Task 3 Part D - Assessment Commentary

Early Childhood
Task 3: Assessment Commentary
TASK 3: ASSESSMENT COMMENTARY

Respond to the prompts below (no more than 10 single-spaced pages, including prompts) by typing your responses within
the brackets following each prompt. Do not delete or alter the prompts. Commentary pages exceeding the maximum will not be
scored. Attach the assessment you used to evaluate student performance (no more than 5 additional pages) to the end of this
file. If you submit feedback as a video or audio clip and your comments to focus students cannot be clearly heard, attach
transcriptions of your comments (no more than 2 additional pages) to the end of this file. These pages do not count toward
your page total.
1. Analyzing Childrens Learning

a. Identify the specific language and literacy learning objectives for the common
assessment you chose for analysis.
[The assessment I chose for my analysis is the weather opinion writing. My first objective was
that students will use local weather conditions to describe what they like to do. Students will
think about the different types of weather that they have experienced. They will think about how
the weather affects what they do. The next objective was that the students will reflect on past
experiences to help choose an activity they like to do in a specific type of weather. They will
think of different activities that they participate in when it is sunny, rainy, windy, cloudy or snowy.
They will then choose one that they are fond of for the opinion writing. Students may look at the
weather chart hanging on the wall if they need help thinking of activities that occur in the
different types of weather. The next objective is that students will write about a type of weather,
and describe what they like to do in the specific type of weather. They will use one of the
weather words that was discussed in the past learning experiences and they will write it out.
They then will think about something they like to do that relates to the specific type of weather.
They will then write out what they like to do, completing the given writing prompt. The next
objective is that students will draw a picture that depicts what they like to do in their chosen type
of weather. This will allow students to add a visual to support their writing and physically
showing the activity they like to participate in. This will also allow students in my class who are
struggling in their writing skills to portray what they like to do in a specific type of weather by
using a drawing. The last learning objective is that students will spell words using their previous
knowledge of sound-letter relationships. The writing prompt (On a_______ day, I like
to_________.) was provided for them and was displayed on the smart board using the
document camera. Students will try their best to sound out the words that they would like to
write describing what they like to do in the specific type of weather. They may use their previous
knowledge of sound-letter relationships and the alphabet displayed on the wall to aid in their
writing skills.]
b. Provide a graphic (table or chart) or narrative that summarizes the class/groups learning
for the common assessment.
[My class/groups learning for the common assessment was an individual writing assignment in
which each child had to write their own opinion in response to the provided writing prompt and
then draw a picture to support their writing. They were each given a sheet of paper that was split
in half, the top half was where they would draw their picture, and the bottom half had lines
provided where they would write their response. All the children in my class were able to identify
where to write and where to draw their picture. Next, I displayed the writing prompt on the smart
board by using the document camera. My students then wrote the prompt (On a day_______, I
like to_______.) onto each of their papers. Most of my students were able to copy the prompt
onto their papers using a capital letter to begin the sentence, leaving adequate spacing between
their words, and ending the sentence with punctuation. The children saw in my prompt that the
first letter of the sentence was capitalized and that I used a comma and period in my sentence.
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The children learned the structure of a sentence and were able to individually show me in their
writing that they understood where the capital letter goes and where the punctuation goes. Next,
the children had to pick a weather word that was learned during this learning segment. They
were able to look in the weather center or on the weather chart to see the spelling of the
weather word of their choosing. All of the students were able to identify a weather word. Most
students spelled their weather word correctly and placed it correctly within the weather prompt.
