Foundations and Implications of a Differentiated Classroom

Creating a Positive Learning Environment That is Also Safe and Secure Children learn best when they feel safe, loved and valued.

In our classroom, the students will have plenty of time to choose their own activities, they will help create our classroom rules, and be treated with respect and kindness.


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Opportunities to Succeed

All of the activities in our classroom are designed for success with built in controls for errors so students will be able to more easily self-evaluate their work. At first, they will require guidance in the process, but as time goes by, they will be able to more independently evaluate their own outcomes.

This creates a positive climate where fear of failure is replaced by learning from mistakes.

In doing, one knows.

CHOICE Freedom to chose their own work gives children

ownership of their accomplishments.

Wood (2014) stated “Children should exercise agency, self-regulation, ownership, and control, and to direct their own

learning” (Problematising free play and free choice.

para. 1).

1 RULES

Students will share their thoughts and ideas about

appropriate behaviors while at school. We will

use these brainstorming sessions to create our list

of classroom rules.

2 RESPECT

To learn respect, it must be role-modeled by the adults with which they

interact on a daily basis. Our students will learn

that they are highly respected, loved, and

valued.

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CLASSROOM INTRODUCTION MARCH 12, 2018

Preschool Center

Academic Lessons Differentiation is when a teacher tailors lessons to the individual student. In our classroom lessons will be given in a variety of ways. Many will be introduced in a large group setting, and all lessons will be reinforced with individual lessons using differentiated strategies tailored to your child’s particular needs. Afterwards, students will practice their lessons individually or in small groups. The groups will have members that will enhance learning for everyone. This means that the groups may have an advanced student to help others better understand the concepts presented using age-related vocabulary, or that groups may have a struggling student that will be mentored by peers. In this way the children have a chance to become both student and teacher at various times. This method is a proven way to advance knowledge, raise self- esteem, and increase social skills.

Differentiation can be as varied as the students themselves. Educators must be creative, innovative, and compassionate to these differences when planning routines and lessons for students. “Flexible groupings gives teachers the means

to balance instructional demands with student needs” (Puckett, 2013, Flexible Grouping, para. 1).

Expectations Recognizing that young children are active with a need to move and talk while learning leads to creating activities to teach specific concepts with this in mind. A variety of open-ended, self-directed, exploratory activities, balanced with ones that are teacher-directed, will help to create a playful classroom. Allowing the

students to freely choose in which area of the classroom that they work is also very helpful. The number of students in each area may be limited, as well as how many times they may be in any area by the day, week, or month. In this way, the students experience all areas for optimum developmental balance. Scaffolding, or making an activity a bit difficult so students must rise to a challenge, is a useful tool that the early childhood educator can use for differentiating lessons for individual growth and development. Puckett (2013) stated “The best instruction should be somewhat difficult for students, that is, instruction that does not meet them exactly where they are, but instead challenges them to grow’ (Teaching Up, para 1).

Students are expected to learn to seek knowledge by staying engaged in the process, be kind and charitable to their classmates, seek help when needed, and follow the ground rules that will be set during the first week of school.

Krogh (2013) stated “If expectations are stated very clearly and simply, 4-year-olds will more often than not follow an adult’s requests” (Behavior in Preschool Children, para. 5).

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PRESCHOOL CENTER MARCH 12, 2018

Assessment Assessment will take many forms in our classroom and will be ongoing at all times. Puckett (2013) stated “Assessment informs teachers and students on what and how content is understood. Effective differentiation is anchored by continual assessment’ (Continual Assessment, para 1). A few of the tools that will be utilized are personal portfolios, anecdotal records, and checklists. This information will be recorded in the Teaching Strategies GOLD online program to be analyzed. The analysis will be shared with parents during our regular parent conferences.

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REFERENCES Krogh, S. (2013). A bridge to the classroom and early care: ECE capstone. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).  (2008). Overview of the NAEYC early childhood program

standards. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/files/academy/file/OverviewStandards.pdf

Puckett, K. (2013). Differentiating instruction: A practical guide. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/

Wood, E. A. (2013). Free choice and free play in early childhood education: troubling the discourse. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer

RESOURCES- HERE IS SOME INTERESTING READING TO HELP GUIDE PARENTS AND OTHER CAREGIVERS IN OUR EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY. BeginWithTheBrain. (2011, October 7). Classroom Management in a Differentiated Classroom. [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=ek9jopHITIM

For the Teachers. (n.d.). Differentiation. Retrieved from (http://www.fortheteachers.org/differentiation_framework/)

Puckett, K. (2013). Differentiating instruction: A practical guide. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/

Teaching Strategies (n.d.) My Teaching Strategies. Retrieved from https://teachingstrategies.com

PRESCHOOL CENTER MARCH 12, 2018

Social/Emotional Health Play is an extremely important component to the social and emotional health of preschool children. During early childhood, children have a unique set of needs that must be met so that all of the necessary developmental framework is viable and available from which to draw for creative problem solving, critical thought, and for their social/emotional well-being. One unique need of this age group is the intense need to play. Renowned child psychologist Jean Piaget believed that young children develop their intellect through exploration. Vygotsky, another respected theorist in the field of early childhood, believed that young children develop their intellect through social interactions. Piaget, Vygotsky, and Dr. Montessori adhere to what is known as the constructivist theory of child development. Constructivists believe that young children build knowledge through hands-on experiences. Social interactions and exploration though hands-on experience is simply play for this age group. To allow young students opportunities to play leads them to more cooperative behaviors, and builds empathy, which is a crucial component to the social and emotional health of students within an encouraging, high-quality classroom.