In 8-10 sentences:
Summarize how you have grown in your understanding of children’s development and the need to plan healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging learning environments for young children. Identify one new concept that you learned from completing the required readings and activities in this course. Discuss one way that you might integrate this concept into a lesson plan. Be sure to identify the target age group.
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Introduction:
As a medical professor, my focus has mainly been on the physiological development of a human being. However, this course has expanded my understanding of the importance of early childhood development and the need for creating healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging learning environments for young children.
In completing the required readings and activities in this course, I have learned that the first few years of a child’s life are critical in their development. It is during these years that children develop their cognitive, emotional, social, and physical skills. As such, it is essential to plan and create environments that support their development.
One new concept that I learned from this course is the importance of providing sensory experiences for children. Providing sensory experiences can help children develop their cognitive and physical skills, as well as their emotional and social skills. Integrating this concept into a lesson plan can be done through activities such as a sensory bin or sensory table.
To integrate this concept into a lesson plan for a target age group of 3-5-year-olds, I would create a “sensory table” activity. The sensory table can be filled with items such as sand or water and have different tools and toys for the children to explore. This activity allows children to touch and manipulate different items, which can help develop their fine motor skills. Additionally, it can help children learn about the properties of different materials, such as weight, texture, and capacity.
In conclusion, through this course, I have learned the importance of creating environments that support children’s development. I have also learned the importance of providing sensory experiences for children, which can be integrated into a lesson plan for a target age group of 3-5-year-olds through activities such as a sensory table.