Some students were not able to spell their weather word correctly and did not place it in the
correct spot in relation to the given prompt. Next, all students came up with an idea of what they
like to do during their chosen type of weather. Most students wrote their responses after the
given prompt of, I like to______. Some students left out the I like to and just wrote their activity
that they like to do. All of the students thought of an activity that they like to do. Most students
were able to sound out their words and individually write out the words using sound-letter
recognition. A couple of students were not able to sound out their words, and their writing was
inadequate. These students verbally stated what they had written and I documented it on their
work. All of the students were able to draw a picture that supported their writing. Their drawings
were all related to their writing, and they were able to successfully show the reader what the
topic of their writing was through their drawing. The results of the common assessment can
show how my class implemented the targeted vocabulary to improve their language and literacy
skills that were centered on my central focus of weather. It shows how they used a weather
word and correctly identified and wrote about an activity that is appropriate for the chosen type
of weather.]
c. Use the class/group summary you provided in prompt 1b to analyze the patterns of
language and literacy learning for the class/group.
[One of the major patterns of language and literacy learning for my class was that the children
all understood that they needed to pick a weather word and think of an activity that they like to
do in the chosen weather. All of the children picked a weather word that was part of my targeted
vocabulary for my learning segment. Most of the students were able to spell the weather word
correctly either by sound-letter recognition or looking at the visuals and weather words located
in the weather center and weather chart. A few students were able to verbally say the weather
word, but were not able to write it correctly. Most of the students wrote out the prompt first on
their papers, copying the exact placement of the words as it was shown. This allowed the
students to see that a sentence starts with a capital letter, ends with punctuation, and has the
proper amount of spacing in between words. Once the class had written the prompt, they filled
in the first black (On a _____ day). Every student chose a weather word from our targeted
vocabulary, such as rainy, sunny, windy, snowy, and cloudy. Another pattern I saw was that
they all understood that they needed to choose an activity that was appropriate for the specific
type of weather they chose. Their activities that they chose showed me how they used their
previous experiences and knowledge of weather conditions to choose an activity that could be
performed in the type of weather that they chose. For example, a child who chose the word
windy said he likes to fly a kite. This showed me how he knew that it needed to be windy in
order to fly a kite. He was able to use the weather word in the correct context in his writing. One
other pattern of language and literacy for my class was that the children all drew a picture that
supported their writing. The children were able to tell me what they wrote and what their picture
depicted. Their drawings were personal to themselves, and almost all of them drew themselves
somewhere in their drawing. I was very excited when I saw this because it made me realize that
the children were able to identify the I in the sentence as themselves, and were able to draw
themselves participating in their chosen activity. One last pattern of language and literacy for my
class was their ability to read their work after they were done writing and describe what they
drew. It was interesting to listen to the children tell me what they wrote because some students
added words that were not present in their writing, and some students neglected words that
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were in their writing. It was also interesting to hear about what they drew because most students
added information to their drawings that were not present in their writing. The patterns that I
observed showed how my class is a diverse group of learners and how all students can show
language and literacy learning in different ways. Students who are underperforming can show
their language and literacy skills through their drawings and verbal responses. Students who are
at average level can show their language and literacy skills though their drawings and writing
samples. Students who are over performing can show their language and literacy skills through
their drawings, writing responses that show their knowledge of sentence structure and spelling,
and verbal responses that connect and grow off of each other. They can also make connections
between their writing and real life experiences. I was pleased with how well my students were
able to complete their opinion writing and show growth in their language and literacy learning
through their writing, reading, and drawings that centered on the central focus of weather.]
d. Analyze the patterns of learning for the 2 focus children. Reference the 3 sources of
evidence you collected for each of the 2 focus children.
Consider childrens strengths (what children understand and do well), and areas of
learning that need attention (e.g., common errors, confusions, need for greater
challenge).
[In video clip 2, learning experience one, focus child one can be seen working on her weather
matching worksheet. I observed her process of thinking and how she performed the task at
hand. Instead of cutting all the words out at once, she cut one word at a time and then sounded
it out. A strength she possessed was that she was able to cut along the provided lines and
understood that she needed to match each word to an image in the correct space provided.
