TEACH Program Q&A #1

Why do you think it is important to know the stages of development of children in pre-school and in the first years of elementary school? If you're planning to teach Ec-6, how can you adjust your instruction when you see that some children have developmental delays in one of the areas? If you are planning to teach in upper grades or secondary school, what can you predict will happen when students with developmental delays reach your class?

The four primary areas of developmental in children are intellectual, social, emotional and physical.

It is important for educators to have a thorough understanding of the stages of development of children because schools today play an important role in the socialization of children and therefore it is critical that teachers know how to best socialize their students. Knowing the basic human developmental stages can be used to gear the teacher’s lesson plans to maximize the success of students in both the academic and the social of their lives. This understanding can also help minimize problems in the classroom. It can also help the early childhood teachers set appropriate objectives for child’s learning and create expectations for growth and behavior.

When an educator has understanding of development delays of his or her students, he or she can use that understanding to make assessments of behaviors and differentiate lesson plans of his or her students in the classroom.

When I teach middle school and notice that some of my students have developmental delays and would probably require more assistance, I could place their desks close to me, so that they will be easily accessible when assistance is needed. If my students qualify for special education, I could recommend to have them in Special education. They will have an (IEP) Individualized Education Plan designed just for them. I will provide them books on tape/CD and software programs that assist with reading and writing during free time to help the student academically. To help my students better understand lesson directions, I will provide them as many visual aids as possible and give directions one step at a time (break into chunks). Encourage the parents of the child to assist him or her at home with the activities we are doing in school, especially reading and writing.

I should be focused on teaching them appropriate socialization and helping them to develop a strong sense of personal identity. I will lead them into becoming healthy and well-developed students.  As their teacher I will make sure that each of my students practice their critical thinking skills. I will be incorporating reading and math in to each subject taught in the classroom.

~Ehssa2014