Page 1 of 7

Integrate Strategies That Support Diversity and

Anti-bias Perspectives
Our classrooms need to reflect many different cultures as well as people in
roles that may not be considered the norm like women as construction
workers or men as nurses. Classrooms should be decorated with
multicultural images that reflect student families and honor the diversity of
our society. We need to add diversity to activities. During music time include
songs from a variety of cultures; prepare food with the children that
originated from different parts of the world and talk about where it comes
from during preparation.
Our classrooms should be child based, conversations should supports active
listening as well as respectful input.
If I observe a child insisting on role-playing only conventional gender roles in
dramatic play, I could initiate role-playing an unconventional gender role
and help expand the children's thoughts on gender roles. I could also read a
book about girls and boys doing nontraditional as well as traditional
activities.
I can initiate activities that help explore anti-bias curriculum. In an art
activity I could mix paints together in different tones and paint several
people to show how many different shades there are of people.
I can use puppets to help talks to children about many concerns the children
may have or to introduce them to a person with a disability. If children show
they are afraid or dont want to play with a person who may be deaf, have
the children do an activity with a blindfold on to show them that just
because they cant see, it doesnt mean they are scary or dont want to play
with you.
When a biased action or comment happens, I need to use that as a
teachable moment and help children develop an improved belief system.
Page 2 of 7

Examine the Critical Role of Play
Play allows children to create and explore a world they can master, conquering
their fears while practicing adult roles, sometimes in combination with other
children or adults. Play allows children to use their creativity while developing
their imaginations as well as their physical, cognitive, and emotional strength.
Play is important to healthy brain development. It is through play that children,
at a very early age, engage and interact in the world around them. As they
master their world, play helps children develop new skills that lead to greater
confidence and the resiliency they will need to face future challenges.
Child led play allows children to learn how to work in groups, to share, to
negotiate, to resolve arguments, and to learn how to stand up for themselves.
When play is allowed to be child led, children practice decision-making skills,
move at their own pace, discover their own areas of interest, and ultimately
engage fully in the things they wish to do. Ideally, much of play involves adults,
but when play is controlled by adults, children comply with adult rules and
concerns and children can lose some of the benefits play offers them,
particularly in developing creativity, leadership, and group skills. Play builds
active, healthy bodies; encouraging unstructured play can be an excellent way
to increase physical activity levels in children as well!
When we as teachers observe children in play or join with them in child-led
play, we are given a unique opportunity to see the world from a childs
viewpoint, as the child directs a world perfectly created just to fit their needs.
The interactions that occur through play tell children that we are fully paying
attention to them and help us to build strong relationships with our students.
When we have the opportunity to see into a childs world, we learn to
communicate more effectively with them. Less verbal children may be able to
express their opinions, experiences, and even frustrations through play,
allowing us an opportunity to gain a fuller understanding of their perceptions.
As a result, play offers teachers a great opportunity to engage fully with their
students.

Page 3 of 7

Establish Developmentally Appropriate Environment
The developmentally appropriate learning environment for children is
one in which the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual
development of each child is taken into consideration.
It has separate sections for different areas of play. There is a learning
center for blocks, dramatic play, science, art, reading and quiet
individual play; making clear separations in the room with half walls or
furniture placement, without cutting off the flow of the room.
Child height shelves and clear storage containers clearly labeled with
word and/or pictures so the children can easily identify were items are.
The items in each center match the area of play, for example; in the
dramatic play area - dress up clothes, puppets, kitchen supplies, dolls,
Barbies and cars.
Children should be are allowed to explore the materials so they learn
how the items work on their own, they may combine two different
materials to create new ways to play with them.
Signs on the walls with print on them in all the learning centers
encourage language development. The goal of environmental print in
the classroom is to make it meaningful, to give it purpose, instead of
simply having letters in the room; the children can connect a meaning
to words.
Displaying a childs work supports their emotional development
because they can feel a sense of pride and accomplishment in the work
on display.
An environment that children feel safe in and have opportunities to explore
is imperative for their little minds that are making important connections.
Page 4 of 7

Examine Care Giving Routines as Curriculum

Caregiving routines provide opportunities for caregivers to teach through
everyday practices as well as building a close personal relationship with each
child.

