Creating Learning Environments: A Preschool Classroom Schedule
ASSIGNMENT 03
Creating Learning Environments
Directions: Be sure to make an electronic copy of your answer before submitting it to Ashworth College for grading. Unless otherwise stated, answer in complete sentences, and be sure to use correct English spelling and grammar. Sources must be cited in APA format. Your response should be four (4) double-spaced pages in length; refer to the "Format Requirements" page for specific format requirements.
Developing a schedule for a classroom is not an easy task. In this assignment, you will create your own schedule for a preschool classroom.
Part A
Imagine you are a teacher for a preschool classroom. Create a schedule that begins at 8 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m. Your schedule should include all aspects from arrival of the student to the departure. Be specific and detailed, similar to the schedules shown in Chapter 3. When making a schedule, teachers need to consider each of the following: ((early childhood philosophy; the needs of the children; a balance of activities (child-initiated and adult-initiated; individual, small-group, and large-group; quiet and active; indoors and outdoors); the needs of parents; and time for routines, transitions, and extended center time for in-depth learning.))
Part B
Explain each of the areas listed above in double brackets (( )). Give an example of how you approached each of those areas in your schedule.
Textbook is Creating Environments for Learning - Birth to Age Eight
Julie Bullard - 3rd Edition
Pearson
ISBN: 978-0-13-401455-5
A Preschool Classroom Schedule
Name
Institution
Course Code and Title
Professor
Date
A Preschool Classroom Schedule
Pre-school-aged children engage in multiple activities in school, including free-choice, child-directed, teacher-directed, and group activities. The children can engage in motor, language, and literacy activities and fantasy play. Good structuring of school schedules provides a valuable way of offering learning experiences and appropriate development for young children. This paper discusses a classroom schedule that begins at 8 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m. while including activities and routines for children aged three to four years in a private preschool.
Daily schedules enhance consistency and provide a guideline for expectations and psychological stability for the children since they regulate the usual school activities. The school schedule should include different activities and settings to enable children to acquire diverse skills and fulfill their needs (Virtual Lab School, 2012). Basing the preschool schedules on early childhood philosophy enhances active exploration for the children due to the allocated time for planning and implementing activities (Bullard, 2009). The children also learn using play and experiments, make decisions regarding different activities, and participate in in-depth learning. Teachers should consider children's needs, including developmental, nutrition, and play, as they create the learning environment. They should also balance activities to incorporate individual, child- and adult-initiated, large- and small-group, indoors and outdoors, and active and quiet activities. Furthermore, teachers must consider parents' needs, transition time, routines, and in-depth curriculum. The following is an example of a school schedule for three to four years pre-scholars.
8: 00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.: Parents should drop their children at school during this period. This arrival time will enhance a warm welcome to the classroom environment and enable the parents to engage with the teacher regarding their children's needs or concerns or share other relevant information.
8:30 a.m.-9:45 a.m.: The teacher can encourage the children to gather in large groups to share the day's planned events, stories, ideas, or thoughts regarding a specific topic, such as colors or shapes, during morning circle time. Bullard (2009) explained that younger children like individual activities since they are less engaged or attentive in larger groups. Furthermore, Fuligni et al. (2012) highlighted that children are more active when the teacher provides verbal affirmations and monitoring and while engaging with small peer groups, unlike when the teacher gives direct verbal instructions or when the children are in a whole group setting. Nevertheless, dividing children into two large groups of twenty children each would enhance their participation in group activities. Children should actively participate in group activities to foster learning experiences for the chosen topic. As a result, the children would develop their creativity skills.
9:45 a.m. -10:00 a.m.: The children can transition to the gross motor activity of toileting and washing hands before having a snack.
10:00 a.m. -10:30 a.m.: The children can have a nutritious morning snack to fulfill their energy needs. Lessons for table manners and healthy eating habits would also occur during this time.
10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.: The children can engage in child-initiated activities like drawing and construction in the school's playground. The pre-scholars can gather the needed playing materials, such as sticks and balls. Virtual Lab School (2012) highlig...