Claxton Elementary Curriculum : Post 3

As I have observed Mrs. Rountree, I have seen that her practices and teaching strategies are developmentally appropriate for her third grade class. The students are learning at an appropriate pace and level. Mrs. Rountree uses cooperative groups and individual work, but for the most part her students are always working together. I believe this builds strong social skills in students. Her students get along well and work together well. She also gives her students plenty of time to complete assignments, and works with any students who may need extra help. Mrs. Rountree incorporates a variety of learning experiences including technology. This variety will allow all the types of learners in her class to learn on their own individual basis.
Mrs. Rountree’s teaching strategies line up with the NAEYC established principles. As mentioned earlier, Mrs. Rountree provides a variety of learning experiences. She uses a smart board, cooperative groups, and individual work. She allows her students to not just interact with her, but with each other. One principle of Developmentally Appropriate Practice is “Domains of children’s development-physical, social, emotional, and cognitive-are closely related. Development in one domain influences and is influenced by development in other domains” (p.5). By having her students interact with one another, she is contributing to other domains of their development. Mrs. Rountree also lets her students play educational games on the smart board in groups. The students see this as a game, but in reality it is another Developmentally Appropriate Principle in action. This principle states “Play is an important vehicle for children’s social, emotional, and cognitive development, as well as a reflection of their development” (p.8). I think this is a great way to teach the students new skills, instead of always having them do busy work. These strategies are going to help Mrs. Rountree’s class learn and develop properly.