Choose one of the videos from

Video Playlist: Early Childhood Education (Links to an external site.)

to reflect on (be sure to specify which video you are discussing). 

Discuss specific ways in which the teacher fulfilled each of the five priorities from Chapter 16 of your course text, and upheld the principles discussed in Figure 1.1 of your text. Do you see any ties to social justice in his/her teaching? If so, what were they? If not, what can he/she do to capture this theme in his/her classroom? If you were supervising this teacher, what might you discuss in their post-observation meeting? Why?

Suggested Assignment Length: One to two double-spaced pages (not including title and reference pages).

I have attached Figure 1.1 and Five Priorities. Thank you 

investigation. Researchers found substantial differences between the experimental group, which
had experienced the benefits of a good preschool program (the Perry Preschool), and a similar
group, which had not had those experiences as they reached adulthood. All the children in the
study lived in low-income families and were considered at risk for developing ability deficits
that produce a range of problems in school and throughout life. Fewer of the Perry Preschool
children had been in trouble with the law, more of them had graduated from high school, and
more of them had jobs after graduation (Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, 2006
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib95) ; Heckman,
2011 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib281) ;
Schweinhart, Montie, Yiang, Barnett, & Belfield, 2005
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib578) ; Weikart,
1990 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib681) ). The
most recent data indicate that this trend toward self-sufficiency was continuing as the group
reached age 40. They continued to have fewer arrests and significantly higher incomes, and
many more of them owned homes than did those in the control group. When these results are
translated into taxpayer dollars saved, the money amounts to over $195,000.00 per participant
(Schweinhart et al., 2005
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib578) ). For every
dollar originally invested in the preschool program, the rate of return is 7% to 10%. Heckman
(2011 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib281) ) points
out that this rate of return is higher than the return on the stock market and concludes, “The
high return demonstrates that society can substantially benefit from early childhood
interventions” (p. 6).

Figure 1.1 Tips for teachers on the day-to-day care of young children’s brains

The Perry Preschool studies are presented because they are the most widely publicized pieces of
research on this subject, but you should realize that they are among many studies that now
support the value of well-planned early education in children’s development and success in later
life (Barnett, Jung, Wong, Cook, & Lamy, 2007
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib45) ; Heckman,
2011 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib281) ; Isaacs,
2008 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib320) ;
National Early Childhood Accountability Task Force, 2007
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib467) ). In a review
of the most prominent research studies on early childhood intervention programs, Campbell
and Taylor (2009
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib88) ) state,
“Enduring cognitive or educational gains attributable to early educational programs have now
been demonstrated convincingly” (p. 206).

Research Implications for Teaching

The Perry Preschool studies and the research on brain development lead us to an important
conclusion: Good early education has long-lasting positive effects on children and on society.
Teachers of young children wield a considerable power. With that power comes the
responsibility to provide the best possible care and education for the infants and young children
under our watch. The first step for the beginning teacher is to understand the theoretical
foundations that underlie early childhood education. As teachers, we make theoretical choices
throughout the day—whether we are aware of them or not. They include everything from how
we structure the day, to the types of questions we ask, to the experiences and materials we
provide. The more informed we are in our choices, the more positive our impact on the children
will be.

16.2 Priority 1: Practice Intentional Teaching
Intentional teachers are mindful of their teaching goals and strategies—ever on the lookout for
teachable moments and assessing the effects they have on the children, families, and educational
community. Rather than discounting standards and assessment, intentional teachers use them
for the betterment of the children and for appropriate planning for the individual learners in
their care. Intentional teachers have a sense of purpose and devote careful thought to the
curriculum, the educational environment they help to create, and most important, the
relationships they nurture within the classroom. Through caring and intentional teaching, the
curricular goals that have been suggested throughout this text can be addressed: inclusion of
children with disabilities, family involvement, enhancement of the developing five selves,
learning standards and assessment, and meeting academic goals.