She also understood she needed to use her glue to attach the word to the image. After cutting
the word out, she would sound it out. A strength of hers was that she was able to recognize
sound-letter relationships. She could sound each letter out correctly. An area of learning that
needs attention is saying the word correctly after sounding it out. In clip 2, she sounded out the
word windy, but when asked to put all the sounds together to produce the word, she said the
word stormy. This shows that my student needs to work on concentrating and listening to the
sounds she produces. Another area of learning that needs attention is her ability to sit in her
chair while working. She can be seen with either one leg up or falling out of her chair multiple
times in the video clip. She seemed to move out of her chair when she did not say the word
correctly. Another strength of hers was that once she figured out the word, she was able to
correctly match it to the weather image. This showed me that she was able to make a
connection with the relationship between a written word and image. I recorded anecdotal notes
for my focus child 1 during learning experience two. I observed her behavior and learning
throughout the learning experience. During the read-aloud, she was a little distracted and was
not able to sit still on the carpeting for the whole story. Next time I would have her sit next to me
so that I could keep her more engaged with the story and maybe give her a job such as turning
the pages. During the weather matching chart activity, she was able to correctly identify her item
as a winter hat and place it under the correct weather category of snowy. She understood the
directions of putting the hat underneath the word snowy on the weather chart. She also was
able to use her previous knowledge of real-like experiences to know that the winter hat
belonged in the snowy category. She was able to relate how she wears her winter hat when
playing in the snow. In the last part of learning experience two, focus child 1 rolled the word free
choice on the magic weather die. She had the opportunity to pick a type of weather of her
choice and dress for it. An area of learning that needs attention is her ability to match her
clothing with the weather. She picked sunny and choose sunglasses and flip flops, which were
appropriate for sunny weather. But, she also put on a winter vest and used an umbrella. This
showed me that she was confused about what type of clothes to wear in a chosen type of
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weather and that she still needs more time understanding how weather affects what we wear. In
the work sample for the common assessment, focus child 1 understood that she was writing
about a specific type of weather and what she likes to do in it. A strength she possessed was
her ability to verbally state her response to the prompt and draw a picture that supported her
writing. Also, her activity was appropriately related to her weather word that she used, which
was sunny. An area of learning that needs attention is her ability to follow directions and her
ability to spell by using sound-letter relationships. She did not write out the full writing prompt,
which was provided for her. She also had a difficult time spelling her words and properly writing
specific letters the correct way. On her feedback, I provided the corrections underneath her
writing and used black stars to indicate a learning standard she achieved. I also provided
feedback on two different colored post-it-notes. I asked her to read her writing for me, and on
the pink note I recorded her response. On the orange note, I provided positive feedback that
supported the learner. I gave my feedback orally to the student so that she was able to
understand her areas of strength and areas that need improvement. In learning experience one,
video clip 2, focus child 2 can be seen independently working on her weather matching
worksheet. I observed how this student was able to follow the verbal directions and get to work
right away. A strength of hers was her ability to cut out the words and read them by herself. She
used her knowledge of sound-letter relationships to first sound out the letters and then put the
sounds together to form a word. She would ask for my approval by showing me the word and
then saying the correct word that was depicted. She was able to correctly match the word with
the image. An area of learning that needs improvement is her ability to let others learn and not
giving them the answers. Multiple times in the video clip she is seen correctly identifying the
words that the other students cannot figure out. I kindly reminded her multiple times to work on
her own work so that the other students can learn by themselves. Her need for greater
challenge was evident when she was able to easily identify all of the words in a short amount of
time. I recorded anecdotal notes for my focus child 2 in learning experience two. During the
read-aloud, she sat intently listening to the story and responded to different parts of the story by
physically pointing out the clothes in the bears closet that he should wear in the different types
of weather that took place. This showed me her strength of being able to listen to a story and
positively respond to it and make connections with it. In the weather chart matching activity,
focus child 2 was able to identify the activity she was given, which was flying a kite, and she
was able to place it in the correct weather category labeled windy. She was able to use her
previous experience to aid in her ability of knowing it needs to be windy in order to fly a kite. She
was able to place her visual in the correct space on the chart, underneath the word windy. In the
dressing up activity, she rolled the word snowy and was able to pick the correct clothing to wear
on a snowy. A strength of hers was telling the class how she would go sledding on a snowy day
while wearing a hat, winter coat, gloves, and a scarf. In the work sample for the common
assessment, focus child 2 was able to follow the writing prompt and successfully respond with
her opinion. A strength of hers was writing out the entire prompt, including using a capital letter
to begin the sentence, proper spacing, and using both the comma and period in the correct
locations in the sentence. I made note of this by placing black stars next to where the standards
were achieved. Her ability to identify sound-letter relationships was also apparent in her writing.
