MTLE Early Childhood Education (Birth to Grade 3) cheat sheet

Piaget's stages in order: sensorimotor (0-2, object permanence emerges), preoperational (2-7, symbolic play, egocentrism, conservation absent), concrete operational (7-11, conservation, reversibility, classification); formal operational is not reached in this band.

Erikson's psychosocial sequence for this band: trust vs. mistrust (infancy), autonomy vs. shame/doubt (1-3), initiative vs. guilt (3-6), industry vs. inferiority (6-12); each stage's conflict is resolved through caregiver and teacher responsiveness.

Vygotsky: the zone of proximal development is the gap between independent performance and performance with adult or peer support; scaffolding is temporary, gradually withdrawn support tuned to the child's current level.

Kohlberg's preconventional morality (punishment avoidance, then self-interest exchange) dominates early childhood; sharing and rule-following at this age are typically driven by adult approval, not abstract principle.

Language milestones: cooing ~2 months, canonical babbling ~6-9 months, first words ~12 months, two-word combinations ~18-24 months, 50+ words and fast mapping by 2 years, most grammatical morphemes mastered by 4-5 years.

Gross motor sequence is cephalocaudal and proximodistal: head control, rolling, sitting (~6 months), crawling, standing with support, walking ~12 months, running and stairs with alternating feet by 3-4 years.

Bronfenbrenner's ecological model nests microsystem (family, classroom), mesosystem (home-school links), exosystem (parent workplace, community policy), macrosystem (culture), and chronosystem (time and life transitions).

Attachment categories from Ainsworth's strange situation: secure (uses caregiver as safe base), insecure-avoidant, insecure-resistant/ambivalent, disorganized; secure attachment predicts later social competence but is not deterministic.

Maslow's hierarchy applied to classrooms: physiological needs and safety precede belonging, esteem, and self-actualization, so unmet hunger, sleep, or fear of harm suppresses learning engagement.

Developmentally appropriate practice (NAEYC) has three core considerations: what is known about child development and learning, what is known about each individual child, and knowledge of the child's social and cultural context.

Play is a curricular vehicle: sociodramatic play supports self-regulation, symbolic thought, and language; teachers scaffold it through props, role modeling, and co-playing rather than direct instruction alone.

Emergent literacy components: oral language, phonological awareness, print concepts, alphabet knowledge, and writing development; these are predictors of later conventional reading and are taught through read-alouds, songs, and environmental print.

Phonological awareness progression: word awareness, syllable awareness, rhyme, alliteration, onset-rime, then phonemic awareness (isolating, blending, segmenting individual phonemes); phonemic awareness is the most advanced level.

Early math learning trajectories follow a sequence: subitizing and counting (stable order, one-to-one correspondence, cardinality), then comparison, then composing and decomposing numbers, then addition/subtraction contexts.

Assessment types: formative (ongoing, informs instruction), summative (end-of-unit), screening (identifies risk), diagnostic (pinpoints skill gaps), and progress monitoring (tracks response to intervention); authentic assessment uses observation and work samples in natural settings.

Running records and anecdotal notes document reading behaviors (cueing systems, self-corrections); portfolios collect multiple work samples over time to show growth rather than single-point performance.

Differentiation dimensions: content (what is taught), process (how it is learned), product (how learning is shown), and environment; tiered activities and flexible grouping respond to readiness, interest, and learning profile.

Standard alignment in lesson planning: state the learning objective in observable terms, match assessment to the objective, then select activities; alignment failure (assessment measuring something other than the objective) is the most common planning error.

Physical environment design: defined interest areas (blocks, dramatic play, library, art, sand/water), clear pathways, low open shelving for child access, and quiet zones separated from active zones reduce conflict and support independence.

Arrangement rules: visibility of all children from any teacher position, no blind spots, at least three feet of open pathway, and materials stored at child height with picture labels to promote self-help.

Daily schedule principles: predictable sequence, balanced active/quiet and large-group/small-group/individual time, adequate transition buffers, and minimal whole-group sitting for children under 6.

Transitions are the highest-risk time for behavior problems; effective strategies include advance warnings, songs or countdowns, visual schedules, and assigning helper roles to keep children engaged.

Positive guidance over punishment: natural consequences (result of the action), logical consequences (related and respectful), redirection, and choice-giving are preferred to unrelated punitive measures.

Classroom rules work best when few (3-5), stated positively, generated with children, posted with pictures, and rehearsed; rules should describe observable behavior, not attitudes.

