Assignment 04

E01 Careers in Early Childhood Education

Directions: Be sure to save an electronic copy of
your answer before submitting it to Ashworth College for grading. Unless
otherwise stated, answer in complete sentences, and be sure to use correct
English, spelling and grammar. Sources must be cited in APA format. Your
response should be four (4) double-spaced pages; refer to the “Assignment
Format” page located on the Course Home page for specific format
requirements.

The scenarios presented below are similar to those that you
will likely encounter as an early childhood educator. Put yourself in the shoes of the early
childhood educator and apply your knowledge and skills to navigate through each
scenario.

Scenario 1

Both Friedrich Froebel and Maria Montessori developed unique
materials to support their methods of teaching children. These materials are still used in classrooms
today. Imagine that you are an early childhood educator at a preschool where
you teach a class of 3- to 5-year-olds.

Part A: Develop
an original age-appropriate activity for your preschool class using one of the following.

• Froebel’s cube gift
• Froebel’s parquetry gift
• Lincoln Logs

1. Describe the activity that
   you have developed.
2. Identify the skills that
   the activity would help develop.

Part B: Develop
an original age-appropriate activity for your preschool class promoting the
same skill(s) as the activity above, but develop the activity based on the
Montessori method.

1. Describe the activity that
   you have developed.
2. What are the key
   differences between the two activities you developed?

Scenario 2

Characteristics of developmentally appropriate practices can
be observed in classrooms. Intentional teachers can utilize this knowledge in
planning experiences specifically designed for children of various ages to
enhance their development and learning.

Below is a list of some of the characteristics that children
display naturally. Imagine that you are teaching a kindergarten class of 5- to
6-year-olds. Develop two learning activities that you could use to further
nurture the development of these capabilities. Each experience should integrate
at least three of the characteristics listed below. Make sure to describe how
each characteristic is incorporated into the activities.

Lead Draw Initiate

Create Raise questions Speak

Move Solve problems Decide

Create art Try again Choose wisely

Make a plan Read and make books

Scenario 3

Imagine that you are an early childhood educator who teaches
a first-grade class of 6- to 7-year-olds. Develop an activity designed to
promote reading and/or writing skills. Provide a description of the activity.

Explain how you would adapt this learning experience to be
more appropriate for children with four of the following special needs.

• Gifted
• Intellectual disability
• Attention deficit
  hyperactivity disorder
• Speech delayed
• Hearing impairment
• Visual impairment
• Physical disability
• Epilepsy
• Asthma

Scenario 4

As an early childhood educator, imagine that you observe
each of the situations below. Fill out the chart below, identifying the most
likely cause, the most appropriate
preventative guidance techniqueyou,
as the teacher, could use, the most appropriate
solution that promotes positive self-concept and prosocial behaviors, and
the reason why you selected each
technique and solution.

1.
Mealtime Fight. At age 18 months, highly active Jake climbs out of his high chair long
before his meal is finished.
Exasperated, his teacher makes him sit at the table until he has eaten
all of his food. Soon Jake’s behavior
escalates into throwing his food on the floor.

2.
Temper Tantrum. Three-year-old Connor falls on the floor and kicks and hits his fists on
the floor while he yells. The teacher
and three other children are sitting at a table nearby working on puzzles. Connor continues this behavior and looks up
every minute or so to see the teacher’s reaction.

3.
“Mommy, don’t go!”
Four-year-old Angela screams “Mommy, don’t go!” when her mother brings
her to the center each morning.

4.
Bully. Jenny, a first-grader, is large for her age. When she enters the after-school program each
day, she goes around the room pushing the other children and taking toys away
from them. No one wants to play with her
because of the way she acts.

Grading Rubric

Refer to the rubric below for grading criteria for this
assignment.

This is the end of Assignment 4.