Her ability of sounding out words and writing what she hears is a strength of hers and can be
seen in her writing. I made one correction to her spelling of the word swim and I wrote the
correction underneath it. Another strength she possessed was her ability to support her writing
her writing through her drawing. I also provided feedback on two different colored post-it-notes.
On the pink note, I wrote what she read to me when reading her writing. On the orange note, I
wrote positive feedback relating to her work. I gave my feedback orally to the student so that
she was able to understand her areas of strength and areas that she exceeded in. By allowing
the student to complete this writing assignment without a written prompt but an oral prompt, her
need for greater challenge may be met.]
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e. If video or audio evidence of learning or a video or audio work sample occurs in a group
context (e.g., discussion), provide the name of the clip and clearly describe how the
scorer can identify the focus children (e.g., position, physical description) whose work is
portrayed.
[Video of learning for focus child one occurs in clip 2 (0:00-0:04, 0:55-1:30, 2:08-2:42, and 3:144:00). Focus child one is to the left of the camera when seated at the table. She is wearing
glasses. Video of learning for focus child two occurs in clip 2 (0:26-0:30, 0:49-0:53, and 2:382:41) and in clip 1 (3:52-4:21). Focus child two is located in the middle of the two children when
seated at the table. She is centered with the camera. In the group setting (clip 1), focus child
two is wearing a striped sweater.]
2. Feedback to Guide Further Learning
Refer to specific evidence of submitted feedback to support your explanations.
a. Identify the format in which you submitted your evidence of feedback for the 2 focus
children. (Delete choices that do not apply.)
Written directly on work samples or in separate documents that were provided to the
focus children
If a video or audio clip of feedback occurs in a group context (e.g., discussion), clearly
describe how the scorer can identify the focus child (e.g., position, physical description)
who is being given feedback.
[]
b. Explain how the feedback provided to the 2 focus children addresses their individual and
developmental strengths and needs relative to language and literacy development.
[The feedback provided for my 2 focus children addressed both the areas of strength and of
need relative to their language and literacy development. For focus child 1, the feedback helped
address her individual strengths by addressing areas where she met or exceeded the learning
objectives. These included identifying a weather word, choosing an activity that relates to the
chosen weather word, ending the sentence with a form of punctuation, and illustrating a drawing
that supports her writing. She was able to spell the words in the grass correctly by using her
previous knowledge of sound-letter relationships. In her drawing, she used colors accurate of
her surroundings, such as yellow for the sun and green for the grass. I put a black star next to
the punctuation, showing how she reached the standard of demonstrating knowledge of where
punctuation belongs in a sentence. She also was able to verbally state what her drawing was
about using the prompt provided. She worked on her writing individually, which helped improve
her individual skills of writing and reading and allowed her opinion writing to be original and
personal to her real-life experiences. The feedback addressed her individual needs by drawing
attention to areas that need improvement, such as following directions, letter-sound
relationships, spacing, excess words, and formation of letters. On the orange post-it note, I
provided feedback to remind the student to follow the prompt. Focus child 1 did not write the first
part of the prompt (On a ______ day), she only filled in the first line with her chosen weather
word. I provided feedback on her letter-sound relationships by writing underneath the misspelled
words the correct way to spell the words. This allowed the student to see the correct spelling of
the words she chose to use in her opinion writing. I also drew arrows where she forgot to leave
a space in between the words. This allowed her to realize that she needs to leave spaces in
between words so that the reader can identify the correct words and read them appropriately. I
read the sentence both ways with her, first leaving no spaces just like she did, and showing how
it did not make sense when read aloud. I then read it with her with the correct spacing and she
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was able to identify how spacing places an important role in language and literacy skills. I also
crossed off a word that she wrote but did not say when reciting her writing to me. This feedback
allowed the student to look over her writing and read it a couple if times to make sure she did
not add any additional words or leave out words in her writing. When I met with focus child 1 to
address the feedback I had provided her, I read what I had written on the post-it notes and
