E.LE.C.T
I have used the ELECT document when planning activities for children; this document has allowed me to determine which children's developmental domains have developed and yet to develop. I have used this document in practice through planning activities as well as starting conversations with educators. I have chosen to include this document in my portfolio because it has impacted how I view and plan activities for children.
Mortimer
I was placed in the toddler room; I brought the book Mortimer and instruments to the class. Each of the children got an instrument; the children would use the instruments to make notes when Mortimer would sing. I chose to include this book in my portfolio because I enjoyed getting the children involved in anything in the classroom. It was a great activity.
How Does Learning Happen
I have used "How Does Learning Happen" when in the classroom to ensure that the environment in which children are learning allows children to feel safe, comfortable and welcoming. This documentation was the start of many conversations with educators in my placement. I have chosen to include this document because I have had many meaningful conversations, and it has impacted how I will create and design my classroom
Detailed Responsive Plan: Preschoolers
Initial Observation
Age(s) of children: Pre-schoolers (age 2.5-6 years)
Two children made different-shaped birdhouses; one child said to the educator birds like trees, so the child stacked wooden blocks as a tree.
Children were making different birdhouses.
Children placed the shredded brown paper on a plate to represent a bird's nest.
One child was looking through a book called "Little Home Bird."
Three children (child A, Child B, Child C) were reading a book together called "I Need a Hug." Children were then explaining why the animals in the story could not hug the porcupine; they also explained how they would like to cuddle if they had one child A, Child B, Child C pretended that they had a rabbit as a pet. They pet the rabbit gently and blow kisses, and then asked to play hide and seek with them; the educator held a child's hand and jumped into and out of a hula hoop. The child asked, "what are you doing?" the educator replied, "we are jumping in a rabbit hole." The questioned, "where is it?" " and the educator replied, "let's dig it."
One child used bone cut-outs to feed a dinosaur and said that it was the food. The educator asked him, "what does a dog eat?" the child answered grass, to which the educator replied that "rabbits would eat grass and expanded to say that " a cat would eat fish bones."
Two children made their handprints into rabbits; they waved the rabbit's hands and made them dance. One child said, "bunny has a party."
A child pretended to fly like a bird
form a birds nest shape with peers
played finding rabbit "hide and go seek rabbit."
the children had a turtle and rabbit race competition
children sorted feathers by colour
children feed the dog by putting bones according to the numbers on the plates
Interpretation
The week the observations were made, the children's interest was pets.
It appears that cooperative play occurs with the children because three children could read a book together.
Responsive, inclusive practice is at play because the educators have given the children options to do what they want to do and create activities around them. The educators are responding to the children and where they interest are focused on for that week.
It appears that all of the children's interest is taken into account, it seems to be this way because at the Y.M.C.A. every Friday they discuss with the children about what activities they want to do the following week.
The environment can play a significant role as an educator with this interest. The educator can bring items from the ground and allow for the children to make, for example, a bird feeder. The children can watch the children eat from the bird feeder they made, or the children could have the ability to bring the bird feeder they made home and place it on a tree outside their house.
The environment can also help in exposing children to the different animals and the habitats they live in.
The educator's role is to help expand the children's thinking; it is also to get children to think differently about their environment.
E.L.E.C.T. domains that the children can do:
Domain: cognition
4.3 Representation- the children made a handprint rabbit and drew its face
Domain: physical
5.3 Fine motor skills – making a dog mask using paper bags, piper cleaners and glue
5.1 Gross motor skills - jumping in and out of a hula hoop rabbit whole
Opportunity for growth
Domain: Communication, language and literacy
3.4 Conserving with peers and adults – children talking about their pets
3.1 Using descriptive language to explain, explore and extend- children described the rabbit's fur and other pet animals fur/skin
Opportunity for growth
Domain: communication, language and literacy
3.9 retelling stories
The children have not yet displayed retelling stories; therefore, this skill could be developed through this activity because they can retell stories of stories they read in class or at home.
