As You Have Learned Over The Last Four Weeks There Are Many

As You Have Learned Over The Last Four Weeks There Are Many Considera

As you have learned over the last four weeks, there are many considerations to include when designing a positive learning environment: from considering the unique needs of your students; fostering classroom community; developing schedules; routines and transitions; to ensuring the overall climate is diverse, equitable, and inclusive—it is no simple task. For your final assignment in this course, you will bring together the work you have already begun, along with additional elements to create your final visual layout and a rationale for how your design supports the needs of the children and family you will be working with based on the classroom you have been utilizing throughout the course. To prepare, locate the visual layout you created in your Week 3 assignment. Review the feedback you received from your instructor on previous assignments and your peers’ feedback in the Week 4 Designing the Classroom Environment discussion forum. Watch Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Early Childhood Classroom and Early Childhood Environments. Read Advancing Equity in Early Childhood. Consider a preschool classroom of 2/3-year-olds with diverse needs, including a bilingual student, a child with delays requiring an aide, and a foster child with behavioral challenges.

Paper For Above instruction

The final assignment for this course requires a comprehensive evaluation and enhancement of a preschool classroom environment, grounded in inclusive early childhood education principles. It involves creating a refined visual layout of the classroom and developing a rationale that demonstrates how this design supports diverse learners, fosters community, and incorporates developmentally appropriate practices to promote equity and inclusion.

Part 1: Final Visual Layout

Using a digital tool of your choice (such as Word, PowerPoint, or a design software), develop a visual representation of your classroom environment. This layout should integrate the feedback received previously, demonstrating enhancements that promote accessibility, engagement, and inclusivity. Clearly label the layout to specify which classroom model it represents—preschool, 4K, 5K, or first grade—and evaluate this design using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Environment Checklist. This process ensures that the environment accommodates various learning needs and styles, emphasizing flexible engagement and representation strategies.

Part 2: Positive Learning Environment Rationale

For this component, you will create a detailed written or multimedia presentation (such as a Word document, PowerPoint, or a video) that articulates your design choices. Your rationale must include:

• An explanation of how you refined your visual layout based on feedback, demonstrating responsiveness to student needs and inclusivity principles.
• A discussion of how your design aligns with developmentally appropriate practices, supporting high-quality learning environments for diverse young learners.
• An assessment of how the classroom fosters a diverse, equitable, and inclusive climate, highlighting strategies to accommodate linguistic diversity, developmental delays, and behavioral challenges.
• Descriptions of how classroom management techniques—such as schedules, routines, and transitions—are integrated to promote a structured, predictable, and supportive environment.
• An exploration of how your classroom design encourages community-building among students and fosters partnerships with families, including strategies for engaging families and respecting cultural and individual needs.

This project must adhere to APA formatting standards and include a title page, proper in-text citations, and a reference list of at least four scholarly sources. The written rationale should be 5-6 pages long, excluding title and references, or a presentation of 15-18 slides, or a 10-12 minute video if choosing multimedia. A clear introduction with a thesis statement, and a conclusion, are required to structure your paper logically.

Submission Requirements

Submit two components: the finalized visual layout with the completed UDL checklist, and the rationale/overview of your classroom design. Both must follow APA Style guidelines. Ensure your work reflects academic voice, includes evidence-based support, and demonstrates thoughtful integration of inclusive strategies tailored to diverse learners, including multilingual children, children with delays, and children with behavioral challenges.

References

• Bishop, R. S. (2017). Improving culturally responsive classroom management. Early Childhood Education Journal, 45(2), 157-164.
• Castro, D. C., & Ruiz, M. E. (2020). Culturally responsive classrooms: Strategies for engagement. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 18(3), 287-300.
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). (2020). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. 4th Ed. NAEYC Publishing.
• Rogers, S. J., & Vismara, L. A. (2020). Evidence-based practices in autism: An overview. Autism Research and Treatment, 2020, 1-10.
• Tomlinson, C. A., & Imbeau, M. B. (2010). Leading and managing a differentiated classroom. ASCD.
• Walker, K., & Severson, H. (2014). Supporting social-emotional development of children with delays. Infants & Young Children, 27(2), 107-118.
• Wehmeyer, M. L., & Shogren, K. A. (2016). Handbook of evidence-based practices for students with intellectual disabilities. Guilford Publications.
• Yell, M. (2020). Legal and ethical issues in educational settings. Routledge.
• Zosh, J. M., et al. (2018). Learning through play—A review of evidence-based practices. Early Childhood Education Journal, 46(3), 245-253.
• Zeichner, K., & Schuling, R. (2021). Culturally sustaining teaching practices. Harvard Educational Review, 91(4), 540-556.