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Community Action, Inc. Early Education Vision - Page 3
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III. |
Approach to Classroom Planning |
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In Early Education Classrooms learning experiences are planned within a comprehensive
curriculum. The curriculum is research based and is sequenced to provide key content, processes,
and concepts that build on one another in each domain. Lesson plans are well thought out and
posted in a timely manner. The purpose is to guide the teacher to provide a variety of learning
experiences, including those experiences often described as play, throughout the educational day.
Planning addresses all aspects of the child’s learning. Teachers assess the individual
development of each child regularly and use this assessment information to meet the individual
needs of each child in classroom lesson plans. For the majority of activities planned during the
child’s day there is an Educational Objective. Even child directed activities such as work in
learning centers and during outdoor play, have educational objectives. These objectives ensure
that the child is developing across all eight domains of the Child Outcomes Framework as well
as in all areas mandated in the Head Start Performance Standards.
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Current Approach to Classroom Planning in 0-3 year old classrooms: |
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Classroom planning for Early Head Start is two-fold. Much of children’s learning during the first
three years of life occurs during routine care experiences; therefore great care is taken to ensure
that the environment supports quality adult- child interactions during each and every routine care
experience. Secondly, children ages birth to three must have the opportunity to actively explore
appropriate materials in their environment and to interact with caring, nurturing adults in order to
develop skills in all eight domains of growth. Using knowledge of each child’s developmental
level, teachers plan the learning environment in order to ensure that all of the children’s learning
needs are included.
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IV. |
Approach to Classroom Instruction |
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Community Action supports classroom instruction that is academically challenging and
developmentally appropriate. Current research indicates that expectations need to be set higher in
early education classrooms because children can in fact learn much more complex information
than was previously believed. (NAEYC & NAECS/SDE, P. 4) Many times children from poor families and from second language homes are placed in programs where expectations remain
low. Programs that have been successful at working with these children:
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Set high expectations for all children to be successful. |
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Provide excellent quality of instruction. |
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Instruct at appropriate levels of instruction.
(Romo, p. 63) |
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Community Action embraces the High/Scope philosophy of encouraging children to plan their
activities and reflect on what they have done. “Planning is more than making choices. [It] is
choice with intention … [and] reflection is remembering with analysis.” (Epstein, p.2) The cycle
of plan, do & review that is central to the High/Scope philosophy encourages more purposeful
behavior and also leads to improvements in the complexity of children’s language, the richness
of their vocabulary, and their ability to engage in mathematical and scientific reasoning.
(Epstein, p. 3)
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Children learn through a combination of the following: the prepared learning environment, the
daily routines, the process for individualizing activities, and the interactions and relationships
between the teacher, child, and parent. Children learn best by being actively involved in a
learning environment supported by caring and nurturing teachers. By actively participating in a
variety of fun, child appropriate and child-initiated activities as well as teacher guided or led
activities, children develop and learn skills necessary to reach their potential and be successful.
Preschool children need at least 6 hours per weekday of appropriate instruction and learning time
for at least 46 weeks of the year to ensure that they are ready to succeed when they arrive at
Kindergarten.
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