Recommendation for individuals using a screenreader: please set your punctuation settings to "most."
Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate knowledge of theories of development and stages and processes of development in various domains (e.g., physical-motor, sensory, aesthetic, social-emotional, cognitive, language).
- Apply knowledge of the relationships between development in one domain and development in other domains (e.g., relationships between first- and second-language development and aspects of cognitive and social-emotional development; relationships between social-emotional development and learning).
- Demonstrate knowledge of individual differences in development, including similarities and differences between children who are developing typically and those with special needs or talents, and developmental patterns associated with developmental delays and specific disabilities.
- Demonstrate knowledge of factors related to young children's development of self-concept, self-discipline, motivation, and autonomy, including decision-making, self-assessment, and self-help skills.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the influence of stress and trauma, protective factors, and resilience; and supportive relationships on the cognitive and social-emotional development of young children.
Sample Item:
In his developmental theories, Jean Piaget sought to explain which of the following?
- how maturation, activity, and interpersonal experiences interact to influence
cognitive development
- how caregiver responsiveness influences social and emotional development
- how internal needs, desires, and conflicts interact to influence personality
development
- how guidance from knowledgeable others influences intellectual development
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
A. This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of
theoretical foundations regarding the development of children from birth through age 8.
Piaget theorized that as children mature, they progress through four stages of cognitive
development and that, at each stage, their experiences are filtered through the cognitive
structure characteristic of that stage. He further argued that, as children act on the
world and interact with other people, they progressively adjust their thinking,
constructing new knowledge to fit new situations.
Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate knowledge of methods for creating and managing supportive and challenging learning environments that provide opportunities for individual children and collaborative groups to construct their own knowledge and engage in decision-making, problem-solving, and inquiry experiences (i.e., Developmentally Appropriate Practice [DAP]).
- Apply knowledge of practices for creating and adapting safe indoor and outdoor learning environments that encourage active involvement, initiative, responsibility, and a growing sense of autonomy.
- Apply knowledge of methods for creating a physical environment that is linguistically and culturally responsive and meets the needs of all young children, including those with exceptionalities (e.g., disabilities, gifts, talents).
- Demonstrate knowledge of effective, developmentally and culturally appropriate schedules and routines in early childhood education, and analyze ways in which physical settings, schedules, routines, and transitions affect children's development and learning.
- Apply knowledge of how to integrate technology and other instructional resources into the learning environment to provide opportunities for differentiation; increase meaningful access to the curriculum and instructional goals; and enhance the communicative, cognitive, academic, and social skills of young children, including those with disabilities, developmental delays, gifts and talents, and linguistic and cultural differences.
- Demonstrate knowledge of developmentally appropriate and effective individual and group management strategies, including best practices for meeting the needs of young children with challenging behaviors.
Sample Item:
Which of the following would be a second-grade teacher's best strategy for promoting
all students' sense of competence and motivation to learn?
- emphasizing homogeneous grouping to minimize comparisons between students who
perform at different levels
- differentiating instruction to present each student with tasks that can be
achieved with persistence
- creating frequent opportunities for friendly competitions such as spelling
bees and math bees
- offering praise for the completion of work regardless of a student's level
of effort or the quality of the final product
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
B. This question requires the examinee to apply knowledge of supportive
learning environments that promote students' sense of competence and motivation to learn.
Research has shown that children are motivated by high but realistic learning expectations. Differentiating instruction allows teachers to set learning expectations at the appropriate level for each student. Students who believe that they can achieve success through effort and persistence become self-confident, motivated learners.
Descriptive Statements:
- Apply knowledge of how to develop activities and instruction that build on children's individual interests, backgrounds, and prior knowledge; respond to children's strengths and needs; develop young children's self-confidence and self-esteem; and promote the development of prerequisite skills and positive dispositions toward learning in the content areas.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the continuum of teaching strategies—from child-initiated to teacher-guided learning—for promoting children's learning, including ways to capitalize on incidental and spontaneous learning opportunities for instruction and ways to use the environment, daily routines, and personal and social interactions to teach young children.
- Apply knowledge of developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate strategies for facilitating children's exploration and learning in varied contexts, including strategies for helping children reflect on their own thinking and learning.
- Apply knowledge of methods for selecting safe, nonbiased, and developmentally appropriate learning resources, materials, and technology to meet the needs of young children.
- Apply knowledge of the multiple functions and roles of play in young children's development and learning.
- Apply knowledge of effective strategies for evaluating, adjusting, and scaffolding learning experiences and instructional practices in response to feedback from young children.
Sample Item:
Which of the following approaches best supports the positive relationship between the development of divergent thinking and children's play activities?
- an assortment of open-ended materials within guided and free play centers
- a variety of simple-to-complex puzzles made of different kinds of materials
- free play centers across all content-area instruction
- computer-assisted learning programs to support emergent literacy
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
A. Divergent thinking skills require the individual to consider a range of possibilities and solutions, rather than one single correct answer. Research indicates that the type of play materials influences young children's development of problem-solving skills. In a free play center, providing open-ended (or passive) supplies such as everyday items—blocks, containers, fabrics, sticks, and other objects and materials of various sizes, shapes, and textures—allow children to explore, create, and experiment. As a guided play center, the preschool teacher can facilitate a wide range of play scenarios and activities. With intentional planning and observation, a guided play center can provide an opportunity to expand upon free play center activities and the children's innate curiosity, creativity, and engagement, all of which are essential components in problem-solving.
Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate knowledge of characteristics, uses, and limitations of formal and informal assessment tools and strategies (e.g., teacher observations, portfolios, peer assessments, parent/guardian interviews, checklists, rubrics, screening tools, standardized tests); and how to determine the appropriateness of specific assessment tools and strategies for given purposes (e.g., legal and ethical assessment issues, responsible assessment practices).
- Apply knowledge of methods and procedures of gathering assessment data from multiple sources in order to make educational decisions about children; and how to maintain records of children's development, behavior, and progress in ways that safeguard confidentiality and privacy.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the influence of cultural and linguistic differences, developmental levels of learning, and teacher practices and academic expectations on the assessment outcomes of diverse learners.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the role of families as active participants in the assessment process of young children; and ways to involve families and other team members, as appropriate, in assessing children's development, strengths, and needs.
- Demonstrate knowledge of practices for interpreting assessment results and using such results to plan and modify instruction and to guide educational decisions about young children.
Sample Item:
Which of the following informal assessment tools would be most useful for documenting
a preschool child's ability to perform specific skills?
- an interview
- a rating scale
- a worksheet
- a running record
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
B. This question requires the examinee to recognize informal assessments
and their applications in early childhood programs. Although more subjective than various
other assessments, a rating scale is a quick, efficient way to gather information without
disrupting learning. Using a rating scale over time would allow the teacher to monitor
and document a child's performance of specific skills and to provide timely intervention
as necessary.
View Cart