COURSE: Early Childhood Education I UNIT A Personal and Professional Preparation

8% Understand observation and teaching methods

COMPETENCY: 3.00 B2
used in early childhood education.
Understand how to select and use teaching
OBJECTIVE: 3.02 B2 4%
methods.
Essential Question:​ What should be considered when selecting and using teaching methods in
early childhood settings?
UNPACKED CONTENT
Selecting Teaching Methods
∙ How do children learn?
▪ From the environment
○ Using manipulative objects
○ Interacting with the environment

▪ From the teacher

○ Responding to positive reinforcement
○ Imitating a good role model
○ Repeating modeled behaviors

▪ From the experience

○ Exploring sensory elements
○ Using trial and error
○ Learning from mistakes
○ Participating in activities that address all areas of development

∙ What is the role of play materials?

▪ Play has a major role in learning and development.
▪ Play materials may be one of two types of learning tools:
1. Open-ended materials --- no one correct way to play with them
Benefits:
a. Children develop independence
b. Learn to make decisions
c. Learn to solve problems
d. Use their imagination
2. Closed-ended materials --- meant to be used in one way
Benefits:
a. Children learn to follow directions
b. Help develop sensory perception
c. Help develop motor skills
 Understand how to select and use teaching
OBJECTIVE: 3.02 B2 4%
methods.
UNPACKED CONTENT

▪ What should be considered when selecting toys and play materials?

○ Safety
○ Durability
○ Ease of cleaning, sanitizing
○ Appropriateness for children of different ages and genders
○ Encourages desirable behaviors
○ Number of children who can use it at one time
○ Storage space available
○ Purpose (multi-purpose, teaches basic concepts, provides sensory learning)
○ Fun to play with

Using Teaching Methods

∙ Lesson plans
▪ What are the purposes of a lesson plan?
○ Serves as an organizational tool
○ Forces teachers to think ahead
○ Enables teachers to think through what they want to do
○ Provides time to gather needed materials
○ Can be saved for future reference
▪ What would be the results of teaching without a lesson plan?
○ Lesson would flounder
○ Time would be wasted
○ Children would be bored
○ Materials would not be on hand when needed
○ Things would be left out or out of logical order
▪ What are the components of a lesson plan?
○ Target age group
○ Topic or theme
○ Purpose --- stated as objective(s)
○ Concepts to be learned and skills to be developed
○ Materials needed, including quantities
○ Procedures
1. Introduction --- focus and review
2. Statement of objective
3. Teacher input
4. Student guided practice
5. Independent practice
6. Closure, often with transition to the next activity
○ Questions to guide learning
○ Possible follow-up activities
○ Evaluation