Early childhood is a time full of curiosity, exploration, creativity, excitement, and rapid development. During these formative years, children develop attitudes about education that remain with them for the rest of their lives (Kostelnik, Soderman, & Whiren, 2011). High quality early childhood education programs and highly effective, passionate teachers or care providers will not only promote young children’s development and academic achievement but will also foster a lifelong passion for learning. ECE programs and educators utilize learning centers to contribute to young children’s acquisition of literacy, numeracy, creative thinking, problem solving, and motor skills as well as a number of other skills and knowledge (Jarrett, 2010). The benefits of learning centers are many. Learning centers teach important concepts, build interest, integrate subject matter, and allow for inquiry (Jarrett, 2010). These well organized and defined interest areas provide children with choices, hands-on learning, meaningful progression of skill acquisition, self-direction, and the ability to make connections (Kostelnik et al., 2011).
Essential Learning Centers for Four Year Olds
Working as a preschool teacher of four year olds, I would most want to have a language arts center, math center, multisensory center, and a dramatic play center in my classroom. These four centers will foster essential skills in language, math, movement, sensory processing and integration, problem solving, creative thinking, and social interaction. Such skills will be essential not only in early education, but throughout each child’s entire education and life. Language skills are emerging and progressing at differing rates for students at this age. Well-develop...
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...ool. Retrieved April 28, 2011 from
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/earlychildhood/articles/learning.html
Jarrett, O. (2010). "Inventive" Learning Stations. Science and Children, 47(5), 56-59. Retrieved
April 28, 2011, from ProQuest Education Journals.
Kostelnik, M., Soderman, A., & Whiren, A. (2011). Developmentally appropriate curriculum:
Best practices in Early Childhood Education (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River: Pearson.
Mendoza, J. & Katz, L. (2008). Introduction to the special section on dramatic play. Early
Childhood Research & Practice, 10(2). Retrieved April 28, 2011 from
http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v10n2/introduction.html
NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving
children from birth to age 8. Retrieved April 19, 2011 from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/position%20statement%20Web.pdf
The Child Development Center of College of San Mateo provides early care and educational programs for children between the ages of 3 to 5 years old. Children are divided into classrooms with a “master” teacher, a “regular” teacher, and two or three “associate” teachers. Klara attended Classroom, “A,” a stimulating and well-resourced classroom. Klara was observed for two hours on Monday from 9 am to 11 am and for two hours on Wednesday from 9 am to 11 am. During these two hours, classroom activities consisted of “free time,” “story time,” and an outside “play time.” A “master” teacher, a “regular” teacher, and two “associate” teachers were present during observations. Additionally, a total of eighteen children were in attendance during the observed days.
Galens, David, and Lynn M. Spampinato, eds. Drama for Students. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Print.
Galens, David, ed. Drama for Students "resenting Analysis, Cntext and Critism on Commonly Studied Drama" . Vol. Volume 1. Detroit : Gale Research , 1998 .
I would include technology and software in a play-center for early childhood education because there are some educational games that can help you children learn. The games or things they do at school they can also do at home if they have the same program at home and they can show their parents what they learned at school. It can help children be better problem solvers and help teach them how to make hard decisions. Technology can help children learn more about the world around them and how the world around them works. They can be also taught how to use a computer which can be helpful in the future when they have to write an essay, fill out college applications or even job applications. We want our children to be prepared to help them in the
Preschool isn't just a place for parents to drop off their children while they are at work for the day. It is in preschool where children learn the necessary skills needed to succeed in school and in life. With high-quality preschools and qualified teachers the possibilities are endless. It's not only the children who reap the benefits of Early Childhood Education; their parents, fellow peers, and even society feel the positive effects of quality preschool programs. Children enrolled in quality preschool programs are more likely to succeed academically and socially when they are older.
There are a few types of preschool programs. First there are structured preschool programs that focus on emphasizing an actual school setting and classroom activities in order to prepare the child for kindergarten or first grade. There are also day care centers, which are not as structured as preschool centers. Daycare’s focus mainly on child’s development through social interaction with children and caregivers. Then there are head start programs that are geared to give children a foot in the right direction in order to be ready for preschool or kindergarten. The right kind of childcare can be a wonderful opportunity to promote the profound learning children experience from birth through age five (Selecting child care, 2002).
In this essay I shall concentrate on the plays 'Road' by Jim Cartwright and 'Blasted' by Sarah Kane with specific reference to use of language and structure of dialogue as examples of dramatic techniques.
Children who participate in quality early learning programs tend to be more successful later in school. They are also most socially and emotionally competent. In addition those children show higher verbal and intellectual development during early childhood than children who do not participate in early learning programs (A Parent’s Guide to Choosing Quality Child Care). In order for a child care center to be a quality center they must have an educated staff, a program accreditation, and good health and safety practices. Parents choose high quality child care for many reasons. These programs prepare children for school in which they gain intellectual and social skills. Also the programs are a good opportunity for children because they receive age-appropriate learning materials and activities to let the children learn and grow.
There are many aspects to early childhood education including what all it contains and is being taught. People willing to teach in an early childhood center are vitally important for learning and have overwhelming benefits for the children (Teufel). Children are expected to know much more information at an early age, so it benefits children to have the opportunity to take part in a program before kindergarten.
Additionally, a high quality early childhood program highlights on developmentally appropriate curriculum. I believe an early childhood classroom should be flexible, stimulating, clean, safe and organized. It should be a place where students can be engaged in learning through interacting with things around them.
The environment of the children is another important aspect to look for in a program. The area that the children will be spending most of their time in should not be too overwhelming. This means that the area should be a calming and enjoyable place for the child. An infant and toddler program should have adequate space for a toddler to be able to explore around his or her surroundings. With a safe, child accessible environment the child should be allowed t...
Worthen, William B. Modern Drama and the Rhetoric of Theater. Berkeley: U of California P, 1992.
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.
3. Shipley, Joseph T. The Crown Guide to the World's Great Plays. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1984. 332 - 333.
Early childhood education plays a key role in a child’s academic development because he or she learns soft skills, job skills, and develop positive traits. Preschool is not like kindergarten, but instead a stepping-stone that prepares young students for the years of schooling they will have later in life. As more schools began to open families wanted to be able to verify that programs would benefit and protect their children. In response, the National Association for the Education of Young Children was made to help families find the best care for their children, by providing the early childhood educators with training and ensuring the quality of children’s daily experiences. (“NAEYC”5).