Standard 1:

Child Development

and Learning in Context

Early childhood educators (a) are grounded in an understanding of the developmental period of early childhood from birth through age 8 across developmental domains. They (b) understand each child as an individual with unique developmental variations. Early childhood educators (c) understand that children learn and develop within relationships and within multiple contexts, including families, cultures, languages, communities, and society. They (d) use this multidimensional knowledge to make evidence-based decisions about how to carry out their responsibilities.

Artifact

Rational Statement

This is a presentation about Loris Malaguzzi, who believed that his educational approach is based on the philosophy and practice that children are active constructors of their own knowledge. This artifact demonstrates an understanding of how children learn and develop and demonstrates this standard 1c: understanding the way child development and learning takes place in different contexts, including family, culture, language, community, and early learning environment, as well as in a broader social context that includes structural inequalities.