Running head: DEVELOPMENTALLY-APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTION 1

Developmentally-Appropriate Instruction

Crystal Biggs

Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 495 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2021

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Introduction

In order to teach students the concepts and skills they need to know and understand,

educators must first take into account what their students already know and what they are

capable of learning. When teachers know the developmental level of their students, they can

tailor their instruction appropriately. Not only is it important for teachers to know where their

students are academically, they should also demonstrate cultural awareness in the classroom.

When teachers acknowledge the diversity in the classroom, they can foster relationships with

their students, as they will understand their teacher truly cares about their different needs. For

these reasons, two artifacts I chose to demonstrate competency in integrating developmentally-

appropriate instruction are a strategy called “Hairy Money” and a series of Google Slides on

Diversity, along with a children’s book.

Rationale for Selection of Artifacts

The first artifact I am using to reflect my competency of using developmentally-

appropriate instruction in the classroom is an anchor chart titled “Hairy Money”, which is a

strategy I taught to second-grade students when learning the Virginia Standards of Learning

(SOL) 2.7. This SOL states that “the student will count and compare a collection of pennies,

nickels, dimes, and quarters whose total value is $2.00 or less”, which can be quite a difficult

concept since it requires much skill (Virginia, 2016). Not only do students have to be able to

first identify the coins and know the value of each, but they must also add the values, whether

that be through skip counting or addition. Therefore, in teaching students how to determine the

value of a collection of various coins, students are taught how to use their previous knowledge of

counting by ones, as well as skip counting by fives and tens. Since many students at this

developmental stage have difficulty switching back and forth when skip counting coins, the
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strategy “Hairy Money” is used, which allows students to count nickels, dimes, and quarters by

solely counting by 5’s. This strategy consists of teaching students that each coin has a certain

number of hairs based on its value and that the value of each hair is five. Hence, since the value

of the quarter is 25 cents, it has 5 hairs; the value of a dime is 10 cents, it has 2 hairs; the value of

a nickel is 5 cents, it has 1 hair; and since the value of a penny is 1 cent, it has 0 hairs. Students

are taught that when counting coins, they should draw the correct number of hairs on each coin,

then skip count by 5’s. Once they count all the quarters, dimes, and nickels, they can then

continue counting any pennies by ones to determine the total value of the coins. Since I have

considered the developmental stage of second graders, I believe this artifact represents

instruction that is developmentally-appropriate because it is an intervention tool that allows

students to simplify the process of counting mixed coins in a method that is more manageable for

their current skill level.

The second artifact I am sharing is one that is geared towards cultural awareness in the

classroom. Considering the development of second grade students, one way I chose to teach

cultural awareness was to read a children’s book to them, called Learning About Differences by

Pam Scheunemann. The book is a simple introduction to the differences people have, while also

helping children learn that understanding these differences can help foster peace in our world, all

of which are important for them to learn. Prior to reading the book, I asked the students the

question, “Is it easy to be friends with different kinds of people?”. Some students said yes, but

many said no. I told them it may be hard to be friends with people who are different than them,

as I feel this way at times too, but I also taught them the importance of welcoming and accepting

others with differences, such as how we can grow by learning and being more open-minded

about their differences. After reading the book, I reviewed the different cultures and countries
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featured in the book and I asked students what they learned from the lesson. Many stated they

learned about the differences people have, but how they are good because we can learn from

them. Some examples given were learning how to play a new game or even learning a different

language. Some students mentioned how people celebrate different holidays and eat different

foods and how they could learn other traditions. The book led to great discussion about diversity

and how it impacts our world. To close the lesson, I reminded students that different cultures

create diversity and that despite our differences, we should be kind and considerate to others. Not

only did the students seem to enjoy the book and the discussion, I also enjoyed the lesson

because it was a simple, yet effective way to teach young students that although we may all be

different, we should be accepting of each other. These are the reasons I selected this artifact to

demonstrate how I incorporated cultural awareness in the classroom.

Reflection on Theory and Practice

My classes at Regent University have taught me the importance of creating

developmentally-appropriate instruction, as it is a vital component for student growth and

achievement. I have learned that when students are taught concepts at a level they can

understand, based on their development and what they are and are not capable of, they will be

more likely to glean information that is being presented to them. Conversely, when students are

taught concepts above their developmental abilities, it is not likely that they will grasp the ideas.

For that reason, it is the teacher’s responsibility to know their students needs and abilities to

tailor their instruction towards them. The strategy “Hairy Money” is a method of systematic

instruction, or scaffolding, which breaks down the complex skill of counting various coins into

“smaller, manageable chunks of learning . . . to control the level of difficulty throughout the

learning process”, which improves the outcome of student learning (Vaughn et al., 2014). During
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my time teaching students how to use “Hairy Money”, I witnessed them succeed in the process

of counting the coins when applying the strategy. However, I also saw them struggle when they

did not use the strategy. Based on what I have learned from theory and my ability to see this

method of scaffolding put into practice, I will continue to use developmentally-appropriate

instruction such as “Hairy Money” to help students succeed.

My time at Regent University has also taught me the importance of building relationships

and showing my students that I genuinely care for them. One way to accomplish this is by

incorporating cultural awareness into the classroom, which helps students understand that I

appreciate and respect their differences. Furthermore, by incorporating lessons and discussions

on cultural awareness, “students can appreciate and develop a deeper understanding not only of

their own culture, but the culture of others”, which is paramount today as our country is in need

of building cultural bridges (Wiesendanger & Tarpley, 2010). When students become aware of

other cultures, they can then learn to tolerate diversity and understand the needs of others, which

will then allow them to accept others. Scripture says, “Therefore welcome one another as Christ

has welcomed you, for the glory of God” (Holy Bible, English Standard Version, 2001, Romans

15:7). By showing and teaching my students that I accept and welcome them and their

differences, I pray they will do the same for others, which is another reason why I believe it is

important to incorporate lessons such as this into the classroom.

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References

Holy Bible, English Standard Version. (2001). Crossway Bibles.

Vaughn, S., Wanzek, J., Murray, C. S., & Roberts, G. (2014). Intensive interventions in reading

for students with reading disabilities: Meaningful impacts. Learning Disabilities

Research & Practice, 29(2), 46–53. https://doi.org/10.1111/ldrp.12031

Virginia Department of Education. (2016). Mathematics. Retrieved from

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/mathematics/index.shtml

Wiesendanger, K., & Tarpley, P. (2010). Developing cultural awareness through implementing

literature circles in the classroom. Race, Gender & Class, 17(1/2), 110-113. Retrieved

March 14, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/41674729