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Developmentally
Appropriate Practice
Developmentally
appropriate practices result from the process of professionals
making decisions about the well-being and education of children
based on at least three important kinds of information or
knowledge:
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what is known
about child development and learning
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what is known
about the strengths, interests, and needs of each individual
child in the group
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knowledge of
the social and cultural contexts in which children live
Furthermore, each
of these dimensions of knowledge... is dynamic and changing,
requiring that early childhood teachers remain learners
throughout their careers |
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Howard Gardner's
Multiple Intelligences Theory
Website
The theory of
multiple intelligences was developed in 1983 by Dr. Howard
Gardner, professor of education at Harvard University. Dr.
Gardner proposes eight different intelligences to account for a
broader range of human potential in children and adults.
One of the most
remarkable features of the theory of multiple intelligences is
how it provides eight different potential pathways to learning.
If a teacher is having difficulty reaching a student in the more
traditional linguistic or logical ways of instruction, the
theory of multiple intelligences suggests several other ways in
which the material might be presented to facilitate effective
learning. Whether you are a kindergarten teacher, a graduate
school instructor, or an adult learner seeking better ways of
pursuing self-study on any subject of interest, the same basic
guidelines apply. Whatever you are teaching or learning, see how
you might connect it with
words
(linguistic intelligence)
numbers or logic (logical-mathematical intelligence)
pictures (spatial intelligence)
music (musical intelligence)
self-reflection (intrapersonal intelligence)
a physical experience (bodily-kinesthetic intelligence)
a social experience (interpersonal intelligence), and/or
an experience in the natural world. (naturalist
intelligence)
You don’t have to
teach or learn something in all eight ways, just see what the
possibilities are, and then decide which particular pathways
interest you the most, or seem to be the most effective teaching
or learning tools. The theory of multiple intelligences is so
intriguing because it expands our horizon of available
teaching/learning tools beyond the conventional linguistic and
logical methods used in most schools (e.g. lecture, textbooks,
writing assignments, formulas, etc.).
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Reggio Emilia
Philosophy
Website
The Reggio
Emilia theory took shape in post World War II in the community
of Reggio Emilia, in Italy. It was conceived by three matriarchs
of the region and was fostered by the families of the community,
all committed to creating an education and better way of life
for their children. It is municipally funded and teachers
are considered professionals. It received worldwide notice
when it was featured in an article in Time magazine that
documented the ten best early childhood programs in the world.
What makes it
different?
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Concept of
the competent child
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The four
prongs of the philosophy: The Child, The Family, The
Teacher, The Environment
Curriculum
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Project Approach
Website
The Project
Approach to early childhood is one that incorporates project
work as a major part of the curriculum. A project is
defined as an in-depth extended investigation of a topic --
ideally one worthy of the children's time and energy.
Project work provides contexts in which developing and emerging
literacy and numeracy skills are applied in such a way that
their uses and purposes are readily understood and accepted by
the children.
Project work is
usually conducted in three phases.
The first
phase includes exploring and sharing experiences, ideas, and
information the children already have related to the topic.
The second
phase is a period of data gathering, first-hand observations
of phenomena related to the topic, interviewing experts, and
other information-gathering strategies.
The final
phase includes a debriefing concerning what has been found
out, bringing the investigation to a conclusion, and preparing
reports to be shared within the class as well as with other
classes, parents, and others in the community who might be
interested in the children’s findings.
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