Assignment:
For each scenario,
Identify where you see the teachers using any of the 10 teaching strategies.
Using the 5 guidelines for effective teaching describe (using specifics from the scenario) which guidelines are being used.
Reflect on each scenario using information from the module to help you decide if the teachers were using developmentally appropriate practices. Identify those places per scenario where you did see these practices and where you didn't feel that DAP was being implemented; describe what you would have done instead.
Your assignment should be 2 to 4 pages in length and use section headers to organize your analysis.
Use an APA formatted title and reference pages as well as in text citation where appropriate.
Scenario 1
Ms. Donna cares for five children ranging in age from three months to thirty months in her family child care home.
She begins her lunch routine by feeding three-month-old Katie. Katie waves her arms and fusses as her bottle is being prepared. Ms. Donna soothes her by saying, "It's hard to wait when you're hungry. Here comes the bottle now." She holds Katie close, looks at her face, and speaks softly to her during feeding.
When Samantha (age 30 months) asks for a new puzzle, Ms. Donna says, "I'll get it when Katie is finished. You can look at a book while you're waiting." Samantha pulls a book from a pocket on her wheelchair. When Katie is settled in her crib for a nap, Ms. Donna helps the other children wash their hands for lunch. Samantha and Leyla (age 19 months) can wash their hands by themselves. Ms. Donna reminds them to "keep rubbing your hands all over with soap." "Get germs off!" exclaims Samantha.
The four children eat lunch with Ms. Donna at a low table. She has organized everything and placed it within reach. Each child has a sippy cup of milk. Samantha and Leyla serve themselves cheese sandwiches and chunks of bananas. Ms. Donna helps them with the steamed zucchini. She places a small amount of each food on the other children's plates. The food is cut up so the toddlers can eat independently.
Brianna (age 10 months) uses a pincer grasp to feed herself pieces of sandwich, banana and zucchini. Colin (age 15 months) eats quickly with his fingers and a spoon and holds out his plate for more. "Colin, say 'More, please,' prompts Ms. Donna. "Muh, muh" says Colin. "Here's some more," she says as she serves the food. Leyla eats the cheese sandwich and banana, but leaves the zucchini on her plate. When she asks for more sandwich and banana, Ms. Donna allows her to take more of each. "Maybe you'll like the zucchini next time," she remarks. "It's my favorite vegetable. Yum!"
One by one, the children lose interest in eating or say they are finished. Colin and Leyla throw their trash away and put their dirty dishes in a plastic dishpan on the table. Samantha wipes her tray with a damp paper towel before wheeling her chair to the trash can. Ms. Donna helps the children clean their hands and choose a quiet activity in the play area nearby.
Scenario 2
Jae-Yoon and Sam, like all of their classmates in the 3 year old room, love drums. It all started with a favorite book, Pots and Pans. First, the children enjoyed pounding and tapping on the pots and pans in the home center. Then, the sturdy drums on the music shelf became popular. The children bang on one drum or pot and then another with their hands or with blocks, listening to the different sounds. The teachers have hung pictures of drums all around the room at eye level. The pictures show adults and children from around the world playing all kinds of drums. Sam likes the picture of the goblet shaped Djembe drum from West Africa.
Today is a special day because several family members have brought drums from home. The visitors arrive and sit on the rug in the middle of the room. Jae-Yoon is the first to notice the new drums. She hurries over to try the bongo drums. Eduardo's father shows her how to tap one drum and then the other. She copies him, listening to the high and low pitches.
There is a Bera drum from Sri Lanka, a Native American drum with a deerskin top, and to Sam's delight, a big Djembe drum. He moves back and forth between the Djembe drum and the picture, pointing and jabbering with excitement. "Yes, that's a real Djembe drum, just like the one in the picture!" exclaims the teacher.
