Reflective Analysis of Portfolio Artifact

Rationale/Reflection
NAEYC Standard:
STANDARD 1. PROMOTING CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING
Candidates prepared in early childhood degree programs are grounded in a child development knowledge
base. They use their understanding of a) young childrens characteristics and needs, and b) multiple
interacting influences on childrens development and learning, to c) create environments that are healthy,
respectful, supportive, and challenging for each child (NAEYC, 2010.)
Brief Description of Evidence:
During the spring semester of 2012, during my ECED 103-Early Childhood Curriculum course, I went to
a childcare center to visit different age groups so I could composed a portfolio of infants, toddlers,
preschoolers, and school age childrens art work. I was able to observe the development of childrens
creativity in different ages and stages.
Analysis of What I Learned:
Through completion of this art portfolio I learned that creativity develops just like cognitive abilities. It
develops at different rates for each individual child and requires practice and some scaffolding. I also acquired
knowledge about the developmental stage theory of childrens art. These stages in childrens artistic abilities
develop in a sequential order. The first stage is scribbling that may consist of random marks, dots, or lines
drawn by two, three, and four year olds. The second stage is the pre-schematic stage and ages three through
seven can draw real objects, people and shapes. The schematic stage is ages six to eleven and children now
use repetition of symbols and objects. The transitional stage is ages nine and up. Children will now start to
make art to please others and pays close attention to detail. The fifth and last stage is the realism stage.
Twelve years old and up will organize art with a more natural appearance and children will be self-conscious
about their art work. If children are not reaching these stages at an age appropriate time, parents may want to
seek professional help because it may be a sign of development delays.
How This Artifact Demonstrates my Competence on the NAEYC Standard:
I am grounded in standard 1 promoting child development and learning as a teacher because, I am
prepared in and understand the importance of child development in artistic growth creativity. I now have the
knowledge base to support childrens artistic characteristics and needs through observing a multitude of
childrens art work, I was able to see where children were developmentally socially, culturally, and physically. I
feel those three aspects relate well to Lev Vygotskys sociocultural theory because he believed that children
learn best through hands on experiences with parents, caregivers, peers and their culture. Through this
assignment I now know these multiple interactions and social influences help support a creative environment
that is healthy, respectful, and challenging for each individual childs artistic development.