NBPTS EMC PE flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Object permanence

Piaget's sensorimotor achievement (roughly 8–12 months) in which a child understands that objects continue to exist when hidden; its absence explains peekaboo delight and search errors.

Conservation

Piaget's understanding that quantity, mass, and number stay constant despite changes in appearance; typically absent in preoperational children, who focus on one perceptual dimension.

Zone of proximal development

Vygotsky's term for tasks a child can do with guidance but not yet independently; instruction targets this zone, and scaffolding is gradually withdrawn as competence grows.

Scaffolding

Temporary, responsive support from an adult or peer that lets a child complete a task beyond current ability; it is faded as the child takes over the cognitive work.

Private speech

Vygotsky's self-directed talk, common in early childhood, that guides and regulates behavior; it later becomes silent inner speech and supports self-control.

Attachment

Bowlby and Ainsworth's enduring emotional bond between infant and caregiver; secure attachment predicts confident exploration, while insecure patterns predict different reunion behaviors.

Separation anxiety

Developmentally typical distress at caregiver departure, peaking around 10–18 months and usually fading by age 3; persistent, intense distress warrants referral rather than discipline.

Bioecological model

Bronfenbrenner's framework placing the child at the center of nested systems (microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, chronosystem) that jointly shape development.

Erikson autonomy stage

Erikson's second psychosocial stage (roughly 1–3 years) in which toddlers assert independence; overcontrol or shaming produces doubt and shame, so choices and safe risk-taking matter.

Universal Design for Learning

A planning framework offering multiple means of engagement, representation, and action/expression so varied learners can access the same goals without separate curricula.

Differentiation

Adapting content, process, product, or environment to individual readiness, interest, and learning profile while keeping shared learning goals constant.

Formative assessment

Ongoing, low-stakes checks during learning used to adjust instruction; it contrasts with summative assessment, which judges achievement at the end of a unit.

Developmentally appropriate practice

NAEYC's framework combining knowledge of child development, individual children, and social/cultural context to plan experiences that are both achievable and challenging.

Play-based learning

Learning through child-directed play that builds language, self-regulation, and problem-solving; the teacher observes, scaffolds, and documents rather than directs every step.

Language acquisition sequence

Typical progression: cooing, babbling, first words near 12 months, two-word combinations near 18–24 months, then grammar and vocabulary growth; delays signal need for screening.

Self-regulation

The capacity to manage attention, emotion, and behavior toward a goal; it develops through co-regulation, predictable routines, and practice, and underlies school readiness.

Inclusive setting

An environment where children with disabilities learn alongside peers with individualized supports and accommodations, rather than being placed in separate programs.

Family–school partnership

Collaborative, two-way communication between educators and families that shares goals and cultural knowledge; it sits in Bronfenbrenner's mesosystem and predicts better outcomes.

Multicultural responsiveness

Recognizing and integrating children's cultural, linguistic, and family backgrounds into curriculum, expectations, and communication so every child's identity is affirmed.

Observation-based assessment

Systematic recording of children's behavior and work over time (anecdotal records, running records, portfolios) to document growth and inform planning.

Screening versus diagnosis

Screening briefly identifies children who may need further evaluation; diagnosis is a comprehensive, credentialed determination of eligibility and need for services.

Tiered intervention

A multi-tiered system (e.g., MTSS) providing universal supports to all, targeted supports to some, and intensive individualized supports to few, monitored with progress data.

Ethical conduct with children

Professional obligations: protect children's safety and dignity, maintain confidentiality, avoid dual relationships, and report suspected abuse per mandated-reporting law.

Reflective practice

Systematically examining one's own teaching decisions, biases, and outcomes to improve instruction; it is central to NBPTS's vision of accomplished practice.

Collaborative inquiry

Teachers jointly examine student work, data, and practice to solve instructional problems; it builds collective expertise rather than relying on isolated workshops.

Learning environment design

Arranging space, materials, and routines to support independence, safety, and varied activity types; physical layout is a teaching tool, not decoration.

Progress monitoring

Frequent, repeated measurement of a specific skill using equivalent probes to determine whether an intervention is working and to adjust it.

Cultural humility

A stance of ongoing self-reflection and openness to families' cultural perspectives, replacing assumptions with inquiry and partnership.

Trauma-informed practice

Recognizing the effects of stress and trauma and responding with safety, predictability, choice, and relationship-building rather than punishment.

Executive function

Interrelated cognitive processes-working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility-that enable planning and goal-directed behavior; they develop rapidly in early childhood.

Code of ethics

A professional statement of principles (e.g., NAEYC's) guiding decisions about children, families, colleagues, and community, used to reason through dilemmas.

Advocacy role

Educators informing policymakers, families, and the public about early childhood needs and speaking for policies and resources that support children and families.