In the book The Intentional Teacher: Choosing the Best Strategies for Young Children’s Learning,
Epstein (2007 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib187)
) states:

The mission of the intentional teacher is to ensure that young children acquire the
knowledge and skills they need to succeed in school and in life. To fulfill this mission,
intentional teachers conscientiously address every area of early learning—intellectual,
social-emotional, physical and creative—with sufficient range and depth…. Moreover,
intentional teachers attend to their own personal development. They regard themselves as
lifelong learners—studying the children in their care, updating their knowledge of the
latest child development theory and research, and examining implications for their
practice. They are also collaborators, teaming with coworkers and families to apply their
expertise and resources toward children’s optimal development. (p. 21)

16.3 Priority 2: Incorporate Developmentally
Appropriate Practice (DAP)

By now it should be clear that each child’s development is unique. It is important to know where
each child fits on the developmental continuum so as to teach at the appropriate level and
inspire the child to go just a bit further. In addition to being knowledgeable about typical
development, the teacher must use a variety of assessment techniques throughout the year. We
need to know which are areas of strength and which are areas where we can help the youngster
gain competence. By incorporating DAP in our teaching, we ensure that each child’s needs are
considered and met. Whether children are physically disabled, developmentally delayed, or
intellectually gifted, whether they are overweight or hyperactive, we are able to provide an
educational experience that is suited to their interests and abilities and encourages optimal
growth.

In working to revise the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
position statement of developmentally appropriate practice, Copple and Bredekamp (2008
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib135) ) found
widespread agreement in the field that the following aspects are fundamental to DAP:

• Curriculum and experiences that actively engage children
• Rich, teacher-supported play
• Integrated curriculum
• Scope for children’s initiative and choice
• Intentional decisions in the organization and timing of learning experiences
• Adapting curriculum and teaching strategies to help individual children make optimal

progress (p. 54)

Supporting the child’s active engagement is a primary concept of DAP and the underpinning of
emergent curriculum, which will be discussed in further detail. By developing a curriculum that
focuses on children as active participants rather than as passive recipients of information from
the adult, we enhance their view of themselves as capable and encourage a positive attitude
toward school, which is very important for future academic success.

16.4 Priority 3: Develop an Integrated Curriculum
That Supports the Five Selves of the Whole Child

and Teaches to Multiple Intelligences
One of the first American educators to propose an integrated curriculum was John Dewey (1916
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib159) ), founder of
the progressive education movement. Integrated curriculum is based on the premise that
natural human learning does not occur in isolated segments; it spans different learning domains
at the same time. Discrete subject matters are not studied one at a time; instead, they are
combined and intentionally linked. Language, literacy, social studies, music, art, math, science,
physical movement, and other subjects can be combined in curriculum investigations and
activities.

Early childhood educators frequently use integrated curriculum. For example, when we read a
book that includes counting, in addition to literacy skills, we teach the social skill of listening
and answering, basic counting skills, and one-to-one correspondence. In The Whole Child, we
have proposed that there are five selves of the child, all warranting special attention from the
teacher: the physical self, the emotional self, the social self, the cognitive self, and the creative
self. Using an integrated approach that combines subject matters—at group time, in learning
centers, or in projects—is one of the best ways to ensure that all these areas of development are
addressed.

Integrated curriculum also supports Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, which was
introduced in Chapter 15
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/ch15#ch15) . The multiple-
intelligences theory proposes that individuals have seven types of intelligence, and that teachers
should attempt to teach to all of them throughout the curriculum (Gardner, 1983
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib222) , 1999
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib223) , 2004
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib224) ):

1. Linguistic intelligence involves the ability to communicate with spoken and written
language.

2. Musical intelligence involves the ability to appreciate, perform, and compose music.
Musical intelligence includes paying attention to patterns, pitches, tones, and rhythms.

3. Logical-mathematical intelligence involves the ability to use logic, analyze problems,
perform mathematical operations, experiment, and investigate issues scientifically.

4. Spatial intelligence involves perceiving the visual world accurately, performing
transformations on the initial perception, and then mentally “seeing” or figuring out the
effects.

5. Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence involves using the body in a highly differentiated and
skilled way for expressive and goal-directed purposes. Use of tools and mechanical
abilities are also involved in bodily-kinesthetic intelligence.

6. Interpersonal intelligence involves the ability to attend to and understand other people.
7. Intrapersonal intelligence involves the ability to be self-aware and understand one’s own

emotions, fears, and motivations. It is our sense of self that informs our behavior and
relation to the world.

