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UED 496 Artifact C: Developmentally Appropriate Instruction

Morgan Leary
Regent University

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Rationale
When developing a lesson for a class, it is important to look at the nature of the child, and
what level of development they are. From my 1st grade student teaching experiencing I have
found that 1st grade students are very literal and inquisitive. In order to engage these students it is
important to develop lessons that foster their needs and interest.
One of the artifacts shown is of a child looking at a thermometer. Because they are very
inquisitive, it is appropriate to let them explore ideas for themselves, while gently funneling their
ideas and discoveries into the standard being taught. In this example, the student was discovering
the different in temperature between a sunny and shady spot, as we were learning about the sun
and its influence on the earth. While doing this experiment, I heard students discussing things
such as I wonder if I hold it up higher, if it will be hotter because it will be closer to the sun? I
wonder if the clouds are making it cooler as they are blocking the light?
The second artifact is how I create assessments that are fair to the age of the student. 1st
graders are still weak independent readers, they often know the material, but struggle to compute
it on a test. To meet their need, I read off the assessments to the class. Many of the questions use
pictures to help assist the students in their decision as well.

Reflection
They are constantly seeking knowledge, but as long as it relates to them. One way I have
grasped the attention of this particular age group is by creating lessons that are as student

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centered as they can be. By allowing them to take ownership, and explore for their own, they are
better able to see how it relates to them, and immediately apply it.
When planning lessons for the younger grades it is important to consider that fact that
many of the students have low levels of reading, naturally. In order to accommodate for this
stage in development I often read assessments out loud. When creating things such as
PowerPoints, or worksheets I try to use many pictures to help the students with comprehension. I
also accompany these pictures with words so that they can use context clues to help them figure
out the words.
When students are faced with lessons out of their stage of development they often
become frustrated or disengaged as they cannot relate to the material or comprehend it. It is
important when developing lessons to accommodate the needs of the age group and the stage of
development.