Full Description
This best-selling text addresses all aspects of classroom life, including the roles of children and adults, the physical and social environments, and teaching and learning within multiple domains for children age three to eight. It provides a comprehensive, cohesive approach to curriculum development, which results in greater continuity for children and practitioners in group settings in childcare, preschool, and the early elementary grades. Concentrating as much on the "how" of curriculum development as on the "what and why," the authors provide practical, research-based guidelines for translating theory into best practice that accommodates age-appropriateness, individual differences, and social and cultural diversity. Students learn how to conceptualize, plan, implement, and evaluate curriculum through detailed application opportunities in each chapter.
Contents
Introduction
Part 1 Foundations of Early Childhood Education
Chapter 1Developmentally Appropriate Practice: An Evolving Framework for Teaching Young Children
Why Is There a Need for DAP?
The Early Childhood Profession Responds
General Practices Typically Associated with DAP
It Requires Judgment to Determine Developmental Appropriateness
DAP Has Historic Roots
There Is Empirical Support for Developmentally Appropriate Programs
DAP Programs Vary in Structure and Content
DAP Is Adaptable Across Program Settings
The High/Scope Approach to Early Childhood Education
The Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education
The DAP Debate
What Does the DAP Debate Mean for Early Childhood Practitioners?
Implications of DAP for Professional Practice
Summary
Applying What You've Read in This Chapter
Practice for Your Certification or Licensure Exam
Chapter 2 Teaching and Learning in Developmentally Appropriate Programs
Early Childhood Educators Need to Know About Child Development and Learning
Early Childhood Educators Need to Know About Effective Teaching Strategies
Which Teaching Strategies Are Best?
Common Teaching Strategies
The Cycle of Learning
Linking the Cycle of Learning to Teaching
Teaching in the Zone of Proximal Development
Early Childhood Educators Need to Know About Content
Addressing Content in Early Childhood Education
Benefits of Standards
Challenges in Using Standards
Addressing the Challenges
Summary
Applying What You've Read in This Chapter
Practice for Your Certification or Licensure Exam
Part 2 Setting the Stage for Learning
Chapter 3 Planning and Implementing Effective Small-Group Activities
Why Plan?
Characteristics of Effective Planning
Planning Basics
Creating Developmentally Appropriate Plans
Aligning All the Parts of the Lesson Plan
Using Principles of Developmental Direction to Enhance Your Planning
Applying the Principles of Developmental Direction to Your Plans
Common Activities in Early Childhood Programs
Making and Implementing Plans
Summary
Applying What You've Read in This Chapter
Practice for Your Certification or Licensure Exam
Chapter 4 Planning and Implementing Effective Group-Time Activities
Planning Effective Group Times
Writing Group-Time Plans
Group-Time Preparations and Strategies
Variations on Traditional Group Times
Common Questions Practitioners Ask About Group Time
Adaptation of Whole-Group Instruction for Children of Different Ages and Abilities
Pitfalls to Avoid During Group-Time Planning
Summary
Applying What You've Read in This Chapter
Practice for Your Certification or Licensure Exam
Chapter 5 Organizing Space, Materials, and Time
Organizing the Physical Environment
Why Use Learning Centers?
Characteristics of Effective Early Childhood Learning Centers <
