NAEYC Standard #1- Promoting Child Development and Learning

Title of the Artifact: My Ideal Environment

Description of Artifact: The purpose of this assignment was to demonstrate my ability to plan
environments, activities, and experiences that are developmentally, culturally, and linguistically
appropriate and engaging for children. Since the environment plays an important role in
children’s learning as a third teacher (Zvalo-Martyn).
Key Element: 1a Knowing and understanding young children’s characteristics and needs, from
birth through age 8.
How does the artifact demonstrate your competence in this area?
In this assignment I had to pick two areas I felt needed improvement or a change in supporting
the children’s learning development. Using my knowledge about how children learn and
develop, the California Preschool learning Foundations and Frameworks and other course
textbooks I was able to come up with two learning outcome I felt the children weren’t being give
enough opportunity to explore and develop skills in those areas. Due to Covid restriction the set
up of the classroom does not allow any flexibility of indoor gross motor movement for children
that they would normally be doing in a typically classroom setting. Which is why I chose to
improve this area of development and came up with a learning outcome in this area. As I
previously stated in My Ideal ECE Environment assignment “I chose this outcome because due
to Covid guidelines children are designated to specific areas of the classroom and are not
allowed to freely move around the class from area to area like they would of been able to in a
regular classroom setting. The children are missing out on indoor gross motor opportunities to
explore and develop the skills. ‘To ensure that children gain the basic physical skills they need,
adults plan movement experiences and structure physical activities that introduce a range of
movement options’ (Epstein, 2014, p.65).” I came up with 3 strategies to support this outcome an
indoor, outdoor and schedule change strategy. The other area I chose to make an improvement in
was Language and Literacy. As I had previously stated in My Ideal ECE environment, “I chose
this outcome because during my time in there the only interaction with print that I see is during
large group meeting when teachers read a book and are discussing about the topic they are
learning about and are writing on the whiteboard. ‘Because environmental print is everywhere,
children have already encountered it all the time on their own. However, teachers play a
significant role in calling it to children’s attention’ (Epstein, 2014, p.114).” I also came up with
an indoor, outdoor and schedule change for this outcome.

Key Element: 1c: Using developmental knowledge to create healthy, respectful, supportive, and
challenging learning environments for young children.

How does the artifact demonstrate your competence in this area?

The first part of My Ideal ECE Environment what coming up with strategies for two areas of
development of area we felt needed better supporting in the environment. The second part of the
assignment was to pick one of the two outcomes we developed and implement it in the classroom
and see the results. The outcome I chose to implement was for Physical Development and the
strategy was for the indoor/schedule change.  I decided I would embed another 15 minutes of
music/movement/ exercise time into schedule for three times a week called “Movement with Ms.
Marcela” (Franco). During this 15-minute movement with Ms. Marcela I was able to create a
healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging learning environment for the children to develop
their physical development especially gross motor. As I have previously stated in My Ideal ECE
environment “The way this strategy works is during movement with Ms. Marcela I will be
asking children to exercise with me so that we can make our muscles strong. We would start my
stretching our muscles, then playing a movement song off of YouTube and playing Simon says
with fitness.” Each week moving forward the movement and experiences will become a bit
harder challenging the children. Below I attached a picture of what I did with the children.
Reference:

Franco, Marcela. "MIE Assignment." Google Slides. Google. Web. 28 Mar. 2021.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1zBZs2K5KDM5BYRkHDxyOxvq8rM2fDogZ-
i6V9rXyoJU/edit?usp=sharing

Epstein, A. S. (2014). The intentional teacher: Choosing the best strategies for young children's
learning. Washington (D.C.): National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Zvalo-Martyn, Julianne. "Week 7 My IDEAL Ece Environment." Web. 28 Mar. 2021.

Title of Artifact: Supporting Social Emotional Development Action Plan (SSEDAP)

Description of Artifact: The purpose of this assignment I was able to demonstrate my
knowledge and understanding of diverse family and community characteristics and the ways I
can use this and my knowledge about social emotional development to promote reciprocal
relationships with children, families and communities that promote children’s development and
learning (Zvalo-Martyn).
Key Element: 1b: Knowing and understanding the multiple influences on development and
learning.
How does the artifact demonstrate your competence in this area?
To complete this assignment, I took several steps that involved Supporting Yourself in
Supporting Others, supporting a child, and supporting a family all together it was a couple of
different assignments put together. While completing the supporting a child and supporting a
family I saw how important it is to take into consideration of the many influences such as the
relationships the child and family have, economic conditions, health issues, learning styles, the
opportunities to play and learn children have when trying to support the child and family (Zvalo-
Martyn). Through the child observation and family interview I was able to see the child’s
strengths and needs as well as what the family needed from me as an educator for them and their
child. I used what I observed from my observation of the child and the information from the
family interview to make an action plan for a child. As well as my knowledge of development
and course textbooks.
Other parts of assignment:
Child Observation
Family interview

Reference:

Zvalo-Martyn, Julianne. "Week 8 Supporting Social Emotional Development Action Plan

Instructions and Rubric." Google Docs. Google. Web. 29 Mar. 2021.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RFe33bCUfF-
Yvd_ZcE5G1YGXxlK2SBWVnMTxAUHd3Y0/edit