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Child Development Library Resources: Activity Plan, Implementation, Reflection

Library Resources in support of HWC's Child Development Program

Activity Plan Research Guidelines

New Report Shows Progress on Early Childhood EducationTo find relevant results in the library catalog and databases, try the following keywords and subjects:

  • (activity plans) AND (child development)
  • play AND activities AND children
  • (classroom activities) AND (early childhood education)

You can copy and paste these search strategies directly into the database search fields, or you can try your own keywords for more specificity.

 

Activity Plan Key Assessment

Make sure to check with your instructor about the specifics of this assignment, as individual professors may have different expectations.

Activity Plan Resources

The links below will take you to the best places to start your research on this subject.  If you are asked to log in using your CCC credentials, just use your username without @student.ccc.edu. If you are redirected to a page that is neither a log in page nor a database search page, try clearing your browser cache and trying it again. If you are unable to access the database or find what you need, feel free to contact an HWC librarian.

Relevant Websites

NAEYC

Activity Plan Checklist

 

When searching for early childhood activities, it’s important to use the standards of the profession as a guide. The following checklist is based on principles from the  National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) position statements on Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) and Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education. 

 

Use the checklist below to determine the various qualities of each activity in your search.

 

Type of Activity

  • Does the activity clearly state what the children are expected to do?
  • Is this activity play-based? If not, could it be converted to a play-based activity?
  • Is the activity primarily teacher-directed, or is it child-centered and open-ended?
  • Is the activity process-oriented or does the activity result in a specific product?
  • Is this activity associated with a specific curriculum such as Teaching Strategies/Creative Curriculum or an approach such as the Reggio Emilia approach?

Child Development

  • Does the activity include an intended age group?
  • Does the activity include an intended learning/developmental goal? 
  • If so, is the goal linked to an early learning standard such as Illinois Early Learning or some other state/national/professional standard for early childhood education?
  • Is the activity tied to an early childhood subject area, or domain of development?
  • Based on your understanding of child development, is this activity developmentally meaningful for the intended age group?
  • Does the activity include suggestions for assessment or documentation?

Advancing Equity 

  • Does the activity support cultural, linguistic, and ability diversity?
  • Would all children feel represented/reflected in this activity?
  • Does the activity perpetuate cultural, racial, or gender stereotypes?
  • Could this activity be adapted to meet the interests and experiences of specific children you know, or is the activity inflexible and would be difficult to adapt?
  • Does the activity include opportunities for partnering with families or the community?

Joyful Learning

  • In your opinion, would this activity be fun/engaging/joyful for young children? Why?