Application: Envisioning a Preschool Classroom Alive with Learning, Part 2

For your Application Assignment in Week 2, you envisioned the optimal physical environment in a preschool setting. This week, you will add to that vision by including your thoughts about how an optimal environment can enhance children's social/emotional development. Before you begin, think about what you have learned with regard to:

• Social/emotional development during the preschool years. For instance, where preschool children are developmentally with regard to the identification process
• The role of initiative in healthy social/emotional development
• Prosocial behavior and the role of adults in fostering healthy relationships
• Supporting the development of positive gender, racial, and individual identities
• Guidance that supports self-control

Part 1: Visualize

Close your eyes. Visualize a preschool environment that truly encourages, supports, and guides children's social/emotional development and learning. Again, let your mind travel around the room. What does it look like? What does it feel like? How does it sound? What are the adults in the room doing? What are the children doing? How are they interacting with each other, the materials, the space? What kind of learning experiences are they involved in? What opportunities do children have to learn about friendship, resolve conflicts, form and respect individual identities, and think critically about anti-bias issues? If a visitor walked in, how would he or she describe the culture, energy, and learning in this setting?

Part 2: Brainstorm

Write down at least 20 words or phrases that describe a quality environment that fosters children's social/emotional growth.

Part 3: Revisit and Reflect

Review the description that you wrote of a quality physical environment for preschoolers. Consider how you would add to or amend your description to describe an environment that also encourages, guides, and supports children's social/emotional development.

Part 4: Describe

Amend or add to your description of an optimal physical environment based on what you have learned about fostering children's social/emotional development. Address each of the following areas:

• Classroom arrangement and activity/interest areas
• Classroom atmosphere
• Learning experiences available
• Materials accessible
• Types of interactions supported

Note: Be sure to cite the Learning Resources to substantiate your thinking.

Assignment length: Approximately 3 pages

Learning Resources

This page contains the Learning Resources for this week. Be sure to scroll down the page to see all of the assigned resources for this week. To view this week's media resources, please use the streaming media player below.

Required Resources

• Course Text: Gestwicki, C. (2014). Developmentally appropriate practice: Curriculum and development in early education (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
• • Chapter 11, "Developmentally Appropriate Social/Emotional Environments: For Preschoolers"

Media

• Video: Laureate Education (Producer). (2009). Play and learning for the preschool child: Socio-dramatic play [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

  Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 24 minutes.
  
  Early childhood professional Sue Bredekamp provides an overview of the importance of sociodramatic play in supporting young children's development and learning.
   

Optional Resources

• Article: Fox, L., & Garrison, S. (n.d.). Helping children to manage their own behavior. Retrieved August 28, 2009, fromhttp://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/briefs/wwb7.pdf

• Article: Fox, L., & Langhans, S. (n.d.). Logical consequences. Retrieved August 28, 2009, from 
  http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/briefs/wwb18.pdf

• Article: Rightmyer, E. (2003). Democratic discipline in your classroom: A roadmap for beginners. Young Children. Retrieved fromhttp://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200307/DemocraticDiscipline.pdf

• Article: Honig, A. L. (2000). Techniques that lead to self-control. In Love and learn: Positive guidance for young children. Washington, D.C.: NAEYC. Retrieved from 
  http://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200307/TechniquesThatLead.pdf

• Article: Honig, A. L. (2000). Typical difficulties and positive solutions. In Love and learn: Positive guidance for young children. Washington, D.C.: NAEYC. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200307/TypicalDifficulties.pdf

• Article:National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). (2004). Children's developmental benchmarks and stages: A summary guide to appropriate arts activities. Beyond the Journal: Young Children on the Web. Retrieved fromhttp://journal.naeyc.org/btj/200407/ArtsEducationPartnership.pdf

• Article:Fox, L. (n.d.). Positive behavioral support: An individualized approach for addressing challenging behavior. Retrieved August 28, 2009, from
  http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/briefs/wwb10.pdf

• Article: Katz, L. (1995). How can we strengthen children's self-esteem? Retrieved from
  http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content2/strengthen_children_self.html

• Article: Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL). (n.d.). Building positive teacher-child relationships. Retrieved August 28, 2009, from 
  http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/briefs/wwb12.pdf

• Article:Osterreich, L. (n.d.). Teaching children to solve problems. Retrieved August 13, 2009, fromhttp://www.nncc.org/Release/teach.solve.html