Teach Children as Individuals In this essay I will discuss my personal philosophy of early childhood education because as a teacher, I want to become better and a way to do that is by starting off with a personal, well- articulated educational philosophy. Philosophy of learning is constantly changing, but one thing that will never change is the fact that everybody is different. Moreover people learn at different rates and in different ways. All teachers should have a well-formulated perspective on how children learn best; therefore, my philosophy would be helping each specific child as an individual rather than a group. A professional standard that is held by "Personnel Preparation for Working with Diverse Individuals. "explains, “All Board certificates include equity, fairness, and diversity standards which underscore the importance of respecting and responding to individual and group differences and of ensuring that all students have access to academically challenging curricula and opportunities to learn. This statement helps me to explain why I feel that Free will should be implemented in school programs in order to learn how an individual child learns best. For example some children learn better reading a story, some by watching or being shown a story, others by listening to the story while others may need the story broken down and explained for them to understand. According to the dictionary an individual means, “A single human being, as distinguished from a group.”
Practitioners work in partnership with parent’s families, as they are the child’s first and most enduring carers and educators
Being an early childhood/special education major, I decided to observe during my field experience hours in a preschool class at Prairie Children Preschool, in Aurora. In this classroom, I observed a blended classroom, with ten out of fifteen children having IEPs. Thus far, I have visited three times and have completed a total of nine hours in the classroom. One opportunity I have in my placement is to be able to observe in the classroom on Fridays, during which only students enrolled in the Preschool for all program. Through my field experience I was able to observe Ms. Vanessa Seppa in the blended classroom. I have observed her work with children towards goals that have been set. Only having experience in early education made me curious as to the difference from preschool to the upper grades. One of my relatives was a substitute in a special education class and connected me to Vanessa Villalobos, who is a special education teacher in middle school.
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
Early childhood is a time of curiosity, a time for play, and a time of rapid development. Every child is unique and deserving of an early childhood education that facilitates academic, social, and developmental growth through a variety of enjoyable experiences. Differentiated instruction adapts content, products and processes to meet the diverse learning needs and preferences of students (Thousand, Villa, & Nevin, 2007). Friedrich Froebel, the creator of Kindergarten, believed that children grow and learn as they play (Bruno, 2009). Play-based instruction not only enables young learners to have fun, but it also encourages interactive and cooperative learning, passion for discovery, and a foundation for later learning experiences
Early Childhood Education illustrates the teaching and care of children in other environments outside of the home. Early childhood centers on the development of all children no matter their gender, race, abilities, or ethnic orientation and gives knowledge of early childhood learning process, which entails values, culture, desires of parents for their children, and especially a child’s need for knowledgeable functionality in society.
My philosophy of Early childhood education is based on research that indicates that a child’s growth is developmental. Every child is unique in terms of life experiences, developmental readiness, and cultural heritage. A high quality early childhood program that 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
A child's development affects how they learn. All children don't fit the norms of development but not all children should be looked down on because of this. The development of the body and mind leads to the development of skills a child learns in life. Teachers need to help the child expand their skills and the knowledge to do the skills well.
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.
Teaching early childhood children is not a job that should be taken lightly. At this age, you are building the foundation of learning and setting the precedence of what they see school as. It is my role as an educator to take responsibility for every child’s educational development. Each day in an early childhood classroom is full of challenges, but it is also full of laughs, smiles, and enthusiasm to learn. I firmly believe that every child is capable of learning, however, every child learns in their own pace and in their own way. Children need to feel that their teacher cares for them and is enthusiastic about their learning. This will help motivate them and maximize their learning. From there, the sky is the limit in the classroom! As an educator, I need to be conscious of learning and social development in order to reach every child and make sure they succeed. It is my job to see that every student is growing both academically and socially.
I want to become someone who teaches, an educator, a role model, a teacher. I want to help children in their early childhood education. I want to become a teacher because teachers play a very big role in children’s lives. Not only do they serve as educators, but for many kids, the classroom is where they feel the safest. They feel welcomed and at home. For these certain kids it is their one place of stability where they are always guaranteed to be loved and get fed and to have fun. I enjoy watching kids grow and helping them develop their learning skills. Every kid needs a good education and I want to be the one giving them that good education. I want to make a difference in their lives and prepare them for the road ahead.
Child development is divided into four areas of development; social / emotional, physical (motor), cognitive, and language. Typically children develop in a sequence of stages in each area. Although development normally follows the same series of stages, there are individual differences in what age each stage occurs. Development in part depends on the experiences a child encounters. According to Wardle (2004), young children learn from their total experience in a program. For example, children not only learn during teacher directed activities, they also learn while playing in interest areas, on the playground, while riding the bus, or during meals. Vygotsky saw the child as part of an
Think about your early childhood education (or your child’s early education), was it flexible to suit individual learning experiences or were children required to conform to the teacher’s methods of teaching? If you answered the latter, do you think the former would improve the quality of education? The initial years of education are crucial to learning, development and growth, during these first years children’s experiences shape their learning methods and they are able to learn rapidly, for this, early childhood educators must use teaching methods that are suitable for each child. Teachers must consider the attitude they bring to the classroom; how it affects children’s learning and the value, of the information and knowledge that
The education of the young mind is an important step in preparing the child for future learning experiences. The evolution of early childhood education has changed how adults and parents view the importance of offering stimulating and exciting opportunities to the very young. Early childhood Education offers the young child learning experiences that benefit them throughout their educational career. They soon embark on a whole new world of learning. These children are not only experiencing standard brain growth, but verbal and physical skills as well. Early childhood education teachers use a variation of techniques for instructing. They use lesson plans, worksheets, and even teacher resources for these young minds.
Early childhood education is for children from the ages three to eight years old. In this field there are four learning goals that early programs have for a young child.
Early childhood education is one of the most important policy topics out there. Research has proven that the early years in childhood is a critical period for opportunity to develop a child’s full potential; as well as form academic, social, and cognitive skills that determine not only success in school but also their entire life (The White House). The right to a free, public education is guaranteed to all children in the United States. Early education is voluntary, and therefore some children are not given the opportunity to reach their full potential.