Brittany and Marco are two students in a preschool classroom. In the room with them are
16 other students and two teachers. Both Brittany and Marco love to play with cars, trucks, and
other “hard” toys. Marco also likes books and coloring. Marco is a social child that is liked by
the other children. Brittany scarcely spoke and was content playing on her own or watching
others play.
Without knowing much about Brittany’s home life, it is obvious that she is a little
developmentally behind on where she should be with her play and socialization. Many toddlers
younger than Brittney would play as she does by participating in solitary play or watching others
play(Gordon and Browne, 2016, p. 87) Gordon and Browne stated that teachers want their
students to “perfect their communication and social skills so that they will be more sensitive
participants in the world in which they live” (p. 88). If Brittany’s teacher’s follow this
philosophy, they would likely be concerned at the level at which Brittany communicates and
socializes. This could be a case of Gesell’s Maturation Theory in which Brittany is following the
sequence of physical and mental growth as laid out by her genes (p. 81). It could also be a case
of Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences in which Brittany lacks in one intelligence but
may excel in another that hasn’t been discovered yet due to her age and abilities (p. 81). It could
even be the factors of her environment that cause her to act the way she does, something that
would fall under Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory (p. 80). It could be one of these theories or
a mixture. I lean more towards Brittany being developmentally behind because she seems to lack
language skills and plays the same way a toddler would.
‘ As a teacher in this classroom, I would help Brittany by using games and activities in
small groups. This can help Brittany get used to interacting with kids in small increments. I
would also give her chances to speak for herself, whether that be with verbal language or through
the use of simple sign language. I would praise every attempt at communication she has with her
teachers or peers to help reinforce the behavior. As far as differentiating lessons, I would give her
a choice. This choice could be between the class version of the lesson/activity and one that is a
little different in learning style. The choice could also be what medium she uses to complete the
activity. If she prefers hard and smooth surfaces, she may not like working with playdough or
even crayons so giving her the choice of using paper and colored pencils may help her to
complete her lessons.
In meeting with the parents of Brittany, I will stick to the facts and offer advice and
resources without presuming a diagnosis. I will avoid going into detail about the different
theories of education/intelligence. Instead I will share what I have observed of Brittany’s
behavior in class and say to the parents that it isn’t typical for a child her age and it wouldn’t hurt
to have her seen by a professional. I would assure them that this doesn’t mean that anything is
wrong, but if there is something going on and we can help then it is best to know now. I would
express our goal of having Brittany communicate her thoughts and feels as well as seeing her
participate and socialize with other children. I would also encourage them to seek out
extracurricular activities for Brittany outside of the classroom to widen her social net and see if
there is an activity or hobby that brings her out of her shell.
Marco is a social boy who likes to play with similar toys to Brittany but also shows
interest in other activities. He appears to meet the developmental goals for a child his age. He
could be doing this naturally, lending proof to the Maturation Theory (Gordon & Browne, 2016,
p. 81). It is also possible that he is receiving a lot of hands-on attention and learning outside of
the classroom, lending proof to the Ecological Theory (p. 80). Whether it is one or a mix of both,
there are little to no concerns with Marco’s development because he meets his developmental
goals at the correct age and has healthy levels of interactions with the other students.
To help Marco in the classroom, it will be important to continue helping him in the
progress of his development while also reinforcing the behaviors of what he already does. The
former can be accomplished by giving him slightly challenging problems such as puzzles with
more pieces or lessons that are a step ahead of the others if he seems up to it. Reinforcing the
behavior can be accomplished by giving Marco personal encouragement with smiles, high-fives,
and hugs. Pointing out his good behaviors can also help to reinforce them.
When talking to Marco’s parents, I would stick to facts and offer advice and resources
based on his behavior. I would explain what actions and behaviors we should see from a child his
age and explain what I have witnessed to confirm that he has met those milestones. I would
encourage them to continue what they are doing at home to help Marco’s development as the
results show in his behavior at school. I would also encourage them to seek out extracurricular
activities to expand Marco’s field of education.
In conclusion, since teachers can’t know everything that goes on in the homes of the
students, we should focus on how we can support each individual child’s development in the
classroom. Students that seem to be somewhat behind should be exposed to certain activities to
encourage participation and socialization. They should also be introduced to activities that could
kickstart development of a certain intelligence that comes naturally to them. Students that are
developmentally stable should be slightly challenged to encourage continual development and
avoid stagnation. Each student should be treated as an individual and not compared to others in
the classroom.
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