The Whole Teacher provides experiences for children that integrate the five selves and enhance all
intelligence domains. Children should have time every day to move their bodies, socialize, and feel

good about being themselves and part of a community.

16.5 Priority 4: Find Ways to Encourage Child-
Centered Active Learning; Use an Emergent

Curriculum Approach
Sometimes novice teachers assume the term emergent means that every idea must emerge from
the children and that the curriculum must be entirely unplanned and spontaneous to fulfill the
criteria of emerging. However, in this text emergent means that the direction a topic takes
develops as the children and the teachers investigate it together—each contributing his or her
own ideas and possibilities as they evolve, in somewhat the same way the children and the
teachers in Reggio Emilia do. The teachers do make plans in advance and have ideas for possible
topics, just as the children do, but as Rinaldi (1994
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib544) ) put it so well,
“These plans are viewed as a compass, not a train schedule.”

This image of a curriculum plan serving as a compass indicating direction and intention rather
than being a predetermined schedule is particularly useful in the emergent approach. After all, if
the curriculum is seen as gradually emerging, it cannot be completely scheduled in advance, but
it certainly does require a sense of direction and purpose.

If it’s snowing outside and the children want it to snow inside, provide
materials and activities for them to make their ideas come true. In this way,

the curriculum is based on the children’s interests.

If we carry the image of a compass a little further, it also clarifies why we, like Loris Malaguzzi
(1992 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib397) ), the
founder and architect of the Reggio Emilia preprimary schools, prefer the term pathway to the
term project in describing the development of a topic: Pathway conveys the sense of a continuing
journey, rather than a unit that has a preplanned end or goal in mind from the start. As teachers
and children venture down the pathway together, learning stems from the social interaction and
collaboration that takes place along the way (Edwards, Gandini, & Forman, 1993
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib170) , 1998
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib171) ; Gandini, Hill,
Cadwell, & Schwall, 2005
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib220) ; Hendrick,
1997 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib291) , 2004
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib292) ; Rinaldi, 2002
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib546) ; Scheinfeld,

Haigh, & Scheinfeld, 2008
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib567) ; Wien, 2008
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib689) ; Wurm, 2005
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib700) ).

As this idea of a collaborative, learning-together approach has gained impetus, interest has also
grown (in Reggio Emilia as well as in the United States) in the work of a Russian psychologist
named Lev Vygotsky because of his emphasis on the value of collaborative work between the
child and a more knowledgeable person. It makes sense to take a moment here to consider some
of Vygotsky’s most basic ideas.

Some Basic Concepts of Vygotskian Psychology

During his brief life (he died in 1934 from tuberculosis, at age 37), Vygotsky contributed some
insightful ideas about cognitive development and how it takes place. He maintained that
language and cognitive ability do not appear automatically as the child passes through landmark
stages; rather, they develop in part because of interaction with other people—peers, adults, and
even imaginary companions as the child grows. As the title of his book Mind in Society (1978
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib675) ) suggests, the
mind develops as the result of society’s action on it. Since mental development cannot be
separated from the social context in which it takes place, this theory about children’s mental
development is often spoken of as a sociocultural or sociohistorical theory. All this means is that
society (and its past development—hence “historical”) and the culture it generates have great
influence on what children learn and the means by which they learn it.

Perhaps the most familiar Vygotskian concept is the idea of the zone of proximal development
(ZPD). Vygotsky (1978
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib675) ) defined the
ZPD as “the distance between the actual development level [of the child] as determined by
independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through
problem solving under adult guidance in collaboration with more capable peers” (p. 86).
Vygotsky pointed out that with the assistance of a more knowledgeable person, the child can
advance closer to the farther edge of her or his potential ability. In other words, there’s a
difference between the current or actual level of development and the child’s potential level of
development. The possibility of maximum advancement depends on the assistance lent to the
learner by a more knowledgeable person—either an adult or another child.

This concept of the ZPD, as it is affectionately called, has encouraged teachers who are striving
to put the emergent curriculum into practice to, first, assess a child’s current level of ability and
begin there; then, by offering questions and cues, as well as more tangible assistance, the
teacher collaborates with the child to extend his or her mental abilities a bit beyond what they
were before.

