10.2: Appropriately Challenging

Create language and literacy learning experience plans that promote child development and learning for children.

CRITERIA Plan is relevant, meaningful, and appropriately challenging

Course Competency Criteria Plan is relevant, meaningful, and appropriately challenging aligns with Developmentally Appropriate Practice Area of Knowledge number 1. Age-Appropriateness. Remember, this is knowledge of age-related human characteristics that permits general predictions within an age range about what activities, materials, interactions, or experiences will be safe, healthy, interesting, achievable, and challenging to children. It also aligns with DAP Area of Knowledge number 2. Individual-Appropriateness. Remember, this is using what is known about each child as an individual to be responsive to each child. More specific examples of this include: What is known about the strengths, interests, and needs of each individual child in the group: What is necessary to be able to adapt and be responsive to inevitable individual variation.

It Aligns with the Following Head Start Guiding Principles:

1. Each child is unique and can succeed.

2. Learning occurs within the context of relationships.

4. Children learn best when they are emotionally and physically safe and secure.

5. Areas of development are integrated, and children learn many concepts and skills at the same time.

6. Teaching must be intentional and focused on how children learn and grow.

For more information see the Interactive Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth to Five

Once again, by observing the children in the group, teachers can plan learning experiences and activities that are individually appropriate for the group of children and individual children in the group by noticing their interests and developmental levels. Remember the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) from Vygotsky. Children learn best when the activities and learning experiences are just slightly above their current level of development and they have the guidance and support of a More Knowledgeable Other (MKO), meaning we don't want the activities to be too easy or boring for them or overly difficult or too challenging for them.

To begin to understand how to plan effective, developmentally appropriate curriculum for children, we must look at the context in which that planning should happen. Planning everything, from the flow of the day, to how teachers design and stock the classroom environment, to the way the spontaneous (unplanned) experiences of children are recognized and valued, to the experiences teachers thoughtfully plan and intentionally implement, happens in a continuous cycle. As we will discuss in this chapter that cycle begins with observing and continues through documenting what was observed, reflecting on what it means and how to plan to best support children, and then implementing those plans, before returning back to observing.[1]

Planning curriculum for young children begins with teachers discovering, through careful listening and observation, each child’s development. Observation is an essential skill for a teacher. When teachers mindfully observe, they discover how individual children make meaning in everyday moments of play and interactions and how to deepen their relationships with children. Observing for the purpose of assessing individual children’s learning means carefully watching and listening, with thought and reflection. In doing so, teachers find the knowledge, awareness, and strategies that individual children have formed during their experiences. It may be evidence that pertains to individual children’s emotional, social, cognitive, or physical development. If the evidence is clear and significant, teachers can preserve it through, for example, a note, a photo, or a sample of a child’s work.

Consider this example in which a teacher plans a relevant, meaningful, and appropriately challenging language and literacy activity.

Vignette

Language and Literacy Vignette Example

Scenario:

Ms. Thompson, a preschool teacher, is planning a language and literacy activity for her diverse classroom of 4-year-olds. She aims to create a learning experience that is relevant to the children's interests, meaningful to their lives, and appropriately challenging for their developmental stages.

Planning:

Ms. Thompson knows that her students are currently fascinated by animals, particularly the ones they see around their community, such as birds, dogs, and squirrels. She decides to create a literacy activity centered around the theme of "Animals in Our Neighborhood." The plan includes a storytime session, a follow-up discussion, and an art project that incorporates writing.

Relevance and Meaningfulness:

During circle time, Ms. Thompson reads a book called "Our Neighborhood Animals," which features familiar animals and settings similar to the children's own environment. The story includes simple, repetitive phrases that the children can easily anticipate and join in on, such as "The dog barks, woof-woof! The bird sings, tweet-tweet!" This engages the children because it reflects their real-world experiences, making the story relevant and meaningful to them.

After the story, Ms. Thompson invites the children to talk about the animals they’ve seen around their homes. She asks, "Who has seen a dog or a bird near their house? What sounds do they make?" Each child excitedly shares their experiences, connecting the story to their own lives. This discussion helps the children relate the new vocabulary and concepts to what they already know, deepening their understanding.

Appropriate Challenge:

For the follow-up activity, Ms. Thompson presents an art project where each child creates a picture of their favorite neighborhood animal. She provides a variety of materials—crayons, markers, construction paper, and glue—to allow for different levels of fine motor skill development. She encourages the children to label their drawings with the animal’s name, offering help with writing the letters as needed.

Ms. Thompson differentiates the challenge based on each child's ability. For children who are more advanced, she suggests they write a short sentence about their animal, such as "The bird sings." For those still developing their writing skills, she encourages them to trace or copy the animal's name from a model she provides.

Throughout the activity, Ms. Thompson circulates the room, offering guidance and support tailored to each child's needs. She praises their efforts and gently challenges them to try new things, such as adding more detail to their drawings or trying to write a new word. By doing so, she ensures that the activity is appropriately challenging for each child, pushing them to develop their skills without causing frustration.

Summary:

Ms. Thompson's language and literacy activity is a strong example of creating learning experiences that are relevant, meaningful, and appropriately challenging. By choosing a topic that reflects the children's interests and everyday experiences, she makes the activity engaging and personally significant. The structured art and writing project is adapted to suit the varying developmental levels of her students, ensuring that each child is both supported and challenged in a way that promotes their language and literacy growth.

Visual representation of the Curriculum Planning Cycle