verbally described her areas of strengths and need with her. We read through her writing and I
showed her how to spell the words correctly, where to leave spacing, where to place the correct
punctuation, how to properly form letters, where the missing prompt was supposed to go, and
how to sound out and spell the words that she wanted to use in her writing. The child was
encouraged with the feedback I provided and was responsive when talking about areas of
improvement. For focus child 2, the feedback helped address her individual strengths by
addressing areas where she met or exceeded the learning objectives. These included using a
capital letter to begin a sentence, following the directions and given prompt, properly using
punctuation within the sentence, using previous knowledge of sound-letter relationships to aid in
the spelling of words, connecting the chosen weather word to the activity she likes to do, and
illustrating a drawing that supports her writing. The feedback I wrote on the orange post-it note
provided positive feedback to focus child 2. I addressed areas that were her strengths and were
performed while meeting the objectives. The area of need was her spelling of the word swim. I
addressed this by writing the correct spelling underneath the word. Focus child 2 was present
when I addressed this and she was able to identify the correct spelling of the word after we
sounded it out together. I verbally provided the feedback that I had written on the post-it notes
and writing samples for both focus children to allow them to hear and see what strengths I saw
in their writing and what areas needed a improvement. My feedback addressed both strengths
and needs in their writing to allow the student to feel confident and proud of their work, while still
being challenged to improve and practice their writing and reading skills to further their language
and literacy development.
c. Describe how you will support each focus child to understand and use this feedback to
further their learning related to learning objectives, either within the learning segment or
at a later time.
[I will support my focus children to understand and use their feedback to further their learning by
providing opportunities to reflect on their feedback and recognize personal areas of strength and
areas of need. I will adapt certain learning experiences within my learning segment to recognize
and support the needs of the variety of learners in my class. I will provide opportunities for
children to grow in their strengths and build upon previous feedback by continuing to have the
children participate in writing activities that have a set of objectives for the students to achieve. I
will keep a checklist of my students strengths and needs, and I will observe my students weekly
to see if they are growing in their areas of need and if they are positively implementing their
strengths through their verbal communication and writing skills. I will challenge my focus
students to apply their feedback to future activities and assessments. I will see if they are
improving on their skills and practicing in the areas that they need improvement in. I will be
observing them in all subject areas because the feedback I provided them can be used to aid in
their language and literacy skills in all subject areas. I also will keep positively encouraging my
focus children to try their best and work on one area of need at a time. For example, focus child
1 had a hard time with her letter-sound relationships. I would take time during the day to show
her different letters and for her to respond with the sound it makes. A little bit of practice each
day will positively influence her growth and development in that specific area of need. I also will
send home the feedback to the parents so that they can see areas that their children exceed in
and areas that need improvement, By involving the parents with their childs feedback, I believe
parents will be more involved and interested with the growth and development of their child, and
they will be able to praise their childs strengths and work on areas of need at home for extra
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practice. It is important to me that the children see the feedback in a positive way and that they
are encouraged to build upon previous knowledge and skills to grow in their language and
literacy skills.
3. Evidence of Vocabulary Understanding and Use
When responding to the prompt below, use concrete examples from the video clips and/or
childrens work samples as evidence. Evidence from the video clips may focus on one or
more children.
a. Explain how children were able to use the key vocabulary1 to support their learning of the
content.
For prompt 3a, refer to the evidence of childrens vocabulary use from ONE,
TWO, OR ALL THREE of the following sources:
1. Video clips from Instruction Task 2 and time-stamp references for evidence of
vocabulary use
2. Additional video file named Vocabulary Use of no more than 5 minutes in
length and cited vocabulary use (this can be footage of one or more children).
