Assignment 2: Early Years
During the early years, physical, social/cultural, environmental, occupational, spiritual, intellectual and emotional developmental begins. As you read these chapters and reflect on the development that occurs in the early years, as well as the important theories of development. Play is extremely influential for children. Children’s toys are a big part of development especially in these early years. Consider what a child learns from a toy that features shapes, colours, animals and their sounds, and music.
For this assignment, you are asked to choose a toy for a child in the early development stage. If you are able to play with the toy please do! You should interact with it as much as possible. It could be a stuffed animal, an electronic toy (e.g. Vtech Talk and Go Farm Rattle), a Montessori toy, a puzzle, or a play yard with several functions. Remember, these are suggestions. There are many toys that are available for these early childhood ages!
After interacting with the toy, answer the following questions in a narrative, APA Style. At least 2 professional references should be used for this assignment.
Part I
1. Describe the toy: Name, type, features, etc.
2. Is this toy appropriate for the age listed on the item? Why or why not?
3. How does this toy stimulate cognitive and physical development?
4. What are the benefits of this toy? (Does it help develop language, colour/shape recognition, etc.) Are there any weaknesses?
Part II
5. Reflect on your interaction with this toy. (If you are able to play with a child (early childhood age) using this toy, reflect on that experience and observations).
Part III
6. Research some other toys that you could use in your practice (school or clinic) and discuss at least 3 that would be beneficial for you when working with this age group. Discuss at least 2 multicultural factors and implications when choosing these toys (i.e. gender, ethnicity, disability, etc.).
This assignment is worth 100 points and is due on Day 7 at 11:59pm CST.
Criteria: Toys and Develpment | Highly Developed | Well Developed | In Development | Needs development |
Part I: Description 25 points Students identified the toy, if the toy was age appropriate as recommended, how the toy stimulated cognitive and physical development, and benefits and weaknesses of the toy | 24-25 points Students clearly identified the toy and addressed all parts of Part I: if the toy was age appropriate as recommended, how the toy stimulated cognitive and physical development, and benefits and weaknesses of the toy | 22-23 points Students adequately addressed appropriately 3 out of the 4 factors listed in the description section. | 20-21 points Students partially identified 2 out of the four factors listed in the description section. | 0-19 points Some areas of this section were not addressed. Descriptions contained insufficient depth and/or were incomplete. |
Part II: Reflection of Interaction 30 points Students reflected thoroughly on their interaction with the toy. If students were able to play with the toy and a child who fits the early childhood age, students noted observations and interactions as well. | 25-30 points Clearly reflected and critically evaluated their interaction with the toy. Detailed description was given for observations and interactions. | 19-24 points Adequately reflected and evaluated the interaction with the toy. Moderate descriptions of interactions and observations were given. | 13-18 points Reflection and evaluation are partially given. Little descriptions are discussed. | 0-12 points Some areas of this section were not addressed. Descriptions contained insufficient depth and/or were incomplete. |
Part III: Other toys 30 points Students researched at least 3 other toys and discussed use in their practice with this age group. Students also discussed multicultural factors (at least 2 for each) and implications when choosing the toy. | 25-30 points Students identified in depth at least 3 toys and discussed use in their practice with early childhood age group. At least 2 multicultural factors and implications were discussed in depth regarding the toys identified. | 19-24 points Students identified adequately at least 3 toys and discussed use in their practice with early childhood age group. At least 2 multicultural factors and implications were identified and adequately explained regarding the toys. | 13-18 points 3 toys were identified but discussion of toys were unclear in some area. At least 2 multicultural factors and implications were identified but were descriptions were unclear. | 0-12 points Some areas of this section were not addressed. Descriptions contained insufficient depth and/or were incomplete. |
Writing Mechanics and APA Grammar and Format: 10 points. Papers are written using APA 6th edition formatting | 10 points No more than three grammatical, spelling, punctuation, and/or APA errors. Clarity of paper was not influenced by the errors. | 9 points More than three grammatical, spelling, punctuation, or APA errors. Clarity of paper was not strongly influenced by the errors. | 7-8 points More than three grammatical, spelling, punctuation, or APA errors that had a negative influence on the clarity of the paper. | 0-6 points More than three grammatical, spelling, punctuation, or APA errors that had a strong negative influence on the clarity of the paper. |
Sources: 5 points Two professional sources are used to support points | 5 points 2 professional source (e.g., journal article, textbook) or more are used throughout the paper as appropriate to thoroughly support ideas, and was documented in the references list. | 4 points 2 professional sources were used to adequately support ideas and was documented in the reference list. | 3 points 1-2 sources/not a professional source was used to support ideas and is documented in the reference list. | 0-2 points 0-1 sources were used. Ideas were insufficiently supported. |
Total: 100 points |
