two discusses various theorists that helped to mold and shape early childhood education to where it is today. There are several different theorists that contributed to the development of early childhood education. Some of these theorists include Alfred Adler, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, and John Dewey. Each theorist developed a unique theory that has caused early childhood guidance and education to flourish like it has today. Without learning and building on these theories, early childhood guidance and education would never develop or change. The chapter explains how some theories may seem strange to the contemporary families, but these theories are the foundation of how early childhood education got to where it is today. The book goes

Did you know that play expands a child’s learning and development? Once parents understand that play is crucial in their child’s life then they can begin to help their son or daughter be the best he or she can be. According to Lev Vygotsky “play shapes how children make sense of their worlds, how they learn thinking skills, and how they acquire language.” After spending time at the Bombeck Center I learned that children play in many diverse ways, thus learning numerous new things within each center in which they interact. Lev Vygotsky along with Jean Piaget researched the need for guided social interaction as well as the necessity for spontaneous, self-discovered learning. The Bombeck Center focuses on a play-based learning curriculum to ensure a child’s ability to access social interactions and self-discoveries at the tip of their fingers.

Educators can facilitate the children with different materials and environments in the classrooms that are in the early learning centres. The children need to develop their minds cognitively. “Children actively construct knowledge as they manipulate and explore their world” (Berk 2007). Children are needing to develop their abilities through their play experiences, and also through their play experiences, they can develop appropriately. Early childhood education plays a large part in a child's early development.

E5 Include an explanation of how observations can inform planning to meet children's learning needs

Scaffolding Conversations. Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development concept is the basis of this intervention. This concept is based on Vygotsky’s theory that learning is relational so in order for children to learn, they need to be able to interact with the new material. This concept can also apply to adults, especially when the task is difficult for them. The therapist will use “scaffolding conversations to move from that which is familiar to that which is novel” (Gehart, 2014, p. 409). There are

Corresponding concerning this article should be addressed to Kirby Magbie, Department of Early Childhood Education, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401. Contact: knmagbie@crimson.ua.edu

The 2010 National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Initial and Advanced Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation Programs provides standards that set guidelines for what and how early childhood professionals prepare themselves to be efficient educators and caregivers. Professional development tools and strategies are critical assets for providing high quality early childhood education and care that meets the needs and interest of all learners. Today’s early childhood settings are filled with a diverse group of learners. Efficient educators must use a broad range of approaches, tools, and resources to ensure success for all learners. The NAEYC Initial and Advanced Standards demonstrates particular strategies for early childhood educators to prepare themselves to be successful and effective teachers. For this brief composition I chose to highlight the initial standard #4: using developmentally effective approaches.

scaffolding and the exposure that the children need in order to learn something new. On the other

& Soderman, A. & Whiren, A. & Rupiper, M. (2015). Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum. Best Practices in Early Childhood Education. (6th ed). Pearson Education, Inc.

Practitioners can support children’s learning through play by becoming the role of a facilitator. By being a facilitator practitioners can find many strategies which has an impact on children’s learning. For example; scaffolding is one of the methods which is used regularly in settings to benefit children’s learning.

Play based developmental and creative play where children encourage hands-on inquiry, opportunities to explore materials and based learning. The classroom is set up in different sections, such as science, quiet, computer, art, writing, manipulative, play house, or other areas. Children engage in different types of play at different time. They make decisions what and where they want to play. Often with little intervention from adults, children engage in hands-on creative play and explore new materials in new or more complex ways. Teachers facilitate social and emotional skills and language. Teacher will use Vygotsky’s method of scaffolding when appropriate.

There are numerous theories of play and countless theorists, from Freud and Spencer to Piaget and Vygotsky, who have studied play in relation to what it is and what it does for the child. This essay will outline the definition and value of play and the importance of how it can foster the child’s learning in regards to these theorists who studied the effects in great detail. It will discuss the how the environments constructed by educators can impact play and the theories of learning relating to the quote “play and learning are inextricably woven together ...” Ebbeck and Waniganayake, 2010, p. 5).

Scaffolding means the process of ECT to provide guidance to children temporarily for them to move to a higher competence level (MacNaughton & Williams, 2009). In my practicum, I hope to find out what my focus children can or cannot do at the moment without teachers’ support, provide assistant to them to support their learning in terms of new meaning, relationships and knowledge. I hope to try different scaffold methods to respond to their individual needs and assist their learning including questioning, prompting, praising, confirming, pointing out things to children and modelling (MacNaughton & Williams, 2009).

Lev Semionovich Vygotsky was a Russian psychologist and constructivist learning theorist who was known for arguing against the theories of psychologist Jean Piaget. Piaget believed that in order for any learning to occur there had to development within the individual first, but Vygotsky argued the contrary. He argued that in order for development to occur, the individual would first have to have learning take place through instruction and example in a given appropriate environment. Vygotsky’s theory on cognitive development is centralized on two key ideas known as scaffolding and the zone of proximal development which will be explored in this essay and how they contribute to the classroom.