Intentionally Building on Children's Learning

Section Four of the Developmentally Appropriate Practice training focuses on learning formats large and small groups, learning centers and routines. It very adeptly introduces how and why an intentional teacher would pick a particular format and the sequential building of ideas by presenting these ideas in different ways, with a minute adjustment in depth. There is exceptional video footage of learning formats for all of the early childhood age groups from infant to school age.

Intentionality In Teaching Approaches

Section Three of the NAEYC course focuses on the importance of flexibility and observation in determining the use of teaching approaches in the classroom. There is an exciting video clip of a teacher utilizing the play that children have been carrying out in the classroom to introduce the scientific concepts of levers and fulcrums to preschoolers. This clip also shows a teacher skilled at helping the children use the scientific method of coming up with a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis and determining if the hypothesis is correct.