See Assessment Task 3 specifications in the Early Childhood Evidence Chart
for acceptable file types. Submit the video clip in Assessment Task 3, Part C.
3. Childrens work samples analyzed in Assessment Task 3 and cited
vocabulary use
[Children were able to use the key vocabulary to support their learning by identifying the correct
weather word and matching it to the correct weather image. In video clip 2, the children had to
sound out the letters to identify the weather word. They used the key weather vocabulary to
complete the activity by identifying a weather word and then matching it to an image that
represented the word. They used their previous knowledge of the weather to aid in their
matching abilities, such as if the word was sunny, they knew it matched with the sun, or if the
word was snowy, they knew it matched with the snowflakes. The children were able to
successfully express their knowledge of the weather vocabulary that was focused upon in
learning experience one. In learning experience two, video clip 1, children were able to use the
key vocabulary to support their learning by identifying items and activities and then matching
them to the correct weather category. They once again used the key weather vocabulary of
rainy, windy, snowy, cloudy, and sunny in order to sort the different items and activities. When
chosen, a student came up to the weather chart and first had to identify the item they were
given. After thy correctly identified the item, they had to read the weather words on the chart in
order to place the identified item in the correct weather category. They had to use their previous
knowledge and past experiences in order to place the item in the appropriate category. The
children used key vocabulary to explain why they put the item in the specific weather category.
They used other vocabulary to describe the key vocabulary, such as cold, warm, wet, and hot.
By using this vocabulary, it allowed them to explore their senses and use their senses to help
identify key vocabulary words. In the weather dress-up activity, children had to read and
recognize the weather words on the die in order to dress up for the appropriate type of weather.
1
This vocabulary was identified in Planning Task 1 and refers to developmentally appropriate sounds, words, phrases,
sentences, and paragraphs that children use or create to engage in the learning experience.

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They then used vocabulary to describe the clothing items they were putting on. When they
presented their sentence of what they would do in the specific type of weather, they used a
weather word and other words to describe the activity they would be participating in. For the
work sample analyzed in Assessment task 3, students first needed to identify the vocabulary
used in the writing prompt. They needed to read the prompt in order to understand what they
would be writing about. Once they understood the prompt, they needed to pick a weather word
to fill in the first blank in the prompt (On a ______ day). After choosing a weather word, they
needed to think of an activity that they like to do in the specific type of weather. They then would
write what they like to do, and use common vocabulary from their knowledge of sound-letter
relationships and past knowledge. In all three learning experiences, children were able to use
the key weather vocabulary to aid in their understanding of the weather and how it affects their
daily lives. By using the key vocabulary, the children were able to make personal connections
between the weather and their previous and future experiences. They were able to use the
vocabulary identified by their senses to describe weather, which was then used as evidence for
their verbal and written knowledge of weather. ]
4. Using Assessment to Inform Instruction
a. Based on your analysis of childrens learning presented in prompts 1bc, describe next
steps for instruction:
For the class/group

For the 2 focus children and other individuals/groups with specific needs
Consider the active and multimodal nature of childrens learning and the variety of
learners in your class/group who may require different strategies/supports (e.g., children
with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners, children at different points in the
developmental continuum, struggling readers, and/or gifted children needing greater
support or challenge).
[The next steps for instruction for the whole class would be to continue using physical, hands-on
learning experiences to allow the children to grasp new concepts and vocabulary involving
weather. I would introduce instruments that are used to measure weather. I would show the
children different pictures and physical objects that are used to measure weather. Then as a
whole class we would create our own weather-measuring instrument and test it out outside on a
specific type of weather of our choosing. This would be a great activity for hands-on learning
and engagement among all students. Each student would make a prediction, building on key
vocabulary used in this learning segment, and then they would use the measuring tool to see if
their prediction was correct. Students would then use their knowledge of sorting and comparing
on a chart to see whose predictions were correct. Focus child 1 could make her predictions by
drawing a picture while focus child 2 could write out her prediction by using sound-letter
recognition. Another topic that involved weather that I would introduce would be the 4 seasons.