Planned Response
As the children's interest in pets/animals, I will try to expand the topic to include all animals that could be petted and live in other places. The activity will allow children to create an aquarium with different fish; the children will also have the ability to choose if they want to develop a family of fish and tell their family's story. The activity that I decided to do with the children is creating a fish aquarium. I will do this activity in small groups because it will work better in smaller groups. This activity works best in a smaller group because many different materials are being used, and the children may get excited, not willing to share. Whereas if the activity is done with a small group of children (4-5), the children can take the time to create the aquarium share the materials better and have the educator's support and focus. I will do this activity when the children have free time and choose the activity they want to participate in. I will set up and do the activity on one of the tables in the classroom. The children will help each other in learning and creating their fish aquarium. The children can help in giving children advice on different ways of making their aquarium. Add activity
Materials
Small Cereal boxes – this middle of the cereal box will be cut out, and the howled outbox will be the aquarium. When looking at this from a sensory perspective, this texture would consider smooth.
Paper plates
Construction paper (different colours)- the construction paper will be what the children will use to create the fish. When looking at this from a sensory point, it will also be considered a smooth element. However, it will add colour, which would be a visible sensory
The children will use scissors to cut the fish, pipe cleaners, and other materials the children want to put into the aquarium.
Blue, brown paint- the paint will be used for the sand and the water. The blue colour would cover the back of the box, and the brown paint would cover the lower part of the box. It is possible that the brown paint could be changed out from kinetic sand. If the paint is switched for kinetic sand, this would add a rough texture to the aquarium.
Googly eyes: children can choose if they would like to draw the eyes on the fish or use googly eyes. The googly that would be used are the large-sized googly eyes because this would allow for children with difficulty with fine motor skills; they would be able to use their gross motor skills to pick up the googly eye and put it on their fish.
String: the string will be tied around the top of the fish and taped to the outside of the box to make it look like the fish are swimming in the water. (the children would attempt to tie the string, if they are having difficulty with this task, the educator would step in and offer assistance to the child)
Shells: the shells that would be brought would be of different sizes to allow children to choose what size shells they would like to put inside. The shells could offer a smooth texture, rough, or bumpy texture.
Glue: The glue that would be used would be white, and this is the type of glue that children could use
Fish templates: the children would have the options to use fish templates; the children can choose to use the templates to trace for their fish or create the fish by hand. This will allow children to option to be creative in their design.
Pipe cleaners: the pipe cleaners would be used as the seaweed found at the bottom of the ocean. The pipe cleaners would add a soft texture.
Steps of the activity
Children will choose if they want to use and cereal box or a paper plate to create their aquarium.
To cut the middle of the cereal box out
Paint the inside of the box blue
Paint the outside of the box
Paint the bottom of the brown
Have the children create and decorate their fish
Children can place the shells and pipe cleaners in the box
Put a hole in the top of the fish and tie the string around the top of it
Have the children place the fish where they want it to be and tape the fish in that position
The activity is complete
I will respond this way because I will expand the children's interests. The plan connects to my observation and interpretation because the plan was based on their children's interests. Through the activity, I hope to expand their knowledge and interests in fish and show them that animals can be both pets; however, they can also live in the wild. In the activity, I will be bringing things from the environment into the activity. I will get rocks and shells for the children to place in their aquarium. The environment will also play a role because children will use their creative thinking skills to create a home for a fish to live in.
With the activity that I have created, I can use two different teaching strategies. I will use "asking questions" and "include sensory engagement." I will ask the children questions based on what materials they chose and ask questions such as "what are you going to use that pipe cleaner for?" I will do this because it gets the children to think about the choices and expand their language and logical reasoning skills. With the fish, there are many opportunities to include sensory engagement through the materials brought in. I will use sensory engagement to allow children to experiences different textures and how the different textures can be used. I will use this teaching strategy because pre-schoolers still enjoy exploring and experiencing different sensory experiences.
Strength
This activity plays to the children's strength, with their fine and gross motor skills. I believe that this activity will play to the strengths of fine and gross motor skills because, according to the observations made, the children are good at using gross and fine motor skills. For example, the children have demonstrated using their fine gross motor skills by making a rabbit mask using a paper plate. They have also demonstrated using their gross motor skills, more specifically “jumping.” These children have demonstrated this skill by jumping in and out of a hula hoop rabbit hole.
Opportunity:
An opportunity for growth would be to enhance the children's creative and 3.9 retelling stories (OMEd, 2014a). This activity could be good for children to create a story and retell the fish's story to their friends and family. This activity allows children to express and explore their creative side because there is no right or wrong way to create their aquarium because each child will want to make their fish or the sense in the cereal box look different.
