CHILD 230 Final

Considerations for Dramatic Play

In dramatic play, teachers need to provide enough materials for the children to be

engaged with. If the area is not being used, it’s likely that there is a lack of variety or there are

not enough materials for both genders. The teacher should make some of the materials, but some

of them can be produced commercially. Being involved in dramatic play is a great way for

children to express their feelings and build social skills. The children also benefit from the

teacher’s interactions. When teachers are quietly available, the children can turn to them for

added roles. Often, the children need a “victim” to work with and it can be fun to include the

teacher in this way.

The Value of Cooking

Cooking is a great way to teach curriculum content because it focuses on math skills,

scientific understanding, and following instructions. The children become more aware of number

and measurement concepts. They gain scientific understanding by observing that things can be

combined and changes can be applied to them (i.e. heat) to make what they made appear

completely different than what it was before. Children have seen their parents cook before. They

probably want to be involved in making something and in seeing the process through. They can

enjoy the result of their work by eating the finished product. This will not only help to satisfy

their hunger; these hands-on learning experiences will likely create fun memories.

Sensory Activity Example

The title of this activity is “Playdough Surprise” and will take place in the sensory table.

Playdough, large plastic buttons, and letter-shaped beads will be used for this activity. Playdough

will be available for the children to knead with their hands and poke with their fingers. They will
mold it however they’d like, pulling out and pushing in beads and buttons as desired. The

children’s fine motor skills will be enhanced as they manipulate the playdough, buttons, and

beads in numerous ways and experiment with molding different shapes.

Music in the Classroom

Music helps children grow in many areas of development. Here are three examples of

wise use of music in the classroom. 1) When using hands and fingers in singing, the children are

able to develop small motor skills. For example, in “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” it is helpful to start by

using hands rather than just the fingers. It is difficult for children to coordinate their fingers at

this point; it is even hard for some adults. 2) Singing with numbers helps to teach children

number concepts when counting up. Counting up is more helpful for young children because

they are more able to understand the order of numbers and recognize that each number means

something, that five is bigger than four, etc. 3) Music generally interests children and helps them

to extend their focus. When words are attached to notes and rhythms, children are able to pay

attention and understand concepts that would be more difficult to pay attention to without music.

Process vs. Progress in Creativity

Open-ended creative art experiences are important for young children because they

provide time for children to have an outlet for their emotions. When they choose what to do with

their art and follow through with it, they get practice in planning, monitoring, and adjusting their

behaviors. They also build, strengthen, and refine their fine motor skills as they participate in

open-ended art experiences. The teacher must provide enough materials for the children to work

with, but the activity must not take the teacher more time to prepare it than it takes for the

children to do it. They need to consider the different ways the children are going to use the
materials and think about the variety of materials and tools available. The focus of art activities

should be on the children’s opportunities for progress, not on a product.