Since we have learned all about the different types of weather, the way weather feels, what we
wear in different types of weather, and what activities we participate in during the specific types
of weather, I feel the children would be prepared to use their knowledge of weather to learn and
identify the four seasons. Students would be able to make a chart about the 4 seasons, and
place specific items, weather conditions, and activities into each season. Students would be
able to observe different weather patterns that occur in the seasons, and how the weather
changes from season to season. I would love to perform an activity where the students would
draw a tree and then split it into 4 parts. Each part would be a season, and they would have to
draw what the tree would like during each season, such as colorful leaves for the fall, bare
branches for winter, buds for spring, and green leaves for summer. I also would love to
incorporate hands on learning by doing some lessons outside, where weather can be seen first
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hand. Students could make observations about the season we are currently experiencing and
then make predictions about what the next season may bring. I also would like to incorporate
physical items that describe weather into a sensory table that would be located in the weather
center in my classroom. Both focus children would be able to participate and grow in this activity
by experiencing hands-on learning and individual sensory experiences. For the fall, I would fill
the sensory table with leaves, and then have the children write about their personal
observations about the leaves, such as the color, shape, size, and texture. For winter, I would fill
the sensory table with snow an ice and the students would write about how it feels and what
they would do with it. For spring, I would fill it with flowers and water, and I would have the
children write about the connection between water and flowers. For summer, I would fill the
sensory table with sand and have the children write about what they would build in the sand.
This activity would introduce new vocabulary for the students to grow in their language and
literacy development. It also would be a great activity for all students to participate in because
they get to first make observations, then write about what they observed, and then they would
draw a picture supporting their observations. By the end of this activity, students would have a
book titled how the seasons feel. They would be able to add to it when they have an opportunity
to go outside and observe something new! One other idea I had to support and continue the
learning of my children would be to introduce them to different types of weather that occur
around the world. I think it would be very beneficial for them to learn about different types of
weather and how they affect peoples everyday lives. Children would enjoy learning about
different places around the world that experience unique weather conditions. It would allow
them to use the knowledge they already know about weather and build on it with more specific
weather scenarios such as hurricanes or blizzards by using the weather vocabulary learned in
this learning segment. Overall, my main focus for the next steps of instruction would focus on
hands on learning and making adaptions to the experiences to fit the needs of the diverse
learners in my classroom. My goal would be for the children to build on previous experiences,
share new knowledge with one another, explore their physical surroundings, use their
imaginations and creativity, and grow in understanding of the world around.]
b. Explain how these next steps follow from your analysis of childrens learning. Support
your explanation with principles from research and/or developmental theory.
[I believe these next steps would improve the childrens learning by connecting the ideas
learned in the learning experiences to real life experiences and increase their knowledge to
other materials that are involved with weather. This would allow the children to use their prior
knowledge to help them become more engaged in the learning experiences and more ready to
learn about the world around them. The changes that I would make to my learning experiences
also allow the children to be more independent and have more opportunity for exploration and
questioning. Vygotsky believed that much of what a child learns comes from the culture around
him or her. He believed that a difference exists between what a child can do on his own and
what he can do with help. Vygotsky called this difference the zone of proximal development.
The zone is the range of potential each child has for learning, with that learning being shaped
by the social environment in which it takes place (Jackman, 2012, pg. 10-11). This approach
encourages children to construct their own knowledge while engaging in activities that build and
rebuild, or construct ideas based on previous experiences. The children will have the
opportunity to use prior knowledge to become engaged in the activities involving weather. They
will be able to use observations from the world around them and personal experiences to the
role that weather plays in their everyday lives. They will be able to work more individually and
construct their own opinions of weather by using personal observations and personal
experiences to support their learning. Each child will have the opportunity to explore and
deepen their personal understanding of the weather by studying, observing, predicting, learning,
and engaging in the world around them.]
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Early Childhood

Task 3: Assessment Commentary

TASK 3: ASSESSMENT COMMENTARY

1. Analyzing Childrens Learning

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