Running Head: DEVELOPMENTALLY-APPROPRIATE 1

Developmentally-Appropriate Instruction

Jianna Doxey

Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 496 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2019

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Introduction

Developmentally-appropriate instruction demonstrates evidence of hands-on instruction. It

continues to produce developmentally-appropriate teaching techniques along with cultural

awareness in all teaching. This instruction shows understanding of each child in order to be sure that

there are a range of ways for each student in the class to understand the objectives in the simplest

terms and grade level terms. It also allows for students that may need to be challenged to see fit

challenges.

Rationale for Selection of Artifacts

Artifact One is a week long mathematics lesson plan on equality from my current placement

in a first grade classroom. This lesson plan has a range between videos, a hands-on balance scales,

number sentence strategies, and manipulatives. Students were able to use laminated balance scales

to allow them to write directly on them with a dry erase marker. Students also used connecting

blocks to manipulate with their hands and see visually with their eyes the connection between each

side of the balance scales being equal. Not only were students able to make each side of the balance

scale equal, but students were able to move the balance to show which side was greater showing

their knowledge of not equal as well. Students used cubes as well or could draw pictures of

something they liked or that was different about them and determine, depending on how much they

put on each side, if the contents was equal or not equal and show using the balance lever.

Artifact Two is a week long science lesson plan on weather from my current placement in a

first grade classroom. Students were able to use anchor chart cards to create anchor chart whole

group of characteristics of each season. This portion could be done whole group or in small groups

as students sort cards for each season, each day throughout the unit with discussion. Students added

the anchor chart each day Thursday and after in the lesson plan until the end of the unit. Students

were able to analyze clothing and what they individually may wear during different seasons.

Students also analyzed what trees typically look like during each season. However, we were able to
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go into discussion about how seasons sometimes overlap, especially in Virginia, and how we may

see different looking trees, clothing, housing, weather patterns in our area. Students then reviewed

the chart as a study guide the day before the test and the day of the test right before taking it.

Allowing students to sort and create this anchor chart on their own, allowed for them to understand

the concepts of each fact sorted underneath the seasons. Students were not only able to sort, but they

were able to see visually the pictures and read words sorted.

Reflection on Theory and Practice

As far as my knowledge gained from classes at Regent, I have learned that being aware of

each students’ abilities is important. I have also learned that not only should special education

students be receiving modifications and manipulatives, but should every student as needed to help

them reach their full potential. It is important to push students at their pace and not overbear what

they can do. However, it is also important to be aware and cautious of student personalities, culture,

and families. Each student has to be pushed a different way and at a different pace.

Firstly, lets allow students to use their curiosity instead of holding it in to be conformed to

what traditional education stigmas say. Allowing children to be curious and explore that curiosity in

safe instructional environments allow for them to build their own understanding along with the

teachers of the content being learned. Students then also form questions to what they are using and

manipulating in their curiosity. In Curiosity over Conformity teachers were shown just this. They

were placed in a student’s place to be creative. “The teachers, now assuming the role of creative

participants, became more empathetic to the experiences of their pupils in the classroom. Through

active re-engagement with their own creative process, they could see that inquisitive meandering

was often sacrificed in the need to deliver a ‘safe’ assessable curriculum output.” (Blakey,

McFadyen, 2015).

Secondly, hands-on contents help with self regulation in students. In many cases students,

identified or not, may become over stimulated or be under stimulated. In this case hands-on
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manipulatives can be a key to keep students on task and to help them self regulate, whether blocks,

cubes, putty, stress balls, etc. However, Khaled, A., Gulikers, J., Biemans, H., & Mulder, M. tell us

that in many cases this may not be integrated appropriately into the classroom (Khaled, Gulikers,

Biemans, Mulder, 2016). Noting that this may be the hardest struggle with students feeling the need

to be watched and teachers feeling the obligation to be in multiple places. Teachers must find that

balance for their classrooms and implement that from the beginning with their students.

Lastly, it is clear that the easiest way to integrate hands-on manipulatives may be science

due to experiments and math due to manipulatives; however, integrating multiple core subjects

throughout one another allows for hands-on instruction to stimulate all students, their creativity and

their questions in each subject. “[Students will] instinctively ask how, what, and why questions

about their surroundings. Fostering this interest (and others) supports the development of children’s

ideas about the world and their budding understanding of the natural sciences” (Trundle & Smith,

2017).
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References

Blakey, S., & McFadyen, J. (2015). Curiosity over conformity: The Maker’s Palette - a case for

hands-on learning. Art, Design & Communication in Higher Education, 14(2), 131–143.

https://doi-org.ezproxy.regent.edu/10.1386/adch.14.2.131_1

Khaled, A., Gulikers, J., Biemans, H., & Mulder, M. (2016). Occurrences and quality of teacher and

student strategies for self-regulated learning in hands-on simulations. Studies in Continuing

Education, 38(1), 101–121. https://doi-org.ezproxy.regent.edu/10.1080/0158037X.2015.1

040751

Trundle, K. C., & Smith, M. M. (2017). A Hearts-on, Hands-on, Minds-on Model for Preschool

Science Learning. YC: Young Children, 72(1), 80–86. Retrieved from

http://eres.regent.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&d

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