Learning Resources

This page contains the Learning Resources for this week. Be sure to scroll down the page to see all of the assigned resources for this week. To view this week’s media resources, please use the streaming media players below.

Required Resources

Course Text: Marion, M. (2015). Guidance of young children (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Chapter 1, “A Teacher’s Role in Guiding Children” (pp. 3-28)

Chapter 3, “Understanding Child Development” (pp. 61-71)

Chapter 6, “Using Observation in Guiding Children” (pp. 158-180)

Media

Video: Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Social and emotional learning [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 13 minutes.

Early childhood expert, Marilyn Gootman, Ed.D. talks about the importance of social-emotional learning.

Throughout this course, you will focus on developing your awareness regarding the importance of positive child guidance and the skills and knowledge that support responding to and guiding preschool-age children’s behavior. Before you begin the Week 1 Application, review the overview of Application Assignments. However, do not work ahead. It is necessary to complete the readings and other course assignments each week before working on each Application.

Click here for an overview of the Application Assignments in this course.

Application: Observation of Young Children

As you have learned this week, young children often communicate through their behavior, making observation an essential tool for understanding children’s behavior and discovering their strengths and needs. Observation requires objectivity, i.e., not making assumptions or judgments about what you observe.

To complete this Application Assignment:

Step 1: Plan and Prepare for the Observation

Confirm your observation date and time.

Click here to download and/or print your Observation Worksheet.

Read through the worksheet.

Review Chapter 6 in the text and the video program, “Observation” to prepare.

Step 2: Observe

Follow the guidelines on the Observation Worksheet.

Step 3: Reflect

Summarize your observation experience:

Include at least one personal goal for your next observation experience.

Include insights you gained and/or misconceptions you corrected about observation from this experience.

Assignment length: Approximately 2 pages (Including your Reflection and your Observation Worksheet)

This week, you will submit your Observation Worksheet and your written Reflection, combined into one Microsoft Word document.