Running head: DEVELOPMENTALLY 1

Developmentally-Appropriate Instruction

Kelsie Weyer

Regent University
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Introduction

With the rapid advancements in technology, school systems are attempting to develop a

stronger digital learning experience for their students. However, traditional hands-on lessons and

manipulatives still present an effective and engaging educational strategy for students. Teachers

must learn to balance the use of technology and hands-on teaching techniques. During my first-

grade placement, I am gaining experience in using developmentally-appropriate, hands-on

teaching strategies to create a more wholistic learning experience.

Rationale and Reflection

My first artifact for this competency is a miniature Judy clock I used while teaching clock

skills. During small group, each student received their own mini clock, so I could achieve a

better understanding of each child’s knowledge of time by formatively assessing their individual

practice. These little clocks allowed students to manipulate the hands of the clock. This proved to

be effective in letting the children explore and feel the difference between the hour and minute

hand. As they moved the hands, they had to be aware and extra careful about identifying the hour

and minute hands.

I also had a large instructor Judy clock, so I could model specific times for the students to

create on their own mini clocks. This provided an effective way to model for the students,

practice together, and then have them practice on their own. These clocks fostered a positive

learning environment of cultural diversity by promoting collaboration between students of

various backgrounds. During small group, students were encouraged to compare the way their

clocks looked as a way to discuss their reasoning and collaboratively reach the correct answer.
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These miniature Judy clocks proved to be an appropriate manipulative to utilize in my first-grade

classroom as my students were learning time and clock skills.

My second artifact for developmentally-appropriate, hands-on teaching strategies is a

collection of coins my first-graders used during their unit on measuring money. During this unit,

it proved to be important for these children to be able to manipulate coins as they were learning

how to identify and count money. With physical manipulatives, students could categorize coins

in piles by value. This began by simply separating coins by how they looked, which helped them

later differentiate the coins and their values. When students were learning how to count coins, it

was greatly helpful to be able to physically move the coins as they were counting, so they could

keep track.

By providing various coins for these young students to work with, it created an

atmosphere of learning and growth for all students, even those who had never seen money before

this unit. Instead of assuming each child had held money, this unit was approached in a way that

was sensitive to those students who had never had the opportunity to handle coins due to

financial situations. Therefore, providing the actual coins for students to work with was

imperative to this learning experience. Students were therefore able to understand the relevance

of these money lessons, since one day they will all encounter and need to count coins in the real

world.

My third artifact is a picture of one of my literacy small groups in my first-grade

classroom. I chose this artifact to demonstrate the cultural appreciation we have in the

community we have created our classroom to be. During these units, I provide ample

opportunities and encouragement for partner and group work. This fosters a positive learning

environment of cultural diversity by promoting collaboration between students of various

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backgrounds. Students must learn to communicate and cooperate, especially when they do not

agree with another student. In my classroom, students play educational math games with a

partner, collaborate during small groups, and read with a classmate each day of the week. We

truly have a classroom family due to all the interactions students have with others from a variety

of different backgrounds.

Relating Theory to Practice

The multiple intelligences theory claims that there are eight different types of

intelligences, with each one effecting how a person processes information. Kinesthetic, or bodily,

learners need to “involve the whole body, or use hands-on experiences” to most effectively learn.

This is why using “manipulatives, puzzles, scavenger hunts, dances, games, and learning

centers” are an effective way of creating a nurturing learning environment for kinesthetic

learners (Rutherford, 2008, p. 128). As teachers, we should be actively attempting to maximize

the effectiveness of our teaching, which can be greatly impacted by understanding the different

intelligences and learning styles of our students. The more you know about your students, “the

more successful you will be in understanding their needs” (Radford, 2013, p. 47). This is why I

plan on having an age-appropriate survey to discover how my students learn best.

According to Piaget, children’s cognitive development occurs in four primary stages,

with the third stage being the concrete operational stage typically occurring between the ages of

seven and twelve (Ojose, 2008, p. 26). With first-graders usually being between six and seven

years old, they are just beginning to enter this stage. Therefore, it is important to understand that

“hands-on experiences and multiple ways of representing a mathematical solution can be ways of

fostering the development of this cognitive stage” (Burns & Silbey, 2000, p. 55). Theorists

claim, “The importance of hands-on activities cannot be overemphasized at this stage” (Ojose,
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2008, p. 27). Value is an abstract concept, so using physical manipulatives creates a more

concrete representation that is easier to grasp, especially for younger children.

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References

Burns, M., & Silbey, R. (2000). So you have to teach math? Sound advice for K-6 teachers.

Sausalito, CA: Math Solutions Publications.

Ojose, B. (2008). Applying Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development to Mathematics

Instruction. The Mathematics Educator,18(1), 26-30. Retrieved March 31, 2018.

Radford, C. P. (2013). Strategies for successful student teaching: a guide to student teaching, the

job search, and your first classroom. Boston: Pearson.

Rutherford, P. (2008). Instruction for All Students. Alexandria, VA: Just ASK Publications &

Professional Development.