Group management foundations: proximity control, active supervision (scanning, moving, interacting), clear expectations taught and practiced, and consistent follow-through build a predictable climate.

Safe, inclusive climate includes anti-bias practices: diverse books, materials reflecting children's home cultures, and interrupting exclusionary language; belonging predicts engagement and reduces withdrawal.

Health and safety routines in early childhood settings: handwashing at key times, safe sleep for infants (back to sleep, firm surface), choking-hazard checks, and supervision ratios during outdoor play.

Family engagement is bidirectional: schools share information and invite input, and families' funds of knowledge (home routines, languages, skills) are treated as resources for curriculum.

Epstein's six types of involvement: parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision-making, and collaborating with the community.

Communication principles: plain language, translated materials, multiple channels (app, phone, notes, conferences), and proactive contact before problems arise build trust.

Family conferences should be planned: gather evidence first, open with strengths, describe observations without labels, invite family perspective, and agree on shared next steps.

Cultural responsiveness means recognizing that discipline, independence, eye contact, and mealtime norms vary by culture; avoid interpreting culturally shaped behavior as deficit.

Home-school literacy partnerships: shared reading routines, lending libraries, and family literacy nights increase print exposure; send home activities that require no special materials.

Community resources for referral: early intervention (IDEA Part C, under 3), preschool special education (Part B, 3-5), health clinics, food assistance, and public libraries; teachers connect families rather than diagnose.

Barriers to involvement include transportation, work schedules, language, and prior negative school experiences; flexible meeting times, virtual options, and childcare during events address them.

Confidentiality: student records and disability information are shared only with those with legitimate educational interest; family consent is required for referral to outside evaluation.

IDEA entitlements: free appropriate public education (FAPE), least restrictive environment (LRE), individualized education program (IEP), procedural safeguards, and nondiscriminatory evaluation; LRE presumes education with typically developing peers to the maximum extent appropriate.

IEP components: present levels of performance, measurable annual goals, special education and related services, progress measurement, and transition planning (required by age 16 federally, earlier in some states).

IFSP for children under 3 (IDEA Part C) is family-centered: outcomes are written for the family and child, services are delivered in natural environments, and a service coordinator is assigned.

Child find and evaluation: referral can come from parents or teachers; evaluation must be in the child's native language, use multiple measures, and cannot rely on a single test score for eligibility.

Disability categories relevant to early childhood: developmental delay (state-defined, often ages 3-9), autism, speech/language impairment, deaf-blindness, intellectual disability, and orthopedic impairment; eligibility requires adverse educational impact.

Response to Intervention (RTI) tiers: Tier 1 universal instruction, Tier 2 targeted small-group intervention with progress monitoring, Tier 3 intensive individualized intervention; data drive movement between tiers.

Gifted and twice-exceptional learners: advanced verbal reasoning, early reading, intense interests, and asynchronous development; twice-exceptional students show high ability masked by a disability such as dyslexia or ADHD.

English learners: language development stages are preproduction, early production, speech emergence, intermediate fluency, and advanced fluency; BICS (social language) develops in 1-3 years, CALP (academic language) in 5-7 years.

Equity in assessment: accommodations (extended time, read-aloud, visual supports) preserve the construct being measured; modifications change the construct and must be documented in the IEP.

NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct core values: appreciate childhood as a unique stage, base practice on knowledge of child development, appreciate strengths of children and families, and recognize that children are best understood in family and cultural context.

Mandated reporting: teachers must report suspected child abuse or neglect to the designated agency; the standard is reasonable suspicion, not proof, and internal notification does not replace the legal report.

Confidentiality boundaries: discuss children only with those who need to know for educational purposes, avoid identifying details in public settings, and secure digital records.

Legal frameworks: FERPA governs education records and parental access; IDEA governs special education; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act prohibits disability discrimination; ADA covers public accommodations.

Supervision duty: teachers are liable for foreseeable harm; never leave children unsupervised, maintain required ratios, and document incidents promptly and objectively.

Professional development is ongoing: reflective practice, observation feedback, coaching, and participation in professional organizations sustain growth; reflection connects observed outcomes to instructional decisions.

Collaboration roles: paraprofessionals, related service providers (speech, OT, PT), and administrators work from shared plans; the teacher remains responsible for instruction and communication with families.

Advocacy for the profession includes promoting play-based and developmentally appropriate practice, communicating evidence to policymakers, and modeling respectful, non-deficit language about children and families.

Ethical decision-making uses a hierarchy: first responsibilities to children, then to families, then to colleagues and employers; when duties conflict, the child's welfare takes precedence.