Welcome to the Introduction to Module 4!Module ObjectivesObserving children's behavior and play and then documenting what you see is one of the important jobs of an early care and education teacher. If we observe children carefully, we can then begin to understand their needs, interests, and abilities. When we collect this information, we can plan and put into action a curriculum that will help meet the needs of the children in our classroom. In this module you will learn ...
In this module you will ...
Terms from the FieldBelow are words and definitions that you may need when you work as an early care and education teacher. You will learn more about these words later in the module. When you see the speaker
free play - Free play is a time in a preschool program's daily schedule that allows children to select where and what they will play with. For example, during free play Tamara might decide to play at the sand table with cups.
cognitive skill - thinking skills that children develop in order to know and understand the world around them. For example, a child might discover that he or she can fill a large bottle with water from a cup.
fine motor skill - the ability to use hands and fingers to complete skills such as writing with a pen or cutting with scissors.
gross motor skills - skills that children master using large muscles. Some of these skills include walking, running, and jumping.
self-help skills - skills that include a child's ability to take care of his/her own needs. Examples of these skills are putting on clothing and washing hands and face without help.
emergent literacy - Emergent literacy means the things children are able to do before they actually learn to read and write. An example of emergent literacy in children is learning how to hold a pen.
documenting - the practice of writing down what you observe.
observational method - a way of watching children to get information about how they are learning and developing.
appropriate - something that is correct or right for a certain situation. For example, it is appropriate for children to participate and ask questions while a teacher is reading a book to them.
inappropriate - something that is incorrect or wrong for a certain situation. For example, it is inappropriate for children to make loud noises while a teacher is reading a book to them.
portfolio - when a teacher collects examples of a child's work to demonstrate what the child is learning.
assessment tool - a form that teachers use to understand what skills a child has.
If you find other words that you don't understand, you can do two things :
|