In “Amy’s Instruction Part 1”, Ms Joanie, the District Movement Teacher, Ms. Amy, the teacher, and the Teaching Assistant, and College Intern all work together to facilitate students play/movement while at the same time supporting curriculum concepts: colors, shapes, and rote counting. This weekly movement lesson enhances both Outside/Gym Time where adults are engaged with students, encouraging peer interactions and language AS WELL AS supports Math 6.A.ECa Standard: Count with understanding and recognize “how many” in small sets up to 5.
Ms Amy and six students in “Amy’s Instruction Part 2” are learning through a science-based small group lesson. The overall learning goal for this small group is Science Standard CC. Experimenting, predicting, and drawing conclusions: 11.A.ECc Plan and carry out simple investigations.
Small Group focuses on the teacher facilitating student intellectual engagement through minds-on learning (Cluster 4: Student Intellectual Engagement 2b/3a/3b/3c).
This part of the early learning process is teacher-initiated (held 2-3 times per week, with written play plans the other days) as children learn “content” through active learning:
- Teacher is initiating new skills, experience, idea, use of material, with the scaffolding within the activity to maximize each child’s learning
- Teacher and assistant have a consistent group to maximize knowledge of students in order to differentiate instruction and scaffold learning.
- Every child has their own materials, experimenting and working at their level, with the teacher differentiating the support
