Child & Language Development
 

Fall 2024: The completion of this page and the analysis of the lessons greatly improved my awareness of all of the different aspects that go into lesson planning. This was achieved through the study of Common Core and state standards in the areas of literacy and science. I had never looked at those documents before and it was eye-opening to see the depth that they go to and how they are interconnected. There were potential literacy standards that could be achieved through the biology lesson even though the focus of the class was not building reading and writing skills. Having only been on the student side of the educational system, I didn't know the depth of the standards that I was required to learn throughout my time in public education. My previous understanding was a bit misguided, thinking that lessons were constructed based on topics. I now know that lessons are based on skills that students should obtain prior to graduation and entering the collegiate or professional world. This knowledge supports my work as an interpreter because it allows me to understand the deeper "why" behind the lessons in the classroom and the goals created by the teacher. I can utilize this information and awareness to create a more informed and supportive interpreted product. 

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The work of looking into the different childhood milestones was also incredibly beneficial. I've stated before that my experience with children is more limited because I am the youngest child in my family. Thinking about the way that humans develop isn't something I've really experienced prior to the decision to pursue school interpreting and watching my new niece grow up. Having the opportunity to learn more about child development and apply the knowledge I was gaining to lessons for students of different ages was beneficial. The work on this page helps support the demonstration of my skill and awareness of the second SIS competency. The information I gained through the exploration of the different milestones helped me to think about appropriate approaches for my interpretation. It influenced my language use, representation of register, and the way I presented the material in the way that I approached each of these lessons in my interpretations which can be found on my Interpreting Skills page.

I am grateful for the opportunity to practice these skills and I look forward to continuing to solidify this information and how my interpretations can best support the students I am working with depending on their current developmental stages. 

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Spring 2025: The addition of the Learning Graphic helps represent the accumulation of the factors that will either support or be a detriment to a student's learning. It was difficult for me to make the graphic because there was so much information that I wanted to include, but the graphic itself was getting to be very busy and difficult to follow. I decided to go with the LEGO theme because, to me, all of these factors were like pieces fitting together. The smaller surface area of the 2-D bricks also challenged me to be concise with the information and support my ideas with images. 

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As a future school interpreter, being able to understand how all of these pieces fit together is imperative to supporting the students as a whole people. If a student isn't receiving the proper nutrition or adequate sleep, biologically they will be at a disadvantage. Their bodies won't have the energy needed to fully engage in the classroom. If a student is having a difficult time in class, it could be because of all of these other factors. If I suspect there are challenges because of food insecurity, I could work with the education team to get the student more support in that area. If I didn't have an awareness of all of the factors that could be barriers to learning, it doesn't really matter how effective the access is, the other factors will still be a detriment to their learning. Understanding that there are so many different things at play for a student is imperative to providing full support. 

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Fall 2025: This fall, I added the Developmental Milestones chart and the section outlining the development of a preschooler. I really enjoyed the process of putting the chart together because it was an opportunity for me to finally solidify my understanding of the bigger picture. One of the things that I have never been most comfortable with when approaching our interpreting homework in previous courses was adjusting my language to match what is appropriate for a child based on how old they are. Of course, my approach is based on any information about the student provided in the assignment notes, but generally, I didn't really have an understanding of the difference between a 1st grader and a 3rd grader developmentally. Seeing all of the different categories of development and how a child progresses through each phase is really helpful to me as I begin to implement this knowledge more effectively into my work. This is something I am going to have to practice, but now that I have a foundational understanding, I have more confidence in being able to adjust my language use and interpreting choices to be able to match the needs of my student consumers when it comes to age-based things. 

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Additionally, it was an interesting assignment to walk through from a personal lens as well. My sister's first child is in a very exciting stage of development right now, where everything seems to be growing and changing so quickly. Now that she's 16 months, we're getting ready for some big milestones as her language use gets stronger and stronger every day. Having the opportunity to do this assignment at the same time my family is so invested in my niece's development was a really special experience.