Standard 4

The purpose of Standard 4 is to outline factors that promote teaching approaches that are appropriate to a child’s stage of development

KEY ELEMENTS

There are two Key Elements of Standard 4:

(I and A): An early-childhood educator should appreciate that their work should be based on development of good relationships with their students and interactions with them that are respectful and supportive.

(I and A): An early-childhood educator should be aware of and know how to utilize teaching strategies that are appropriate and effective for the development stage of their students, and they should be able to use available educational tools, including technological tools, in their teaching.

The positive influence of warm, nurturing relationships and the negative influence of stressful relationships on every aspect of children’s development are discussed throughout the text. Specific examples including the following.

Chapter 7

  1. Discusses sociocultural theory and the importance of culture and context on children’s cognitive development (p. 208).

Chapter 9

  1. Discusses Vygotsky’s theory of cognition, including the zone of proximal development and the efficacy of guided participation and scaffolding in supporting and encouraging children’s learning (pp. 281–283).

  2. Discusses pivotal importance of mentoring and language in a child’s cognitive achievements, including accomplishments in understanding of numbers, logic, and memory; influence of culture on proficiency with numbers (pp. 282–285).