Nicholas DePalo

Professor Peter Fiume

Education 20

Section D05D

October 8, 2011

Education Philosophy

What are the purposes of early childhood education?

Answer: The purpose of early childhood education is to help the child develop as they grow. Teachers in early childhood education programs would help the child develop by having certain tasks and lessons pertaining to a certain developmental characteristic. For example, my Pre-K teacher would have lessons pertaining to certain topics like manners, holidays, and the environment. It allowed them to develop into better human beings. Another example is when my 1st grade teacher taught us about the different things that were going on in our body at the time. She used various forms of teaching like videos, books, presentations, and games. Basically, early childhood education guides the child through the various stages of life.

Children learn best when taught under certain conditions and in certain ways. Name some of these:

Answer: There are certain conditions and certain ways in which children learn at their best. Some examples of these conditions and ways are developmental designated areas, through sensory motor, problem solving, and through play. Children learn best when they are doing something that is developmentally and age appropriate. For example, my Kindergarten teacher set up designated areas where we could build with blocks or read books. She would give us some time during the day to have free time in the different areas. These designated areas allowed me to focus on one aspect of development at a time.

The curriculum of any classroom should include certain basics. Name some of these basics.

Answer: The curriculum of any classroom should have certain basics that allow children to learn at their best. Some of these basics are promoting learning in a social, physical, and cognitive manner and learning goals that could be spread across different subjects. These basics allow the children to learn a vast amount of new things. My teachers would teach me something new and how it would relate to the real world. For example, my Kindergarten teacher would teach us Math using the one thing us kids couldn’t resist – candy. She would try to count up enough pieces of candy, so each of us could get a piece. We were basically connecting everything together like puzzle pieces.

Children learn best in an environment that promotes learning. Name some characteristics of a good leaning environment.

Answer: A good learning environment can allow for a child to learn at their best. Some characteristics of a good learning environment are age – appropriate materials, and areas designated for certain curricular areas. These things allow the child to explore the field of learning while having fun at the same time. For example, my Kindergarten classroom had a library, snack tables, a sand table, a play area, and much more age appropriate things. My teacher would allow us to have time at these different areas during the day. While at these different areas, we would be able to explore them and learn new things from them. For instance, at the library I learned how to read bigger words. These areas could be considered the building blocks to the child’s education in the future.

All young children have certain needs that must be met if they are to grow and learn at their best. Name some of these basic needs.

Answer: Some of the basic needs that need to be met are learning through the senses and physical movement, more logical thinking, problem solving, abstract thinking, and systematic experimentation.  These basic needs are like the building blocks to the child’s future of learning. These things will allow the child to grow and develop correctly. Also, the child will learn some basic life lessons. For example, my Pre-K teacher taught me using all these basics. She would incorporate the basics into her lessons somehow. She could make up a song and dance to learn about the different senses. Basically, these needs will have to be met, so the child can have a very fulfilling education.

How would you meet these basic needs?

Answer: A person would meet these basic needs by growing and learning at their best. They would also have to keep their mind open to learning and experiencing new things. Basically, a person would just need to continue developing and they should meet these needs. For example, my teachers would constantly keep us on track of what we were learning. They would always teach us age – appropriate things that would further our development. They would also try to relate the lessons with what is going on in our lives. All in all, the teachers were trying to make the lesson as relatable as they can.

Teachers should have certain qualities and behave in certain ways. Name some of these qualities and behaviors.

Answer: A teacher needs to have certain qualities and behave in certain ways. One example of these qualities and behaviors is being able to guide or facilitate learning based on what they know about children and to choose the right problems and questions to further the children’s learning. Also, the teacher needs to know how to teach something in a way that gets the child interested in the lesson and allows them to learn something new. For example, my Kindergarten teacher would teach us things like mathematics and science using fun games and interesting lessons. Another example is when my 1st grade teacher would act as if she was a friend of ours. She would joke around with us and talk about things that we like to talk about. Basically, my teacher was making learning more fun by trying to relate with us.