Belong: the children will be able to play with different children. The children will develop a sense of belonging as they play with children and express their opinions about the activity and other peer's aquariums.
Well being: this activity can help children with their self-regulation. These skills can be developed through sharing and expressing themselves to others.
Expression: children will be able to communicate what they think and feel about the activities and stories they will tell
Engagement: the children will hopefully be engaged in the activity because it is based on the children's interests. The children can also get involved in the creating thinking process with the stories they tell; this activity can also help children develop their language skills. The stories that the children can tell have the ability to include despective language.
The value of relationship
I believe that the activity I have created helps create value in the relationships formed between the educator and the child. Because this activity will be done within small groups, this will help children create a deeper bond with the creator because the educator is only focused on the 4 or 5 children that they have sitting at their table. Children and educators need to create a bond.
Follow- up Reflection & Curriculum Extension
A possible way to extend the activity is by creating a sensory table experience for the children. I will step up the water table in the center of the classroom. This planned response will support my anticipated focus because I will expand on the children's pets' interests. I will continue to expand on the idea of showing children that animals can be pets but can also live in the outside world that they can see every day. Inside the water table, I will place different fishes and other water life animals. I will do this activity to expand the children's interests in animals and increased their knowledge of animals in life. I would place different size fishes in the water to allow children with different abilities to participate in the activity. With this activity, I will include all the children and tell them to explore the "sea." This will also further the children's knowledge of things that are found in the sea.
Pedagogical Documentation
Running Record
Interpolation
It can be assumed that the children are meeting the E.LE.C.T document standards. For example, it seems that the children are reaching the following sections; sections 3.4, 4.5, 5.2 and 5.3. Section 3 “communication Language and Literacy.” Section 3.4, “Conversing With Peers and Adults,” it can be assumed that they are communicating with each other. It can be observed that the children are yelling at each other as they communicate about the bug that Child B killed. It is also be seen that Child A is communicating about who is going to “kindergarten.” Under the E.L.E.C.T document section 4, “Cognition” can be observed; it can be assumed that section 4.5” Observing” is in use by the children. It can be assumed that Child B observes that ground that is in front of him/her. It seems as though Child A and Child B are looking at the ground observing their environment, and understanding what they are looking at. Child B is also observed describing to Child A that he/she “already killed the bug.” It can be assumed that section 5.2, “Gross Motor Skills,” can be observed. All three children can be observed walking. It can be assumed that he/she is using their palmar grasp as they are holding an object in their hand. It can be assumed that the children are riding the bikes; it can also be assumed that they are using their feet to peddle the bike for a couple of seconds. Under the “physical” domain for the E.L.E.C.T document, section 5.2, “Fine Motor Skills” can be observed. It seems that Child B is observed using section 5.3, “tool use.” Child B is holding an object in their hand that they used to poke and kill the bug that he/she sees. It can be assumed that the children are developing as they should.
Pedagogical Documentation
Anecdotal Records
Pedagogical Discussion with Colleagues and Children
When the pedagogical documentation above was created, it was the base for starting the conversation with colleagues. The pedagogical discussion provided me with valuable feedback that I could later integrate into different areas of my work. My colleagues provided me with information on how to better my observation skills and how to focus more on the children’s ability, interests and to build off the information that the children were given me. My colleagues told me when using different observation methods to be as detailed as possible as this will help me better plan activities for the children. Have sharing my pedagogical documentation with my colleagues has greatly impacted me and my work. I am grateful for the pedagogical discussions that have taken place not only with my colleagues as well as with my professors.
Learning Story: Sensory Activity
Sensory Activity
I set sensory blocks and animals on a table in the classroom. I waited for the children to engage with the materials on their own. The children noticed the sensorial materials and made their way over to the table.
Research Paper
Nightmare and Night Terrors
Nightmares and night terrors often happen within the early years of child development. Many children experience nightmares, night terrors or both throughout their childhood. This paper will answer questions such as nightmares and night terrors, how they are different when they affect children the most, and what should be done when a child is having a nightmare or a night terror.