Caregiving routines include; washing hands before and after meals as well as
after using the bathroom, assisting in brushing their teeth, changing their
clothes if they get soiled and helping teach the child independence in being
able to do these things on their own. Teaching these routine at an early age
will encourage healthy habits for a lifetime and will promote the health and
safety of young children.

While attending to each childs individual physical and developmental needs
we teach habits that they will use every day for the rest of their lives. When
carried out responsively and in a timely manner, routines create learning
opportunities, allowing time for the child to participate, develop skills and
sharpen their communication abilities. This helps us as caregivers as well as
the child. We will find satisfaction in these routines when we focus on the
child not just the task.

Routines are beneficial to social emotional development for many reasons.
They are an important part of each day in a childs life; they meet childrens
basic needs; they provide opportunities for learning and development; they
help develop a sense of security and control; they provide predictability; and
they support competence and confidence in the child.

Children learn about people and the way the world works through their daily
routines. What people say and how they do it is all part of the curriculum
that we are teaching.

A childs ability to predict what will happen next and how they will be
treated will lead to greater security. They will have freedom to use their
energies to explore their environment and learn - which in turn, leads to a
sense of competence and feelings of confidence about their capability to be
successful in the world.


Page 5 of 7

Develop Activity Plans That Promote Child
Development and Learning


When we develop activity plans that help to promote child
development we promote a healthy learning cycle. We
intentional think about what do I want the children to learn?
How will I help them learn this? What phase of learning in that
specific goal are they in now? How can I help them advance and
build on their learning?
Activity plans allows us as teachers to interact more
deliberately with the children. The overall understanding of the
subject matter is more intense. Children are encouraged to ask
questions and think about each one in detail as we guide them
into possibly even answering their own question. We as
teachers get a clearer idea about what the children are actually
absorbing. Instead of talking to the children we end up talking
with the children when we implement activity plans.
Effective activity plans communicate, ineffective ones don't.
We create lesson plans to advance childrens development and
learning regarding specific subject-matter. Activity plans we
create should contain child learning objectives, instructional
techniques, the required materials, and a description of how
we will be able to tell if the children understand what is being
taught.

Page 6 of 7

Develop Unit Plans That Promote Child Development
and Learning

Children learn best when they are learning something that they are
actually interested in. Lesson plans for preschool children should be
developed after a teacher takes some time to observe the children to
see where their interests lay.
If we actively observe children, will see and hear new questions or
curiosities they have. If the children seem really involved in finding
worms in the dirt, then we can set up a unit plan were the kids can
explore worms in the dirt more extensively. This exploration could lead
to the study of other bugs we may find as well as learning about our
eco system.
As a teacher, I want to be able build lesson plans off the childrens
lead finding new ways to teach new ideas or questions that emerge as
I go. A child may ask, "Why does it only rain when there are clouds?"
this simple question can lead into an entire unit plan about weather.
Good lesson plans for preschoolers are developmentally appropriate
and feed the interests of the child and are characterized as constantly
evolving based on the childrens sense of discovery and inquisitiveness.

Unit plans should come from the experiences and daily lives of the
children. As teachers we need to build one concept upon another, upon
another, upon another with each block of the building process teaching
children a little more.
Plans should be flexible and open-ended and continue to grow and
develop with the children.
Page 7 of 7

Analyze Early Childhood Curriculum Models

Curriculum is what we are doing or learning in class. It is developed
from observing the children and building experiences based on their
interests. Emergent curriculum focuses on the process of learning. We
as teachers can build on childrens strengths and interests and help
them build real knowledge for themselves as they develop pride in their
accomplishments.
The Project Approach involves children in studies of things nearby that
interest them; it is a method of teaching in which an in-depth study of a
particular topic is conducted by the children with the help of their
teacher. This is an approach that focuses on Reggio Emilias key
concepts. First children choose what to investigate; they talk about
what they already know about the subject and ask questions they want
to find the answers to. Next begin their investigation, finding answers
to questions from books, internet, and field work. They draw thing
that have to do with their investigations do art, music and science
activities in conjunction with that subject. I take pictures of the
children all along their journey of discovery. Finally I put all the
information on a display board to share with the children and their
parents. This is a very hands-on approach to learning!
The Montessori Method goal is to develop childrens senses, academic
skills, practical life skills, and character. Montessori classrooms have
materials that are designed to encourage children to learn on their
own. Teachers show children how to use the materials, then let the
children choose which ones they want to use, expecting them to put
the materials back where they belong when they are done using them.