Each visitor has a chance to play his or her drum. Most of the children cluster around to listen, and some move in time to the beat. The teachers allow the children to join the drumming activity or to play in other parts of the room. The teachers also take many pictures. These pictures will be made into laminated books for the children to look at later.
Scenario 3
Ms. Bobbie and Mr. Tim are care teachers for a group of two year olds. They know they should offer art more often, but it is hectic and messy and the teachers feel like it ends up being a negative experience because the children don't listen.
The teachers wait for all of the children to come to the table for an art activity. Some children are reluctant and want to continue playing on their own. When all the children are finally at the art table, Ms. Bobbie places the art materials on the table. Several children eagerly reach for the supplies. "Wait! I will pass them out after I tell you what we are making," Ms. Bobbie exclaims. "We are going to make pumpkins like this," explains Ms. Bobbie as she shows them the orange construction paper pumpkin with a green construction paper stem.
Mr. Tim gives everyone a brown crayon and a paper pumpkin that he cut out earlier. "You can color your pumpkins brown." Sydney says, "I want pink," which is her favorite color. Mr. Tim replies, "We are using fall colors today. Pink isn't a fall color." "I want pink please," she repeats. "You can use pink next time. Your mommy will like your brown and orange pumpkin," answers Mr. Tim. Sydney sits for a moment, looking disappointed, then begins to use the crayon without much effort. After a few minutes Ms. Bobbie says, "OK, put your crayon in the basket," even though some children are still making marks. She encourages them to hurry as the other children are restless.
"Now we are going to put the stems on. Mr. Tim and I will put on the glue and help you paste on the stems." Each child is to wait their turn. The teachers try to hurry, but the toddlers want to touch and smear the glue, which makes a mess. Bennett and Alan start waving their own unfinished pumpkins around and then smacking them into each other and giggling wildly. Two other children join in on the fun. Ms. Bobbie exclaims, "Stop! Put those down please. "
The teachers decide to put the pumpkin stems on for the children to speed up the process. Ms. Bobbie starts to draw black lines on each child's pumpkin to resemble the ridges on a real pumpkin. When Ms. Bobbie begins to draw on Sydney's pumpkin, Sydney cries, "No, my pumpkin." Ms. Bobbie replies, "It will look more like a pumpkin with the lines." Sydney angrily swipes her pumpkin onto the floor and cries.
Scenario 4
The children in Mr. Cody's and Ms. Natasha's classroom just came inside from the playground. Mr. Cody tells all of the children to sit on the carpet in the center of the room for group time. Samara sits near a toy shelf instead and starts playing with a wooden peg stacking set. Mr. Cody calls to Samara saying, "Samara, it is time to put that away. Come sit with us, we are going to have group time." Samara doesn't respond to Mr. Cody and keeps playing with her toy.
Mr. Cody approaches Samara and gently takes the toys from her and puts it on the shelf. He holds her hand saying, "It is group time." Samara struggles a bit but in the end walks with Mr. Cody to the carpet.
Mr. Cody starts group time by asking the children to stand up and stretch their arms to the ceiling; then bend to the right and left. When Samara doesn't participate, Mr. Cody kindly says, "Samara, stand up and stretch." Samara shakes her head no and continues to sit. Mr. Cody decides not to upset Samara more and lets her stay seated.
When they are done stretching, Mr. Cody begins reading Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? by Dr. Seuss. Rihanna quickly loses interest. She begins to wiggle and fidget, accidentally kicking her neighbor in the back. Mr. Cody stops reading and tells Rihanna, "Stop kicking your friend and sit still please." Rihanna stops kicking, but not interested in the story, she continues to look around the room.
In the meantime, Samara has gotten a book off the shelf next to her. Mr. Cody asks his co-teacher, Ms. Natasha, to sit with Samara and help her put her book away while he finishes group time. Mr. Cody is able to finish reading the book, though two more children have become distracted by the other children's behavior, and by the stopping and starting of group time activities. Mr. Cody ends group time early by singing a song.