The Registry Preschool Credential

Self-Assessment: Preschool Teaching Practices

Be concise in answering the statements/questions in each box. The NAEYC criteria for National Accreditation are the basis of
this self-assessment to demonstrate alignment with the Standards and to familiarize students with this national accreditation
process.

Describe how your curriculum plans reflect an emphasis on play-based learning.

In the curriculum, the kids are given many opportunities to play, inside and outside. Most of the lessons
are also planned based from what the children are interested in. There have been lessons about cars,
superheroes, and leprechauns. There is always an activity done in group time where the children can
either play together or individually.

Describe how you support ample time for child-directed play and child choice of play materials.

We support plenty of play time for children when they are at our daycare. We offer free play when the
kids arrive, after breakfast, outside, after nap, and outside again. Children are free to do whatever they
desire during this time. We also use this time to see what the children are interested in to help plan
future lessons. We have many materials that children can choose from anytime during the free play
times. These include things like dolls, puzzles, art supplies, books, blocks, trucks, tracks, dinosaurs,
and more.

Give examples of how you join children in learning centers during play/work time to extend and
deepen children’s learning and model play and prosocial skills.

I rotate myself between the most populated areas inside the classroom during free play times. I will sit
with the children and ask them questions about what they are playing with or what they are making. I
will help or assist them if they ask for it. I will bring up new vocabulary for them if the opportunity
arises as well.

Give examples of situations when you supported children’s social play skills by helping them enter in
to, sustain, and enhance play with peers.

When a situation arises and children might need help explaining something socially or emotionally, I
will step in and give suggestion of what children could say instead of crying or being violent. We have
made different activities in the classroom to help teach these skills to children during things like group
time and story time. This helps the children learn more about their social play skills while playing and
interaction with others.

Give examples of how you lead varied opportunities to help children learn physical games with rules
and structure, stimulate a variety of skills, enhance sensory-motor integration and development of
controlled movement (balance, strength, coordination. How are the Young Star criteria for 15 minutes
of teacher-led activities met?

On days where we are stuck inside because of weather or days the kids want to play a group game
outside we play creative movement games. We have played hide and seek on the playground, a form of
red-light green light, hullabaloo inside, hopping egg games in the classroom, and many more. The
criteria of 15 minutes of teacher led activities is met because everyday we go over the calendar,
weather, read a story, and then we have an activity to go along with it that the teacher always leads.

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 The Registry Preschool Credential
Self-Assessment: Preschool Teaching Practices
Give examples of how you support varied opportunities for children to develop a sense of competence
and positive attitudes toward learning, such as persistence, engagement, curiosity, and mastery.

As a teacher, I always try to exhibit a good positive attitude, so the children can learn from what I am
showing. This also helps kids learn to stick with things they’re working on and to ask for help if they
ever need it. I want children to know that they can always come to me to ask for help and I will do the
best I can to help them. I will always do it positively to help the kids learn to be positive as well.

Give examples of how you plan varied opportunities for children to develop communication and
vocabulary by responding to questions, communicating needs, thoughts, and experiences, describing
things and events, conversations, and experiences such as field trips.

I give children many opportunities for communication and vocabulary. Like I said before, when
children are playing, I will try to introduce new and different words to add to their vocabulary. I ask
children questions daily to help them learn. I will introduce new ideas and concepts entirely to help
their mind grow. I will take the time to explain things they have questions about.

Give examples of how you support the development and maintenance of the child’s home language
whenever possible. Do you try to learn familiar words, terms or phrases in child’s language? Are there
opportunities for children to see other languages in print?

We have a sign language chart by our book area where children can look at the alphabet in sign
language with the letter’s underneath, so they know which letter is what in sign language. We do not
have any children who speak a language other than English. We have some books that have Spanish
and Chinese words in them. Everything around the classroom is labeled in English so children will be
able to be told the word and eventually be able to read it.

Give examples of how you model functional use of writing and help children to discuss the many
ways writing is used in daily life. Do you give children daily opportunities to write or dictate their
ideas? Do you give children assistance in writing the words and messages they are trying to
communicate? Do you support various types of writing, including scribbling, letter-like marks, and
developmental spelling?

Everyday during art time, we have the children write their own names on their art. For those who need
reminders on how to spell their name or question how to spell a word, we will either write is down for
them or spell it out verbally for them. This helps us assist them while still encouraging them to do it
themselves. We also will write a word but with dashes so the child can trace over it. During our group
time we will ask children how to spell their first and last names to drill it into their brains.

How often and when do you read books children? Give examples of how you engage in
conversations that help children understand the content of the book.

We read to children during morning group time, before lunch, and sometimes while waiting for snack
to be delivered. Sometimes we just read one book, but other times when we have more time, we read
maybe two or three. I ask the children questions to help engage them in the book and to help keep their
attention. It also helps get them thinking about things concepts in the books. Of course, whenever
children have questions about the book, I will answer them to full extent of my knowledge.

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 The Registry Preschool Credential
Self-Assessment: Preschool Teaching Practices
Give examples of how you can support children to explore books on their own and provide places that
are conducive to the quiet enjoyment of books. Describe how children have access to a variety of
book types, including storybooks, factual books, books with rhymes, alphabet books, and wordless
books.

We always always have our books available to children. This allows children to pick up and read a
book whenever they want to. We have certain times during the day where children are directed to read
books individually after snack time and after lunch. This helps kids relax a little before nap and to
wake up a little bit before we get ready to go outside. We have a cozy area across from our book area
that allows one child at a time to use when they would like to.
Give examples of how you can support opportunities for children to become familiar with print and
connect it to spoken words by making print accessible throughout the classroom. Are items
belonging to a child are labeled with his or her name? Are materials labeled? Do you have print
posters to describe some rules and routines?

As I have mentioned before, things around the room, like the sink, tables, chairs, toys, etc., are labeled.
This helps the children hear the word, see the word, speak the word, and for some spell the word.
Children will then start to remember words in books that they read or know what an objects name is.
Our rules and jobs are also printed with pictures so that children can see both the word and the action.
Children’s cubbies and hooks are also labeled with their names so they can identify their names and
know where to put their belongings.

Describe when and how you use rhymes, poems, songs and finger plays. Give examples of how you
support multiple and varied opportunities to develop phonological awareness with children, including
syllables, word families, and phonemes, helping to identify letters and the sounds they represent, to
recognize and produce words that have the same beginning or ending sounds, and supporting children’s
self-initiated efforts to write letters that represent the sounds of words.

We use poems, songs, rhymes, and finger plays as introductions to a topic, book or activity. We also
use them as transitions between activities sometimes. We have songs, rhymes, and poems posted
around the room in places like by the sink to help children know how long to wash their hands. During
our group and story times, we have an alphabet flip chart that we will go through to help the children
with sounds of letters, how to sound out the word associated with the letter, and other words that starts
with the same letter. This helps children identify the letters and their sounds.

Give examples of how you support varied opportunities for children to gain an appreciation of, and to
learn new concepts and vocabulary, and express themselves creatively in ways that reflect diversity
through art, music, drama and dance activities.

We always encourage children to express themselves creatively through works of art, music, play, and
any other way they choose. We have many art materials children can use in any way they want to. We
also have many different types of dress up clothes for children to wear to help express themselves. We
always have fun dancing and listening to music. We will play a song whenever children request one.