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Ued 495-496 Brammer Cheyenne Rationale and Reflection Developmental Instruction

This document discusses the importance of developmentally appropriate instruction. It notes that teachers must teach students based on their mental development level, as a second grader learns differently than a fifth grader. The document then summarizes two artifacts used in a fifth grade classroom - a perimeter worksheet with grids that scaffolded learning, and a reader's theater on the Revolutionary War that helped students remember content for a test. It reflects on how these artifacts align with theories of developmentally appropriate practice and Piaget's stages of development. Manipulatives like those in the perimeter worksheet help reinforce math concepts hands-on.

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50 views5 pages

Ued 495-496 Brammer Cheyenne Rationale and Reflection Developmental Instruction

This document discusses the importance of developmentally appropriate instruction. It notes that teachers must teach students based on their mental development level, as a second grader learns differently than a fifth grader. The document then summarizes two artifacts used in a fifth grade classroom - a perimeter worksheet with grids that scaffolded learning, and a reader's theater on the Revolutionary War that helped students remember content for a test. It reflects on how these artifacts align with theories of developmentally appropriate practice and Piaget's stages of development. Manipulatives like those in the perimeter worksheet help reinforce math concepts hands-on.

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Running head: DEVELOPMENTALLY INSTRUCTION 1

Developmentally Appropriate Instruction

Cheyenne Brammer

Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 495 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2018


DEVELOPMENTALLY INSTRUCTION 2

Developmentally Appropriate Instruction

Teaching to a child’s mental development is so important. A teacher cannot teach a

second grader the way she would a fifth grader or vice versa. If a teacher tried to do this, she

would lose the child because it would be too hard or too easy for them. Plus, a fifth grader is not

going to appreciate being treated like a second grader. Being aware of a child’s mental

development is important. The teacher should know what level a student is on so she can teach

him or her effectively.

Rationale of Selection of Artifacts

For my first artifact, I chose a worksheet that was used in small group. While most of the

students could catch on quickly with finding perimeter with an equation, there are a few students

who benefitted from the grids. We used this worksheet and scaffolded it. Everyone started out

using this but then eventually we took it away and just gave a rectangle without the grid. I think

this worksheet was easier for some students. There are lower students in this class who benefitted

from using the grids while the higher students benefited from knowing the equation. However, I

think it was still a good way to introduce the idea of finding perimeter with the grids on this

worksheet.

For my second artifact, I chose the reader’s theater that I did with the students on the

Revolutionary War. We worked on this for about two weeks. The first week we practiced it and

the second week we started the backdrops and flags. The students really enjoyed it. When the

students took their Revolutionary war test, a few of them said they remembered what another

student said in the play. The students worked hard on the play and they were very proud of

themselves. They created the Boston Tea Party as a backdrop while two other groups of students
DEVELOPMENTALLY INSTRUCTION 3

create the British flag and the American flag from the colonies. We got to invite another fifth-

grade class to watch them perform and they had their first-grade buddies watch them as well.

The reader’s theater talked about when the war started as well as the different sides. I even

learned that Ben Franklin and his son were on two different sides of the war as well as George

Washington and his brother. The students enjoyed getting involved and performing. There were

a few students who did not want to do it, but eventually they got into it. I wanted to get everyone

involved because I knew it would benefit them. The reader’s theater had a lot of good

information in it and I think it helped the students pass their Revolutionary war test.

Reflection on Theory and Practice

Developmentally-appropriate instruction is very important. Without it students would not

be getting adequate instruction. “Reader’s theater is a dramatic presentation of a story by a group

of readers” (Tompkins, 2016, p. 237). The reader’s theater that we found was easy enough to

read for the fifth-grade students but still gave vital information. Most reader’s theaters use book

scripts but for the one we used, it had information that they were learning about in their social

studies unit. Reader’s theater is a great way to incorporate language arts into social studies. The

students seem to really enjoy doing them and it helps them remember things for their

Revolutionary war test.

Something that is important to remember is that not all students in a class are operating

on the same level (Ojose, 2008, p.29). Some students are lower in reading and write while other

students are higher. I have seen this in action in my first placement. Working with the lower

students and working with the lower students can put things into perspective on this. Piaget is

criticized for overestimating and underestimating students’ abilities, he believed when

developing a stage, the longer a student was in that stage the more they would learn. However,
DEVELOPMENTALLY INSTRUCTION 4

even though this is true some students will gain more in the stages than others. Some students

will have to develop something longer than other students.

A teacher who believes in Piaget’s theory of development, would reinvent math. They

would allow the student to manipulate things. This would help the students emphasize what they

are learning to do in math. “A constructivist teacher guides reinvention of math and emphasizes

hands-on tools to illuminate concepts” (Bergin & Bergin, 2015, pp. 177-178). Manipulatives are

important in the classroom. Students can see something concrete when using manipulatives and

this can help reinforce the math rule. The worksheet that we used did this too. The students were

able to count the different blocks to find the perimeter and eventually they were able to solve the

equations to help them get the same answer.


DEVELOPMENTALLY INSTRUCTION 5

Resources

Bergin, C. C. & Bergin, D. A. (2015). Child and Adolescent Development in Your Classroom.

Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.

Ojose, B. (2008). Applying Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development to Mathematics

Instruction. The Mathematics Educator. 18(1), 26-30.

Thompkins, G. E. (2016). Language Arts Patterns of Practice. Fresno, CA: Pearson.

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