Follow- Through program

1. Discuss/describe the three kinds of Follow-Through Program models and describe which you would prefer to teach in. Why are there so many different models?

In the follow through program there was three models that it broke the program down to. It was   basic skills, cognitive/conceptual, and affective skills. Within these skills it was broken down into subdivisions having three main reasons for the different models. 

The first model that is basic skills that followed in certain behaviors in the study. But then it was broken down into ways to induce the behaviors. Behavior reinforcement gives social praising for children doing correct tasks. Direct institution where teaching phonics or DI techniques to the child. Then there is language development where you emphasize the language development through reading.

Looking at the set of skills for this model and calling it “basic” and saying that it’s a behavioral correctional way to help the child to learn sounds kind of wrong. Going through the ECED program you learn that praising the child for good task or good but its not something you should do in order to get what you desire from the child they aren’t animals. There are other ways to get children to do tasks besides praising them to do so. Then it goes into DI in the previous post discussed how phonics “helps” your child to learn, but if you look at it the program dedicates time from both parents and teacher to get involved with the child. Which means having the constant interaction with your child does better then forcing your child to understand the reading. Then for language development being able to know that the child will understand the language through explicit reading skills won’t help the child grasp the language but just know what the language is.

Now we head towards cognitive/conceptual skills. Explained in the reading about what this model does is that it gives cognitive growth towards specific content through instructional techniques.

Followed in the programs there is cognitive-oriented curriculum. This is based off of Piaget’s theories for cognitive thinking. Through the curriculum the children are encouraged to schedule their own activities as well as emphasizing “relationships” in the teaching. Then there is parent education, which is for parents of disadvantage children to teach their children through language instruction and development through the cognitive skills. Lastly, we reach self-directed literature where students that are exposed to literature relating to there experience and interest. Having it child directed emphasizes the child’s choice to enhance their individual learning style.

As you can see that this skill-based model is dedicated towards the growth of the child because cognitively children advance at different levels and allowing the child to have a choice and be a part of their learning experience. Just like in the classroom that I am apart of we move to the time of the children. We have a set classroom schedule but if we notice something in the children where we stay outside and play or stay inside to do more center time then we will allow it. While still following the schedule we also try to accommodate the learning of the children especially when they are engaged in the activity. In some ways I feel that my classroom follows the way of this model skill a little because we allow the children to grow as individuals and independently to be able to know what it is that they want to learn or show the most interest in.

For the last skill model its affective skills. Looking from a psychological standpoint it considers the social and emotional goals for the development of not part but the whole child. This allows the child to grow and learn to create their own self-image and create healthy relationships with others.

In learning centers it is where the child can go to certain parts of the classroom that interest them and be able to explore the area such as; science, blocks, dramatic play, and writing. In these areas the child is allowed to expand and create their own kind of learning environment. Then we have open education, for this its just like learning centers but this is without any type of teacher directed instruction. Lastly, is self-esteem, where the child specifically places the child in creating their self-image and reaching the needs of the children.

Just like cognitive/conceptual models this also looks at the child and their needs to create their own way of becoming their own person or individuals. Allowing the child to make choices through their emotions and allowing them to reach the needs they need through control.

So as you can see looking at the three skills I have mentioned that in my classroom that we follow the skill model of cognitive/conceptual skills and looking at affective skills that the two skills kind of go hand in hand together because its benefiting the child in their choices and reaching their needs. While going through ECED classes you learn that its all about making sure the child reaches their best potential for when they enter Kindergarten. But the reason I think that they had to break it down into three main models because everyone is different and learn differently. These three models must have been the most that they saw children learning in. Then suddenly broke it down to where each model had the appropriate learning style for the model.  

1.This study is old (1997) but it is relevant today as the discussion of scripted curriculum vs child-centered curriculum (esp in K-3) continues.

The overall conclusion from these studies is: The relevant evidence from these studies suggests that preschool programs based on child-initiated learning activities contribute to children's short- and long-term academic and social development, while preschool programs based on teacher-directed lessons obtain a short-term advantage in children's academic development by sacrificing a long-term contribution to their social and emotional development. On this basis, research supports the use by preschool programs of a curriculum approach based on child-initiated learning activities rather than one based on teacher-directed lessons.

Looking at the overall conclusion of the studies that I agree with the evidence because especially at a young age children are at their highest peak of learning and that allowing children to learn through play and be allowed to explore to understand the world around them helps the child to learn about themselves as well. If a child is being restricted to their learning then like the survey of children that go to preschool and those who didn’t go to be more successful then those who did go. But truth is that its based off of their learning experience while they were younger. As long as there is instructed or directed the child is learning. Having directed learning allows the child to think or learn in another way besides the way the child is so use to knowing. Being able to give them the knowledge to be able to expand the horizon of the child.

Basing the study to 1967 to 2015 and that we still are looking to these studies to set a base line of our own type of teaching styles. It shows simple guidelines to the development of the child. Since this is preschool the way we teach the children should never be to make them reach the standard but help the child to achieve that standard.

2. What are the implications of these findings for alignment of preschool curriculum to kindergarten-1^st grade curriculum? How can this happen when teacher education for ECE and elementary differ so much?

            The finding lead to allow more child-initiated activities then to have more teacher-directed activities has proven to help the child develop both cognitively and socially. When having child initiated activities for child leads to longer-term learning then having teacher directed activities that are short-term lasting to children.  Children who are in secondary schools is a huge gap from preschool because it goes from exploring child-initiated activities to only teacher-directed activities that leave the children not learning much and doesn’t put much interest nor meaning to the child as they learn. Most of the teacher-directed activities consist of worksheets and homework of receptiveness for the child to memorize but not really grasp the concept of what the child is really learning.