The Assignment Prompt
Imagine that you are opening a child care center for children from birth to 5 years old. You must decide which theorist to use as the basis for your plans. How do you decide?
Instructions
Read biographies and articles about the various child development theorists identified in this module or elsewhere in early childhood practice. Research several theorists, and choose the theorist and theory upon which you will base your childcare program.
Describe your thoughts and comparisons as you make the decision. Write your ideas and thoughts in a short paper that is 2 to 3 pages in length, double spaced using 12 point font.
Be sure to include in the paper:
1. Your choice of theory/theorist and why you chose it.
2. A clear description of the theorist/theory.
3. An alternative theory and how it compares to the one you chose. Do these theories support each other or do they contradict each other?
4. Specific examples of child care practices you would develop based upon your theory. For example, what would your classroom look like? What materials would you use? Are there things you would purposefully exclude? How would you interact with children? How would you interact with parents? How are your decisions based on the theory you chose?
Grading
This assignment is worth 100 points. Please review the Grading Rubric carefully for full details. To receive full credit for this assignment, you must cite material from our text, online content, videos, websites, and/or outside resources using APA format. This is necessary to indicate to me that you have read, understood, and can use the material you read.
Ideas for Theorists
Jean Piaget, Arnold Gesell, Charles Darwin, G. Stanley Hall, John Bowlby, Sigmund Freud, Erik Erikson, Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, B.F. Skinner, Albert Bandura, Lev Vygotsky, Maria Montessori, or others you find in your research.
