Reflective Analysis of Portfolio Artifact

Rationale/Reflection
NAEYC Standard:
STANDARD 1. PROMOTING CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING Candidates
prepared in early childhood degree programs are grounded in a child development knowledge
base. They use their understanding of a) young childrens characteristics and needs, and b)
multiple interacting influences on childrens development and learning, to c) create environments
that are healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging for each child (NAEYC 2010).

Brief Description of Evidence:

As part of my ECED 120 Child Growth and Development course during fall 2013 I wrote an
Erikson paper of the eight stages of child development about my progression through life. To put
together this paper I had to ask family members and friends about my childhood and the different
memories they had about me. As I got to the older stages of my life I began to remember how
well I developed in each stage and the transitions I went through.

Analysis of What I Learned:

While completing this paper I learned new things about my childhood that I did not know.
Moving from stage to stage I learned that there are different skills a child should master before
moving to the next stage. Each child develops on his/her own pace and some children master
skills sooner than others.

How This Artifact Demonstrates my Competence on the

NAEYC Standard:
My competence in this standard is proven by my ability to understand the different
characteristics and needs each child should meet within each stage such as dressing him/herself,
picking things up by him/herself, or by beginning to crawl/walk. As an early childhood teacher I
will only have the children during the first stage. By writing a paper on the eight stages of
development I was able to see how well I did or did not progress in the first stage. I can now be
empathetic towards the children that I relate to at that stage if they are struggling with the same
skills I may have struggled to master. As an educator I can ensure that the children are able to
trust one another as well as myself as a caregiver. I can do this by allowing the children to get to
know one another as well as myself and creating a friendly and safe environment. I will be able
to understand the needs of a child when he/she is crying and assess those needs to fulfill them.