By Patricia McDonald

Playful learning combines open-ended experiences, child-directed initiatives, and teacher-guided activities. Although children may not fully understand the broader ideas they are exploring while playing, play provides experiences that contribute to their present knowledge and abilities that they will rely on when solving problems in the future.

Source: NAEYC, Young Children, Vol. 73, No. 1, March 2018

By Celeste C. Bates, Stephanie Madison Schenck, Hayley J. Hoover

Teachers’ knowledge of each child helps them to plan appropriately challenging environments and activities that are tailored to the children’s strengths and needs. Assessing children regularly is essential to build that individualized knowledge—and to identify children who may benefit from more specialized supports. 

Source: Teaching Young Children, Vol. 13, No. 1, October/November 2019

By Peter L. Mangione, Tamarra Osborne, Heidi Mendenhall 

Formative assessments grounded in learning progressions enhance teachers’ abilities to identify what each child currently knows and to design educational activities that support children in moving to the next level of learning and development. 

Source: NAEYC, Young Children, Vol. 74, No. 3, July 2019

The information in this video is meant to provide you and your families with a brief understanding of healthy child development.