PROJECT

CSN ECE LAB

Grade: Pre-K

Section 1. Physical Environment

A. Equipment

1. Indoors

Fort with stairs, sink, round tables, two long tables, little chairs, toy shelves, bathrooms, cubbies,
toys.

2. Outdoors

Tables, chairs, playground, bicycles, plants

B. Room arrangement

The room had a lot of areas for the students to explore and learn.

C. Centers
 ● Circle center- where children can discuss their ideas with others
● Play center- children can play house, and play costumes
● Sensory tables- has dinosaur bones and sand for children to touch

D. EVALUATION

The equipment and materials that the students can easily access will help them engage to an
activity. “Teachers provide many opportunities for children to play and work together, both in
groups they form themselves and in small teacher create groups” (DAP 151). The circle center
and toy area will help them share their thoughts and ideas with one another, developing social
skills. One of the posters that I found interesting said that the classroom is their family. This will
give students comfort, and will feel safe around the classroom and the teachers. Although
teachers encourage students to use the play area to make their plays and games, they do not
provide a lot of equipment for the outdoors. “Physical activity areas have limited equipment, so
children lack variety of choices and/or must often wait quite a while to get a turn” (DAP 163).
Teachers had cubbies accessible for students, and the materials were interesting for the students,
making them engaged on feeling them and playing with them. “To engage children actively in a
variety of learning experiences, teachers create interest areas and furnish these with materials
based on program goals and knowledge of children’s varying interests and abilities” (DAP 154).

Section 2. Curriculum

A. Philosophy

1. Teacher's philosophy (interview with Susan Smythe)

For children, they need hands on activities because they need to feel materials and manipulate
them. Have a lot of variety. They need to have time with the materials to experiment with. Their
peers are important. Springboard ideas will help students share their thoughts and express their
exploration.

2. Center/School philosophy

“The ECE Lab provides participants with education and resources that focus on the unique
period of early childhood, and provides students, participating parents and the local ECE
community opportunities for educational observation and practice. Administered with thoughtful
respect for each person's uniqueness, a shared commitment to build positive relationships, and
guided by the principles of developmentally appropriate practice, the program provides children
and adults with rich learning experiences to foster all areas of development and education” (CSN
website).

B. Goals
 1. Program goals

“As a laboratory site, the ECE Lab Program does not adhere to any one curriculum method,
rather we are familiar with and inspired by many trends in early childhood education and use a
variety of resources to inform and assist with curriculum development. The primary goal for all
curriculum planning is developmental and individual appropriateness for the particular age
group,” (CSN website).

2. Classroom goals

Social learning skills will help students learn how to get along with each other. Circle time is
structured to learn to play individual or groups. Expressing their emotions and thoughts and
needs.

C. Lesson Plans

One of the teachers told me that a student teacher makes the lesson plans for this summer, since
it is usually calm compared to fall and spring semesters.

D. Individualization

Environment meets each individual’s needs. Different challenges. Boost each kid at their pace. If
a student shows interest in a puzzle, we brought more challenging puzzles for the student to
engage and develop." Behavioral children have a place to talk about their emotions and feelings.
Communication is a good key for the students to gain while talking with their peers. Each group
of children will always have something different. The teachers don’t know how to create a new
curriculum for the upcoming year, because each group evolves each year.

E. EVALUATION

“Teachers ensure that the environment is safe, healthy, and conducive to children’s exploration
and independence, and they provide attentive supervision” (DAP 152). As I observed how the
classroom is designed and how the teachers engaged with the students, the teachers were always
making sure that the students didn’t hurt themselves outside in the playground. Although that is
good, it can also be bad because some teachers will limit access for students, “due to program
policy or teacher preference, adults avoid certain learning activities they see as possibly unsafe
(e.g., field trips, playground climbing, cooking) instead of working out safe ways for children to
engage in them” (DAP 152). How the teacher explained to me that each year is different, she
needs to observe the children and figure out which experience fit best with the group. “Such
opportunities help the teacher learn what children are thinking and enable children to deepen and
refine their own concepts and understanding” (DAP 155).

Section 3. Guidance

A. Routines

1. The children coming in were encouraged by the teachers to play outside for a bit.
2. After playing outside, the students came in for more activities
3. After washing their hands, the teacher guided the students to sit in the circle center for
the next activity.

B. Classroom rules

1. A poster indicating to be respectful, helpful, and kind

2. Sink poster stating to hand wash only, no playdoh or food
3. I noticed that the teachers were telling the students to wash their hands after playing
outside, and to keep their hands to themselves.

C. Teacher Interactions

1. When a student came in, the teacher greeted them with a big smile and enthusiasm to
start the day.
2. Outside, the teachers are guiding the students on their discoveries with open minds.
3. I noticed children were fussing and the teacher guided them to fix their differences, they
expressed their feelings and they resolved the problem.

D. Guidance Techniques
 1. The teacher was giving the children choices to choose from outside.
2. Teachers used please and thank you indicating what they wanted to get from the students.
3. When a student has behavior problems, the teacher and the student sat in this area that is
near the window that will help them communicate and discuss the factors that trigger the
student.

E. EVALUATION

The teacher told me that there are different groups in the classroom, and that they make their best
effort to support their needs. “Teachers talk with all children, making it a priority to talk often
with children who are learning English and those with delayed language development or limited
vocabulary” (DAP 157). Although the teachers promote English, but the students that know little
of it will feel out casted by this practice. “Teachers pay so much attention to English language
learners (and draw their peers’ attention to them, as well) that those children feel unusual or
outside the community of learners” (DAP 157). When I noticed the problem with the two
students, one of the teachers remained calm and did their best to solve the problem. “Teachers
model and encourage calm, patient behavior and facilitate children’s development of self-
regulation by supporting them in thinking ahead, planning their activities, and thinking about and
using strategies to solve social problems” (DAP 158).