DEVELOPMENTALLY-APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTION PAGE 1

Developmentally-Appropriate Instruction

Micah O’Hara

Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 496 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2020

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Introduction

Developmentally-appropriate instruction is a term that is frequently used in the education

world but many may not fully understand. Sullivan defines the it as, “A term whose use reflects

different views on the relationship between development and instruction. With development

viewed as preceding learning, instruction is provided only when the learner is developmentally

ready. In contrast, the view that instruction leads development allows instruction to be

appropriately challenging and yet supportive of individual needs” (Sullivan, 2009, p. 148). The

emphasis of this type of instruction falls on providing students with learning that meet them at

their developmental stage. Since classes are made up of diverse students, there will be different

levels of development found in the classroom. There are certain activities and techniques that can

be used to ensure that students’ learning needs are being met at the appropriate level.

Differentiation to meet the different types of learning styles is essential in planning

developmentally-appropriate instruction. An educator will see results and student engagement

and achievement with appropriate learning methods.

Rationale for Selection of Artifacts

To demonstrate my understanding of developmentally-appropriate instruction and use of

the method, I chose to display students engaging in creating Play-Doh models of Roman reliefs

as well as students playing the card game of “Spoons” to learn the Greek and Roman gods and

goddesses. For middle school students, activity and kinesthetic learning should be essential

components of the learning experience (Bergin and Bergin, 2018, p. 55). Motor skills have been

developing since childhood, but the incorporation of movement and hands-on activities in

lessons has high-return rates for middle school-aged learners (Bergin and Bergin, 2018, p. 55).

After learning about the Roman legacy on art, I engaged the students in creating their own
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reliefs. First, they were challenged to depict a scene or object from ancient Roman history. Some

students created horses, chariots, boats, etc. Then the students were challenged to depict a

modern scene. One student created a depiction of McDonalds. They were able to see how

difficult it is to produce realistic depictions of objects with Play-Doh. It provided them with a

deeper understanding and appreciation of Roman art. After learning about Roman mythology,

the students were able to play a game where they had to collect four cards: one representing the

Greek name, the Roman name, the attribute, and an illustration of a mythological being. This

assisted in the learning of the Roman gods and goddesses and the content which the students

need to know about them. By making learning fun with competition and games, I was meeting

the students developmental needs.

Reflection on Theory and Practice

My education classes at Regent prepared me for understanding the developmental stages

of child and adolescents. Students in the education department take a class titled Child and

Adolescent Growth and Development. This class taught me to consider the age and development

stage of my students and plan lessons accordingly. In my methods and advanced methods of

teaching classes, I learned specific strategies and techniques to assist me in meeting these

learning needs and conditions. Many different aspects go into the learning experience of the

student, however, the climate of the classroom is a primary factor in meeting the learning needs

of the student (Daily, Mann, Kristjansson, Smith, Zullig, 2019, p. 174). In the middle school

classroom, the learning climate is consistently active and engaging. This is due to the fact that

middle school learners typically have high levels of energy. A student in eighth grade would not

respond well to forty minutes of lecturing. I have been learning through my student-teaching

experience that it is better to keep the students moving and active. This keeps their attention
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instead of passively intaking information alone. Engaging the student in the learning experience

through developmentally-appropriate instruction can yield high return rates.

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References

Bergin, C., & Bergin, D. (2018). Child and adolescent development in your classroom.

Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.

Daily, S. M., Mann, M. J., Kristjansson, A. L., Smith, M. L., & Zullig, K. J. (2019). School

climate and academic achievement in middle and high school students. Journal of School

Health, 89 (3), 173-180.

Sullivan, L. E. (2009). The SAGE Glossary of the Social and Behavioral Sciences. Newbury

Park, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.