1) Using at least five (please use enumeration) of the ideas promoted by your authors, explain how you can improve the physical, emotional, and cognitive environments of the children you serve, or want to serve. This is not what you already do, but how you can improve.

Support your statements with evidence from the required studies and your research. Cite and reference your sources in APA style.

2) In the joint position statement of the International Reading Association and The National Association for the Education of Young Children, the two organizations recommended:

Reading aloud to children and setting up a rich classroom library.

Creating an environment that includes many signs and labels.

Enhancing children’s exposure to and concepts about print through the use of big books.

Helping children learn the alphabetic principle (the fundamental insight that there is a relationship between letters and sounds) by providing opportunities for them to explore letters and sounds in many ways.

Helping children learn about the sounds in words (phonemic awareness) through language play, games, rhymes, and rhythmic activities.

Giving children regular opportunities to express themselves on paper (drawing and writing) without demanding “correct” spelling and proper handwriting. (Pinnell & Fountas, 2011, pp. 25-26).

Respond to one of the following questions:

Of the recommendations listed above, what is the greatest need in your classroom? What are the barriers and what might you do to address this recommendation?

When planning for your future classroom, which of the recommendations listed above causes you the greatest concern? Why? Describe first steps for overcoming this concern.

Support your statements with evidence from the required studies and your research. Cite and reference your sources in APA style.

3) The  NAEYC Position Statement, Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth to Age 8 (2009) states that “The role of the community is to provide a physical, emotional, and cognitive environment conducive to that develop­ment and learning” (p.16).

In a two page paper, describe how you address or will address physical, emotional, and cognitive needs through the early childhood classroom environment. Be specific about how the environment will meet the developmental needs of your students. To obtain full credit, course texts must be cited as sources for your answers.

The information you gather for this paper will be useful in your final project for this course.

Support your statements with evidence from the required studies and your research. Cite and reference your sources in APA style.

Readings

The following materials are Required Studies for this week. Complete these studies at the beginning of the week, and save these materials for future use.

Literacy Beginnings: A Prekindergarten Handbook (Pinnell & Fountas, 2011)

Section One: Living and Learning in the Prekindergarten Classroom

Read, Write, Play, Learn: Literacy Instruction in Today’s Kindergarten (Rog, 2011)

Chapter 1: The Changing World of Kindergarten

Chapter 2: DAP: Look How Far We’ve Come!

Chapter 3: What do Kindergartners Need to Know?

Chapter 4: Elements of an Effective Kindergarten Classroom

Read

Executive Summary: Developing Early Literacy (National Early Literacy Panel, 2008) [PDF]

Recommended Studies

These resources are provided to enhance your overall learning experience. For deeper understanding of the weekly concepts, review these optional resources.

Common Core State Standards Initiative. (2010). Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects. Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf [PDF]

Kindergarten Standards [RTF]

Common Core State Standards Initiative. (n.d.). English language arts standards. Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/

Topics for Grade 12 include:

Reading: Literature

Reading: Informational Text

Reading: Foundational Skills

Writing

Speaking and Listening

Language