Nightmares and night terrors can be difficult for parents and children. To better understand nightmares and night terrors, we need to understand the stages of the sleep cycle. There are four stages in the sleep cycle; the first stage is when the individual is trying to fall asleep; at this point, the body begins to relax, activities in the brain begin too slow; in this stage, a person can be easily woken up. After this stage, an individual enter stage two. The body enters a subdued-like state at this stage; body temperature drops, heart rate, and breathing slow down. The body goes further into relaxation; even though the brain activity slows, there are still bursts of brain activity. This helps an individual not to be woken up by external forces. In the third stage, the body continues to relax, pulse and breathing decrease. This stage is known as a deep sleep stage. The final sleep stage is rapid eye movement (REM). The eyes move rapidly on the stage. Brain activity increases, the body enters a paralysis-like state, the eyes and muscles use for breathing are the only part of the body that do not enter this paralysis-like state. In the REM state, dreaming occurs often associated with vivid dreams due to brain activity. During sleep, individuals also experience non-rapid eye movement; this happens before the REM stage of sleep. Non-REM happens in three stages. In stage one, an individual begins to fall asleep but can still be woken up; stage two is when the individual enters a slightly deeper sleep-in; stage three is known as deep sleep (Suni & Vyas, 2020). A nightmare "is a frightening, disturbing or unpleasant dream (Nightmare disorder 2017)." Night terrors are also known as sleep terrors, "are episodes of screaming, intense fear and feeling well still sleeping (Sleep terrors (night terrors) 2018)." Parents whose children have not experienced nightmares or night terrors can be difficult to determine which the child is experiencing. There are signs that children will exhibit that can help parents and educators in determining whether their child is having a nightmare or a night terror. A child may show the following signs that they are experiencing a nightmare; they may display fear or anxiety before bed or nap time; they may begin to develop a fear of the dark. A child may appear to be sleepier or have lower energy than normal. For a night terror to be considered a night terror, some criteria must be met. The following must be met; the child does not respond to comfort efforts that an individual tries to give during these episodes. They recall very little information about the dream or the images they had; they are also reoccurring episodes that disrupt a child's sleep schedule. Finally, the symptoms cannot otherwise be explained by other conditions. The following are signs that will indicate a child is having a night terror; the child is thrashing around, shouting or screaming out in distress, and they suddenly sit right up in bed. Three things differ between nightmares and night terrors. Nightmares occur later during the sleep cycle. Nightmares occur during the REM of sleep, as indicated earlier; nightmares would occur during this stage of the sleep cycle. This is when dreaming often occurs, and it is also often associated with vivid dreaming. Whereas night terrors happen when the non-REM occurs. Night terrors will often happen around the same time every night. The biggest difference between a child having a nightmare or a night terror is the reaction which they caused by the child. A child who has experienced a night terror will not remember having the night terror and is unaware of the parent's presence in the room. When a child experiences a nightmare, they will
often recall the dream vividly. The child will often call out and seek the comfort of their parents (Ben-Joseph, 2017).
Nightmares can be caused by the child watching a scary movie or show before bed, trauma, stress, anxiety, and not getting enough sleep. Several factors play a role in causing a child to have night terrors. They are the following; the child could have an illness (cold or flu), not getting enough sleep, overtired or sleeping away from home, or a new environment. A theory that may explain why we have nightmares would be Freud's dream theory. Freud's dream theory suggests that dreams represent the unconscious desires, thoughts, wishes and motivation that a person has. Freud describes dreams as "the royal road to the unconscious (Zhang & Guo, 2018)." This theory is also connected to Freud's social theory. This theory talks about the id, ego and superego. The id is developed during infancy; the ego, therefore, develops from the id. In our dreams, the ego's defence is lowered, and repressed materials come through awareness in distorted forms. Our dreams reflect many things, such as things that happened throughout the day or our fears (Zhang & Guo, 2018). The cognitive domain is responsible for the following functions; perception, attention, learning, language abilities, decision-making and most importantly, memories (Tyng, Amin, Saad, & Malik, 2017). Memories start to form at age 2 (Scheinbaum, 2017). According to the dream theory, a child's mind can store and repress memories that they have made; according to the dream theory, the memories that have been repressed will find their way to the surface through a Child's dream. For example, a child could have a repressed memory of a parent yelling or becoming violent. This memory could then come out of the unconscious into a dream where a scary monster represents the parents; the monster is how the brain distorted the child's memory of a parent being violent or yelling. A theory that may help in