Chieldren's Group Activities - Assignment Example

Download file to see previous pages For instance, take the outlook of a physical education teacher. "Cognitively, preschool children are at a pre-operational stage. New schema are constantly changing as children accommodate and assimilate information. Young children are still developing principles of conservation, seriation, and other important foundational learning fundamentals. They have short attention spans and usually can process or focus on only one concept at a time. They learn best through active experiences in the tactile kinesthetic mode" (Werner, 1994, pg.1; Gura, P., 1996; and Hurst, V., 1997).
Group play with small children is self-centered. This is the time that their self-esteem and self-concept are developing and must be nourished through positive experiences. "Socially, preschool children are developing interactive skills with others, but often revert to behaviors which satisfy themselves" (Werner, 1994, pg. 1; Hurst, V. & Joseph, J, 1998).
Listening also plays an important role in group interactive skills. "Interactive skills ensure that you understand the messages your counterparts are communicating and acknowledge their feelings. Interactive skills include clarifying, verifying, and reflecting" (Everyone Negotiates, 2008, pg. 2). The process of clarifying involves using "facilitative questions to fill in the details, get additional information, and explore all sides of an issue." The process of verifying involves paraphrasing a speaker's words to ensure that they are being interpreted correctly. Finally, the process of reflecting involves making "remarks that acknowledge and show empathy for the speaker's feeling" (Everyone Negotiates, 2008, pg. 2).
How Sessions are Planned and Managed
"Different children have different personalities, and likewise, children have different intelligences and learning styles-some are visual-spatial learners, some auditory learners, some kinesthetic learners, and some a combination. By understanding your child's learning personality, you can tailor his environment or teach him tips to help him succeed in school and in life" (Education.com, 2008, pg. 5). This means that the various learning styles that a group of children exhibits will determine how sessions are planned and managed.
Knowing how to plan and manage a session is critical in ensuring successful knowledge transmission among group members. Teachers need to know the different learning and thinking styles and how they affect children in the group, a thorough lesson plan needs to be developed based on those needs, proper discipline needs to be maintained, the strengths and weaknesses of the group members need to be identified and assessed, and the teacher should have a working knowledge of social and emotional learning (Education.com, 2008, pg. 5).
How Assessment Strategies are Used to Progress Children's Learning
"Assessment doesn't take time away from learning; assessments can be learning experiences in themselves. Active assessment strategies enhance student content understanding and promote skills that will be beneficial to students throughout their lives. The ability to see the big picture, develop effective oral ...Download file to see next pagesRead More