Curriculum Planning & Instructional Strategies Flashcards
7 cards from real CPT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Curriculum Planning & Instructional Strategies flashcards as text
What is the primary purpose of using 'open-ended questions' during preschool instruction?
Answer: To stimulate critical thinking, language production, and exploration of ideas
Open-ended questions prompt children to think critically, use language expansively, and explore multiple possible answers rather than recalling a single correct response.
In a Reggio Emilia-inspired classroom, which of the following best describes the role of the physical environment?
Answer: A 'third teacher' that invites inquiry, displays children's work, and provokes learning
In the Reggio Emilia approach, the environment is considered a 'third teacher' because it is intentionally designed to provoke curiosity, invite exploration, and document learning.
When a preschool teacher uses 'parallel talk' during a child's play, she is:
Answer: Narrating what the child is doing using rich language without requiring a response
Parallel talk involves describing what the child is doing in real time, providing rich language input without placing communicative demands on the child.
A teacher is planning a unit on insects. She includes books, a bug-observation station, art projects, songs, and a dramatic play area with bug costumes. This approach is best described as:
Answer: Integrated, multi-modal curriculum planning
Integrated, multi-modal curriculum planning addresses a single theme through diverse modalities—literacy, science, art, music, and dramatic play—to reach all learners.
Which of the following is an example of a 'formative assessment' in a preschool classroom?
Answer: Anecdotal notes taken while observing a child build a tower in the block center
Formative assessment is ongoing, informal assessment gathered during instruction to guide future teaching, such as anecdotal notes recorded during play.
A preschool teacher is introducing a new manipulative to the math center. What is the best sequence of instruction?
Answer: Allow free exploration first, then introduce structured tasks using the manipulative
Allowing free exploration before structured use helps children understand the properties of a manipulative and increases engagement when structured tasks are introduced.
Which of the following best illustrates 'backward design' in preschool curriculum planning?
Answer: Starting with desired learning outcomes and then designing assessments and activities to meet those goals
Backward design, developed by Wiggins and McTighe, begins with identifying desired learning outcomes and then planning assessments and learning experiences to achieve them.