understanding night terrors is the attachment theory. "The central theme of attachment theory is that primary caregivers who are available and responsive to an infant's needs allow the child to develop a sense of security. The infant knows that the caregiver is dependable, which creates a secure base for the child than to explore the world (Cherry, 2019)." Infant and children are used to their parents being responsive to their needs. It is being studied that night terror could be an extreme result of being separated from parents because infants and children become reliant on their parents or caregivers to meet their needs. When separation occurs, it can be very hard on the child and even cause stress. When parents have infants, some tend to co-sleep with their infant, which then translates to co-sleeping with children. This may have the ability to reduce or even prevent children from experiencing night terrors because the child would not experience any form of separation from their parent or caregiver. It is known that children experience nightmares and night terrors within their childhood; however, they affect children at different ages. Nightmares can begin when a child is two years of age. Nightmares have their peak in children between the ages of 3 to 6 years. Night terrors affect children between the ages of 3 to 12; new cases of night terrors occur when a child is 3 1/2 years and night terrors had the highest incident rate between the ages of seven and nine. Night terrors have been seen to go away when children enter their teenage years (Ambardekar, 2019). When children are having nightmares, a parent may wonder are there any long-term effects that nightmares can cause. If the child does not frequently experience nightmares, there are no long-term effects or consequences; however, it can cause child distress if nightmares frequently occur. Nightmares can elevate the child's anxiety levels and can cause a child to have a difficult temperament. As children can grow out of their night terrors, there does not appear to be any long-term psychological harm to children. Many things can be done to help children through these times.
Steps can be taken to help children experience nightmares and night terrors less. Nightmares can be challenging to reduce. Parents can ensure that their child is not watching scary programs before bed; they can ensure a regular bedtime and wake-up time. The parent can create a bedtime routine. This can help the child know when it's bedtime and get ready for bed, and this can also encourage the child to have sweet dreams. Parents can also ensure that the child's bed is a cozy place for them and that they have their favourite stuffed animal on their bed. Ensuring that a child has an animal that they sleep with can be very important as they feel that this animal will protect them from any bad dreams or harm that can come to them while they're sleeping. There are also steps parents should take when their child has had a nightmare. A parent shit first offers comfort to their child and labels the experience. A parent can say to their child, "you had a bad dream" labelling the experience helps the child to understand that it was just a bad dream and nothing more; it was all just a dream. The parent can also reassure the child that everything is OK. The parent can also listen to the child talk about their dreams and then fall back asleep. It is essential the parents go to the child's room rather than telling the child to get in bed with them because this may create a thought in a child's head to think mommy and daddy's room is safe and mine is not; it is crucial to avoid this thought from occurring in a child's mind. The child needs to feel that the room is safe. Night terrors can be very difficult for parents to experience. The parent should be present while their child is having a night terror to ensure that they do not get hurt as they move around. Typically a child will settle themselves and go back to sleep; it is imperative not to wake the child because they may be disoriented and very confused this can also make the process of getting the child back to sleep longer process. As educators, some things can be done to help children sleep peacefully during nap time. Educators can create a sleep routine that helps children slow down, feel safe, and secure before bed. This routine can entail having the children's beds set up with their blanket or their animal that they bring in for nap time. Educators can also help children relax before sleep by playing children's lullabies and encouraging sweet dreams; the educator can talk about what the child wants to dream about; when this happens, the child will think about peaceful and happy thoughts to dream. It is also essential for the educator to ensure that the children have the same nap and wake-up time as this can also help reduce the number of nightmares or night terrors is that a child experiences.
Nightmares and night terrors are a normal part of a child’s development. This paper has covered what nightmares and night terrors are, how they differ, what age children are most affected, the long-term effects and what should be done when a child is experiencing a nightmare or night terror. Many children experience nightmares and night terrors; it is vital for parents, caregivers, and educators to know what to do if a child has a nightmare or night terror.
Statement of Originality
This portfolio belongs to Mary Katherine Lazzaro. Do not copy without permission. Some of the samples within this portfolio are the property of the organization whose name appears on the document. Permission from each has been granted for the product to be used as documentation of my work.