Reflective Analysis of Portfolio Artifact Rationale/Reflection NAEYC Standard:

STANDARD 4. USING DEVELOPMENTALLY EFFECTIVE APPROACHES Candidates prepared in early childhood degree programs understand that teaching and learning with young children is a complex enterprise, and its details vary depending on childrens ages, characteristics, and the settings within which teaching and learning occur. They understand and use positive relationships and supportive interactions as the foundation for their work with young children and families. Candidates know, understand, and use a wide array of developmentally appropriate approaches, instructional strategies, and tools to connect with children and families and positively influence each childs development and le arning.

Brief Description of Evidence:

As a requirement for my ECED 243: Cognitive Curriculum course during the fall semester of 2013, I created a set of fifteen teacher made activities. These activities were all connected by a common theme. They were created to be appropriate for a certain age group and to meet the required Indiana Common Core Standards for that age group. Also, each activity was created to achieve a specific cognitive skill which leads to a large variety of activities within the complete kit.

Analysis of What I Learned:

By creating the activity kit, I was able to develop my ability to use a wide range of activities to meet the needs of each child. This project greatly helped me in expanding my imagination to create activities that were engaging and unique in their structure. I felt I also strengthened my skills in finding how an activity meets a certain standard. The kits were also very affordable and I could easily send the information for parents to do them at home. Overall, I learned to stretch my thinking and use creative methods in order to be most effective in my presentation of activities to children.

How This Artifact Demonstrates my Competence on the NAEYC Standard:

My arrangement of fifteen teacher made activities demonstrates my competence in standard 4 because it displays my ability to develop a variety of activities. I am now able to create activities that will engage each child based on his or her age, culture, skill levels, individual needs, etc. The use of these activities will be supportive to children and their families because the children will improve their skills in various areas. When applying this knowledge to my future as an educator, I will be more able and competent to have a classroom curriculum that contains variety and activities appropriate for each child.