15-2 Capstone Project
A – Age Modifications
Consider the similarities and differences in children’s development at different ages, as we just discussed in the review activity. How do those developmental similarities and differences affect children’s participation in the activity you developed for your Capstone Project? How is the developmental support that adults provide during your activity different depending on children’s ages?
Part of the Capstone Project – Achievement 3 is to describe how you might modify your activity for children who are 6 months to a year younger and 6 months to a year older. These questions will help you think about that topic:
- For what age of children is your activity for?
- What are key elements of your activity that make it effective for that age group?
- How would you change those elements for younger children?
- How would you change them for older children?
How might you modify an activity? (click to toggle collapse or reveal an example)
Here is an example response to the first set of questions using the game Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes:
- The activity is for 3- to 4-year-old children.
- Key elements are: standing and walking, so not appropriate for pre-walkers or crawlers, and language understanding, so not appropriate for young infants. The activity is possibly too simple or not engaging enough for older children.
- For toddlers and infants, you could simplify the language by pointing to children’s body parts as you say them or modeling where to touch as you say the words. You could do the activity sitting down as well.
- For older children, you could make the task more challenging by changing which body part to touch when a particular word is said. For example, you could ask children to touch their toes when you say, “Head.” This type of approach helps support children’s development of self-regulation and executive-function skills.
B – How-To Guide
For this topic, think about the information we have discussed in the course about supportive environments. Part of a supportive environment is the room itself. Is it set up in a way that encourages children’s safe engagement? Does it support or hinder an educator in their daily activities?
Part of creating an effective environment is making sure that you have the space, time, and necessary materials to lead an activity effectively. Now we’ll consider what those might be.
Part of the Capstone Project – Achievement 3 is to develop a how-to guide, including a supply list and scaffolding prompts, for educators who might want to use this activity in their program.
These questions will help you think about that topic:
- What kinds of general materials do you think are most important when doing an activity in your program?
- How do you make space and time estimates?
- What materials and space and time recommendations would you make for your activity?
How might you create a how-to guide for your activity? (click to toggle collapse or reveal an example)
Here are some possible responses to the first set of questions and prompts:
- Important materials for activities in an early learning program are tools to complete activities and models of what the activities are meant to produce.
- For space, consider whether children need floor or table areas. Do they need to be inside or outside? Do children need to be able to see an educator modeling the activity?
- For time recommendations, consider how long children at various ages take to complete a task and how engaged they might be. For example, younger children might lose interest faster. Or if the activity takes place before lunch, children may be hungry and distracted.
- The final response will depend on participants’ individual activities. Thinking about materials for a letter-tracing example, you could make a slight overestimate of the materials the children will need for the activity, such as 25 pens for 20 children, so that you will have extra pens if any stop working. Or you could provide at least two pictures of each letter for children to trace.
C – Parent Handout
For this topic, consider the information we’ve covered about engaging parents and the community.
Part of the Capstone Project – Achievement 3 is develop a parent handout that describes what children are learning when they engage in this activity and some tips for continuing to support that learning at home. Include a way to invite parents to share their ideas about extending learning.
Think about these questions:
- What information or materials do you think would best help parents understand your activity and why? Brainstorm your top three.
- What tips would you give parents to help support this learning at home?
- How could you encourage parents to share their ideas to extend learning?
What are some considerations for a parent handout for your activity? (click to toggle collapse or reveal an example)
Possible responses are:
- Brain-building activities and online resources, such as the Head Start framework, could be ways to help parents understand children’s learning during a play-based activity.
- For the example Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes, some tips could be to play other self-regulation games, such as Simon Says or Red Light, Green Light. Or, if focusing on communication, educators might recommend that parents point to various body parts while labeling them or to other objects around their home while saying their names.
- You might include a question on the handout asking parents what ideas they have for activities to extend children’s learning.
EarlyEdU Alliance (Publisher). (2018). 15-2 Capstone project. In Child Development: Brain Building Course Book. University of Washington. [UW Pressbooks]
