Assignment: Exploring Your Bias: Going Deeper - Part C

Child-Centered Classroom Assessment and Interview Form

Name and Type of Program: Child-centered learning program

Ages of Children Served: 4 -5 years old

Before you begin, thank the professional and provide a brief overview of your assignment.

I am grateful for this opportunity to learn how to promote a child-centered learning process and environment. The assignment undertakes two phases which start with the observation of conditions that promote learning activities that promote the child’s learning. The second phase highlights the role of the professional in the child’s learning process which is highlighted through relevant interview questions.

Part 1: Observation

For each of the following factors, indicate supporting evidence in the right-hand column. If absent, please indicate. Add the two factors you have chosen at the bottom of the chart.

Note: If you do not see any of the factors below, make a note to ask the teacher in your interview about whether they are a part of the program.

Factor	Evidence
Learning experiences encourage creative self-expression	The children are offered various media such as paper, paint, building blocks, and allowed the freedom to create art forms or games that they connect to
Children have choices with regard to activities in which they engage	The classroom is assigned with various tools and materials such as dolls, toys, colored crayons, music videos, play dough among others.
Learning materials are relevant to children’s life experiences (open-ended but purposeful)	Most children are easily engaged in most learning materials. Particularly, they are all interested and fully engaged in storytimes because most are expressive and this helps in their communication skills
Time is provided for children to initiate and take part in activities	The classroom schedule sets aside at least 30 minutes to one hour depending on the activity
Teaching and learning experiences are integrated rather than blocks of time separated subject by subject/content area by content area (literacy, math, social studies, science as separate entities)	The classroom is allocated with one teacher who seamlessly conducts different lessons but signfies to children the timing, such as gathering and setting aside objects to learn something different
Open-ended opportunities for creative exploration are provided	There are several play activities in the form of invitations such as painting, pebbles and container play,
Learning centers are well organized and filled with objects based on children’s interests	The classroom is well stocked with various materials in full display on the shelves such as blocks, puzzle pieces. The walls are also decorated with paintings made by children and other craft objects
Learning centers provide a broad range of activities to accommodate varying interests and levels of development	The classroom schedule and the assigned objects and materials ensure children are always engaged
Multi-level activities to accommodate children’s varying abilities are provided	The children are free to engage in choosing play objects, participate in play invitations as well as games during time set aside for play and learning
Opportunities to create and experiment abound	The children are provided with open-ended toys and play invitations. For instance, they are offered blocks of letters and numbers that allow them to form words. They also work with art and craft materials such as water and paint for watercolor artworks
Schedules and child-created lists promote self-regulation	The schedule sets aside 30 minutes to one hour every day to play independently in the games or activities
Provided materials complement and extend classroom activities	The classroom lesson plan plans for every material to ensure it promotes learning. For instance, when role-playing the children are provided with doctor play kits or construction kit which most have at home
There are opportunities to explore and document nature	The class schedule encourages multiple activities including taking nature walks. For instance, the teacher organize storytelling in the park which allows children to observe and study their surroundings
Children are engaged in both free and directed play and/or exploration	The teacher supervises all activities and promotes an engaging environment by assigning materials such as toys and activities such as nature trips which offer children the freedom to explore
[The additional factor that you have chosen to observe] Parents are invited to participate in play with the children	The teacher organizes play dates with parents on a bi-weekly basis where parents allow children to choose what to play with them
[The additional factor that you have chosen to observe] The activities and materials promote the cultural identities of the children	The classroom organizes cultural themed activities such as listening to songs in various languages and pointing out various countries on the globe

Part 2: Questions for the Professional

Professional’s Role in Program:

Interview Questions:

1. What does the term child-centered mean to you?

It is providing conditions and frameworks in terms of activities and materials that promote the interests and needs of children to enhance their learning experiences.

2. What strategies do you use to get to know children’s interests and support children’s engagement and learning in your environment?

One of them is providing materials and allowing children to choose and explore what catches their interests. For instance, if a child chooses colored crayons and paper and it becomes a pattern, it shows them as artistic. Second, is to introduce various types of learning such as the use of songs, watching videos, or working with numbers. Third, allow children to share what they did over the weekend with their families.

3. What roles do discovery, exploration, and building on children’s interests have in your curriculum?

They help enhance an environment of learning which allows children to hone their skills in reading, writing, and speaking. They also build confidence and trust in the child in engaging with other children and the teacher. Also, they encourage children to discover their interests and be focused on improving their skills. For instance, four-year-olds can clarify their thoughts when observing the similarities and differences in objects and thus sorting them (Miller,2020).

4. What do you see as the role of play and exploration in early childhood classrooms?

They promote creativity whereby children discover what captures their attention and thus prompting them to create. They also enhance the independence and confidence of the children, especially when engaging in solitary play activities. Moreover, children gain better motor skills as well as coordination such as when playing ball or skipping rope. However, children require opportunities that help them learn how to manage risks and make informed judgments from when they are very young (Early Learning Services, 2016).

5. What do you see as potential challenges, if any, associated with implementing curriculum based on children’s individual interests?

First, lack of adequate materials which cater specifically to the children’s interests. For instance, the classroom might lack objects which promote the cultural identity of children. Second, the lack of well-trained teachers who understand and apply a curriculum that caters to their children.

Third, lack of cooperation from the children’s families such as culture or socioeconomic factors which limit the child’s learning at home. Interest promotes motivation which energizes learning, guides academic and career trajectories, and hence promotes academic success ( Harackiewicz et al., 2018).

6. Is there anything else you would like to share concerning how you effectively foster healthy development and learning that meet the strengths and needs of every child in your setting? The classroom needs to further push for a multicultural approach in learning instead of focusing on a contemporary curriculum. This promotes a sense of identity and taps on the hidden interests and expressions of the children.

Reflection

The interview and the observation helped to highlight what pertains to a child-centered environment. The observation activity showcased critical factors which promote a classroom that upholds children’s learning needs as well as the evidence. The factors are 16 in number and the underlying issue is the availability of activities and materials that allow children to explore their learning particularly through play. Based on the evidence, it shows that the teacher is fully invested and dedicates the best materials and resources to enhance the children’s learning experience and this has generated high returns.

My understanding of how a child-centered environment is constructed has helped to offer more insights. One way is the appreciation that the life experiences and individual interests of the children matter. This implies that stakeholders such as teachers and parents have to invest more time and resources to promote such a structure. Second, it resonates with the understanding that a child-centered environment requires more dedication and time over the long term. Given the factors outlined it demands that those supporting learning of children have to be a constant factor in the children’s process and this also extends to the home.

The program should without fail continue with the activities and availing the materials and time. They all promote the role of play and self -expression in children. This offers a greater chance of developing children emotionally, cognitively, intellectually, socially, and physically. The last two added factors should also be given more attention as they are an extension of the child’s individuality. Family and culture provide the child with identity, structure, and build up their confidence before they are in the classroom environment. My additional suggestion is to engage the community who can also promote extensive social support to the families and children. This will optimize the resources to access which promote learning.

References

Early Learning Services. (2016). Challenge and risk in children’s play- is it worth the risk? Retrieved from https://www.earlylearningservices.com.au/2016/10/26/challenge-risk-childrens-play/

Harackiewicz, J.M., Smith, J.L.,& Priniski, S.J.(2018). Interest matters: The importance of promoting interest in education. Policy Insights from the behavioral and brain sciences, 3(2),220-227.

Miller, S.A.(2020). Ages and stages: Encouraging exploration in young children. Retrieved from https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/ages-stages-encouraging-explorations-young-children/

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