The other aspect of Vygotsky’s theory of particular importance to early childhood teachers is his
emphasis on the significance of spoken language as the mediator between the world, the
children’s minds, and their ability to express, understand, and explain to other people what they

know. Vygotsky theorized that by using the tool of language, children are able to master
themselves and gain independence and control of their own behavior and thought. It is certainly
true that many of us who work with 2-year-olds have heard examples of their attempts to use
language to regulate behavior that support this contention. Who has not witnessed a child of
that age say, “No! No! Baby!” while reaching simultaneously for the scissors?—or dealt with a 4-
year-old reporting prissily on another’s misdeeds in the sandbox?

A warning concerning the use of language with young children: While acknowledging its
indispensable value, teachers must also remember not to substitute it for real experiences. For
language to have meaning, it must be tied to the concrete world, and for the world to acquire
meaning, the child must have language.

TEACHER TALK

“Vygotsky’s theory of the zone of proximal development is one I find very practical. In
fact, I use it every day. If I observe a child having difficulty with a task, I’ll tell him to go
ask a friend who has more skill to help. That’s the theory of ZPD in action!”

The Reggio Approach

The Reggio approach, which was introduced in Chapter 1
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/ch1#ch1) , is an emergent
curriculum approach that has been in use in the preprimary schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy, since
the 1960s. Americans have been studying the Reggio approach since it first landed at the NAEYC
national conference in the early 1990s (with one conference presentation!). Since that time,
Newsweek magazine has cited the Reggio schools as “the best in the world,” thousands of
teachers have taken study tours there, and there is now an entire Reggio track at the annual
NAEYC conference with well over 20 presentations each year.

There has been discussion of the Reggio approach throughout The Whole Child, but it has given
you only a small taste of a deeply thought-out and philosophical method of teaching. Once
teachers witness the full beauty and passion of that city’s educational system for young children,
most feel inspired to provide the best learning experiences for our children in U.S. cities as well.
It is hoped that you will feel inspired to explore the Reggio approach further as you develop your
own set of best practices in teaching. Figure 16.1
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/ch16lev1sec6#ch16fig1)

highlights some of the basic principles that underlie the Reggio Emilia approach.

16.7 Priority 5: Focus on Teaching Happiness and
Joy in Learning as Much as Academic Skills

Take a moment to reflect on what you have learned about young children’s development and
learning, and on your role as their teacher. By embarking on a teaching career you have joined
the ranks of many educators in history, from John Dewey to Jean Piaget, from Maria Montessori
to Loris Malaguzzi, to your favorite teacher in elementary school (hopefully there was at least
one!). The work of early childhood educators is valuable and long-lasting; if we do our job well,
we will be appreciated and remembered by the children, families, coworkers, and community
members with whom our teaching lives intersect.

With an overemphasis on academic achievement and testing comes the temptation to rush
children in their development—just as teachers often rush from topic to topic, filling the day
with requirements until there is no room for recess. It is helpful to take a pause, breathe deeply,
and reflect on the meaning of teaching. What are our basic goals for education? What goals do
you have as a teacher? As Noddings (2006
(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Weissman.2537.16.1/sections/bm6#bib484) ) points out, a
wider goal beyond academics is the foundation of American education:

Some people argue that schools are best organized to accomplish academic goals and that
we should charge other institutions with the task of pursuing the physical, moral, social,
emotional, spiritual, and aesthetic aims that we associate with the whole child….
Those who make this argument have not considered the history of education. Public
schools in the United States—as well as schools across different societies and historical
eras—were established as much for moral and social reasons as for academic instruction.
(p. 2)

Noddings goes on to suggest that happiness be included as one of our basic educational aims:
“We incorporate this aim into education not only by helping our students understand the
components of happiness but also by making classrooms genuinely happy places” (p. 3).

It is rare today to hear much talk about happiness in the public discourse about education. With
a focus on funding and academic performance, the idea of teaching to improve the quality of a
human life and creating well-adjusted, happy members of society has gotten lost. It is hoped that
The Whole Child will prove valuable to you in your teaching career and that you will find
enjoyment and happiness along the way.

We hope your teaching days are filled with wonder, enjoyment, and beauty!