Lesson Plan Analysis with - Speech or Presentation Example

A critical appraisal of the lesson plan in its entirety indicates that its construction is at the appropriate developmental level for the target students. According to psychosocial theorist Erik Erikson, children in the 1st grade fall under his 4th stage of development, which he referred to as the school age and inferred that it was characterized by the industry vs. inferiority crisis. During this stage, children between 6 and 11 years struggle to cope with academic and social demands; whereby, success leads to the development of competence (Harder, 2002).

As a result, teachers ought to design their lesson plan in a way that fosters the development of competence while avoiding predisposing students to feelings of inferiority. The sample lesson plan’s construction proves appropriate as shown by the accommodation made for English Language Learners (ELLs). ELLs might struggle with grasping new concepts because of their limited comprehension of English. Teachers must; therefore, consider their unique needs while designing their lesson plan in order to ensure development of competence and not an inferiority complex.

For example, accommodations made in the sample lesson plan include; provision of extra time and use of visual imagery among others. Moreover, further analysis indicates that the organization of concepts in the sample lesson plan fosters long-term retention. In an attempt to foster long-term retention in students, teachers must ensure their organization of concepts occurs in a systematic manner. Random or haphazard organization of concepts in the lesson plan creates confusion among students. The first step entails introducing simple concepts; for example, judicious review comes in handy because it allows the teacher to start the lesson from previous knowledge.

The next step entails building on the simple concepts in an attempt to make it easier for the students to understand the complex concepts being taught; for example, strategic integration enables teachers to build on previous knowledge. Systematic teaching proves crucial in enhancing long-term retention because it enables students to organize information systematically in their brain for future retrieval. There exist specific formats of lesson plans approved for use in schools. The format of the sample lesson plan falls under the category of those approved for use in the K-12 system.

The responsibility of choosing what format falls on education policy makers in every school district. Lesson plans need to be consistent with research on human development and learning. According to cognitive theorist Jean Piaget, the level of cognitive development varies depending on the age of a child. Children in the first stage, sensorimotor stage (0-2years) develop object permanence; however, they lack the mental capacity to engage in concrete and abstract thinking. In stage two, pre-operational (2-7 years) they develop symbolic thought whereas in the third stage, concrete operational (7-11 years) they develop logical, concrete reasoning.

Finally, in the fourth stage, formal operational (11+ years) children develop abstract reasoning. These differences account for their ability to perform different mental processes (Oswalt, 1995). As a result teachers must consider the level of cognitive development when designing lesson plans. For example, students in 1st grade fall under the pre-operational stage of cognitive deve