Early childhood education (ECE) is focused on the teaching and development of children younger than five years of age. The inclusion of families is crucial to the learners of this age. That way, the ECE teachers who work in a wide range of versatile settings (kindergartens, preschools, community-based classes, homes, and child care centers) are to address the needs of the young learners adding family members to the learning experience and employing other age-appropriate teaching techniques and tools (Feeney, Galper, & Seefeld, 2008).
Summary: Standard 4: Using developmentally effective approaches
Teaching young children, an educator is to remember that the approaches they employ are to match the developmental needs of the children, their characteristics, the settings, and environments in which learning takes place (NAEYC, 2010). The standard also emphasizes the contribution of the positive interactions between a child and an educator. In other words, the teacher is to select age-appropriate techniques, tools, and activities, and engage self-reflection attempting to improve their practice.
Why it was chosen?
The standard was chosen because it outlines the necessary norms any ECE teacher is to adhere to succeed as an educator.
How It Can Help Me Become a Better Professional?
The standard contains the requirements guiding me, as a teacher, in the right direction towards a better understanding of the children’s needs.
How It Can Help Me Become a Better Advocate?
In many ECE institutions, children are not prepared for school using the right methods. That is why educators are to popularize the new approaches and strategies to make the learning easier and more pleasant for the children and ensure their academic success later in life.
List of five questions
How do you promote the families’ and community participation in the education process?
Rationale: The goal is to gain knowledge about advocating on behalf of children and their families as the inclusion of the parents is vital for the connection between classroom activities and day-to-day experiences (Gilbert, Harte, & Patrick, 2011).
What methods do you use to ensure positive relations with young learners?
Rationale: The purpose is to obtain insights about finding a connection with the children to ensure efficient teaching.
How do you employ technology in education, what devices do you use and how often?
Rationale: The connection of everyday life and classroom experiences helps the children to learn faster, memorize and practice the new knowledge (Gilbert et al., 2011).
What age-appropriate educational techniques do you find the most effective?
Rationale: The promotion of positive outcomes
How do you reflect on your practice?
Rationale: The answer would provide valuable insight into the professional self-improvement necessary for a contemporary educator who is to possess such traits as professional flexibility and love of self-improvement and learning (Colker, 2008).
Conclusion
The ECE is a complex process and a relatively new sphere of knowledge; it requires constant improvement grounded on the evidence-based experiences and best practice that would be employed for the training of the new teachers and the advancement of the field (Feeney et al., 2008). Collaboration and shared experience play an important role as the drivers of this process.
References
Colker, L.J. (2008). Twelve characteristics of early childhood teachers. Beyond the Journal. Young Children on the Web, 1-6. Web.
Feeney, S., Galper, A., & Seefeld, C. (2008). Continuing Issues in Early Childhood Education (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Web.
Gilbert, J. L., Harte, H. A., & Patrick, C. (2011). Purposeful Play Leads to School Readiness. Dimensions of Early Childhood, 39(1), 29-37. Web.
NAEYC. (2010). 2010 Standards for initial early childhood professional preparation. Web.